Dave G.

Oops beat to the punch ! Well anyway, https://www.oldmodelkits.com/ I've never used them but they list quite a lot in various categories as in stock items.

Ya I agree, the headers are a stretch not to be confused with first things to try scratch building for sure.

There seems to be 3 Minicraft A roadsters on this page, no promises on condition: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1997-Imma-Minicraft-Models-1931-Ford-Model-A-Deluxe-Roadster-1-16-Scale-READ-/294794849667?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c4#viTabs_0

Cutting out doors and trunk lids then learning to make hinges is a decent first step. After I got that done many decades ago I moved on to making individual stacked leaf springs and shackles and spring mounts and making working suspension on classic cars. Course today's cars would be much more difficult. Also I might note that my hay day of that stuff is over and I'm now back to kit builds but with better paint work and eye for what should be full gloss, semi gloss or flat.. Ignition wiring is a good step to take. There was a time I made working head and tail lights, that would be easier today with tiny led lights, the smallest we had was grain of rice bulbs. Exhaust pipes, headers. Throttle linkage or cables, fuel lines are all simple additions.

I've got one of the Minicraft Model A roadsters half built and a second one unopened. The door hinges are inaccurate but functional or you could just do your own or even glue the doors shut. Mine has a slight fitment issue of the rear body to the fenders but I think clamping while glue sets will take care of it. These are old kits so in mine there is a little warping in the fender assembly that I don't believe is a manufactured issue but just age/storage etc. I didn't see it before paint at any rate. But it's all workable and 1/16 is a nice size. One thing that bugs me about the kit is no up top, just the down boot. The door hinges are fussy to get right and use a good strong plastic welding glue is my suggestion, even if it takes a bit longer to cure. Pretty sure Monogram had a 1930 roadster, it's pretty close to the same as a 31. I believe it was in 1/24. Any of these kits will be old stock someplace, mine came off of Ebay sellers. Scale Mates might have the Monogram, not sure. But the Minicraft 31 roadster comes up often on Ebay.

It can also be water vapor that pickup oils in the air lines, as already mentioned there is a host of ways to pick up contamination. I've seen many sources in shooting 1/1 for 35 years. My latest method of clear coat for models is with Createx 4050. It has it's own ways so I'll drop out here ( it's not the product or system of OP). Createx also has 4053 which is more wet look but I thus far like the 4050 because while I can spray it on so it looks like glass it dries more semi gloss, then I can buff it back up to the sheen I want and I know it's already very smooth. I do mostly classic era and antique cars, their finish in 1/1 is generally not like wet look but is high luster. So best of luck to you all in solving this issue.

You can also get cratering that looks much like fish eyes but there is a different cause. It's a surface tension problem with certain thinners in the paint. For instance Testors enamel thinned with hardware store paint thinner flows out beautifully but then here come the craters. If you mix it 50-50 with mineral spirits first, then thin you still get nice flow and no craters. Also the best of all is probably hardware store lacquer thinner, back to great flow out and no craters. So why am I saying this ? Because the little circular rings that appear are not always fish eyes though they look similar. A product call One shot fish eye eliminator tends to cover both sins, it also improves gloss slightly. However, back on the topic of actual fish eyes, surface contamination can even come from your own fine mist if your talk over your model to someone, say on a phone or whatever. We give off a fine unseen mist in the air when we speak. The droplets of which can settle on ready to be painted surfaces. Smoke from the kitchen when frying things too. Spray furniture polish has been covered.

That's what I kind of figured, thanks. I have a reason to build a 50 Ford coupe.

The paint and build in general look great. The question: how did you manage to get this in a 1950 version ? Is it a kit bash ?

I just want to mention one thing before I'm done with the thread. That has to do with the sets of polishing pads, the little square ones you may be scuffing . In terms of grit they are not each or all created equal compared to wet and dry name brand paper. A given grit isn't always the same in another brand. It probably has to do with international standards on such things. So for instance you may think you're scuffing with 1500 and in something else that may be more like 600 or 800. Somewhere along the way I read an article on this but also by experience I know there can be quite the difference sometimes, especially with no name Amazon brands. Norton 800 wet and dry will be 800 though. Or 1000, 1200 etc. And it's all ok as long as you're working it within your own system and understand what smooth is or coarse with your own pads. Just when we start telling others do such and , well it might not match with their system. Have a great weekend everyone, I'm done here for now !

I personally never liked the look of dry metallic lacquer coats, regardless how much clear it's buried in.. I want the fleck in the film not standing up. There is a point of wetness to a coat where the metallic fleck suspend as the coat flashes. They don't stand up nor sink out of sight. I do this best with light wet coats not dry. The last couple coats can be even wetter and still hold up if there is a good base. Whatever you do in the color coat will be magnified with a high gloss clear over it.

Some of my nicest but now 50 yo paint jobs were rattle can enamel from Pactra ( long gone brand now). Get in a little closer and slow down your final passes in particular. Also let each coat flash off. This flash off concerns lacquers and acrylics both. With enamel I keep shooting till done. Acrylic needs the flashed off base coats so the next will stick. Lacquer needs them to build on. There is a difference: the acrylic will basically slide if you don't have the flashed base coats. Lacquer deepens the color. You basically have to work at making lacquer run though but with metallics if your coat is too wet to the point of heavy you can get the metallic particles or fleck running within the coat before the coat can begin flashing, causing a mottled look . All of this is acquired skill, at least in terms of repeatability. With a rattle can your limiting factor is one spray pattern one volume of paint. In all painting you need to work with distance of passes and speed of passes but with rattle cans those are the only variable, besides heating the product. I won't get into the added flexibility of airbrushing and how to of all that since you didn't ask except there is that capability on the very first coat to get a very light thin smooth layer to build upon.. You need to find your happy medium with rattle cans. I think you will find that Tamiya lacquer and Duplicolor lacquer are two entirely different lacquers with different solvents and thinners, retarders etc. Thus one technique won't work for both. And that's just the way it is.

Could depend on the acrylic used. But I agree, certainly lacquers goes over the water based acrylics at least. I've never tried hot clears over Tamiya acrylic but it goes over artist acrylics, craft paints and Vallejo easy enough. I'm moving from clear lacquers on models, going more and more with Createx 4050 or 4053 and very pleased with the results. I still use lacquer over my wife's acrylic paintings though, in fact I'm clear coating one today.

I like testing though, it's a hobby in itself for me. But lacquer over enamel for me there is no need to test. I had too many fails doing that back around 1977ish. Sometimes it takes me a bit to learn my lesson but once I get it it's gotten in to stay. Anyone can say whatever they want about lacquer over enamel and they had success and that's great. I had a few wins myself but sure enough it came around to bite me in the butt eventually.

Steve that was meant more tongue in cheek than statement, don't assume too much. I also have no dog in the hunt, my own behavior would still be a thanks. I would answer to my own actions.

I haven't figured out my nearest HL 40% off sale pattern lately. It used to be every Friday but it seems random now. When I pop in there they either have the sale and no 37/38 Ford pickup or the pickup and no sale. I have one of those trucks which I want to build as the 37 but would like to build a 38 for a Christmas theme with tree in the back. I'm building the AMT 53 Coca Cola pickup now ( all stock). I caught that on the 40% off.

He's alive, must be a quiet sort of guy. No further posts.

No, last I knew if looking at his profile he was last seen posting his question in this thread. I haven't looked today.

In order to match the real truck you need a few parts to not fit right ! By the way, I remember when AMT kits cost $1.25. In fact lurking in my memory banks trying to surface is something like $1.00 plus tax. But the $1.25 is real clear. I got a paper route before advances on my allowance of $.35 blew the roof of the house. Then I could afford the kits I wanted and the quantity.

Pete, within one of my first posts I said if to use 2x from the can to heat the can in hot water and I've seen it take two minutes of shaking to free the rattler, then shake for 4 minutes. This it seems to me indicates that I've shot it straight from the can ( I mentioned a 40 Ford hood in fact). But that was successful, the finish was indeed very nice. Now this was early on in the thread, I have no idea if he ever saw it before leaving the thread. You have no need to go back to my early posts but if you want to see my more exact words, I've changed nothing within them as I recall. But I also stated the best results are decanting and airbrushing, adding a little LT.. Krylon I mentioned being very hard to find in my area. And I believe others said the same about their areas. I agree that the thread has followed the nature of man, starting civil to wax worse and worse ! My comment on the OP seems to have gone was an observation that I posted is all. I mean he just doesn't seem to be here for whatever reason, and I too looked at his profile before posting that message.

I like to think there was at least observation to the thread by the OP but if not we all kind of wasted our time here it seems. Though someone else might stumble on the thread and gain something from it.

The OP seems to be through with the thread.

I've gone 110 with my food dehydrator on some acrylic paints and enamel with no issues. I've heard of some guys going to 120 for enamel for short blasts. I've done test paint jobs on scrap plastic at 115. 105-107 is my standard though. I don't have a Foodie but an air fryer with dehydrator mode, been using that for 4-5 years or so now. Dry paint by day bake pizza by night lol !

Well the application of 1/1 hot lacquer surely is different from hobby lacquers. Indeed it's worth a few passes on something besides your prized model to get a feel for any new paint or paint system. I'm hoping OP gets back with some good news personally !

Maybe do some test passes on a scrap part before laying it down on your project body. An old hood or side of an old body etc. Get pressure, speed of passes and distance worked out for yourself.