dusty_shelf

You can cut a piece of sheet styrene that is measured to the circumference and length needed, gently heat it until soft and then wrap it around a rod/dowel that is of the correct diameter.

One thing I want to experiment with is lens cleaning wipes. They are designed to not break down or leave lint. They are quite strong and can easily be cut into lengths when dry. Being very thin, they should be to scale for a number of applications.

Shopping for additional “skinnies” for future gasser builds. A member or two had suggested import car tires, including Volkswagen. Have found a few listings but have questions about proper fit. The tires are from the Revell 1968 VW in 1/24 scale. Will these tires mate with standard 1/25 steelies, Cragers, Americans, etc.? What would the VW rim size be compared to standard US rims? Thanks for any input.

I think I have found the right combination. I will continue to strip using the LA’s Awesome. It works super fast and removes paint as well. At the suggestion of Bainford, I immersed the bad parts in 91% alcohol for 24 hours. All of the lacquer flaked off using a fine wire brush. No damage to detail. Thanks to all who commented.

My go-to for chrome removal is LA's Totally Awesome Cleaner. In some instances you can see the chrome come off in real time. Otherwise, a soak for a couple of hours is usually sufficient. I had the bad parts submersed for the better part of two days with no noticeable difference. I did see some removal of the lacquer using non-acetate nail polish remover. However, because of the potential to soften the plastic, I didn’t want to expose it too long.

While working on my AMT ‘33 Willys build, I became very frustrated with the parts I de-chromed. Despite all my best efforts, I could not remove most of the lacquer/varnish applied to the sprue before plating. The leaf springs in particular are unusable. This undercoating obscures the details. I would question of the adhesion of the paint to it. Fortunately, I have a second parts kit and had complete success removing the chrome. Took it right down to the original plastic color. No cleanup necessary. Upon seeing the results, I compared the racks of chromed parts from the two kits. What is evident is there was too much undercoating applied for one batch. It is particularly noticeable on the intake manifold, blower pulley assembly, and the engine block front. Fine detail is lost and some shapes indistinct. Also, when handling the bad chrome, little flakes come off like glitter. I sure wish the manufacturers wouldn’t plate parts never meant to be plated.

Thanks to everyone for the comments and likes! I “tweaked” the seat slightly by adding a strip of styrene to replicate the seat pan. A minor detail that I think makes it look much better.

I am building the AMT ‘33 Willys gasser. Not wanting an out-of-the-box look, I have some changes in mind. One is the racing seat. The kit seat is on the left and the two to the right are from the AMT ‘37 Chevy Coupe. As you can see, straight from the sprue, the Chevy seat looks more like a recliner! The modifications include: shortening the seat bottom; cutting away some of the tub base so as to maintain the correct height; and thinning out the tub itself. Not very evident in the pic, the modded piece tips more forward for better support for the “driver.”

Thanks to everyone for the replies and suggestions. I believe I have found a pair (no name) that will work for this build. They are two-piece white plastic, which will have to be painted. I had to sand down the uneven tread, which I think makes them look track-used. Overall width is right at a 1/4 of an inch. The rim in the pic is just to see how they fit. I intend to take a few pics of the other tires I thought might be candidates, along with measurements. Would be interested in your opinions.

Ace-Garageguy— Thanks for the reply! I now have an idea of what to hunt for. I have eight Goodyear Frontrunner tires that, for size, would be ideal. However, not confident they date correctly. Any idea when they were introduced? Couldn’t find anything via Google.

Planning my build of a mid-60s gasser. Already have the power plant am now selecting the rubber. I have a nice pair of period-correct piecrust slicks for the rear. Where I have hit a snag is in finding appropriate “skinnies” to go up front. I have a few sets that are clearly narrow front tires. Problem is they are all branded and date to a later period. Otherwise, I have hundreds of other slightly wider tires that may work if I knew what measurements I should be considering. Can anyone tell me what width range I should be looking for? I need the measurements of the 1/25 tires. Here is the look I am trying to replicate…

fiatboy— Actually, I could use the body as well. I got to looking more closely at the one in the bagged kit and it appears someone twisted it free from the sprue and damaged the area below the door. Might be able to repair it but there isn’t much room for re-scribing the line of the door and rocker panel. I can PayPal you for the parts and postage. Thanks! —Mike

Need the left side header (Part #8) from the AMT ‘33 Willys Coupe (#6570). May be in other releases. Bought on the cheap an “incomplete” bagged kit. Turns out this was the only missing part! Thanks.

I have been looking at dozens, if not hundreds, of vintage photos of Willys gassers and drag cars. It seems the great majority have a lift-off front cap or a flip nose for engine access. Would all of them be fiberglass in the 1960s-early ‘70s? I would think retaining the original sheet metal, i.e. the hood, fenders, grill surround and grill, would be a bit heavy for either configuration. How would the different body pieces be held together to come off or tilt as one? Adding to the confusion is fact they are seen with solid noses (suggesting fiberglass w/ no grill) or with grills, hood trim and headlights. I want to build a “stock” gasser (non-fiberglass cap) and know that it is period-accurate for a lift-off or flip nose front. Thanks for any guidance.

I have a number of builds in mind. They will all essentially be gassers and street rods of the 1960s-early ‘70s era. I want to be sure that the tires used are correct for the period. Modern kit releases of vintage/classic cars tend to include more modern tires. That is, they are taking cars from the 1930s-1970s and providing rubber from recent/present day. Is there a good source(s) for identifying and dating tires that we often find in kits? Some are branded and with tire style and size. Others recognized only by type (poly, radial, etc.) and wall (white, pie crust, etc.). It would be good to know the general application. Standard from factory on certain makes/models? What about those for drag racing or rodding? Thanks.