AMT68

Thanks for the informative reply Steve. To your point a coat of hobby primer particularly Tamiya which goes on thinly under the Dupli-color primer will not have any material effect on the model's detail. While I realize the color coats of auto lacquers are "hotter" I was basically wondering if the Dupli-color primers contained solvents that were less "hot" and possibly not have an adverse effect on the plastic. It's also good to know that Dupli-color primers will require some additional coats for proper coverage.

Okay, thanks for the link Bill. Much appreciated.

Thanks Cliff. I remember the popularity of these cars when new and the interest in them has never diminished.

I did a search and didn't find an answer (I'm still relatively new here) on whether it's safe to use a Dupli-color primer (most likely sandable) on styrene models. I normally use Tamiya primers under hobby color coats with very good success. When I've used Tamiya primers under the Dupli-color (Perfect Match Acrylic Lacquer) I sometimes getting chipping in the top coats. Now I'm not sure if the culprit is in fact the Tamiya or possibly something I'm doing wrong that causes the chipping. Thanks.

Thanks David. I always liked these cars with a buckskin/tan interior whereas a '73 or a '74 Firebird I'd prefer with a white interior. I like the look without the decals but it is still a debate. Maybe I'll just build another one in this color with decals so I can decide....lol.

Great detail on the interior and chassis. I have the '68 kit (unbuilt) which I believe is the original tooling whereas I'm guessing the tooling for the '67 was updated.

I've seen that MPC Indy Car Firebird on ebay but never purchased one. Didn't realize that kit lacked the accuracy in terms of the turbocharging system.

Thanks John. I'm enjoying following your '79 T/A build.

Thanks Roger. I am still debating the decals and they would be a match with the metallic orange. I referred back to your beautiful red example while building this one. I liked how you lowered the exhaust tips and added the rust wash to the turbocharger which are two areas I still have to figure out how to complete.

Thanks Ray, Thanks Mike. Of the second generation Trans Am the '76 and the '80-'81 models were my favorites.

Thanks Craig and Curtis. I thought this color wasn't too bad of a match for 1980's Fiero Bronze. It's a good possibility that it was backdated and I've wondered if the reason this kit wasn't reissued was due to the fact that the Turbo T/A's weren't popular with the performance enthusiasts then and now.

Thanks Nigel. The decals would've been nice but I like it this way too.

Thanks John for the reply on the base coat choice. Always appreciate your insight and expertise.

Monogram 1/24 scale Turbo Trans Am painted in Tamiya TS-92 Metallic Orange and top coated in TS-13 gloss clear. While the decals looked good they are 40 years old so I didn't attempt to apply them. And for whatever reason I couldn't get the sport mirrors to sit correctly even after a bit of sanding. I'm not always inclined to install side mirrors anyway as I sometimes prefer the look without them. The tail lights which are supposed to be painted black instead are transparent red over a silver base with a few coats of Testors window maker. A few more coats of that product would probably create a better "lens" appearance. I couldn't get the Pontiac "crest" on the front detailed to my liking so it's just chrome foil and no red detail. Fairly rare kit that to my knowledge has never been reissued assembles well and is very crisply detailed.

Nice work on the Mustangs. I've built a couple of the '70 kits which it appears this kit is based upon and I love them. Nicely detailed kits that assemble well. I have this '69 too but have yet to build it.

Beautiful builds that must have taken a great deal of time to complete.

Is there any difference in the appearance of the top coat using the silver leaf versus a grey primer. Just curious since I've used that Tamiya color in the past and plan on using it on future builds. I have one of these kits too and yes there are a variety of trim levels from which to choose.

Thanks Mark. Overall I'm mostly satisfied but I need to improve a few key areas on my next build.

Thanks Carl. Thanks Roger. I have this color lined up next for a '69 Riviera that's on the bench. May take some time to complete since TS-13 clear is currently unavailable everywhere I look.

That came out great and rare to see a '70 GTO. I have the MPC '72 GTO and haven't built it yet in part because the rear bumper is protrudes excessively past the rear quarter panels. It appears from these photos the "70 kit did not have that issue.

I built this kit about two years ago. I personally found it to be a kit that required a good deal of patience. I spent hours filling, sanding and smoothing mold lines. I had some issues aligning the fender flares and front end which required a lot of the filling and sanding. There are two small pins that protrude from the front nose which provide a resting point for the hood. Mine only had one pin that projected far enough but that only requires a pin of some sort properly positioned. The trim lines around the side windows are rough and I managed to sand them smooth enough but I'm sure there are some that would replace them with styrene strips. Overall the assembly went fairly good and I ended up with a decent build. Funny thing was I wound up buying a second kit. Maybe it was the attractive box art.

I'm lovin' the green Laguna. I have the Pepsi Chevelle and the AMT 380 Donnie Allison Chevelle. With those stock car kits I would somehow have to flare the wheel openings to make them look like the production car. The Johan Cutlass interior fits perfectly and would be acceptable for me. I saw your other Colonnade post which was a gorgeous green '73 Gran Sport. Reminded me somewhat of my Slate green '73 LeMans coupe.

My first two cars were Colonnade coupes. A '74 Malibu Classic and a '73 LeMans so this build is very cool to see. I admire the talent and the accuracy of this model build.

Thanks Bill. I'll try that out.

Beautiful clean build and flawless looking conversion to a coupe.