Pierre Rivard

I would say about 50% clear, 30% thinner and 20% retarder. I put a bit more retarder on my GTO and it seems like it was a bit more fragile when polishing. Suggest you experiment on a scrap body first. You may want slightly different ratios.

Miss Body please meet Mr Chassis. Last elements needed to complete this build will be fabrication of the rad shroud and carb inlet duct. I will get these done tomorrow and then post the finished project in the under glass section.

Moving on to finishing the interior. I made a jig to do a net using #12 sewing thread and tape. Thanks MarkJ for the tip on how to do this. Dash built with addition of scratch built gauges using metal wires for bezels and Krystal Klear for the glass Assembly of all parts completed

The body was finished with the installation of grilles, bumpers, glass etc. The fab of rear window straps and windshield clips with guide pins has worked well. No more dealing with shaky hands trying to glue these in the right spot.

Going sidetrack a bit. I mix my colors using Vallejo acrylics. Purples are hard because on top of doing a metallic effect and balancing darkness there is also the delicate balancing of red vs. blue tones. Using the same base colors I developed two very different tones of purple as shown here.

Yes, Tamiya X22 acrylic clear with some X22A thinner and Retarder for acrylic.

Wonderful! Happy to see your perseverance rewarded.

Thanks Mark. I'm pretty happy with the result. Two tone paint was a challenge but I survived it. Getting close to the finish line. Sent you PM about Rex.

You're absolutely right Noel. Plenty of road car kits out there that can be transformed into Nascar racers so the possibilities are endless.

No doubt the best looking F1 from the era. Your mode of it is stunning!

Powerslide decals.

Thanks. Still some way to go but it is taking shape.

Thank you Gerald. Feedback much appreciated.

I hope this will work out for you. I am puzzled why I am not suffering from the same masking issues knowing we use the same paint and technique.

Two coats brush painted Tamiya acrylic clear (thinned and with retarder). After 24 hours, a modest polishing with 6-8-12k cloths to smooth out the finish and then 1 coat of Future. It's now ready for my favorite: DECAL DAY !

What happened to the engine you were scratch building?

Absolutely. I always spend a lot of time on the chassis to body interaction in the initial part of the build so that I don't have to deal with fit/stance issues in the latter stages.

Thank you JC. Taking inspiration from your beautiful work and trying to mimic some of the stuff you do.

The long road to making a chassis with very little from the kit and with a lot of scratch building and many some parts from the styrene scrap yard (spares) has come to a happy end. It was a lot more work than I anticipated but I'm pretty happy with the result.

I'm sorry to hear you have so many issues with this paint. I Hope you can find to repair the body.

This is as good as it gets. Not surprising since it comes from your bench! Beautiful!

Wow Rich, simply outstanding. Lots of beautiful detailing and impeccable finishing. Rosemeyer claimed that this car was very very fast but always "in motion" One little gust of wind was all it took to flip it over and kill him.

Home made seat belts. This is the third time I do this and I simplified (i.e less detail) because they don't show that much in the end. They're a little rough but ok considering the time I put in. Belts made from a ribbon with a glue/water mix, then strips cut to desired width. Buckles made from Evergreen sheet and 0.5 mm rod as well as thin craft wire.

I use Tamiya products. The white one is 2mm plastic or vinyl and is great for curves because it stretches and bends well. The brown one is 6mm wide traditional type but thin (fine edge). I use the brown when the curve is too tight even for the white one. Best example is a tight window corner when I want to do the painted chrome. I apply the tape and cut along the edge of the trim and remove the unwanted piece. On a smooth surface I would precut the tape. Allow me to post pictures to help visualize. On the GTO I pre-cut the corner pieces, On the MC I simulated cutting on the body because it is right on the trim edge.

Sorry to hear that. Bleed through or problems with pulling off the mask? I hope it will not be too much work to fix this. This is such a great project.