rightrudder

Thx! Just finished up and wiped all the fingerprints off. Will post some Under Glass pics tomorrow.

Looks great! I had my doubts about the brown, but in the flesh it's stunning. The gold really gives it warmth. I hear you on the wipers...not AMT's best effort, for sure.

Purdy! I like the side graphic a lot...understated but it really sets it off.

New roof paint turned out well, and I got the foiling done. Man, foil is so tedious and frustrating!! I chipped the paint in a couple places, and got a few less-than-straight cuts with the X-Acto, but in low light and from the right angle she looks pretty good. Should be Under Glass in a day or two.

Yes...the new one should really be called the Maxi.

Yes, a great look, Anton! Love the stance and the wheels.

Good thought for sure, but it worked out fine. Put the engine in and I'm happy with the way it sits. Much Dremeling required on the top of the transmission to facilitate! The Carrera GT's engine has really long intake runners that I had to sand down considerably to get the hood to fit. I still need to rig the cold air induction tubes from the plenum to holes in the radiator support. I repurposed a fire canister to make a dry sump tank...it still needs a cap!

Thanks for the warm welcome, guys! I have learned so much here already; a great site for sure. Art, I will certainly check out your website and try to get out to a show.

Very realistic chassis. ? It's always a magic moment when engine and chassis come together, and the bonus is the engine is now protected from knocking it off the work table!

More puzzle pieces. Predictably, the longer V-10 engine is a tight fit fore/aft, and also between the suspension control arms, because I want to get it low enough in the chassis to use the stock hood. Here, I recessed the radiator quite a bit, shaving off the fan shroud on the other side and taking about 25 percent off the bottom. Then I shaved the top of the rectangular recess so the header tank nests in there, and the radiator is pretty much right up against the a/c condenser (which I don't need, because racecar ?) but it does make a nice bit of structure to support the radiator. I probably freed up a couple mm, which is just enough.

Great info, Mike, and that is a neat mini heat gun. The tea kettle method sounds ideal, and as I'm always having a cup o' tea, convenient as well! The cage I built does use solid rod. I made the 90-degree bends with a Bic lighter, which as you say, heats a much larger area than necessary. The shallower bends (on the main hoop, above the door panels) I made by notching the rod, then filling the notch with putty after bending. Turns out the rollcage is highly functional. Clumsy me dropped the tub on the floor, and no damage. ? Informative discussion here. I always welcome input on technique, so keep it coming. ?

AFX, your avatar is cool! I loved those AFX slot cars back in the day. Remember Jackie Stewart in one of their ads? "These AFX slot cars with Magna Traction really greeep the road!"

Thanks, guys! Anton, you're right about the seats. Those belt guides are separate plastic pieces that glue in...they were originally painted titanium silver and the seats were a Coral color. At this point I think I'll leave them as is. It's a shame that on many of these models, you can't see a whole lot of the interior when the body's in place.

Thanks! I didn't know that primer existed. It'll give it a whirl next time. Noel and David, thank you for the kind words. I totally agree that the Starliner moved the needle on sophisticated American styling in a big way. Those are great, Ryan. I think I'll use the kit tires for now and maybe chase some of these down later. Gotta re-spray the roof! I did some color sanding and was trying to be careful, but I cut into the primer. Easy fix, and then I'll get into the dreaded foil work. After that, it shouldn't take long to complete, as I've got most of the other parts prepped and ready to assemble.

Added an aftermarket tach on top of the dash, and a fire extinguisher between the seats. I just have to put the chrome piece in the rear seat and the interior is finished.

Thx! I was hoping for something a little more on the maroon side, but this color is growing on me.

Good save on the hood! That paint laid down nice and has great gloss. ?

Looks ready to fire up. Nice! ?

Thanks! The part line for the colors looks high on the pillar, but that's the way Studebaker did it. I'll put a little strip of BMF there to clean it up.

Thx, Mike! We're fortunate out west to have great painting weather right now. 90 degrees in February...crazy.

You can't go wrong with a Mustang of that era. Have you decided on the version yet?

Thanks, guys! Can't wait to dive into the exterior, planning for a three-color paint job. I'm finding it super fun to go off script here and make it up as I go.

Thanks for that tip, Gregg. I will have to experiment with that. Shot the exterior paint, and it's not quite what I expected. It looked better on the spoon! The red is a little brassy, but the more I look at it, the more I like it. The paint went on ultra smooth (Tamiya acrylic white for the roof, Tamiya rattle-can Mica Red lacquer for the body, both over Tamiya light gray primer). Impatience got the better of me and I masked the roof while the paint wasn't fully cured, so it had some tape imprints. Fortunately, it looks better now after color sanding with 2000 grit. I'm so pleased with the gloss that I'll forgo the clear coat on this one.

Interior is mostly done; just gotta do a few paint touch-ups and add a couple more things...aftermarket tach on dashboard and a fire extinguisher.

Some progress on the rollcage...here's the main hoop. The door bars line up perfectly with those lower dash vents. Hey, no HVAC needed in a race car! Or drip rails or emblems, for that matter, so that will all be shaved.