Simon

Hi folks, I have finished the 64 Impala build for my friend, though I haven't given it to him yet so I still don't know if he likes it! I'm not 100% happy with the gloss, and the wheels are more his taste than mine, but overall I like how it turned out. Box stock other than the wheels and plug wires. Paint is Humbrol silver enamel with Tamiya metallic blue on top. A word of warning - the Tamiya acrylic did not adhere well over the enamel, and even after several coats of floor wax, the BMF removed some little patches of blue paint. I recall that my thread in the workbench section generated quite a bit of discussion about whether old cars should be modified this way, or as lo-los, street machines or whatever. I say that when it comes to model kits, do what you like. But when it comes to real cars, please.... try a little tenderness

Some great new ideas here! I have recently had good results using Johnsons Klear floor wax, or Future as I believe it is sold in the US. It can be tinted with a little food colouring (found in the baking isle of your local supermarket). I've only used blue, but it works a treat - just mix the Klear/Future with food dye and brush on. It self-levels, though you can end up with a dark edge if you put too much on and it settles along one side. Paint it on the inside of the glazing for smoothest appearance. I'll post some pics when I get chance.

Outstanding! The overall look is great, and your work on the interior has really paid off.

Very true, Bob! I recall just how delighted I was at age 12 when my Monogram 56 Chevy rolled on its wheels and had clear glazing. I tend to glue all car wheels these days, mainly because I find they tend to be a little loose on the axle ends otherwise and don't always stand vertically or in line with the body, if you know what I mean. But I do keep ending up with tricycles.... THE loosest wheels I think I've ever encountered were on a Revell '79 McClaren Mustang I built when I was about 8. It practically had 4-wheel steering. I didn't care at the time, I was so enchanted by how I had managed to paint the Ford badge on the cam cover blue.... happy days! Still, I might leave the wheels to rotate on my current Kenworth K100 project. Trucks can be surprisingly fragile and tricky to move about with all those tyres on the ground.

Only if you ate it with margarine on, and a cup of tea with 2 sugars

Excellent, the finish and detail are outstanding. Are those headlights box stock? They are very convincing. I've always ignored this kit in the shops, but I'm tempted to have a go at one now!

Hello mate! I'm based in the sumptuous environs of the Medway Towns, Kent. The only thing I'm aware of at all is IPMS with their IPMS Nationals every year. I used to belong to an IPMS group a few years ago and back then, if you weren't building Messerschmitts with photo etch seat buckles, forget it! (Was I annoyed that my flawless Chevy SS454 didn't even get 3rd place on competetion night? Nahhh.... not much) Do any of you have a Hobbycraft store nearby? I found one in Maidstone and it's tremendous - I can always find something useful in there, from bead wire to suede-effect paint. Worth a look if you have time to kill.

Nice Kenworth mate. I have a couple of these kits to build (one will be getting chopped about) so it's great to see one built up.

What a great idea! It's fascinating to see the different ideas and finished builds from the same kit. That primered tail-dragger is pretty special, but they are all impressive - some of my builds never reach that standard after 8 weeks I know what you lads mean, I'm sure I'd end up with thumb prints all over the body if I tried an 8 hour build.

Nice project, I'm loking forward to seeing this one come along. Very nice work so far mate!

Very impressive paint! That's a really nice, subtle build.

Glenn, that's a really nice story, thanks for sharing. Your son is lucky to have a 64 Chevy! This is my second 64 Impala build, I like this kit a lot. Might try a '63 one day, too.

Hi folks, a few shots from the bench. This is a '64 Impala I'm building for my mate as a surprise. I had this in mind as soon as I saw the wheels in the 3-in-1 Boss 429 kit. The wheels aren't really my cup of tea, but it's the sort of thing my mate really likes so I'm hoping he will dig it!

They are excellent!!! I like the silver Charger best of all, it looks the business - subtle and brutal.

Nice work! I really like the look of the divided grill Super Bee, I'm disapointed to hear that it's an awkward kit. (Especially as I have a habit of making the most straight-forward kits damned difficult!)

Funnily enough, I'm thinking of changing mine. I have been using an Aztek A470 for the past 3 years, and I'm getting fed up with it. It can do all that the manufacturer claims - fine lines, smooth coats, etc, but it blocks up and needs cleaning out far too often. I went to spray a car body on Sunday, and before I could even get any paint on the body, the nozzle had blocked and needed cleaning! Plus, I have had to open up the airbrush body and clean loads of old solidified paint out of it before. Quite a tricky job. So, I'm thinking about a Badger 150 or maybe an old Aerograph if I can get one for a reasonable price.

Hi folks, here's a couple of Impalas I built a couple of years ago. I thought the Chevy fans might like to see them. The 1960 lowrider is a Revell, which I bought while staying in Long Beach, California for a week. I can't remember the name of the hobby shop I got it from, but it's on Atlantic Avenue! The paint is Model Master - I couldn't believe the range of great Model Master colours available, but we can't get them in the UK. The beaten-up '64 is also a Revell lowrider kit, built stock. I had lots of fun with this one! You can let your imagine take over when you're building a wreck - I came up with half a story about how it was sold on to increasingly careless and hard-up owners, to the point where a single whitewall shows that somebody bought it to restore it in about 1991, but never did. The kit was bought in Clapham, London, which is like Long Beach but without the bright sunshine, the aquarium, the margaritas or the Queen Mary.

That's tremendous, a proper rod! I agree on the weathering, I also build military models and although I like to show some wear and tear, I prefer the subtle approach. As your photos show, it pays off.

Now that's going to look the business!

Hi folks, this is the first musclecar I've built since I was at school (back when UK model shops were bursting with AMT and Monogram kits... not any more ). I liked this kit, it's pretty simple in terms of chassis and interior assembly, the plated parts are nice, and the fit is mostly very good - EXCEPT for that ###### warped hood!!! I just wish it came with raised-letter Goodyear Eagles. Trouble is, I always make things harder for myself. On this build, I had the genius idea of fitting the rear axle/springs before the exhausts - so I then had to cut the exhausts to get them between the axle and the chassis. I also decided to attach the scoop to the hood prior to painting....... then realised that the scoop needed to be painted black and would now need masking off. Now you know why British cars were built so badly

Nice project. I was guessing that you would cut where you said, right behind the tranny crossmember - just as well you checked the interior tub fit first! I'll be interested to see this one come along.

That black lead-sled is the business!

Thanks Dave! There really is some inspiration amongst that lot, and I found a really cool looking K100 day cab singe axle with a short chassis. Very interesting to see some real life photos of trucks with a bit less chrome and a bit more grime, too. I see you're Blighty-based - if you're interested, the current source of cheap Revell K100s is Modelzone (see the Modelzone website for branches) who seem to have stacks for 14.99 a pop, together with Scania wreckers. Their other trucks are full price though. Cheers Simon

Hi folks, At the moment my local model shop has Revell (Germany) Kenworth K100 Aerodyne kits going cheap - I think they bought too many ahead of Christmas! I have bought one to build straight out of the box, but I fancy getting another and taking the saw to it to produce an interesting variant. I've ploughed through tons of photos on the web and most K100s seem to have been double drive sleepers (flat roof or Aerodyne) like the Revell kit. I fancy making a flatbed or beavertail transporter, that way I could use it to display a car. I also fancy losing that massive sleeper and creating a day cab, maybe a single drive. Do any of you truck guys know where I might find photos of K-100 day cab tractors or flatbeds? Or any kind of interesting version, like a heavy tractor or Alaskan special? Nothing too extreme, as my scratch building skills are limited! The o.o.box Aerodyne will be built as a smart working hauler, but I want the conversion to be a tougher, less glamorous truck. I really like some of the workaday trucks you build on this forum. I'm thinking that maybe K-100s were aimed at the owner-driver and were too expensive for the likes of the military or construction companies to buy and add custom bodywork? Hence not so many variations? Any ideas welcome! And pictures are even welcomer! All the best, Simon

Ay up Andrew