Chris V

Vinegar is one of the few remaining things I haven’t tried. I am slightly concerned that the vinyl may be somewhat porous and absorb the smell of the vinegar…

Always nice to see high quality reproductions of vintage kit decals!!! As for the “Little Deuce” a suitable Pontiac engine and transmission can be sourced from Monogram’s 1934 Ford Coupé or Convertible kit. The Original sixties’ kit and subsequent “Early Iron Series” issues even have a 6x2bbl. Intake. In the eighties the ‘34 kit was altered into the ZZ Top “Eliminator”. It has later been reissued as a Chopped ‘33 Street Rod with the same features. The basic engine block and transmission in these issues was unaltered but dressed up to resemble a Smallblock Chevy, so the intake and valve covers will need to be replaced. As for the other “Little Deuce”-specific parts, Drag City Casting used to offer a set of 1:24-scale American Racing “Le Mans” mags and the unique grille insert. Maybe Ed still has the masters for these parts…

I recently inherited some kits from a freind, who was a heavy smoker. I’ve also noticed that it’s virtually impossible to rid the smell from some vinyl parts.

Additional sources for (non-stock) Oldsmobile engines include Revell's "Orange Crate" '32 Ford Sedan and AMT's 1940 Willys Coupé. Though the latter isn't highly detailed, it actually lends itself well to kitbashing with parts from the engine in AMT's 1939/40 Ford Sedan.

Presumably because it's a consistently strong seller... Despite it's age and a few shortcomings, it's an excellent representation of the subject matter, and quite enjoyable to build.

It should be noted though, that the Aluma Coupé has "true" directional wheels (they're just mis-matched on the built buggy), whereas all four wheels in the AMT '40 are identical.

These wheels are absolutely gorgeous, @1959scudetto!!! Are they specifically sized for the Gunze Abarth 1000TCR? I've accumulated six of them over the years, but the kit-supplied wheels/tires are frankly too toylike for my preferences...

Absolutely spectacular build!!! You've perfectly captured the vibe of the classic seventies' Monogram kit - ironically with parts from the "wrong" manufacturer and scale 😉 This is one of the nicest models I've seen this year. Well done, sir!

Your options are relatively limited. There's the following to choose from: Tamiya (1:18) McLaren M8A MPC (1:20) McLaren Mk8B (rare) McLaren Mk8D Accurate Miniatures (1:25) 1969 McLaren M8B (Bruce McLaren/Denny Hulme) 1970 McLaren M8B (Lothar Motschenbacher) 1971 McLaren M8B (Oscar Koveleski/Tony Adamowicz) The Accurate Miniatures kits are by far the most detailed. Model Car Garage even offers a photoetched detail set for this kit.

Essentially: No, not really - at least not with any degree of certainty... With the abundance of kit- and aftermarket tires currently available, there's certainly no point in taking the chance. Modelhaus tires offers high quality resin replacements for a very large selection of the vintage kit tires, known for having these issues.

The tragic thing is, that someone on Shapeways marketplace offered a fully detailed engine bay and correct grille to update Jo-Han kit. Hopefully it will return in some shape or form...

There’s a number of different superglue de-bonders and removers for just this purpose. It’s advised to check the compatibility with the plastic on a piece of clear sprue before applying to the affected part.

Interesting project! I’m about to start a similar project using the Hobby Design detail kit, wire wheels, and USCP intake and exhaust tips. I’d like to hear more about your experience with the KA “Extreme Metal” paints, as I’ve heard several complaints about their range of Candy paints not curing properly.

The German aftermarket company ScaleProduction has a number of 13" wheels and matching tires:

If you’re referring to the Jo-Han kit/promo, they’re separate pieces as far as I remember.

I wholeheartedly second what’s been said above… Pinning assemblies is the key to structural strength, and in those cases where pinning isn’t a viable option, small divots for the glue is the way to go. In some instances, masking tape can be a valuable aid in positioning/aligning the parts correctly so the glue doesn’t get smeared where it’s not supposed to go. For final assembly I recommend using epoxy glue instead of cyanoacrylate, as the latter has a tendency to “fog” painted and plated surfaces and adhere to fingerprints left on the surfaces.

Do you mean built the kit or the box art version? The kit itself is a reissue combining parts from two famous old Monogram kits: “Badman” designed by Tom Daniel in the late sixties and the subsequent “Street Machine” issue. The model is a good representation of a late sixties’ Gasser/“Street Freak” car. It’s an excellent but somewhat simplified kit, which can look great if built with a little attention to detail. The molds are showing some wear (faint panel lines around the doors and trunk lid) and some flash along the mold parting lines that needs to be removed prior to paint and assembly. Taking some time reshaping the curvature of the C-pillars really adds to the look of the finished model.

On a related note, Stevens International also has AMT’s 1957 Corvette Street Machine (The nicely detailed nineties’ “Mueller era” kit, not the ex. MPC Flipnose “Gasser”) listed as an upcoming reissue.

Old acetate promos are very prone to distort from a combination of shrinkage and warpage - especially if subjected to heat and/or sunlight. Unfortunately there’s not much you can do about it.

At some point the crank centerline was wasn’t allowed to exceed 24 inches from the ground. As another rule of thumb the wheel hub centres were not supposed to extend below the rocker panels.

If you're looking for regular plastic parts, you can find the "Bazooka Tips" in the following issues of AMT's 1971 Dodge Charger R/T (All the other issues have different tailpipes): Harts Parts offers a set of unplated resin Bazooka tips, and Missing Link Resin Casters used to offer a set of plated, but I'm not sure if they're still available.

I think the closest match you'll find in 1:25 scale is the wheels from AMT/Lindberg's 1966 Chevelle SS 396.

I think the closest match you'll find in 1:25 scale is the wheels from AMT/Lindberg's 1966 Chevelle SS 396.

To the best of my knowledge, the paints are no longer manufactured under the Alclad II brand, but are still available from AK-Interactive as their "Extreme Metal" range of paints.

"Albion Alloys" is another well-renowned manufacturer of quality aluminum, brass and steel tubing for modeling.