DJMar

That looks absolutely amazing. Very nice work polishing out that paint!

That's a great technique, thanks for showing it! A cutter ball in rotary tool also works for making worn out upholstery too. It's the same idea, basically, and looks really convincing.

I really dig the color. It looks awesome! I know this is a pretty basic kit, and also 1:24, but it's one of my favorite Monogram models.

Very nice!

Looks MUCH better! Now I can see why you couldn't just file/sand away that hood bulge. Nice work.

I find that giving the wheels a little black wash for contrast makes detail painting a LOT easier. I still use thinner and enamels for this step, but I know that we all have fancy panel liner solutions now. This makes it easier on my eyes when trying to get paint where it should go.

Awesome idea, and it's not just because I was just looking through this and thinking, "Wouldn't a '55 Nomad pickup be sweet? I think I have that kit in my stash somewhere..." Great minds think alike. ? But seriously, you've got this one off to a great start.

BMF can be a pain to work with but I think it still has it's uses. It looks good on the bed strips. The LEDs really add some pop to the interior! ??

I'm pretty sure the Model King release and the more current (2015?) Crew Chief reissue are the same basic kit. IIRC, AMT also released the kit under the Boondocker and Bandit names in the late 70s-early 80s, and I'm pretty sure there was a 1969 version released sometime in the 90s. It's not a great kit, but I certainly like the look of it mocked up, height issues aside.

Here's another one that I found in the box while looking for tires for another project. It's the Model King version, circa 2006. At some point in the past, the body & interior were painted, then stripped. I mocked it up (taped it together) with some of the parts I found in the box with it, things I had built probably 15+ years ago. The front bumper is Evergreen tube, the interior has a front bench seat made from balsa wood (!), and there's a A-pillar mounted spotlight from the Revell Caprice kit. It's up on the stock suspension with kit tires, with wheels from the AMT Ford Courier kit. I think it sits too high, so it either needs a little lowering or bigger tires. I think I was planning on doing some sort of fire/rescue vehicle back then, since lower body trim is sanded off. Who knows what direction it will go now. I think I might want to replace the grille with the Iceman piece for the '69/70 Chevy & GMC trucks. I also had this set of resin Chevy/GMC 4x4 rally wheels, which scale out to be about 18". I'm not sure if I like the look.

Ouch. Stay cool.

Looking good! That chassis looks like it fits in there really well. Are you thinking about creating a tonneau cover, or boxing in the cut out for the frame & rear suspension?

That's some really nice work!

Usually I work in small increments - gluing this, priming that, sanding this other thing - a few times a day, 4 or 5 days a week. On average, probably around 2-3 hours in a week. Every so often I will bust out a marathon (for me) session, and sit there for a couple of hours straight, working on everything I have on the bench.

The truth is...I'm going to buy one.

Very nicely done, she's a looker. The Cragars in that kit were coveted by many. It looks like your chrome held up nicely though.

From the weathering, to the mismatched wheels, to the DD box on the front seat...I swear this was parked in my college student lot circa 1987.??

Right on! Super clean build. I love the body color, especially with the white interior. It's a beauty!

Wow, the gold engine and rear end looks really good with the body color. It just pops. Tasty, tasty, tasty!

I'm digging it. I can't wait to see what she looks like in color. Good choice on the engine/trans combo. As someone who owned a '53 Effie for years, the AMT kit has a special place in my modeling heart.

Looks good! Although I was rooting for the flat light green thing, you can't really go wrong with black & red.

Normally, I would agree. IIRC, both those paints are sort of translucent, so I'm going to spray them out and see how they cover first.

I think the simplest thing is to drybrush on a lighter color, usually silver or gray. Personally, I prefer a dark gray so the contrast isn't too jarring. You can also start with the darker gray with an all over drybrushing, then just hit the highlights with a lighter color for a little more depth. You could even throw in a few washes to represent dirt, rust, oil stains, etc.. It's not the "factory correct primer & overspray" method, but it can add a little life to an otherwise solid black chassis.

Finally...back in primer. Still need to let her cure fully and sand her down. Now, about that paint... I found these two ancient cans of spray on my shelf. The Testors Jade Green Metalflake is probably from the mid-80s, with the Model Master Arctic Blue Metallic maybe a decade fresher? Both are way past their prime, but I'm sorely tempted to warm them up, shake them out and see if they'll shoot. So what's it to be, the blue or the green?

Dremel (or flat file) to the rescue!