Bainford

A beautiful model of a beautiful car. Well done.

Very interesting. Nice finishes. Cool subject.

Cool!

Wow! That is a stunning model. I thought the first photo was a real truck. Such clean work and impressive realism. Excellent work.

Good looking tow truck. The combination looks like a natural. Well done.

Nice replica. Great work on that chop.

Just found this WIP. Nice work, it's coming together nicely. It's good to see one of these kits being built.

Interesting kit. I really like the colour of the seats. Looking forward to seeing more.

Cool project, both this and the transporter project. I'm watching. I've been planning a similar build, but stuffing the Revell kit into an MPC '74 Cuda.

Good looking Mustang!

Very cool, Paul. Nice clean build, and I dig the neat shop setting, too.

Very cool Nomad, Marcos. Digging that awesome gasser style. Nice detailing, too.

Cool build, Bart. It's good to see the original Ecto built.

Nicely done, John. The Olds looks great in red. The three together makes for a striking display. Very cool!

Beautiful Duster! You nailed the 70s period vibe. Super clean work, and I love the colour. Excellent photography, too, to show it off. Very well done.

Welcome to the forum, Mark, and welcome back to the hobby.

Andrew, this just gets better and better. Lovely detail work. I'm really enjoying this build.

Every day is a school day. I had no idea. I always thought that was just a manufacturing artifact. Thanks for the info.

Actually, brake fluid is specifically non-petroleum. One of the design requirements for brake fluid is that it is non-injurious to plastics and plasticized rubber-like materials that make up the seals in the brake system (though this may not necessarily include poly-styrene). Depending on the grade, brake fluid is either an alcohol/glycerin blend, or alcohol/borate ester blend, with various performance additives. The types and quantities of additives used will vary from one brand to the next, and I suspect it is one of these additives that causes the brittleness some people complain of (some brands/grades being worse than others). The specific plastic formulation of the kit in question may also be a factor. Given these variables, using brake fluid may be a hit-or-miss proposition. Personally, I've not experienced brittleness. Back in the 80s, concerned about this very thing, I put some brake fluid in a bottle and dropped in a wheel as a test. A few months later I checked it, and it seemed to have suffered no ill effects. So I left it for a couple years and checked it again, and its integrity remained intact. The grade and brand of brake fluid used is long forgotten. I think it's time I performed the experiment again, with something closer to a scientific method, as the 'brittle' comments have me curious. So far, I've had no qualms about using brake fluid to strip paint. My go-to is Castrol Super Clean or 91-99% isopropyl alcohol, depending on the paint type. If the paint refuses to move, I dunk it in the brake fluid for a couple days to a couple weeks, depending on how stubborn the paint is. I make a trip once a year to the local haz-mat disposal centre to get rid of used motor oil, coolant, old gas, etc, so disposal is not a problem. My only concern is to ensure the body is scrubbed clean very well with soap and warm water once removed from the brake fluid tub.

This sounds like a very interesting project. Looking forward to seeing this one come together.

Sharp looking Firebird, Bill. Nice & clean. Well done.

Cool build, Andy. The two-tone black is menacing. Nice engine detailing.

Love it! Cool survivor.

Very cool build. I had no idea the old Aurora kit was this good. You have done a fine job on it. A cool piece of model car history.

When it comes to small parts,' to prime, or not', is a matter of personal preference. It may come down to how well your paint is covering. If, when brush painting over bare plastic, the paint leaves brush marks or tends to pull away from the high spots and pool in the low spots, primer may help. If you are painting large parts with an airbrush, I recommend doing the small parts with an airbrush, too. Provides a better, smoother finish. For the record, I seldom prime smaller parts, unless I have done some putty work, etc, then I will prime to keep the final colours even. Also, parts molded in black or dark colours can benefit from priming to achieve the desired colour without laying down multiple coats of paint.