Bainford

To be brutally honest Tom, that die cast illustrates why people (those who desire a nice replica) build rather then just buy.

Very cool model of the Marzal, one of the best looking show cars of the era. I am very impressed with your methods, and that you stuck with it for decades. It must feel good to have finally finished it. I always liked the Marzal since I was a kid (like others above, it seems), and in my adult years I have always wanted to build an Espada (basically the road car evolution of the Marzal). Well done, thanks for posting.

I certainly could be wrong about the crazing. It can be hard to tell from a photo, but the area between the head light pods appears that way. Certainly, the wording you posted from the FAQs suggests the paint is indeed hot enough to potentially craze. And as mentioned earlier, the paint is only one component to crazing, the other is the plastic. Like paint, plastic has many different formulations, some of them more prone to crazing then others. I'm hoping you find it to be a different problem. Striping the paint should tell.

There are a lot of different clears out there, and some will provide varying results. Alclad makes clear in gloss, sheen, semi-matt, and matt. Each will make chrome look like different aluminum treatments. I quite like the sheen to make chrome look like polished aluminum, whereas semi-matt makes a nice unpolished aluminum and matt makes a decent flat or cast aluminum look. There are other clears that will lend a different look to coated chrome.

I have no experience with Zero, Splash, Gravity, MCW, etc paints, so can't offer specific advice on application. However, the photo seems to show crazing of the plastic. This seems especially visible on the area forward of the bonnet. This occurs when the solvents in the paint physically attack the plastic. Some paint solvents are particularly 'hot', especially lacquers not specifically formulated for styrene plastic (though I have no idea if Zero is lacquer). Additionally, some plastic formulations are particularly susceptible to this reaction. It will be interesting to see if the body soaking in Purple Power shows a grainy surface once the paint has been stripped. You may have to do some priming & sanding with a filler/primer to sort the damage to the plastic. To prevent this, a barrier is needed between the paint and plastic. A number of products have been used to do this. Most builders ensure a good primer base, and apply the paint in light coats to reduce its potential to attack the plastic. I have heard of BIN and Future being used as barriers, but have no experience with them myself.

That was a most enjoyable tour. Impressive beyond words. They would be lovely to see in person.

The build is looking good. Great subject.

Cool build, and very well done, especially for a 24 hr build. I haven’t seen one of these in years.

Curious. Intrigued by this disparity, I measured some of my own. I have ten in stock, and I know eight of them came from two different issues of the MPC early 80s Bronco. A couple measured as small as .610", and several measured between .630" -.640". I also found that the tires feel more firm than when new, and wonder if the vinyl is hardening/shrinking over time.

Beautiful Jag. The XK120 demands a nice, smooth paint to show off those sexy lines, and yours suits perfectly. Very well done. I have this kit in progress, though the project stalled a couple years ago. I am hoping to get back at it in the spring. Seeing the lovely job you have done on yours is helping to inspire me to get back at it once I get through a couple current builds.

Good looking Starliner. Nice conversion. Can't wait to get started on mine.

Great job on this, Matt. It looks fantastic. And I continue to be very impressed with this kit.

Beautiful model. Nicely built. The new Revell Jag seems to build up well. I'll soon put one of these in the stash.

Good looking truck. Nice work so far. Who makes the resin body and grill? I have a '72 Crew Cab project in similar colours coming up sometime. Your build is inspiring me.

Nice work, Jr. The engine looks great. The new carb really brings it to life.

Cool projects. Your foil work is very neat.

Brilliant!

Very cool project. The two Jeeps look great together. Nice work.

Nice clean style.

Looking great. Your textures and weathering is spot on. Nice work.

Very much looking forward to that.

Cool project, and interesting kit. I have a couple in the stash (though neither one this particular version) and curious how well they go together. Opening the grill makes a big improvement.

That's a thoughtful addition. I likely build mine as a right driver anyway. It seems most of the non-American cars on my shelf are RHD.

Cool subject. I like it. What kit is it?

Cool Lancia. Such wicked little machines. Numerous builders have mentioned the 'pucker moment' when fitting the body to the chassis. Looking at your last photo showing the underside, I can imagine how much of a problem this must be.