gman

You should do a tutorial of the process with photos- it sounds interesting!

https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1109726/1983-subaru-brat-for-sale-in-kentwood-michigan-49512 ^^ some underbody pics in this "for sale" link Looks like this poor beast started off with the basic stampings in body color, and has satin black frame components.

I've had primers from tried & true old cans that used to shoot fine over older plastic formulations etch and cause problems on the newer plastics. That has led me to stick with the more expensive Tamiya primers for when consistency is important, though I recently got some of the Stynylrez primer to try. Initial tests show it lays down smooth and builds nicely- it is just a matter of seeing if it holds up under automotive lacquers and provides a proper barrier coat.

It looks great. I'm going to have to see if I can find some of that.

Nice! If that is the Revell kit, it had a very short production run. I would have loved to have gotten one of those. Tell us about your paint- that is a great color on there.

The Revell 32 Ford 3 window is a good kit of a relatively simple vehicle. It isn't what would be considered a new tool, but was one of Revell's better offerings of that era. While the kit can have a few issues (namely mold misalignment at the back of the roof, into the panel above the trunk lid on some issues), it builds pretty well once panel lines and mold marks have been addressed. The '86 Bronco is a simpler tool from an earlier era, and if you aren't expecting the utmost in accuracy, it should build into a convincing enough replica, at least as far as what is displayed on the box art. Neither of these kits will be on the same level as Tamiya, but then again Tamiya has never offered these vehicles...what they have offered is generally more complicated, even if the parts fit and go together well. I have owned a few Tamiya kits over the years, but most of my tastes lean towards North American production vehicles, muscle cars and hot rods- not exactly Tamiya's wheelhouse. If you have been out of the hobby for a long time, the Revell kits should be a good way to get your skills honed, once you learn to address the basics and flaws in particular kits.

Now there is an idea!

That turned out great- the colour suits it. A "sleeper" look, as the exterior doesn't hint at the modern powerplant under the hood.

That is beautiful! (I have been waiting for that :D)

Had to revisit the real McCoy in your build thread after looking at your photos of the model, to figure out which was which- as always, you capture the essence of some pretty wild creations perfectly.

I believe Jim got his hands on some new old stock. I remember the line of Testors Colors by Boyd in spray cans, bottles being available in enamel. Not all hobby shops carried the bottles, but the sprays were easy enough to find (while they lasted). I am not too surprised some were offered in acrylics- there was a shift away from VOCs for a while, with manufacturers investing in acrylic lines in trying to roll with those punches. I never saw the Boyd acrylics for sale locally, not even in the best stocked hobby shops here. I too liked a number of the Boyd colors.

You have a good eye for the body lines, and some exceptional talent for bringing them to 3D fruition. That is a great looking Buick.

I am a certified "kit basher," and have accumulated a number of parts kits over the years where various pieces have been pirated. I suspect you'll find a few members with a decent stash of parts here on the forum. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/forum/24-wanted/ ^^ a post in this section may yield what you are after- for free, for trade, anybody's guess.

On most vehicles, there isn't just one shade and texture common to entire interiors or types of panels. Another option to add interest and variance amongst your blacks is to add overcoats (flat, semi-gloss) to appropriate parts for extra realism. Combine those with a handful of different brands/types of black, and you can have a whole bunch of different finishes appropriate for interiors, chassis, vinyl tops- whatever you plan on painting. I know you specified bottle paints, but adding a few spray cans and airbrushed blacks can vary the sheen and tint as well. Tamiya has a very nice semi-gloss black in a can, and has similar black/flat black/semi-gloss blacks in their line of acrylics. Flat black enamel can be burnished for a satin sheen after it is dry, and if done correctly can realistically simulate leathers and vinyls. A little finger oil in the burnishing process helps.

Tamiya X24 Clear Yellow would do the trick. If you already have yellow food coloring and Future on hand, that would be easy enough to test on some scrap clear sprue (and would likely come off with some rubbing alcohol if the experiment doesn't work out as planned).

I suppose that depends. Many years ago (now vintage kits), it wasn't unheard of to have chrome trees made up of different plastics than the majority of the sprues. Most glues used in our hobby will work either through a chemical bond (think standard model glues- liquid, tube), or a mechanical bond (think epoxy, white glue, Micro Crystal Clear, super glue, even clear enamel). Epoxy and other mechanical bonds are good for where you want to glue plated, painted or clear parts in a manner that won't affect that paint, plating or optical clarity. Chemical bonds are great where the glued seams will be sanded, puttied, primered and painted over top of the joint. Shop with that in mind, so you have a few different methods available so as not to screw up your hard work.

I haven't tried Flex-I-File plast-I-weld, mostly because Tenax 7R has met my needs and has worked well. One thing I have found (as a dedicated kit basher for decades) is that there is a wide variety in the composition of model kit styrene from different manufacturers, and even from the same manufacturers over different time periods- things like plasticizers, colorants and who knows what else can affect how a solvent will affect one piece vs. another you are trying to glue together. What bonds one type may melt another and turn it into a gooey mess (I am talking to YOU, AMT circa 1989). Revell plastics from the same period varied too- some were brittle and didn't always readily bond well with liquid cement. Trying to tack together different grades of styrene works best with light applications of a hot solvent, one that is hot enough to melt both types, and yet evaporate quickly so as not to soften the plastic too much. Todays new kit plastic is less predictable still- more reactive to paints and glues than North American-sourced plastics, so a hot, fast-drying solvent in your glue, and a cooler solvent (or good barrier coat) in your paint is more important than ever.

I have used Testor's liquid cement for plastic to plastic bonding, but find Tenax 7R to be much more predictable and quicker to bond/dry completely. It is also a fairly "hot" solvent that will usually work on most types of styrene. For every type of application and material, there is an adhesive best suited to the task. Liquid cements, super glues, epoxies, glues designed for clear parts- all have their places for attaching certain types of parts on a model. The trick is to know where and when to use them. For dissimilar plastics that won't bond together using a traditional liquid cement, super glue is a natural, especially if the parts are not clear, and the joint will be finished/puttied/sanded prior to painting.

That is an impressive build of an impressive vehicle. You seem to have mastered the art of brush painting on this one- well done.

I agree with all of the other comments- excellent build, great paint, and a beautiful finished model.

Looking very good so far. Itching to see some Boyd Red a flow'in ?

Having driven a number of these, I think your project is very cool. ^^ not my photo, but there is a very good chance I had some seat time in that one

Love this one. I have been trying to think of a platform that would look good wearing this share of light metallic red, and I believe you have found it. An excellent period build.

One great thing about many of the old JoHan kits- they really nailed the body lines and proportions. This Comet is a good example of that.