gman

This thread made me worry- I did a bunch of work on a 48 Ford Woody frame back in 2001 or so, filling the majority of the seams with baking soda and superglue mixture, with some of the easier access areas filled with Evercoat. This was an unfinished, stalled project that has been sitting in a drawer since the work was done. All of the sanded glue/baking soda seams were painted before being put away. Seeing as I live in an area that gets a lot of moisture with relatively high humidity, I pulled them out just now to see the carnage that has festered in the last 18 years: It looks like I got lucky- no funny reactions. Maybe the fact that they were sealed up with paint shortly after finish sanding saved the parts with baking soda and superglue.

You can easily paint the semi-gloss finish first, then clear coat to get the desired sheen. The results will be much more predictable than mixing the semi-gloss paint with clear gloss before applying it. Adding clear will reduce the opacity of the paint, which will likely require more coats and a bigger thickness of paint layer over the parts than just using a clear coat overtop the painted finish. You can get a pretty nice gloss finish with multiple coats of clear over a flat or semi-gloss base coat. I have been using gloss, semi-gloss and flat clear coats over top of painted finishes for a number of years, to add some contrast that replicates the variety of finishes you will find on/in/underneath the average automobile. I have also mixed gloss and flat similarly-colored paints in different ratios to arrive at a certain level of sheen, but I find it better to keep the paint layers thin and get the final sheen using gloss, semi-gloss or flat clear top coat (depending on what kind of surface I am trying to simulate). Sticking with paints and clear coats that are compatible with one another is best, regardless of what method you decide on.

That paint laid down really nice- looking forward to seeing it come together.

Really good for right out of the rattle can. The root beer one coat lacquer I shot from the can was done as 2 tone over Tamiya gold, and needed a good three coats for full coverage (being a darker color). IIRC, this was two coats, with some thin spots on the cowl still showing...I agree it is far from a "one coat" product, with lighter colors needing more coats

Pretty nice paint job, and good info in your post. Decanted and airbrushed, or otherwise? I have collected a few of those Testors one coat lacquers, waiting for better weather before shooting through an airbrush. I did one in root beer out of the can, and while better than I expected, I'm leaning towards airbrushing next time around.

That is just the color scheme I visualized after the first post- my aunt and uncle bought one new back then in the same colors you've done this up in. I logged many miles in the back seat of that car, and can testify it was very comfortable. I remember my uncle "accidentally" laying down some rubber a few times with it. They had tire separation and a nightmare with the dealership trying to sort that out, so sadly it was traded in the first year they owned it, before there was a recall issued.

I saw a model display in Walmart (Northern WA) before Christmas, and as mentioned, the kits were priced in the same range. After Christmas there were only a couple on the shelf marked "Clearance" and slightly discounted. My last trip? All gone. At least at this store they were only carried seasonally,

Great paint, great color. You have done a very nice job on this one.

That color looks very "right" on this body. Looking forward to watching this build come together- great work.

Coveted kit of a great looking car- can't wait to see what you do with this one.

As the owner of a '16 Hard Rock Unlimited, good job!

^^ from this

One can hope...that would breathe new life into that tool, whether someone wanted to replicate the movie car or just build an alternate Merc.

I've had this too, and when a "new post-read new post" notification pops up, sometimes it is accompanied by a high-pitched sound. I suspect it is an error with the sound in the notification.

I like everything about it- the color, the wheels, the upholstery- I can almost hear what that engine sounds like when it gets angry. I wouldn't call it "long in the tooth," but a tribute to a classic that still looks contemporary (and looks like a blast to drive).

Extremely well done- nice, understated use of colors, loaded with detail. Great job bringing this one across the finish line.

That paint laid down really well- I like it too!

Looking good so far- can't wait to see the polished spin you put on this one :thumbup:

Thank you- looks great.

What a great color in that second photo- would love to know what paint you used.

I can agree, on both counts.

I can agree. The torque tube rear end is a give-away to its 60's AMC origins.

That was how the Model King re-release was- many differences from the box art (which is from the original issue). ^^ this post was getting my hopes up for something more like the original issue than the Model King one.

So this is the month the re-issue is released. For anyone who picks one up, would appreciate some detailed photos of what is in the box- especially wheels, tires, intake.

Does not disappoint- excellent chop on that one.