randyc

That's insane.

Hey I knew a guy named Jack in the late 80s in Boone NC with same story. You ain't him are you?

I just got back to my 70 Cuda I started when it was a new release. I worked on it at my "work home" when I was living/working 3.5 hours from my real home. I cleaned the parting lines off and primed it with something that was really "dusty". So I was sanding that down smooth and noticed the window frames and drip rails were pretty "soft" in the details. Is this just me or was the body molded that softly? Hard to believe that with the work in the body that it would be so soft in these areas. I spent a few hours trying to sharpen them up and smoothing out my primer. I figure this kit too old and too new to be of much interest, so I didn't take any pics or anything. Just questions. Going to be approximately B5 blue with black interior. Nothing exciting really. Not going anywhere new with it. Don;t want to get into the other perceived issues of the kit - looks like a Cuda to me. Just wondered about the frames and any suggestions you guys may have. Thanks

I got the GTO back together. Yayyy. cleaned it up and put it in a case. No other issues, other than my engine compartment was a little sad. Apparently, I cut the alternator off unceremoniously for something else? No radiator hoses. Weird that I would do that after making the rest of it so nice. IDK what I was doing. SO the hood got a couple drops of CA to keep it shut. My wife checks out my builds (big improvement over my ex - i could have been building porno dios and she would have never noticed or cared). At any rate the new wife approved of GTO, so that's all that matters... lol. She shows off my builds when company comes... Now I'm onto the 70 Cuda I started when it came out. Another WTH moment. Not sure what primer I used, but it's a mess. And the window frames and drip rails are just crappy molding. Is that the primer or the molding? I can't find complaints about it on here, but can't see that primer would have made it that bad. Have you built on that one? I have a few hours in recarving them to be more precisely shaped. Those shold have been as sharply molded as the oversize wheel lips...smh. Thought about a workbench thread but that kit is old news now. It's too new and too old to be very interesting to most on here. Bascially factory stock B5 Blue-ish. Black int, since I painted it long ago and could only find BLACK embossing powder recently. (your tip - thanks) enough of my drivel. TTYL.

Paint it pink and fix it up with special equipment like a preproduction color test.

Is it the plastics being used now, OR the paint formulation being changed, OR a COMBINATION of the two. I've noticed and read some posts about paint changing. I used to hate Rustoleum because it didn't work like Duplicolor, but Duplicolor isn't much better at this point. The primers anyway. I used to paint with airbrush or can - not much difference. But now out of the can, seems like thre are many more issues. Sorry about your paint. Hope you can get it worked out. Is it a wet coat? Too wet and too hot for the plastic? The plastics - no telling what the formulation is being made now - make everything cheaper and cheaper and keep increasing prices. Grrrr. Hope you can fix it.

Only time I've had issues is when I let it dry too long. Seems like it gets really hard and won't buff out.

I looked at that Harbor Freight airbrush just now. Looks like one I have seen before - possibly a clone of some other airbrush? Can you get replacement parts for it? I know my VLS needs parts occasionally, usually from me dropping it or something like that. I don;t think there were too many other options when I bought mine in '91. Not like today when there are so many choices.

Love it! Glad folks are building things that are not just straight up shiny.

Hey, loved the interior work. I had a 71 Dart and saw the same difference in the pad and metal, so you;re doing something that is spot-on detail. I've been trying lately to find these details in my builds because they really make the difference. Also, I haven't needed BMF in a long time and keep reading about crappy foil available today. Wondering if I should just make my own instead. I wonder if it gets old and goes bad. you buy or order a sheet and have no idea how old it is. IDK? But I'm about out. Great looking build. can't wait to see how it progresses. Randy

Hey, the seller is selling cars at a pretty good rate. Doesn't matter what we think of the build, only takes two bidders to like it. Or one and a shill, Either way, the builder is getting pretty reasonable money for the builds. I look at Paul Hettick's builds and see things I would have corrected had I built it, but he gets big money. Why all the hatin? We should be encouraged that there are people in thiis world that would buy our builds if given the chance. When was the last time any of us saw this Malibu in a kit or builtup that we could buy and display? Not everyone understands nor has the skills of a model builder. I get folks all the time tellingme there is no way they could do that. And there are buyers out there that have the money and want the car. I would take $25 for about any builtup I got and be happy with it at this point in my life. Randy

I think I have it solved. I found backs with a 1/8" hole. Found some aluminum tube that fit. Drilled a 1/16" pilot in center of front uprights (still assembled). That is a delicate area - springs are right behind the uprights. And yes I used a full size drill. Delicately, slowly. Then followed with the 1/8. I tested it and it works. Even seems to be level. LOL. The wheel backs don't have to be very detailed as the 8 lug pontiac wheels are solid front. Track spacing was nigh on perfect. So that solves the front. The rear I may do the same way or slightly different. Thanks for the offer to help. I love the Mopars, but build everything as I'm just a car nut period. And a model kit nut - if it strikes my fancy, I'll build it, no matter what. Thanks again. Now we gotta get back to YOURS...lol

I may be able to drill the rears. The front I may have to drill or sleeve over and put new mounting posts. I also put a "wanted" post in the Wanted section for replacement axle and front suspension. And maybe replacement wheels, backs, and tires, even though I probably have tires.

Seems like it was well-represented. I bought one in the late 80s to use in a Willys Pro street kit project (never finished). And thinking on it, I may still have a lot of one of the Berettas as part of a Monster Muscle set? Hmmmm, have to look when I get back out to my building. Can't remember what I bought it for other than it may have been on sale and a lot of good parts...

My problem with the Superbird was the interior patterns. They didn't match anything I could find on the 'net. I have one that I am trying to modify to look more like the pics I found. We'll see if my skills ever complete that one. Or if I break down and go back with the kit-supplied parts. Sorry to go further off subject..

Those go back to the Rick Dobbertin J2000. Might be some good refererence photos on the net. Yep there are...

yes I would like to see that one too. Was the original annual kit turned into the pro stock version or was that a separate offering? It was reissued a few years back wasn't it? May not be possible if the original tooling was overly modified?

I got a few minutes last night and thought I'd try to work out a plan to replace wheels on a 66 GTO. I had a set of Fujimi? (aftermarket) Keystone Klassic big & littles on it originally. but I put those on a replica of my uncle's 66 Imipala I built for him a few years back. So the GTO which was one of my favorite builds has been wheelless for a while and thought it would look good wiith a set of 8 lug wheels from the Trumpeter bonneville. I had an extra set from a replacement Chorme tree they sent. I had to find tires. I had to find wheel backs. Ate up an hour and have no visible results. But I do have redline tires and the start of a plan. I kinda butchered the mounting points with the Keystones originally, so having to reconfigure that. Not the fun part of modeling. Pretty much why I stick with OOB builds now - so I can continue to feel progress in short bursts at the bench. After this comes the Revel Cuda kit started a couple years ago.. was held up by paint and then moving, divorcing, remarrying - ya know the whole life thing...LOL Congrats on awards - always makes you feel better. Randy

I get it that it takes a while. Most weeks, I get maybe 2 hours saturday morning and 2 hours Sunday morning to work on models when my sweetie is sleeping in or doing her thing. So it has taken me over a week to finish the little details on my Olds Pace car build. And you are going way farther than I do anymore. Looking good. Stay motivated. Randy

That's pretty cool. Keep builiding. Randy

Is that a currently available kit? Or an expensive oldie.

i'm going to get hte Caddy and build it closer to stock. Wheels and tires may be my undoing though. May end up with 50's sombreros and wide whites... IDK

Attic finds. As good a real barn find! And look just as dusty. Enjoy the restorations.

Was this the Johan stock car the base kit? My mom had a regular, plain 351W 72 torino when I was a kid. Would have to combine this and the Starsky & Hutch to get the roofline correct, but it's a possibility in my mind. And the factory wheel covers would have to be scratched up from something. Randy

Looks great.