randyc

Yeah when I saw yours I was going to be inspired to build. Til I saw the going prices on ebay right now. ?

that's darker than the one Cleetus MacFarland has in his videos - I really like the blue though. I saw a real un on teh highway yesterday. Going the other way - white with a red stripe on top and decals on the doors - promotional vehicle of some sort I guess.

The issue to me and I think others, is that as offered, there is a pretty large gap between the bumper and the filler panel. When assembled, it leaves a pretty large gap that can be pretty conspicuous in the finshed model. Between the taillight fillers and bumper. I"m hoping to get my build back on track enough to start some photos soon. I had primer issues (in another thread) that has stalled me for this week. All the parts have to work together in this area and somewhere a gap developed that continued into production. All I've really accomplished this week is to get the grille and wheels painted. A real SS396 only has shiny chrome around the headlights. And it's not really kit chrome shiny. The wheels are not really accurate for a 69 SS396 from all the photos I've seen. They do not have trim rings. Which means to be accurate as molded, one would have to paint the rim and spokes aluminum. These are more like a Mopar or Ford wheel, with chrome rim and spokes. I think the revell wheels of fire 70 SS454 had more correct wheels but the size may be small. Others may pop in and add to that. I used the rallys on my 68 so was thinking of using the Magnums. But I may change completely - have to see what I have around.

HOW do you hold onto small parts to cut/sand/file? I can get them started but they end up flung into the universe, no matter what I try. When you look at sky at night in winter (northern hemisphere) and can see the plane of the Milky Way, then you must be seeing at least SOME of the lost model car parts. Excellent work.

Will do. But the last can I bought I used all of so that's one thing. And since DG is like 2 miles away and we go regularly for other household stuff, I figure no more than a can at a time on hand will work. I had to look - I don't think I posted here, but when I was sanding Monday evening, the paint seemed to still be soft, so I tested and it would scrape off still. So into the purple pond. Tuesday when I came in, 98% of the primer and paint came off with a good brushing. I can see a bit of texture - when I get back to it, will inspect more closely and sand as necessary then hopefully prime again Saturday with different primer. BUT... Back to the Miracal from DG. When I cleaned the bodies, the primer and painted chassis came clean EXCEPT part of the hood of the ss396 where I had some of the Miracal overspray. The purple pond did NOT touch that, but the primer came right off over top of it. I'm going to look into that more closely. Could the Miracal be a miracle for priming/sealing? Have to check if it affected the surface at all. DG has like black and whites on the shelf. I have a revellogram 67 vette molded in red. Might be a good test subject for the qualities of the miracal. I painted all the black trees from the GT4 and the parts from the SS396 that needed to be black with the miracal already. Went back and resprayed the frame and some other parts with a shinier black for contrast later. So I'll see if I can't do some further testing with the Miracal and see what else they have on the shelf. I mean if a buck can or paint works, then why not use it?

My OOPS is in the "Primer to avoid" thread in another section. Other than that, I really don't have anything to show yet. I did go home and get the GT4 and the SS396 out of purple pond - they cleaned right up. Have to see how bad the plastic is affected by the primer and how that turns out. That may be a learning moment worth sharing. They were still drying out last night so hard to tell just yet. And then starting over from scratch and doing it the RIGHT way this time. Maybe decals will be here by then to show with it. Probably be Saturday before I get back to modeling. We start our weekly "family nights" on Wednesday. Tonight with my kids, then MIL with a bit of dementia throughout the weekend. Saturday and Sunday morning hopefully will be cool enough to get to building. Buidling gets to high 80s by about 10 am. It just HOLDS the heat. I'll get it on track soon. Thanks for your encouragement.

I should take a look for the car version. I did the hot rodded sedan delivery and liked it. Actually I could come up with a couple ideas - my grandfather had one junked out in the woods. And of course, a running car would be cool, street rod or factory stock.

Nice. And dang those are pricey.

How old is this build? Nice.

That's ambitious. Good luck.

Excellent. I haven't had much luck airbrushing acrylics yet. What does the alcohol really do? It is a solvent that evaporates pretty quick. Then you add retared to slow the evaporation? I figured the alcohol/water/other percentages were as you said. I still have a LOT of NOS Testors, so just starting to touch into acrylics. But glad I found this. So even with 50%, I need a little bit of water to lower the alcohol percentage? What brand of paints are you using? Currently I only have a few Testors MM acrylics for interiors and such as that. Have not tried to paint a body yet.

Aha! I wondered if it would be over there but it disappeared in the fuel lines when I was looking. I had a guy I used to clean cars for had a 62 GP with the tri power setup, 4 spd, 8 lug wheels. Such a sweet car - he never drove it. I turned it sideways just messing once though.

Ok, I liked and subscribed. Nice build. Now you gotta post here more often. lol.

So I have 50, 70 and 90. And you guys are saying the 90% works best? Just asking. I found that 50% works good for thinning down for washes. Haven't experimented with much other than brush painting.

Toolbox is for weight transfer. Or to put the coins in. Are they all humped like that? I have never noticed. Maybe if ya put just the right amount of downward pressure on it... or it'd just bust in two. Actually just googled and they seem to be made that way. Odd...

yep, as others have said, time to get mine out so we have yet another variation of Gulf blue. lol.

I read that about the Hyundai Kona as well. Also when motorcycles came out with DCTs, they were a handful at slow speeds.

That is a beautiful linkage you have built. And maybe I'm missing something, but where is the rod to the first carb? It seems to be sitting out there alone on the linkage side. And that spring is just masterful.

Mine went to the purple pond last night. While I was sanding, I noticed that the paint would still scrape off the plastic, so I thought that might be easier than scraping and sanding both kits I messed up the primer on. But even the graphics on the gray and white cars are so minimal... I just needed more. Didn't want to do the blue paint on the retro 7/11 Lyn St James version, so went with the Motorcraft. Figuring that these cars are shipped as "body in white" and graphics applied from there. This is same car as the other white one maybe? So I can build towards a white car while waiting on the decals. Of course, the paint issues have cancelled that out now.

The MEK is what I noticed as well. I work in sign industry and MEK is what we use to glue trim to plastic sign faces. I know how stout that stuff is. The difference in volume in those two may explain the issue. I will not use that primer on plastic that is to be shiny again. As I have said so many times in this thread...LESSON LEARNED. That stuff worked pretty well in repairing a spot on mother-in-law's car. That's what is was bought for and I had forgotten that when I used it. It wasn't my normal primer.

Good post, good points. I don't ever intentionally put on a heavy first coat. And as soon as I saw what was happening, I stopped. Like you I have had a systematic approach and think that I inadvertently used the wrong product from what I am used to. THis is NOT my normal primer, but I wasn't thinking at the time. LESSON LEARNED. This primer might have worked had I realized it was different and I had taken a different approach to it. I'm glad you guys are contributing to this discussion so everyone can improve from the mistakes of others. When I run out of my existing primer, I will definitely be coming back here to help make my next decision. I noticed at Lowes last night that they don't have the 2x Rusto. They do have a few duplicolor branded primers. I guess WalMart is the place for 2x? I haven't been there since before the Covid thing and don't want to go to the local one because people in our area are idiots and don't think the virus is real; therefore they don't wear masks, social distance etc. Gives me the heebie jeebies. Lowes is only better due to reduced volume of customers.

I'm a cheapskate modeler to the degree that some things I just can't justify. I can get a pretty dang nice finish with those Testors $3 cans for my final finish I don't mind spending on a quality product. I prefer Duplicolor primers becasue they have worked in the past, local availability, and cost. I have not learned to ORDER modeling supplies yet. My fault. THe FB model boards are full of folks with weird issues.

I see enough differences to make me at least wonder. Thanks for the information.

Niiice. I see those cars and sometimes think I need them. Did Rapid Randy bend the frame in his Bird? Looks a bit humped up in the middle? I would like to see Randy go full Gasser on his Bird. Fast enough to need a chute on the back. LOL.

Wow, thanks for the good information going on here. Like Ace, I've never had humidity cause a crazing problem. I have my share of blushing though. I have also pebbled up a few finishes as well. With the rate of succes I've had, there are also failures or mishaps. I try to be consistent and know I hurried this too much. I have a sawzall for shaking paint. Hose clamp the can to the blade and shake till I feel certain it's shook. I have different size clamps for little botlles, Testor sized cans, and big cans. I did not properly shake the duplicolor this time. In a hurry, remember? So many things I did wrong in a hurry. Don't know if it would have made a difference. Doubt it - seen this before. I still stand behind the product being iffy [at best] for models. As for outdoor/indoors, it is in a non climate-controlled building. out of sun, a fan blowing in the background - not in direction of painting, but still awful warm and humid. I know there are drying issues out there. I have had issues with ruddy red primers to the point where I won't use them. Period. I save good paint sessions for cooler mornings. Just wanted to get some primer on to see what else I needed to fix after spending a bit more than an hour cleaning up mold lines and scribing panel lines. Now I kno w - I need to fix WHOLE CAR>.. ugh... lol And yes, any paint that says for plastic (fusion) is NOT for a good finish on plastic. UGH. Might work on the stuff outside chairs are made of but never had any luck on plastics. UNLESS I want it to texture, like vinyl seats. Then you can see where the plastic swirls into the molds. I really should go back to decanting and airbrushing - that was my best results. But been trying to use more out of the can finishes for convenience. See above post about patience. I know better than to rush. But I do it anyway and it's showing. So Ace is probably way right on using the airbrush to improve odds of good finish. And that may be why i have not had any more issues than I have. To the point of wondering what builders are doing wrong when they post up. THe best primer I ever used was the Duplicolor Hot Rod gray (or was it black?) At any rate, it was too dark in many cases. But I could blast that on anyway short of a house paint brush and it would work for me. Just going to have to fix these and change some other methodology and maybe products, in future builds.