Igor

Hello again. Due to circumstances of my own doing, I have been out of commission for the past couple of weeks... However, I am still going to try to get this model finished before NNLEast. I have pretty much finished up the interior: ... I also want to try and get the body painted this weekend, so I have time to work on it before Saturday rolls around.

Engine and transmission have been painted, along with carburator, oil filter, fuel pump, starter, fan, fan belt, and alternator. Oil filter and carburator have been glued to engine, and a length of wire has been added as a fuel line between the fuel pump and carburator. Up next is distributor and plug wires. Also, interior pieces have been painted their base color.

OK - the engine is coming together... Pix to follow...

With a little over two months to go until the NNL East, I have decided, with a little proding from my life-long friend, to build somehing. I have not built anything in almost 3 years... as I have been out-of-work for almost 4 years, and did not think it was a "productive" use of my time to be working on a "hobby" while I am out-of-work... What did I know. Oh, the models I could have built in all this free time! Anyway, I'm starting "light", as I'd like to "ease" back in, I'm starting with the AMT 1969 Ford Torino Cobra... So far, I've de-chromed the head covers and assembled all of the engine that is going to be "Ford engine blue" More to follow, as long as this posts properly from my phone!

Thank you...

I missed the NNL East this year, can sombeody fill me in on the details for next year? What's the theme, date, and venue?

OK, guys, here it is... I stripped the old flat red paint off the tail-light lenses, then re-painted them in white, amber and 2 shades of red (one for the blinker/tail-light, another for the reflector)... Are you happy NOW! (no, seriously, you guys just pushed me to do what I meant to do in the first place, before I got lazy... and I thank you.) See you at the NNL East!

I love the fact that with everyone complaining about the tail-lights... (OK, ok, ok, I will fix them, I have a whole... what... 4 days left... ugh... that's gonna' cut into on my drinkin' time)... that nobody noticed the wheels, they're from an SHO, I just like how they look.

You mean the flat black? My research showed that 1983 Mustang convertibles were available with: a- body-color grille, body-color headlight buckets b- black grille, body-color buckets c- black grille, black buckets I originally built it (back in '83) with a black grille with body-color buckets, but this time I decided to go double black. Yeah, it was molded in clear, I had painted the back flat-red when I originally built it. I meant to correct this (I still might) but the simple methods I tried at first would not remove the paint. So I decided just to leave it the way it was. They are currently only held on with Elmer's, so I may pop them off and try fixing them at some point (maybe ELO will take off the paint without damaging the clear?). Thanks for the comments. I appreciate it.

OK, final update... sorry I haven't updated in a couple of weeks, I've just been focusing on trying to get it finished! Took 2 attempts but I finally got a paint job I could live with. Even as late as this morning it was questionable, but a last minute coat of Future has made it acceptable. Of course this made all the flat black shiny where they touched, so I had to re-paint all the black. And, of course, the black messed up the white stripe, so I had to re-do that (white gel-pen)... (Added: forgot to mention I replaced the windshield with clear sheet plastic) Anyway, here it is... I'd like to thank everyone who has been following along and giving me encouragement and advice. Next stop... NNLEast, Hope to see you there!

Since I've been snowed in, I've been working on the Mustang: I have removed the hydraulic spark plugs and replaced the hoses with wires, in addition to adding an ignition coil as well... Re-assembled the interior, adding an aftermarket stereo (photo-etched, with CD sticking out), scattered some magazines (reduced size and printed from the computer on photo paper), home-made CD cases, and a CD on the seats... I also painted the body, but, unfortunately, it came out horrible... so, I'm in the process of stripping it for a second attempt. More on this as it develops...

I'm going to have to think this one over... I like the idea of the smooth trunk, but there is something about the convertible that just looks "right" with the luggage rack.

Thank you! I forgot... I have another Mustang sitting on "the shelf" that I was really only going to use as a parts-donor for a "Cougar II" model I am going to "upgrade" with a more modern engine/interior... I could grab the windshield out of that one. Well, that is the definition of rare, when you come right down to it, "they aren't making any more". As for this particular model, I'm not emotionally attached to it, I'd really rather have a '79 myself (the only Mustang I've owned, so far)... But it *IS* one of the few models I didn't throw out 20-some-odd years ago when I thought I "outgrew" building model cars.

EYE-gore... like in "Young Frankenstein"

Rare mid-week update: I just grabbed the body-in-primer from the basement... it looks a lot better than I expected it to. I expected to have to sand some of it down, glue spots and such, but it looks pretty good at this point... I guess I lucked out leaving it molded-in-red 20+ years ago... paint jobs have always been my weak link... The original windshield is going to be unsalvageable, so I'm going to have to try Mr. Obsessive's method of creating a new one. I plan on re-wiring the engine with better, more in-scale, wires. Since this is a convertible, I also plan on going a little nuts on detailing the interior, since it will be more visible than the interiors on most other models I build. That having been said... Mark: I didn't realize this was a rare model. I only decided to re-build it because I've had it lying around for 20+ years. Now I feel I'm under pressure to do a good job of it... also, I was thinking of trying to scratch-build a luggage rack, but do you think it would be better to leave it smooth? Considering the rarity of the smooth trunk?

An experiment that did not go quite as expected. The more I look at it, the more I am considering doing it over. I do have more in-scale wire that would look better...

Latest update: Discovered the back of one of the seats was missing, made a new one out of sheet plastic: Darkened the wood with a felt-tip marker, straightened the hand brake lever, made a new shift-lever from a straight pin, and flocked the carpeting: I also painted the undercarriage black, started detailing the wheels and tires, and primered the body. But I don't have pictures yet.

Progress so far: re-painted and re-assembled the engine. Added plug wires (yeah, they're a little big) and a parts-box carb. Moving on to the interior, which was pretty clean to start with, I've started by painting some brown to represent wood on the dash and console. Still need to clean up the edges a little. Plan on flocking the carpeting and adding additional details. More to follow...

With 75 days left until the NNLEast, I've decided to build something for the "The '80's" theme. I found a 1983 Mustang Convertible that I had built about, oh I guess... 1983 or so, and have decided to re-build it. Luckily, I had bagged it a while back, so I'm pretty sure that everything is there. Here's what I have to start with: I'm starting with the engine: ... more posts to follow as progress progresses.

I'm thinking they might be these... My uncle had a '69 Fury with these on it... though I've never seen them on a Roadrunner On a seperate note, I, myself, am looking for a set of these in scale... My buddy had a '71 Duster with these on it that he had to sell, and has regretted it ever since. I would like to re-create it for him.

Harold's car is a Zimmer Quicksilver - modified Pontiac Fiero. (BTW - I'm new here - Hi all! )