Krazy Rick

My advise is don't get too serious, keep it fun - mistakes and flaws come with the hobby, your better to learn by them, than be frustrated by them. You'll see improvement with each model

If the van is rockin' - don't come knockin' !!!! - nice job Jim

The way to do this is to lay down an aluminum basecot that has a touch of blue toner in it. To get the right tone, you'd want to do several spray tests on a piece of styrene that is prepped with the same primer as you'll have on the body. The easy way is to mask the test panel, expose & spray & re-mask after each test one area at a time, ( 6 squares ),To do this, starting with your aluminum base, pour off 6 seperate equal bottles, ( say 10 drops of aluminum )..... add 2 drops of blue toner to one, 3 to the next, and so on; after spraying last one, unmask all squares & then use that formula that looks closest & which works for you. ..... as long as you have an airbrush, your set !!

Great pics, thanks Howard

Great build of a great kit, these Revell gassers are fantastic, and go together well; despite what those who may experience difficult mind meltdowns may say

You can mix any pearl powders in with clear enamel, or acrylic clears & acheive a variety of effects, you have to mix it sparingly though, a little goes a long way, either will not cloud the glass..... I've even used the alclad pearls straight out of the bottle & had good results - You spray on the inside of course & use about 10 lbs of pressure. P.S. ( Uh, sorry, but ..... may I suggest you post questions in the proper HOW TO section next time - this is the TIPS & TRICKS section )

The overall assembly is pretty straightforward, it goes together well Scott, don't be afraid of the opening doors; they work fine ....it just takes a little patience. as far as the glass goes, just use white glue & clamp or tape the glass in place & let it dry if you are really hesitant , pick up a good two-way tape, cut small strips & use that instead - no big deal.

Very unique

Hey Dave, I'm working on this one right now, I've extended the nose changing the tires, lighting the interior & the TV will have a backlit pic of the Pink Panther Cartoon ( a cutout Viewmaster slide )

That would probably end up being the largest thread on this site ....... according to George, he built every show car there ever was - he's dillusional. Heck, he's even tried to take credit for the Ed Newton designed / Joe Bailon built Pink Panther !! ....what's scary is, that there is still a goofy following that believe his tall tales.....if a car came in his shop for an oil lube, or a touch up; it came out with a Barris crest slapped on it. The "King Of Kustoms" ? hmmmm ............. perhaps The "Master Of Plagiarism" is more suiting - Don't get me wrong, he has done much for the custom & show car hobby, it's just a shame that he can't stand up & be proud of what he has really done , and just take credit for that which is deserving.

Well, this is a tough call...... just because the person at Mcdonalds throws a hamburger together; does this put them on the same level as the person creating my $100 dinner at a fine dining establishment...... should I really be calling both of them chefs ? They may have thier own style, but one is clearly on a different plateau. Anyways, I believe Roth was more on the building & technical end; mainly the designs of the Roth cars were done by Ed Newton; so let's give him him the rightful cedit. Anyways, I still wish AMT would dig into the past offerings & produce the showrods which were actual vehicles, those all showrod fans could relate to; that perhaps they saw at shows & admired in magazines; I guess it's just a matter of taste though.

Hey Scott, the only two tips I can think of, are cut out the belly pan, in order to allow for easier assembly, use white glue for the bumpers ; it's a great kit - nice score

No Greg .....never.

I guess when I do the odd showrod, I just prefer the more accurate replicas, The Boothill, Lil Coffin, Mysterion, that sort of thing. I just find this Hot Doggy thing a little childish .... variety is fine, but I just can't imagine any huge demand for this, if it does flop ; how does that promote the hobby in a positive way ? I think honest discussion regarding kit offerings is healthy for the hobby, I respect your opinion;I don't agree; but I do respect it.

Is it just me, or do others feel that the re-release of round 2 / AMT "Hot Dogger" .... is a grand waste of plastic ? I know that everyone has different tastes & I can dig that, if this was the 70's and I was say .... 8 years old, maybe I'd be thrilled ( probably not ) . The part I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around regarding this, is looking back & seeing the previous releases of ones in this "series" , in the hobby shop bargain garbage bin, shortly after they hit the shelf, .Seriously, how much demand can there be for this goofy cartoon junk ? ........ isn't there much better choices left in AMT's past offerings, that would have appealed to a much wider consumer base ?...one would think so

Test a pice with rubberized undercoating spray, I think that might do the trick, your diorama looks fantastic by the way !!

Not my thing, but I'm sure it'll sell

I have to agree, it does have that boring / awkward look to it, I see this body as a challenge to try and improve the styling, I really like the gullwing doors, so I'll retain that section & see if I can think of ways to make it a bit more pleasant to view, maybe souping up the engine, and / or having it exposed, changing the roof style, and something more interesting for the front & rear. I'll grab the "non art" ( cheaper version ) .... and as soon as I get these other 4230 projects out of the way; I'll get right on it !!

Oh ya, I've had plenty of "fun situations" ... too many to list, a couple that I do recall though, The MPC Multi-Maverick; ( AKA "The Mind Burner" ) - this one was a battle from start to finish, it was so rewarding when completed, until four days later, I noticed the side Tamiya blue tinted glass decided to fog horribly ; that was a joy. The very best one I think, was finishing up the Revell "Big Daddy Roth " Mysterion; and then dropping it on the hardwood floor; while attempting to "safely" place it on the shelf.

Thanks Rob, I'm glad I made you smile; we have to embrace fun as much as possible & keep the hobby enjoyable !!

Upon gaining entrance to the house, we followed bizarre noises, which sounded both like yelping & laughing....there, in a corner of a room, was a babbling figure, smiling, banging away at a computer keyboard, with his feet. He had glued parts of models onto himself & had begun eating some of the furniture. We immediatly restrained him, using the classic tranquilizer gun & straightjacket teqnique . Rob is now resting comfortably at the Lazy Oaks Modellers Rehab Centre.

What is that crazy van thing there ? .... I like it so far !!! - what kind of compressor are you thinking of ?

Build it, but first try and find the decals from the original kits; or decent repros ( if anyone offers them ? ) ...... they are alot nicer than the ones with this issue, the artwork is way different & much more superior - no comparison; it's shocking.

Better still, practice on sheets of styrene before going to the kit body, when removing the tape, pull it over itself slowly; it will give you a clean edge....oh.... and don't overdo it with the paint either, remember, your just trying to acheive the color, so even light passes are best, no need to soak it; your final clear coat will give you the gloss you want.

You've captured the perfect look here Tim, just the right combo - great build - thanks !!