charlie8575

Richard and I had a nice chat last night, and his builds are very good. Please join with me in giving him the warm welcome he deserves. Charlie Larkin

And splicing-and-dicing with me usually turns into disaster, so I guess we balance each other out, Bill! Although, in all honesty, very few do it as well as you do. I love your work and the dedication you put into your builds. I'm hoping to make NNL-East this year, and if you do, I'd love to meet up with you. I honestly don't mind the molded-in stuff; I've gotten pretty good at painting it, so it doesn't bother me too much, and sometimes, all the extra parts are just that- extra parts that cause frustrations. I agree, if you want more detail to go with the '67 Chevy, which has a beautiful chassis. You'll need to add the five scale inches to the wheelbase, and probably adjust the floor, drive shaft, and so forth, though. Charlie Larkin

I'm assuming the Corona bottle was the aftermath of a project that didn't go well? Actually, that's a good idea for a paint-stand, Mike. I might copy that, albeit with with something a little less potent. I like that Tamiya Mica Blue, too. That's actually looking like an appealing alternative for my Ambassador, as it's pretty good start towards AMC's Barbados Blue- another alternative. Keep it coming. Charlie Larkin

Nice work, Mike. So aside from the decals on the engine, I'm guessing this one gets a two thumbs up from you? Charlie Larkin

Art Anderson...paging Mr. Art Anderson.... We have another idea for Moebius. As I remember you saying, Art, "only the best tuna becomes Star-Kist" with regards to a few ideas floated in the chat. Well, there ain't no such fish as a scrod, and they sell just as well! Something to think about... Charlie Larkin

I agree 110% with everything Mark said. I have at least one of all of these variations and they're marvelous, well-made kits that assemble beautifully and look super- even during assembly! Charlie Larkin

I'd actually consider one of those if I had a commute that would make it practical. I wonder what the price will be? Hopefully not as dear as the Volt. Charlie Larkin

Bonnevilles and Star Chiefs rode a 124-inch wheelbase. The Catalinas and Grand Prixs used a 121-inch wheelbase. I'd advise sourcing an AMT 1965 Bonneville for the chassis and running gear, and Modelhaus' interior. Charlie Larkin

On the subject of mixing colors- Does anyone happen to have a chart or some kind of guide on how to mix paints? For example, to achieve color "a," mix proportions of colors "b" and "c?" I may have to do a little mixing, and would like to know if anyone found a guide for mixing paints successfully. Charlie Larkin

I'll second Peter with the Aztek; I have an A320, and it's a great airbrush. I might move up to Paasche this year, but an Aztek is a great, well-made product, and it's easy to keep clean. For a compressor, you might go get a Testor Mighty-Mite, many year ago, when Wal-Mart still handled models, I bought one for about $60. Best modeling tool dollars I ever spent aside from a Xuron sprue cutter. A Mighty-Mite and an A320 will probably cost you around $120, and with reasonable care, will last for many years. A little too tight for you? Check Craigslist for a small used compressor and spring for the new airbrush. Charlie Larkin

Several years ago, when I had stable employment and a small amount of disposable income, I purchased a flat-box Jo-Han 1967 Ambassador DPL hardtop. The DPLs had a very intricately-detailed "Morocco" pattern brocade cloth. To put it politely, this is going to be a nightmare to replicate. An example of the brocade (in burgundy- red, black, tan and blue were also available, presumably with similar patterns,) is shown about 1/3 of the way down on this page. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1967-1968-amc-ambassador2.htm This is an example of a black interior. Even the patterns seemed to vary with color ordered. http://homepage.mac.com/christopher.z/hobby/67-Amb-items/ConvertibleRed/67-Amb-R.html Well...assuming the burgundy interior is representative of the other colors....does anyone have any idea how I might be able to do this? I'm planning on doing my car in Royale Blue (dark metallic blue,) with a white vinyl top and a blue interior. If this proves too difficult, I'll probably switch to Apollo Yellow/black/black. I think, though, vaguely remembering seeing some blue interior pictures, it may be closer to the the black interior in terms of pattern, therefore not practical to replicate in 1/25. On an off chance....anybody out there have a '67 AMC dealer album they'd be willing to take a couple of pictures of the relevant pages and send them along? Thanks in advance. Charlie Larkin

First- Jeff and Kris- as always, great work. Be sure to have a few with you when you come to visit us at MassCar in March. I can say with some confidence that it will be well-received. From the rest of the conversation- are we getting a glimpse at a possible future product from Revell? If so, I'd buy one. And as nutty as this may sound, I'd like to see an LX with the 2300 Lima as well as the 302; I think the ability to build an oft-forgotten about car would be kinda neat. For the earlier ones, perhaps a carbed 232? Anyone? Charlie Larkin

VERY nice work, Lanny. Thank you for sharing it with us. Charlie Larkin

I've never tried opening a door, but I'd wonder if something like a panel scriber might be a better alternative? Charlie Larkin

Honestly, Jake, the model paints exist for a reason. They'll last quite a while if you don't apply them too heavily and use them judiciously. Although a bit expensive to start out, the paints will last for many years provided you keep them capped tightly and stored properly. A tip to extend their life is to store the jars upside-down. That helps keep the air out. I use Testors, Testors Model Master in all three varieties (Acryl, enamel and lacquer,) and have had good results with all of them. The little square Testors bottles are still my go-to for a lot of things. I've found Model Master Acryl covers nicely without a primer. Model Master has a nice variety of colors that can be used for a lot of things, in both the military and automotive line that are useful for car modelers. The lacquers work very nicely the small amount I've used them. I use Humbrol paint, too, which is very heavily pigmented and covers beautifully. Due to its heavier pigmentation, it goes a long way because you don't need to use as much. I also use Tamiya acrylics, which cover very nicely and have a pretty good variety of colors. Periodically, I also use Polly-S and Floquil paints, which are mostly intended for model railroaders, on things besides my model railroad. A lot of their colors are great for interiors and small details. As to other paints... For priming, spray-can automotive primer is usually your best choice for everything. I like Plasti-Kote best, but use Dupli-Color, too. You'll want both white and gray sandable primer, and red oxide, especially if you build a lot of 1950-'60s Fords. Some people also use the primer-sealer. I haven't tried it yet, but may. Dupli-Color recently changed the color of their gray sandable primer to nearly black. To me, it's useless. That primer, by the way, can, and should be used on all components that need to be painted. They're both good products and a can will be good for 3-4 models. For painting the body, you can use spray touch-up paints or the touch-up bottles once you acquire an airbrush. You can, of course, use the model paints to paint the body, too. I do frequently. Engines can be painted with Model Master paints or possibly with spray enamels from the auto-parts store, but I'd be careful, as those might be a bit heavy-bodied to work well on something as small as a 1/25 engine. With an airbrush, your possibilities open up wide. You can custom-mix your own colors, or buy automotive lacquers and enamels from vendors like Model Car World or Scale Finishes. Not cheap, but if you want that "special color," they're the best way to go; both have excellent products and great service. To help stretch your paint: good brushes are essential. They'll cover better, leave a nice finish, and last a long time with reasonable care. Regarding tools: Get good ones and take care of them. Sears has a large assortment of miniature tools that are reasonably-priced and function well. I use Xuron sprue cutters, which any competent hobby shop should have, Testors sanding films, some polishing cloths for finish coats on exterior paint jobs, and Craftsman mini-clamps and mini-cutters/pliers. I also have a small pair of tweezers. Eventually, I'll be getting some small files and I'll put my hands back on my mini-screwdrivers. I hope this gives you some help. Charlie Larkin

Looking very good, Thor. Charlie Larkin

Very nice looking model, Tommy. It looks and sounds very much like something I'd drive myself. Charlie Larkin

I have one of the c.2000 issues; I plan on building that sooner rather than later; I have some of the Dk. Blue-Green Metallic in Plasti-Kote spray paint downstairs from my 1977 Buick (almost the same color as the 1976 version,) that I'll be using on it. I'll probably do a buckskin interior with it, as that's the easiest color to replicate. Converting one of these to an Olds might be a bit of handful; there are enough different countours on the Olds that it could push things beyond easily-done. However, a Buick Le Sabre could be done without too much effort. The one thing I'd wonder about though, is that rear window; both the Olds and Buick used a flat one, not concave. Charlie Larkin

Pretty dog; what kind is he? Charlie Larkin

For about two months, prior to the total meltdown of the economy, I took a job at J.J. Best, who specializes in antique car financing. The people who bid at Barret-Jackson aren't worried about $500 to bid. However, getting them to get the paperwork finished so we can close the loan is another story... I used to work in title administration, and it could be a real headache. Personally, I would never go to one of the big auctions- I think the buyer's premium (the fee you pay as a buyer to the auctioneer on top of the purchase price- some of which can run in excess of ten per cent,) is immoral and unreasonable. An admission fee I can understand, but a buyer's premium is just pure profit for the auction house, it's akin to a car dealer marking a car up just because they can- nothing more than another way to suck more money out of your pocket. Unfortunately, most of the auction houses now, big and small, charge a buyer's premium, so I guess auctions are out for me. Also, many of these cars trade hands well in excess of their true value; while dealing with several customers, the amount of outright misrepresentation and simple over-stating of what was there, was astounding- and very disturbing. The antique car hobby used to be known as generally having honest people buying and selling cars, but the prospect of insane amounts of money seems to have caused entirely too many people to check their ethics at the door. Again, people who go to these things don't worry about over-paying for the privilege of over-paying. I just hope not all of them have more money than sense. Charlie Larkin

That car must've gotten into an awful fight...all that black and blue! I don't know how I missed this before, but it's going to look great when you're done, that I have no question of. Charlie Larkin

While Mark, Bob and Chuck slug it out, I'll simply sit back and place a phone order before any of you with my shop of choice (Spare Time Shop, Marlborough, Ma.,) and then watch the fight! Say....think we could sell tickets with proceeds to benefit the Model Car Builder's Museum? Charlie Larkin P.S.: Clipper and a Caribbean? I'll take a bunch of each, please!

And I'd be right behind you, Bob. Same applies to a Nash Airflyte. Charlie Larkin

To clarify Andy- Do you mean "rub hard," as in to use more pressure when buffing the paint? -or- Do you mean to "hardly rub," meaning use gentle pressure and touch while buffing? I use Chrome Silver in the Model Master line for scripts and other little bits I lack the dexterity to foil all the time. If you dry brush and allow it to dry thoroughly (a couple days) and then VERY gently buff it with your finger, it looks pretty good. For the metal parts, like exhaust, transmissions, etc., I'll go with Nick. I use the small bottles of Testors Aluminum and steel all the time, over gray primer. And it looks very, very good when it's done. Metalizers are a bit exotic for me price-wise and in terms of use, but they work incredibly well. Charlie Larkin

As a general rule, I use lacquer primer for everything. I like Plasti-Kote and Dupli-Color, but prefer Plasti-Kote. It seems to cover more evenly and is a little milder formula, reducing the risk of problems. Get white and gray. You'll need them both. White for white cars and reds, which tend to get a little mottled with gray primer. I use gray for just about everything else. Some people like red oxide primer for under red. I tried it and wasn't too wild about it. As far as clear-coats go, I've been told that GlossCote can yellow over time. Supposedly at hobby and craft stores (and possibly directly,) Krylon offers an all-acrylic clear gloss that won't yellow. If you use automotive paints, you can use the automotive clear. Testors One-Coat lacquer clear is also supposed to be very nice, although I haven't tried it. The One-Coat is said to be mild enough that it can be applied to bare plastic, so it might be okay over enamels. Try it on scrap plastic first to be sure, and wait a few days before concluding any thoughts on it. Charlie Larkin