Dr. Cranky

No, I didn't thin, I just used Vallejo Model Air white. I didn't have Tamiya White which is normally what I use. You have to be very careful once you are done so that the paint doesn't get damaged. It seems to work just fine though.

Absolutely beautiful. Yes, I want to know what color that is too!

Great job. Love it. It loos straight out of the 50s! Congrats.

Clean and beautiful. Love the stance, the paint, and that engine is perfect.

Oh yeah, there you go, Nice pictures, and great progress. This one looks like its on its way. Keep it going.

Great idea.

Pictures?

Wow, that built up engine is a beauty. Excellent.

Nice, nice.

Wow, that's great paint. It looks miles deep and mirror-like. Keep it going.

You guys are posting some amazing, jaw-dropping work on this thread. I thank you for that.

Thanks, Jeff. I think the idea behind a build like this is not to stress out, and just have fun . . . of course it's also wonderful to pick up and try new techniques. I am letting the body rest for a few hours and then I will hit it up with some pin washes, filters, and some pigments to cover up the new-looking decals to bring everything together. I'm still energized about this build. We'll see how far I get with it in the coming days.

Oh yeah, now you are talking. That's got classy daily driver written all over it! Very nice. Keep it going.

It's a monster, all right. I love it. I hope you have it in time for Halloween! Keep up the great work.

My vote is in: FLATHEAD, definitely. It's going to look great.

Once you get the body (and paint) to the stage that pleases you, then it's time to seal once again and prepare for decals . . . so I put on a coat of FUTURE clear to get the panels ready for a round of decals. Of course this one would have decals! LOL! Just for the sake of interest, if you know what I mean . . . Someone is bound to ask: how believable is it to put decals on a beat vehicle like this. Doctor Cranky says: WHY NOT? This thing is a Frankenstein build all on its own. Remember that all of this has been achieve with the AK-INTERACTIVE chipping liquids, paint, and a few decals. Nothing has been weathered yet in terms of washes, pigments, and other "Cranky" touches. Stay tuned in for more Lab-RAT-ory fun!

Thanks, Paul. I don't think I am the "right" guy to bring it to life, but as sure as heck am having a great deal of fun. I hope others with access to VW engines will do a replica. I just used the original as a springboard. Stay tuned in for more! Cheers, DC. EYEGORE SAYS: STYRENE ADDICT IS ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, these are some great workbenches. Nice and clean!

Don't eat all the turkey! LOL.

I like the Flathead idea . . . could you mock it up with the flathead, John? I'm about 90 sure I'd go with the Flathead. Pancho Villa is a great touch!

Thanks, John, the fun continues . . . please stay tuned in. Doctor Cranky and EYEGORE are doing double duty in the Lab-RAT-ory today! LOL!

So here are the results of all the hard work, and all the steps, and all the FUN, again, you can go mild to wild in seconds if you are not careful. Keep the scrubbing controlled to the areas you want to rub through to the rust coat . . . See the scratches now? See the other paint colors (old paint jobs!) now? See the BEAUTY of CHIPPING?

All right, folks, a little more progress and this is where the chipping technique gets exciting. You also want to remember that you can repeat the process as many times as you want (well, I guess within reason so that you don't end up with too thick a final coat). The other beautiful thing about this is that you CAN'T GET IT WRONG. This kind of weathering can be subtle or over the top, the choice is YOURS. And since you know Doctor Cranky is a LONG LIVE RUST kind of guy, well . . . here is the final painted body (just paint so far, no further weathering!): But WAIT, I though you said there'd be rust . . . LOL! After the final coat of paint is on--in this case I opted for a two tone (simple masking) job of light blue and white: I used tweezers and something sharp to make subtle scratches on the paint . . . these will become obvious when the brush-scrubbing begins . . .

HA! I love it. They make a good pair, but wait until they are finished and then you can do an even better picture of the dynamic duo!

Nice eye candy, Tom! Thanks!