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Thanks Junkman. I'll give that a try. BTW, I've built myself a walk-in spray booth with very good ventilation so I don't feel I'm at any great risk - but I do avoid 2-part polyurethane, which really requires a seperate, external air source to breath with, plus good eye protection. Too much trouble for me. My cancer came from smoking anyway, so I'll be timing my rattle-can shaking some other way than you do! Thanks again for your time and suggestions.

I wasn't brave enough to even start this kit and sold it. You've managed to neatly solve all the issues and wind up with a beautiful model.

Thanks (again) for your help Junkman. I used to use automotive polyurethane clear with good results. But 18 months ago I lost a whole lung to cancer and have been trying to use "healthier" paints since. I've been using Zero acrylic colour coats and like them very much. They go on very smoothly but with a matt to satin finish which has to be clear coated. I didn't have great success with their clear though and Tamiya TS13 doesn't seem to dry hard or smooth enough. (Do they have a different formula for Europe?) All these problems could be due to my technique - I apply all coats in one session, only waiting a few minutes between coats, until I have a wet look. This method used to work fine with polyurethanes and Humbrol enamels but could be completely wrong for Mr.Hobby or Tamiya. These shrink over a period of weeks from a high gloss to a puckered satin finish which doesn't react well to fine sanding/polishing. Any ideas??

(/quote) I enjoy selling internationally and find the bids go higher when adding another few billion customers. [/quote) Good for you! I've probably had 150 kits sent to Switzerland and I've never had (or been) a problem. This stuff has all been shipped First Class International (no insurance or tracking) at about a third of the cost of an insured package. I accept the risk and would never hold an Ebay seller responsible if a package didn't arrive. I leave myself open to fraud here - a seller could simply take my money and not send the kit. But nothing remotely like that has ever happened and anyway, the expense of loosing a package or two would be a fraction of what I would have spent had I insured everything. Surely the reverse would apply for a seller too, ie. overall there must be enough extra profit from international auctions to cover the cost of the odd dispute. It can be disheartening trauling Ebay when only about 10% of American sellers will ship abroad but most of the stuff I buy simply isn't available here. And, like I say it's worked out fine for me ( and the people who have sold to me ) so far.

Thanks for the input. I suspected this product wasn't available stateside because it never gets mentioned. Nevertheless, if anybody has tips about applying ANY brand of acrylic clearcoat I'd be grateful.

I already asked this in the "How Do I" section but my post sank without an answer. So since there's more traffic here.... Is anyone familiar with Mr. Super Clear from Mr. Hobby? Can anyone tell me how to apply this stuff? My results have been very inconsistent. (I believe it is a solvent-based synthetic lacquer, not dissimilar to, but hotter than Tamiya TS13. So alternatively, how do you apply TS13? Like how thick/thin should it go on, how long between coats etc. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Gunze did the Jag as a plastic only kit. In some ways I prefer this version (I have both) but the one-piece chrome wire wheels, though not bad, don't compete with the beautiful PE ones in the Hi-Tech kit. I agree with you - there is still a need for a fitting tribute to this iconic design. Jags seem to be hard to nail in scale. Even Tamiya's Mk II doesn't look quite right to me either.

I've used Mr. Super Clear spray cans from Mr.Hobby on my recent builds. Some turned out great (after cut and polish), others dried to an unuseable, rough finish. Is anyone familiar with this paint? How do you apply it for the smoothest possible finish? How thick should coats go on and how long should I wait between coats? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Very nice indeed! I'm building an AMT 32 five window in a similar nostalgic style. Hope it turns out as nice as yours.

Yes, been that angry....thank goodness there weren't any horses about.

I have a cabinet with sliding glass doors which cost me nothing and an Ikea cabinet. I have Ikea lighting in both. (I can't understand people who put their nicely built models on an open shelf to collect dust).

In all my years of modeling I can only recall one or two kits where the manufacturer had considered assembly as a possibilty. Factor in my own stupidity and yes, there can be tantrums. But that's just the way I am. There isn't a cure and don't tell me to find another hobby - I'd get angry weaving baskets too!

Thanks Donn, don't wanna be a model car martyr.

Thanks Christian. Actually I always mix my own colours - with varying degrees of success, I admit, but it's something I enjoy and one develops an eye for it. For the past few years I've been using Zero acrylics from Hiroboy.com in England. These go on very nicely but have to be clear-coated. They cost me less than anything I could buy here, with postage. Switzerland is expensive - American kits cost 40-45 US dollars now, BMF $16 a sheet, so I tend to shop online and offshore.

Really like what you've done with this. Love the colours and I agree with you - It's just plastic, do what you want with it, there aren't any rules. I will build curbside if the hood fits better glued shut and have often sacrificed under-body authenticity to get the stance right.

Very nice, just the way I like them!

I think this came out really well. I have an original '58 convertible and the rereleased 59 (for parts). I would also choose this colour. Sounds like you have a high dose of perfectionism. That may dampen your satisfaction but obviously also leads to great models.

"Smartest thing I've done was install the heater in the airbrush booth , now I can paint year 'round . Did I just say the smartest thing ? Hmmmn , debatable for sure" . (Don Yost) I've done this too. I'm using an enclosed radiator ( the type that heats oil or water in sealed metal tubing ). I turn it off a while before I start painting and find I can control temperature/humidity more easily in winter than in summer. Still, I'm not 100% sure about the safety aspect. If anybody has thoughts on this, I'm all ears.

I'd love to make models of some of my dad's cars. I can now build the Hudson but where do I find a Morris Oxford, Vauxhall Cresta or Mk3 Ford Zodiac? (Actually the Zodiac was done in 1:32). As for my own cars, the VW was no problem, but the Wolesley? The Daf? There is a model of our current ride, the Mercedes A Class, but the car, although nice enough, doesn't inspire me to build a model.

If I were the just-fired CEO of a huge bank and I'd been given $40 million to go away, I would have considered it.

You're confusing nitpicking with perfectionism. Looking for better ways to scale any aspect of a car down to 1:25th IS creative AND fun. Yes, paint is often too thick, sometimes the plastic and glass too. If I look for in-scale metal flakes, if I thin my paint or replace the glass with acetate, I'm being a perfectionist. I would be a nitpicker if I criticized YOUR model because you didn't do these things. There are plenty of perfectionists on this forum but only a few nitpickers. (And I hate bad box art!)

I've been experimenting with Alclad Polished Aluminium and Chrome lacquers. If sprayed over Tamiya white primer there is no polished or chrome effect but a finer metallic base then anything I've used before. I've tried Mr. Hobby and Tamiya clearcoats over this, plus Tamiya and Zero transparent (candy) colours and was pleased with the results. This all happened with plastic spoons but I'm confident it will give a more in-scale metallic look on a model.

Being 61, I'll definitely have to have all the 50s stuff. The 50 Olds is bound to be a hot cake. I hope the 57 Ford becomes a 58 at some stage - like the blue and white one my uncle bought when I was 8. After all, the (Revell) 65 Chevy became a 66. Took a while though.

I still drop every part on the floor - twice. But at least I've given up then running them over with my roller-type office chair!

Really beautiful Ford. Can I ask what sort of paint you used? (ie, lacquer, acrylic, enamel etc,)