VW Dave

I keep thinking that front fender vent is too rounded, whereas the rest of the body kit is very angular....but I suppose it will look different when it's all one color(in primer). I also wonder if the OE front fender 'vent' should be filled in.

I agree, the stance is killer; the blacked-out stock wheels, I could take or leave 'em. The inboard light holes-turned intakes are pretty cool, although you'd really only need one for an inline motor...but the symmetry of two works for me.

Shucky(Mike) has you covered, and calling his stuff "nice" is the understatement of the year. He's in IL, so shipping is super fast. If ThePartsBox has what you need, however, don't be afraid of ordering from them either; I had good luck with them before, their customer service is top notch, and their turnaround time was waaay faster than some domestic(and allegedly 'reliable') resin casters. Get a buddy or two to go in on an order and split the postage.

I think it looks great so far, and I'm looking forward to seeing it wrapped up. Be very careful foiling that side spear where it goes onto the door; if those decals aren't cleared, the excess foil might pull them up when you remove it. I'd recommend using just enough foil to cover that part of the spear, and don't let it get on the decaled area.

I agree with all of the above statements to that effect. I use Zap-a-Gap CA for most structural stuff, Aleene's 'Tacky Glue' for a lot of exterior trim, and 5-minute epoxy for chrome parts(because it doesn't fog or deteriorate the chrome like CA). For windows and other clear parts like headlight lenses, I use either Micro Krystal Kleer or Testors clear enamel.

I hoped I wasn't the only one who spotted that. I'm guessing you won't be able to. All kidding aside, Nick, I think it's a great looking model with a nice backstory.

It's been said already, but I think it cannot be understressed....whatever you try for cutting glass, EYE PROTECTION IS A MUST.

Stock motors have cooling fins on both the cylinders and heads; it appears that the Pauter and AutoCraft motors only have them on the heads. I say they look great on the scratchbuilt cylinders, as it gives texture to that area.

I'd steer clear of acetate if it's for your 1:1 bike, IMO it's way too thin & fragile for the originally stated purpose

The original post says it's a replica of a friend's 1:1......have you considered that maybe the real one doesn't have it? I like it 100%, and it's great to see that pretty rough Flintstone kit made into something so nice. I'd love to see pics of the real one too.

Check your local phone book for 'plastics,' and see if any places are Plexiglas or Lexan dealers/suppliers.

That compass cutter is cool, and not a lot of money either!

I always keep brake fluid as a last resort, because the clean-up is a little messier than others. My preferred stripper is CSC(Castrol 'Super Clean' degreaser), but I would try EZ-Off oven cleaner as a second option, and keep brake fluid as #3. I've heard Krylon referred to as a 'lacquer-based' enamel, and 'hot,' so don't be surprised if you find the plastic has been etched to some extent once the paint is finally gone.

I used to hate those widebody kits when I was younger, but I've warmed up to them since....and I'm really liking this build.

If you are making a stock 4-4-2 out of it, those grilles are not needed; they are for the custom bumper assembly - the stock grille inserts are molded as part of the front bumper assembly.

Other than doing some sort of black wash, you are into a lot more work making a grille look realistic. Sanding from behind to open up the grille or removing & replacing with PE or scratchbuilt parts are the way to go if washes don't do it for you.

I was thinking punches as well; I would verify the size needed, and check your local craft stores(AC Moore, Michaels, etc) for punches that would work.

I agree, that body is headed for the recycling bin. Unfortunately, the '69 and '70 bodies are too different to make that conversion work. Corey - If you don't mind turqouise styrene, I have a spare Jo-Han '70 4-4-2 body I could swap you.

I don't pray very often, but you can count on me Bill. Keep us posted how you fare.

I'm a fan of '70-72 Oldsmobiles from early on(my brother has owned his ragtop '70 4-4-2 since 1981), and I love it!! The reason those Modelhaus resin parts were a bit narrow is because they were based on the old Jo-Han 1970 4-4-2 kit

Is #161 the issue with the NNL East coverage?

It's been a while since I used India ink as a wash, but I seem to recall I used it roughly 50/50 with water....maybe a smidge heavier on the ink, but I intentionally kept it fairly dilute for easy cleanup of mistakes.

If youre referring to the artwork, it was originally done by David Kimble; he did a lot of those things for magazines like Motor Trend back in the 80's(I still have the awesome 2-page 427 Cobra cutaway he did from MT). If you search Ebay for 'midget cutaway,' there's a couple of folks selling prints of that one.

Aaah, I see....didn't realize you were quoting him directly until you reposted it in quotes.

Ken - I wish I had a 2276cc for either of my cars. I merely borrowed those images from TheSamba.com's gallery and Pauter's website to see where you were headed; my only complete aircooled motors are currently in cars, so measurements are not an easy feat. I see now that you're into doing an AutoCraft motor, and MicroNitro(Jim) may have the info you need.