berr13

I'd like to see the following, in 1/25th scale: '68 AMC Javelin '64 Chevy II Nova SS (with 283 V8 option) '63 Falcon Sprint '65 Comet Caliente alas, woe is me...

Wow! That is an outstanding model--lookin' at it, it's hard to believe it's 1/43rd scale. Really nice work!

Thanks for all the replies, guys! It is in a spray can, and I don't have an airbrush, so spray primer and clear is what I'll be limited to. Specifically, what sort of primer and clear (if needed) should I use? I have some Tamiya primer, as well as Testors enamel primer; will either one work? Same question for clear, with the same brand products, or should I use something else? This is new territory for me, so I really do appreciate the help!

I recently had an automotive paint company make me a spray can of acrylic enamel, matched to the color of a car I used to own, so I can make a model of that car. Can any of you tell me if there are differences between acrylic enamel and regular enamel (Testors spray enamel is what I use almost exclusively)--tips for spraying, drying time, etc? Any assistance at all will be greatly appreciated...thanks Jim

Don't have any way of posting photos, so I can't show you, but I can tell you that the ice blue pearl is just that--silver with just a slight hint of blue. I used silver to prime, so I also can't tell you what other color primers would do. I painted a '69 Nova with this paint, and I wasn't too thrilled with it initially, but it's grown on me since. It's an interesting color...

But...but...everybody makes mistakes, guys!

I agree with Dave, above. A restoration that leaves the car the way it was driven and enjoyed, as opposed to how it was delivered from the factory, seems in some ways more honest. I've got a '63 Falcon Sprint in the garage, unrestored and for that matter not running, and when and if I get around to it I plan to do a "period" restoration. I'll keep what I've already added to it, supplement it with stuff I would have added it I'd had the bucks, and then drive the heck out of it. What does get my teeth grinding is seeing a car restored, then (to my mind) junked up with every accessory known to that year and make of car. For example, a car from the 40s with a sun visor, fog lamps, bumper guards, spotlights, outside mirrors on both sides of the car, and every other accessory J.C. Whitney ever made. There is such a thing as over restoration, if you ask me.

More a bizarre coincidence than anything else, but--Scamp. It's a variety of the grouper, and an upscale Plymouth Valiant, if I remember correctly. I doubt it's a connection the creative guys at Chrysler Corporation ever made...

not to beat a dead horse here, but I think I loosed my mind a couple of times back in the sixties...

Whoa, now that is FINE!

we're all hoping you have a speedy recovery, Dave...

Cool car, Gregg, but you know, for a few dollars more, you could have gotten a Yaris, or an Aveo, or a Dodge Excreta...wait, sorry, wrong thread...

When I was in high school, back in the mid 60s, a friend of mine had a '56 Studebaker Golden Hawk. The car was two-toned black and white (looked for all the world like the Batmobile), with a Packard V8 and a three speed transmission. Roger had reversed the rear axle on the springs so it was quite a bit higher than stock, and he ran huge Firestone Indy tires on the back--the car really made a statement, you know? Anyway, one day we were going to the beach, and we were on the Pacific Coast Highway between Corona Del Mar and Laguna Beach, and Roger decided to see what it'd do...within a terrifyingly short time the speedometer read 120, and was pegged. Now with those tires on the back who knows how fast we were really going, but with no seat belts and vinyl upholstery both of us were bouncing and flying around, the windows were open for maximum chaos, and it seemed like we were airborne. Luckily no CHP appeared, or we'd both still be sitting in an Orange County jail. Talk about stupid...

James: keep your eyes and ears open, your mouth closed, and you'll be OK. Good luck, and God bless ya, buddy. Jim (USN, 1969-1973)

I know you don't want to buy a kit or kits to get what you want, but if you change your mind, check out the Lindberg line of '64 mopars. I'm partial to the chrome wheels in the Maverick super stock, but the problem there is that the front and rear sets are different depths, so you'd need two kits to get two matching sets of four. They do look good, though, and to my eye they even have the smaller mopar interior section. It's true that mopar and Ford bolt patterns of that era were the same, but mopar hubcaps were smaller because of the center section--I bought a set of chrome wheels for my Falcon Sprint years ago and it turned out that they were modified Chrysler wheels, so I wound up running Dodge hubcaps. The Lindberg '64 Plymouth Belvedere might be a possibility, too.

I like it...great color, and as been said, fantastic detail. I've got to get mine out and finish it, after seeing how good yours looks.

When I lived in Texas (Lubbock), I used to get called for jury duty every 18 months, regular as clockwork. I never minded it, though, because I found the whole process pretty interesting, and my employer (the city) paid me as if I was at work instead of at the courthouse. The last time I was called, before I moved, I was selected for the grand jury. It met at least one day a week, for a month, and usually for a full day each time. During those sessions a member of the D. A.'s office presented cases, by the dozens, for our consideration so we could vote to indict an individual or not. As I said, I thought it pretty interesting, if mighty depressing--it's amazing how many ways humans can prey on other humans, and I think all of us on the panel found the crimes against children particularly disturbing. On the plus side, though, I had the honor of being able to vote to indict my next door neighbor on several counts of burglary, and that just made me feel GOOD, 'cause if there was someone who deserved jail time, it was him. At any rate, I found grand jury service an eye-opener, and I was glad I had the chance.

lookin' good, my friend, lookin' mighty good!

Outstanding! Great color, great detail. And a great looking car, too...

Very nice...cool color. I've got a stack of the Z28s that I got at Hobby Lobby on sale--hope mine turn out as sharp as yours!

I use a combination of Testors brass, with a bit of silver added. Recently, however, I found a bottle of enamel in a local variety store that looks good, too. It's Krylon Short Cuts, and the color is Antique Bronze.

I, for one, really appreciate the buildups you two do. I followed the '57 Chevy with great interest, and I'll follow this one, too. You guys provide welcome details on the new kit, insights on the building of the kit, as well as information on the actual automobile, all of which is priceless. Thanks again, and keep 'em coming! Jim

VERY nice...excellent paint and overall detail! Photography's outstanding, also. Great job!

I'm sure this has been covered before, but I'm hoping for some quick advice from those of you with experience...I'm primed for my first rattle can lacquer paint job. I've got both Testors and Tamiya primer, a can of Testors custom lacquer system paint, and a can of the Testors wet look clear. I'm curious about the length of time between primer and paint, between coats of paint, and paint and clear, and, for that matter, about anything else I haven't thought of. All my paint jobs until now have been with rattle can enamel, and this is going to be new territory for me. Any assistance y'all can provide will be greatly appreciated...

There's a great book called "Horatio's Drive", about the first cross-country automobile trip in 1903. Two guys and a bulldog named Bud drove from San Francisco to New York on a bet. At the time there were only 150 miles of paved road in the country. And we think we have it tough...book's by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns (and yes, it was also a PBS special).