David G.

Holy Moly! That definitely makes a statement. Excellent paintwork.

I envy you this opportunity. Good luck with it.

Wow, you really put these out quick! It seems that just the other day you posted shots of the "Ragtop". I take months to complete a build. I think this one looks great too. I can almost hear some 26 year old maniac gearhead saying, "Yea, I'm gonna restore her one of these days. My great granddad bought her new in 1958, ya know." Excellent distressing work!

From what I can see, it looks really good. Though it's just hard for me to tell just what scale it's in.

Much better than I could have done at that age! I love the use of all the different colors.

That's a cool print, the scary thing is that I can completely visualize the process that you describe. I ran printing presses in 1984 and knew of one shop that had a Linotype machine that they still used! With the lead used in those old typecasting machines, I'm sure they've been banned by now. I used to run hairline registration on an AB Dick 360 with only about 12% loss. Using an AM 1250 only cut that down to about 8%.

You're right! A-1 paint job, and the rest of it looks really good too!

Congratulations Brian! Have a nice trip.

Great weathering and I love the mix-n-match style. Here in Phoenix, we see a fair number of old trucks from the 60's and 70's driving around, and that's how many of them look. You really nailed it!

Congratulations on the contest win, Samantha! Do you have any ideas of what you might like to build next?

It looks like I've got some new tactics to try. I'd like to find a fairly easy way to add this level of detail. Don't get me wrong, I do like to be challenged, but when I start to feel like I want to throw the kit up against the wall, then it's time to rethink things. This is supposed to be a hobby, I can have those feelings at work. There I get paid for it. I did end up buying a couple of prewired distributors from Scale Models by Chris. I know they're a bit expensive, but I feel that I need to explore as many options as I can and use what works best for me. Thanks to all those who chimed in on this topic. If anybody has anything more to offer, please feel free to kick it in! Thanks, David G.

The CA ends up being the boot?

Great job, Samantha! I think the world needs more pink and purple hotrods. You should try to talk Dad into helping you build a real hotrod, If you start now, you could be the girl with the coolest car in high school!

That is just too cool! I've been back to building models for a couple of years now, and I have yet to build a good, old-fashioned hotrod. I'll have to put something on my list. Thanks for the inspiration!

That's Cool!

Lately, I've beed using Rust-Oleum sandable automobile primer. Of the three places I've seen it, Auto Zone, Pep Boys and Home Depot, it's cheapest at Home Depot.

I second that, those pop-ups make me want to punch somebody. It's like having someone yell in your face.

Yesterday I came home and found the latest issue of Scale Auto in my mail box, and today, Model Cars Magazine was waiting for me ! Life is good!

OK, that makes more sense. It would seem that I have much to learn about lowrider culture. I guess I'm one one of the "old peeps" you mentioned. (with fat fingers)

Do you suppose it could be lowered a bit more? I wonder how they got it there. It seems like it could only be driven on an airstrip, and I can't imagine driving it up onto a trailer. That's one thing about lowering vehicles, you can only go so far and still drive them.

I think epoxy might be something to try. I didn't even bother with CA, it seems that it would be too brittle for what ammounts to a butt-joint between two wires. Historically, I've not had the best of luck with epoxies, I can't seem to get a proper mix with them and they always end up being tacky for ever more. What about silicon RTV? I'm sure somebody has tried that at some point.

Yes, that's how I ultimately ruined the distributor. I have a pin vise and #61 to #81 drill bit set. I forget which drill size I used, but I had a heck of a time getting a hole started on/in the towers where the wires are supposed to go. I filed the towers down by about half their height to get a flat surface to start the hole on, but still didn't have much luck. I thought if I had some 30ga wire insulation or tubing, then I could slip it over the distributor towers, but I couldn't get it to strip off without damaging it too much to look right. That's why I went to drilling in the first place. So, if there's some trick or tip you can pass on to me, I would be appreciative. Thanks, David G.

I love these old trucks, and this one is looking great! Looks like you nailed the color and the detail is good. One thing I often wondered about is, why did GM think that putting a 90hp six cylinder engine in a three ton truck was a good idea? I've driven a 1951 pick-up and a 53 panel truck, though the pick-up wasn't too bad, the wagon seemed frighteningly underpowered.

I was reading the other topic on the best material for modeling spark plug wires and the verdict seems to be that 30 ga wire is about the best bet. Now, what are some of the best ways to use it? I tried to get a couple of different ways to get the wire affixed to the kit distributor, and failed, ruining the distributor in the process. I ended up ordering a few pre-wired units from Scale Models By Chris, but at about five bucks a pop plus shipping, it adds up pretty quick. But he does have a lot of cool stuff! Besides all that, I like to think of myself as a creative, resourceful kind of guy, and I just feel that this is something I should know how to do. Thanks, David G.

Where I grew up in north-east Ohio in the 1970's, almost all of the cars I can recall working on had some form of undercoating. In that part of the States, undercoating is (or was at that time) a fairly big business; Rusty Jones and Ziebart are a couple of companies that come to mind. The materials used ranged from spray-on asphalt to special polymerized surface coatings aka, plastic paint. Inexpensive undercoating would do its job as long as its integrity held out. As soon as there was a "chink in the armor" so to speak, moisture would get between the undercoating and the metal surface and remain trapped there, accelerating the corrosion process. My bodywork kit usually included a small propane torch and a stout putty knife for removing asphalt undercoating prior to making repairs. Of course, here in Phoenix, none of that matters!