David G.

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!

Yup, I sprayed the fenderwells satin black the other day, the floorpan with oxide red primer yesterday, clearcoat's going on today. When I've got it all knocked together, it should look like the one in the photo. I don't think I'll mess with any overspray on the floorpans any time in the near future. I think an airbrush (something I don't have) is needed to do it properly, and most people outside of our community probably wouldn't get it anyway. I also picked up AMT's 58 Edsel, the one with the continental kit, at the Desert Scale Classic last weekend. I can't wait to tear into that one. Thanks, David G.

The interior is nicely detailed, the masking and paintwork is awesome. Overall, the car just has a solid feel to it as it sits on the workbench in the last couple of photos. And, oh yes, what tape did you use? It seems to work well.

After all is said and done, that'll be the answer. The engine is already in gloss black with the appropriate aluminum, steel and iron bits. The valve covers are gold and the aircleaner will be stripped of its chrome in a bleach bath and painted gold to match the valve covers. whew! Thanks to everybody who chimed in on this one. That's what I like about this community, there is never a shortage of answers to a question. David G.

OK, that's really interesting. It matches nothing that I've learned up to this point. Regardless of the silver sheetmetal, the one in the photo isn't even Ford Blue. sigh Maybe it has to do with the engine's configuration. The one in the kit I have has an "R" designation, meaning that it's a 4v interceptor, and that (supposedly) is why it wears black. At this point, it seems that one could argue a good point for just about any color combination. Still, thanks for the link. David G.

Ed, According to the kit directions and the results of my previous question about the engine color in this particular kit, gloss black seems to be the correct paint for the engine overall, with the valve covers in gold. Based on the current consensus, I think the aircleaner should be gold to match the valve covers. It seems to make the most sense. At first I was a bit bummed-out about painting the engine all in gloss black. With the fender wells and firewall in semi-gloss black, I thought much of the engine detail would be lost in a sea of darkness, so to speak. But I took it as an interesting challenge to overcome, and I've hit on a few ideas for some subtle touches that should make it work. All you guys are a great source of ideas and inspiration, and I do so enjoy batting concepts and ideas back and forth with you. Thanks, David G.

Thanks, your suggestion about the body paint seems to be the reasonable option, based on the information you provide. Thanks again, guys. David G. It seems that painting the aircleaner in gold to match the valve covers makes the most sense. I'm glad to find that "chrome" is definitely out. It just didn't seem right to me.

That's what I did too and it seems that Ford put that engine in everything from the 1958 Edsel to the 1976 F-150. The air cleaner colors ranged from chrome to blue, gold, white, black and rusted metal with several of those colors associated with Galaxie and Starliner applications. Not knowing which of these, if any, were original, prompted me to post the question here with the hope that somebody will have first-hand knowledge of which color would be the correct factory configuration. I do thank you for taking the time to reply, though. David G.

Wanting to be as accurate as I can, I have a couple of more questions about the AMT 60 Ford Starliner that I'm building. 1. The stock air cleaner that is in the kit is plated. I find it hard to imagine that the 1:1 car would have had a chrome plated air cleaner. If that's true, then I'm OK with it, but I think it would have been painted. My question is, if it was originally painted, what color would it have been? The engine in question is the V8 352 R Interceptor with a 4 bbl carb. 2. I've seen many modelers replicate the body color overspray on the floorpan of the car chassis. Would there have been such a thing as "underspray"? I mean to say that the fenders and other body panels would have likely had a primer coat on their inside surfaces. Should this inside surface be visible in some locations, like the slight overhang of a fender wheelwell beyond the inner wheelhousing, would the primer coat (oxide red?) be visible or whould this area be painted the same as the body color? I know, these may seem like picky points, but this is a decent kit and I want to do it justice. Any tips would, as always, be appreciated. Thanks in advance, David G. p.s. I did do a Google image search and came up dry on these two points, otherwise, I wouldn't ask.

I was there and met some fellow modelers, picked up a few kits and enjoyed the wonderful contest entries. However, I had no idea that this was such a big event with people traveling such great distances to attend. How lucky I am to have such a great show right in my own back yard; I actually live about 1.5 miles from the venue! Thanks to all of those folks who did the work so the rest of us could play!