David G.

Wow Niko those are some impressive details you're adding. I just noticed all the plumbing on the engine, that's some fine work. David G.

Thanks Dennis. I just cut the wiper paths from masking tape and gave the windshield a light airbrushing of Tamiya Flat Earth. David G.

The grille looks great Len. I think you found just the right amount of chromieness. David G.

It looks like the paint turned out nicely Jim. The interior looks pretty good too. You expressed some interest in getting information on creating a woodgrain effect. I have a little information I can share. For these I started with a base of TS-46 Tamiya Light Sand, I then used thin washes of Tamiya Flat Earth and NATO Brown acrylics letting them pool a bit here and there. For the dash I started with the same technique but before the Flat Earth and NATO brown washes I drew some light thin lines and patches with black, brown and red Sharpies... very sparingly! I then used rubbing alcohol on cotton swabs to thin and soften the Sharpie lines and patches blending them a bit. After that dried, I followed up with some very thin washes of NATO Brown Flat Earth and black acrylics. Very thin, very light. Subtlety is the key. Once all that dried, a nice coat of Tamiya sprayed from a can gave it all a nice shine. It took me quite a few failures to be able to get good results. I even messed up the service trays the first time around and what you're seeing is my second attempt for those. I hope you find these unsolicited pointers helpful Jim. Of course, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. David G.

Thank you for the information David. I hadn't thought to try tinting that way. My most common issue with adding a tint strip is the paint line between the clear glass and the tinted area. Which is what lead me to trying tinting the clear acrylic hoping that it would produce a softer, more gradual transition. For the most part it did. The method you described seems like it would work at least as well and maybe better. I'll have to experiment with it and see what I can do. Thanks again for taking the time to share that with me. I'm always looking for new means of improving my skills. Excellent looking build BTW. But the Secret Service agent seems annoyed with the owner's choice of parking spot. David G.

Wow, I'm sorry to hear that Jim. You do such fabulous with the modifications and corrections on your builds though. David G.

Thank you David. How did you do the tint on the Pontiac if I may ask? Thank you, I felt that the partition was necessary as well. And yes. Being just shy of 21' in length, this thing is a monster in real life! Thank you Jim. It's nearly done now, I'm at the "buttons & bows" stage and should have it wrapped up soon. Thanks again, David G.

Yeah, for the figure one probably wants to avoid purple, blue and green. At least in certain combinations! Cheers! David G.

Hello Everybody! Not wanting to leave well enough alone I decided on one more addition to the interior. While not technically the interior, I do consider the window glass as such. Many of the photos I found during my research showed a blue tint band across the top edge of the windshield. With such a big fishbowl of a windshield that tint would be a practical necessity. So I decided to add one to my build. To achieve this I used some Pledge Floor Care (as my decade old bottle is labeled) with a few drops of blue food coloring. I brushed the mixture on the inside top edge of the windshield and propped it up at an angle that would allow the acrylic tint to remain in the proper location while it dried over night. Though not perfect, it's one of the better tint jobs I've done. As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment. David G.

Thanks for your vote of confidence Jim. I didn't mean to denigrate anyone's chosen building style. For me it takes much less time, effort and planning to build something like this: Than it does like this: The Chevy took more than twice the time to build than did the Ford. For me, the Ford was a much easier build. Which is why I think of shiny builds as easier builds. Just an opinion based on my own experience. That Ranch Wagon you posted earlier looks great BTW! Thanks Carl. That's likely to change as the interior comes together. David G.

Excellent detail work on the engine and dash panel David. The ol' gaffer is coming along quite well too. I like the colors you're using for his outfit. David G.

The chassis is coming along quite nicely! I like the suspension details and red wheels. David G.

You're off to a grand start Jim! I'm looking forward to seeing where you go with this one. David G.

Good color combination and detailing, nice build! I have a different version of this kit. I built mine as a battlefield ambulance. Cheers! David G.

Such a good bit of luck in what could have been a disastrous situation! I'm glad it worked out well for you Steve. David G.

A clean, tight and solid build with excellent details. Great photos too. David G.

An excellent looking build! David G.

Nice chassis detail, the paint and decals look great. David G.

Nicely done, love the color! David G.

Thanks Randy! Thank you Donald. Thanks Bill. I'm not sure if the rake is going to stay like it is. It seems to me that this may change once the interior is completed and the doors are installed. Thanks for your comment Ace. I'm just a car guy, I like them each for different reasons. I'm amazed at the difference in body styles between the two makes for the same model year. Ford had overhauled their general body design to what would be the predominant style of the Sixties and Seventies while Chevy was still updating their designs from the Forties and Fifties. I think you're correct Len. I'm guessing that Ford had a fair number of municipal, state and federal government contracts. It seems to me that a lot of the police and other government cars of the period were Fords like this one. Thanks Jim, I'm glad you like the wheels. I have several build sessions invested in them and it's nice to know that the time spent was worthwhile. Custom and Resto-Mod in progress and barn finds are always options that I consider when building a kit like this one Jim, but all of that takes planning and extra time and effort. People who always build "shiny" have a much easier job of it. I've built both ways and decided to take the easier route on this one. I do have another partial kit and a couple of glue bombs of this kit I can work with, I may end up doing a "before and after" set. I'm not sure that the rake will stay the way it is. I think that the lack of a dashboard is allowing the body to settle a little lower in the front than it should. I'll know more as the build progresses. Thank you all for taking the time to share your thoughts and opinions with me, I always enjoy reading them and responding. David G.

The result looks great Greg! David G.

Nice progress on this one Jim. David G.

Hello Everybody! Here's the next update: I took some time and detailed the stock hubcaps. I started by spraying some Tamiya Flat Clear followed by a blackwash and some acrylic white paint. The final step was a spray of Tamiya Clear. Here are the assembled wheels mounted on the chassis. The tires from the kit went missing long before it came into my possession so I fished these out of the parts box. I also found a set with wide whitewalls and I really wanted to use those but I just couldn't get them to fit well enough on the rims. Having the wheels installed of course means that the rest of the suspension parts went on before them. I still plan to add some weathering using pastels. The front wheels are in proper alignment but the car has poseable steering which has an inherent looseness to it. Which means that the front wheels... will... never be in proper alignment. Wheels down! With that it's time to check the ride height. When I put the front suspension together, I flipped the spindles upside down to lower the front wheels just a bit. I thought about cutting the shackles on the rear springs down just a little bit too but I don't think it's necessary. The car has a little bit of a rake and I like that. As always, thanks for taking the time to look and comments, observations, hints and critiques are always welcome. David G.

Thank you Carl! Thanks D.W. I'm really eager to get this one finished. So hopefully I'll have more updates soon. David G.

Your work on the grilles is certainly an improvement over what the kit provides, Greg. David G.