David G.

That Buick is awesome! Where did you get the skull and diamond plate steel? David G.

The kit's engineering is certainly presenting its own set of challenges to address. You seem to be working through them quite handily. David G.

Gorgeous model, great photos too! David G.

A beautiful rendition of one of GM's worst-built and best-selling cars. I don't think I've ever seen one looking better. David G.

My pleasure Kurt. I've tried working with CA & soda a couple of times but not often enough to become comfortable with using it for a project like this. I use 3M Automotive Glazing and Spot Putty. It's essentially a very thick lacquer primer and I use it as such, mainly for filling in small scratches and imperfections. I rely on the styrene for the structure and shape of the repair and the putty mainly as a finisher when I have the styrene shaped the way I want it. I used this method on the Luftwagen wherein I grafted a 37 Cord nose on the front of VW Bug. The Cord nose was too narrow and needed to be widened. I split and the nosepiece and padded the sides of the hood with styrene sheeting to meet its new width. I built the styrene out in layers and used files and sandpaper to sculpt it. Eventually smoothing it all out with a bit of putty. I think it came out fairly well. If you're curious, here's a link to the build thread. Heck, you may even remember it. Thank you for your kind and encouraging words David. Unfortunately I did receive five wheels but only four tires. I thought about digging in the parts box for a suitable match but I decided against that. Given the amount of body work I was already tasked with on this build, I felt that my time would be better spent just correcting the poor fit of the boot lid and foregoing any thoughts of retaining the functionality. The one you built looks great. The added panel is a nice touch as is the carpet texture. Thanks again, David G.

Hello Everybody! I found a little time and energy the get some more work done on the Rolls, so here's the update. This area where the front fenders, ahem... wings meet the doors is the area most effected by the misalignment of the molds. It's also one of the most visible and visually important areas of the car. The shift is significant, averaging about 1 mm. The best solution I can come up with is to build up the step with a bit of styrene sheet, which still needs a little more trimming for a better fit. Then I'll smooth it out with some putty. This side's not any better. That wreckage where the cowl meets the body will be presenting challenges of its own. Again. Starting with a base of sheet styrene, my intent is to re-sculpt the entire area. As always, thank you for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment. David G.

Thank you Miles. David G.

Thanks again David. You're providing me with so much information that I'm starting to feel that I may need to share the build credit with you. I do appreciate your interest and the facts and tips you're providing me with are tremendously helpful, thank you very much. Hi Kurt, thanks for taking the time to comment. I always enjoy following your work and I'm honored by your interest in mine. I did notice the door handles but was trying not to "see" them. If you know what I mean. There was a time when I would have attempted to correct them but these days, I'm just happy to be able to complete a build and have it look good on the shelf. As for the trunk, there's really nothing inside to see except a spare wheel which was not included in this particular kit. I'd rather have a good looking fit for it. Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts. David G.

Fabulous work! Great weathering and detail painting. David G.

Thank you for your post David, it seems that I learn something something new from each one. The strip you're referring to is actually a bit of 1.0 mm styrene rod that I added when I glued the two halves of the hood together. Most of the photos I've seen online have such a feature, which I assumed was a piano-style hinge. Then I noticed that it was absent from the photos of the model you posted in that WIP thread. This caused me to go back and review my research photos. About 2/3 of the photos in which it's visible seem to have the strip while the rest look to have the bevel. I like the way the strip looks so I'm glad it's not technically incorrect. Thanks again for your input, it's always appreciated. David G.

Very Cool! David G.

What a delightful backstory, thanks for sharing it with us. It looks like you have quite a good start on this somewhat unusual kit. I'm very interested to see how you solve some of the issues it presents. David G.

Hello Everybody! Here's a little update on the Rolls. A little primer shows a lot of work that needs to be done. It's time for the initial test fit. It took me most of my build session to get all the pieces together. With the molds as worn as they are, almost every piece required some dimensional adjustment. The slots for the front bumper and holes for the fog lights were almost completely closed and had to be drilled and filed open. The boot lid doesn't fit well and will likely be glued shut. I just couldn't resist getting out a fine point Sharpie and putting some red on the tail lights. They'll be stripped and repainted anyway. Here's a shot from the Gag Reel! I was repositioning the model for a shot and heard my camera's shutter click. I'm not sure what triggered it but this is the shot it captured from its location on the desk. I found it amusing so I included it. As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to post a comment or two. David G.

Thank you so much for your kind comment David. The wheels are the ones that came in the kit. I believe they're meant to represent the Magnum 500 style wheels that were available as an option at the time. Thank you, I'm pleased with the way the interior came out too. Indeed. American "sports" cars of this era were delightfully excessive, almost to the point of vulgarity. These days many people don't realize how large some of these cars were. I'm also working on a 1962 Rolls Silver Cloud, probably one of the larger British production cars. Here's a side-by-side shot of the two of them on my work shelf. Both are 1:24. This shot had the reverse effect on me, causing me to realize how big the Rolls Royces actually were. Thanks again, David G.

Thank you for taking the time to comment David, I appreciate all the information and tips you offer. I don't plan for my build of this kit to be as extensive as what you've outlined but I do plan to make some improvements over what the kit offers. I do plan to see if I can correct the Spirit of Ecstasy ornament. I have yet to look online but my thoughts were leaning more toward carving or casting one of my own. Given how crude the kit-provided example is, anything I do is likely to be an improvement. I plan to glue the hood shut. I may leave it removable but I've already glued the two halves together so an operable opening option is out of the picture. The engine plate offered in the kit is not really worth a second look anyhow. The example I have is a LHD U.S version so there is no need for me to anglicize it with a number plate plinth. I do like what you've done with the one in the photos you've posted, nice work BTW. The antenna and internal rear view mirror are two features I've now added to my list of considerations. I also like the partially open windows. Again David, thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge with me. I now have some new ideas to consider for the build. David G.

Excellent work! David G.

Thank you Trevor. It's nice that someone got some pleasure out of that old kit. Thanks for following, I hope I can provide you with a little entertainment and some useful information. Thank you for your comment Noel. I think this kit was designed more as a toy that can be built rather than a serious scale model. In that way it's very much a product of its time. I believe I can manage to massage it into a more appealing representation of the original. David G.

It looks like the flocking turned out well. David G.

Thanks for the pointer Jeremy. I tried something similar though with hot water. I'd bring a container of water to boil in the microwave then let it stand for about ninety seconds to cool just a bit. I'd then submerge the hood, all but for the corner I was holding it by. Probably for about thirty or forty seconds. I'd then put in position it on the body and hold it firmly in place while I pass it under a stream of cool water from the tap. It seems like I need to find a way to overload or over correct the bend so that when it relaxes itself it falls where I want it to be. One advantage I have is that it's already painted and any subsequent coats won't be contacting and interacting with the plastic. Thanks again for your advice and encouragement. David G.

Thank you Michael. The fenders are indeed rough but I think I can get them worked into some kind of acceptable appearance. I've seen you do some pretty amazing things with styrene Kurt. I'd be very interested in seeing what you'd do with this kit. David G.

Thank you Jeremy. I've seen worse too, I'll probably give it another after I paint the body and see how it looks. Thanks Chaz, I appreciate your comment. David G.

Nice work! I like that all the drive gear is visible. David G.

Excellent weathering and lighting effects! David G.

Whenever someone uses the word "Jalopy" (which is hardly ever these days) this is almost exactly the image that appears in my mind. Nicely Done! David G.

The chassis looks great. Sorry to learn of your injury, I hope it heals well for you. David G.