redscampi

Well, not today but over the last few weeks I got these from a variety of places.

Too hot! Maybe try a spoon soaked in boiling water?

I saw it online. Since I live in the sticks, I order a lot of stuff and sit back and wait.

I've been working on this trio of vans. The Chevy is the Foxy Box issue cut down to a shorty. Chassis and floor plate are cut too so getting closer to assembly. The Ford is a Matilda van that the previous owner hacked the roof out of, as well as all the cargo doors. When I say hacked, I mean it. I glued all the doors back in and made some repairs. I'm trying to decide what to do with the roof. (I subbed in a Coke van body to the otherwise minty Matilda box). The Dodge was a late night feepay buy, and though it was really cheap, it was really rough, too. I've determined it has to be the MPC 78 Krazy van based on it's unique configuration. (It's also marked Fundimensions 1977 on the chassis.) Since it was such a glue bomb I decided to shorten it as well. I have a Turtle Wax issue that will donate most of the rest of the parts. Chassis is unusable. I'm no expert at this hackery stuff but I'll get it done!

Yes, use as you would the old stuff. Not sure it's the same formula but it works the same.

I think a judicious application of heat - hot water of something to the affected area can get it back pretty close. After that fill and fair.

This stuff is at Walmart and it's less than 10 bucks for a lifetime supply. Works the same as the old Future.

I used to submerge the parts and let them sit in the sun if I recall. It worked very well for that particular plastic. For sealing something like this, I'd be inclined to try the "future" floor polish trick described elsewhere in this forum. You can dip the glass, wick the excess from a corner and then let dry. A side benefit is that a lot of minor surface imperfections tend to disappear with this method. If you mess it up it can be easily removed and repeated. There are plenty of folks that use this stuff, and plenty of detractors as well. Try it on a parts box piece first.

Hydrogen peroxide may be the ticket. I used to use it extensively for vintage RC plastics restoration. If that works then perhaps coat it with something to seal it.

Nobody "downgraded" anyone. My opinion is that the OP would be happier in the long run by pushing himself to excel rather than take the easy road. This is how you learn and grow. The whole point of my post is that the most enjoyment can be had from doing so, and had nothing to do with criticism of anyone. Somehow I thought opinions was what the OP was after. It's up to the OP to decide how he wants to proceed.

There are several kits on ebay. A little higher priced but not terrible by today's prices. I mean, if you've been looking for years the extra cost might be palatable. There's a pre-owned one, parts sealed in the bag for $50 and free shipping right now.

Since you asked for opinions I'll throw in my thoughts, such as they are. First, what is your goal? If you're looking for realism, the only way to truly achieve it is a good smooth paint job. If you're content with something more toy-like, then polish away. I always wonder about the reasoning behind this question. To me, a good paint job is an integral part of the build. Skipping it and calling it "good enough" feels like laziness or lack of confidence. I once read a post on a social media site where someone said something like, "I'm bored, so ima slam this kit together", (His words - more or less verbatim). Why not just burn the cash instead? This feels a bit like that. I'd say, build a kit to the best of your ability including paint, don't cut corners and don't think of it as a thing you need to finish in a short time. You'll get more satisfaction from it if you put your best effort into it - no matter how long it takes.

From almost the exact middle of Texas. I heard that San Antonio area had heavy cloud cover and couldn't see much.

What a great example of craftsmanship and ingenuity. This is so inspiring I think it might be time to break into my van stash and go to town!

I've tried to organize but I keep getting more kits and don't want to waste time sorting them. Basically I put them where they'll fit. That said I'm close to critical mass in the allotted space and I'm strongly considering building a storage room in our walk in attic. A lot of what you see here is 2 kits deep.

Someone complained about a free model? ?

I have an early AMT 49 Ford kit in this situation. The box is pretty hammered but the seal is more or less intact. I’m also tempted to open it to straighten the box, but I have other 49s and there is a price tag of 2.99 on the kit which would be lost. It’s part of the kit’s provenance if you follow me. First world problems, right?

lol! I was just telling my wife last night that we had just missed the van craze by a whisker. I’m almost 64. I was old enough to appreciate the concept but not to indulge.

Thanks Mike. You're right, they do! I've been on a vintage van kick lately. I've grabbed some old 70s Fords and a couple of Chevys but the Dodges seem to all be crazily priced glue bombs or partial kits. I was just casually poking around and stumbled upon this with a "reasonable" BIN. I just hit the button! I like that the previous owner retained the shrink wrap top to help protect the box.

I just snagged this off Feebay this morning. It was not cheap but not as bad as you'd think. I figured it was a much more interesting alternative to a couple of trips to Walmart or Ollie's for run of the mill kits. I had to have it. Needful Things, you know. I mean, when's the last time you've seen one for sale in this condition?

That is by far one of the most realistic builds I've ever seen. Brilliant!

Or more. I've bought several inexpensive kits in recent months to fill in my collection (which does not need filling). it seems like there's a conspiracy that requires any kit you buy, say you win an auction for $5, to have shipping rounded up so it'll be $30 minimum. Kit costs $10? Shipping nearly twenty. Kit costs $20? Shipping is magically twenty-five. Kit costs $300? They'll still gouge you for thirty bucks.

Nice build. Beautiful paint. I loved this kit when I was young and it holds up very well.

Congrats, you found some good ones!

Great design exercise! It's obvious quite a bit of thought went into this custom. Colors are spot on too.