mrmike

Here's is how I went about making new windows. First, I traced the window opening onto a piece of paper and then cut them out. Then I traced the pattern onto a piece of clear flat bubble packaging using a Sharpie. I cut out the new windows using a sharp pair of scissors and cut along the outside perimeter of the black line. This will be my mounting edge. After checking that the windows will fit properly, I will use 2-part epoxy to mount the new windows. More to come...

Thanks Bryan and Bart! Speaking of glass...Well, I was ready to go and install the glass last night and discovered...no glass! I looked all over the shop for it and I couldn't find it. And, I can't for the life of me remember if the glass was in the kit when I bought it. The kit was open when I bought it. So into the parts box I went searching for glass and I found one that will fit the rear window with a little trimming. I couldn't find a windshield so I'll use a sheet of clear acetate and make a windshield and side windows too.

Well Bryan, you are off and running! I like the progress you are making with opening the trunk. I am looking forward to more on this pro-touring Charger and I am happy to be an inspiration! Keep up the good work my friend!

I searched through the various photo albums on the Classic Plastic Model Club web site and I wasn't able to find a photo of the "Plymouth Duster" that you had described. I'll ask the members at the next Club meeting on July 14th if they know of any photos of this model.

Oh, how could you bring up that forgettable movie, Ice Pirates? LOL Even I haven't seen it!

Mine is of my favorite actor in perhaps his most known role...as Robert B. Parker's Spenser of Spenser For Hire. I had to recreate his first season '65 Ford Mustang in plastic. And, his third season '65 Ford Mustang. It has been reported that Warner Home Video is considering releasing SFH on DVD.

This project is really coming along and I am stoked for getting it finished. I finished the interior this afternoon. I painted the inboard ends of the taillights as backup lights. The engine bay is ready for the engine. More to come...

Thank you Jonathan! I just can't stop staring at it!

Thanks Bart! I had to do another mockup just so I can stare at it. It is looking beautiful!

Last night, before turning in, I decided to paint the seating surfaces in Humbrol Gunmetal. My first thought was to use the Tamiya Bright Orange, but I nixed that idea as being too garish. I installed the core support and radiator hoses. And, thanks to a fellow Classic Plastic Model Club member, I have a transmission mount, so the chassis is now complete. Thanks John! More to come...

Thanks Bryan! Foiling is something I am getting better at. I am not as hesitant to do it anymore. This afternoon I made the interior carpet with embossing powder and then I painted over it with flat black paint. The rest of the interior was painted with satin black paint. I filled the slots under the dash since this Duster does not have A/C. The Hurst shifter w/T-handle came from my parts box. I'll detail the dash when it is dry enough to handle. More to come...

I foiled the body tonight. The interior is next. More to come...

I like it Jim! SHINY!!!!!

Thanks guys! I know I've got to continue working on this Duster, but the colors and the stance and the wheels...oh boy! I need a trans mount since I lost the one that came with the kit. A fellow Classic Plastic Model Club member has one so I'll meet up with him at the LHS. Tonight I took the rear wheels apart and shorten the hubs. Even though the mod was small, it made a big difference in how the rear wheels look within the fenders. They do not look like they are being pushed out of the rear fenders anymore. Bryan, I don't understand why you haven't built a Mopar yet? Dude...you've got the goodies including the RG 426 Hemi! Start building and make it SHINY!!!!! I know you can do it! Just place it all in a box addressed to me at...LOL Bryan, I am happy to be an inspiration to you or anyone who wants to build a Mopar, Ford, Chevy, Aston Martin or any model! I look forward to your Mopar project!

Thanks guys! The more I look at the Duster, the more I like the tu-tone paint scheme! Combined with the the body colored spoiler and the wheels with the painted centers and I think I have hit upon a perfect combination. I had to rebuild the rear suspension yesterday when I noticed that the axle had separated from the spring. Now, with the suspension rebuilt, the stance is a little more to what I had envisioned. The rear wheels are too close to the edges of the fenders so I will remove them and trim the hub so it is flush with the wheel back. This should bring in the rear wheels about 1/16th of an inch on each side and get them away from the fenders.

Thank you Brandon. While you may consider me a master builder, I don't think of myself as one. I am just another model builder trying to build a better model. I do thank you for your kind words.

Bryan, I am reluctant to use BMF as a masking agent due to the price and how little I have left for chrome trim. I chose to use 3M blue masking tape in pieces which worked out OK for the most part. I just have to clean up some parts of it. Thanks for the tip of the BMF!

Thanks Bryan and Mike. Mike, I like what you did with your door hinges! I wished I had done that with mine so I could remove the doors and detail the inner panels easily. Is there a reason why you stopped working on it?

Thanks Rickey! I did a mockup to check the stance and engine placement. I tried the hood with the air cleaner on and the hood is almost closed. I'll trim the underside of the air cleaner for a better fit. I really like the stance with the inverted spindles. More to come...

I mounted the doors again, but this time they are more to my liking. More to come...

Masking is not something that I am good at. This afternoon I masked off the Duster so I could apply the secondary color of Light Gunmetal. It came out fairly good, but I have to clean up the edge around the top of the windows. I started working on the front suspension. When I got to the spindles, I noticed the offset on them. Instead of installing them per the instructions, I inverted them to see if I can lower the nose of the Duster. I'll do a mockup later and see what the stance looks like. More to come...

The correct link is this... http://thetutuproject.com/

I actually forgot about ALL racing yesterday. I gave up on NASCAR years ago, I lost interest in the Indy 500 several years ago, and I watch F1 if I remember that there is a race to watch. Sometimes I think there is better racing watching my DVDs of Grand Prix or LeMans. But then, that's just me...

Thanks Shawn, James, and John! John, sometimes it's good to buck tradition! I like how your engine compartment looks with the splash of red (ignition, wires, and battery), silver (engine and radiator), and blue (sheet metal and air cleaner cover). Looks great!

I decided to remove the doors from the body and will try to get them to fit within the door frame better. Having the doors and the internal mounts out allowed me to add the new hinge pin. This is where I'll be focusing my attention...the cutouts for the hinges on the body. I need to deepen the cutouts more so I can get the doors fitted better. More to come...