W-409

I saw this Chevy Impala on Friday. It was very nice to see a real car instead of just those egg-shaped plastic things.

Some of you like them, some of you like them in some cases but not always. I don't want to sound rude and I want to say that I appreciate the work that has been put into them, but personally, I hate Resto Mods and Modern Hot Rods. They just look horrible and as I like old cars, why would I install parts from new cars in them? Well built car with old parts and technology is good to drive and they are quite reliable if built well. Plus, driving long trips in an old car is also a neat experience - it is not interesting if you're driving a 2014 Honda or something like that. It is not interesting either if the car you're driving has a modern engine and other technology as well. I just wish people would forget this style completely. It makes me feel bad when I see a Resto Mod or whatever Pro Touring cars they are called. I might be strange, because most people of my age like those modern things, but this is the way I am.

I think the best source for those parts is always your parts box, so I'm not sure what are the best ones available in aftermarket form. Though, those parts can be found in resin from various manufacturers, so I recommend going through these aftermarket companies listed in this thread http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=71864 . I believe it should help you get going. Many kits have very good parts in them as well, so maybe a post in Wanted area would help finding those parts as well.

What I would do now, as after someone said it, it actually looks like you didn't quite sand the entire side trim off... I would sand those doors completely smooth starting with 400 grit paper and finishing it with 600 and 1000 grit papers. Then a light coat of Primer and if there still is some ghosting, then I'd apply a light coat of putty on that surface and sand it smooth. I don't recommend Tamiya Putty, as it sinks after some time (After a year maybe). My friend built a '51 Chevy Full Custom years ago and used Tamiya Putty when smoothing out the body mods. It looked good, but after some time the putty started shrinking and then the paint job wasn't smooth anymore. I have used Bondo on my projects and there has never been that kind of a problem. I hope this helps.

I definitely hope so! In my opinion a Model A Coupe is the best looking Hot Rod car. With all of those parts that kit has, it makes this 2nd Quarter the most interesting one for a long time, even if I have absolutely zero interest on those other two. I will be buying several of those Model A Roadsters. Can't wait to see the nitpicking to begin.

I saw a green '66 Dodge Dart here in Finland on those snowy & salty roads. It really made my day as it's nice to see that I'm not the only one to drive around with a Rear wheel drive, chrome bumper American Car.

And here it is: 200 Pages of Pure Perfection ! Excellent job painting those parts - even if you're planning to repaint. I think it's a good idea to try to get the right shade for that paint as you're doing so detailed work on this one otherwise as well. Keep it coming!

Gene... Thanks, it means a lot! That is true - my skills have improved a lot and it's nice to be able to build models that I'm happy with, even if there is always lots of room for improvement. Chris.... Thanks so much! It's nice that I was able to inspire you to build an Oldsmobile. It means a lot that you like my work, even if my work is hudreds of miles behind of yours - and I really like to follow your projects because of that. I agree that the colors work really well together and those open steel wheels fit nicely under this body. Ira... Thank You! I didn't go as far with the details as I did with my Dodge Charger Daytona that I finished last year. Though, this car has lots of less electronics so there was much less detail to add, but still I kept this a bit more simple. But I like it too and I'm glad you do as well.

I enjoy seeing Vintage Dragsters, so I'm glad I decided to visit in Under Glass section now. Excellent job with this one, the color makes it a bit different than most of these, but red and yellow seem to fit nicely together. Chromed firewall looks good too, is it Alclad? Only problem I see is that scoop. The plastic is way too thick to be realistic on that one. But of course it's not your fault.

Fantastic looking Thunderbird! Larry Watson is my favorite painter as well, his panel paint jobs, flames and especially scallops are my favorites in Custom Cars. You did this one a justice. What did you use to chrome that front bumper - is it Alclad or did you send it somewhere to be chromed? I agree with others, a couple of bigger outside pics would be great.

Wow that's some great news! Now I have a good excuse to pick up this kit and contact to Missing Link. I've once dealt with Missing Link and I am still amazed how well and fast the shipping etc went. Top notch place for sure.

Good looking Barracuda! These smaller budget race cars are being built quite rarely so it's really nice to see one, especially when it's done this well. I like that paint and sponsors a lot.

That picture that Bernard posted, it shows the sad fact that the best parts in the kit were left out of the reissue. It still might be a good kit, but those missing parts would have made me buy several of these kits. Now I have none.

I have this kit. Don't let that boxart scare you - it has parts to be built Stock as well. That kit is not the best quality, I mean that it's a bit simple, but I bet it can be built pretty nicely.

That liquid glue trick usually works, but I've noticed that sometimes you need either to do it several times, or then you'll need to apply a little putty. Now since you have already painted the body, I think it's not a good idea to use liquid glue to smooth out that ghosting. What I would do would be adding a light coat of putty on a bit larger area than the ghosting and then sanding it smooth. After that a couple of very thin coats of Primer and a couple of a bit harder coats and you should be ready for paint. Same thing goes with the mold lines. Primer doesn't always go so smooth, so I would wetsand the body with 1000 grit sandpaper. After that it will be smooth. These are not the only possible ways to go, I'm sure, but this is what has worked for me. It's interesting to see how this will turn out - the subject is quite interesting even if it's a bit newer car than I'm usually into.

Ultra clean work as always Darryl! You put a lot of work into that one and it paid off. Really cool Drag Car that is something not everyone has built. Smooth paint work and nice detailing in that engine bay. I like that scoop as well.

Thanks Bill, Paul, Tom, Axel and Chris! I highly appreciate the kind comments and it feels really good to have this one done after long time being put as a Back Burner.

Very nice looking Riviera! These are very rarely seen built in this style which is a shame because I think this car looks maybe the best when built as a Custom. Yours is an excellent example of that - beautiful color and spot on stance. Nice detailing as well.

Välkommen Johan! Model Cars Magazine är en mycket bra forum och det är trevligt att se andra människor från Europa här. My Swedish is not perfect, so just in case here's the same in English: (Welcome Johan! Model Cars Magazine is a great forum and it's nice to see other people from Europe in here.).

Thanks Guys, I appreciate the comments! Brent: I'm using .080" styrene rod. It works really well, it's not too thick nor too thin in my opinion and it handles very well when bending it. It was also the same size as that roll cage that came with the kit and that I used as a basis for this new one. Thanks again!

What he said ! Fantastic work on that Clutch Inspection Plate. I would never had the idea of making it like that - and after looking at these pics, it must be the best, and probably the only possible, way to do it from sheet styrene. Very nice and clean work with that whole clutch / transmission assembly. When it's painted I bet it will be hard to tell if it's real or model.

Good looking start on both of these! I like that Murder Nova as well so it's great to see how it turns out. Also those Mustangs seem to be really popular in different Street Car / Doorslammer classes so it's neat to see someone really building a scale model out of one. Is that putty that you're using Green Putty? If it is, I have to warn you that it might sink a little when putting a bit heavier coat of it. It will take months - maybe a year, but the seams might be visible after that. It happened on one of my builds, and nowadays I only use that putty when using it either in very tricky spot (Because it's soft and easy to sand) or if I don't have to put much of it on. Just a warning, your putty work looks really smooth...Much better than mine!

Ouch - this looks nasty. That would be a cool one to build, though! Maybe some day.

Now I think the cage should be pretty much done. I bought a new set of styrene rod a while ago, but couldn't use it until now because I was in a hurry finishing my '50 Oldsmobile Club Coupe (http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=98453). Now when it's done I could get back working with this one so I added another X between those rear tubes that go from main hoop to rear floor. The seat is a bit too high as it doesn't fit under that Funny Car cage. The cage couldn't be higher or it would hit to the body so that seat is a bit too tall. I need to cut it a bit lower and then I can start working on other interior components as well...

A Big Thank You to everyone for the kind comments!!! I like those colors a lot as well and paint job turned out pretty good. I have always liked the shape of this car and I'm very glad to have one on my shelf now. It's also a great basis for a kit bashing project, especially that engine would fit in many Hot Rods... Ronnie: Post pics when you get started with yours, I'm very interested in seeing more of these built as Customs. I've never been a fan of fender skirts myself, and that's probably the reason why they can't be seen on my builds very often. Steven: I've always liked steel wheels a lot, with or without dog dishes. As you said, they work very well with white walls. Mike: Yep, doing engine modifications was one way to create something not everyone has done. I think it looks really good with two carbs instead of that original setup. Thanx again to everyone! Each and every comment is highly appreciated!