MrObsessive

Well, this year hasn't been that prolific for me at all! If it wasn't for taking a break and restoring this one, I really wouldn't have anything "finished" for this year. In a sense, if I wanted to include all the things I've done on the Green Hornet so far this year, I guess those could be considered "kits". Here's my Fujimi EM series '63 Porsche 356 which I originally built back in 1987-'88. It was in super neglect when I came across it, so I couldn't help but feel sorry for it, and brought it back to life. Here 'tis............................. If you're interested to see what a mess this was in..........you can go here.

One thing (if maybe a caution) about the Molotow pens, is that yes like you said Frank, they're at their best when a single pass can be made. Multiple passes I found tends to make the finish duller. One BIG caveat is that the paint CANNOT BE TOUCHED for at least 24 hours----possibly longer! You might be able to speed things up by putting the part in the dehydrator-----then covering it with "Liquitex" which protects the finish, but doesn't change its brilliance. Here's my '63 Porsche 356 resto where I did use the pen to bring the wheels back to life, as well as the mirrors. All the other trim was done with BMF, but the pens do come in handy for those irregular surfaces that don't do well with BMF. BTW, the pens were used over the existing chrome, and not over a black base as some might suggest.

Another shout out for Fotki! I've been using then since 2004, and I've never had a problem except for that time they were moving their servers, and there were more than a few hiccups. Other than that, I find them very user friendly to post pics (unlike PB), and of course there are no annoying ads to deal with. One change they did make that I think annoyed some folks is that they no longer offer a "free" account. In a sense they do, but for posting pics and such you'd need to upgrade to the premium account. For $25 bucks a year, that's a great deal and there's no bandwidth limit.

Good suggestions for using thread! I tried this once years ago, trying to hold the model between my legs. Needless to say, that didn't work out very well! As far as going around corners, I've never had much trouble with that as I've learned to go quite slowly around radii. If I make a scratch around surrounding bodywork.......well, that's where good 'ole superglue and Zip Kicker comes in mighty handy!

That's a VERY pretty shade of green for that Michael! Everyone has their preferences, but for me I'm VERY paranoid about things not fitting right at the end, so painting the body is one of the last things I'll do before final assembly. I've had some nasty experience years ago with some very fiddly kits, one of them I ended up putting a severe gouge in the body because the body went on so crazily. Now I "practice" everything as I go along so that when the time comes, there's no issues as I'll have down pat how everything will go together with the least amount of trouble. Of course, I add to the difficulty with all of the changes I do..............I'm sure that upsets the build order somewhat!

WOW!! ????

Lookin’ excellent NJ!! PM sent! ??

Ha! Funny you say that as my Dad once owned a 1960 Valiant (sold his very nice '57 Plymouth for it) and it was..............................you guessed it-------white! In the mid '60's just starting school, I can remember being taken home in a '63 or '64 Dodge Dart four door (didn't know what it was at the time), by a teacher when my Mom couldn't come pick me up. I distinctly remember that car being a powder blue.

My favorite year of ‘60’s Monacos! Absolutely beautiful job! I would have never guessed this was a forlorn glue bomb! ??

Yes!! X3!! ❤️❤️

Hmmmm......depends how much it will be! I’m not too keen on breaking up resin builtups lest something disastrous happen to ‘em. ? Thanks for the heads up though.......I’ll certainly give it a look when it shows up! ?

I can't speak for NJ as to how he's going to print these Peter, but the air cleaner is not that severely conical. Sure it's slight, but yes, printed with the center ring cut out and not a complete solid circle would be ideal. I can always punch out that center area if it's too difficult to print in that manner. I've placed decals like that before on other builds ('69 Daytona comes to mind) and it's nothing that decal setting solution and a hot moist cloth can't cure.

Beautiful save on that!! The yellow one pictured was the EXACT shade of the 1:1 I once had! I sure miss that car which is 25 years gone now.

OK! Here's a real quick pic I have of a junk AMC V8 (from a Matador) and the proper air cleaner as far as the basic shape........... The very outside diameter of the decal should be roughly 15/32", while the inside diameter (so it can go around the molded in raised circle) should be roughly 11/32". I'm leaning strongly towards building an AMX whenever I get to cycling back to '60's muscle cars. This engine of course will be totally taken apart and redone to represent a proper 390. I have all the other bits and pieces on hand to make the car the way I'd like, including using a shortened Mustang chassis to better represent the undercarriage Unibody. Thanks for asking!

Yup! That’s it! To me, an important detail when doing one of those engines!

I'm definitely following this! These were sharp cars in their day IMO, and you just don't see 'em anymore. Unfortunately, GM had indifferent build quality back in those days, and many of them succumbed to the dreaded tinworm. One project I have on my radar is the '76-'77 Olds Cutlass Supreme, doing something somewhat similar that you're doing with your Monte Carlo roof and the Johan '75 Olds Cutlass. I've got all the bits and pieces (with spare Monte bodies) to start it, but other projects will take priority. One of these days though............... Keep up the good work!

Same here! All the others I was here when they first hit the roads. My how time flies! To think that once upon a time, the first cars I saw on the road when I first knew what a car was, all had tailfins and TONS of chrome!

NJ, I sure wish this was available in other colors besides red or blue that the kit only offers............... Likewise the '60 Chevy only comes in those colors. This of course is out of the '50's, but I hate when the kit interior decals limit you to only a couple exterior color choices. Another one that would be great to see is correct AMX-390 air cleaner decals. Interesting enough, Keith Marks makes all the other decals for AMX's except that one. To me that makes the engine to have that nice, bold decal on top of the air cleaner!

Looks like they did! It's now not so sad/forlorn looking!

I remember when this car was new (fall '77) for '78 and being REALLY disappointed in how it looked. To me, it wasn't as nice as the previous "Colonnade" cars of '73-'77, and somehow seemed to take a step back instead of forward. Now forty years later, they're not bad looking cars at all, and even here in the states they're just not seen anymore. A lot of that was due to indifferent build quality, and of course the dreaded tinworm claimed many of them. That one does look to be a very clean example of what was the car industry's "dark days" and it's interesting that these are now turning up in car shows as either plain 'ole stock, or tricked out in a Pro Street style. Who'da thunk??

What's needed in 1/12 are some steelies! There are those that I'm sure would like to build the 1/12 scale '69 Camaro for instance with those wheels and poverty hubcaps. That would make for an interesting build. I was all over Shapeways website, and not a one makes those.

Luc, you don't like this one?? I absolutely LOVED this one when it came out for '73! It was by no means a fast car compared to the GTO from several years earlier, but I just thought it was flat out sexy! This Grand Am's out in resin (DrKerry?), but I have at least five of those Johan '75 Cutlasses to try my hand at this since I'd want to work in plastic................the '77 Olds Cutlass Supreme would come first though! Mine MUST be a solid roof however! No vinyl roof for this!

Speaking of razor sharp lines..........I was crazy about this one too when these were new! Not everyone's cup of tea for sure, but when's the last time you've seen one on the road?? I liked this sooooo much better than the previous Mark IV.........despite its size (and huge overhangs) I think this is an awfully handsome car!

I liked the razor sharp looks on some of the later '70's cars-------in high school we had three cars for Driver's Ed..........a '77 Olds Cutlass Supreme, '77 Pontiac Grand Prix, and '76 Chevy Caprice which was a holdover for some reason from the previous school year. I'd DEFINITELY take a model of the '77 Cutlass and Grand Prix, and the Cutlass is one of my dream projects to build someday using the Johan '75 as a base.

Steve, I think that originally debuted as an '81 model, while the Seville was intro'd as an '80. The Seville would have been on the drawing boards as early as 1976-'77 to be ready by the fall of '79. Bill Mitchell retired from GM in '77 so that would have been one of his last cars.