MrObsessive

Thanks Steve! The Coronet suffers from "Banana Body Syndrome" pretty much like the '58 Plymouth from RC2. As you see, the rear fenders should be almost in a straight line from the C pillar on back----in the Revell kit, they slope downwards waaay too much. Also, the roof should have a slight taper downwards on each side in the rear-----not straight across lending to the too flat appearance. Once I saw those gaffes, I couldn't unsee them, and to this day they remain unbuilt. The GTX's body lines are a wee bit better, but its roof is also too flat, and something about the front fenders isn't quite right either. ?

Y'all know how I feel about bad body lines in kits from the major model manufacturers. Another kit that's bugged me for YEARS is Revell/Monogram's 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T. A while back on the gamemodels.ru site, I came across a file that was part of the Forza Horizon 4 video game series. The initial pics looked very good for what was a '67 Dodge Coronet. I downloaded the file, and it wasn't until recently that I decided to make the file printable. Quite a bit of work went into first downloading the file, as it was not your typical .obj format. They were files meant for video games which has a whole different set of rules as to how they're to be extracted. In fact, they warn you of this on the site as you'll need a certain program to do this. A VERY TRICKY process as the files need to follow a certain "path" on your PC, otherwise they will not show up. Once I got the files downloaded into a program I have called 3DSimED, I was able to convert them to .obj files, then from there start the conversion to the .stl format which is what your printer needs as an extension to print the file. The print turned out VERY well, and I had this on FB where it got a LOT of attention. My intent is to NOT sell the file or prints....I do this to showcase what's out there, and to show that there's sooooo much more that can be had with files that ARE CORRECT for the car they're supposed to represent. If I as someone out here in the hinterlands with nothing more than a laptop, 3D software and the wherewithal to convert files into accurate models, what's the major kit manufacturers malfunction?? Anyway, some pics of the print. I did scale this to 1/25, but I have to dig out the Revell kit with its chassis to see how all things go together.

Here's a pic of the wheels when they were on the build plate. One caution----ABSOLUTELY NO SUPPORTS ON THE SPOKES. That's asking for trouble. You want the wheel parallel to the build plate with the supports on the rim and hub ONLY.

S'More I've done lately and are underway........... 1972 Oldsmobile 98 with interior and all. I just did the body conversion for print for now----I'll deal with the interior when the time comes I get the ambition to do a full build of this. 1954 Corvette Nomad Concept. I may go ahead and print this one in the not too distant future. This one has a complete interior also....... 1968 Ford Ranchero. A file that's available now from EDM 3D Garage. For the moment, taking up quite a bit of residence in my Blender program---I'm at the halfway mark so far as the body is done as far as creating wall thickness. It's now on to getting the chrome solidified and on the body, getting the grille detailed, and doing the final bit and pieces. Finally, a car that I just printed.............1970 Plymouth Fury. Two versions actually.....I did a hardtop, and a convertible. The convertible has a file for the uptop and all.......I haven't printed that one yet.

After the third or fourth revision, I was finally able to get this wire wheel file to cooperate and print properly. The wheels are out of a 1956 Corvette SR2 file which I converted to be printable months ago, but I haven't printed it yet. I wanted to get a head start on the wheels as they can be used for other cars, and now at least I have a set for the Corvette when the time comes. Some pics of the wheels, and of the 3D file/drawing I'll be printing in the not too distant future. I actually did about 40 wheels on the build plate.......some didn't make it as the spokes are very thin as can be seen. Once cured though, the spokes are a bit tough, but of course handled to roughly are prone to break/fracture. I had a number of spinners that came out well the first time I attempted these wheels in November, so I don't have to worry about those. The second pic is the wheel and tire under a '64 Pontiac Banshee convertible I had designed and printed months ago------those wheels aren't intended for that, but I wanted to get an idea of scale, as the SR 2 will be printed in 1/24th. The printable file drawings of the SR2............

I got 3D files/drawings to print this car somewhere along the way. Gotta convert 'em first though to be printable. ? This is a '72...............

I finished up the '79 Pontiac Bonneville file this morning, and the other day I printed the '84 Lincoln Mark VII. The Lincoln turned out well, and over the weekend I'd like to get it fully off the supports, and compare it to the Revell Lincoln LSC kit to see where the differences were as far as proportions. Here are pics of the Pontiac finished up in Blender, as well as the Lincoln print............ The Pontiac to make it easier for me to detail and either chrome or paint-----it'll have separate bumpers, headlight/grille, trunk, hood, and taillights. The last pic above, I added the chrome trim that belongs on the lower part of the C pillars, and across the tulip panel. That wasn't part of the files, and it was something I had to make using the mesh and scale functions in Blender. I tried to add the seam that runs down the middle of the roof for a vinyl top, but due to the body already being thickened up (about 1.8mm's) I had difficulty with extrusions, and it's something that's better off doing in the beginning, than later on after establishing wall thickness. I can always run a thin strip of styrene with some CA glue and add that later----I've done that to resin a number of times over the years. The '84 Lincoln LSC print............. The wheels files shown for the LSC were given to me by a follower on FB. They printed very well, and despite the "curved" appearance of the spokes, they have since straightened out after setting and curing slightly for a couple days. BTW, both of these files can be had here. Granted, it takes some time to make these printable, but he's got files of cars you won't see anywhere else-----a number of them I've converted and made printable over the last six months or so.

The Lincoln Mark VII is now all finished up, and in fact, I have it in the printer now. The curiosity got the best of me, and I want to see how it stacks up against the old and soon to be reissued Revell Pro Street car. Of course, that one has proportion issues, but the comparison I'd like to check out just the same. In my 3D programs now is a car that I was also reluctant to convert, but so far is coming along smoothly with little issue. 1979 Pontiac Bonneville four door which is actually a VERY detailed file/drawing, with door sills, jambs, under trunk/hood structure, and I could get files for the interior later on as he has files for that also on his site. Some pics below.............. The '79 Pontiac............Just establishing wall thickness now.

I have a 3D file of this car.........it needs some help, but it's definitely workable.

I'll be tuned into this one! ❤️ I just finished a 3D file to print of this car...........I too have the MFH Ferrari 330 LMB----essentially the racing version of this car. Dunno when I'll build that one, but my 3D file I'll be printing when the weather gets warmer. The room I print in is a bit too chilly now as there's no heat vent in the old house I'm in, and to keep a space heater running constantly in the room is too expen$ive.

OK..........finished up the BMW a few days ago, and now I got another one taking residence on my laptop at the moment. ? Headlights, grilles and such would get printed separately..........the headlight grille section seen here was TOUGH to convert. LOTS of issues with flipped faces, but I eventually got all to cooperate and turn out correctly. Nice set of wheels were part of the files. Just a few tweaks needed to make them printable, and I'll definitely see how they turn out when it's time to print this. This is what I'm working on now. 1984 Lincoln Mark VII LSC. I was a bit reluctant to convert this file due to the way it was designed, but so far it's been one of the easier ones to do.

Finished up another few files in the last couple weeks. I got the Corvair Monza four door hardtop to now be printable, along with a '57 Pontiac Star Chief two door hardtop. I made a new file of a car I tried to print months ago, when I first got the smaller printer, but it was so thin that I didn't want to bother trying to build it. It's a '63 Ferrari Lusso that I doubt we ever see a mainstream kit anytime soon. In my Blender program now I'm working on is a car that I've yet to see a plastic kit of-----a 1971 BMW 3.0 CSL. That's in the "building" stage now as I'm getting wall thickness established among other things.

He and I follow each other on FB. I'll have to drop him a line sometime to ask him if he'd like to come back on here, especially since now there's a dedicated board to 3D printing and models.

Yes, I have a number of files that came from certain designers, but I can still see things in the body shape that aren't quite right. 3D designed/printed doesn't always equal good. One particular design house charges a pretty penny for their files, but they do come in multiple formats-----not just .obj which I use to make files printable. But..........some of the designs I've seen from this particular outlet are really bad. Wrong proportions, waaay off rooflines.........yet the file is costing $95. ? So yeah, one still needs a bit of "artistry" to do this........the only difference is we're not using pencil and paper, we're using a keyboard and a mouse.

Chalk up another reason to get into 3D printing Bill.........I happen to have files of that very car. The '57 Buick Caballero wagon............ ?

Just a few pics of cars I've 3D printed over the last number of weeks/months........ Got tired of waiting for a CORRECT version of this car.......I found PERFECT video game files, converted 'em to print, and here ya go. ?

I'd not give up on the whole idea of 3D printing----mainly because there is a good side to what's all involved. Just to echo a bit of what Pete says, yes, it can be a bit messy, but then casting your own parts with chemically activated resin can be messy as well. So can painting, turning parts on a lathe, photoetching (if you have the machine).....it's what goes with the territory. As was mentioned, you'd need to get familiar with the 3D programs out there, such as Blender, 3DBuilder, Fusion 360, Chitubox slicer (one of several slicer programs)---to name a couple. It's not an impossible task, but there is a learning curve to either change something that may not be correct as far as a design, to being able to scale a model as what the vendor tells you is not always correct. The plus side, and I consider this a MAJOR plus.......the sky's the limit. If you have the file(s) for said car, it can be printed. You want a model of a 1958 Packard Hawk, you got it. How 'bout a 1966 Corvair four door hardtop? Well, you can have that too as that's the very car I'm making right now. Yes, it can take time away from regular building, but frankly, there are times I get tired of sitting at the work table trying to get a detail done with eyesight that's not as good as it used to be. I consider it yet another part of our hobby that #1, is not going away any time soon, and #2, it can broaden your mind to a skill you may not have known you had. A good thing in my book. Price? I have two printers, both Phrozen models. The smaller one was around $300, while the larger one was with shipping and resin was closer to $600. Yes, you're going to need good computer power to run the 3D programs as they can be RAM hogs. So, I'd say think it over---don't quite dismiss it, as I can see (and they're already doing) the model companies using 3D tech in a big way. A lot of these old/reconstituted kits we've been seeing of late----you can thank 3D printing for that. I can also see them offering files for either parts or whole kits one of these days. Yeah, it's a good idea IMO to get familiar with the tech as time marches on, and the hobby is ever changing.

Here's one that I've been waiting for Revell to correct, but I can betcha they never will. Enter 3D printing, and I don't have to wait for them-----I can just create it and print it. 1967 Dodge Coronet 440. A bit different than the R/T as it has the trim on the lower sides of the car. CORRECT rear quarters and roofline............and can probably be tweaked with the 1/25 Revell kit with some work. This one above is an open version if I'd like. The file did have door sills and jambs, but they'll need heavily reworked to be printable for this model.

Got another one...................1958 Plymouth Belvedere Four Door hardtop created from the two door Fury. Roof section from a '57 Desoto Firesweep two door hardtop file I have, created new rear doors, and other tweaks and refinements to whip this one into shape.

Here are some pics of files I've made printable since about October/November. When the weather gets warmer, I'll be printing more and more of these off. I can print now, but my work room has no heater grate, and I have to put a space heater in the room to warm things up a bit. Printers and resin don't like chilly rooms, and the difference in your prints can be very noticeable between a cold versus a warm room. What's on my Blender program now as I type this...................?

Some of you know my feelings about RC2's 1958 Plymouth Belvedere, and how they totally screwed that up. Recently, I downloaded a video game file (Forza Horizon 4) of what I think is the most CORRECT '58 Plymouth Fury I've ever seen. I knew that somewhere along the line, I'd just HAVE to make this printable, and I did so recently. It's very interesting that a guy like me out here in the hinterlands can find and make CORRECT renditions of these cars, but major kit manufacturers (namely Revell) keep making blunder after blunder. I've got a series of pics of the Fury below.................enjoy! ❤️

For scale conversions, there are free apps you can download right to your phone. On my laptop, I like this one. No ads, no frills, just a simple converter for any scale.

Somewhere out there on video was Don trying to promote his "business". Years ago someone gave me this vid to watch, so I had a friend of mine over that also knew Don, and we watched this together. The video had us laughing so hard, we were literally gasping for breath! ? He tried to wipe the camera lens at one point with his hand after he licked it...........SMEARED the thing to heck! What sent us REALLY over the edge was a part of the video where a news reporter comes on to do a story about RR. At one point she says-----"Don Theune, who used to be a Chippendale Dancer....." My friend and I looked at each other and go WHAAAAT???? We literally lost it laughing then! I don't know what ever happened to the vid----I tried to find it on YT and it's not there. Someone out there has a VHS copy of this "comedy"! It was the hardest laugh watching that thing I think I've ever had!

Most designers need certain views to do a car, namely orthographic of the side, front and rear, and maybe the top. If there are good pics out there for them to go by, it probably can be done. The designer is a fellow by the name of "BrunoMCardoso" on CGTrader. I already converted several files of his to print, and they're very good, as well as the files themselves are very reasonably priced.