Matt Bacon

I can believe it… but does an asymmetric fan really make that much difference to the “noise” when it’s hanging off the front of a 302ci VB with an exhaust system that is consciously not working hard to hush up the “thrumble” as you wind it up? I would have thought too that a bit of fine tuning of the shape of the fan cowl and the distance between the fan and back face of the radiator would have solved any resonance issues as quickly as chopping a couple of blades out of the fan… best, M.

Triggered by building a '68 Camaro with a 302.... why is the cooling fan "3-blades-gap-2-blades-gap"? Does it do something to balance the engine? Or provide a cycle of a bit more and then a bit less cooling? The kit parts are clearly a replica of the real thing, rather than just short-shot, so I'd love to know what the engineering reason for it is... I think I've only ever seen it on this Camaro and a Corvette. Everything else I've built has had evenly-distributed blades (admittedly with anything between 4 and 12 of them...) which I assume makes for smoother operation and consistent stress/wear on the bearings... best, M.

Personally, I’ve always thought there’s a lack of clarity on what constitutes a “Model building Q&A” and “Tips, Tricks and Tutorials”. Any Q that starts “How do I…?/“What’s the best way to..?” usually has an A made up of tips, tricks and tutorials… On the other hand, the How do I? questions are mixed in with “Which kit has this engine? Or “Does anybody make a kit of..?” Questions. I’d like to see a “Techniques, Tips and Tutorials”section covering everything to do with building and finishing a model, and a “Kit and Hobby Q&A” covering off everything to do with kit or part availability, hobby history, model memorabilia and all of that build-adjacent stuff… best, M.

I've stripped all the heavy chrome (mostly because the bumpers have really bad mold lines OOB, so they have to be cleaned up) These have been repainted with SMS Hyperchrome over GS Ueno Black gloss, and the light lenses made with crystal clear 2-part epoxy. Proscale Le Mans Blue with their own 2K clear coat. I need to get used to it some more, but the color is accurate, and the 2K is thinner and more period-appropriate-looking than Zero Paints 2K "Diamond"finish, although it's not as easy to get a glass-smooth finish with... Distributor drilled and wired with Tamiya detailing wire... ...and after some online research into 1969 Chevrolet 302 firing sequence, the "plugs" are connected... best, M.

With thanks to @Quiet Eric for advice, I have filled the cut through the lower chrome trim line: That lower strip is actually a single piece which is covers the panel seams. I've decided on a '68, which means I've also softened the higher character line on the door and lower body. On the 67, it's the top edge of the separate chrome trim, but on the 68 it's a raised fold in the door panel, and much less clearly delineated. That looks much more like my reference images from RK Motors, and the hood fits after a bit of slimming down to allow for paint. I've started work on the engine. Thinned the belt (L) vs the out of the box part. It's not the most finely-molded or sophisticated engine, but it looks OK OOB. The seats are accurate for a specific set of options - DeLuxe seats with headrests. There's only one color for a '68 Camaro. (Obviously, there are lots of colors for a 68 Camaro and its stripes, but there was only ever one combo in my mind...) And finally... I've been thinking that I was going to need to scratch build _some_ firewall detail, because OOB it's very unimpressive. But then I noticed these parts on one of the sprues. I checked, and they aren't mentioned in the instructions of either the AMT 67 kit I have or the Round2 reissue I'm building which is described as a 68 Z/28. But these look very like a brake booster/master and the heater blower fairing, and... something else. So I'm going to use them! It seems odd that they are lurking there and no one has noticed them, but I'm not complaining! best, M.

Anything that removes/softens/dissolves cured superglue is probably acetone or something adjacent, so it _will_ attack paint and plastic very determinedly. You're not going to be able to avoid repainting, but you don't have to strip and repaint the whole thing. Use a brand new #11 or scalpel blade to very carefully slice off the glue smudge. Cured glue is way harder than clear coat or paint, so you'll have to do a lot of sanding and trash a lot of the nearby surface to sand it all off. If you can slice the glue and the top layer of paint or clear coat off, then you can sand to "feather" the edges of the exposed patch that remains, re-spray the color and clear coat in expanding patches, and when it's set feather it all back in before a final clear coat. Think of it like dealing with a small surface rust patch on a 1:1 car... I haven't done it with a superglue patch, but I have done it a few times to cover up seams after joining a body together finally (eg an E-Type Jag). The trick is to keep the spray pressure low ish, and the paint flow slow, and build up the color of the patch and then the thickness of the clear very slowly so that the edges of the repair are nice and thin and blend easily into the existing paint job around the repair. best, M.

Looks great — typical Tamiya design and quality with beautifully executed painting and assembly by you. The blue is a lovely choice for the exterior and the interior looks timeless and classic. I must admit, I’m surprised by the chrome metal accents around the dash… I would have thought the potential for dazzling and distracting reflections was pretty high, especially in California! best, M.

I developed hankering to build something different and straight out of the box (ish) after the NSX. The much-missed Richard Messner posted a comprehensive guide to a few simple changes you can make to the body of this kit to make it more accurate and capture the really quite lovely shape of the real thing back in 2015, which I had folded into the box in my stash. So thank you Snake45, may you RIP in your better place. https://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/98126-amt-67-68-camaro-review-improvements/ First job is to remove the wedge of trim at the bottom of the window to reveal the curve of the rear fenders Then scribe round the overscale raised trim around the rear screen and sand it off to a more scale appearance, followed by scribing the panel lines down from the window sides to the boot line. Extend the front shutline of the door down to the bottom the body to mark the separation of the front fender, and the bottom edge of the door line back to the rear wheel arch where there is a weld seam. The front of the nose tapers to a knife edge rather than the thick and blunt ledge as molded. I have a full set of etched brass Model Car Garage badges and scripts, so I could sand the plastic to taper gently from about 1cm behind the edge and worry about replacing the molded relief later. What exactly is a 67 vs 68 1st gen Camaro is a bit of a mystery to me, made more confusing by the various SS, RS and Z28 specs, and the modifications applied by restorers and collectors over the years. So I'm just going to a build a car that I like the look of with features that appeal rather than try to match any factory-fresh period spec. There are plenty to look at, for sale and previously sold, at RK Motors. What I will say, as someone who hadn't really looked closely at a Camaro before starting this, is that I hadn't realized how petite, shapely and well-proportioned it really is. Not so keen on the later generations, but this is a really good-looking car and a design classic. And Snake's legacy of fine-tuning modifications really helps the kit show it at its best. Best, M.

Ahem <clears throat>… @carsntrucks4you I think you forgot somebody… 😜 best, M.

Inspired by an article in a recent issue of Octane, this is my version of a special order NSX-R built for a British banker in Tokyo when they were new, shipped home and cherished since then. This build is essentially the regular Tamiya NSX kit from 95ish, detailed with some parts from Fujimi's version. If you just want an NSX or Acura NSX, then buy the Tamiya kit. If you really want an NSX-R then there is a dedicated Tamiya kit, but it's rare, and pricy. The Fujimi is not as nice, but has some key parts you can steal and add to a base Tamiya kit to achieve this effect... I've taken a few liberties with the original... the wheels for example are not the super rare type option it sports, but since you can only get those in a transkit that costs more than both Tamiya and Fujimi kits put together, I hope I may be forgiven. The colour is as the original, but it's only in these pictures that the real beauty and nuances of the pearl "Racing Green" are visible. This is the real thing: Mine's "inspired by" rather than a "replica of", hence it's sporting different (but period-appropriate) number plates... I really should try building a model that doesn't require combining or converting several kits and adding aftermarket one of these days... best, M.

I guess there’s room for all sorts in the rarified atmosphere of the super rich! 😜 Personally, if I had a few tens of millions of dollars drop on me from a great height, I’d be in the queue for one of those common as much Paganis… but only after I’d got done buying my GMA T.50, 911 Reimagined by Singer, and an Eagle E-type. This lovely looking piece of work would not be on my list, but we’re all different, eh? best, M.

It's beautiful, but it's basically sculpture, isn't it? Unless it's being driven regularly from state to state, ragged around the curves of an Alpine pass, or racing and dicing with other classy chassis and determined drivers, it's not really a car... best, M.

OK, you may be questioning my sanity on the wiring and plumbing, but it's there, honest... Last details and the final few decals and it will be done... at last! best, M.

Two weeks holiday and a welcome (I think...) return to the world of full-time work put progress with this on the back burner, but I've managed to get back to the bench the last couple of evenings. The cockpit is about five shades of black and that's it. Seats, steering wheel and gear shift are from the Fujimi kit. The seats are too narrow, but I don't have any better-proportioned Recaros and I just want to get the build finished so no hunting down replacements or major surgery for me. The seat belts do actually work like that -- they are regular street belt hardware that passes through a couple of holes in the Kevlar seat pan. The dashboard combines the angry red dials with yellow needles from the Fujimi dash applied over the carbon fibre panel from the Tamiya, which I suspect was a bespoke choice made by the original buyer. This is all you or I will ever see of it after today; it's completely hooded and invisible in the normal orientation. You could keep plumbing the engine for days: I just wanted enough that it looked a bit busier through the mesh cover under the rear glass most of the time, and would stand up to opening up the cover on special occasions. As you can see, most of the hoses and wires just trail off out of view -- I certainly don't have the reference to try and connect up the real cooling, fuelling, oiling and electrical components to one another in the right places, nor the patience. The engine bay opening is semi-circle from the firewall to the rear edge of the upper engine cover at it's deepest and about as wide as the gap between the wheel wells at its widest, so you can imagine how much of this view you'll actually be able to see one the engine is inside the body.... Once the cockpit has stuck firmly into place on the chassis (hence that lonely bit of masking tape corralling a recalcitrant pin into bonding) it will be time to put the chassis inside the body, and see if anything falls off... best, M.

I’ll enjoy this! best, M.

Very cool. It’s a beautiful car in the first place, and the execution of the iconic livery on that curvaceous shape is spot on… both in design and in your flawless application. Great model! best, M.

Metalcote comes in rattle cans as well as regular tins. best, M.

If you can get them in the US (Megahobby seems to stock them), Humbrol Metalcote Polished Aluminium and Polished Steel are great buffing metallisers. The Aluminium goes from fine matt silver to reflective and slightly darker, and is handy for aircraft where you can mask panels and change the appearance in a patchwork like real “natural metal” airframes. It’s also good for aluminium castings on cars to get some differentiation between highlights and recesses. But the Steel is amazing… it starts out dark matt gray, but the more and the harder you polish it, the more chrome-like it gets. It’s great for things like brakes, where a light polish results in a cast iron look for the hubs, and firmly pressing on the discs with a chamfered matchstick gives you the polished metal of the disc surface… best, M.

Tamiya, for example, has always excelled at delivering outstanding detail in relatively few parts. The entire chassis and suspension of the 90s NSX is about 10 parts but builds up into a detailed and accurate replica that just needs some (quite involved) painting to bring it to life… best, M.

Cool! The Revell Snap-tite 63 Corvette Coupe is very nice and a simple build: It’s not quite in your era, but I also very much enjoyed the Moebius Chrysler 300… best, M.

What kind of cars would you like to build? It’s helpful to know to guide recommendations. You’ll have more fun and are more likely to finish something that you want on your shelf. For example, there are some excellent “easy click” or “snap kit” from Revell or Aoshima but they aren’t of US period originals… best, M.

Apologies for muckiness. It doesn't half pick up grease and dust when you're wrestling the glass into the body, and the whole thing together for a test fit... The rear screen and engine cover does open as it should and close tight, which I call a result. Of course, it doesn't _stay_ open on its own, but I'll figure out some solution. Quick test on the chassis. That rear light panel was a complete nightmare to paint. I've never had any luck spraying the Tamiya clear colors... I just can't get the consistency right. So it's a lot of coats of thinned brushed paint. It looks ropey if you hold it up to the light directly, but in situ it's OK. Time to crack on and complete the black, black and more black interior... best, M.

These guys clearly did: best, M.

I managed to get the clear coat on in the cool of yesterday evening... I though outdoors in diffuse sunlight was probably my best shot at capturing the color accurately. Even I am amazed by how much the clearcoat brings the paint to life, and subtly swings the color to a more blue-green, as it should be. If you compare these, especially the last one, to the picture of the real thing at the top of the thread, I think we'd all agree that Steve has done a pretty good job of matching the color! best, M.

I’ve never seen one, or at least not an up to date one. A whole lot have never had a full detail option. As for the Enthusiast Models, your best bet is to locate one that is definitely an EM kit on Scalemates, and look at the “timeline”. For the 911, for example, they quietly re-released the early 911S and 911R in ordinary-looking boxes with all the EM parts a couple of years back. Which made a couple of my eBay saved searches irrelevant… best, M.