Matt Bacon

PS paints are “hotter” than TS or AS to key onto polycarbonate, which is chemically tougher than polystyrene. The paint layer is also more flexible, so it doesn’t flake off every time the RC body flexes or gets dinged. Bottom line is that they aren’t meant for styrene kits and using them is risky as they might eat your kit even with primer. There are a handful of colours that aren’t available in TS, but there are alternatives in other more suitable hobby or craft paint ranges... best, M.

Dymo labelling tape (the kind you used to have with a little handheld machine that you dialled letters into and clicked to emboss them in the coloured plastic tape so they appeared white). It works for single curvature surfaces very well and can be reused repeatedly. Not so good for compound curves because it doesn’t bend in two directions at once. For that specific problem, I’d stick the body shell firmly to a piece of glass or smooth tile, either double sided tape. Mount the scriber horizontally on top of a block of wood or plastic the correct height to move the cutting head along the body at the point where you want the line. Then just slide the block and scriber gently over the glass and the point will hit the body the same distance up from the lower edge all the way along. If necessary to get low enough down, start with a scriber blade or sewing needle to make the first guide line, then take the body off the base and use the regular scriber to cut the line deeper. best, M

Race rules? The Ferrari 330P4 I built recently has a spare mounted above the transmission, behind the engine and visible through the big hole in the back. I can't believe they'd carry that extra weight around unless they had to... It might also be that it's necessary because in some races the driver can't be helped out on the circuit... I've seen enough pictures of lone guys trying to dig themselves out of the sand traps at Le Mans to think that must be (or have been) a rule there... best, M.

What browser are you using? The latest Safari, for example, has changed the way it works to improve security, so there needed to be a new version of Adblock. The old one is incompatible, so no longer runs as a plug-in, but downloading and installing the new one resolves the issue. It maybe that the same is also true of other browsers, and if you have auto-updating turned on, your browser installed the new plug-in when it was available... best, M.

The music is, for sure, outstanding (so is the whole Apollo album). But Clarkson was just SOOOO wrong. Never mind half a dozen faster, more powerful Astons since then; McLaren hadn't even got started on road cars; the P1, LaFerrari and Porsche 918 were still to come; the Veyron Supersports and Chiron went bigger badder and faster, Ferrari had the 599GTO, F12, 812 Superfast, 458 Speciale and 488, FF and GTC, and FXX-K on the way; Pagani hadn't launched the Huayra nor Koenigsegg the Agera or One:1; the new NSX and Supra were still on the drawing boards, and Ford hadn't started thinking about the latest GT. I'm not even gonna try to list the dozen or more Corvette/Camaro/Challenger/Charger Supersport SRT Hellblazer Wildcat Redeye Demon F300s rolled out since 2009. And the electric drivetrain guys like Rimac don't seen to be turning their noses up at making balls-out, unfettered supercars either. Frankly, there have probably been more speed and power record smashing cars that can also be driven on the road by normal people launched since Clarkson made that film than there were in the 20 years before... best, M.

No WIP for this one -- a very quick build to try and relight my modelling fire. It's the Revell Snap-tite kit, so pretty simplified, but thanks to @Snake45, I believe it's the best-shaped C2 Coupe around. Looks good to me, anyway! Paint is Tamiya rattle can black and clear, polished with Novus. Interior mostly Citadel (Games Workshop) red acrylics. All chrome stripped and redone with Molotow. Oddly, unlike other revell Snap-tite kits I've had, this one didn't include regular decals alongside the peel-n-stick emblems, so they've been trimmed back to get rid of excess clear film, and actually don't look so bad, IMHO. best, M.

Oh, boy... I'm a pretty indiscriminate kit history nut: Monogram, Revell, Airfix, Heller, Frog.... I have 'em all. Which is why I bought this. Because I never, ever buy or build kits of American cars (the Europeans and JDM keep me busy, for sure). And especially not Muscle Cars... not interested. Honest. Well, it's a great read. Your kit history plus industry insights are really well written, and fascinating commentary. Unfortunately, though, I'm a sucker for really high-quality kits, whatever the subject, and wittingly or no, you provided me with shopping list... And now look what you did: Not including the Chevelle SS, 67/68 Camaros and 66 GTO that are hiding in other corners of the stash 'cos they'll fall on the floor if they don't... Now, I appreciate I may be unusual in not having so many in the stash already as other potential avid readers, but that's BY FAR the most expensive book I've ever bought: I think I must have added $400 of kits to the shelves in the few weeks since I got it, and that's WITHOUT the hard to find ones (Still looking for a Monogram Judge and a good Stingray this side of the pond...). So, Tim... thanks... I think. Seriously... buy it, it's a great book. best, M.

It is. Built up, it looks like this.... Message me with your email address, and I'll send you the full buildup review text I did for Airfix Model World. best, M.

I’d put money on a new Supra road car done to LFA standard. They can’t reveal it yet until Toyota stops teasing with the race version and shows the road car to the world... best, M.

Don't forget this one: Monogram kit but with a whole load of white metal parts cast by Fine Molds... and very nice they are too: best, M.

Weather wasn't so great, but the turnout was pretty impressive. a few highlights here, the rest in the full gallery here: https://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Cars/Burley-Car-Sow-2018/ best, M.

If you can find this stuff: https://www.amazon.com/Evo-Stik-Serious-Strong-Adhesive-663671/dp/B00ID68T5Q/ref=sr_1_6?m=ADP0WGXA9SAVO&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1534452225&sr=1-6 I'd recommend it. It's not superglue (I don't know what exactly it is, TBH) but it will stick painted parts together and keep them that way. It has no effect that I've found on paint including enamel, Tamiya acrylics in a pot, Tamiya spray (TS) paint or 2pack clearcoated Zero paints. It has good "grab" (a small dot will hold the weight of a mirror on a door as soon as you put it in place), starts to cure in a few minutes, is stuck firm after an hour or so, and reaches full strength after 24 hours. If you "catch" the mirror after 24 hours, most of the time it won't come off (you really have to peel the parts apart), and if you do pull them apart 99% of the time it comes off the surface with no damage to the paint. It's pretty tough, gap filling, and goes exactly where you put it with a toothpick or bit of wire as an applicator. The only drawyback is that you really do need to clean the nozzle and lid each time you use it, so you get a good closure without gluing the nozzle and lid together. It will cure in the tube eventually if there isn't a good seal at the top. best, M.

Realistically... In my dreams: I guess there's a theme, though... best, M.

Thanks, guys! The trick now is going to find me someone who can sell me some without charging half as much again for the postage as the actual wheels... best, M.

Hi, all...unlike the Revell Foose Impala kit, which has the regular wheels in the box as well, the Foose Firebird 400 doesn't. I don't like the Foose wheels and rubberband tyres at all, soooo.... Where can I get some regular stock wheels and tyres for a 68 Firebird 400? Many thanks for any advice... best, M.

The Singer was as far as I got... couldn’t decide if it was a real 30s speedster or 70s kit car, and ran out of time to look... best, M...

"What was wrong with the black one?" I give you the first five minutes of Alias Season 2, Episode 13, "Phase One"... NSFW, probably... best, M.

In case it escaped your attention, this weekend marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Die Hard, which is my all-time No.1 action movie. Not a wasted moment in the whole film: as someone much more knowledgeable than me about movies said: "Every moment is either setting something up or paying it off." And McClane might lose in this one. "If Schwarzenegger gets on the bus, the passengers are gonna survive. Keanu, who knows?" The same's true of Die Hard, back then. Curmudgeonly sidekick in Moonlighting playing a part written for Sinatra back in the day... it could have gone either way. Support to die for: "No, I am an EXCEPTIONAL thief..." "We're gonna need some more FBI guys, I guess..." So, enjoy your weekends. This Sunday, I'll be watching the best Christmas movie ever released in July... best, M.

To save typing it all out again: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234956647-matts-tips-for-painting-cars/ best, M.

Amazing! They look absolutely fabulous. Can you do smaller sizes? 18"s are too big for the classics I'd need them for, which are 15" or 16" at most... ...and I don't suppose you'd consider making up some of the unique Campagnolo's for this: In 1/16th scale? There'd be quite a few of us out there with the otherwise rather nice Fujimi kit who'd buy a set! All the best, Matt

I've seen some beautifully finished models where the main body colour wraps round the underside edges with primer or sealer colour on the rest, others that are body colour over the whole underside, and still others where the underbody area is all black.... Are there any "rules" to which you should choose for what cars and eras, os is it a case of "whatever looks right"? best, M.

Well, the C111 at least doesn't need a full scratchbuild: Still for sale for about $15. It's a starting point, being an old, formerly motorized kit, but you'd have make a choice of engine anyway... https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10038872 best, M.

Well, it depends what you want to build. The Monogram 1/24 DB4 is not at all bad, if you want to build a DB4, or a DB4GT. If you happen to have easy access to a later Airfix "DB5" (the Doyusha kit in another box, and not SO hard to find or expensive) then you can use the front end for a late DB4 and GT (with faired headlights) on the Monogram base kit. The Airfix "DB6" isn't, because they didn't deal with the roofline and the extra length properly. It's do-able, though, with good scale plans to see what you really need to fix (basically free up and lever higher the rear g;asshouse slope, while inserting an extension at the back by making a Z-cut and sliding the Kamm tail backwards then back-filling. Someone (me, if wishes were horses) could fairly easily tool up a state of the art 1/24 early DB4 through to late DB6 with the help of some clever swappable slide-mold elements... @djflyer is your man if you want info straight from the horse's mouth, since he has the kits to hand... best, M.

For anyone who's interested in that kind of thing, the "Captain Kidd Pirate Ship" is a pretty good and detailed model of a late 17th century 50-gun warship, a two-decker, probably based on the "Wappen von Hamburg" of 1667. See build diary (not mine!) here: http://www.shipsofscale.com/WVH/WVH01.html Worth trading a 1/72 Osprey for any day, if you're ready for the challenge of building and rigging an Age of Sail ship model, and a pretty low entry cost if you're not sure but want to dip a toe in the water... best, M.

Lovely build of a seriously cool car. Great job. as for the colour "popping" I think you're doing yourself no favours with your photo setup. Although the black floor and white backdrop seem logical, because it's like your house or a dealership, it makes it much harder for the camera to take a good picture. If you put the model on a single colour background (a sheet of thick paper on the bench and curving up the wall), then the camera will give the whole dynamic range of lighting to the car. As it is, the large areas of black and white are "compressing" the colours in the middle (non-technical description ;-P). You can use white, light grey or black as the background colour, but unless you have a tonne of lights and and ultra-flat material, I'd steer clear of black... I don't want to hijack your thread, but you can see the richness in the three-layer paint on the LFA much better with the grey background... best, M.