Mr. Moparman

"Wonderful, Craftsmanship at it's best"

Ok well the automatic headlight doors looks like its out the door, I probably will go with the maunual flip up lights. No motor, no worries!

I am planning a detailed Superbird build. I am doing some minor lighting such as working brake lights, headlights (Maybe, not sure) and a interior light. I have never lighted a model before. I have a basic idea of how to do the system but I need some help. My battery will be in the trunk in a box that I will make for it. There will be a small push button switch under the dash, so when you push the brake pedal with tweezers a peice of rod pushes the button. Is it best to ditch this and just do a system that all the lights are powered by one switch in the trunk? Another thing is the headlight doors. I am thinking a metal rod through both doors with a gear at one end. A very small motor drives the gear therefore making the headlight doors pivot up like the real car. Would a seprate battery in the box with a pushbutton switch work for that? The headlights them selves will be hooked up to the battery that does all the lights. Thanks for the help!

Your General looks awsome! I plan on building a Highly Detailed Plymouth Superbird with Revell's recent re-release. I am watching this topic closely for things that could help me. I'm planning what goodies Ill get for it and other what-nots. I am going a little farther on my 'bird such as fully functional brake pedals so when you use tweezers to push the brake pedal, the brake lights come on!

There is no videos I know of, but here is way to make styrene panels. First, trace the panel you want to make on a peice of paper. Next, Put the peice of paper on sheet styrene and cut it out using the paper as a template. (after this, you shoud have a panel cut out.) Then, using a sanding stick, lightly sand the edges to remove any material that you don't want. Finally, glue the new panel in place, using clamps to bend and hold it around the bends and curves in the body!

BUMP

I happy cause I can add it to my Mopar colletion. But really? 65 parts! That must mean its simple. Experts that built the old Monogram model could wheigh in here. From the looks of it, it will build up into a good car. Richard Petty anyone?

BEEF!!!!

Len's work on that Dart is excellent. I am using his review for my next Dart.

Well you can tell those people they are DEAD wrong. the '69 Charger 500's prototype was a 1968 Dodge Charger! From Wikipedia: Charger 500 Dodge Charger 500 In 1968, Dodge watched their NASCAR inspired Charger R/T fail to beat the Ford cars on the high-banks oval-tracks. The Dodge engineers went back to the wind tunnel and found the tunneled rear window caused lift and the gaping mouth induced drag. Dodge engineers made the rear window flush with the rest of the roof and put a 1968 Coronet Grille up front. The original Charger 500 prototype was a 1968 Charger R/T with a 426 Hemi. The prototype was painted in B5 Blue with a white stripe. The Charger 500 prototype had a Torqueflite, a white interior and 426 Hemi. The Charger 500 was tested for production, got the greenlight and was one of three models introduced in September 1968. The Charger 500 was standard with the 440 Magnum but the factory literature claims the 426 Hemi was standard. The Charger 500 had the Torqueflite standard and the same equipment standard as the R/T. The Charger 500 sold for $3842.00 MSRP. The Charger 500 was available with the 426 Hemi for an extra $648.20, The Charger 500 had the options A11 and V88 the stripe was available with red, black and white colors. The Charger 500 was available with air conditioning on the 440 Magnum for an extra $357.65. A total of 500 Charger 500s were made but only 392 were bought for street use. The rest were bought by racers and gutted, stripped, modified and/or repainted. Only 67 Charger 500s were built with the 426 Hemi; 27 with 4-Speeds and 40 with Torqueflites. The Charger 500 did not get the results expected of it on the NASCAR superspeedway circuits and lost to Ford Motor Company entrants, but it was successful on the shorter under 1 mi (1.6 km) tracks.

I have updated the site. Be sure to drop by and check it out! Mississippi Resins BTW, The steel wheels will make their mighty return shortly! New and Improved!

Well, assembly is as simple as following the instructions although it is wise to "test fit" the parts before any gluing takes place. Decaling is different. When you have finished the model (or wherever decals are involved in the instructions) you will prepare and apply it's waterslide decals. They are very delicate and will tear easily if you don't wait until ALL of the adhesive holding them on if dissolved in the water. It is good to have some Q-Tips nearby along with a small towel to dry up excess water. Step One: Make sure the model is free of dust or lint Step Two: Using a small pair of scissors, clip the deacl from it's sheet. Step Three: Dip the decal in lukewarm water for about 10 seconds. Step Four: Apply the decal to the model, using the Q-Tip to work it around the curves. Step Five: Dab the excess water from the model and allow the decl to dry for 24 hours before handling. Happy Building!

Paint is a nesseity when it comes to models. There are many paints out there but to start you will only need a few. To start off, purchase a Testors Value paint set. It will include some basic colors, as well as a jar of thinner to get you started. While your at it purchase a value pack of brushes. It will have a range of brushes from small to large and will do most of the brush painting you will do for a while. Next, you have to determine what paint will work for you. Lacquers are now entering there way into the modeling world. They are way more durable, therefore harder to remove. They are good for bodies. Enamels are a good choice for detailing and interior work. Acrylics are about the same. Lacquer thinnner will take it all off. Happy Building!

Me,me and me.

There is a ton of resin casters out there, but we will foucus on a few. Morgan Automotive Detail (www.madmodeling.com) Kris Morgan is your source for pre-wired distributers! His castings are top-notch, free of flash and no air bubbles. His prices are very reasonable. The Modelhaus (www.modelhaus.com) Don Holthaus has about every part for every kit that was issued in the '60's and '70's. If you need a part from the '70's kits, look no further than the Modelhaus! Model Car Designs (www.modelcardesigns.com) Ian Ashton is your source for Mopar parts. His prices are reasonable. His parts are cast in beautiful white resin. Missing Link Resin (www.missinglinkrc.com) Missing Link has conversion kits for most subjects, as well as parts for Mopar, Ford, and Chevy. Items are cast in white resin. There is many, many more but these are some of the best. Happy Modeling!

Uh so, I spelled tecqnuices worng. Probably spelled it wrong then too.

Glues Ok, you got that kit. You got to have something to hold it together! Now, is there one glue that will bond plastic, resin, alumnuim, etc.? No, not really. The first glue you WILL need is good old Testor's Model Cement. It come in Toxic (Red Tubes), and Non-Toxic (Blue Tube), formulas. It will only bond plastic to plastic, so it will not work on resin. 5-minute epoxy and super glue will work for resin and photo-etch, but whatever you do, DO NOT PUT SUPERGLUE ON CHROME OR CLEAR PARTS! It will leave a impossible to remove white haze. White glue works great for flocking and clear parts. Tools One of the best tools aside from paint is a good hobby knife. You can get a good one from X-acto at Wal-Mart. Caution! It's very, very sharp! Some other tools include toothpicks, Q-Tips, and good fine tipped paint brushes. You will also need some other paint brushes and a "value pack" of brushes will get you going. A great supplier for tools is Micro-Mark. They have about every tool a modeler can imagine. They are the Sears Christmas catalog for model builders! Sandpaper is a must, espesially if you will do alot of conversion work. Not only will it smmoth out putty and mold lines, it is used to polish. You can get a good polising kit from your hobby shop. As you advance in skill, you likeness for spraypaint will dissapear somewhat, and you will want a good quality airbrush and compressor. Here is some good airbrush manufactors. Badger Airbrush Iwata Paasche Airbrush Paints & Detailing Supplies There are good hobby paints on the market from Testors, Tamiya, and more. You will most likely use paint from all of them sometime or another. Most hobby sprays are lacquers, and jars are enamel. Tamiya offers acrylic and lacquer in jar form. Chrome Trim can't get any simpler than BMF (Bare Metal Foil). BMF is a thin, adhesive backed metal sheet. This simple video show you how to apply it. Next, we will cover the aftermarket companies! Happy Modeling!

Focus you mighty attention to the "Tip, Tricks, and Tecquices" setcion.!

So, model building has caught your eye. Now, it's time to pick your kit. There are many subjects ranging from Chevies, Mopars, Fords, Custom, and more. A great tool for picking you kit is this tool from the Model Company "Revell" Revell Kit Selector That tool is pretty simple, pick your skill level, and subject. Next, find you a good hobby shop. You may have do some reaserch on that. Visit it a couple of time before buying your kit, this not only gives good choices, it lets you know how long the shop orders paint. Paint racks that appear to not be restocked means that when you buy paint, it might be bad. After you've done that, you should register to a forum. (The best is MCM! ) In the next installment we will talk about tools and glues. Happy Modeling!

So, you want a good way to spend your time. Build plastic models! Not only is it a great way to pass the time, it is fun! The hobby has been around for awhile, and most of you have built models when you where a kid. The hobby is still here, and it's as much fun as it used to be! The series of "Modeling Basics" will guide you through the basics of the hobby, from picking your first kit, to the tools and glues, to the aftermarket suppliers. Watch for the next installment in the series! Happy Building!

The stupid paint wont come off of the Charger. Puttin up a Wanted ad now.

Today, I saw my blade was dull and in speculation I draged it across a string of putty. I spreaded evenly, and left a nice smooth surface ready for light sanding.

I totally understand, I was two then and my parents told me that they had just finished setting up the new trailer, (which we still live in today) and hauling away the old one when the towers fell.