larrygre

Scalefinishes offers airbrush-ready interior dyes, meant for 1/1 scale real car interiors, that works extremely well on AMT/Round2's vinyl seats and should work equally as well on Gunze's softer vinyl material. I've used their Dark Slate Gray dye for the 2008-10 Challenger, and it also works well as a base coat/primer for painting over with a second color - for example, the white leather seat facings on the 2010 Furious Fuchsia and Plum Crazy Challengers. They will be offering the Corvette interior dyes as well - check their web site. This is good stuff - I have already ordered a "refill" on the Challenger dye.

Actually they are two different animals. MPC's Challengers were annual kits from 1970 through 1974. AMT's 1970 droptop is a completely different tool and was released shortly after Ertl took over AMT in 1982-83.

Ian, that flat Challenger hood - what kit is that mastered for - AMT, Revell-Monogram, or vintage MPC?

A little history here: When AMT/Ertl first issued the '66 4-4-2 in the late '90s, the first batch of kits came with the non-W30 front bumper. This was quickly corrected. Despite its few flaws, this is a really fine kit. One can only wonder what might have been if Ertl had been allowed to continue creating superb kits like these post-sale to Racing Champions. Yeah, I know, shoulda-coulda-woulda....!

It's quite good. In a nutshell, crisp moldings, good detail, and a really nice decal sheet. Ditto for the 2009 coupe kit, which parts-wise is nearly identical. My full review of the kits will be in the next issue of MCM. Pick one up and have at it!

The kits (coupe and droptop) are both quite nice. I just finished reviewing them for my next column in MCM. As far as the vinyl seats go, Scalefinishes.com sells some interior dyes (one of these for the new gen Challengers) that stick well to the vinyl and can also serve as a primer. (Jameston if you're reading this, please chime in.) OK, the Vettes and the Challengers have been good. Time for the first all-new full detail glue kit from Round2/AMT, no?

Time Machine Resin has a flat 1973 Charger hood that can easily be adapted to fit the kit.

I got a long list, here's just a few: 1971 Mustang Convertible 1969 Cyclone CJ (not Spoiler - Time Machine has that one covered!) 1966 Belvedere/Satellite 1948 Chevrolet Convertible (Ed, please bring this one back!) 1968 Mercury Cougar 427 GT-E

A couple of online sources are listing a second 1/16 scale kit as "Ghost of General Lee." Same kit with a clear body perhaps? Gee......! One larger scale thing I would personally like to see Round2 reissue is the very first 1/16 kit MPC ever did, the '63 split window Corvette Sting Ray. Not been seen since the early 80's. A VERY nice kit indeed.

I concur with everyone here. There is precious little about the AMT ersatz F&F Camaro worth commenting on. The Revell kit is the best place to start.

No problem here Matt - I've known you a long time now and no way would I take offense. I do understand exactly what you mean. Keep the good stuff coming, my friend.

Great job as usual, Matt. One minor correction: the Grand Prix was based on the shorter Catalina and not the Bonneville so using these grills with the recently-reissued AMT '62 Catalina kit would be the way to go.

A '57 El Morocco? Now THAT is great news! Thanks a bunch!

Ken's right on this - I reviewed a great many of the Minicraft 1/16 scale kits when I was writing for what was then Scale Auto ENTHUSIAST. Most of these kits started life with a now-defunct Japanese company by the name of Gakken. In the USA, an also now-defunct company known as Entex packaged and sold the Gakken kits under its own name. Minicraft purchased the molds after Gakken folded and had their former partner Academy produce the kits until the two companies parted ways in the late 1990s. Minicraft tooled up hot rod parts for the Model As in that timeframe and that's the last real activity on those kits outside of reboxings. That's the history - now about the kits. They are, in general, quite nice, and well detailed. Some kits have very definite fit issues (for example, the Mercedes-Benz 540K), some have minor accuracy issues (for example, the Jaguar SS100), and due to their age, flash issues. Nonetheless, they build up into fine models with the proper amount of care and feeding. Why we don't hear more about them? Several reasons, in my not so humble opinion. Firstly, as nice as these kits may be, 1/16 scale is an oddity - 1/24 and 1/25 have been the scale norms for car modeling and continue to be so. One would think that with the close approximation to 1/18 scale diecasts there would be more of a market for them - I thought so and wrote one of my editorials accordingly but alas, it was not in the cards. There is also very limited aftermarket support for 1/16 scale stuff, and of what is out there, its mainly for drag racing items. So while the items exist, the support factor is minimal at best. The niche may be small, but it DOES exist. If you remember, Bandai used to produce a very fine range of 1/16 scale automobile kits also brought into the USA in Entex boxes, including a superb Bugatti Royale and a small but superb range of 1937 Packards. Bandai has not produced these kits in many years except for some very limited special runs, very few if any of those reaching us here in the USA. Perhaps one day we can persuade them to offer these kits again to American modelers. Hopefully, Minicraft may do some new car projects in the future and if so, I'd be more than happy to review them. Just my dos centavos, mi amigos.

Thanks Jim, Bob, and Bill. Baby steps it is. Wish me luck!

Hey folks, I retrieved a couple of resin bodies that I have had in storage for a while and they have not stood the test of time well - both are badly warped. It looks like they could be carefully bent back into shape but this is something I have no experience at. Any tips on fixing warped resin bodies? Thanks in advance!

Hey folks, I've never used SpazStix Mirror Chrome - never even SEEN it for sale in all the vendors I deal with - but I have used Alclad chrome and the stuff is fabulous. Weigh in here - which works better, or are they just as good? What do you use as a base for both? Examples?

Looks like another great job Matt. I'll be ordering one today from you. Many thanks!

Hear hear! I've been using the stuff for years. Hint: Try decanting a can and airbrushing it - it goes on real nice without the "metalflake" appearance of other dull aluminum hobby paints.

Just received the Aoshima Evo X Ralliart. Great kit. I have still yet to work up a full review for the magazine, but my only gripe so far is that the kit has the "star" style wheels and not the BBS type seen on the Evo MR and Aoshima's other Evo X kits. Parts for LHD included and not just the dash - cowl, wipers, and console too. Got notification yesterday that my SL63 AMG is on its way too. From the photos of the kit I have seen on Japanese web sites it looks like Aoshima has hit another one out of the park! And it is not a curbside! Full review to follow when the kit gets here. Happy holidays everyone!

That was the exact color of my friend Bobby's '68 GetX. Stupidly he had it repainted Gold, heaven knows why - the blue is sexier. His had a black vinyl roof. Great work so far! Thanks!

I've had best results thinning Kustom Kolor bottle paints with Gunze Sangyo Mr. Color thinner. The stuff airbrushes beautifully. You can use just about any lacquer primer (Duplicolor, Plastikote, or Tamiya) under KK. I generally use Tamiya primers with KK, Tamiya sprays, and Mr. Color. As to clears, either Tamiya clear spray, Gunze Sangyo Mr. Topcoat spray, or Gunze Sangyo Mr. Color bottled clear work well over KK in my experience. Hope that helps!

The most important thing, in this writer's opinion, about Round2/AMT/MPC/Polar Lights, is that these guys are taking it seriously and marketing their products with the modeler in mind. Quality of product and presentation are paramount with Round2, and IMHO all of their releases so far demonstrate that admirably. I've seen some criticism on this board and other places of the latest batch of AMT/MPC reissues molded in color. Though I personally am not fond of this practice, it is something that mass merchandisers of all stripes seem to like and seem to believe that is a sales point to the younger audience. That said, if it helps to get model kits back onto people's hit parade, then it's certainly fine by me. We serious modelers can certainly get around the "molded in color" thing. And let's also not forget that the Japanese kitmakers STILL mold in color - multiple colors in many cases - and we certainly seem to not let THAT stop us. However, the AMT "niche" reissues, such as the Double Dragster and 25 T double kit, will still be molded in white as far as I know. I for one personally love the new box art on many of the reissued kits, especially the "new retro" style used on the '60 Starliner and the forthcoming '62 Buick. Talk about a trip in the wayback machine - that has "classic AMT" written all over it - the only thing missing from the presentation is the on-almost-every-box-back-then pitch for the much-missed AMT custom lacquer paints, long out of production of course. (I am showing my age, aren't I....) Though most of us I know are not into science fiction, the new box art on Round2's Star Trek kits is nothing short of fantastic and IMHO, take away the text on the paintings and they qualify as frameable art. Tom Lowe and John Greczula are doing a magnificent job restoring AMT and MPC to their rightful glory and resurrecting Polar Lights to the joy of sci-fi modelers. To quote Mr. Spock from the new Star Trek movie, "Thrusters on full..."

Alternatively, Missing Link Resin (http://www.missinglinkrc.com/parts) has the five-spoke simulated "mags" too. FYI, these wheel covers can be used on many cars as they were a factory option from all three of the Big Three at different times, for example, 65-67 Chevelles, 68 Shelby GT350/GT500, 1966-67 Dart - and there are others.

Please keep us posted on that, NIck - thanks!