av405

I know some will always want other agencies to be represented, but I commend Round2 for going down the CHP route. With the worldwide recognition CHP has, I have no doubt that the mere subject has attracted additional buyers. Small decisions like these only help all of us in the hobby in the long run. I participate in various facebook emergency build groups. Prior to the Charger and Monaco being released, I saw (and still see) quite a few builders seeking out/using the late 80's CHP Ford Taurus police car kit just for the decals. It shows that sometimes the theme can be more enduring than the kit itself.

This will be my last in-progress post for this build. I'm powering through to the finish line and detailing the cab/final assembly involves a lot of small parts and steps that I don't feel like documenting here. I wet sanded and polished out the cab and I finally got the finish I wanted (more or less anyhow, always room for improvement!). The more I do this, the better I get at it. I used BMF to detail trim the edges around the front window. Mercifully, this is the only part of the build that really needs BMF. The back window trim is what had me nervous. My initial idea was to hand paint it black, but I was afraid of the streaks and uneven paint edges that would inevitably show up. My second thought was to mask and paint black. I dread doing this and tape + curves usually don't make good friends. I know some of you get great results from this, but my confidence just wasn't high. So I went with this stuff: It's basically trim tape, in a similar vein to BMF but just a bit thicker. I used it on my last build to replicate black side molding and I loved the results and durability. I used 4 sections to cover the 4 sides of the windows and used a brand new blade to cut around the perimeter. I then touched up any small areas not covered by the tape (all on the inside of the window) with flat black paint. To some purists it may not be perfect, but it looks good enough to me and it plugs a modeling void that I still have not mastered. This one should be posted in the Under Glass section soon.

The kit has a lot going for it, including a very accurate looking and well-proportioned body. But yeah, the internals are definitely not great. Maybe they could start from scratch like they did with the recent Chevy C-1500 and C-3500 kit. Or just tool up a new cop car kit, like the boxy Chevy Caprice. Now that would be a dream! But granted, highly unlikely.

Thanks! Don't be fooled though, I always clean up my workspace after each session. Especially when I take photos. Otherwise it gets just as messy as anybody else's work bench

Thank you, all!

That's MSRP. Most businesses usually sell them for a couple of bucks less, especially online retailers. Hobbylinc, for example, has the 2021 Bronco listed for $28.59. I think Hobby Lobby has them for $32 or $34 (40% discount not included). I think that generally speaking, kit prices have actually remained fairly stagnant these last 10 years.

I'll call this update "2 steps forward, half a step back." First, the steps forward: The hood and tailgate are done after wet sanding, compound and polish. I did not have any of the previous paint issues resurface, so I'm very happy with that. After polishing the tail gate, I painted the back with Mr. Surfacer 1500 Black Primer to simulate bed liner. I then put BMF over the latch to get that nice chrome look. Here is the bed all finished and put together: The hood: So what's the half step back? Unfortunately, when I cleared the cab, I sprayed from too far away (long story, won't get into it). I got HEAVY orange peel that I was unable to completely remove with wet sanding and polish. After that was all done, I went back and gave the cab a wet coat of clear. That, combined with the aforementioned sanding and polish, got me the finish I usually get. Granted, that finish always has some orange peel and isn't perfect, but I know I can get rid of it and get the cab to match the finish on the bed. I won't post another picture of the cab as you all get the idea of what it looks by now, but now I have to wait another week to let it dry. Being patient isn't always easy.

Something, something...my wallet is safe this month...something, something.

These types of opinions are always a bit subjective. I'm sure I'd feel the same way about the subject you would have preferred instead of the Blazer. Out of curiosity, what subject(s) do you think would have been better? Genuine question. My personal love for the subject matter aside, I think the Blazer is a great idea because it ties into a currently running TV show license and Revell can do a lot with this kit if they so choose to - a Suburban, the various pickup truck versions, not to mention the various grills to represent different years of the pickups, Blazers, and Suburbans. Rounded lines are experiencing a lot of popularity right now as they are now firmly "vintage" trucks. Some lovers of the TV show will buy the kit strictly for the tie-in collectibility aspect, not to build.

I also use Brian's method and am very happy with it.

Thank you, both. Comments like these definitely keep the motivation up for me.

They're really getting their money's worth out of the C-600 body and Coca Cola license.

I would love for Round2 to update the Ford van to a 1983-1991 model. A new grill, removal of the FORD lettering on the front and rear, and maybe even some new wheels/hubcaps and voila!l Maybe one day...

Thanks! The last time I saw this combo was about 12 years ago on a Los Angeles International Airport maintenance truck. It was on a mid-90s F-350. Thanks!

Time for some deja vu. I repainted the cab and tailgate using the same exact process as before to maintain consistency with the bed: Grey primer, white primer, and Tamiya Camel Yellow. I used my bare metal foil and Tamiya tape combo again to mask off the white roof. The plus side is that this paint session went better than the first one as I didn't get any paint runs or debris. I'll let the pieces dry for a few days and then throw on some clear.

That's great to hear! I bought your light bar mounts a few times. I'll be sending you a message on FB a bit later.

Thanks for the kind words! Glad to hear that tip has helped you with your own build.

Thanks! Glass half full, right?

Correct, it was only an appearance package. With the AMT F-150 kit, all you need are the right decals and to strip the chrome and you're all set.

Thanks. I scuffed the bed down with 600 grit before painting. I didn't go crazy, just enough to level out any bumps or debris that may have been there before. I then masked with Tamiya tape and plastic sheeting at the bottom and gave the bed 3 coats of the black primer: an initial mist coat to seal the tape edges and get overall coverage, then two successively heavier coats.

Thanks, Carl. Couldn't agree more. Thank you! Great tip. Funny thing is that I didn't smooth out the rear wheel moldings at all. That's just layers of paint and primer. I'll look into it. Thank you!

Painting this truck has really turned into a hassle. Unfortunately, I had to strip the cab and tailgate. The paint and clear laid down well but when I wet sanded and polished, that process exposed fairly big blemishes. I was so frustrated that I threw the pieces in 91% isopropyl alcohol before I thought to take pictures of the blemishes. The blemishes basically looked like clear coat peeling on a car. I'm at a bit of a loss since I used the same polish method that I've used many times in the past with success. I'm going to restart the process all over again on these pieces, including re-washing with Dawn dish soap. Here are the pieces after being stripped of paint and sanded down with 600 grit to even things out: But there is some good news. The bed turned out well after wet sand and polish. I painted the interior to simulate truck bed liner using Mr. Surfacer 1500 black. It laid down beautifully, but I didn't like the paint edges from using Tamiya tape. In retrospect, I should have used BMF for the edges. But it looks okay so I'll leave it be. Maybe my OCD will get to me later and I'll fix it.I also painted the rubber surface on the rear bumper and installed it along with the tail lights: I heeded some of the advice on here and added an extra lift to the rear wheels using a small, circular piece of Evergreen styrene. I then did a test fit and the stance looks much beefier from the back. After taking this photo, I brush painted the added styrene black to blend it in. Despite the progress, this project is now delayed. I'm going to be patient and take my time to make sure that the cab and tail gate come out better than before. Aside from that, I'm going to wet sand and polish the hood and hope that those blemishes don't appear on that piece as well.

Fantastic work so far! I really liked the backstory.

Do you have any pictures of his designs printed out?

Thanks! I would think most places could fab their own simple designs to meet their needs.