Harry P.

Diecasts are models, too! Post 'em!

Pretty close vote, but once again the majority of you are right...it's REAL! Next ROM Monday!

Quad headlights, as mentioned above, were legal in some states but not others at first. Once they became legal across all states, they were quickly adopted by the big 3. No carmaker wanted to be left out of this latest styling rage. I think Cadillacs were the first American cars to offer them. At the time, they were considered symbols of automotive "luxury", like whitewalls and full wheel covers. Everybody wanted them, and the carmakers quickly obliged. In just one quick model year, even a lowly Ford or Plymouth offered "quads".

Quad headlights weren't legal in the US until a few years later (1957 or 58, I think).

By the way...this is Duplicolor (actually a GM metallic color) under Tamiya clear, straight from the can. Absolutely no polishing whatsoever. Fast dry times, and a finish that comes out looking this good with no work at all!

Yes, flats can be covered with gloss clear. That's exactly how real cars are painted these days! Most hobby shops carry a wide selection of lacquer and acrylic sprays. And there's always the online hobby stores. Personally I prefer DupliColor automotive spray lacquers. They're found at any auto parts store, and come in a wide selection of colors, in 5 oz. spray cans. The Murray's Discount Auto by me has GM, Ford, Chrysler and Import colors...probably over 100 colors, and also they make a matching clearcoat. Each 5 oz. can runs $4.49, which is cheaper than the 3 oz. can of Tamiya or Testors (the size that typical "hobby paint" spray cans come in.

Holy cow... the new guys are comin' outta the woodwork!!! Welcome aboard, I'm sure you'll enjoy the ride. To answer your question, tools and supplies are a matter of personal taste and techniques, so you'll likely get a lot of different answers. To start with, you need the basics: X-acto knife and #11 blades, sandpaper in various grits from very fine to coarse, glues (liquid styrene cement, 5-minute epoxy and CA (superglue) all have their uses), sprue cutters to remove parts from the trees easily, a set of good quality paintbrushes, and probably a razor saw. A set of small files (flat, half-round and round) are very useful, and also, those little plastic spring clamps that are sold in sets of 20 or so for a few bucks at home centers will come in very handy. These few simple tools will get you going. As you get into it a little, you may want to invest in an airbrush, but you can get perfectly good results with spray cans. I recommend lacquers or acrylics. They go on smoothly and dry MUCH faster than typical "model paint" (enamels). I'd stay away from enamel sprays. Both Testors and Tamiya make a whole line of lacquers and acrylics in spray cans, and of course you can also use "real" car paint, such as DupliColor (which I love and use all the time!) Ooops, almost forgot....yeah, A Dremel tool comes in handy for rough work like grinding, but you'll also want to get a pin vise and a set of small drill bits. A Dremel, even set at its slowest speed, still runs too fast for fine work like drilling small holes. The high speed of the bit in a Dremel will tend to melt styrene. You're better off drilling small holes by hand, using the pin vise. And for filling seams, and just general filling and smoothing, you'll net a two-part catalyzed putty like Bondo. Don't use the tube-type putties. They dry by evaporation and will shrink over time. Two-part (resin and hardener mixed) putties cure via chemical reaction, not evaporation...so they won't shrink.

I like the chick parked on the Caddy's hood! Welcome aboard!

To quote the Beach Boys...I get around.

Don't I recognize you from the "other" forum???

Do yourself a big favor and use either lacquer or acrylic paints, not enamels. I have the same problem you describe-I just can't wait for enamels to dry. Since I've switched to lacquers and acrylics, I can't be happier. They go on smooth and dry incredibly fast...as fast as just minutes, sometimes a little more depending on brand, but generally they're dry before you know it. No dehydrator needed! I'll never go back to enamels. I only wish I had made the switch years ago!

Have Goodyear logos also been removed from all kit decal sheets?

Jason, I get the feeling that you're either a lawyer, related to one...or married to one... Seriously though...you bring up good points. Let us know what respone (if any) you get from Goodyear.

But the problem is, sometimes the specific part you need is only available from Joe Pinhole Enterprises and nobody else.

Exactly...none in this hobby. I'm talking about your garden-variety aftermarket resin caster...the typical source of the aftermarket resin parts car modelers buy.

Actually, resin casters don't use any pressure at all...nor do they inject the resin. They simply pour it into the mold.

5-minute epoxy is great stuff, but remember...it doesn't stick too well to painted parts either.

Gotta agree with the crowd...that's a great idea, and a beautiful model. Now bring on the Plymouth!

The kit only has the "stick the tubing onto the locating pin" kind of thing going on. All the fuel line fittings (and the spark plug boots) are scratchbuilt. I used aluminum tubing, styrene rod and styrene hex rod (the "nut") to make each fitting. Also the scoop cover is made of masking tape painted flat black. And the kit-supplied fuel line is clear, which isn't correct. All the photos I have of cars from this era have black fuel lines, so I painted the clear kit lines with MM flat black acrylic.

The kit has parts for: 1. Blower with fuel injection 2. Blower with tri-carbs 3. Front-mounted blower (like the Orange Crate or "Mooneyes" setup) 4. Unblown 3 carbs 5. Unblown 6 carbs That's a lotta choices!

I love this thing! So many building options...single or twin-engine, bodywork or exposed chassis, five different induction setups, etc. Here's a sneak peek at what I've done so far. It's not finished, but I couldn't resist posting a few shots of the engine.

You should scrape away the paint where 2 painted parts need to be glued. Testor's tube glue doesn't stick well to paint. After you glue the part, you can go back with a fine-tipped brush and touch up any area where bare plastic is showing. If you don't want to scrape away the paint, CA glues ("superglues") stick pretty well to paint.

Mess with you guys? Who, me??? (nudge nuge, wink wink)

Ahem..........your avatar sure looks familiar. Oh yeah, it's mine!!

How about it? The answer: REAL!!