Harry P.

Or a shaker... :wink:

Here's an example of the kind of "mistakes" that are sprinkled throughout this kit. The upper mounting arms for the rear shocks are too long, causing the shocks to splay outward at an angle... The fix: I'll have to disassemble the mounting arm, remove a section of it, and epoxy the remaining lengths together, in order to get the shocks to mount vertically. Other little problems...the door latch assembly protrudes too far on the inner side of the door, making the inner door panels impossible to mount flush. Some of the screw holes on the body lack the matching receiving hole on the chassis rails. The oil lines, when bent according to the full-size template provided in the instruction manual, don't fit. And so on...

Bill, I remember "Parapaque" blocking film from the old days (I'm a graphic artist)...so I assume Parafilm would be a similar self-adhesive type film. Sort of like airbrush frisket? (Which I have on hand). No matter which type of paint I ultimately decide on, protecting it with Parafilm or frisket is a good idea. Thanks to all for your suggestions!

I'm talking about a Pocher Alfa. After the body is painted is when the fun starts. The seats are molded as part of the body shell, and they need to be upholstered with thin leather that's supplied in the kit...so I'm foreseeing a LOT of handling of the painted body during the interior upholstery phase. Same with the door inner panels. Then there's the installation of the finished painted and upholstered doors themselves, and installing the body onto the chassis (done with screws), where the body has to be flexed and finessed to fit over the chassis rails. Because I KNOW the finished paint work will undergo a lot of handling, I figured epoxy appliance paint might be the way to go...because it's available in the colors I need, and because epoxy dries rock-hard and scuff/scratch resistant. But the urethane clearcoat might be a better way to go, because that way I have a wider variety of "ivory" to choose from. If I go that route I'll most likely use auto touch-up paint (Duplicolor).

I need a really tough paint...one that will stand up to a LOT of handling and still look good. I need black and ivory, so I'm thinking of epoxy appliance paint (well, maybe not ivory but "almond"). Has anyone used that type of paint on a model before? Is there a better alternative?

Lots of progress... I left some scuff marks on the dash to simulate a little wear and tear. Also, you can't tell from this picture but the gauges all have clear epoxy "glass" on them. And the various loose wires you see are part of the headlight circuit and will be routed neatly later...

Looks like it was pretty cold out that day... :wink:

This one is the full-fendered touring version of Scale-Master's Monza. The frustration that goes along with building a Pocher is incredible. Practically every part has to be re-engineered to some extent, from reaming out screw holes (almost every part), to major surgery (getting the doors to fit, for example). I'll spare you the gory details and let the photos do the talking. The engine/trans is 95% done. The block is sprayed with "Odds 'n' Ends" pewter from Walmart, and the rest of the components are done in various combinations of metalizers, black washes, etc. Everything here is out of the box with the exception of scratch-built hose clamps. The head hasn't been installed so you can still see the pistons in their individual metal cylinder sleeves. What a shame that all the engine internals will never be seen again! The head/cams assembly. What you see here is comprised of more than 60 parts! The front axle is done, minus the brake shoes. The "operating" brakes simply CAN'T be built to operate, no matter how careful you are. The precision necessary for the system to work isn't engineered into the kit parts. Since the brakes won't work and the shoes will not be seen once the wheels are mounted, I think I'll just leave them off. Still have to paint the tie rod black...

When I first started doing illustration digitally I tried a Wacom tablet, but I didn't like it. I never got used to the disconnect between "drawing" on the tablet in one place and your work appearing at another place (the screen). I'm sure that if I had given it some time I would have gotten used to it, but I decided right off (right or wrong) that the tablet wasn't for me. I went back to the mouse, and now I've gotten so used to doing things that way that I'll never go back to a tablet again. However, that's not to say they're not any good...just not my thing. It's all about what you yourself feel comfortable with and are used to. You might like the tablet. If you have a chance to try one out sometime, I'd say definitely give it a shot. That being said, though, I still think that the hand-drawn look is terrific. Why try to recreate that look digitally when you can create it the "real way"? My style is photo-realistic, so Photoshop allows me to do things much easier than doing them by hand. With Photoshop I don't have to mix paint, apply and cut frisket masks, clean out my airbrush, worry about paint bleeding under the frisket, or ever run out of a color. But if I were to do an illustration in your freeflowing, hand-drawn style (which I have done many times in the past), I'd ditch the computer and do it by hand! Digital is definitely worth a try. But don't give up on the hand-drawn stuff.

The digital way is tons of fun, but the hand-drawn stuff is really nice. It has that certain look that's almost impossible to create digitally. Even with a drawing tablet, the subleties of a hand-drawn illustration are hard to recreate...so why not draw it by hand in the first place!!! 8)

No doors...no 2 spare tires...no leather interior upholstery. Boy, you're lucky!!! :wink:

Ok, maybe the fumes have gotten to me... But what if Ford offered a coupe "Galaxie" version of the upcoming new Taurus (the late "500")??? Am I crazy...or would it sell?

In fact, looking at it again, I'd bet that if someone produced that exact car in real life, it would sell pretty well. It's definitely diferent!

A Pacer is a pretty unique car to begin with...you've made it even "uniquer"! Pretty cool idea and execution.

Lindberg has issued several versions of a Crown Vic police car... http://www.lindberg-models.com/1_24_scalecars_pg5.htm

Hi, Karmodeler2!!!

One question: With all the handling most of the painted parts get during assembly, how do you keep the paint looking so good?

I can't speak for everyone, but in my case there simply isn't a lot of spare time that I can devote to modeling...or any other hobby, for that matter. I'm self-employed, so between impossible client deadlines, working six (and sometimes seven) days a week, family stuff, mowing the lawn, etc., there's no way I can sit down and work on a model project for any extended length of time. If I can squeeze in an hour here and there on a weekend, it's an accomplishment. Obviously building on a schedule like that isn't going to result in a whole lot of finished projects...and taking several months, if not YEARS, to finish a model is the norm for me. I suspect that many others are in the same situation...like you, for instance! I wouldn't put pressure on myself to "finish" a model. To me, the process is just as rewarding, if not more so, than looking at the end result. At least that's what I tell myself every time I look at my pile of unfinished projects...some of which have been "in progress" for many years!!!

If you're driving anywhere near me, I sure hope so!

I don't see it in the picture you posted...but I hope you signed it!!! :shock:

What is it with you people from Tulsa and this thing you have for buring cars???

It'll be be running live on kotv.com this evening.

If you just want to exchange it for the same kit, you probably don't need a receipt. Even if you want to return it flat out, with no receipt, they'll give you in-store credit for whatever amount the kit's currently selling for.

The plan was that they were going to pull it up today at noon. I was just watching a video clip on the local Tulsa TV news website, and they were talking as if the car was still in the hole. ??????