Ace-Garageguy

So much for being voted Miss Congeniality.

Short of the AMBR or the Riddler, I don't really see any car-show trophies worth getting wadded up panties about anyway.

Still do.

You have an excellent point there, sir. After looking at photos of the model, I think your idea is the best. Same basic procedure, especially making sure the window inserts are stuck VERY well to the edges of the openings so there's no chance of cracking during subsequent bodywork.

Shaping up nicely. I'll be interested to see what your particular recommendations are for attaching it to the styrene hood.

Looking better and better. I've been wanting to do one of these for quite a while...enjoying seeing yours come together. Nice improvement in photo quality, too.

Just FYI...there are several texturizing spray products made for body shop use that can achieve a wide variety of textured effects.

Yes yes yes.

Playin' in the dirt with 'army men', I was always trying to figure out ways to get things to blow up. Dry dirt bombs made pretty good 'artillery' explosions, but the true stroke of genius came when I tried using Estes model rocket igniters with the wires buried, to light off strings of buried firecrackers or a cherry bomb or M-80.

There should be some threads on here about doing the vinyl roof with tape. It looks really REALLY good if you get it right.

That is a valid concern, and one reason I recommended using two-part catalyzed putty (which hardly shrinks at all) instead of the old-school one-part stuff. It IS possible to form sheet styrene into mild compound curves (curves that change in two directions) with your fingertips, surely well enough to get a side window contour perdy dang close. The number-one rule is try to get your plastic work as close as possible, to minimize the amount of filler you have to use.

How's 'bout a front shot, Harry? That's really beautiful.

I do a lot of heavy bodywork. Filling large openings is pretty straightforward if you're careful. First thing to do is to make accurate templates of the openings you want to fill. I usually do this by applying masking tape to the opening, stretched tight, and cutting around it carefully with an X-acto. Stick the pattern to a sheet of .030" or .040" styrene, and cut your piece slightly oversize. Then CAREFULLY fit the pieces you made into the openings. Make them fit closely and try to get them to touch all the way around. Fit them ALMOST flush with the side that you'll see on the finished model. Not a station-wagon, but I filled the scoops on Revell's Challenger I using the same technique. The piece at the top of this photo has been glued along the seams with liquid cement. The one at the bottom has not. (You can run a bead of thick CA glue around the joint too, if you want.) I generally use fiberglass to reinforce the filled areas. This is fine fiberglass cloth made for RC model planes, and at minimum, 30-minute epoxy. That should give you plenty of strength to do your normal filling and sanding on the side that shows. I recommend using a catalyzed filler for that work, either epoxy based, or this Bondo brand "Professional" stuff. NUMBER 801. It comes with its own hardener. Then just fill, shape and finish as usual.

Yes sir. And that piece of bent chrome on the Chebby fastback door is a stroke of genius.

While you're cooking your steaks and burgers and dogs, or sitting by the pool and drinking a nice cold beer in the shade, remember what some folks gave up so you could do it.

That's going to be one hell of a gorgeous model. Shooting the Testors over the Krylon test here was for the same reason...nothing in any other line even close to the color I wanted, and the Testors clear had always given me very good results.

And clowns, oh my. Braggarts and whiners and clowns, oh my. Braggarts and whiners and clowns, oh my.

Thanks...but "finished"? I'm not familiar with the concept.

There are petty, immature little babies everywhere dressed up as grown men...it ain't just car-show competitions.

Yes, I've used Testors "wet look" clear over Duplicolor metallics. Slicks out great, shoot it right and you can definitely get away without sanding / polishing. A also shot it over a Krylon solid color on a test panel, and again, it slicked out very glossy. No lifting. (The Krylon was a deep red / maroon, but I don't recall exactly WHICH Krylon line it was.)

...And the 294 MPH Gee Bee race plane in the background...