Ace-Garageguy

Great to see and hear it running. Beautiful piece of work.

Last time I actually got far enough with a model to paint it (using a clear) was back in 2012 or so, I think. I loved the Testors wet-look stuff, and it was such a good product I assumed it would be around forever. Too bad it's followed so many other good products down the same rabbit hole. I've used Duplicolor clears extensively since then on real parts, so I guess I'll have to look into trying them for models as well. Everything else they make works well at this time, once you understand the limitations of a specific material...like not being able to shoot a wet flow-coat on most styrene with their relatively hot primers.

Fascinating.

Got a two hour hike on the 'moderate' trails.

Thanks for the heads-up. Lotsa products get reformulated but still carry the same SKU number. PlastiKote sandable primers were one. The stuff available now is garbage. I just bought some Model Master (Testors) Aluminum Plate Buffing Metalizer in the new Rustoleum-marked can. Objective review to follow soon.

It's nothing terrible, just the shape of the front wheel arches, the overall angle of the nose relative to the rest of the car, window shapes, upper door cut-lines, and a few other things. I've seen your work, you certainly have the skills to correct it, and even if you don't want to bother, it still makes a good looking model built up. It's just not quite right.

Thanks.

I bought a second 1/25 Monogram Porsche 904, because on close examination of the first one, I noticed several annoying Palmer-esque proportion and line issues. The 904 has a special place in my heart, along with several other older Porsches, and I really want a model of the damm thing that actually LOOKS like the damm thing. One for reference while I hack the second one to get it looking more like the real car. And before the "rivet counter" and "it's only plastic" and "I can't see anything wrong" onslaught starts...I can see what's wrong and it matters to me. I also acquired a few of the 1/24 Monogram curbside kits, based on the slot car. In all the photos I've seen, it looks to be a better representation of a 904, possibly the best one. We'll see. If it turns out to be the case, I'm not certain which way I'll jump, but at least I'll have the satisfaction of knowing for myself. Depending on how things shake out eventually, the 1/24 kits MAY get kitbashed using bits from the 1/25 kits as well as guts from Fujimi, especially their Porsche 4-cylinder cammer and 901 engines. Couldn't pass up a sweet deal on another one of these, too. It's arguably one of the best "parts kits" going if you're into early Ford hot-rods. Dog knows I didn't "need" another one, but it's kinda like having a junkyard out back full of virgin old tin.

Yup, very nice. An enviable collection of vintage plastic, even cooler because they're mostly rescues.

Regarding Renshape and similar tooling foams, I've used them extensively over the years prototyping real parts, and for building scale models. The cost for model work was never an issue, as I almost always had scraps left from the business. BEFORE I started using Renshape, I built this 1/10 scale model using bulkheads and stringers, much as we used to build model airplanes. It had to be built under-size, and laboriously fiberglassed, filled, and sanded to final shape. It could have been done in a fraction of the time using a tooling foam.

Read the posts immediately above. Different materials excel for different applications. If you watch the video I posted, you should easily understand why you can do things with Renshape that would be very difficult with styrene.

Exactly. In many ways it's much easier to use than any wood, too. Again, exactly.

I understand what you're saying, but frankly, I think most novices would find building some of the older, simpler kits more enjoyable. Many novices aren't hard core car guys, and all those complicated mechanical bits some of us enjoy are just so much frustrating and incomprehensible drudgery. It wasn't hard to get decent looking results from a lot of those old kits, and with fewer detail parts to fret about, and an easy assembly sequence, a novice builder might be able to better concentrate on the basics...like generally clean workmanship, and acceptable paint. Just another way to look at it...

That's pretty. I'm starting to get strong desire to build some old trucks. Seeing work like this is certainly inspirational.

Thanks. Much appreciated.

The Dodge Red Ram "hemi" engine was introduced in 1953 with a displacement of 241 cubic inches, about 120 HP. '55 saw it grow to 270 cu. in. For '56 the deck was raised and displacement went up to 315. In '57, it grew again to 325. Far as I recall, it was available across the entire Dodge car lineup. The last high-performance D-500 twin-carb version made about 310 HP. It's important to remember that it's different from the "poly" engine available somewhat concurrently, though the "poly" and Red Ram share the same tall deck block. The Red Ram hemi has the smallest exterior dimensions of the Mopar hemi engine lineup, which is why it was used in Barris' Ala Kart. The first issue AMT Ala Kart kit, and the later '29 Ford kits that include it, represent it roughly scale-correct. The retooled Ala Kart engine is ridiculously UNDER scale, stupidly about 1/32, in a 1/25 scale model.

^^^ Funny. I started to post several of those, but figgered I'd trigger someone's delicate sensibilities and get suspended again for politics or religion or racism or language. Guess you have to know somebody.

Pretty cool project. Should be fun seeing it come together. Love that second photo, too. A shiny '36 Ford cabriolet, a 20 cent BBQ sandwich, and a 15 cent piece of pie. If there's a heaven, it looks like that.

Diagnostic or antibody tests?

No. It's a tooling product. Carvable, machinable, available in several densities.