Ace-Garageguy

Got in a few more cheapo castoffs. Almost two full kits in one box for this. The body of one will become a clean Stone-Woods-Cook Swindler II, without the compromises of the original kit's (much as I love it) klugey door and hood hinges, using the original kit for all the guts, decals, etc. Tons of other parts besides the bodies, so I'm happy. Another almost two complete kits in this box, again a whole lotta parts to build other stuff, one nice body and chassis for a custom canyon-carver, and another body for a flip-top drag car.

I stand corrected. It is indeed a true "two-part" aerosol product. Thank you. The reason I discounted this is because the market has been previously awash with products labeled "2K" or some such that clearly were not, and were only cashing in on the term as a marketing ploy. The text below is copied directly from the user instructions: "Definition SprayMax 2-Component technology • SprayMax 2-component technology means 2 components, paint and hardener, in one spray paint can • The hardener is integrated in a separate container • The hardener is activated or released with the push of a button and mixed with the paint material • The SprayMax 2K technology guarantees highest product and work quality just like with a spray gun in a paint shop 2K Operating Instructions 1. Check the item. Determine, whether you have the right product. If you accidently activate the wrong product, the can is useless if you do not use it or after the pot life expires. 2. Before activating, shake the can vigorously for 2 min., starting from the time you first hear the mixing balls. 3. Take the red pressure button from the cap and place it on the pin on the bottom of the can without jamming. Place the can with the cap on the bottom on firm, level ground. 4. Activate the can. Activate the can with even, vertical pressure. Listen for the clicking sound. Only push once. 5. Immediately dispose of the red activation button so you know which can has already been activated when you use several cans. 6. Write the activation date and time in the “activated on“ field on the can. The pot life indicated on the Technical Data Sheets applies to 68°F (20°C) ambient tempera- ture. The pot life varies depending on the ambient temperature. Lower temperatures increase, higher temperatures decrease the pot life. 7. Shake the can vigorously for 2 min., starting from the time you first hear the mixing balls. 8. Do a test spray pattern and check the product. Ensure that the nozzle is clean and sprays evenly during test spraying. Check the color if you use color tone cans. 9. Clean the valve. When you are finished working you must empty the valve with the spray head pointing downwards. Spray until only propellant leaves the nozzle."

The "two-part" clear in question isn't. It's a pre-mixed rattlecan product that contains the same isocyanates used in hardeners in real two-part products that have to be mixed prior to application. The problems the OP has in his photos look very much like a reaction to surface contamination in some places, almost mimicking the dreaded "fisheyes" you get when you have contamination from silicone, wax, or in some cases, even skin oils.

Yeah, it's definitely one of the better-looking things from that styling era. Would make a pretty cool subject for a pro-touring build, with real suspension and power. Not many people would know what the hello it was.

^^^ What he said.

She needs a little de-bugging, but it's the thought that counts...

Brooks Stevens.

That's a good point. You may also be able to scuff it thoroughly and shoot a few coats of another clear to build some film thickness, and then color-sand and polish that out. But if you try it, be sure to test on a relatively inconspicuous place first. And as Mr. Guthmiller mentioned, the only stripper that will touch the stuff will probably be a long soak in brake fluid. I've had a couple of built-ups I bought that had been shot in real automotive 2K, and all that worked was brake fluid. Be aware though...brake fluid can turn some plastics so brittle they crumble while you handle them afterwards.

Yup. Sorry to see you having this issue, but it's just another chapter in the continuing saga of TEST FIRST all the materials you want to use together, including decals, on something other than the model you care about. Expert recommendations, though often very helpful, can't always anticipate every variable than can affect a finish involving multiple products that aren't specifically designed to work together.

Here's part of the answer to your question...though she's being helped by a diesel on these first shakedown runs.

Black and blue are the only colors I've ever seen it in, but as I said, I don't have absolutely definitive info...only my personal experience. For what it's worth, the extra chassis is shown below, immediately to the left of the fender unit which also incorporates a chassis.

There are a few versions floating around, and I can't give a guaranteed 100% definitive answer. HOWEVER...in my experience, the "pre-decorated" version of the kit (molded in black) that comes with flames printed on does NOT come with the extra chassis. The blue one with THIS box-art that SHOWS a fenderless car (below) comes with the standard chassis molded as part of the fender unit, and another chassis that can be built fenderless. Kit #1943 The optional flames in 1943 are stickers, not decals.

Got another couple these guys, again, cheap cheap cheap. It's a snapper kit and it has issues, like a hood and chassis that are several scale inches too short. However, it's buildable as both a fendered car and fenderless, and comes with two chassis, and a few other useful bits. The body from one of these, however, is slated to give up some of its panels to assist in developing a reasonably accurate stock-roof '33/'34 3-window body shell that will fit the pretty good AMT 5-window kit with no other modifications. The OLD AMT '34 3W is really horrible, and as far as I know, the ancient Monogram '34 3W in 1/24 is the only really decent stock '34 3W out there.

^^^ Wow. Finally, a photo of a real unicorn. Great shot, and many thanks. What publication is that in?

Not much cooler than an altered on the street. We need to see this wild thing finished.

Exceptionally cool build. We have a fair few late-model Ferraris and other exotics in my part of town, and though I always get a kick out of seeing and hearing them, they've almost become ho-hum. This thing on the other hand...if I saw it on the street, I'd have to follow it and get the full skinny on what it was and how it came to be. Great fantasy hot-rod Ferrari. Lotsa imagination, lotsa fun.

Supercool concept for a Bettlebug trailer. I had no idea there ever was such a thing. Looking good.

Very cool. Nice work. And reminiscent of some of the factory concept cars from days of yore...

Couple of points... 1) The mention of the paint being taped needing to be absolutely smooth with no orange-peel is spot on. A final sanding with 1500 grit will ensure that. It should also improve adhesion of the second color. 2) it also needs to be absolutely clean. A wipe with 70% isopropyl alcohol will ensure that. 3) Burnishing down the tape carefully will minimize edge bleed. 4) A lot of "blue" tapes are not solvent-resistant and will allow edge-bleed. 5) That's why I use this green plastic 3M "fine line" stuff made for real cars. We can't risk edge-bleed on expensive flames or graphics, and this stuff has always done the job for me. Though I'm not familiar with the Tamiya tape, I imagine it's a flexible plastic that follows curves well like the 3M stuff does. (The purple 3M fine-line stuff , and the green paper fine-line tapes don't work well for models) 6) As Bill Geary mentioned, HOW you remove tape is critical too. You want to fold it BACK on itself, so the edge is shearing the paint as the tape comes up. Pulling UP away from the surface can definitely cause lifting and jagged edges, especially if adhesion of the second color isn't perfect. 7) Some urethane clears, on the other hand, might need to wait a little longer prior to untaping. Pull the tape when the stuff's too wet, you can get "stringing" or "crawling" along the edge, even if it seems to be dry to the touch. 8) As with all painting procedures, thoroughly TEST all the materials and techniques you're using on something else, BEFORE trying them on a model you care about.

Lots of great little nuggets of info, material sources, and techniques hidden throughout this build. I hope you'll do at least a short how-to on your flat paint process. It's definitely one of the best I've seen in scale.

Picked up a few of these very inexpensively as guts-donors for the AMT Tudor and resin Fordor-body-based builds I want to do. The AMT-based round-back cars will go on the better detailed Revell chassis, while the Revell coupe bodies will go on the AMT chassis, which work well when heavily modified for hot-rodded and boxed race-car frames, but leave something to be desired for close-to-stock. Lotta other parts from these Revell '40 Fords are perfect for period rods, too.

Knockout work, as usual. You have about the squeakiest-clean in-process build style of anybody I've ever seen. Most impressive.

Great looking model. I never noticed before how this ship loosely resembled the one used for The Invaders. Guess I was too preoccupied looking at Marta Kristen. The mom was pretty hot too...if you could get past the Lassie association.

Excellent points. Sorry I kinda spoiled it. That ship is another spectacular one. Shot in daylight, maybe with her deck gun and fire-control radars (I presume) removed, she'd be pretty convincing without sailors as a mothballed unit. Maybe a drydock diorama to justify the full hull, and a real background? The slight movement of the main and tail rotors, the daylight, and the just-right depth of field of the helicopter shot had me still doubting my decision up until the end. Modeling like this and photographing it so beautifully really is an art form.

Coming together nicely, and looking believably built for speed from what was available.