Ace-Garageguy

There are multiple ways to do most things, and the quality of the hoped-for outcome is often the determining factor as to which method is chosen. Many model railroaders (like me) and builders of custom real aircraft panels (like me) prefer the dry transfers specifically because, as I mentioned, they eliminate the clear carrier...which still shows between characters no matter how closely they're trimmed (and are very often still evident even after the model, complete with decals, has been cleared). I assure everyone that well-aligned and evenly-spaced letters and graphics are entirely possible on a variety of surfaces and shapes. Careful, patient, thoughtful application is the key. There are even a couple of reasonably-priced systems available to make custom multi-colored and complex dry-transfer graphics for a wide variety of other applications in the real world, as well as hobby-oriented, and contractors that will do it for you. Here's one DIY system: https://decalprofx.com/ But seeing the clear decal film doesn't bother some, so the decision is entirely with the individual doing the work.

Agreed 100%, which is one reason many of my builds seem to fall into the black hole of never-quite-ready-for-paint because something always crops up that needs to be addressed first. Fit problems happen on real-car builds just as frequently when somebody gets in a rush to start painting. I'm in the process of closing out the mechanicals and electronics on a big-buck big-block '66 Chevelle, and have had to cut multiple holes in the smoothed and beautifully painted firewall, because it was done long before all the systems and component fitting were complete.

With all due respect, Google image searches can get you "up close and personal" to just about anything you need to know about component colors. For interior colors, you just need to decide on an exterior color, and find what interior colors were available from the factory (if you're building stock). If you're building custom, use any interior colors you want.

I've spent enough time out there (over the course of several years) to know exactly what I'm going to...and getting away from.

I'm curious as to why you'd do that. The whole point of using dry-transfers is to eliminate the clear carrier surrounding the character or image, and the problems with silvering, etc.

Yup, nice job on the uber-rare Y-block Hilborn setup.

Makes my skin crawl just looking at that...and I really do NOT want to know any more...

Looks good. I just got one recently, was pleasantly surprised to find it had a full engine and not just a plate with an engine-ish blob sitting on top.

Photos in this thread show the problems pretty clearly. Top of glass is higher than the roofline. Compare it to a real car. Not right. Grill surround doesn't match between fenders and hood, lacks visual continuity. Again, compare it to photos of a real car.

And if you want to search for what's already been posted...

And a cheap dollar-store calculator.

You can also pick up a whole lot of ideas and knowledge just scrolling through these two sections when you have a few minutes. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/forum/27-modeling-how-tos/

...And never EVER hesitate to ask if there's something you need to understand better. There are NO stupid questions when somebody genuinely wants to learn, and we're a friendly bunch just dying to help everybody who asks just about anything.

If you want to build good models, it takes effort and commitment and...perish the thought...work. First-rate tools and materials definitely make building first-rate models easier, but they're just no substitute for paying attention, thinking about what you're doing, being careful, and honestly critiquing your own work.

Get the basics down first. Progress naturally as your skills develop, and don't expect to be a star in a few days. Here's a good general thread...

Great info. I'll definitely be having a couple of these thanks to your and Matt's input here, and it's great to have a very clear idea of exactly what to expect from these kits. Much appreciated.

I don't understand exactly what you mean. Guess I'm dense today. But one of the things I'm intending to do at the new place out West is work at least a little with the local high-school. The place I'm going is definitely a "car town" (there seem to be AT LEAST as many home garage projects going on there as here, in a town that's a third of the size of where I'm at currently) and the school still has a mechanical vo-tech program. Unusual these days of everybody-thinks-they're-gonna-be-a-web-developer-or-programmer. All it means is that there are already kids there who have a hands-on interest in cars. And I'm hoping to find an apprentice, frankly. There's a lot I could teach the right kid about practical engineering and a rational approach to doing things. So...since there's already at least some hands-on interest (and an actual hobby shop), there might be some modelers there too. If I find somebody young who loves all of this stuff as much as I do, he can have everything when I'm gone.

The C2-C3 chassis was basically the same design from 1963 through 1982. There are numerous detail changes that hard-core Corvette aficionados might pick up on, but to anyone else, there shouldn't be anything really obvious. Wheelbases of both C2 and C3 are 98", so if both kits are in the same scale, and if the kit designers could measure and divide reasonably accurately, the kit wheelbases should be identical too. It should be a straightforward swap.

One thing you're going to find with Duplicolor primers is covered here...

I figure a couple of decades is about right, assuming I go that long. There will come a time, almost certainly, when I'm no longer physically capable of working on the real stuff, but there's nothing I find more horrifying than being an OLD fart who can't (or doesn't want to) do anything but sit and watch the idiot box, or wave mindlessly at cars going by. I'm counting on models to fill much of my time. But if my interest and/or ability wane, I'll start making real plans to get rid of stuff. Not before.

Hey...everything old is new again.

This guy does it old-school.

Your adversaries would determine the tactical efficacy of such a vehicle. Zombies, for example, don't seem to be particularly adept with small-arms...though I don't see the limited ammunition carrying capability as providing a sufficient number of rounds...typically squeeze-trigger-sprayed...to counter a crowd of charging un-dead, with each one usually requiring a head-shot to stop. Accuracy may be a problem too while moving, even if the weapon is on single-fire.

Maybe because sometimes, it's just less a PITA. Though I have about every type of spray equipment known to man, including a stand-alone HVLP rig, sometimes rattlecans get the job done without a whole lot of extra mucking around. And that said, yes, Tamiya is generally great stuff...and some other spray cans will accept the Tamiya nozzles.