Monty

Same here. My '80 was my pride and joy, and the modifications I made to it substantially improved the power and handling capabilities. Unfortunately, due to the faltering economy I ended up selling it a couple months ago. After 20 years of ownership, it was hard to watch it drive away.

Google searching only yielded some scanty bits of information, but it appears that Testors/Airfix/Lindberg did a version of Andy Granatelli's turbine-powered '79, although I can't find a pic of the kit. Here's some info about the real thing http://www.corvetter...wered-corvette/ I love me some C3s, so I'm surprised I'd never heard of this kit.

I have to agree with the others - that hood latch/striker plate makes a big difference. Kudos for figuring out a neat way to add more detail to the underhood area. I plan on copying your design when I get back to my Nova. (I probably won't be the only one ) Have you picked a paint color yet? I can't wait to see this one posed next to your Fairlane!

Mark's correct. They're restraints which allowed you to secure your t-tops in the cargo area if you chose to take them off. Mine were mirrored, so when I took them off, I usually left them on the couch to avoid any scratches to the top surface.

I'd never given this model much consideration before, but it looks like they did a good job of supplying the basic details and you did a great job of detailing everything. I love the colors you chose for this, and while the white outline lettered tires can be a pain, when painted correctly, as you've done, they lend that period-pefect look to a car of that era. I couldn't help but notice the Bilstein shocks. Definitely an upgrade. Years ago I stuck a set of those on my Corvette and was amazed at the difference they made. Expensive, but well worth it. Looking forward to your next project.

Fantastic build, Mark! This is my favorite pace car of all time. I was kind of surprised at the lack of detail and occasional poor-fitting parts (glass, spoiler), but now that you've overcome all the annoyances, this looks like it should be sitting in a showroom. As i mentioned during the build-up, the red trim on the wheels is what really sells it, since they're hard to replicate without some innovation.

It's just carpet (see the pic of the red interior I posted). Don't know why GM felt that was a neat styling element, but kudos to Mark for sweating the details.

Technically, the word "hatch" doesn't apply here, as only the '82 Collector Editions came from GM with a working hatch. Immediately behind the seats you'll find three compartments with lids that are flush with the rest of the surface. The compartment behind the driver's seat contains the battery. The rest of the area below the glass is mostly carpeted storage space & two factory radio speakers. The contents of the storage area can be hidden by cover that operates about the same way as an old fashioned widow shade on a dowel, but it will help keep that carpet from fading.

That is some might impressive engine bay detailing!

Eye-grabbing excellence!

I knew that was Indian Fire Red before I even read your caption. That's such a unique color & it really seems to work well on these 'Stangs. Kudos to you for figuring out a way to achieve that color on your own. It complements your clean building style. I keep hoping some enterprising scratchbuilder/caster will come up with a more correct grille for this car. Anybody?

Striking color choice expertly applied. I'd love it if you'd do another one with the two colors transposed.

I've got a few kits (AMT '66 Fairlane) that came without any semblence of these - just the flat tops of the sheetmetal shock tower itself. My scratchbuilding skills are mediocre at best, so I'm hoping there are some of these available in resin.

Last time i checked, he'd only posted twice, so it's doubtful he'll be popping in to solve this once and for all. I took him literally because his query specifically mentioned the back side of the grille. Had he meant otherwise, he probably would've just asked how to detail a grille. I happen to think the other responders overlooked the words "back side" & automatically went to their personal default responses for applying black washes etc. In my experience, the back sides of many model grilles have imperfections that need to be removed, which will leave you with bare plastic in need of paint. The best builds I've seen have the back side of the grille detailed with muted silver and black, mimicking the design on the front side (usually done when the design makes it hard to use the sand-from-behind method).

A lot of these do look like retreads from the Testors and Model Master lines, but I think the honey, the caramel and the fluorescents are all new. I still don't get why they went with the 1/4 oz size. I wish I could find an original, sealed bottle of #2727 Ford Engine Blue from the early 80s. I bought one back when Monogram first released their Boss 429 & was very pleased with the paint because it matched the shade of the engines in my dad's Fords. Testors still sells a P/N 2727, but now it's labeled as Ford/GM blue, and it's several shades lighter.

I agree. You'd think the marketing geniuses would try to find a tie-in somewhere. This "policy" of theirs goes way back before the lacquer car colors ever came out. I remember having to buy spray cans of Cherry Red and Black & Blue Pearl enamel because Testors didn't offer them in the 2 oz. bottles. I'm sure there were several others, too.

If you hadn't heard, they recently came out with some new colors, but only in 1/4 oz hars. Some of the colors sounded interesting, but the last thread we had about these gave me the impression that there aren't many places who are carrying them. Anyway, if you've got some, I'd appreciate it if you'd post some pics - even if it's just color swatches on spare parts. For some reason the honey and the caramel sound enticing...

I can vouch for their enamels. The pigments are very finely ground and come in an extensive range of colors. While they may not offer fifty (hyperbole) shades of metallic blue like Model Master enamels or Tamiya lacquers, their gloss colors offer great coverage and airbrush nicely (reduce them with lacquer thinner for better results). Their military & other flat finish colors work very well for car interiors & can be gloss coated with good results for car bodies. They also offer a few candy colors (red, green and an orangey-yellow) and their own MetalCote line (enamels), which I believe preceded the Model Master Metalizers. Two bits of advice: 1) Never rely on published paint color charts when buying colors you're not familiar with. In my experience, Humbrol, Testors and many others are so far off it's scary. See if you can find a couple different Google images of items painted in the color you're intersted in. 2) get one of these Over long periods of time, Humbrol paints may start to separate (as will Testors), but a few minutes with one of these will return it to like-new condition. They're fairly inexpensive, but take my advice and get this one instead of the slightly cheaper Micro-Mark version

Best special edition ever - Jukes of Hazzard. http://api.viglink.c..._13366855675401

Nothing in the world of models gets my attention like a nicely done replica stock build, and you've done a great job on this one. That emberglow paint is sweet!

And if I bolted a JATO setup to a Dumpster, I'd have the same combination: ugly, fast(er) and hyper-expensive. Can you help me understand why are you so willing to overlook the hideous design, especially for a vehicle in this price range?

If you're willing to plunk down +/- $600k for what appears to be dysentery with doors, you probably trademarked the phrase "That's hot!" and carry your chihuahua with you everywhere you go. You can find good-looking cars all along the automotive timeline. As far as this car is concerned, the blind should count their blessings.

Mark has been known to make his own parts when kit parts are missing or unsatisfactory.

From post # 41: I use talc (baby powder) for the texturing. I add it to the paint and spray. The more talc, the coarser the texture. And it makes the shop smell lilac fresh... with just a hint of lacquer.

Strange that Monogram would bother to tool up a smog air pump for this but ignore the 2-1-2 exhaust configuration (dual exhaust from the engine merges at a single cat and re-emerges into dual pipes ). The battery issue is mystifying too, as C3 ('68-'82) batteries were in the compartment immediately behind the driver's seat. The vinyl rings are an ingenious solution to making the wheels fully accurate. It's almost impossible to achieve the correct look with paint. All my sources show the black centers are correct for this car. Can't wait to see your installments on paint!