Monty

Paul, thanks for clarifying that for me.

Paul, looks like you've done a great job on your truck. Would you mind explaining the term "Oregon doubles" to me? Are they anything like super singles? As you've probably already guessed I don't know much about semis, but I occasionally drop in on this section to see what's being built. Lotta talented guys here.

Mark, if this turns out as well as I think it will, is there any chance it might become your new avatar?

Check out Art - layin' down a sweet paint job like that on his first try with Tamiya lacquers. I'm guessing he used Mica Red to top off a very clean build.

Casey, would you mind sending me a PM with info too?

Survey says....fixing massive numbers of ejection pin marks & I'm not talking about the 2-4 annoying bumps you used to find in interior tubs. I've got an old Revell XK-E that will probably never get built because so many of its intricate parts require extensive work before they can be painted and installed. Some look like they were in the wrong place during a drive-by shooting.

Yep, that's the paint I was asking about. I used to be surrounded by well-stocked hobby shops, and I never saw a can of that stuff anywhere. Thanks for posting the pic, Chuck. Your GTX looks good in that color!

I never even knew they made this shade until recently when I saw it mentioned in an online ad for some other Testors paints. If you have used it, would you mind posting up some pics? Bonus question: other than ebay, does anyone have a source for Model Master Manganese Brown in the 1/2 oz bottles?

I wish I would've know how well designed these kits were when I was a kid. This is a great example of good paint work, clean building techniques and accurate detailing. Very nicely done! Are those slicks original parts of that kit?

Post #24 mentions TS-12, which is Tamiya's orange lacquer, so he's probably using their black and white lacquer paints too.

Casey, as I'm sure you know, there was a major body style change between '67 & '68. Do you know if the chassis changed much? If it didn't, you may be on to something. As someone else pointed out, they've got plenty of more recently tooled big blocks to choose from (I don't know if various parts of molds can be interchanged), so with an interior update and a new body... well, we can dream. I can see them doing spinoffs of the kit too, such as a Motion or Yenko version. Are ya listening, Revell?

Ya know, it's kinda funny - I wondered who at Revell greenlighted their '49 Mercury when AMT already produced who knows how many of their own '49 Mercs; same with the '58 impala - AMT's was, IMHO, state of the art for the time. Opening doors & hood, poseable wheels, detailed suspension, separate exhaust. If you're a fan of '58 Impalas, what's not to like? If I had been in charge of Revell at the time this was brought up, I don't think I would've allowed it to go into production because of AMT's market saturation with their version, and, from what I hear of the numbers Revell has sold, I would've been wrong. I say all that to say this: If Revell can do well releasing cars that've already been produced for decades by another company, I think they would make a mint if they did a new '69 Chevelle kit & held themselves to the standards they used to create their '69 Camaro.

Over the years, I've heard bits and pieces of information regarding improving the accuracy of this kit, and I'd like to compile a complete list for when I take this project on. Here's what I've got so far: 1) Use the chassis, firewall and engine bay sheet metal from the AMT '69 442. 2) Use Modelhaus promo front and rear bumpers - allegedly better & no mold lines. 3) Use Modelhaus taillights & bezels. Seems like I've heard there's something really "off' about the kit's taillights or bezels, or both. Assuming I change up to the 442 chassis etc, will the Chevelle's engine look accurate enough if I fill the axle hole in the block? Anything else?

That's just flat-out sharp! What red did you use on that?

I'm guessing by now half the forum is perched on the edge of their chairs, tingling with excitement to find out what I bought, so here's the story: Although my initial request was just for a better lighting source, both Harry and Cranky recommended magnifying lamps, for which I am now grateful. If you've seen the kind of work Cranky can do, it's obvious that his OTT magnifying light works well for him, but after comparing that unit against the one Harry recommended, I felt the Realspace unit was sturdier and better suited to my purposes. The lighting is just about perfect and there's no ambient heat, so it's very nice to work with. I'm also glad I followed Harry's advice to buy this before the sale ended. My Office Depot had already marked the price back up to $62.00 when I went in, but after telling them the online price still showed to be in effect, they let me have it for the sale price, which saved me about $16.00.

The engine bay alone contains a gold mine in detailing potential, and considering who's doing the build, we'll get to see that happen. Let's see those red and blue anodized fittings!

What's the story on the back window?

I think Scale Auto had an article on this about a decade ago & IIRC, the author let the paints cure then wet sanded and polished them. Keep in mind that he used solid colors from each paint mfr & not metallics. I don't have direct experience, but I'd assume it's just as bad an idea to wet sand acrylic metallics as it is to wet sand enamels.

Looks like some of you use them mostly for flat finishes, although Art's Triumph & Jared's Miata show they can produce a beautiful glossy finish. Art, I screwed up the first time I bought a bottle of Testors Acryl paints. Had I taken the time to read the bottle, I would've noticed that they don't need to be reduced. At the time I didn't know if the "thin-as-milk" rule applied to acrylics, so ultimately what came out of my airbrush had the coverage ability of Kool-Aid. I've used the flats & reduced them with everything from rubbing alcohol to Windex, but I've read that lacquer thinner also works well. Anybody tried that?

I'm aware of Tamiya's water-based line of acrylics, Testors' Acryl line, and recently the Createx line, but AFAIK, not many of you actually paint model car bodies with them. From what I've seen, Tamiya and Testors acrylics offer a decent range of colors, including some candies. Gunze-Sangyo used to have an extensive line of acrylics, but I read that they retracted them so they could push their solvent-based Mr Color line. If you do use them, what do you like most about them? If there's a serious downside to them, what is it? Pics supporting either position are welcome. Please mention what paint you used.

Casey, compare your MRC M/Ts to the real ones and you'll see why they're not the best choice. The various words on the MRC sidewall are placed so haphazardly, it almost looks random. That might be OK if you don't paint the letters, but most guys who ran performance tires wanted the white letters showing.

Your wienerdog tells me she was just trying to get rid of some of those mold lines for you. Thanks for the pic! Since everybody else is telling you how to build your kit, I'll chime in too. If you're not overly concerned about the engine being "period correct" for '64, paint the engine block and heads Ford Engine dark blue. This'll give you a little more color under the hood. Just a thought.

I've seen the techniqe demonstrated in a magazine, but I haven't done it myself. I was asking the question in case one of our more experienced modelers wanted to collaborate with you on this. Any of you have extensive experience in tire surgery? If you have the ability to take a few sections out of the M/T tire & put it back together seamlessly, Frank might be able to cast 'em up so we can have matching M/T tires on our car.

Would you consider it if someone with that kind of experience did all the surgery for you? It sounds like there's some demand for a matching front M/T tire out there...

This is going to be sharp! Sorry to hear about the other two, but it looks like you've got everything on track now. If you're not mad at him/her anymore, post a pic of the wiener dog. I miss mine.