Monty

I want to replicate the car depicted below, but I've never done a halo roof before. Here's what I need to know to get started. 1) What is the correct Plastruct P/N to use for the trim that surrounds the vinyl roof. I'm guessing it should be either 1/2 round or 1/4 round, but I don't have a 1:1 Caddy to look at. Scale size will be important here too. 2) Will the Plastruct bend to make the angles from the side of the roof to the front, or will I have to do this in multiple pieces? 3) Is it better to glue on the halo trim, shoot and mask the roof and then shoot the car, or mount the halo trim, paint the whole car then mask and shoot the vinyl roof? 4) Typical of Johan kits, everything on the grille is chromed, including the turn signals at the leading edge of the fron fenders. Has anyone come up with a better way to do those? Clear resin? TIA for all helpful replies.

Weird - this topic was dormant for over a month then it gets dug up again. As you can see by the original post, my intent was to see if any of the household products I already had on hand would safely remove model chrome as well as the undercoating it adheres to. I didn't get a direct answer about any of those but Marc Nellis recommended the Purple Power stuff, and, as is usually the case, he was right. That stuff works very quickly. It appears that some of today's posters have found alternate means of chrome removal that worked to their satisfaction. If nothing else this thread may provide some help for future readers with the same question.

This was in a recent thread about using clear coats: Bluesman Mark, on 08 May 2010 - 04:01 AM, said: Testors has two different gloss clears under their relatively new lacquer line, Wet Look Clear & Ultra Gloss Clearcoat. Now here's the better alternative, expecially if you're using spray cans: Krylon Crystal Clear acrylic urethane. Get the kind sold at Hobby Lobby, etc., because from what I've heard the other is a hotter formula & less suited to go over certain types of paint. I've used the one found at Hobby Lobby for years over lacquers & enamels with no ill effects & no yellowing. It dries rock hard & with the right gloss. Try the Crystal Clear, & you'll never go back to hobby gloss clear.

"Well I'm back Didja miss me................?" Nope. Try staying away longer. That might do the trick. Oh, and here's a more appropriate avatar you can take wherever you go...

FÃ ilte! When you get a chance, please post some pics of your models.

I found a picture that should settle the issue. This is a tunnel-back C3 ('68-'77) not a bubble-back ('78-'82). If you look under the louvers, you can see the sail panels. Here are the suggestions I made in your other thread about this car: From what I can tell, here's what you're going to need to pull this off: 1) AMT Eckler's Corvette for front fender flares (slight modifications needed) and headlight buckets. 2) 1980-1982 MPC Corvette for the nose piece. The Dragon Vette, which MPC labels as a 1982, will have this as well as the rear window louvers. 3) The rear end cap is definitely from a C4 ('84-96). MPC made a bunch of them and they're generally fairly cheap, so finding a match for this shouldn't be difficult. 4) Rear spoiler could probably be made from the one in the '69 Cougar, or make it yourself (huge sag in middle optional) 5) You're on you own when it comes to the hood. Maybe one of the resin casters has one.

Mark, if I can offer a suggestion, you can make that engine more accurate by painting it GM engine blue (I believe Testors offers this in bottle or spray can). IIRC, 1976 was the last year for orange.

From what I can tell, here's what you're going to need to pull this off: 1) AMT Eckler's Corvette for front fender flares (slight modifications needed) and headlight buckets. 2) 1980-1982 MPC Corvette for the nose piece. The Dragon Vette, which MPC labels as a 1982, will have this as well as the rear window louvers. 3) The rear end cap is definitely from a C4 ('84-96). MPC made a bunch of them and they're generally fairly cheap, so finding a match for this shouldn't be difficult. 4) Rear spoiler could probably be made from the one in the '69 Cougar, or make it yourself (huge sag in middle optional) 5) You're on you own when it comes to the hood. Maybe one of the resin casters has one.

Thanks, Mark! I've been hearing some strange things about the new Testors clears, so this seems like a great alternative.

Nathan, I've had one or two of those cars end up back in the box due to a lack of quality reference materials. (AMT instruction sheets are not infallible when it comes to calling out the correct paint colors for engine components). I hope you'll continue posting as you make progress on this one. We don't get to see many open wheel cars on here, so I'll be eagerly awaiting any and all pics of this one.

Nice job on all of those, Chuck. Did you happen to have an original bottle of Testors Ford Engine Blue or did you use an auto parts store engine enamel?

I gotta agree with the others - that's a sharp build. May I ask what paint you used to get that shade of red?

Wow, I like that. I think I still have the Car & Driver (1988?) where they tested one. I love the color. Was it shot over a dark or light colored primer?

Beautiful subject matter, excellent build. More, please!

It's always nice to see another Shelby! May I ask what paint you used for the stripe?

You guys are overlooking the obvious. The whole point of this appliance errrr, "car" is to minimize emissions while maximizing gas mileage. I say we should take that concept even further. Maybe one of the better kitbashers on here could come up with an Earth Day Special Edition Prius. It should be a fairly easy task, requiring only the chassis from this Lindberg kit and a South Park YouTube screen print for the driver's side window

I started this thread to determine why my listing failed so badly. Now, with feedback from you and a few others, I can see why things transpired the way they did. You had a valid point about there not being a ship-to location listed, however that was more a result of the software changeover than anything. Once I was aware of the problem, it was quickly rectified. Thanks for being candid.

Wasn't aware of that. Apparently I've got some tidying up to do. Thanks Casey!

I posted this listing over in Swap, Trade or Free: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=29899 As indicated, the post has been viewed well over 100 times, but not a single response. Do you think it's because: A] No one on this forum has this kit? B] I'm stifling interest in the trade by only offering one kit in return? C] People are put off by the proviso that asks disreputable traders to stay out of it? D] Other (show your work!) The kit I'm looking for isn't particularly valuable, let alone rare, so I'm a bit puzzled.

I swear I saw this issue covered in this section in the last three weeks, but was unable to find it again. It had someone's picture of a leather seat bottom, and it looked almost exactly like the seat bottom in my 1:1 Corvette. Anyway, if I want to obtain that sheen, is it better to start with a gloss paint and spray a dull or semigloss clear coat over it, or start with a flat color and spray with a semigloss clear coat? Pics of your "solutions" would be appreciated.

I'm currently unemployed, so I'm having to watch my money. That said, I'd still like to get a good magnifying visor so I can keep doing a certain level of detailing. I did a search last night, but noticed that some of the more expensive units ($40.00+) are listed as "overrated" given the cost, mostly because of marginal features like LED lighting that didn't help much, or a close-up detail lens that wouldn't stay in place. OTOH, ratings for the cheaper units ($12.00) ranged anywhere from one star (wavy plastic lenses, cheap materials, fell apart) to five stars (best thing I've ever bought - I can see through walls). So...is it possible to buy a quality unit at a lower price? Links?

I'll never trust a Testors rattle-can nozzle again, so I'm glad to see the new lacquers airbrush so well. That's a great color, skillfully applied, on a really clean build. Well done! Any engine and/or chassis shots?

I think I'm going to like this build. I've never been a big fan of the Xtra-cab or Crew cab configuration, so this will be a welcome change. You guys with these new releases are lucky. My two kits of this model are molded in metallic dark blue and charcoal gray. Gotta prime everything.

Thanks Ed!

Thanks Marc!