Monty

I always follow his builds because he points out any corrections he felt were necessary to make, and he usually summarizes how he went about it. He's also known for being very precise when it comes to replicating the shades and hues of everything on the car, which is very helpful if you're building, or planning to build, the same kit. When you nail all the little details like he does, the result should be something special.

That red looks spectacular, and I love the fact that you pulled it off using one of those 1/4 oz jars of Testors paint reduced with lacquer thinner. Can't wait to see what else you've got planned for your build.

I'm going to be watching this closely to see what all has to be done to make one of these go together nicely. I've got a couple of them started, but as you said, it'll take some diligence to get good results. It's been a while since I last looked, but it seemed like reference pics were kinda scarce last time I had one of these on the bench.

On behalf of all future builders of this kit, thanks for pointing out the sway bar error as well as listing a way to correct it. Couple questions: 1) Can you elaborate on what paints and/or stains you used to achieve all those shades on the exhaust? 2) Whose acrylics did you use for the interior, and if you don't mind me asking, why acrylics as opposed to enamels? As always, I enjoy watching your projects come to life, and this looks to be another knockout.

I assume you're working with a Johan kit, so if you're interested in being totally accurate, you may want to consider sourcing an engine from another kit. Johan never changed up to the newer-style engines in their AMC kits, which made them look a little iffy (Imagine building a '70 Mustang with a Y-block) especially to AMC aficionados. I've heard AMT's Bobby Allison stock car and one of the Monogram Jeeps have the basics for a more correct-looking engine, and the stock car should be available cheap. Best of luck on your project.

I'm going to respectfully disagree with you on this. Neither of those shades comes close to AMC engine blue, which is closer to a light teal. As for the OP, it looks like someone found some info a paint shop could use to mix it, but that may require you to buy a quart, at a minimum. (Shop policies vary) An alternative solution, if you have an airbrush, would be to check the nail polish aisle. You should have no trouble matching this shade. You'll probably have to reduce it with lacquer thinner, so you should use an appropriate primer on the engine before painting.

If I had only read what colors you'd be using on the body and roof, I'd have my doubts as to whether it would turn out well, but after seeing your pictures, I'd say you went from thinking outside the box to knocking it out of the park. From what you've shown us so far, you've done some very nice work on this build. Based on that, I have no doubt it'll be spectacular when you get it finished.

It's commonly known that AMT did a poor job on the '69 Chevelle kit's tail lights. I've heard that Modelhaus has clear red replacement lenses, as well as front and rear bumpers that may have been based on the promo kit. Are any of these Modelhaus parts (bumpers and tail light lenses) better than what's in the kit?

Put another dollar in the jukebox baby. Whoops! Apologies to Joan Jett.

Joseph, it's always exciting to see new product releases from you, especially when they address a major oversight (IMO) on the original mfr's part: From what I've seen, the Revell S&H kit builds up reasonably well, but the "mags" look like stamped steel wheels, and they're all the same size. OTOH, if these new 5-slot wheels are anything like the other 5-slots you offer, they'll not only have the correct "window" depth, they'll give modelers the option of wider rear wheels and narrower fronts, allowing them to replicate the S&H car more accurately. This "look" also carries over to most of the street rods and street machines from back in the '60s to... who knows when. For those of you upgrading to Joseph's wheels, I'd recommend checking out his tires, too. He's got some nice, wide radials that'll keep you from making the mistake of putting bias-ply tires on a mid-'70s car.

As far as paint,assembly and BMF scripts go, you did a great job. The color really suits the car well, too. Did those tires come in that kit? I have one or two variants of this kit, and they still had the old Polyglas GTs. If they aren't AMT tires, where'd you get them?

As has been said, this kit can be used as a great source of restoration or replacement parts for MPC's C3 ('68-'82) Corvettes. With some aftermarket items or a few pieces sourced from more recent kits, the big block is a serviceable engine. The chassis is one of MPC's better efforts, and features poseable front wheels. MPC also made some subtle changes to the chassis over the years (mostly hard line placement) so keep that in mind if you're a detail purist. At least it's not the quasi-promo kind of chassis MPC stuck under so many other kits. The IRS is also decent for it's age, and features separate half-shafts. Maybe the best part (for me anyway) is MPC's version of the Chevy factory alloy wheel. IMNSHO, their most accurate version of this wheel was included in the '73-'77 Corvette kits, while the '78-'82s got an inferior version that had non-open slots and a poorly designed outer rim that looked small and was harder to fit into the kit tires. Lastly, for some reason, MPC did not include a master cylinder/brake booster when they tooled up this kit. The coupes have them, but most of mine have needed a lot of file work to get the halves to align properly.

Wild Bill's is about the best hobby shop for car models in DFW. I'd advise you to search Youtube for a video or two about the shop so you're not surprised by the stacks you'll encounter. Be aware that the shelves can be up to three kits deep, and I've seen the top shelves staked six kits high. Years ago, some diligent searching on my part resulted in some nice treasures. No promises, of course, but who knows what you'll find. They have P/E, aftermarket tires and etc, but you need to ask to see them, as they're usually kept in a separate closet. Hope you enjoy yourself.

I've got a factory-stock post -'75 car that will require whitewall radial tires. Does such a thing exist in 1/25 scale? I'm not interested in bias ply whitewalls, so please confine your replies to sources for radial tires.

I'm guessing Cowboy Rich is referring to the US version of the show, which, IMNSHO, is a horrible imitation of the original. When I first heard Adam Ferrara was going to be part of the show, I assumed he was there to provide comic relief. Unfortunately, his role, summed up by the show as "the wrecker", seems to be limited to finding a way to destroy old cars, many of which looked to be in very good shape. Tanner Faust is a talented driver who would win almost every driving contest if not for the grade school shenanigans the producers use to make things "fair'', and I know I'm not the only one who can't take more than 5 minutes of the bearded chimp at one time. That said, I'm not sure how much enthusiasm I can muster for the recently-revamped UK version either. It'd be hard to match the chemistry that Clarkson, Hammond and May had, and the producers will really need to be on their game to come up with scenarios that aren't pale imitations of ideas that've already been done.

Back in the early '80s I came across an Australian band who had impressed Angus Young enough that he took an active role in getting them established. For what I'm guessing are legal/copyright reasons, they recorded under the name The Angels (not to be confused with Angel) as well as Angel City.

Which I take to mean as it'll be diecast-based. Can't say what I really want to here, so I'll just say it looks like I'll be saving some money this year.

Another board had a quote from some bigwig at Revell saying this kit isn't based off the previous '68 and '69 Chargers, which I found curious. I've been told it's not a Wheels of Fire (snap) kit, which is a bit of a relief, but I'm still worried that it could be another diecast-based turd. I wasn't able to tell much from the one picture I saw from the recent model expo, so I'm hoping someone here has the details. Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

That's some sharp paint work! Would you mind telling us the mfr and PN if possible (i.e. Testors #1604)

Results like that don't happen without a lot of time, effort and dedication. That's a remarkable build & you have every right to be proud of it. Question - what's the secret to getting the tailgate lettering to look that good?

My compliments on a great build. The paint came out nice and the engine detailing you did really helps sell it. I'm also glad you mentioned that you used Gravity Colors' paints. I looked them up and found that they offer a number of shades that match several mfrs and race teams' colors, i.e. the Gulf colors you used here. They are a little pricey, but sometimes being able to source those specific shades can be worth every penny.

IMNSHO, many of the models of the '70s mirrored the poor quality of the 1:1 cars on the American market. I ws excited to find this same kit years ago on Ebay, but upon receipt, was dismayed by AMT's slap-dash design. When they can't even get the wheelbase right... AFAIK, it's still sitting in its box. I say that to say this: your turd-polishing skills are paying off in spades. The detailed engine, corrected wheelbase and improved ride height have already taken it out of the realm of "plastic toy", and the extra effort you're putting into the bumper strips show an agile mind at work. My favorite aspect of the build, however, is the work you've put into detailing the wheels. The Alclad finish looks far more like the 1:1 AMC wheels, and the black wash on and around the center segment really seals the deal. If I could make one change for the sake of improvement, I'd recommend that you use Yari1961's headlight replacement system. In short, he drills out the chrome, molded-in headlights and replaces them with new buckets and lenses. It doesn't seem difficult, and the results are outstanding. Just a thought... I'm sure I'm not the only on one here who's looking forward to your future updates!

Rod, is that you? I'd heard you've been real cranky ever since you got shafted, but you need to be careful 'cuz I don't think you're capable of bearing a stroke. I hope you didn't find this boring, and I pray things will pan out for you.

As I see it, you've only got a few choices, and each will require a little work on your part if accuracy is your goal. 1) The MPC Pinto kit should have the wheels you want. They'll be plated, but all four will share the same offset, so you'll need to modify the rears to match the wider wheels on your 1:1 car. These guys can give you some input on how to do that. 2) Kris Morgan (see post above) is a highly reputable resin caster. He offers a set of resin 5-slots in big and little. http://www.madmodeling.com/store/ccp0-prodshow/fenton+wheels.html You'll need to do some sanding and gluing to change the 5-lug setup to 4, and you'll need to use Alclad or Spaz-Stix to get the right finish. 3) Scenes Unlimited is run by another reputable resin caster. He offers the MPC 4-lug 5-slots in plain resin, http://www.scenesunltd.com/collections/wheels/products/ansen-sprint-4-lug-m27 but you'll need to widen the rears and use Alclad or Spaz for the correct finish.

Most things in the Mr Whatever lines are good quality products, but the Mr Surfacer I bought 10+ years ago only had Japanese instructions on the can. There was nothing in English on the can, nor were there any separate English instructions on paper, so you'll have to rely on trial by error, experienced members on forums like this or YouTube videos to learn how to use it.