Monty

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.

If you want the actual color and have a HobbyTown nearby, you can buy the small tin (14ml) of Humbrol Bronze enamel. It's fairly cheap - it shouldn't be more than $2.00. It's also available by email from a number of suppliers.

It's probably Bare Metal Foil or one of its variants. A couple other companies make similar products.

I like where you're going with this. What's your secret for detailing hard lines without slopping paint over onto the chassis?

What's the best way to detail these things so they look as accurate as possible? http://s1067.photobucket.com/user/MemestreamMedia/media/70Chevelle rear marker lights_zpsbh18ewnr.jpg.html?sort=3&o=6

Wise words. I've got a few things that may never get finished because of the situation at Modelhaus.

It's been about a year since we first learned that someone offered a high quality resin transkit to address the poorly rendered front end of Revell's '69 Mustang, so I'm curious how many of you are still building, or have built, your Revell kit using these new pieces. Looks like Ron got a good start on his (no surprise), but given the number of people who ordered these (I helped spread the news to other boards), there don't seem to be many WIP pics, let alone Under Glass pics. Has anyone got pictures of their WIP or finished build showing how this kit improves the original model?

If you've seen Yura1961's builds, you've probably been impressed by the difference his headlight treatment makes. Long story short, he drills out the chromed, molded-in headlight and replaces it with a chromed backing piece and a clear lens. If you're looking for a good way to enhance the realism of your old Johan, MPC or AMT kits, this will help immensely. Here's where I need help with sources. IIRC, Yura gets his backing pieces and lenses from somewhere in central or eastern Europe. I'm wondering if there are resin or other sources here in the US that can provide me with these. I'm aware of MV railroad lenses, but they don't seem to have the cross-hatching found on automotive headlights. So: Instead of buying more kits or raiding the ones I have, I need American sources for 1/25 chromed, curved receptors and cross-hatched headlight lenses. Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Links would be greatly appreciated!

Nathan, as the other guys have mentioned, it looks like you've done some admirable work on that build. I also agree with Allen Wrench's recommendation about learning to use BMF. It's relatively cheap, it's easy to use, and it will revolutionize your building. At some point, you'll start looking for things to use it on. Not long after I learned, I was using it on the AMT '67 Impala's horn buttons (+/- a scale 1 1/2 inches). Quick question: are the pinstripes decals? If not, how did you get them to bend and taper?

Several years ago, I was being inundated by those dorsal orifices and their constant calling, so I asked the guys on my Corvette board for advice. A couple of them recommended a specific Panasonic phone system that will allow you to block up to 30 numbers. It worked exactly as advertised, but I was surprised at how quickly the 30 "kill" allotment filled up. Speaking of dorsal orifices, we heard a message coming through our answering machine yesterday that claimed it was a call from the IRS, although they later referred to themselves as Internal Revenue Services. Time to find a bigger, better blocker.

Here's the exact shade I'm looking for. Unfortunately this is just a Google image, so I don't know anything about the car or what paint was used. http://s1067.photobucket.com/user/MemestreamMedia/media/pew_zpszqklp8f5.jpg.html?filters[user]=144568810&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=1

I'm looking for a paint shade (pewter) that would be positioned right between silver and Tamiya Light Gunmetal. I'd be more than happy to use lacquers, enamels or acrylics, but I do need to nail the shade, i.e. no trending toward brownish, as some shades do (see some pics of Pepper Gray metallic). This color is meant strictly as paint for a car body, not as a Metalizer substitute, and I'd prefer a non-metallic paint (they're out there - I've seen them in the 1:1 car world). Pics of cars painted in the recommended shade and paint part numbers would be greatly appreciated. Bonus question: Do the Tamiya silver lacquers have any translucency that might allow me to change the hue via the use of a darker primer?

Where can I buy an accurate resin W-30 hood for my '70 JoHan 442? I wish I'd bought the Modelhaus item earlier because I probably would've sprung for their package deal, which comes with the correct air cleaner. If you can, post pics of any W-30 hood that you're recommending. I remember seeing seeing a 442 in George Bojaciuk's book Building and Detailing Scale Model Muscle Cars that had an early resin W-30 hood with scoops twice as high as what they should've been, and I'm trying to avoid that kind of thing. **I know how the resin industry operates as far as timeliness, but I'm hoping you guys can recommend someone with quick turnaround time.

Thanks! Regarding the front wheels, are you talking about a camber issue or is the front wheel track too wide, a la some of AMT's '68-'72 Corvettes? Also, if you have time, could you elaborate on some of the most egregious inaccuracies I should watch out for?

I guess I need to go check the rules on who can vent, and who can't, since my first response (a vent) was based on not seeing the need for multiple posts about someone's inability to get good results from paints many of us have used successfully for years. It's kinda like reading the posts from modelers who say using BMF is "too hard". All I did was suggest that he go back to using Tamiya lacquers exclusively, as he seems to have better luck with those.

OK, enough of this. Go look up Donn Yost's how-to-airbrush videos and tell me how cr@ppy Testors/Model Master paints are. Donn uses them almost exclusively, reduces them with lacquer thinner and gets eye-grabbing phenomenal results. And surprise, I've already anticipated your next whine: Wah! I don't wanna buy a big, scary airbrush. I wubs my wattle cans. Fine. Please sell off your Testors paints, buy all the Tamiya you can, and move on.

Gotta like that color. Can't wait to see it completed. If I could offer a suggestion, use a sanding stick or some other means to remove the block lettering one the chassis, right above where the rear axle will be.

Bear with me here - I know the majority of you have probably built Revell's '69 Charger at least once, but I haven't, so I'd like to know what fitment / accuracy issues I'll encounter. I've heard that the rear axle needs to be moved slightly to be centered in the wheel well, and according to some of the WIPs I've seen, a number of them made comments about having to do extra work around the front fender/grill area, as gaps may appear unless certain steps are taken. What other things should I be aware of if my goal is to end up with a good-looking, accurate build?

One other item: do a light wash of black paint on the fluted part of the center cap. Small detail, but it can make a big difference.

I hope this isn't seen as a hijack of this thread, but I'd like to know if there are resin versions of these tires, lettered or not. I can't afford to buy kits just for tires, and I don't have a lot of parts to trade, so I'd just prefer to buy resin tires and have done with it. TIA for any relevant info.

If you look at the AMT '67 Mustang box art that uses a built kit instead of a 1:1 car, it shows one of the issues I have with the '68 Shelby - even as a factory stock build, the front tires extend out past the fenders. Overall, the new-ish '67 Mustang/Shelby kits are probably well-designed in most respects, but the wider front track gives it a toyish look IMNSHO.