Monty

I'm going to be applying the factory decals to Revell's stock 440 air filter housing, but I'd like some advice on a couple issues. 1) The 1:1 air cleaner housings seem to be flat black. How do you apply decals to flat black paint without getting "silvering" around the edges? 2) I'm thinking the decal's gonna have a tough time conforming to the inclines etc of the top of the air cleaner housing. What all do I need to make that happen? Decal-sol? Decal-set? Any other clues you think might be helpful would be appreciated.

Spectacular work again! Can't wait to see what you create next.

Has anyone started checking for prices on this kit?

Many of us were fortunate enough to get the MRC wheel/tire packages back in the '90s. I thought the wheels were some of the best looking available, but it was the multitude of adapters that proved highly useful in getting these wheels to fit a variety of different model manufacturers' cars and trucks that made them kits so valuable. https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQCezWl8B-UmiJK660sK4vZ-VUI4UNds0r9PXMjEL4Us3zU7fU3 Since these kits have been out of production for over a decade and remaining kits are rare and expensive, I'd like to know whether the sprues with all the adapters can be copied as-is in resin. In other words, can the adapters be left on the sprues and the whole "tree" be copied in one shot? The "trees" are roughly 4"x 7". The benefit of these adapters goes beyond MRC wheels. The sheer number of adapters suggests they've covered the bases as far as using different wheels on a wider variety of subjects.

I'm going to be doing a stock Ford 351C for a project and I'm not thrilled with the hobby paint options I have for duplicating "Ford blue", so I thought I'd try something more authentic like 1:1 engine paint. Any chance this stuff's too hot for styrene?

That'd be great. PM me when that happens. Probably wouldn't hurt to cast a few more, since I'm probably not the only one looking to add this part to the 351C engine.

Randy, you've made some great improvements, but if you wouldn't mind a suggestion, gently cut through the tape stripes where they pass over the door edges.

Just checked - no luck on that one either.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRS6owZg-4FauFG8YQvbdM4Fc-JoasHbfy6ECEbYUW-fYWYsEws1A Looking for something like this to complete the 351C in the Mach 1 kit. Kit part? Resin?

Yeah, in the last few months I've been seeing a lot of the mile-long URLs & I wondered what that was all about. I've also gotten that same frustrating message almost every time, even with what appears to be "real" URLs. Seems like the photo-hosting sites have their share of problems, too. Some time ago there was a major malfunction @ Photobucket, and more recently a lot of pictures on Fotki disappeared, albeit temporarily (?) - Not sure if it's all been resolved yet.

Are you talking per post or...? I used to find the best overall pic and post it, so that shouldn't have been a problem.

I used to be able to just click on the image, bring up "Properties" and copy/past that url (?) into the image box. Worked well for several years. I've never had an interest in photography, so I never saw any reason to get any of the storage services.

We often see questions along the lines of "What is the correct..." especially from newer members. In the past I tried to be helpful by finding and posting examples of the subject in question from Google Images. This would usually benefit the OP as well as anyone else who had the same question later. In the last year or so, I've noticed that our system rejects about 95% of the images i try to post. Why is that? I don't have Fotki/Photobucket accounts, and to my way of thinking, shouldn't have to have them to post pictures on a board.

Probably, but you should be very cautious when dealing with them (him, really). If he's the only game in town for whatever part you're in need of, make him swear on his mother's grave that he has it in stock & ready to ship before you remit payment. Lotsa people on this and other boards have been burned...

Johnny, if you don't mind I'll offer a suggestion that should help you make the interior a little more authentic. If you take a look at a 1:1 T/A steering wheel, you'll see that the spokes have two different sizes of holes drilled through them. You could pop your steering wheel off the column and drill it out using a pin vise and a couple bits. You might also consider thinning the spokes from the back side using a small file. Small details like this can make a big difference.

Agreed, but the OP seemed to be asking for replica stock advice: I am looking for the modeling colors you use to represent these as if the car rolled off the assembly line.

Here are some suggestions to get you started: 1) Use Google Images to find as many pictures of the car in question as you can. You'll also need to search for things like Mopar restoration sites where the cars you'll find will usually be in some form of disassembly so you'll be able to see more of the areas you need. Print these pictures out and keep them in the model box with the project car. 2) If you don't already have them, get all of the Model Master metalizers in bottle form. The paint is thin and can be brushed onto bare plastic. Some can be polished out for a brighter shine (polished aluminum) while others are basically flat. You'll find all kinds of uses for them, such as painting molded in brake & fuel return lines, carbs and some suspension components. 3) A good semi-gloss black is virtually indispensable when dealing with frame rails, some suspension components and any number of things in the engine bay. Basically, it all comes down to using your eyes to translate the colors on the 1:1 car into readily obtainable (or mixable) paints.

It's too bad AMT couldn't have gotten all of the details right, but your corrections will really make this truck stand out. Getting it accurate looks like it would've been enough of a task, but your hinged access doors are above and beyond.

Too bad you couldn't get the video to post on here - I remember seeing it right after you figured out how to set up the slot car gearing so that the landing gear could be cranked up or down. Kudos also for putting the time and effort into less glamorous areas like the reefer engine and the trailer suspension.

I'm familiar with the majority of the semi-gloss and flat blacks offered by the hobby industry with the exception of most of the black paints in the Polly S & Poly Scale lines. Does anyone know of a black hobby paint that dries to an eggshell finish?

Túlio, thanks for the tutorial!

I've had the MPC-derived AMT 1974 Plymouth GTX kit sitting on my to-be-built-eventually shelf, but I'm trying to find a way to make it look more realistic. The headlights on these kits are molded in with the bezels, so I was wondering if someone offered hole saws for modelers that would allow me to make a thin cut around the outside of the headlight, creating a slight bit of separation between it and the surrounding bezel, just like on real cars. If nothing else, it would allow me to cut all the way through and replace these with a better reflector bucket/clear lens combination. Thoughts?

I'm hoping some of you can point me to some YouTube videos that show engine detailing tricks such as washes, metal abrasions (think paint abraded off the edge of a valve cover, exposing bare steel) & anything else that might be helpful in creating an engine with quite a few miles on it. I recently tried to find this stuff myself using titles like "model engine detailing", but didn't find what I needed. TIA for any links pertaining to the detailing issues I mentioned.

I always look forward to reading your posts because I know I'm going to see some great detailing and incredible paint, and this one with its mirror-black paint is absolutely magnificent. You mentioned getting two cans of Tamiya gloss black for this project. Why? Are you spraying multiple coats and rubbing them out? Any other tips you can share regarding achieving this kind of finish would be appreciated.

One for summer, one for winter, stylish driving all year 'round. Did it hurt that much to do a GM car?