Monty

Looks like you did a great job on this, Jeff. Any chance of making the pictures bigger? I'd love to see a close-up of that engine bay.

I asked a similar question a while back & ultimately went with the unit Harry recommended. http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/420036/Realspace-Clamp-On-Magnifier-Task-Lamp/ Good magnification with very low heat (LED bulbs). Still happy with it.

Nice work on that Buick, Adam! Hope we'll see more of your work soon.

What purple paint did you use on this?

Allow me to hijack this thread for just a second since I know virtually nothing about old iron. What kind of power could you expect to get out of an engine like that with the Ardun heads, multiple carbs etc?

Sounds interesting. Any chance you have an example you could show us?

Pics aren't easy to find, but I've got a few of the bottom side of the '63-'82 interiors. From what I've been able to determine, they're made out of some kind of reinforced fiberglass, and the survivor series & Bloomington Gold experts from the Corvette forum I belong to (corvetteforum.com) all say they left the factory unpainted. Here are a few of the best examples I could find from a correctly restored '67: http://firsttraderegistry.com/forsale/9_06/67corvette6/1967%20corvette%20427%20044.jpg* http://firsttraderegistry.com/forsale/9_06/67corvette6/1967%20corvette%20427%20040.jpg* Here's a pic of a red 1980 (maybe mine?) on the assembly line. As you can see, the fiberglass flooring etc is not painted. http://corvettec3.ca/linepics/data/images/20.jpg I'm not just talking about finding an appropriate shade of paint, although I wouldn't mind recommendations. It's equally important to capture that raw fiberglass look as well. Suggestions? * Tip of the hat to Custom Mike for the link to the pics.

Normally I don't pay much attention to show cars, but the "Mako" aspect had me curious. My compliments on the design and execution of this build, Christian. You've created something beautiful, and you should be proud of what you've accomplished.

Interesting information, Chris. I look forward to seeing your pics.

I'd like to add my name to the list of those who've had extremely satisfactory trades with IMSANUT (Jim McCall). Jim made the effort to contact me sometime after I had removed my trade request (no replies) and said he might be able to help. Long story short, once we'd come to terms on the items to be traded, the deal couldn't have gone any easier. Another honest, dependable trader.

Looks like they all offered their own version of the '83 Z28, but I'd like to have some reviews of the kits' accuracy, features, foibles and any other aspect worthy of comment. Here's all I know: 1) The MPC kit seems decent - they even got around to changing the engine over to the Camaro's version of the Cease err, Crossfire V8, which they neglected to do for the '82 'Vette. The chassis looks somewhat better than the mediocre offerings of most of their 1970s products, and the body seems to be correct, although I'm not an expert on Camaros. My biggest objection, as with most MPC vehicles, is the cheesy chromed headlights. A couple clear lenses could'a really been a game-changer on this kit at virtually no extra cost. 2) Revell offered a Z28 as well as a Berlinetta version. The Z28 box art I saw didn't give me a whole lot of information, but it implies that it's engineered for poseable steering (almost always a plus for me). Going by what I saw (tiny pictures), they seem to have captured the body accurately. No idea what the engine or chassis are like. 3) Just found out that AMT took a shot at this as well, although there's not much information out there on it either. The box art isn't terribly inspiring, but the instructions I found posted on Drastic Plastic show that AMT gave it the old college try. According to the illustrations, the chassis seems to have a couple nice (separate) suspension pieces and the engine seems to have all the basic elements to depict the Crossfire V8. So, let's see what you have to say. Pics are more than welcome, especially when making comparisons.

Thanks for the pics, Casey!

If memory serves, Monogram made these in two different sizes and used them on actual race car models (Owens Corning 'Vettes) as well as for big & little tire combos for some of their street rods. Just curious if anyone is offering them in resin. If you have a pic of the sidewall, that would be extremely helpful.

AMT's box art of the late '60s undoubtedly had an influence in my choosing one kit over another when I was young. The way the various options were depicted could inspire you to get creative with your own build. Later (early '80s?) photographic images (Brown '32(?) Ford, dark gold '57 Ford custom) actally negatively influenced my buying decisions. The only time I really got burned was when I saw the Palmer '74 Thunderbird. The box art implied that it would have wide wheels & tires as well as engine upgrades. My normally non-assertive self stormed back to the store and told the owner that he needed to quit selling junk like that.

This subject came up on another forum and Steve Milberry supplied what seems to be the best solution to the problem: Your only option is to cut out the molded in ones and replace them. The lenses themselves are pretty easy. Just a rectangle of clear plastic with prism pattern etched on them with an x-acto blade and a ruler. To do the reflectors, just make a couple retangular boxes the size of the light opening. Cover the opening where the lens goes with foil. Self adheasive foil duct tape works well for me but you could also use kitchen foil. Just glue it to the opening and carefully smooth it down into the box, slowly as not to rip it. It just has to be smoothed in a bit to form a reflector area of the headlights. Sorry I don't have any pics right now,, I did have a couple but they're missing from fotki at the moment. Thanks, Steve! And Jonathan S, if you get a chance, could you repost your pics? They had all timed out before I got to see them, and I was looking forward to having some WIP info for this kit. TIA!

Now say it in your KITT voice

There's an Austrailian member of another model forum I'm on who grew up brush painting his models with Humbrol enamels. (The right brushes & some artistic training make all the difference). The gloss range isn't as extensive as, say, Testors, but the colors are nice, and there are metalizer-type paints and candies too (Clear red, clear green and clear orange). The flat/military colors offer all kinds of variations of blue, brown, green etc, and they are an excellent choice for interiors. These paints also work great for airbrushing, although I recommend reducing them with lacquer thinnner rather than Humbrol's reducer. I see Frank has already posted. Do a search for his red Mazda. It's painted with Humbrol #19 (Bright red). The pigments are nice but you will need to stir them thoroughly for best results. I recommend getting the Badger paint mixer. Your LHS should have it for around $12.00.

Hi Ben! Nice to see you in a car thread, especially with the improvements (needed) you're making to this kit. My friends who build mostly semi trucks hold you in high regard. I'd like to know a little more about those Centerline wheels you had made to spec. I assume they can also be made in a 5-lug configuration with different offsets. Can you give us a ballpark figure what a complete set of wheels might cost?

Big 442 fan here, so I'll be watching this with interest. Given the high standards you've announced, you've basically made yourself a target for Nitpickers Inc. to try to call you out on every detail. You'll generally find that option documentation & correct engine and inner fender colors should ward the majority of them off. I'm going to be building the Lindberg '67 442, but I'll be relying on Google pics of unrestored cars as a primary info source, since I've seen supposedly "correctly restored" 442s with errors that could've only come from someone settling for "good enough". The Corvette Forum that I belong to has a whole Factory Correct Restoration section for the Bloomington Gold hardcores, so I wouldn't be surprised to learn there were dedicated 442 internet forums that might be helpful as well. Best of luck with this project!

Did you modify this to have poseable front wheels? IMNSHO, that's always a nice change.

Beautiful work, Ron! Is the paint from the Testors/Model Master lacquer line?

Anybody know if this is just something that particular branch is doing, or is Hobby Lobby clearing out MM spray paints at all their stores?

I've relegated that truck to the back of my to-be-built pile because I can't figure out how to make the headlight lenses look realistic. It's a shame because I like how they designed the rest of the model.

Gotta agree with Anthony - great job on those fuel tanks! Love the paint color, too. Is it Tamiya's maroon?

Very nice work, Sean. I'm glad you decided to redo it instead of trashing it. I think the new color is a better choice anyway (and one that I may have to chase down for myself). I've done the same "metal springs" trick while building the AMT '67 Impala, but was concerned they wouldn't be able to hold up under the weight of the car without some other kind of support, so it never got completed. Looks like yours is doing fine so far.