Monty

I doubt the OP has any idea how many of this board's smart alecks wanted to take potshots at his idea, but ultimately decided to leaf it alone so he wouldn't get all out of joint. Knowing Harry, he'd probably reefer any such smart alecks to our new civility edict and wait to see if they actually doobie come helpful later. As a tokin' of our respect for a fellow modeler, weed be better off giving him comprehensive answers to his question, 'cuz one blunt one just won't do. Question for the OP: I see a lot of big sedans being used in these events. Cannibus be used in them as well? Good luck on your project, bud.

It appears lighter than Tamiya Light Gunmetal and darker than the various silver-ish paints available from Testors. Is there a hobby enamel or lacquer that matches this? Obviously this isn't a requirement, but If you can provide a picture of something sprayed with the paint you recommend, I'd appreciate it.

Au contraire. I've always envied those who got to work for model companies, model paint companies & other ancillary industries. There seems to be so much history, but only a few knowledgeable insiders capable of conveying it in an interesting manner.

No offense, Ray. I hope Casey's explanation was satisfactory.

That's a sharp little street machine, Slusher. The color pops & nicely done BMF and decal work complete the package. Couple questions: 1) When you mounted the spoiler to the trunk lid, did you drill and pin the posts for support? 2) I looks like you used some sort of Cragar wheels. What are they and what kit are they from?

Wow, that color just pops on that car! I never purchased any of the Testors paints in that series because I assumed they would all have the same oversized metal flakes. I may have to rethink that. Looks like your tire choice helped you achieve a killer stance. Do you have any pics of the shading work you did on the interior you'd like to share? The majority of us would be interested in anything that enhances the realism of a build. Lastly, what all did you find "fussy" about this kit? (I haven't built it yet).

P/N 1605 is listed as Transparent Candy Red & P/N 1607 is Transparent Hot Rod Red. Have any of you done a spoon test to see what the difference in hues is? Obscure reference pun:

Great concept! After seeing the work you've done on the kit-supplied grille, I'm assuming someone makes a P/E insert. That ought to look sharp when complete. It appears AMT used the same underhood "sheetmetal" on this as they used for the Fairlane, since the shock towers don't have any top assemblies. If that's going to be a concern for you, this may be of some help http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=58515. I'm looking forward to seeing how that Tamiya paint turns out. Sounds like a great color combination.

There have been a handful of builders on here who have used them, although IIRC, mostly for painting interiors. If you're going to be airbrushing these (or most other acrylics) you'll need to learn what to use to reduce them as well as what to use to keep the acrylic from building up inside your airbrush. Type "apple barrel" into the search box toward the upper right of the page. Are you anywhere near a Hobby Lobby or a Michaels?

Casey, I'm familiar with the high quality of work that you, Daniel & Crazyjim do, but I don't think I've seen any of Ian's stuff. Do you have a website for him?

I'm trying to figure out what you were thinking when you grabbed a can of house paint with the intent of using it on a model. The same WalMart where you bought that can probably had racks of Krylon spray cans that would've been easier to use (along with an appropriate primer.) While Krylon paints aren't necessarily made for styrene, we've had a few builders on here use them successfully. Most WalMarts seem to have gotten away from carrying automotive touch-up colors, but auto parts stores (NAPA, Auto Zone etc) usually carry Duplicolor or Plasti-cote paints. (Lots of modelers think Plasti-cote's T-235 primer is the best ever) These paints are lacquers and will require proper application techniques, but when done correctly, they often result in spectacular models. Take that can and your thinners back and start over.

I'm sure every city has its share of automotive ignoranti. Whoever created those Buick-esque portholes has made a fortune in the Dallas area alone. I've seen them on everything from '80s Lincolns to camo-painted Hummers. Here are a couple of my funniest memories of I-have-to-stick-something-on-my-car owners I've encountered: 1) A riced-out Solara with Honda VTEC badges on the fenders. Owner had no idea why people were laughing. 2) An '83 T-bird whose owner tried to create Duesenberg-type fender exhaust pipes using flexible metal conduit.

I've heard of acrylic clears being used to install model headlights & other "glass", but I'm not sure I'd have much confidence in its ability to hold beading wire in a semi-contorted shape as shown in the 1:1 picture I posted. Are you suggesting the CA glue might cause a problem?

The beading wire solution popped into my mind about 10 minutes after I posted my question because one of my projects needing this chrome trim treatment has seats that've been painted for years, and I doubt that glue (even Tenax 7) would get Evergreen to bond without marring the paint. Can I assume that CA glues will make the wire adhere to a painted surface? (I rarely ever use CA glues, so I don't know their full capabilities).

Interesting! I was not aware that Tenax 7 was that much better.

I've noticed that many GM muscle cars have a chrome strip incorporated into the sides and back of the seat, as seen here: I want to replicate this on my models using some of the smaller gauge Evergreen half-round stock, but I've never tried to make it go around corners before. Some cars seem to have wider chrome strips, so any tips on getting various sizes of half-round to conform tightly to curves as seen on this seat would be greatly appreciated.

After seeing that car, I'll be rooting for the zombies. This kind of behavior has been going on for years, and is usually excused as someone having more-money-than-brains syndrome. The best cure is public mockery by those who didn't make their cars look like something that got past their balloon knot.

Model Rectifier Corp made some killer Keystone Klassics*, but their tires were kinda iffy. As you might be able to tell from the box art, the wheels slip in through the back side of the tire while still giving the impression of an outer wheel lip. I'm hoping someone on here has found more accurate model tires that will work with these wheels. Please post up pics if you've found a solution. *I'm told their Cragar S/S wheels were dead-on as well, but you can hardly swing a dead cat without hitting a kit with good Cragars.

I'm truly sorry to hear this will be your last factory stock effort, as you definitely have a gift for getting the details correct. Outstanding work! A couple questions: 1) Where did you get the shock tower top assemblies? 2) What all did you have to do to make them fit under the hood?

Interesting...that hadn't even occurred to me, but it makes sense. Diolch yn fawr!

Junior, the carnation's a neat touch! I hope your friend appreciates the sentiment behind it. Also, when you get a chance, you may want to correct this post's title since that's not a '68.

I did this to a Mopar kit back in the early '80s using rattle-can enamels. I sprayed the car black, let it dry fully, then masked off the stripes which were painted undercoat gold. With the masking tape still in place, I waited till the undercoat gold was dry and then applied light coats of candy red till I achieved the hue I was after. Long story short, the colors looked beautiful together, but the paint ridge that built up along the sides of the masking tape kinda looked like a vinyl top seam, which detracted from the smooth look I was trying for. So now I have the itch to try this again, following the same basic pattern of dual stripes from the back edge of the trunk, over the roof and down to the front of the hood. I wonder if I'd be better off spraying the undercoat gold & candy red first, letting them dry, then masking the stripes and shooting the black. I'm trying to avoid build-up along the edges of the masking tape. Fortunately, I now have an airbrush, so I don't have to limit my choices to whatever's available in rattle-cans. I look forward to seeing your answers. If you can provide an answer and show your work, it'd be greatly appreciated.

Yes you were. In fact, Harry already gave you a warning point.

Hmmmm, how do I say this tactfully? How attached are you to that new user name? One might say it's a bit... ms-leading

Now I know you're pulling my leg. Next you'll be telling us you've actually seen dry Testors Chrome Silver. J/K! Given your mastery of MM paints, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but as you said above, there aren't many of us who are big fans of the stuff. I assume you reduce it with lacquer thinner too?