77 AMC Matador: WIP (Photos Restored)

[David G.]

I've spent the last couple of weeks fighting ghosts. This ghost comes from the relief cut that was cast into the underside of the hood. It's intended provide a guide for those who want to cut the hood open to accommodate a blower or hood scoop.

 

This is my first attempt to correct the issue by sanding, spot glazing and repainting the effected area.

 

This is the result- better, but not good enough.

 

I stripped the paint, covered the offending area with CA and sanded, primed and repainted.

 

Mission accomplished!

 

This other ghost was the result of a casting flaw. This one was easily corrected with a bit of sanding and spot putty. The same procedure that didn't work at first on the hood.

As always, thanks for taking the time to look and feel free to comment.

David G.

Edited April 13, 2021 by David G.
Photo Update

[72 Charger]

Nice save . Those hood scoop areas are a total PITA.....! You did a good job busting that ghost

[David G.]

Nice save . Those hood scoop areas are a total PITA.....! You did a good job busting that ghost

Thank you Dave.

I think from now on I should just treat areas like this with CA during the initial prep and save myself the aggravation.

David G.

[Cpt Tuttle]

Shame about the ghost lines, but nice work in getting rid of them.
Always sad to need to sand fresh paint though.

[John Goschke]

Love seeing such meticulous workmanship on this model! Your stance adjustments were definitely worth the effort – one of the most important aspects of a great model! Great job on the "ghostbusting," always a frustrating task, but another one worth the effort.

Having lived through those dark ages of opera windows, fake burl wood, and crushed velour, I always thought these two-door Matador were one of the best-looking cars of the era, especially compared to the horrendous 4,000 lb. "intermediates" from GM and Ford!

 

[Cpt Tuttle]

IMO many AMC products from the 70s had attractive styling, not all cars made by them were Gremlins and Pacers....

[David G.]

Shame about the ghost lines, but nice work in getting rid of them.
Always sad to need to sand fresh paint though.

Thanks Mattias, it is a bummer to have to do that but it's all a part of the game.

David G.

[David G.]

Love seeing such meticulous workmanship on this model! Your stance adjustments were definitely worth the effort – one of the most important aspects of a great model! Great job on the "ghostbusting," always a frustrating task, but another one worth the effort.

Having lived through those dark ages of opera windows, fake burl wood, and crushed velour, I always thought these two-door Matador were one of the best-looking cars of the era, especially compared to the horrendous 4,000 lb. "intermediates" from GM and Ford!

 

Thanks for your kind comments John. Sometimes I find my goals to be a little more ambitious than my skills will allow, but that's how we improve.

David G.

[David G.]

IMO many AMC products from the 70s had attractive styling, not all cars made by them were Gremlins and Pacers....

I always liked AMC because they were willing to take risks in designing. They weren't afraid to break away from the accepted conventions and do their own thing. The result wasn't always a fabulous success, but at least it was usually interesting.

David G.

[David G.]

Got some of the foil work done!

I'll try to get some more photos tomorrow.

Thanks,

David G.

Edited April 13, 2021 by David G.
Photo Update

[disabled modeler]

David...Looks great...!   I love the odd stuff...

[David G.]

Time for another update...

 

In attaching the bumper guards, too much handling damaged the "chrome" finish on the bumpers so I stripped and repainted them. I masked the groove where the rubber impact strip will be placed.

 

To simulate the rubber impact strips, I built up three layers of electrical tape and cut it into strips of the proper length.

 

The finished bumpers.

 

As always, thanks for taking the time to look, and always feel free to comment.

David G.

Edited April 13, 2021 by David G.
Photo Update

[afx]

Bumpers look great.

[Monty]

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!

[David G.]

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!

Thanks, Monty, for your kind and insightful comments.

I had thought about replacing the headlights; I currently have the grille mounted with white glue so it's still an option. After nearly a year of working on this kit I'm anxious to finish it- I'll have to see how my patience holds out.

David G. 

[espo]

Just noticed your build. I also have one of these in my stash from long long ago. Now that you have shown how it can all be corrected I might also try building this rather poorly done kit.

[David G.]

Just noticed your build. I also have one of these in my stash from long long ago. Now that you have shown how it can all be corrected I might also try building this rather poorly done kit.

Go for it!

David G.

[David G.]

Another update.

 

Front bumper mounted- checking the alignment of the hood and grille.

 

Rear bumper in place. Nearly finished!

As always, thanks for taking the time to look and feel free to comment.

David G.

Edited April 13, 2021 by David G.
Photo Update

[GTJUNIOR]

Looking good.

[slusher]

Very nice touch on the bumpers Dave..

[Foxer]

using electrical tape for the bumper strips is something I'm filing away ... brilliant!

This is looking really cool. I'd like to see the rear come down some more, but that is probably true on the 1:1 for me also.

[David G.]

Very nice touch on the bumpers Dave..

Thanks Carl, I'm fairly pleased with the way they came out.

David G.

[David G.]

using electrical tape for the bumper strips is something I'm filing away ... brilliant!

This is looking really cool. I'd like to see the rear come down some more, but that is probably true on the 1:1 for me also.

Glad you like the tape trick, thanks Mike.

I wish I could've lowered it a bit more too, but any more grinding would have put me through the floor pan.

David G.

[Dogfish_7]

Very nice work!

[David G.]

Very nice work!

Thank you Bruce.

David G.