49 Merc Woody update 9-7-2016

[randyc]

I started this one right after it came out.  However, I was living 3.5 hours from "home" during the week and didn't have access to my bench or airbrush, etc.   Had a toolbox with suipplies and some bottle paints.  So I started it a while back.  Got to thinking about it and dug it out last weekend.   Looked it over, made a decision to paint with what I have on hand. Forest green met.  Original intention was to sand thru the paint to make it appear older, but it came out ok, so going to leave it and move along.  Make it ok, but not show car kind of build.   Hot rod built at home.   As I would build it.  This is also my first real work with MM acrylics.  I have used Flat black acrylic in the past, but bought some acrylic wood color for the framing.  Pretty good stuff.  Dries smooth, not so clumpy as enamels can be.  Will over coat the light wood with some yellow clear to give it an aged shellac look.   Mot sure of wheels yet or anything past what you see here.   I can decide all that later.  

 

Randyc

Edited September 7, 2016 by randyc

[Intmd8r]

Great start!

[espo]

IF YOU USE THE DECALS FOR THE DARK WOOD INSETS BE AWARE THEY ARE VERY DELICATE AND NEED TO HAVE THE CLEAR PART TRIMED AWAY SO THAT THEY WILL SIT DOWN IN THE BODY SIDES. IF YOU ARE GOING THIS WAY YOU MIGHT WANT TO USE YOUR CLEAR YELLOW ON THE LIGHTER WOOD FIRST AND USE CLEAR  THE DECALS.  I LIKE THE DARK GREEN COLOR. WHAT INTERIOR COLORS ARE YOU THINKING ?

[mod3l Lover]

   Yeah that green is real nice!

 

      David S.

[randyc]

Thanks for tip on the decals.  Yes I will likely use them.  Interior is painted with Rust or Leather Testors.  Been over a year since I painted it and I forgot.  Kinda standard colors.  I painted the dash body color too.  

The green is a can of DupliColor I picked up at Auto Zone.  Nothing too fancy.  Over gray primer.

[Ramfins59]

I love the green color Randy and look forward to seeing more.

[randyc]

Here's a few more pics of the WIP.  I'm not good at thinking to take pics at any given time during a build.  Just after I get done with a session I will snap off a few.  The decals were still "wet" in these, as was the glue on the lenses.  I hope they have settled down some as they dried.  The custom parts are from the revell 49 Merc, no big deal there.  I really wanted to use the louvered hood from the Merc, but started this one and didn't have access to all my stuff.  This may be the first kit I haven't used my airbrush on at all.  I look forward to getting that set back up this fall.  I was orignally going to sand thru the paint to primer, but think I'm just going to leave it like it is.  I can live with it.  

I'm really impressed with the panel decals - they actuall FIT, unlike some wood decals from the past.  The gauge deccals, however, were another story.  Would not conform and lay in the bezels.  Had to cut them down to round and take the bottoms off to make them fit the molded dash openings.  And these gauges weren't made for stock appearance.  they are small enough to be okay, though.  Kinda rough, but who will notice on the shelf?  

Randy

[Harry P.]

Looking fantastic so far! The dash detail is beautiful!

[randyc]

Thanks.  I'm trying to get the foil and paint to be as exact as I can.  Have learned that I have to take my glasses off and hold parts about 6" from my face to see that close to get the details.  Then watch the brush tip carefully lest I smash a loaded brush into the surrounding area.   Otherwise I wear my glasses and a pair of reading glasses to do "regular" model work.  And then to find the scissors or knife, back to regular glasses.  More time messing with glasses to find the right combination than building some days....

[Sledsel]

Its looking really good. Love the color combo.

The kit looks better than the awful chopped coupe, I just cannot get past the windshield on it.

[Chuckyg1]

Coming along nicely. Really love the dash work.

 

 

 

[espo]

the paint and wood decals look really great. If the decals on the passenger door don't settle down you might use some Solvaset and you may even have to gently poke a small hole with a pin if air is trapped underneath.  The bumpers and grill look great.

[randyc]

Its looking really good. Love the color combo.

The kit looks better than the awful chopped coupe, I just cannot get past the windshield on it.

I did the coupe when it came out.   years ago, I drew a typical caricature of a Merc for use on my business cards and I built that car to represent that car, which was exactly what I'd want in a Kustom.  IF I could get photobucket to cooperate, I'd post a pic of it.  Grrrrr....

[randyc]

the paint and wood decals look really great. If the decals on the passenger door don't settle down you might use some Solvaset and you may even have to gently poke a small hole with a pin if air is trapped underneath.  The bumpers and grill look great.

I had absolutely NO problem with mine.  I did put the Solva-? (blue label) on the body, then the decal, then the Solva-? (red label) over that.   They were snugging down nicely.  Haven't been back to the building since I took the photos to see how everything laid down though.  And when I did the photos the driver's side wasn't done.   But impatient as I am, I had to SEE how it would look and I was tired of looking at it with no decals.  Thanks for teh compliments, everyone.  

Randy

Edited September 8, 2016 by randyc

[Sledsel]

I did the coupe when it came out.   years ago, I drew a typical caricature of a Merc for use on my business cards and I built that car to represent that car, which was exactly what I'd want in a Kustom.  IF I could get photobucket to cooperate, I'd post a pic of it.  Grrrrr....

Just add the pic off your hard drive when posting (choose files tab)

The body of that kit is just that, a caricature

[CometMan]

Looking great so far, Randy! The De Soto grille is a really nice touch!

[randyc]

Just add the pic off your hard drive when posting (choose files tab)

The body of that kit is just that, a caricature

I don't have it on the hard drive and the bucket won't even let me d/l it.  It's probably our net connection here.  I think that body was supposed to be the stereotypical "kustom"...so yeah it's modified in many ways.  Looks reasonable to me for a Kustom.  And way better than me having to attempt those mods on the stock AMT body.  I picked up a Jimmy Flintstone body years ago and hated it.  Never finished it either.  To me, it was too weird. 

Randy

 

[Sledsel]

I don't have it on the hard drive and the bucket won't even let me d/l it.  It's probably our net connection here.  I think that body was supposed to be the stereotypical "kustom"...so yeah it's modified in many ways.  Looks reasonable to me for a Kustom.  And way better than me having to attempt those mods on the stock AMT body.  I picked up a Jimmy Flintstone body years ago and hated it.  Never finished it either.  To me, it was too weird. 

Randy

 

Resins have their place, but not with me. LOL. The Merc body shows it's die cast origins badly. The sides are too flat, roof is too flat, and the windshield does not have enough "V" in the middle. I got disgusted with trying to correct it and cut it up. The headlight bezels were okay, and the 1/4 windows were nice. The rest of the body went to the trash. I used the good stuff on the AMT kit and took me less time to do the initial top chop than trying to round the body sides of the Revell to look un-toy-like.

[mustang1989]

Great work so far and the details on the dash are just out of this world man. Wow!

[randyc]

Sweet!