Warped body any one build this kit with a wrapped body?

[Darren B]

I picked this kit up still in shrink wrap at my local hobby model car club, and came home to find out the body has a slight warp to it. I know you can usually dunk in hot boiling water to bring it out of the warp. but the last time I did that I ruined the body. My question is if any one has built this same kit with a wrap. does the interior and frame help to bring it out of its warp when it is finished?

Edited November 12, 2017 by Darren B

[Lunajammer]

Any pics on how much it's warped? The best answer will depend on how much you have to correct.

[Bucky]

To answer your question about the interior and chassis, yes, it can help, depending on how the body is warped. I haven't built one of these Firebirds, but I did have an AMT '65 Pontiac Bonneville with a warped body. I didn't try any tricks to straighten it up. When it came time to do final assembly, I just spread the fenders and bottom edges of the doors, and the interior tub went in fine. The chassis slipped right in, and the front bumper/grille helped to tweak the front fenders into place. I hope this helps!!

[Snake45]

Final assembly with interior, firewall, and chassis in place often cures minor warps. 

[Mark]

If it's more than "minor", you can do a partial assembly of the supporting structure (chassis plate and interior side panels), then pull the body into position.  Then wrap the out-of-shape areas with rubber bands (difficult) or tack them in place with a hot glue gun (easier).  The rubber band method is tougher because you have to be careful that they aren't pulling something else out of shape, also because rubber bands aren't as good as they used to be and dry out/fall apart. 

I use the hot glue method with Jimmy Flintstone resin bodies.  Those are often pulled off of the mold before they are fully cured, which leaves the lower body sides spread a bit further apart than they should be.  That affects even the hood fit on some bodies, so it's something you'd want to fix before doing anything else.  The "pull it into place and glue it" method will require setting the thing back into the box for a few weeks, but in my case procrastination pays off.

[Darren B]

this is a side pic of the warpage, the other side (drivers side) is flat on the sheet of glass, the pass side is that high off the ground behind the front wheel, that's why I say its slight warpage, but it does bug me enough to wonder if all the building and painting then assembly to have 1 wheel not touch the ground. I will mock up the interior and all the chassis parts and see what it looks like. I may try the hot water treatment one more time too.

[keyser]

Don't "drop it in boiling water". EVER.

Here's my friend Mike Poole's tutorial, it works well. I've tried many ways, and had zero luck with any but this.

http://www.austinsms.org/Straightening-Warped-Plastic-Parts.php

[Darren B]

Don't "drop it in boiling water". EVER.

Here's my friend Mike Poole's tutorial, it works well. I've tried many ways, and had zero luck with any but this.

http://www.austinsms.org/Straightening-Warped-Plastic-Parts.php

Great site to boot!!! thank you for the link I will try this as well.

[Darren B]

If it's more than "minor", you can do a partial assembly of the supporting structure (chassis plate and interior side panels), then pull the body into position.  Then wrap the out-of-shape areas with rubber bands (difficult) or tack them in place with a hot glue gun (easier).  The rubber band method is tougher because you have to be careful that they aren't pulling something else out of shape, also because rubber bands aren't as good as they used to be and dry out/fall apart. 

I use the hot glue method with Jimmy Flintstone resin bodies.  Those are often pulled off of the mold before they are fully cured, which leaves the lower body sides spread a bit further apart than they should be.  That affects even the hood fit on some bodies, so it's something you'd want to fix before doing anything else.  The "pull it into place and glue it" method will require setting the thing back into the box for a few weeks, but in my case procrastination pays off.

Mark, that may work as well. I will try the sub assemblies, if that does not work then Ill give Mike's tutorial on just the body I try. I hate working with a kit that the body is not exactly straight. Even thou the kit was only $5.00 I still like the car and want to use it as a slump buster over my huge projects that I am stuck on right now.