Moebius ' 61 Catalina Finished

[smellyfatdude]

Well, I probably shouldn't be starting any wip's, but I am commited to finishing this. Just 'cause I went out and bought this kit, simply to use the paint I found at Wal-Nuts. This is the only model I've purchased this year, and it was on the condition I get it done. Krylon satin Bright White over Rustoleum satin Seaside, and cleared with Tamiya TS-13. No factory color match, but I just knew when I saw this paint on the shelf that it belonged on this car. I was right. This is just a test fit to check the stance, and without the interior and firewall it's a perfect fit if you ask me. I removed the back bumper from the fin caps, so there'll be a natural looking seperation there, like on a 1:1. Also took off the mold lines on the front bumper, and used ultra bright bmf to recover the sides. I googled for pics of a factory stock interior, and managed to replicate it with a couple of Duplicolor and Rustoleum paints I already had in my stash. And as you can see, just your ordinary out-of-box Pontiac twin four under the hood. The full wheel covers and Firestone tires are from a ' 61 Bonneville kit.

Edited September 21, 2018 by smellyfatdude

[bbowser]

Great start!  IIRC there are issues with the fit of the glass?

[smellyfatdude]

Lots of test fitting with the glass, already. And more to come once everything's foiled. But I think I've got everything sanded and shaped for a good enough fit. Next will be detail the firewall and interior, then I'll start on the body. 

[gtx6970]

sweet,

Nice colors.

 

What did you use for the interior colors

[smellyfatdude]

Duplicolor Bright Calypso and Bright Aqua metallic, and Rustoleum ocean mist. Here's the reference pic I spoke of.

[Modelbuilder Mark]

Off to a good start

[jjsipes]

Looking good

[kelson]

That color looks right at home on the body!!

[Lovefordgalaxie]

Good looking car, with a good looking paint. Can't ask for more. 

[Ron Hamilton]

Go get 'em!!!!

[ewetwo]

This is going to be a beauty.

[espo]

Good color choice, very much like the era when these cars came out. Your interior looks just like the photo. This is a great kit and I'm trying to get to another one this year. In addition to the window fitment the back of the headlights on the front grill want to bottom out on the radiator support.

[smellyfatdude]

21 minutes ago, espo said:

In addition to the window fitment the back of the headlights on the front grill want to bottom out on the radiator support.

Lots of trimming there already, too. It looks slightly off in the photos, but when I press the grill firmly in place, it sinks in all the way. So, during installation I plan to press firmly, along with some superglue. 

[Scalper]

oh wow.. that interior looks great so far.

[espo]

3 minutes ago, smellyfatdude said:

Lots of trimming there already, too. It looks slightly off in the photos, but when I press the grill firmly in place, it sinks in all the way. So, during installation I plan to press firmly, along with some superglue. 

I would suggest spending a lot of time fine tuning the grill installation before gluing. The fitment between the grill, hood, and rad. support is somewhat like a jigsaw puzzle. You fix one and then it doesn't want to line up with the others. I just now went over to relook at my '61 Ventura and the blankety blank grill fell out. This will give me a chance to try this again.

[James2]

Great looking model you got there...

[bobthehobbyguy]

Great color. Nice work on the interior.

[smellyfatdude]

Thanks all for your interest in the Catalina. I added the foil to the hood, and stuck the pan in to the grill/bumper. You still see a slight gap in the picture, but when it's pressed firmly to where it's going to sit, everything lines up beautifully. The back edge of the hood, the trim, the gap between the pan and the hood are all a perfect fit. My goal now is to get that firewall done, then finish the interior. Going to have to hit the lhs tomorrow, for a few supplies. Yes, I will get this one done. 

[espo]

Your front end fitment looks great. 

[Justin Porter]

It's a really really clean looking build. The colors just cry out "Big Poncho".

[mustang1989]

Looks like everything is all lined up at the front alright. Lookin' good D.W.

[Speedfreak]

Beautius! Man you did a stellar job on matching those colors for the interior.

[Rider]

Fantastic work, very nice colour. The interior is looking bang on to the pic you posted. Good luck with the rest o for the build. 

[Geno]

I'm a Pontiac fanatic and you are rockin' this one. Great start.

[smellyfatdude]

Thanks again, everyone. I did another test fit, after I finished detailing the firewall, and everything still lines up just as sweet as before. Hopefully the interior doesn't give me any grief, once it's in place. Also, got the grill washed. Time to pull it apart, finish off the engine bay, and get busy on the interior.