*1941 Willys Gasser "Big John Mazmanian"*

[slusher]

Sharp looking engine, Bob. I like the silver leaf on the chrome..

[Zippi]

Thanks Carl.  I like the looks of the Silver Leaf myself.  Think I"ll leave the valve covers and the bug catcher chrome.  

[Zippi]

Not much going on today.  Got the headers cleaned up and the collectors glued on.  I got the distributor painted and a few more parts glued on the engine.  The chrome has more flash than I thought so after cleaning it all up I'm gong over the raw area's with my Molotow chrome Pen.  Also got all 8 holes drilled in the valve covers to except the plug wires.    

[Zippi]

Getting ready to glue the rear suspension in and I've noticed something.  Where the rear shocks attach to the rear end on the brackets, I can slide the shocks up and down a pretty good ways.  Depending on where the shocks are glued in it's going to set the height between the tire and the rear fender opening.  For those of you that have built this kit, do you remember just where you placed the rear shocks in the brackets to get a good looking gap between the tire and rear fender?

[Zippi]

I got most of the engine completed today.  Just need to paint and wire the coil and paint a few bolt heads.  Also had a good day with low humidity to get the body in primer.  

[TransAmMike]

1 hour ago, Zippi said:

I got most of the engine completed today.  Just need to paint and wire the coil and paint a few bolt heads.  Also had a good day with low humidity to get the body in primer.  

Looks good in primer Bob.

[Zippi]

2 minutes ago, TransAmMike said:

Looks good in primer Bob.

Thank's ole buddy.

[slusher]

Real nice progress Bob, I hope you get low humidity to paint the body. Humidity is murder here in the south right now..

[chris chabre]

Im using the K.S.Pittman kit as the main donor for my ferrari build so Ill be watching.

 

Im torn between making it a high end drag car that would show well, and an all business drag car without the shiny stuff...Being a ferrari, Im leaning high ed show and go like many drag cars were back then. I just hate kit chrome haha

[TransAmMike]

I'm getting kind of worried about "Zippi".  We have struck up a friendship and usually PM several times a day. I haven't heard from him and he hasn't posted in a couple of days.

[Zippi]

Still here Mike.  Had to take a step back and think about the quality of work I'm doing or maybe not doing.  Just not satisfied with what I'm seeing.  I did get a little chassis work done.  I first primed the body in flat gray as I do all my models but the Tamiya Italian red came out to dark.  I re-sprayed the body with a white basecoat hoping the red will turn out a little brighter.  Temperature around noon today should be around 75 degrees with the humidity around 50% so conditions are ideal.  Paint seems to never turn out right for me so I'm hoping for the best and expecting the worst.    

[cobraman]

Shaping up nicely.

[Zippi]

43 minutes ago, cobraman said:

Shaping up nicely.

Thanks Ray.

[Zippi]

I got the body re-painted.  With the white basecoat the color came out pretty close to the color on the cap.  It has some orange peel but not bad.  This time around I sat the can in some warm water as others have suggested.  I'll let the body set for a couple days before spraying it will clear.  Trying a new clear coat this time around.  

[TransAmMike]

Looks good my Friend!  Maybe a light sanding for the orange peel before clearing??

[Zippi]

Thanks Mike.

[Zippi]

I have a rolling chassis.  Can't seem to get the front wheels to snap on like the rear did.  I thought I had broken it once so I stopped.  I may have to cut a portion of the axle off and glue the front wheels on.  

[slusher]

Red looks great Bob. Tamiya makes a pink primer for reds. Everything  looks great Bob, keep up the good work.

[Zippi]

26 minutes ago, slusher said:

Red looks great Bob. Tamiya makes a pink primer for reds. Everything  looks great Bob, keep up the good work.

Thanks Carl.  All I saw at the local hobby shop was white primer and white basecoat but I will keep that in mind.  

[Zippi]

I'm looking at the chrome front grille and the photo etched one that came in the kit.  Looking at the 1:1 Big John Mazmanian Willy's it's a different shape and has a slight bow to it.  The chrome one is bowed and the photo etched one is flat.  Not sure what to do here.  Can't trial fit the grills as my paint on the body is still curing.  Need a little help here.  

[Tortuga Kustomz]

Looking good 

[papajohn97]

I’d use the PE grill, the plastic grill screams “toy” IMO. You can easily bend the PE to match the body contour at the opening.
Your build is coming along nicely so far. I agree with TransAMMike on the base coat red, light sand and re-spray if necessary to smooth out, I’ve never had luck fixing a bumpy base coat with clear coat.

Edited August 4, 2021 by papajohn97
Added second sentence

[Zippi]

1 hour ago, papajohn97 said:

I’d use the PE grill, the plastic grill screams “toy” IMO. You can easily bend the PE to match the body contour at the opening.
Your build is coming along nicely so far. I agree with TransAMMike on the base coat red, light sand and re-spray if necessary to smooth out, I’ve never had luck fixing a bumpy base coat with clear coat.

Thanks John

[Zippi]

Just clearcoated the body and hood.  Two light coats, one medium coat, and one wet coat with 20 min flash time on each coat.  Came out pretty good.  I'm going to let this cure until this weekend to make sure it's good and dry before I wet sand it.  

[chris chabre]

Looks awesome Bob!