The wife's car

[ea0863]

I see some of you folks post your old builds - and your old rides - on this forum from time to time. It's nice to see I'm not the only one feeling nostalgic now and then! When I met my wife in 1984, she was driving a 1965 Chevy Impala SS with that beautiful aqua-blue Chevy color, and a white vinyl interior. She loved that car and kept it immaculate, but every time she Armor-all'ed the seats, she regretted it because one good stomp on the brakes and she'd wind up sliding down into the footwell . I think I married her in some part due to that car, and we've been happily together ever since. About 15 years ago, I tried my hand at replicating her car in model form, and below is as close as I was able to get. I don't think the blue is spot on, and I'd love to learn how to get those shiny smooth surfaces you pros get on your paint jobs, but overall I was pleased.

Edited August 6, 2022 by ea0863

[KWT]

Pretty snazzy.

Hang around, you definitely learn all the info you're looking for... and a whole lot more.

[ea0863]

Yup, just spent a bundle on airbrushing stuff so I can learn a bit about that end of the hobby, so I am both being filled with enthusiasm and knowledge whilst simultaneously drained of cash

[DPNM]

The Chevy was a nice build to do Emre. I hope your wife liked it.

 

What airbrush did you get? It's a subject I am partial to.

 

[cobraman]

Looks like your model is a nice clean build so you nailed that .

[DanL]

Very nice build... I'm just starting on a 65 chevy SS. Trying to duplicate the one I had as a kid. Mine was red with a blue interior. Great memories!

Cheers

[Bobdude]

Wow! Nice clean build!

[bisc63]

Very nice! Hard to beat a metallic blue Impala. Curious as to what color code her car carried?

[ea0863]

1 hour ago, DPNM said:

The Chevy was a nice build to do Emre. I hope your wife liked it.

 

What airbrush did you get? It's a subject I am partial to.

 

I went with the Iwata HP-CS.  I then got the Master Airbrush TC-326T so I will have something that runs cooler and has a tank for more even pressure delivery. And finally, an Ophir double fan spray booth since it has a wider painting area, nice even light distribution, and is adjustable both for lighting and fans. Let me know honestly what you think of my choices since I spent a lot of time researching. My goal was to spend a little more now and not have to "upgrade" later.

[ea0863]

11 minutes ago, bisc63 said:

Very nice! Hard to beat a metallic blue Impala. Curious as to what color code her car carried?

I wish I knew. I tried to find paperwork with the VIN, but since we sold it thirty years ago, I had no luck. Here is a picture of it from back in the day:

[ea0863]

1 hour ago, cobraman said:

Looks like your model is a nice clean build so you nailed that .

You are kind for saying so. The worst of it is the amateurish chrome molding. I will need to work on a steady hand and applying foil.

[bisc63]

That was a pretty car for sure. Looks like maybe Tahitian Turquoise, very likely with a white interior as you've shown. Gorgeous color. I let a '66 Impala go years ago that I miss every time I see a '65 or '66.

[Kromolly]

Looks great.  That reminds me of the silver-blue '66 Impala Super Sport my grandpa had when I was a kid.  He probably bought it in around '68-'69.  Had the 283 w/powerglide.  My dad always bought the base model cars with the 6 cyl & 3 in the tree, bench seat, etc. so I thought grandpa's car was really cool.  That must have been about the time I started to appreciate cars.  Anyway, good job on that.  Depending on the paint you use, look into techniques and supplies for color sanding and polishing (solid colors).  I clear coat metallic paints.  I use enamel paints myself.  When using a car wax for polishing, I learned the hard way many years ago to not use a cleaner wax.  Destroyed a paint job with that.  There is a lot of information and help on this forum.

[AMT68]

Excellent work and the color is beautiful especially with the white interior. 

And if it was a factory color possibly Tahitian Turquoise as Rusty mentioned or Danube blue was also offered that year. 

Edited March 12, 2022 by AMT68

[ea0863]

17 minutes ago, bisc63 said:

That was a pretty car for sure. Looks like maybe Tahitian Turquoise, very likely with a white interior as you've shown. Gorgeous color. I let a '66 Impala go years ago that I miss every time I see a '65 or '66.

We sold ours to family, who dented and scraped every panel learning to drive. He then had it painted baby blue and gave it to his wife. She had a kid do an oil change on it to save money, and he put the oil filter on without a gasket. She drove it without oil for days until the engine seized. They then sold the car to another family member who painted it bright red - - - with a brush, and drove it for the next year putting out plumes of black smoke like a diesel truck. It was so hard to watch!

Moral of the story: if you have to sell your beloved car, sell it to someone you will never see again! 

Edited March 12, 2022 by ea0863

[ea0863]

7 minutes ago, Kromolly said:

Looks great.  That reminds me of the silver-blue '66 Impala Super Sport my grandpa had when I was a kid.  He probably bought it in around '68-'69.  Had the 283 w/powerglide.  My dad always bought the base model cars with the 6 cyl & 3 in the tree, bench seat, etc. so I thought grandpa's car was really cool.  That must have been about the time I started to appreciate cars.  Anyway, good job on that.  Depending on the paint you use, look into techniques and supplies for color sanding and polishing (solid colors).  I clear coat metallic paints.  I use enamel paints myself.  When using a car wax for polishing, I learned the hard way many years ago to not use a cleaner wax.  Destroyed a paint job with that.  There is a lot of information and help on this forum.

Thank you so much for the information. 

[ea0863]

10 minutes ago, AMT68 said:

Excellent work and the color is beautiful especially with the white interior. 

And if it was a factory color possibly Tahitian Turquoise as Rusty mentioned or Danube blue was also offered that year. 

I looked up these colors just now, and I think Tahitian Turquoise was exactly what it was. A beautiful blue with a greenish tinge to it.

[bisc63]

What a history! Baby blue though...I think I'd rather have had the brushed on red.?

[DPNM]

8 hours ago, ea0863 said:

I went with the Iwata HP-CS

You can't go wrong with an Iwata Eclipse as a first brush. Properly taken care of it should give you a lifetime of good use. And parts are easy to find, just a bit more pricey than most American brands of ABs.

I'm not familiar with the compressor. If you bought the one with the tank, pressure regulator/water trap it should suit you well.

The Ophir product I have no knowledge of so I really can't comment.

Happy airbrushing!

[PappyD340]

Very nice!

[espo]

Your model still looks great even after all this time. These were great cars, and I bought a new '66 impala SS back when so I share your appreciation for the '65. Since you now have an air brush and with several companies offering OEM color you might want to try and build another one. Fun to build a copy of a car or truck you had owned in the past and all the good memories that come back to you during the build. 

[doorsovdoon]

Very nice build, gorgeous colour. Some metallic paints can lay down a bit grainy, a clearcoat and polish will bring the sparkle out.

[Belugawrx]

Nice clean looking details and interior looks great.

As has been said, hang around, you'll learn alot here how to better the next one..

Love that colour you chose,..looks close to Acapulco Blue

Cheers

 

[slusher]

Looks great!

[ewetwo]

Looks great in that color.