AMT 1961 Buick Special station wagon --built from NOS kit

[rsmodels]

Here's a plain and simple build. I built one exactly  like this, sold it and then missed it, so I built another. The white is polished plastic. The only paint on the body is the roof.  No clearcoat used. As usual, I bare metal foiled the trim, and did some detailing.

 Some of the old  plastic has a nice rich look to it when polished and this is one example.  I've never had a problem with the color changing over time like it can on many of the earlier  kits and I've done a number of them this way. I've also done this on many of the old Monogram and Johan kits that were molded in colors other than white.

Many of you know by now that I like 4 door cars and station wagons and most of my builds are old original issue kits.

I hope you enjoy seeing this one. I'm almost done with my 60 Edsel restoration so it will be coming.

Thanks for looking and I appreciate all comments and questions.  -Rich

[Dave Darby]

That is super nice. So nice that I'm going to share it to the Scale Survivors Facebook group.

[Classicgas]

Just beautiful. I am so envious. A holy grail.

[NOBLNG]

Very cool looking old wagon!?

[Street Rod]

Fantastic looking wagon! I would never have thought that you could polish the bare plastic to look like that!

[Kah puts]

She's a knockout even in her birthday suit.

[happy grumpy]

Boy do I love your builds, not only are they rare, but beautifully put together. Another great build, nice color choice. Please keep posting.

[rsmodels]

3 hours ago, Dave Darby said:

That is super nice. So nice that I'm going to share it to the Scale Survivors Facebook group.

No problem Dave, I'm glad you like it. I hope others do also.

3 hours ago, Classicgas said:

Just beautiful. I am so envious. A holy grail.

Thanks lee, I think they were good looking wagons.

3 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

Very cool looking old wagon!?

Thank you  Greg.

[rsmodels]

3 hours ago, Street Rod said:

Fantastic looking wagon! I would never have thought that you could polish the bare plastic to look like that!

Thanks Doyle. Yes, some of the older models polish out very well. I've also done a 61 Tempest 4 door the same way and it looks great. And some old Johans and Monograms as I've mentioned. Some of the plastic doesn't look realistic when polished and some can discolor with age so you have to be careful.

1 hour ago, Kah puts said:

She's a knockout even in her birthday suit.

Thanks Glen,  I hope she doesn't catch a chill!

22 minutes ago, happy grumpy said:

Boy do I love your builds, not only are they rare, but beautifully put together. Another great build, nice color choice. Please keep posting.

 Mario, thank you again. I plan to keep posting at least once a  week when I  have time to take the photos. It may be less often if I'm real busy. I do post in other sections too, the diecast section for one.

[Zippi]

What a good looking Buick Rich.  Love that polished out plastic.  Looks like it was painted.  Nice build.

[Tom99]

Excellent!!

[espo]

Beautiful looking finishes. Amazing how good these old kits look with some advance detailing. Did much the same thing with an old '65 El Camino build I uncovered a few years ago. Polished the Yellow plastic with similar results as the White plastic here. 

[TooOld]

Beautiful work Rich , I really like the look of the polished plastic on some of these older kits !  Your detailing/foil is excellent ! How do you do the scripts - emblems - door handles - etc . . . ?

[rsmodels]

On 9/7/2022 at 7:41 AM, Zippi said:

What a good looking Buick Rich.  Love that polished out plastic.  Looks like it was painted.  Nice build.

Thanks Bob

On 9/7/2022 at 7:44 AM, Tom99 said:

Excellent!!

Thank you Tom

22 hours ago, espo said:

Beautiful looking finishes. Amazing how good these old kits look with some advance detailing. Did much the same thing with an old '65 El Camino build I uncovered a few years ago. Polished the Yellow plastic with similar results as the White plastic here. 

Thanks David, I bet your El Camino looks great!

46 minutes ago, TooOld said:

Beautiful work Rich , I really like the look of the polished plastic on some of these older kits !  Your detailing/foil is excellent ! How do you do the scripts - emblems - door handles - etc . . . ?

Thanks Bob. I agree about the polished plastic. Sometimes when I two tone a model I will leave one color just polished plastic.  I did that with just about all of the Revell 1/32 '55 and '56 kits that I built as they were molded in colors and the plastic on most of them looks great polished.

The trim and scripts on this '61 Special are all Bare Metal Foil. I use Exacto #16 blades. I hold the model in one hand and the blade in the other.   I don't use any kind of holder. Thankfully, at 71, I still have steady hands. One trick I learned long ago is to hold my breath when trimming a long piece.  It really helps but you have to learn not to hold your breath too long or you may fall out of your chair!.

Nowadays I occasionally use the Molotow chrome ink on a script. I buy the larger vial, not the pens, and use a fine brush. I have some I did over 3 years ago that still are bright and shiny. Once in a great while I apply the foil  to a script before priming. Then I clean it off with lacquer thinner before painting and again after painting.

 When doing door handles of this type (see photo) I cut a curved section out instead of going straight across the top of the handle. From a distance it makes it almost look like the handle is a separate piece.   -Rich

[PappyD340]

Very nice!

[bh1701]

Foil on the scripts is perfect! Obviously not using the paint over foil method. Great work. I may check out the #16 blades you mentioned.

I built one of these kits back in the 60's when I was very young. My plan was to strip it and rebuild it, except I cannot find it now! I am worried that it accidentally got put in a box that got thrown away/ ?

Looking forward to seeing the Edsel kit.

Bart

[ChrisR]

Looks great!

[Danno]

Outstanding!   And your foil work is superlative!!

[TransAmMike]

Very nice build there Rich.  Can't say I've ever see a real or picture of the little Buick wagon.

[rsmodels]

23 hours ago, PappyD340 said:

Very nice!

Thanks  Larry.

22 hours ago, bh1701 said:

Foil on the scripts is perfect! Obviously not using the paint over foil method. Great work. I may check out the #16 blades you mentioned.

I built one of these kits back in the 60's when I was very young. My plan was to strip it and rebuild it, except I cannot find it now! I am worried that it accidentally got put in a box that got thrown away/ ?

Looking forward to seeing the Edsel kit.

Bart

Thanks Bart, hopefully the Edsel will be done for next week.

10 hours ago, ChrisR said:

Looks great!

Chris, thanks very much.

5 hours ago, Danno said:

Outstanding!   And your foil work is superlative!!

I appreciate it Danno.

4 hours ago, TransAmMike said:

Very nice build there Rich.  Can't say I've ever see a real or picture of the little Buick wagon.

Thanks Mike. I saw very few even when they were new.

[Chuckyg1]

I love wagons, and yours is wonderful. I enjoy picking out all the little details. Very nice.

[slusher]

A beautiful wagon!

[ATHU]

That is very very nice, excellent build!!

[carrucha]

Cool build.  Good work polishing out the white plastic.

[rsmodels]

On 9/9/2022 at 7:42 PM, Chuckyg1 said:

I love wagons, and yours is wonderful. I enjoy picking out all the little details. Very nice.

Thank you john, I'm glad you like it.

18 hours ago, slusher said:

A beautiful wagon!

As always, thanks again Carl, you are too kind.

17 hours ago, ATHU said:

That is very very nice, excellent build!!

Anders, thanks very much

3 hours ago, carrucha said:

Cool build.  Good work polishing out the white plastic.

I appreciate your comment, Hector