Revell 1970 Plymouth Superbird: WIP

[KWT]

Sweet interior

[showrods]

For Superbirds painted in Vitamin C orange, I believe that the paint colour on the nose cone was a different shade of orange compared to the body colour.  

I'm not sure if this difference carried through with all Superbird colours though.  Anyone know?

[David G.]

19 hours ago, KWT said:

Sweet interior

Thank you Jeremy.

18 hours ago, showrods said:

For Superbirds painted in Vitamin C orange, I believe that the paint colour on the nose cone was a different shade of orange compared to the body colour.  

I'm not sure if this difference carried through with all Superbird colours though.  Anyone know?

That may be true but I haven't seen any evidence of it in my research. The colors seem to match in all the photos I've seen online. What I have seen are about three different shades of Vitamin-C orange.

The nose pieces on those cars were fiberglass and could have easily been painted to match the body. Unlike the polypropylene more commonly used these days which can sometimes be more difficult to color-match exactly.

Thanks for taking the time to post a comment Peter. Maybe somebody out there has a more knowledgeable answer than the observation based response I offered. 

David G.

[showrods]

1 hour ago, David G. said:

Thank you Jeremy.

That may be true but I haven't seen any evidence of it in my research. The colors seem to match in all the photos I've seen online. What I have seen are about three different shades of Vitamin-C orange.

The nose pieces on those cars were fiberglass and could have easily been painted to match the body. Unlike the polypropylene more commonly used these days which can sometimes be more difficult to color-match exactly.

Thanks for taking the time to post a comment Peter. Maybe somebody out there has a more knowledgeable answer than the observation based response I offered. 

David G.

 

JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL, THE SUPERBIRD'S BODY WAS PAINTED WITH ACRYLIC ENAMEL, WHILE THE NOSECONE AND WING WERE PAINTED IN LACQUER. THAT'S WHY THE COLORS OFTEN DIDN'T MATCH ON THE FINISHED PRODUCT. DUPLICATING THE FACTORY PAINT MEANT DUPLICATING CHRYSLER'S SEVEN-STEP PRIMER PROCESS AND THEN HITTING IT WITH THE GUN AND LEAVING IT ALONE, ORANGE PEEL AND ALL. "WE HAVEN'T BUFFED THE CAR. IT'S AS SPRAYED. WE ONLY HAD ONE SHOT, OTHERWISE WE'D HAVE TO SCUFF THE THING AND START ALL OVER AGAIN," MANCINI SAYS.

Edited June 12, 2023 by showrods

[David G.]

2 hours ago, showrods said:

 

JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL, THE SUPERBIRD'S BODY WAS PAINTED WITH ACRYLIC ENAMEL, WHILE THE NOSECONE AND WING WERE PAINTED IN LACQUER. THAT'S WHY THE COLORS OFTEN DIDN'T MATCH ON THE FINISHED PRODUCT. DUPLICATING THE FACTORY PAINT MEANT DUPLICATING CHRYSLER'S SEVEN-STEP PRIMER PROCESS AND THEN HITTING IT WITH THE GUN AND LEAVING IT ALONE, ORANGE PEEL AND ALL. "WE HAVEN'T BUFFED THE CAR. IT'S AS SPRAYED. WE ONLY HAD ONE SHOT, OTHERWISE WE'D HAVE TO SCUFF THE THING AND START ALL OVER AGAIN," MANCINI SAYS.

Ah. Well, there ya go.

It sounds like some of them did match though... maybe.  I guess that's the direction I'll be going with mine.

Here's one that does match, it could be a repaint though. As far as I can tell, all the ones I've seen seem to match, but... ???

In any case, I won't be going so in-depth with the accuracy for mine.

I do appreciate the information and the time it took you to provide it, thank you.

David G.

[showrods]

1 hour ago, David G. said:

Ah. Well, there ya go.

It sounds like some of them did match though... maybe.  I guess that's the direction I'll be going with mine.

Here's one that does match, it could be a repaint though. As far as I can tell, all the ones I've seen seem to match, but... ???

In any case, I won't be going so in-depth with the accuracy for mine.

I do appreciate the information and the time it took you to provide it, thank you.

David G.

It may look like a match due to the lighting...or it could be that an owner got lazy with the restoration/repaint.

[Bronzekeg]

build is coming along real nice!!

[David G.]

16 hours ago, Bronzekeg said:

build is coming along real nice!!

Thank you Ken.

David G.

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

I decided to jump in and assemble the rear spoiler for the Superbird. Given how thin and delicate it is and how integral it is to the overall image of the car, I did have some trepidation. But with only some minor fit-related cleanup, it went together rather well using Tamiya Extra-Thin Cement. There will be some seam filling and smoothing but it seems straight, square and solid which were my main concerns.

 

I also got the wheels assembled and temporarily mounted. They still need some detail and cleanup before being installed permanently but they're on the ground! I painted flat black on the vinyl top too. I'm happy with the way the paint looks, just a light rubbing with a soft cotton cloth should bring it up to the correct sheen.

I'm still having trouble getting that hood to lay flat. I've softened and straightened it with hot water and after a couple of days,  it seems to revert to having that bend in it. It's not as pronounced as it originally was but it's there. Still.

As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment.

David G.

[slusher]

Man, those hoods can be a battle!  I have replaced some I never could get to fit like I wanted..

[David G.]

8 hours ago, slusher said:

Man, those hoods can be a battle!  I have replaced some I never could get to fit like I wanted..

I'll either get it or find a way to accept it.

David G.

[KWT]

Definitely looking good. Once you get the rest of the car painted it may not be as noticeable either. And fear not.. I've seen them way worse

[FLHCAHZ]

Looking good David.  Really coming along.

[David G.]

21 hours ago, KWT said:

Definitely looking good. Once you get the rest of the car painted it may not be as noticeable either. And fear not.. I've seen them way worse

Thank you Jeremy. I've seen worse too, I'll probably give it another after I paint the body and see how it looks.

15 minutes ago, FLHCAHZ said:

Looking good David.  Really coming along.

Thanks Chaz, I appreciate your comment.

David G.

[atomicholiday]

Regarding the hood.  I have a Camaro hood that was giving me trouble.  I used a hair dryer.  What I did was to slightly over-bend it, past the point where you want it to be.  Then, while it’s still warm from the hair dryer, put it in cold water to “shock” it.  I don’t know the science behind it, but it seems to hold position better that way, vs letting it cool slowly.  You may need to repeat the process a few times, but it should eventually stay.

I’ve used this technique many times.  Works good for warped chassis too.

One word of warning.  Keep the heat from the hair dryer moving.  You don’t want to hold it in one place for too long.

Full disclosure- the Camaro hood was laying perfectly for a few months.  Then when I painted it, it warped slightly back.  Not as much as originally thought.  Might have been the solvents in the paint.  It was automotive lacquer.

[David G.]

6 minutes ago, atomicholiday said:

Regarding the hood.  I have a Camaro hood that was giving me trouble.  I used a hair dryer.  What I did was to slightly over-bend it, past the point where you want it to be.  Then, while it’s still warm from the hair dryer, put it in cold water to “shock” it.  I don’t know the science behind it, but it seems to hold position better that way, vs letting it cool slowly.  You may need to repeat the process a few times, but it should eventually stay.

I’ve used this technique many times.  Works good for warped chassis too.

One word of warning.  Keep the heat from the hair dryer moving.  You don’t want to hold it in one place for too long.

Full disclosure- the Camaro hood was laying perfectly for a few months.  Then when I painted it, it warped slightly back.  Not as much as originally thought.  Might have been the solvents in the paint.  It was automotive lacquer.

Thanks for the pointer Jeremy.

I tried something similar though with hot water. I'd bring a container of water to boil in the microwave then let it stand for about ninety seconds to cool just a bit. I'd then submerge the hood, all but for the corner I was holding it by. Probably for about thirty or forty seconds. I'd then put in position it on the body and hold it firmly in place while I pass it under a stream of cool water from the tap.

It seems like I need to find a way to overload or over correct the bend so that when it relaxes itself it falls where I want it to be. One advantage I have is that it's already painted and any subsequent coats won't be contacting and interacting with the plastic.

Thanks again for your advice and encouragement.

David G.

[Superbird McMonte]

Some aftermarket nose cones are fiberglass.? Janack productions is a popular one.

Edited June 23, 2023 by Superbird McMonte

[Superbird McMonte]

On 6/12/2023 at 8:10 AM, David G. said:

Thank you Jeremy.

That may be true but I haven't seen any evidence of it in my research. The colors seem to match in all the photos I've seen online. What I have seen are about three different shades of Vitamin-C orange.

The nose pieces on those cars were fiberglass and could have easily been painted to match the body. Unlike the polypropylene more commonly used these days which can sometimes be more difficult to color-match exactly.

Thanks for taking the time to post a comment Peter. Maybe somebody out there has a more knowledgeable answer than the observation based response I offered. 

David G.

Superbird nose cones were steel. The only fiberglass was the pop up headlight assemblies. 

[Anglia105E]

I like the wheels on your Superbird David G., Are they Ro-Style wheels? . . . and that interior of yours is a really good realistic finish.

That is one HUGE car, and the rear spoiler is beyond huge. Orange over red primer makes perfect sense to me too. 

American cars around 1968 - 1970 are my favourites . . . Large and attractive designs, BIG everything (especially those V8 engines).

David W.

[David G.]

20 hours ago, Anglia105E said:

I like the wheels on your Superbird David G., Are they Ro-Style wheels? . . . and that interior of yours is a really good realistic finish.

That is one HUGE car, and the rear spoiler is beyond huge. Orange over red primer makes perfect sense to me too. 

American cars around 1968 - 1970 are my favourites . . . Large and attractive designs, BIG everything (especially those V8 engines).

David W.

Thank you so much for your kind comment David. 

The wheels are the ones that came in the kit. I believe they're meant to represent the Magnum 500 style wheels that were available as an option at the time. 

Thank you, I'm pleased with the way the interior came out too.

Indeed. American "sports" cars of this era were delightfully excessive, almost to the point of vulgarity. These days many people don't realize how large some of these  cars were. I'm also working on a 1962 Rolls Silver Cloud, probably one of the larger British production cars. Here's a side-by-side shot of the two of them on my work shelf. Both are 1:24.

 

This shot had the reverse effect on me, causing me to realize how big the Rolls Royces actually were.

Thanks again, 

David G.

[Anglia105E]

15 minutes ago, David G. said:

Thank you so much for your kind comment David. 

The wheels are the ones that came in the kit. I believe they're meant to represent the Magnum 500 style wheels that were available as an option at the time. 

Thank you, I'm pleased with the way the interior came out too.

Indeed. American "sports" cars of this era were delightfully excessive, almost to the point of vulgarity. These days many people don't realize how large some of these  cars were. I'm also working on a 1962 Rolls Silver Cloud, probably one of the larger British production cars. Here's a side-by-side shot of the two of them on my work shelf. Both are 1:24.

 

This shot had the reverse effect on me, causing me to realize how big the Rolls Royces actually were.

Thanks again, 

David G.

The Magnum 500 wheels that were available in the US at that time, were called Ro-Style wheels in the UK, and they were fitted to the Ford Cortina 1600E , the Triumph Stag sports car and MGB sports cars, among others.

The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud 1955 - 1959 was 17.5 feet in length, while the 1968 Pontiac Parisienne that I used to own, was 18 feet in length.

I can see that your Silver Cloud build has the chrome strip along the centre of the hood, where the two bonnet panels join and hinge upwards. Some of the very early Silver Clouds of 1955 and 1956 did have a chrome strip like that, which is probably why Hubley / Minicraft / Revell included the chrome strip. in the kit. Possibly those early Silver Clouds were exported to the US.

David W.

[David G.]

4 minutes ago, Anglia105E said:

The Magnum 500 wheels that were available in the US at that time, were called Ro-Style wheels in the UK, and they were fitted to the Ford Cortina 1600E , the Triumph Stag sports car and MGB sports cars, among others.

The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud 1955 - 1959 was 17.5 feet in length, while the 1968 Pontiac Parisienne that I used to own, was 18 feet in length.

I can see that your Silver Cloud build has the chrome strip along the centre of the hood, where the two bonnet panels join and hinge upwards. Some of the very early Silver Clouds of 1955 and 1956 did have a chrome strip like that, which is probably why Hubley / Minicraft / Revell included the chrome strip. in the kit. Possibly those early Silver Clouds were exported to the US.

David W.

Thank you for your post David, it seems that I learn something something new from each one.

The strip you're referring to is actually a bit of 1.0 mm styrene rod that I added when I glued the two halves of the hood together.

Most of the photos I've seen online have such a feature, which I assumed was a piano-style hinge. Then I noticed that it was absent from the photos of the model you posted in that WIP thread. This caused me to go back and review my research photos. About 2/3 of the photos in which it's visible seem to have the strip while the rest look to have the bevel.

I like the way the strip looks so I'm glad it's not technically incorrect.

Thanks again for your input, it's always appreciated.

David G.

 

[MrMiles]

The interior is tremendous 

[David G.]

21 hours ago, MrMiles said:

The interior is tremendous 

Thank you Miles.

David G.

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

I found time and energy to finish up the little bit of prep on the body and get it painted along with some of the other associated bits and bobs. I'm pretty pleased with the results. There are some small dust bits and other flaws but nothing that a bit of attention won't fix.

The spoiler is almost smoothed out and ready for paint too.

 

I'm starting to think that I can live with the slight warp in the hood, though I may try one more time to straighten it.

Also, the nose piece is misaligned because it's just being held in place for the photo with a bit of masking tape . 

As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment.

David G.