1978 Corvette Pace Car - WIP

[BDSchindler]

I’ve talked about this WIP in various areas of this forum and figured I’d start a thread.

A little background…my brother handed me the Revell (Germany) kit and asked me to build it for him. Figuring the kit was the Germany kit, I thought it would be a good one…in theory, yes. Reality…what a pain in the backside!

Nothing fit, everything was off just poorly engineered. So I had purchased a junk Danbury Mint 78 corvette for $10 and pirated a ton of parts like the twin snorkel air cleaner and the fan belt assembly since it had the Power Steering Pump and A/C units. The kit just had a floating alternator.

 

I mocked up some resemblance of a PS rack…

The interior door panels were barely noticeable

so I cut the ones out of the kit and fit the interior of the door panels in place…yet to be finished.

I also de-chromed the wheels and painted them Alclad bright aluminum then tried to apply the red trim to the wheel but those decals fragmented on me…so I hand painted them. They still require some touch up, add the center cap decals (provided they don't fragment on me) and clear them...but I’ll get it shortly.

Figuring the rest of the decals would go the same route, after I primed the body, I sprayed the red on for the pin stripe about a week ago. Today I masked off the red with 1/64” tape and sprayed the silver lower body and removed the tape

That’s it so far. The black upper body will come next week after the paint cures a bit.

Edited October 26, 2023 by BDSchindler

[doorsovdoon]

I've built this and yes it does have some issues. The hood most notably, it sits on the windshield and doesn't close all the way. 

[BDSchindler]

2 hours ago, doorsovdoon said:

I've built this and yes it does have some issues. The hood most notably, it sits on the windshield and doesn't close all the way. 

Thanks for that tip.  I have hit that with other models and have been able to get around it by trimming/sanding and buffing out the windshield.  It's not easy but I think with patience, it can be minimized if not fixed.  I will make sure to test fit and adjust as needed.

[BDSchindler]

So I got some work done on the interior. Used silver embossing powder for carpet and the only decal I used was the cross flags on the horn button. Everything else was hand painted

[doorsovdoon]

On 10/26/2023 at 1:04 AM, BDSchindler said:

Thanks for that tip.  I have hit that with other models and have been able to get around it by trimming/sanding and buffing out the windshield.  It's not easy but I think with patience, it can be minimized if not fixed.  I will make sure to test fit and adjust as needed.

The AMT '71 Charger has the same issue. I had to shave the edge of the hood almost paper thin. Anyway, your build is coming on nicely. I like the interior detail.?

[slusher]

Nice detailing!

[BDSchindler]

Got into the paint booth today. About an hour of careful masking to leave the thin silver band between the red pinstripe and upper body.  I’m happy with it so far.

It’s my most elaborate paint job yet!

I love me some Splash Paints!!!!!!

Next step is to let this cure a week or so and lightly wet sand, then decals and 2K clear.

cleaned up the tires a bit also…

Edited October 31, 2023 by BDSchindler

[Can-Con]

Looks good so far, Brian. 

BTW, you do know this is the 45 year old Monogram kit, right?

[BDSchindler]

5 hours ago, Can-Con said:

Looks good so far, Brian. 

BTW, you do know this is the 45 year old Monogram kit, right?

yep...and it shows its age too!

[BDSchindler]

So this officially peed in my wheaties!!!

after I painted the hood…and it was fine. It was primed and painted with Splash Paints.

it was perfect!

2 weeks later I put the decals (yes, they fragmented too but I was able to align it) for the hood stripe on and I don’t know if it was the heat of my hands or the micro sol but the left side warped on me.

Car is toast now…

any thoughts other than a new kit for the hood and decals?

Edited November 8, 2023 by BDSchindler

[NOBLNG]

Well that really sucks! ? I wouldn’t think microsol would cause that…or heat from your hands. I have put stuff in my dehydrator cranked up to 160F (just as a test) and nothing warped.

[BDSchindler]

I hate this kit...now more than ever but with easily 100 hours in it, I really don't want to bail on it completely.  Unfortunately, I don't have another hood nor the decals for the hood stripe.

Talked to my brother and he ordered another kit. Large price to pay for whatever happened but, poop happens.  he'll have it by thanksgiving and bring it with him.

It just sucks and I wish I knew what happened!

[Dan Hay]

You can get styrene pretty hot before it warps. Are you sure that it did t get near a heat source? No way it did that from your hands. I put bodies in scalding water and still have to put a good twist on them to unwarp them.

[Rick Wolfe]

Sorry that happened, looking good there, never heard of Splash paints before could it have been to hot of paint ? happened to me before, Try slowly waving a lit incense stick under the hood, the low heat will soften the plastic and slowly you might be able to shape it back, doesn't look to bad. used to do that back in the days creating fender flares and battle damage to tanks, Good luck......

[BDSchindler]

So, new kit in hand but it’s the Revell American kit vs the German kit. My theory proved correct that the Revell American hood would fit and does amazingly with no mods to it! The hood from the Germany kit required copious amounts of sanding to fit.

Painted black last week and went to put the hood stripe decal on it today but the friggin’ decal fragmented on me worse then the Germany (Italy printed decals) did…

Frustrated as this kit has fought me EVERY step of the way that I said screw it!

I masked off the hood, grabbed my Badger Patriot and Cortez Silver Splash Paint and sprayed the hood stripe…

I was going to attempt the red pinstripes on the hood but I said no. They are much too thin and I just NEED to be done with this. So I’ll add the “L-82” graphics, clear it tomorrow and do the final assembly once the clear cures.

It’s been a long few months with this…I wanna be done!

Stay tuned, the finish line is in sight!

[Rich Chernosky]

Brian...had the same problem with the hood decals on mine.  Replacing the red stripe is easy.  Find some 3M red vinyl decorative tape.  Lay some out on a piece of glass and cut it to width with a sharp knife and metal straight edge. (I use a 6" metal ruler) .  You  can cut this to a hair thin line, and even to the sharp point at the front of the hood.  All it takes is some practice.  A word of advice when applying the stripe is not to stretch the tape especially around sharp corners as it it pull away. You can also move it into position with a   tootpick or similar.  When you clear over it , it will stay in position.  This is how I fixed mine. Had to do it to both the 1/24 and 1/16 version. 

[Rich Chernosky]

10 minutes ago, Rich Chernosky said:

Brian...had the same problem with the hood decals on mine.  Replacing the red stripe is easy.  Find some 3M red vinyl decorative tape.  Lay some out on a piece of glass and cut it to width with a sharp knife and metal straight edge. (I use a 6" metal ruler) .  You  can cut this to a hair thin line, and even to the sharp point at the front of the hood.  All it takes is some practice.  A word of advice when applying the stripe is not to stretch the tape especially around sharp corners as it it pull away. You can also move it into position with a   tootpick or similar.  When you clear over it , it will stay in position.  This is how I fixed mine. Had to do it to both the 1/24 and 1/16 version. 

Here is the link to my build from 2020  https://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/156130-two-1978-corvettes-indy-pace-car-version/#comment-2305836

 

[BDSchindler]

well, it's done. I'm not happy with it as "the juice just wasn't worth the squeeze".  But...it's done and at least that much I am happy with!

This was such a frustrating build that it will be a while until I return to the bench...if at all. ☹️