1996 Chevrolet C-3500

[av405]

My next build is going to be a stock 1996 C-3500 using the most recent issue of the kit. The goal is to keep things as simple as possible. I'm going to build it as a single color truck in the high-end Silverado trim, but otherwise I'll just use kit parts and not mix and match with other kits or use aftermarket parts. The truck will be painted in Light Blue Metallic, which was a color option for 1996. I really enjoyed the last WIP thread I had as it kept me organized and now serves as good archive as far as remembering what paints I used, how I did something, etc. 

I started off by clipping all parts from the trees and cleaning up/sanding any imperfections. The low parts count and lack of much flash really helped move this process along. I then dumped the smaller parts into this storage bin I purchased from Hobby Lobby a while back. I use this as my "in progress" parts box for builds, keeping all small parts in here. It's helped me keep track of everything during a build and is easy enough to put away when I have to clear my desk.

I did a quick test fit and then used an Xacto knife to get rid of excess flash and sprue remnants and then deepened the panel lines with a newly aqcuired Tamiya Plastic Scriber. I absolutely love this thing and it gives me much more control over other scribers I've used in the past. I cannot recommend it enough.

I followed this up with a 600 grit sanding for the body.

Next up, I will be washing the body parts and interior in warm water and soap. So far, I'm really liking this kit. My only complaint is that the hood has a slight warp to it. I initially thought about reaching out to Round2 for a replacement. But since I plan on gluing the hood shut, the problem should be solved with glue:

Stay tuned for more.

 

Edited January 20 by av405

[av405]

After sanding, I set the white plastic pieces in warm water and Dawn for a spell before scrubbing everything with a toothbrush.

I then left the pieces to air dry overnight. 

When I woke up this morning, I went over everything with a microfiber towel and made sure there wasn't any water left. I then glued some of the components that would be painted together with Tamiya Exta Thin Cement. In this case, it was the seat backs with the seat, the steering wheel and column, and the cap for the chassis to build it curbside, sans engine. With the Tamiya cement, I didn't have to worry about making a mess for such small parts. All very easy stuff.

I then moved on to priming the chassis and interior parts. For that, I dug up my old Plastikote primers. This is the good stuff, before the formula was changed. Unfortunately I used the last of the black on the chassis, but at least the grey can is newly opened. I'm going to miss this stuff when I finally run out. It's the best non-hobby primer I've ever used.

Another thing I love about this kit is that all of the interior pieces have tabs at the bottom/behind. This makes using alligator clips easy for painting.

Here's the interior and chassis primed. I'm going for a grey interior on the truck, so I may just leave everything in primer. I'll have to compare and contrast to the real truck to make sure the color isn't too light.

Edited January 20 by av405

[oldcarfan]

That is looking good! For a grey interior I use the primer as the base and add different shades to give it interest. How is the Plasti-Kote different now? I've been using the Dupli-Color for a long time and didn't know Plasti-Kote had changed.

[av405]

On 1/19/2024 at 6:31 PM, oldcarfan said:

That is looking good! For a grey interior I use the primer as the base and add different shades to give it interest. How is the Plasti-Kote different now? I've been using the Dupli-Color for a long time and didn't know Plasti-Kote had changed.

Plastikote was bought out by Valspar a few years ago. That's when the formula changed. The can I have left was purchased in 2016. Speaking of the interior. I initially painted it with Tamiya AS-10 Ocean Grey, but it came out too dark:

Note that the grey on the real thing is lighter: 

Tamiya AS-28 Medium Grey was a much closer match:

The black portions were painted with Mr. Surfacer 1500 Black Primer. As much as I like Tamiya's flat black, I somehow prefer using this primer for flat black painting. 

[av405]

The interior is complete. I liked the speedometer/dash gauge decals, but I wasn't fond of the center dash decal for the radio, AC, etc. The decal is well-detailed and accurate, but too glossy for what the real equivalent looks like. I recommend using a semi-matte or matte clear over it.  

I moved on to addressing the most aesthetically problematic portion of the kit: the third brake light at the rear of the cab. The kit's light is comically long and has a slight curve to it:

Note how much shorter and straighter the real-life equivalent is:

I took out one of my trusty saws and shortened the light right up to where the rear mounting tabs are.

Here is the final outcome. When I was done, I sanded the edges with 1000 grit sandpaper to get even edges. It is still a bit too long but it looks better than before and with less of a curve:

All done after some detailing with black and silver sharpies:

 

Edited January 22 by av405

[stavanzer]

This build is looking great. I like the way you handled the 3rd brake light.

[av405]

6 hours ago, stavanzer said:

This build is looking great. I like the way you handled the 3rd brake light.

Thank you, Alan. I still can't believe how off AMT was on that detail given how good the rest of the kit is. Anyhow, I got some more work done today. I started off with the tail lights. The kit's lights come with two mounting tabs smack dab in the middle of the lights. The lights are u-shaped, so that made the removal a bit difficult but not impossible. Once I got the tabs removed, I sanded away with 600 grit until all signs of it were gone and used Novus 2 and a few q-tips to polish the inside. I finished the pieces off by sticking BMF to the inside of the lights to simulate the interior housing. I'm not a great picture taker, but here's the end result:

I then worked on the front grill. I painted the grill itself with Vallejo flat black and painted the side marker lights with Tamiya clear orange. I used a black Sharpie around the perimeter of the clear lenses to simulate the black rubber suround. 

I also placed BMF on the upper headlight pieces. You're probably wondering why I did this since I'm covering up the interior light housing that AMT was so gracious to tool up for this new generation of truck kits. If you look at the real deal, you'll notice that both the upper and lower light housings appear slightly different. The upper headlights have a more "even" appearance, almost appearing as though it is one light housing. But on the bottom portion, it is more evident that there are two separate light housings. I hope this all makes sense; This is why I sought to replicate these slight differences.

Since I'm going for the high-end Silverado trim model, I decided to use the chrome wheel option on the kit. My vision is of a brand-new truck that was purchased by a family to tow their fifth wheel, boat, etc. during specific times of the year, but otherwise remain un driven most of the time. I used some Tamiya black panel line on the wheels: 

[stavanzer]

Looking Great.

The Headlights and Taillights are superb!

[Joe Handley]

22 hours ago, av405 said:

Since I'm going for the high-end Silverado trim model, I decided to use the chrome wheel option on the kit. My vision is of a brand-new truck that was purchased by a family to tow their fifth wheel, boat, etc. during specific times of the year, but otherwise remain un driven most of the time. I used some Tamiya black panel line on the wheels: 

A couple weeks after I bought the kit I’ m working on, I get a message from a friend that he bought a ‘96 Extended Cab Dually Chevy that he thinks may have been used to tow a race car and was exactly as you described, but had a topper on the bed. It’s got the 7.4l and 4L80 combo in it and is only 2wd.  He’s planning on using it as a tow rig for his fleet of cars that include 2 newer Silverados, one of which is a supercharged 4.8l LS backed by the factory 5 speed manual, also has a factory supercharged Cobalt SS, just put a RIPP Supercharger on the 3.6l in his JKL Wrangler Sport, plus has other projects on top of those. This truck is going to get lowered and some tuning since it’s got the early OBD2 in it.

[av405]

1 hour ago, Joe Handley said:

A couple weeks after I bought the kit I’ m working on, I get a message from a friend that he bought a ‘96 Extended Cab Dually Chevy that he thinks may have been used to tow a race car and was exactly as you described, but had a topper on the bed. It’s got the 7.4l and 4L80 combo in it and is only 2wd.  He’s planning on using it as a tow rig for his fleet of cars that include 2 newer Silverados, one of which is a supercharged 4.8l LS backed by the factory 5 speed manual, also has a factory supercharged Cobalt SS, just put a RIPP Supercharger on the 3.6l in his JKL Wrangler Sport, plus has other projects on top of those. This truck is going to get lowered and some tuning since it’s got the early OBD2 in it.

Nice, sounds like an amazing find. I've known some families that have a dually for very specific towing purposes. Having a crew cab would have been better, but an extended cab would also make sense in the mid-90s.

[Joe Handley]

2 hours ago, av405 said:

Nice, sounds like an amazing find. I've known some families that have a dually for very specific towing purposes. Having a crew cab would have been better, but an extended cab would also make sense in the mid-90s.

I haven’t seen it in person yet, but from what pics I’ve seen and what he has said about it, the truck is in fantastic shape for nearly 30 years old. Being an extended cab would make sense if it was a a race car hauler or something similar unless it hauled a camper for a retired couple or “DINKs” with dogs.

[Mattilacken]

Looking good! Great work on it! I love this generation of truck!

[av405]

16 hours ago, Mattilacken said:

Looking good! Great work on it! I love this generation of truck!

Thank you! I'm currently doing some paint testing since it'll be the first time I use non-hobby paint for the body.

Edited January 25 by av405

[av405]

I hit a snag as far as my plans for the paint went. I typically use Tamiya paints, but for this project I decided I would use Duplicolor's GM Light Blue Metallic. I did a test on the hood, in this order: Tamiya grey primer, Duplicolor Perfect Match GM Light Blue Metallic, Duplicolor Perfect Match clear, wet sanding, then compound and polish by Meguiar's.  This was the result:

I liked the Duplicolor paints and how easy they went on and quickly they dried. However, I did run into 2 issues. The first is that there is a slight bit of crazing in the plastic. I didn't get as much as I thought, but just enough to bother me. Next time I use Duplicolor paints, I will spray Duplicolor Primer Sealer between the Tamiya paint and the first color coat. The second and most important issue is that I just don't like how big the metallic flakes are. I shouldn't be surprised since this is automotive paint, but it just doesn't fit the look I'm going for. All around a good learning lesson though. I'm currently in the process of stripping the hood in Super Clean, but so far it hasn't budged in 18 hrs. I still want to go for a blue color, so I will see if I can find a suitable Tamiya replacement. I'm hoping to find something close to the Light Stellar Blue Metallic finish:

Onto better news. I primed the rest of the body with Mr. Surfacer 1000. As usual, this primer was a joy to work with. I spotted no significant imperfections so I will follow this up with a light 3000 grit wet sand to smooth the surface.

I also painted the bumpers with Tamiya TS-29 Semi Gloss Black to simulate the rubber strips. I started off by sanding the raised edges to be painted with 600 grit to give the paint a better bite. Various Tamiya tapes were used for masking:

Edited February 3 by av405

[slusher]

Real nice work a your truck! I have been enjoying the build!

[iamsuperdan]

You're doing some excellent work on this one! Your front grille looks perfect.

This has been my fav truck pretty much since they were first introduced. I've owned many over the years, and have collected a sizable stash of these OBS kits.

I have one complaint with these kits though. No, not the one piece chassis. 

It's the interior. In particular, the seats. They are far too squared off and rectangular for me. And it's odd that they chose to mold it with front buckets and a console, as the bulk of these trucks would have had a front bench. That in itself isn't inaccurate, but it's an odd choice to me. Also, the dash. It's far to laid back. In reality, the cluster, radio, and hvac are much more upright. Luckily, there's accurate 3d printed options for a front bench seat and dash.

[av405]

1 hour ago, slusher said:

Real nice work a your truck! I have been enjoying the build!

Thank you, Carl.

1 hour ago, iamsuperdan said:

You're doing some excellent work on this one! Your front grille looks perfect.

This has been my fav truck pretty much since they were first introduced. I've owned many over the years, and have collected a sizable stash of these OBS kits.

I have one complaint with these kits though. No, not the one piece chassis. 

It's the interior. In particular, the seats. They are far too squared off and rectangular for me. And it's odd that they chose to mold it with front buckets and a console, as the bulk of these trucks would have had a front bench. That in itself isn't inaccurate, but it's an odd choice to me. Also, the dash. It's far to laid back. In reality, the cluster, radio, and hvac are much more upright. Luckily, there's accurate 3d printed options for a front bench seat and dash.

Thank you! I feel the same way about the OBS trucks and also have a sizable collection of the old and new kits. 

I do agree with you on the interior. I did not see a noticeable improvement from the previous generation of OBS kits and I thought AMT could have done more with it. The lack of a front bench seat (particularly on the C-1500) is a MAJOR draw back for me and has prevented me from jumping head first into certain projects I want to do.

What are the 3D options for the bench seat and dash?

[iamsuperdan]

2 hours ago, av405 said:

 

What are the 3D options for the bench seat and dash?

I bought these files for a K!500 Crewcab.

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/game/chevrolet-c-k-4th-gen-crew-cab

 

The seats and dash are an improvement over the AMT parts for sure. Although the dash needs a little finessing to make it work. Overall shape is more accurate though.

I'll track down some pics for you of the printed product.

 

[espo]

I have had the same and worse paint experience with Duplicolor paints. They offer some great looking OEM colors, but the last few years they just seem HOTTER than they used to be. Great looking bumpers. 

[av405]

6 hours ago, iamsuperdan said:

I'll track down some pics for you of the printed product.

That sounds great, thank you. 

 

5 hours ago, espo said:

I have had the same and worse paint experience with Duplicolor paints. They offer some great looking OEM colors, but the last few years they just seem HOTTER than they used to be. Great looking bumpers. 

Thank you! I might try a non-metallic color again in the future. The duplicolor clear laid down beautifully.

[av405]

Some more progress, sort of. I moved on to the side mirrors. For the life of me, I cannot understand why AMT decided to once again use incorrect S-10/Sonoma side mirrors on the dually kits, just like what they had on the 90's versions. You would think that a newly designed kit would have solved that. This is what the kit comes with:

And this is what I need:

Luckily, the AMT 1992 C-1500 Silverado companion issue to the C-3500 has the correct "aero-style" side mirrors:

Some primer and Tamiya TS-14 Black and voila, I have the look I'm going for:

I never intended on using the aero mirrors for the project I have in mind for the C-1500, so no big loss there.

Next up I moved on to paint, and this is where the "sort of" on my progress comes in. In my initial attempt to go for something close to Light Stellar Blue Metallic, I went for Tamiya TS-10 French Blue:

The blue was a little too dark and rich to match the real thing:

I don't want to paint the truck white or black, so I looked at my existing paint collection and found what looks like a winner: Tamiya TS-33 Dull Red with a clear coat to make it shiny. This looks like a fairly close match to GM's Dark Garnet red color for 1996.

There's rain coming my way this upcoming week. When it lets up, I'll paint the truck.

Edited February 3 by av405

[av405]

All parts have now been primed and wet sanded with a quick 3000 grit pass. I did a quick test fit and everything sits level and flush. 

[mikemodeler]

If you really want that blue but don't want to use Duplicolor, check out MCW as they have many factory colors to choose from.

 

Nice work on this truck, I need to get cracking on mine.

[av405]

I have MCW paints and I like them a lot. However, I have my first baby on the way so I've had to greatly reduce my space - which meant bye-bye to my paint booth for the time being. I'm trying to wrap this project and one more up with spray paint before the baby arrives. I think the red will be just fine

You should definitely get on it! It's a very easy kit to build that I've admittedly made a bit more complicated than it has to be. 

[av405]

I did some quick research on what the stock C-3500 front dually wheels looked like. I ran into a lot of stock-looking aftermarket wheels on google but found what I was looking for:

I went back and painted the lug nuts black and placed the center cap decals found on the kit's sheet:

As you can see, the kit's center cap decals are undersized. I would recommend painting the rest of the area black to blend in the decal with the paint. Nonetheless, I'm happy these decals were included. 

I painted and cleared the body using Tamiya TS-33 Dull Red and Mr. Super Clear UV Cut gloss, both out of the can: