69 Buick

[Hard_2_Handle_454]

So this thing was a pain even before I got it in the mail.  First week went by, it wasn't sent out.  Two weeks go by and nothing.  "Hey, you sending it out?"  No reply.  The third week I said I was contacting ebay if it wasn't sent soon.  It was in the mail a couple days later.  No apology or anything.  I get it and the bumpers are missing.  Contact the seller again.  "Sure we'll get those out ASAP." (Weird they replied quick to that one)  After two weeks I contacted eBay.  They were in the mail the next day.  Needless to say the seller got one star.

So the kit isn't bad for a printed one.  The body and interior look great.  Part of one bumper didn't fully print, but I was so frustrated I just went with it.  So, kit problem one was it doesn't include suspension.  I found a Chevelle chassis that fit it and used that .  Reworking the wheel/tire combo a bit.  The hood fit isn't great.  It's curbside; so I just glued it shut.  The rear bumper fit is a bit off.  The bumper hangs a bit low.  This is due to the recessed area for the tail lights.  It hits the area where the bumper need to be attached.  My last problem was the windows.  Cutting out the plastic and getting it right was a challenge.  I eventually got it right, then I put the interior tub in.  It's heavy so I had to super glue it.  Some how the glue bled over to the windows and fogged them.  So, I had to make new ones.  Luckily, they go on from the exterior.  After a few tries I got them on.  However, they are starting to bow a bit.  At some point I'll go back and fix it, right  now I'm just glad it's finished.  It was such a pain I almost gave up on 3D prints.  However, I did see a seller that includes everything with the print and I'm going to try another in the future.  I saw a few I'd like to have.  They're just pricey.  Overall, it did come out looking nice for my collection.

 

SAM_1969 by Eric Lucas, on Flickr

SAM_1970 by Eric Lucas, on Flickr

SAM_1971 by Eric Lucas, on Flickr

SAM_1972 by Eric Lucas, on Flickr

[TooOld]

That's a nice addition  to any shelf !  Don't give up on 3D printed kits yet , there is a learning curve just like any type of model . First thing buy from a reputable seller , it will cost a bit more but it will be worth it . There are lots of sellers getting in on this and selling poorly printed kts for less money so stay away from them !  If in doubt ask here before buying !

[Kah puts]

Looks darn good, Skylarks are a good looking car no matter how bad the kit is 👍

[lordairgtar]

I love this body style Buick. The 68 to 69 was beautiful. I owned a 69 Special Deluxe (same body) and my grandfather had a Skylark Custom he bought brand new in 69. Very familiar with the car. The one thing I see from this print is the hood's character lines are going straight front to rear. They should angle slightly wider going to the rear of hood. I bought a 3D printed Skylark from Too Many Projects and it is very good.

[Rattlecan Dan]

Looks pretty good considering the trouble you had to go through.

[Hard_2_Handle_454]

13 hours ago, TooOld said:

That's a nice addition  to any shelf !  Don't give up on 3D printed kits yet , there is a learning curve just like any type of model . First thing buy from a reputable seller , it will cost a bit more but it will be worth it . There are lots of sellers getting in on this and selling poorly printed kts for less money so stay away from them !  If in doubt ask here before buying !

That's the thing; they had a good reputation.  The problem was too many people giving 5-stars for the kit looking good, but not detracting any for the service and time.  I didn't see the reviews from the few other people that had the same problem as me until I looked thru all the reviews.  They did a good job burying them.

[satterwhite78]

A bad experience Indeed....

I have had a part or two on the last 2 printed kits break or didn't quite be completely formed but Thank Goodness the seller was quick to respond & correct. 

Instead of a full computer generated montage of the kit in a finished state that looks smooth and almost real, show several shots of the actual parts.  Big difference in a percieve expectation and the actual result that you will have to build upon. I have turned away from purchasing some 3d offerings for exactly that reason.

Back to the main reason I am sharing my response on your post......It looks great, I would definitely put it front and center in my display case. They be a bit pricey but the payoff is priceless when it's the Unicorn of your collection...

 

 

 

[iwantmodels]

Nice job on the Skylark!

[PappyD340]

Nice Buick!

[DoctorLarry]

This sounds exactly like my experience. Buyer did not ship, repeated emails, Paypal claim, notify EBAY, sounds like your experience. Finally got it-don't know if it was the same seller but it was when they first came out and I wanted to build one. The kit had a lot of your issues as well. The interior was wrong for a GS, so I made my own. The chassis has no detail so I used a 68 Chevelle donor. No radiator. The front suspension would not work because the control arms were printed wrong. I had the same rear bumper issues. A little grinding on the underside of the deck lid and I got the rear bumper where it needed to be. Front bumper went into a hot water bath a couple of times to bend it to fit.  If you look at the hood, the body lines should flare out to the corners but go straight back. Another sharp builder on the board pointed that out to me so sheet plastic and putty to the rescue.  I had the same hood fitment issues.  I had to grind a channel across the back of the hood to get it to sit down in the rear.  Basically, I ended up using the body and nothing else. I have done a lot of resin builds so I expect some fitting but this was a lot considering it is a 3D print. As a total glutton for punishment I bought another from a different seller to convert to a 68. Same issues, same result-ditching all but the body.  Now, enough amplifying the kit issues. Yours turned out great! I have pictures of them in red and it really makes the body pop. Great build!