newbie questions

[vintageiron]

Hi, I have a few questions. Ok sort of a stupid one but... Is there much of a difference between 1/24th cars and 1/25th cars?

Is there any 1/25 Pontiac GTO kits with the tri power?

Are there any places to buy custom parts like blowers, wheels, etc?

One of my projects is with two Revell kits; '66 El Camino and a '67 Chevelle. What I'd like to achieve someday is cut the nose off the chevelle and glue it to the El Camino tail and make any modifications to the El Camino to create a 1967 Chevy El Camino. It's been suggested to use a Dremel tool for this. Also another suggestion was an X-Acto razor saw. Do you have any suggestions on cutting and putting the two bodies together? It will be sanded and any gaps filled of course. I'll use the interior and motor out of the 67 Chevelle kit just to make sure it's all correct. I'd like a bench seat in the El Camino, but will probably just use the Chevelle's buckets and be happy. It'll be a tricky project, but I'll get a lot of practice building the other kits before I attempt it I think, but any ideas on how to cut these?

[Nick Winter]

Hi, I have a few questions. Ok sort of a stupid one but... Is there much of a difference between 1/24th cars and 1/25th cars?

Is there any 1/25 Pontiac GTO kits with the tri power?

Are there any places to buy custom parts like blowers, wheels, etc?

One of my projects is with two Revell kits; '66 El Camino and a '67 Chevelle. What I'd like to achieve someday is cut the nose off the chevelle and glue it to the El Camino tail and make any modifications to the El Camino to create a 1967 Chevy El Camino. It's been suggested to use a Dremel tool for this. Also another suggestion was an X-Acto razor saw. Do you have any suggestions on cutting and putting the two bodies together? It will be sanded and any gaps filled of course. I'll use the interior and motor out of the 67 Chevelle kit just to make sure it's all correct. I'd like a bench seat in the El Camino, but will probably just use the Chevelle's buckets and be happy. It'll be a tricky project, but I'll get a lot of practice building the other kits before I attempt it I think, but any ideas on how to cut these?

for the custom parts check out resin sellers and contact me via PM for more info on that subject as for the GTO kits the ones I know of straight of the top of my head are the

Revell/ Monogram-'64, '66, '68, '69

AMT/MPC- '65,'67, '70, '71, '72, '76, '04

[george 53]

Unless your parents ACTUALLY named you Vintageiron, you MUST show your REAL name in your sig! Now to answer your question, if your real careful, you CAN separate the front of the 67 Revell kit AT THE PROPER FENDER LINES, from the body with a SHARP/NEW X-acto no. 11 blade. Then do the same with the El Camino kit also. Once this is done use some 10 thousanths sheet plastic to re-enforce the back of the area where you glued the joined edges together. You can make a nice bench seat from the seat in the 66 Chevelle station wagon. But you'll have to score the seatback seperation line into it. Hope this helps,just be VERY careful with that X-acto knife! Hope this helps. Oh, use the BACK of the blade an drag it along the fenderdoor lines till it separates from the body.

[VW Dave]

Is there any 1/25 Pontiac GTO kits with the tri power?

AMT made a '65 a few years back that had the Tri-Power setup. I have a built-up of that kit that I had planned to Ebay.....PM me if you are into it.

The ElCamino project you mentioned is feasible, and I'd say go for it. Fellow MCM poster and local buddy 'mhadman'(Mark) is doing a '69 Olds-based 'Camino' conversion:

Edited November 18, 2009 by VW Dave

[vintageiron]

On the name thing; I have no idea how to change it. I'll look into it.

I have 2 of the '67 AMT GTO kits and they come with a blower and not the tri-power... Heck, if anyone has the tripower parts from a 1/25th kit I'd give ya a couple $$ to for it.

I think that might be a much better bet on the El Camino. I'll try cutting the fenders off the '67 Chevelle kit first. I am worried I'll mess up the fender seem when I cut it or clue it back together.

[Harry P.]

On the name thing; I have no idea how to change it. I'll look into it.

Click on "My Controls" at the upper right of the page.

On your "My Controls" page look to the left side list of items. Under "Personal Profile" click on "Edit Signature"... that's where you add your real name.

[vintageiron]

An odd thing I noticed about my AMT '67 GTO kit; it came with parts on the tree that are not really for the '67 GTO. One piece looks like a hood tach, but the custom hood comes with a tach. Also, it comes with a front bumper/grill that looks like a '70 GTO bumper. There are numbered pieces on the tree that are missing parts. Kinda odd. Just a note.

[vintageiron]

I have a question on chroming; most sites offer cool resin wheels, but a lot of them are not chrome plated. How do I chrome plate something? Can this be done at home or not? Is it a stupid question?

[MikeMc]

I have a question on chroming; most sites offer cool resin wheels, but a lot of them are not chrome plated. How do I chrome plate something? Can this be done at home or not? Is it a stupid question?

if ya got lotsa cash...Treehugger Dave can tell ya how to plate at home...Most of us use alclad II chrome paint or send the parts off to WI to a place called Chrometech...$$$$$...

(Pssssst vintageiron.....lissen ta George an Harry.....get yur name-O on the line

[vintageiron]

if ya got lotsa cash...Treehugger Dave can tell ya how to plate at home...Most of us use alclad II chrome paint or send the parts off to WI to a place called Chrometech...$$$$$...

(Pssssst vintageiron.....lissen ta George an Harry.....get yur name-O on the line

I'll check into the plating advice.

P.S. "HEY STUPID......HANG UP AND DRIVE!!!!" I agree with that one! Yelled it outta the window of my 67 Chevelle a few times before I sold her...

[Eshaver]

Brent, with some practice you can get a decent job using Alclad Aluminum paint . I think you could use the Tri- Power from a Monogram/ Revell G T O and put them on an A M T engine , vice virsa too. As for the El Pontiao or what ever , George has it down . I think he may have done this a time or two ! Ed Shaver

[vintageiron]

Brent, with some practice you can get a decent job using Alclad Aluminum paint . I think you could use the Tri- Power from a Monogram/ Revell G T O and put them on an A M T engine , vice virsa too. As for the El Pontiao or what ever , George has it down . I think he may have done this a time or two ! Ed Shaver

Ed, actually I am making a stock '67 GTO, a custom '69 with tri power, and I am trying to custom build a stock 1967 Chevy El Camino w/ 396. But a Pontiac-based El Camino? Not that might be interesting... I should try and make a '69 GTO/Camino someday. Only problem; I think AMT makes a '68 El 1/25 and I've only seen a '69 GTO by Revell in 1/24. Don't know how well that would work...

[Corvette.Jeff]

Pontiac actually did make a el camino, back in the late 60's and they were going to make another one a year or tow ago then they fell through. I used to have pictures, but my computer crashed not to long ago along with my hard drive.

For the elky conversion it is a pretty straight forward transformation.

Just cut behind the fenders(in front of the doors) on both cars, then glue the chevelle fenders on the elky. A little known fact, The chevelles and el caminos of the mid to late sixties used the smae front fenders,hood,bumper,etc.. as each other, then in the early 80's when they quit making the chevelle, it switched over to the monte carlo. you ever see the choo choo elky? amt makes a kit of it i believe(its the one with the slant nose, the 86' which is the last year for the elky) it makes a nice shelf model. I learned this because iv'e had two el caminos ive' had to do front end repair to.

Me and my dads 65' when we got it, it looked the smae when we sold it, except we pulled the small block and th 350 out of it.

We sold it because under the vinyl top, it was rusted through, the car would either need a transplant or to be made into a roadster.

Then my 80' elky my g-ma gave to me.

It had quite a bit of work done to it, a gm performance 305 crate circa 99', lowering springs, faded paint, ripped interior,etc...lol

It would haul ass, and it had a strong rear end in it. i ended up sliding into a telephone pole and screwing up the front end really bad, some guy bought it from me for the engine and trans. I do miss it

Heres another little car you just dont see everyday, my 83' datsun(by nissan, it was thier transition year) 280zx turbo, i was planning a v8 swap then discovered a huge rust hole in the firewall so it sold for parts, again to a guy for the engine.

and heres "the family" minus my truck i had at the time, the black silvey in the first picture with the basketball hoop in the back.

Happy motoring,Jeff

[Corvette.Jeff]

AMT made a '65 a few years back that had the Tri-Power setup. I have a built-up of that kit that I had planned to Ebay.....PM me if you are into it.

The ElCamino project you mentioned is feasible, and I'd say go for it. Fellow MCM poster and local buddy 'mhadman'(Mark) is doing a '69 Olds-based 'Camino' conversion:

what are those wheels from?!?! they would be perfect for a replica im doing of my elky!

Thank,Jeff

[roadhawg]

Me and my dads 65' when we got it,

'65? That sure looks like a '67 to me.

[Corvette.Jeff]

Yep, its what the title said, and its what came up when we ran the vin#

65's and 67's look alike but have subtle differences, on a 65' the nose will slant down and back, where as on a 67'l it will come to a point at about even with the belt line.

My uncle has a 67' that hes restoring is why i know this

[vintageiron]

'65? That sure looks like a '67 to me.

Yeah to me it looks like a 67 from the side too. Also, Chevelles and El Caminos used the same fenders, hoods, etc in the late 60s because the El Camino was actually a Chevelle wagon off the assembly line at one point. Om my 67, there was a part of the bed that could be taken off (sometimes called a 'smugglers box') to reveal the rear floor pans. Even the seat belt holes where installed.

[Corvette.Jeff]

also with a 67' it will have a more agressive slant on the roof to bed line(where the backwindow goes) this is from that wierd transition into the 70's.

[roadhawg]

1965........................

1967.........................

Notice the front fenders and the location of the trim......I say '67.

[vintageiron]

Ok I used to work in a hardware store and know some basics about paint, but I have a stupid question that has popped up in my head. What is a lacquer? Or rather, what is the difference between a lacquer, acrylic, and enamel when it comes to model kit building? I know that acrylics are mostly water based paints. Enamels are paints that usually air dry to a hard finish. And I know that a lacquer is a colored varnish that dries by solvent evaporation and a curing process as well that produces a hard finish. It can also be further polished. So what does this mean for someone using an air brush? I was looking into Dupli-color paints as well as Boyd enamel modal paints since they have a lot of those stock colors like; Chevy Engine Red, Pontiac Engine Blue Metallic, Plum Crazy, Sublime Green, etc...

[Darrell Gwinn]

1965........................

1967.........................

Notice the front fenders and the location of the trim......I say '67.

I second that!

[george 53]

Brent, who ever told you that your car was a 65 sure didn't know WHAT they were talkin about. The car you posted is a 67. Plain an simple. ANYONE who tells you different DOESN'T know the difference!

[Guest promodmerc]

Ok I used to work in a hardware store and know some basics about paint, but I have a stupid question that has popped up in my head. What is a lacquer? Or rather, what is the difference between a lacquer, acrylic, and enamel when it comes to model kit building? I know that acrylics are mostly water based paints. Enamels are paints that usually air dry to a hard finish. And I know that a lacquer is a colored varnish that dries by solvent evaporation and a curing process as well that produces a hard finish. It can also be further polished. So what does this mean for someone using an air brush? I was looking into Dupli-color paints as well as Boyd enamel modal paints since they have a lot of those stock colors like; Chevy Engine Red, Pontiac Engine Blue Metallic, Plum Crazy, Sublime Green, etc...

Steering this back on topic.

I prefer lacquer over everything. Enamels take a LONG time to gas out (a month is not uncommon & sometimes more). Lacqers take a lot les time to gas out. Todays laquer paints are synthetic & not as harsh as lacquer from the past. Todays styrene is also better and will not react badly to lacquer paint. Don't get the idea you can put styrene in lacqer to remove a bad paint job. You will wnd up with a melted glob of plastic.

[vintageiron]

Brent, who ever told you that your car was a 65 sure didn't know WHAT they were talkin about. The car you posted is a 67. Plain an simple. ANYONE who tells you different DOESN'T know the difference!

George I didn't post any pics of a car. I think you meant to say this to "ThatOneEmoKid" and not me. And I know a 65 from a 67. I had a 67. It looked just like the one he had posted; a 1967. Look at my avatar. That is my 67. "ThatOneEmoKid" may want to re-check the VIN. They can be a little tricky to read. Or see if the fire wall or VIN was taken from another car. You never know anymore. I took apart my supposedly 327 and found out that it was a 1973 350 that someone had dropped in her. But hey at least she ran for the time being and for the $600 I paid for her, I really can't complain too much.

ANYHOW...Lets stick to the topic...please

Any advice on painting?

Edited December 8, 2009 by vintageiron

[MikeMc]

Hey Brent.....

When it comes to model painting you have 3 food groups to choose from. Acrylics, Enamels, and Lacquers. (not latex or oil)

the difference is the (carrier)stuff that needs to dry out. Acrylics use water as the base...dry quick and work well.

Enamels use a slow dry solvent base....(don't go there)

And lacquers have a fast dry solvent base, stink like all getout,and IMHO are the way to go. All the colors you mentioned are also in lacquer.

Now if lonewolf15....aka Donn Yost tells you to shoot enamels with lacquer thinner....Yup he is correct....what the bottom line about paint is that we all have our own ideas about what works.....so you gotta figgure out what you like to do...Then just DO it!!!!

http://www.oldmansmodels.com/