What's your sequence?

[Rat Fink]

Ok I'm done with my P-40 and am now starting on my 69 Nova. I have removed the body and the hood and sanded both parts but before I start painting I have noticed you guys have a sequence in which you build the model. I was wondering if ya'll could share that with me. Thanks!

[george 53]

Eric, usually I start with the motor. If it's gonna be a race car, then I'll know where else to go. Then I do the chassis to handle the motor. Then the tires. then i'll do the interior an finally the body! painting is my weakness so that's why I leave it for last. But then again.......

[JamesW]

I typically try to paint the body first. After that, everything else seems to fall into place.

[Rat Fink]

I typically try to paint the body first. After that, everything else seems to fall into place.

......and that was kinda my thought too but I see others on here trial fitting stuff before they do that.

[Chas SCR]

Are you trying to build a model just to put up or a contest model? There is two ways of building on this as yes the contest stuff gets fitted and such before any thing gets painted and do more of like a build up of it and then torn down and painted and built. To me if its going to be a show style model like a trailer queen build.. I take every thing that is going to be on color paint them together and then move on so every thing gets done at one time. For the body it is more the body and hood at one time so you can make sure it is the same shade of color if you are working with pearls and metalic's.

[Lownslow]

i dont build for show

heres how i go about it

body > paint > interior "fit check" > Engine> "fit check" and chassie.

[Harry P.]

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

[CAL]

Yeah, I like to get the body out of the way first, then drivetrain, chassis, interior.

[Janne Herajärvi]

I usually start working with engine becouse its mostly funniest part to build IMO. Then interior next and body last. Sometimes i start with body first to get paintjob right and then mach everything for it.

[randx0]

I like getting body work done then test fit various sub assemblies .after that I have a 20% chance of getting any further.Maybe I just like the bodywork aspect.

[RodneyBad]

I usually start working with engine becouse its mostly funniest part to build IMO. Then interior next and body last. Sometimes i start with body first to get paintjob right and then mach everything for it.

That sounds about right.

[weasel]

i do the body first, then, depending how the body comes out, so goes the build...

brake fluid is my friend....

[diymirage]

with me it all depends on the inspiration for the build

what is my vision for the model im making ?

i have build models around an engine, in which case i build the drivetrain first and then make everything else fit that

i have build models around a set of wheels in which case the rolling stock is first, then the body is modified to accomodate the rollers and everything else follows

i have a car on the bench right now that is build to match an easthetic view i have in my mind, in which case it is all about the body, engine, interior, chassis and rollingstock are finished and altered if needed to match the body

so in short, my sequence varies with most any model i build

[Rat Fink]

All great stuff guys thanks! I'm not going for show quality but I am trying to build a really nice car. Body is prepped for painting but I need a stand of some sort to hang onto it while I paint. Engine is almost together but I need some Chev orange to paint it....so it looks like a trip down to the Hobby store. ######.

[crazyjim]

Rat Fink - I use several different holders for painting - wire hangers bent to shape; old prescription bottles, short pieces of 1" pipe, and my favorite - the Tamiya paint stand.

I start every kit by cutting all the non-chrome parts off the sprue and sorting by interior, engine, chassis. Then I decide on the body final color so I can start the engine, chasssis, and interior. I drill the engine for ignition wires and than brush paint. While that's drying I'll put a coat of whatever color on the chassis and while that's drying I start the interior. If there's no bodywork to be done, I'll wash and wet sand, prime, wet sand again, and then shoot the color.

I have this thing about colors. For instance on the '69 Nova I recently started - the final color will be HOK blue pearl (don't remember the exact color right now). So that tells my mind that the chassis needs to be a light blue with a darker blue used on the engine and suspension. The interior would then be various shades of blue. My exhaust pipes are always Testor's Steel enamel and the mufflers always Testor's Red enamel.

Maybe it's just me?

[Railfreak78]

I seem to build just like George

[tuffone20]

For me it depends on what I'm building and where I'm going with it. Some time I'll start with the motor and some times I'll start by getting the body painted.

[torinobradley]

The build process is going to differ from project to project and from person to person. I don't build much out of the box so the process I use is since everything will have to go together in the end, I work a little on the motor, a little on the chassis, a little on the interior, a little on the body and so forth. There are endless numbers of modifications, depending of course on your scope of the project, that need to be taken into account when building.

On a box stocker or close, I would look for a build thread or two of that kit to see what issues others have encountered with it. Then adjust my build accordingly. Test fit everything, build the sub-assemblies such as motor, rear end, body pannels and such that will need to have seams addressed and are to be mostly one color, prime, fix any issues, paint and assemble using the instructions not so much for assembly method, mainly to ensure you don't miss anything like the tie rods or battery, then start putting it all together in whatever order seems most reasonable. You have to think about things like will the chassis fit into the body with all the body panels in place, how about with the interior glued in? All the more reason to consult a build thread if available. Some builds are incredibly simple while others are insanely complex. As always, you have a huge information resource in this forum and chances are, more than a few have built the same kit you are working on and have run into the same issues your experiencing, so just ask if you get in a tight spot.

Good luck and let us know how you get along!

[charlzrocks]

I don't have a lot of confidence when it comes to some kits. I always follow the instruction sheet. I do paint all like parts of the same color at the same time after perusing the instrucions sub-assemblies. I like to paint the body last as sometimes I change my mind about the overall color scheme of the build and it is more work to strip and repaint than it is to wait till later in the build to make my final decision.

Call me old fashioned, but I do only out of the box builds with minor customization thus affording me the luxury of being able to read over the instructions test fit parts that may look kind of "wayward" and get advice from guys like us on the forum.

Like Harry says: Lather, rinse, repeat.

(when all else fails, refer to the instructions)

If it doesn't fit, force it. If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway.

[wgflatliner]

i typically have an order of importance list written out before i start.

in most cases i like to start with the motor first, or at least the basics of it. More often than not though, i prefer to get body work done and paint started because while the paint is drying/curing, you can be working on something else. i consider it maximizing efficiency.

i like shiney things so if all i have left to do is wait for the paint on the body to dry, i know that somehow some way, i'm going to want to touch it because that's the final piece to the "puzzle" if you will.

other times i'm searching google images for the car and try to use reference photos and compare them to what i have and try to go that extra scale mile.

[Blake Rogers]

Eric, usually I start with the motor. If it's gonna be a race car, then I'll know where else to go. Then I do the chassis to handle the motor. Then the tires. then i'll do the interior an finally the body! painting is my weakness so that's why I leave it for last. But then again.......

i am the same way