The Mercury Project-Revell & AMT 49 Mercurys.

[Billy Kingsley]

OK, I have said over and over that I wouldn't be buying or building the Revell Mercury. Even though some of my good friends (Charlie Kroll and VW Dave) told me otherwise, I held fast in my stance.

My building styles don't really fit into this kit, I build NASCAR mostly, with occasionally a factory stock or VERY mild custom thrown it (IE, suspension changed, wheel swap and a custom paint scheme).

Then, when I was up in Lake George for a few weeks, at the Adirondack Nationals car show, my mom went out one day and brought home this shirt.

I think she heard me talking about the kit to Dave and Charlie and picked out this design specifically to make me buy the kit

So...at the TNMCC meeting on September 10th, I saw Dan had a handfull of them there, and they were going fast...But not so fast that I didn't get one.

A few days later I put it in paint for the first time, I used Black Gold/House of color, which is a bit hotter then testors or Tamiya so I layed it on smooth, not trying to get covering in one coat. As is, there are 4 light coats on it and I think it'll need three more before it's ready for clearcoat. I decided to go with the neon green car on the shirt.

This photo was taken at Rhinebeck, where it made it's public debut on Saturday at the Goodguys East Coast Nationals.

It got really washed out in the photo.

Note also that I painted directly onto the bare plastic, with no ill effects, other then it pulling away from the panel lines, but any paint would have done that.

Now, as I said, full customs just aren't my thing, so, I'll ALSO be building a full factory stock example, from the AMT kit. I have only one issue of it, the Cruisin USA issue from 1980(?) molded in a dark red. It'll be black and bone stock! I may end up not painting the interior, as I think red is a good color for the interior of a black car, but it'll depend on the condition and sheen of the plastic. (Maybe a coat of flat clear? HMM)

I havn't started that yet, but I will soon, perhaps by this week.

I hope to have both done by Toledo but in reality if I finish them by Toledo 2008 I'll be lucky.

I am not sure yet what I will do with the rest of the Custom kit. I am really thinking of adding some aftermarket lake pipes, and perhaps wheels (or a wheel swap). I really don't care much for the Cadillac "sombrereo" wheels and know I won't use them, though. I want to stick as close as I can to the shirt, though.

More to come...Stay tuned!