John Goschke Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 Great work, Mark! Especially getting that thin 'n bendy little front bumper covered in foil without wrinkles. Well done, sir! The mockup shots look terrific. It's all about the stance and the right wheel/tire combo – you nailed it!
Ron Hamilton Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 Mark, This build has been such an inspiration. I have a couple of MPC Vega Hatches ('72 and '74), but I always wanted a Kammback to do as a wagon or a panel. I have one on the way from ebay, and I will post a picture of it when it gets here. It has been built and painted, but I should be able to clean it up, and turn it into a streetable car. I may cannibalize one of the hatches, or scratch build something. I love this car.
Scale-Master Posted June 1, 2015 Author Posted June 1, 2015 If the Kammback you are waiting for from Ebay is made from this AMT kit that I'm using, you won't be able to use much from the hatchback kits. The interior is different on the real cars between a hatchback and wagon, plus the MPC hatchback interior is way too long for the stubby AMT Kammback body.
Ron Hamilton Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 If the Kammback you are waiting for from Ebay is made from this AMT kit that I'm using, you won't be able to use much from the hatchback kits. The interior is different on the real cars between a hatchback and wagon, plus the MPC hatchback interior is way too long for the stubby AMT Kammback body. I figured that the bodies were different. I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve for this one. Depending on the kind of shape that it is in after I strip it, I have a couple of ways of tackling this one. I sold a variant of these beasts back in 1978, the Monza Wagon. They were not too bad with the V6 engines. I sold quite a few of them when new.
Scale-Master Posted June 5, 2015 Author Posted June 5, 2015 After making some test swatches with the color I mixed for the body, I decided a tan undercoat was the way to go. The mounting points for the wipers and mirrors have been drilled into the body.
Foxer Posted June 6, 2015 Posted June 6, 2015 whew .. beautiful. And a car you owned .. you're after my own model building heart.
dino246gt Posted June 6, 2015 Posted June 6, 2015 Great project, love the pictures and explanations as you go, keep it up, cool!
Scale-Master Posted June 6, 2015 Author Posted June 6, 2015 I mixed the Starburst Bronze Metallic from a handful of Testors enamels. Predominantly Pearl Orange, Stoplight Red, Sable Brown and some leftover bronze I mixed for the Revell Olds 442 Convertible (box art model). In reality the color was just a variant of Rust. What better color to paint a Vega? It will get a clear coat so I was only concerned with uniform coverage.
slusher Posted June 7, 2015 Posted June 7, 2015 (edited) Looks Burgundy and really nice.. Edited June 7, 2015 by slusher
Reeves Racing Posted June 8, 2015 Posted June 8, 2015 This is awesome Mark. My first car was a Kammback too. My dad bought in when I was in the seventh grade and customized into a mini El Camino. I made a model of my car too. Of course your build is much much better than mine. I used a resin cast body and modified it. Can't wait for more updates.
Scale-Master Posted June 8, 2015 Author Posted June 8, 2015 The glass area of the sunroof was made from chrome Mylar and painted Tamiya Smoke. The button fasteners are steel pins.
Ron Hamilton Posted June 8, 2015 Posted June 8, 2015 See what you started?? I just got this in. I have to strip it, as I am not crazy about the color. Nice paint though. I may make a gasser out of it, as the dimensions are not right for a true replica. I do have plans for it, but I do not know when I will get around to it.
Mooneyzs Posted June 9, 2015 Posted June 9, 2015 Mark... nice work on the paint. It looks great. I like the fact that you custom mixed the color for it.
Skip Posted June 10, 2015 Posted June 10, 2015 Nice work, love your Minilites those are turning out as nice as your stuff always does. I always thought that body was a tad bit fat in the belt-line. Never owned a Vega, however I participated in putting small Block's in five or six of them. The mechanics at the VW Dealer I worked at would buy them when they were traded in, most were heavy smokers by the time they got traded, on like a "Push, Pull of Drag In " Promo that would get like a $1,000 Credit on a new VW. Those early skinny bumper Vega's were the easiest to do the conversion. I think the first two or three of them used the Harwood Kit, pretty well thought out kit had everything needed to put a Small Block in it including headers and radiator. Now Small Block Ford in a Pinto, another story all together, I don't remember the kit manufacturer but I do remember being way less than impressed! I still have nightmares about that one, owner probably does too, he wrapped it around a telephone pole in the rain, lucky he walked away from it. He left (abandoned) the Pinto motor which he had put a ton of money into, he had a pair of 40 Webber DCOE's hanging off the side, which ended up on a carb'd '76 Rabbit motor which ran better than second '77 or '78 Rabbit GTI. Gas Crunch Hot Rods!
Rob Hall Posted June 10, 2015 Posted June 10, 2015 Reading this thread, I'm inspired to do something w/ the '74/75 Vega wagon funny car parts I got in box w/ other kits a few years ago...
Scale-Master Posted June 10, 2015 Author Posted June 10, 2015 Thanks guys! It isn't that the body is fat at the beltline (the width is actually pretty much the only close to accurate dimension) so much as it is proportionately and almost uniformly too short. I always thought it was odd that for a funny car they shortened it instead of stretching it. Since there were no windshield or door windows in the kit, and the rear windows were pretty thick, I made all the windows from sheet Lexan that I tinted with Tamiya Smoke.
Twokidsnosleep Posted June 10, 2015 Posted June 10, 2015 Another cool project I have two kits in my stash of cars I have owned and will do them up one day
Scale-Master Posted June 11, 2015 Author Posted June 11, 2015 I made mirrors from parts box leftovers I reshaped and added stems and bases to.
cobraman Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 You do great foil work. I can never get it to lay down so good and not buckle around the corners. Is the bumper all done with just one piece ?
Scale-Master Posted June 11, 2015 Author Posted June 11, 2015 No, multiple pieces. If I try to wrap it around the corners it is too much for the foil and will wrinkle, so the ends are separate pieces. It conforms around the license plate indentation, but much more than that can cause it to split or wrinkle. Still, a very workable product.
Mike Chernecki Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 Do you use BareMetal foil or something else?
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now