Anyone else build scale model cars?

Red_LX said:
freakintiger, how you planning on setting up that flipped hood?

Glad to see someone else building pro-street and old-school stuff. You have to finish that truck(I'll post up my unfinishable project later(an early 60s front engine digger-no kit), I can see where your going with it and its got a sweet set-up. If you can post up some pics of your sled/s.
My plan is to build custom hinges for everything. I built a set of non-working hinges for my Viper to have the hatchback open so I could display the dual chrome nitrous tanks. They worked out pretty well.
I will post some pics when I get home from seeing the "Manchurian Candidate".
 
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ssjmaverick23 said:
also does any one know if you can buy perl white model paint somewere? thats what i want for the convertable.

Here is a link to the Testor Corporartion website. They don't have a Pearl white listed but they do have a pearl clear coat you could apply over a white base for the same effect. Just make sure to use a Testors white for the base so the paints are compatible otherwise you could be in for disaster, I know.

http://www.testors.com/catalog_item.asp?itemNbr=1015

Their pearls are good, I used the Boyd's Smoke Grey Pearl to shoot my Viper(pic coming) and it turned out great.
 
Red, here is a pic of the hinges I built for the Viper's hatch. I will do something similiar for the 'sled. I know the pneumatic rams are placed wrong(the hatch could never close)but I was under the gun getting ready for a show. The Viper is the first model car I've ever finished(thank God I quit perfectionism)so the Viper is a real milestone for me.

dodgeviper%20004.jpg


Here is a pi of the whole car. It is the AMT/Ertl kit, highly modified, most obviously the molded in rally lights I swiped from an S-10 Cameo El.

dodgeviper%20001.jpg


:D
 
freakintiger said:
Kiddiccarus, the kit you want is the AMT/Ertl '88 Mustang Hatchback Millennium Edition kit, evidently it was re-issued in 2002 due to demand and I think it may be out of production again. I did'nt find any on eBay, and it does'nt seem that Ertl and its companies have a website.
Hope that helps.


Yep sure didn't "here is the kit you need to find" BTW you cant find it it is out of production LOL

I will keep my eyes open for it thanks.
 
i have that AMT/Ertl '88 Mustang Hatchback Millennium Edition kit. not the best looking mustang kit but an 88 GT like mine so i had to have it. I have a 93 cobra kit i am building like my 88 GT now as well as a chamealeon colored Saleen S-351 vert. I have a SS396 chevelle i built when i was 16 along with a shelby 427 cobra, 49 merc chopped and slammed, old willys coupe gasser, soon to have a eleanore (sp) cloned shelby gt 500, a 69 SS camaro with a C5 vette motor and suspension. working on a 93 cobra with SN95 dash and seats and a 4.6 motor. and hundreds of old parts from cars my dad had and started when he was into model cars in the 60's and 70's.
 
I was never one for bodywork really, I always find it to be frustrating. That, and paint. Unless the humidity is just right, paint always seems to end up looking like crap.

On my Chevy pickup (which was the first fully detailed kit that I finished) I had better luck that usual....For example, the front roll pan I have on that truck was originally on a 1/25th scale Chevy pickup (same body style), but that truck is 1/24th so I had to widen it. I glued it to a piece of styrene and filled the ends with model body filler type stuff, and sanded it down, it actually ended up looking pretty good. The paint came out pretty nice as well although it has a couple drips and runs.

I have to admit, though, I still enjoy looking at that truck and all the details I put on it. Gives me a real sense of accomplishment :)

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Paint takes a delicate touch, and it's hard to make it look good. For one thing you gotta prep the body. Before primering the body, wash it off real well with soap and water. After it air dries, shoot on a coat of primer. After the primer dries, you can wet sand, then wash it again, and shoot on another coat of primer if you want, or proceed to the painting stage after it dries again.

One thing I had good luck with was painting outside on a warm day with low humidity. Also, I kept one of those model display cases nearby and as soon as I shot on the paint, I put the clear cover over the body. This kept all the bugs and dust and other crap out of the paint. Also you gotta use light coats, which is hard, but otherwise you get a bunch of dips and run.

ONe final thing, furniture polish (which is really wax) makes an excellent wax for model car paint :)
 
ssjmaverick23 said:
could yall give me sometips on painting lastnight i was working on my 88gt and the paint didn't come out to good i might have put on 2much.



I'm going to assume you're shooting with a spray can. Secondly, I'm going to assume your asking about actually spraying the paint onto the model(if you need info on prep and priming, let me know).

1. After initial prep sanding and priming and sanding the primer coat, wash your model with dish detergent and a SOFT bristle tooth brush(you can get a "Dr. Du-Mores" tooth brush at WalMart for a buck). Gently go over the model in a circular motion, then rinse well with warm water. Wash your hands at this point, best with the dish detergent, you want to strip your hands of any oils that will get on your model(body oil, sweat, etc. can hinder the paint from adhering) Either let air-dry or use compressed air to dry the model. After it is completely dry, this is the time to mask(use 3M Blue painters masking tape, it is $6 a roll, but one roll will last you a while-keep your tape in a plastic bag, you want it sterile, no dust on the roll etc.).

2. Shake up your paint for at least 1 minute, longer if the paint has been sitting up. When you shake the can be sure to do the following: hold the top of the can by your fingertips and swivel your wrist so that the mixing ball will ride the inside of the bottom of the can. You will be able to hear it rolling, it is stirring up the paint at the bottom(my shop teacher showed me this in 8th grade). Alternate this with shaking, this will insure a steady flow of paint and reduce the chance of spattering.

3. Mount your car body on a coat hanger or paint mixing stick, dowel rod,(use your tape to help mount your model) basically anything that will:
a. keep you from painting your whole hand(you may catch a little bit, or wear rubber or latex gloves)
b. enable you to keep the model body at a distance of 8 to 12 inches(follow the distance guidelines on the can, if you are unsure, use a ruler to get a solid idea, this is very important)

4. KEEP SHAKING THE CAN, if your not painting you are shaking the can, you must keep the paint in suspension with the propellant to avoid spattering.

5. Painting. First spray paint your cardboard or dropcloth to make sure the can is spraying right. Better than taking out your car on the first pass.
When you paint you want to use an "X" or figure 8 pattern(with the 8 laying on its side like the symbol for infinity). Work right to left or left to right depending of course if you are right or left-handed(I'm a lefty).
Let's say you right-handed and you are holding your car with its passenger side facing you, front end to your right.
Holding the can in your right hand you want to begin spraying into the air ahead of the bumber then in the X motion bring the can across the body and beyond the rear bumper, do not stop spraying until you are spraying into the air beyond the rear bumper. This one pass would be one line of the X. Do the opposite operation to make the other line of the X, that is start spraying again baeyond the rear bumper bringing the can around and past the front end in one continuous spray/motion. This will require practice. You can use empty soda cans taped to a stick to practice your technique.
Always keep the spray moving and keep your correct distance form the model to avoid spraying to much in one place which will cause runs.

6. BETTER TO SPRAY TO LITTLE THAN TOO MUCH. Spray your model in a logical procession, such as this one:
a. pass. side then flip to-(don't forget the bottom edges, like beneath your doors etc.)
b. drivers side, then-
c. front bumper/fascia area, then around to-
d. rear bumper/fascia, then-
e. top side, one end to roof to the other end
Make a nice even coat, all over-better a thin even coat than a heavy runny dripping coat. Follow the guidelines on the can to determine when to apply your second coat.

7. Get a clear plastic container like a rubbermaid or sterilite at WalMart to carefully store your model in while it dries. Your wet paint is susceptible to DUST.
Figure out HOW you will mount your car in this container before you spray it. I use small blocks of styrofoam and tape to do this, actully tape the car, like under the roof with a block of foam.

8. Let the car dry for at least two days, better a week, especially if you live in an area of high humidity, like I do.
When you next handle the car, make sure you wash your hands.

I will try to generate and post some pics to accompany this, if you need more help feel free to pm me or email me.
 
thanx alot for the info ive never done that much befor im going to hav to repaint my 88gt and ill try that all ive ever done was pull it out of the bag and use the model paint no prep ill try it on the gt also is there anytips on painting with a bush (like the dash and stuff like that) also i did try to paint the car about a year ago and i i got some runs can i just wash it with paint remover? or should i sand it and primer it over? also what grade sand paper should i use?
 
ssjmaverick23 said:
thanx alot for the info ive never done that much befor im going to hav to repaint my 88gt and ill try that all ive ever done was pull it out of the bag and use the model paint no prep ill try it on the gt also is there anytips on painting with a bush (like the dash and stuff like that) also i did try to paint the car about a year ago and i i got some runs can i just wash it with paint remover? or should i sand it and primer it over? also what grade sand paper should i use?


1. Brush painting- load up your brush with enough paint to saturate the bristles, but not so much it is dripping. Paint the piece without going over it again and again, try no more than two passes as enamel model paints dry rapidly, and you don't want to see brushstrokes. Wait a few hours or even till next day to re-coat, as Testors paints can take a while to dry.Also have a variety of brush sizes/shapes and use the one best suited to the job, this makes for better coverage per pass with the brush=less passes=smoother finish. Even the least expensive brushes from an arts and crafts store will do. Clean your brushes with paint thinner, then blot them dry, then wash them again with warm water and dish soap. Reshape the bristles with your fingers and put them up to dry. Do this and they'll last a long time.

2. Since it has been a year, I would just wet-sand it down, and prime it. sand the runs down carefully since they are probably raised a bit. After you prime you probably want to sand it again if you can still make out the runs. Repeat this process until its smooth, washing the body with dish soap between every coat(sand, prime, sand, wash, prime, etc.).

3. Wet-sanding: Requires special sand paper for wet-sanding. I use 3M Auto-Pak Wetordry Super Fine 400 Grit(part# 03015NA), which is great for all phases of modeling, not just prep sanding. Wet-sand over the sink or out of a bucket or in the backyard with a spray bottle. Trick is to keep the model and the sand paper wet at all times, this keeps the sand paper from getting clogged up. Also a 3M Green(NEVER USE THE RED IT IS TOO ABRASIVE!) Scotch Brite is good used wet(wet it down like you would a sponge, and keep it soaked) is good if used GENTLY, they are very abrasive. A Scotch-Brite will help you get into hard to reach areas where sandpaper won't go.

4. Priming: I use "Rust-Oleum Automobile Primer Light Gray Primer #2081". Says "Fast Drying, Wet Sandable" on the front. Read all the directions on back of can. I have found this primer to be compatible with Testors spray paints, and the big can will enable you to prime 2-3 cars(the Testors primer is a rip-off by comparison).

Happy modeling! :D
 
this sux i went to walmart today and was going to buy the gt convertable lowreider or the s351 saleen convertable and they didnt have them so i guess ill try another walmart 2marro heck i really dont need them i got a ton of models i need to start on. also what yall think of this i was thinking the other day when i was going through my closet and found a 53 or so ford truck that has a blower on it and started thinking that i might use the motor out of it in my gt it might look pretty cool what yalll think?
 
'53 Ford truck huh? Hmmmmm, sounds interesting. I could see you putting a blower on a Mustang. It would be different, since everyone in the magazines puts centifugals on theirs. What would be really cool is to add an intercooler between the intake manifold and blower case. You could effectively fake it with a rectangular piece of plastic, your engine would be sky-high, topping out over the windshield, I'll see if I cant find a pic!

If the truck is going to wind up homeless without its engine, and its otherwise complete and you'd like to get rid of it($), let me know, it could be a great companion to the '53 Ford Victoria leadsled I'm building.
 
ssjmaverick23 said:
53 or so ford truck that has a blower on it and started thinking that i might use the motor out of it in my gt it might look pretty cool what yalll think?

Is that the AMT kit where the the truck is yellow on the box?

If so, don't bother putting that engine in a mustang, it's a big block chev :notnice: