Model Cars? now that's Grassroots!

I have a Paasche dual-action with a nifty little portable compressor. More important is to have a "paint booth". Just cut 2 sides out of a big cardboard box (leaving a floor and 3 walls) and keep it in the garage for painting.

Dupli-Color automotive spray paints give fantastic results as well.

Thanks P71 for referring him to the site and those are the cars I like, I LOVE Touring cars, so I built that, that's what I like to build. JDE-That 31 is insane, you'd have to see this guys other models, but that comment is EXACTLY what it is, he loves his tobacco and beer sponsers and it's an IMSA Rod, I just love it. We'd been pondering the idea of a real shop that builds these but we are having a hard time trying to see if it would even work. I got to get an airbrush some time, all our paintjobs are straight from the can, it amazes some people. We love Dupli Color paints, neat colors and a good deal and they spray and polish really nicely and they are great. Tamiya makes fabulous paint too, as their kits. I like Tamiya, Fujimi, Aoshima, Gunze Sangyo, Heller, Revell of Germany, etc.

ratghia wrote: I'm am on my way to the basement to see what kits I have to build because of this thread.

you know, that really made my day a little better, i'm glad this got you motivated.

You know what, we need a model thread, and this is the best one to bring back from the dead.

Here's the collection of ones I still have:

If you want more info on one, just point it out and I'll get the pics up.

Oh, and a pro tip: Have you ever seen the super, super glossy paint jobs on the professional models? Want to know the secret?

Meguire's Scratch-X

You rub it in with an applicator pad and then buff out with a microfiber cloth. Observe:

Before:

Unpolished on the left, polished on the right:

Polished roof, unpolished sides:

Finished:

Never wax a model. Wax turns hazy and will actually make the paint dull. Polish is what makes paint glossy, wax is just a protectant and models don't need protection (beyond a plastic case)!

I know, the dark color of the Catalina made it tough to see. Another:

Before:

After:

What you can accomplish with good prep work, $1 a can Wal Mart spray paint, and some Scratch-X:

Have you ever tried Future Floor Polish on a model? It does amazing things on model aircraft canopies, so it'd probably be awesome on car windows, and I've tried it on the metallic paint of a diecast car with OK results.

Max_Archer wrote: Have you ever tried Future Floor Polish on a model? It does amazing things on model aircraft canopies, so it'd probably be awesome on car windows, and I've tried it on the metallic paint of a diecast car with OK results.

Future is like a mild Scratch-X

It's getting really hard to find though.

That Pontiac screams for Bare Metal Foil. It's an acquired talent, applying and cutting the stuff, but I love it.

ddavidv wrote: That Pontiac screams for Bare Metal Foil. It's an acquired talent, applying and cutting the stuff, but I love it.

Agreed! I built that one about 10 years ago though, and I don't like making alterations. Occasional cleaning and repair is what they get.

I finally covered scale model cars on Miniatures Mondays!

7 years later?

I got excited for this thread because in the off season I build a few models

In reply to TheRX7Project :

We've had over a dozen model threads here. I'm hoping to turn this into the "main one". We have a lot of model builders!

Resurrection!  Great thread to bring back! 

I've always had a love for scale modeling... cars, planes, bikes... just about anything.  Most of my car models haven't survived over the years, as I haven't done any building in over a decade.  I still have a few bikes I built, including a ZX-12 'mini-me' of the bike I was racing at the time:

I was working on a stretched, lowered version that was going to be a turbo dragbike... never finished, though.  Couldn't come up with a turbo I was happy with.  And everything got put away because racing was taking all my hobby time.

I later moved on into scale RC aircraft... all the modeling fun, and you get to fly them!  Painful when they crash, though... and they do crash!

I still have a bunch of static models in boxes, including the unfinished drag bike, sitting in the attic or in boxes.  I got a bunch from a friend when he sold out inventory from his hobby shop.  I figure I might get around to them when I retire! 

I don't have photos of all my builds in my phone, but I have a few.

1969 Olds 442 (AMT):

1966 Mustang "The Bad Luck Stang", named as such that every time I tried to paint it something went wrong. I ended up buying a second kit and starting the body over:

1969 Chevelle Wagon:

1971 Nissan Skyline:

1966 Shelby Cobra:

And my most recent completion, a Toyota S800:

I'm currently in the finishing stages of a 1971 Hemi 'Cuda, hopefully I'll have it done this weekend.

In reply to TheRX7Project :

Those are all great, especially the S600!!!

Pretty good timing for a thread resurrection.  Currently killing time until race season with this: 

1/20 scale Tamiya Lotus 79.  Just getting into the "hard part" since there's no frame in the back half.  I'll need to get everything nice and square/level since the rear suspension attaches to the trans, which attaches to the engine block, which attaches to the rear firewall.  Given that the bodywork almost touches the ground, it will look pretty stupid if it doesn't end up square/level.  Wish me luck.    

I had not seen this thread before, but I am a frequent participant of the NNL East shows. So here are 3 photos of some recent completions. My father owned a hobby shop from 1946 til 1956, so I had early exposure, and have been building scale cars more or less continually since then. This AC Bristol is my most recent completion, converted from AMT Cobra.

                                Ferrari 250 California from the Esci kit, with many bits from other Ferrari kits for detail and mods to make it as I would want in full scale.

                                Lotus Elite type 14 from the Profile24 kit with many detail adds, again, as I would want the real car, though the model is more reliable!

In reply to TurnerX19 :

Oh wow! I love all three of those!!

Appleseed said:

David S. Wallens wrote: Those are nice. Do we need to start highlighting model cars in the magazine?

Only if you can race the cars.

Fixed that for you.  Instead of static model cars, (I do appreciate the time and effort that goes into them) how about slot cars?  

noddaz

In reply to noddaz :

Well, if you must, here are a few pics from my basement track "Scalehampton" which is styled as Bridgehampton on the west side and Summit Point on the east end, and located in Northampton county PA

noddaz said:

Appleseed said:

David S. Wallens wrote: Those are nice. Do we need to start highlighting model cars in the magazine?

Only if you can race the cars.

Fixed that for you.  Instead of static model cars, (I do appreciate the time and effort that goes into them) how about slot cars?  

noddaz

We already have a thread for that...

In reply to TurnerX19 :

Those are incredible

Today's progress.  

Awesome. I've started building again since I have retired. I've got a closet full of to-be-built kits. It's amazing what's available from wheels to distributors and other parts. 

I always like to have a model of cars that I own. I haven't been able to find one of my current car - a BMW e90 M3. Is this something one of you talented guys can build for me?