Model building advice

I haven’t built a plastic model in at least 30 years but I had a weak moment and bought this off Amazon. Now my question is who makes the best adhesive and paint these days? Tamiya recommends their stuff and I have no issue with that but I’m looking for some advice because I know there are a few people on here who’ve built some really nice models. This thing came with some really nice photo etch bits that I have no experience with. I want to take my time and build this right. I got to see the real thing run at Mosport many years ago and it left an impression.

There are newer style glues, very thin, almost watery. Instead of slathering on the glue, you mate the two pieces togetger, and dab a bit near the joint, and it wicks it's way along the join. Its awesome. 

Interested too. I did a lot of models back in the day and was an IPMS member but real cars took over. When I bought the Mustang in 05 I picked up a plastic kit version too. It's still waiting because I have no supplies at all.

In reply to Wayslow :

Tamiya products are generally very high quality and not cheap, although compared to stuff for real cars it's all dirt cheap.

Your biggest challenge will be getting a good finish on the car without an airbrush. Tamiya makes some good spray acrylics which could with for a car finish.

I have an airbrush but I haven’t used it in about 30 years as well. I guess I’ll be doing some practice painting

Some good tips here:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=1075623

Tamiya building supplies are always a safe bet for quality and consistency. I've never been disappointed in any of them, whether adhesives or paint.

Go here. 

GRM for the scale set. http://www.scaleautomag.com

On car bodies, I've had the best luck with actual auto paints.  Just be sure you have good primer coverage, because they don't always play nice with polystyrene.  For smaller bits and pieces and  for your basic colors (silver, flat black, etc), I've had decent luck with the cheapo Testors.  Unfortunately, almost no one makes a decent red or yellow, unless you can get your hands on Humbrol paints.    You'll probably want some sort of reasonably thick superglue for the photoetched bits and both liquid and tube plastic cement for the rest of the parts.  Be aware, photoetched bits don't take to paint real well.  

Also, if you screw up on painting the body, submerge the whole thing in Super Clean for about month. The paint will lift right off. Sanding destroys details. 

Ive been out of the model hobby for a while too. Once the full size car hobby took over, they sat like old books. 

For solvent glues, plastruct has two glues that are okay. 

I recommend getting some bottles of loctite 406 and 401 for your superglues. Get some Luer lock syringe tips and you can do precision application on those bottles. They can be had from mcmaster. Store the bottles in your freezer to make them last, otherwise they gel up in a year.

Also be careful with those two glues because they can fog your paint/windsheild. For painted parts, use loctite tak pak 444. That stuff is not supposed to fog.

For paint, wet sanding the paint will yield glass smooth results or get rid of any dust picked up. Get set of micromesh pads that run up to 12000 grit.  Don't mix rinse water between grits otherwise you will ruin the pads. 

Gunze Sangyo made the best primer long ago. Their mr surfacer was great stuff. The tamiya primer is ok too but doesn't fill as well as mr surfacer. 

For putty, i've had great success with Tamiya polyester putty. I am not sure if it is just the same as bondo, but it is quick and smooth and doesn't shrink like squadron green. 

If you need a metal surface, bare metal foil is my quick go to. Alclad for other types of metal finishes, but it requires more work. 

For paint, testors acrylic black is easy to use and has good hiding quality. For colors, unfortunate you will have to go with enamel because acrylic colors have hit or miss hiding power. Even the tamiya stuff is hit or miss because it is so thin. The testors small bottle enamel and model master stuff is good. The Gunze Sangyo stuff is very good despite being acrylic. 

As for an airbrush, the crappy $30 testors external mix airbrush tied to a small hot dog or pancake compressor from home depot is super easy to use and reliable. Sprays a lot of stuff and easy to clean.  My experience with the uber expensive aztec internal mix with the array of tips was terrible. It was always spitting paint and super hard to clean. One of the worst thing I have spent money on. 

I have enough trouble with the 1:1 scale stuff.