Model Car Thread

[Chuck Most]

Farting around with this piece of shit.

 

Started it years ago, grafted on the front suspension from an AMT Nascar Thunderbird (resembles an aftermarket Mustang II setup if you squint) and a 9" axle. Sat in the box that far along until I started attacking it this last weekend.

 

 

Other project is a '63 F250. Shortened Moebius 1972 F250 4x4 chassis and plow, Moebius '65 cab and interior, AMT 1963 grille, and AMT 1960 Ford Styleside bed. It's box stock from several boxes... 🤣

 

[Chuck Most]

[Chuck Most]

[Chuck Most]

*Northwest Passage " by Stan Rogers plays softly in the background...*

 

[Chuck Most]

[Chuck Most]

[angliagt]

        I knew a guy in Eureka that had that same truck,only in 1:1 scale.

[iceman510]

Nice trucks.  👍

[Chuck Most]

Just wrapped up this '92 F150. Lightning bumpers and a turbo'd 300 six.

 

[MikeRL411]

Nice!

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

I've always wondered. Is it possible to get a scale appropriate paint sheen on a model car/truck? Seems like most paint on model cars looks awkward. I'm no painter, and maybe the answer would be obvious if I were, but if I could figure that out, I may build some more models.

[yenpit]

3 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

I've always wondered. Is it possible to get a scale appropriate paint sheen on a model car/truck? Seems like most paint on model cars looks awkward. I'm no painter, and maybe the answer would be obvious if I were, but if I could figure that out, I may build some more models.

I would say yes, to a NON metallic paint, but no to an "off the shelf" metallic paint..............unless companies like Tamiya make their metallic paints with MICRO metallic particles...........??  It just goes back to scale, like you said!  Hopefully Chuck has THE answer..............😎

[Chuck Most]

3 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

I've always wondered. Is it possible to get a scale appropriate paint sheen on a model car/truck? Seems like most paint on model cars looks awkward. I'm no painter, and maybe the answer would be obvious if I were, but if I could figure that out, I may build some more models.

Biggest problem I seem to see is way too much gloss. The two part stuff a lot of guys seem to like is the worst. Yeah, it's really glossy, but it also likes to pull away from panel lines. And I personally think it's just overkill for a model car. Same goes for that acrylic floor coating a lot of guys seem to think is the perfect clearcoat for models.

 

Something like Testors lacquer or Tamiya and maybe a little polishing looks way more realistic for anything other than a SEMA show car. Too much gloss really throws off the look. Hence why I build so many models with a distressed finish. 🤣

 

Metallics are a bit of a problem even with paints intended for models. More often than not you get a metal flake more appropriate for a 1980s bass boat than a car. Sometimes a clear coat will mute that effect but not always.  I've heard good things about Scalefinishes metallic paint but having never tried it myself I can't wholeheartedly recommend it. The Tamiya metallics look decent, and the Testors One Coat clear actually has just a touch of gold flake in it (barely noticable but it is there). 

 

If you're using something like Duplicolor metallic straight out of the can, results can vary a great deal. But oddly enough it often still looks better than a hobby metallic of the same color.

 

And I probably don't need to say this, but obviously prep work goes a long way. No matter how the paint job looks it's going to be weird seeing sink marks and mold lines in an otherwise good paint job.

[ratpatrol66]

My big fat meat hooks won't let me build model cars no more. Way to much brootise smash and break stuff. Maybe I will meditate and try to build? 

Edited August 13 by ratpatrol66

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

2 hours ago, ratpatrol66 said:

My big fat meat hooks won't let me build model cars no more. Way to much brootise smash and break stuff. Maybe I will meditate and try to build? 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

19 hours ago, Chuck Most said:

Biggest problem I seem to see is way too much gloss. The two part stuff a lot of guys seem to like is the worst. Yeah, it's really glossy, but it also likes to pull away from panel lines. And I personally think it's just overkill for a model car. Same goes for that acrylic floor coating a lot of guys seem to think is the perfect clearcoat for models.

 

Something like Testors lacquer or Tamiya and maybe a little polishing looks way more realistic for anything other than a SEMA show car. Too much gloss really throws off the look. Hence why I build so many models with a distressed finish. 🤣

 

Metallics are a bit of a problem even with paints intended for models. More often than not you get a metal flake more appropriate for a 1980s bass boat than a car. Sometimes a clear coat will mute that effect but not always.  I've heard good things about Scalefinishes metallic paint but having never tried it myself I can't wholeheartedly recommend it. The Tamiya metallics look decent, and the Testors One Coat clear actually has just a touch of gold flake in it (barely noticable but it is there). 

 

If you're using something like Duplicolor metallic straight out of the can, results can vary a great deal. But oddly enough it often still looks better than a hobby metallic of the same color.

 

And I probably don't need to say this, but obviously prep work goes a long way. No matter how the paint job looks it's going to be weird seeing sink marks and mold lines in an otherwise good paint job.

I guess I could start by getting an air brush.

 

That's some good info. Thanks.

[datsunfreak]

On 8/13/2024 at 6:49 PM, ratpatrol66 said:

My big fat meat hooks won't let me build model cars no more. Way to much brootise smash and break stuff. Maybe I will meditate and try to build? 

 

Go up in scale.  😁

 

 

 

 

That also fixes a lot of the metallic flake issue...  😉

[Chuck Most]

[datsunfreak]

On 8/16/2024 at 9:49 AM, datsunfreak said:

 

Go up in scale.  😁

 

That also fixes a lot of the metallic flake issue...  😉

 

Started thinking about this, and remembered once upon a time I did a 1/8 scale 4th-gen Camaro for my brother back in the mid 90s. Hard to believe what some of the asking prices are for that kit now...  😲

 

Apparently there are some big 3rd-gen F-body kits too, still available new... 

 

Edited August 27 by datsunfreak

[Chuck Most]

[yenpit]

On 8/27/2024 at 10:59 AM, datsunfreak said:

 

Started thinking about this, and remembered once upon a time I did a 1/8 scale 4th-gen Camaro for my brother back in the mid 90s. Hard to believe what some of the asking prices are for that kit now...  😲

 

Apparently there are some big 3rd-gen F-body kits too, still available new... 

 

 

Holy Mahooney Brothers.................that is crazy expensive!!!!!!!! 😨🙄😵

[angliagt]

On 8/27/2024 at 12:59 PM, datsunfreak said:

 

Started thinking about this, and remembered once upon a time I did a 1/8 scale 4th-gen Camaro for my brother back in the mid 90s. Hard to believe what some of the asking prices are for that kit now...  😲

 

Apparently there are some big 3rd-gen F-body kits too, still available new... 

 

       I find it funny that you can make payments on a MODEL car.

[datsunfreak]

14 hours ago, yenpit said:

 

Holy Mahooney Brothers.................that is crazy expensive!!!!!!!! 😨🙄😵

 

It is also crazy detailed too. But if you think about it, it's 5-6 times the size of a normal model car, so they think it should cost 5-6 times as much. 😋

 

 

 

 

I am thinking very hard about getting one of those 1/8 Trans Am kits, to be honest. But I have a question for any more seasoned modelers...

 

It is hard to find aftermarket wheels for the big 1/8 scale cars, but it is super easy to find aftermarket wheels for a 1/10 scale RC car, in fact I already have some Volk TE37s I bought for my RC car. So the question is, would 1/10 scale wheels look weird on a 1/8 scale car? Or is it close enough that it might look okay? 

 

I know I can just try it and find out, but was hoping someone might know the answer or have seen it done before. Googling wasn't much help...

Edited August 29 by datsunfreak

[datsunfreak]

4 hours ago, angliagt said:

       I find it funny that you can make payments on a MODEL car.

 

That's Amazon for you...  😋

[datsunfreak]

2 minutes ago, datsunfreak said:

It is hard to find aftermarket wheels for the big 1/8 scale cars, but it is super easy to find aftermarket wheels for a 1/10 scale RC car, in fact I already have some Volk TE37s I bought for my RC car. So the question is, would 1/10 scale wheels look weird on a 1/8 scale car? Or is it close enough that it might look okay? 

 

And I just now learned there's such a thing as 1/8 scale RC cars, so maybe never mind...  😄