Kevinch

That might be the ticket - A/C is definitely in the right spot, it also has a P/S pump. Thanks Monte, Nobling!

Thanks FB - I'll be sure to look into those!

Absolutely correct; this car is not a garage queen although it doesn't see snow & it rarely sees rain. It's driven when it needs to be driven. The original A/C compressor went south, so he bought the replacement & fabricated a mounting bracket. I'm really only concerned with having a compressor in the correct location on the engine. I don't have a full pic of the Chevy, but here's a partial with one of its 2 garage mates: '31 (I believe - or '32) Ford coupe. Same engine as in the Impala, 350 SBC. It also has air - & most definitely is aftermarket...?

Hi. I'm attempting to build a replica of a family member's 1963 Impala SS from the AMT kit. One problem I'm having is the car has 1963 factory air. I'm not going to attempt the dash outlets, but I'd like to get the engine close. The 1:24 kit comes with a 409, obviously without air. The car has a small block. Can anyone help me & advise of a kit that has a small block Chevrolet engine with an air conditioning compressor? I don't know GM engines very well - but if a Pontiac, Buick, or Oldsmobile small block is similar I'd go with a small block A/C engine from one of those brands too. Thank you! Pic is engine in the car.

Thanks for all of the input folks - I appreciate each & every one!!

Thanks for the advice Dusty - much appreciated.

Thanks to you both - really appreciate you took the time to post & advise.

Thanks Mike....appreciate the input. Do you use acrylic enamel or lacquer (or both)? I see you are from middle Tennessee. I have in-laws around the Pikeville - Dayton area. Beautiful state.

Getting ready to start some painting on a scale car model with a Badger 105 given to me as a gift. I've never used an airbrush before, & I am totally confused over paint types in general, let alone what would be the wisest choice for a first time AB user. I will be painting in my basement. I have one of those portable spray booths & it will be ducted out a window. I do not have a paint dryer but am considering one. So what would be a good choice for me? Should it be an acrylic? Enamel or lacquer? What brand? What about primer? I know it's a big question, any advice is appreciated.

Thanks for the input - but the only closet I could put it in without hearing it would be in a neighbor's house! It's simply too loud to use in the home.

For Christmas, I received my first ever air brush - a Badger Air Brush Model 105 Patriot. Now I need to make it operable by hooking up a compressor, & I could use some help. Money is NOT the #1 consideration; I don't want to spend more than I have to but I don't need the cheapest unit available either. This compressor will in all likelihood only ever be used with an airbrush. I have a Harbor Freight 1.5HP, 6 Gallon, 150 PSI unit in the garage for inflating tires & other light duty but it makes enough noise to wake up the dead. Most of my painting will be done in my basement & the HF unit won't be used in the house. So noise level is very important, I need something relatively quiet. I also want a unit with a storage tank. Other than that, I don't really know what to look for. I know I want a good performing compressor though. I'll be painting mostly 1:24 or 1:25 scale models. Also: what do I need to hook up between the compressor & the AB? I know I need a hose, but what type? Can someone tell me what size fitting attaches to my AB? Are quick disconnects available & recommended? I know these are probably annoying newbie questions - any help is truly appreciated! Thanks, Kevin

Thanks for that Khils!

Hello folks. I want to build a '63 Impala SS kit as a gift for my brother-in-law. He is currently restoring his (white exterior, aqua interior). I know I won't be able to get it exact, but I'd like to get it as close as reasonable given my skill level & costs. Example: his car has factory air & none of the scale dashboards have the the molded in air ducts. All the kits seem to come with a 409, his is a small block but I've an unbuilt AMT Camaro kit with a small block that I plan to swap in. His car is an automatic, all the kits seem to be 4-speeds but in 1963 the shifters were very similar so that shouldn't be an issue. One thing is though: his car has a full length floor console & from what I can see none of the kits do. Does anyone know of a 1:24 or 1:25 kit that might have a similar console, or something that could be modded? I don't think I have the skill to build one from scratch. Any help or suggestions for this "revisiting" model builder from his early teens is appreciated.

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Local - I like it, thanks for the tip!

Thank you for the links Mike.

Thanks for the recommendation.

Thanks David - I will buy what I can from the local HL & even "not-so"-local hobby stores - but I really do want to stick with Tamiya across the board where possible as I know I won't have any compatibility issues. Next choice is Testors, but only for detail items where I can't find a Tamiya color. I have MCW bookmarked; I have a couple of builds planned as "tribute" builds - one a '68 Charger R/T that my dad had for a while (I have that kit); another a '63 Impala SS that my brother-in-law is currently working on to bring back to a primo as stock daily driver (I have yet to buy that kit). I'll want both of those to be sprayed in factory correct colors & will do so after I buy an air brush & do a build or 2 with it.

Hello again, with another "returning to the hobby question". Since coming back from a long, long absence I had no supplies for scale model building - all the way down to glue & brushes. I'm working on AMT's 1:25 1968 Shelby GT500 kit - the one with the green car on the box. I'm not really concerned with 100% realism to the original car; things like painting with the actual colors available aren't really important to me. But I do, within reason, want to do a quality build - something that will look good on a shelf - & this is my "1st attempt" build. So I've purchased a couple of hobby knifes & a bunch of blades, 2 sets of side cutters, a half dozen various tweezers, some cheap clamps, etc. I don't have a local mom & pop hobby shop, the ones that are within 10 miles or so don't really emphasize scale modeling. I do have a Hobby Lobby close to home, that is where I buy most of my stuff. It's a slow process, the money isn't really a problem if I go shopping every 2 weeks or so but I don't want to break the bank in one shot. This brings me to paint. After reading a bunch of posts, I've decided to go with all Tamiya paints for primer, color, & clear - with a possible dab of Testors here & there if I can't find quite the right color in Tamiya's line. I know it's not the most economical solution, but I see vey few complaints on the performance on the product. I don't have an air brush yet, the paint will be rattle cans & brush bottles. I fully intend to buy what I can locally - but if I can't get what I want, what are the good on-line sources to use? "Good" means to me reliable, fast shipping after receipt of order, reasonable shipping costs, etc. - not necessarily the cheapest price. I've started a list & it looks like I'm going to need about a dozen different paints & primers to do what I want to do. I'll want to buy the paint all at one time if I can. Thanks.....

Mark - never mind. I found it & how to use it. I'll blame age & a long, long day.....?

Thanks Mark. If I might ask: what is "Purple Power", & where can I find it? Do you just soak the parts & walk away until the chrome & lacquer are gone?

I'm sure this has been asked before but I have looked through pages of search engine results without success. I'm working on an AMT; a bunch of parts are chrome that should be painted. I'm a returning modeler after an absence of more years I want to admit to. Will chrome plastic accept paint with a good bond & good results , or should it be stripped first? And if it should be stripped, what works well to do that?

Thanks folks - I've actually used most all of the suggestions here - except for 1 yet to come. I have the bucket to the point where I get a narrow, straight gap on each side of the bucket that is about equal on each side. I'm going to purchase some thin styrene strips - maybe .015" thick - & shim up each side of the bucket or body - whichever seems to work best - as suggested until the gaps are closed. The help is much appreciated.

Hello all - new member's first post here. I'm returning to scale model building after many years as a mature adult after leaving the hobby in my mid-teens. I picked up the AMT #634M/12 1968 Shelby GT-500 kit to be reintroduced to the hobby. This is the kit with the green Shelby on the box. While test fitting the body/interior bucket/chassis I came upon a fit issue. This kit has a fully molded interior bucket - floor, front & rear, & side panels are all molded as a single unit. When I test fit the bucket into the body (it has 2 holes in the rear that slide over pins in the body behind the rear window), there is a large gap between the top edge of the bucket on the driver's side & the edge of the door where it should mate up. There exists a little play where I can close it up slightly, but not enough the close it completely. Anyone have any ideas on how I might be able to close it up? It looks to be about 1/16" wide. Appreciate any comments - other than scrap the kit.... ?