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I’ve used craft acrylics in the past, but have since switched to Vallejo acrylics. You get what you pay for with craft acrylics, the cheaper brands are cheaper because they use less pigment in them so it often takes a coat or two to get good coverage. The Vallejo glossy and matte black cover with one coat, the brush marks almost always lay down for a smooth finish. I never got that with craft paints.

This may sound stupid, so don't be upset if this is what you're doing. I haven't seen this addressed so time to ask... Are you using adequate water to flush away the shed paint removed by the polishing pads or are you using the films / pads dry. The only time that I use polishing films or pads dry is correcting small dust bunnies in the paint. Otherwise, I flush the body with water with a drop of liquid dish detergent which helps the abrasive particles cut better and helps clear away the paint particles shedding off the body as you wet sand. Most hobby shop sanding sticks can be used wet or dry as well, makes them last longer.

Greg, Just went through your build-up to where you currently are, having build the '55 years ago all I can say is WoW! This is one of the best '53 - '55 Corvettes that I have seen. I ended up building the '55 as a Gasser out of it combining the poorly engineered AMT '57 flip-front Gasser. Still there were a ton of issues with the body and interior bucket, bullet proof windshield... I like how you are setting down and solving each issue as it comes, building a real replica out of a kid market model! Keep it up. I'm watching this one going together!

I've been using business cards and magazine insert cards for years, to mix small batches of bondo and epoxy. Mix it, use it, toss it. I got the tip from Paul Budzig (a Dentist), on his aircraft modeling YouTube channel. He uses cut up copier/typing paper pieces about the size of a Post-It or business card. I always had a wad of business cards at work from every Contractor that I worked with, so free mixing boards!

Uni-Body Ford F-100's, the full-sized Ranchero of the Ford Fleet! I Remember seeing this one in the magazines of the day, looking good!

Great job. just be really thankful you didn't start with an AMT Chevelle, metal axle through the block, crude frame, screw bottom chassis originally. The colors, engine decals wheels & tires look spot on, like this one a lot!

Nice upgrades Tim. I think you are right on the money with your changes, they are in keeping with a traditional Hot Rod. More like a backdated traditional Hot Rod, if one is going to go the period Hot Rod route, then the rear frame crossmember, spring and mounting of either a quick change or early Ford banjo rear end would need to be fit. The other thing would likely be a '32 car radiator shell, shaved or not. The slightly chopped windshield frame and stanchions take the roadster from stock windshield to a Hot Rod inspired windshield. Wheels, the black rims were what the average Hot Rodder probably would have run every day. At least the guys that my uncles used to run with did, then they would pop on the trim rings and either post '40 Ford caps or baldy caps when they were headed to a show or to show off. Swapping out the fuel injection is a smart idea, most of the early injection units were a pain to tune and keep tuned, they required near constant fiddling and changing out of the pills (jets). Running fuel injection on the street back in the day was a real rarity even in Southern California, it wasn't until the computer controlled (aided) retro-injection systems started showing up in the early '90s, Kinsler, Ingalese and others which are controlled by computer Vs. the pill etc. A dual 4-Barrel setup was far more drivable than any injection system back in the early/mid '60s, way easier to tune for the street too. Almost forgot, one of the real big hitters on your '29 Ford clean up was fixing those weird looking wheel wells, (inner fender wells) I haven't liked them since the Revell '29 Roadster first came out. Having grown up in a Hot-Rodding family, from as early as I can remember we've had something Hot Rodded in the garages either my uncles or my dad, brothers and my own. My brothers and I were exposed to good old Hot Rods back in the early 60's and it's been a string of Hot Rods, Muscle Cars, Race Cars through the years. So maybe, just maybe, I'm kind of qualified to give an opinion or two on early Hot Rods because I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by them from an early age. Most of my family have owned Hot Rods, not Street Rods with their pretty carved billet handiwork, billet didn't make it go fast... I think that's one of the biggest reasons we have seen a resurgence of basic Hot Rods with their simplicity and just darn good looks!

The Empi Inch Pincher run by Joe and Darrel Vittone was a true NHRA Gasser, it ran in I/Gas with a very low front end. The rules for gassers stated that the front could be lowered or raised but not more than 24 inches from the center of the crankshaft to the pavement. Lots of other Volkswagen Type 1, Bugs ran in the NHRA and IHRA Gas Classes, usually H/Gas, I/Gas depending on the horsepower to weight ratio, which is what placed any Gasser in its respective class. Other VW Gassers were "The Tar Babe", "Iguana", Gene Berg - Gene Berg Enterprises, Gary Berg - "Sonic Muffin" The Schley Brothers,,, and a bunch of others. The "Original California Look" lowered, dechromed, Hi-Horsepower engines, Light weight racing type wheels - BRM, Rocket, American Mags all in the wide five bolt pattern, all business interiors were morphed back onto the street in some cases from the NHRA Gas Classes when the gassers were dropped. So, if you do a little homework on the mid-60's to mid-70's, you will find the combination for the VW Gasser engine sizes of the day ranged from 1500 - 2180 cc, Carburetion a pair of 40 IDA Webbers on the smaller engines to the big 48 IDA Webbers on the bigger engines, large diameter header and a long stinger 16 - 24" long depending on the tune. Externally from a visual standpoint, those are the real changes to the Volkswagen engine. The engine in the AMT Super Bug gasser, looks like it is probably either a 36 or 40 HP engine, could even be a 1500 cc single port engine. Nearly every Volkswagen gas class engine that I saw in the early days of the VW Gassers was based on the larger higher flowing Dual Port Head equipped engine. So, if you are using the Super Bug or the Meyers Manx VW engines they won't be quite accurate. There was someone on here that had a friend who resin cast some VW engines that came with everything needed for a VW gasser engine, it had bare cylinder barrels which most of the early gassers ran without any engine tin at all. Your reference material should show that. The AMT Super Bug gasser would not run in the VW Gas classes, the shortened wheelbase would have moved it into the Altered classes, not sure any VW's even ran in that class. I don't recall any of them, but that doesn't mean that someone somewhere didn't. Look at Hot VW's magazine, VW Greats magazine from the 60s and 70s, Hot Rod (Peterson) Complete Volkswagen books 1,2 & 3 - There was plenty of VW drag racing engines and cars in those publications. Do a search on Joe and Darrel Vittone there are a few of the Empi Inch Pincher VW's that have been restored, last I saw they were online. There should be a ton of reference material on the innerweb you just have to look and search for the right thing. I don't have any of my collection of Volkswagen stuff in print so I can't help you there. When I switched back to American muscle cars and Hot Rods, I got rid of all VW related stuff parts and print. I used to hang around Gene Berg's shop when he was in Kent, Washington before he moved everything to California. I had one of Gene's engines, I believe came out of Gary's Sonic Muffin, race car, roller crank, ported heads, 48 IDA Webbers... that I ran in a '57 oval window mostly at the drags up to the mid-80s, wish I had never got rid of it! Smoothest running modified VW engine I've ever owned. Hope this helps you on your Gasser Quest!

Soak it in some acetone then make the decision that its trashed. Make sure that the O-rings and Teflon seals are removed as acetone or ketone will attack the seals. Acetone will break down CA glue, I've used it before on other projects. Good luck!

Ron - Great idea, I don't have a fidget yet so guess I'll stick to my water bottle caps, use those for just about everything then toss them when finished. Our recycling doesn't accept bottle caps and lids, so I'm recycling the caps for another use before tossing them!

Greg - That's a great idea! Normally either use needle files or rifflers to get to inside radii, have to try it.

That looks great I think I'll have to try it out, looks like it's a good way to get that sidewall "pooch" from the weight of the vehicle as well. Model Car Science Magazine and Don Emmons used to recommend using a hot iron for flattening and treading tires (over metal screen). I remember trying it as a kid and getting into a whole lot of trouble with my Mom, for getting black model tire residue on the business end of her iron. I only tried that method once! LoL!!

That's a great way to mask. I don't use it because I am plagued at times with static electricity which can and does do funny things to sprayed paint. I typically use either white butcher paper or masking paper taped to the edge of the already masked areas.

I use the Vallejo Tyre Black, depending on the size of the window gasket, I either freehand it with a small brush or mask it off and then brush it on. The Vallejo Model Air is too thin for my likes, I think it's too opaque and can allow the underlying color to show through. That's just my 2-cents though!

The method that I have used for a long time is to replace the axle pin altogether with a 2-56 Allen Head screw and sometimes the appropriate washer. I start with a 2-56 X 1/2" Allen head screw, drill the hole in the pin location, which in most cases is just about the same, or slightly smaller. Next thread the 2-56 Allen head screw through the hole. Measure the needed length, mark and trim as required. Once the screw is trimmed and threaded back into the axle pin location set the screw in place with a dab of JB Weld on the backside. It only takes a tiny amount. Thread the wheel-back onto the 2-56 screw threads and Bob's Yer Uncle, done with a stable axle pin replacement. 2-56 Stainless Allen Head Screws are readily available on eBay for cheap, (I think it's the same size that Hot Wheels Customizers use to replace their chassis rivets. You could also use a 2-56 Cap Screw as well to get additional stability from the wider screw head. I have used this method on Ancient Screw Bottom chassis, Straight Axles - Recently the V8-60 chrome front axle on an AMT '25 T after seeing Dave Darby's Article in issue #221, AMT 60 Ranchero chassis, AMT 64 El Camino & Chevelle Wagon chassis, 60 Ford F-100 chassis and many other AMT chassis. It works especially well on the "Axle through the Block" type chassis, eliminates the nasty hole in the block and oil pan, your engine swap selection is greater. Totally eliminates those pesky oil leaks from the huge hole in the block onto your display shelf... LoL!!

I use *JTape Custom, which seems similar to the Tamiya or Washi tapes. It comes in a larger roll, multiple widths and is less expensive than the Tamiya tape. I've also used the blue vinyl masking tape; it's used in a lot of industrial manufacturing applications. The only drawback to the vinyl tape is that it's a bit more expensive than any of the other tapes, especially the usual run of the mill crepe masking tape, it tolerates elevated heat curing (like used in the powder coating processes). I still use rolls of crepe masking tape on the work bench, just don't use them for masking paint other than extending the masking out from the JTape. JTape Custom - WWW.jtapecustom.com U.S. Distributor Midwest Airbrush Supply - Midwest Airbrush JTape Custom The other thing to consider about any masking tape is the shelf life. Once unwrapped from its packaging and it's exposed to the air the clock starts ticking and the adhesive begins slowly breaking down. I remember reading something to the effect that 6 months to a year, depending on humidity and temperature variations (Airbrush Action Magazine). To counteract this to a point, all masking tape goes into a Ziplock sandwich bag then stored in a cool dry location in my paint cabinet. The other advantage of this is that the edge of the roll isn't picking up dust and bits off of the workbench which get transferred to the paint. The cleaner you are with every step of the painting process, the less you are going to have to work to get a great paint job! *Caveat - I have used multiple rolls of this JTape for models, sign work, automotive custom work, artwork - airbrush and watercolor painting - So this recommendation is from actual use versus secondhand recommendations, or a website said this is great stuff. (Manufacturer's websites are made to sell product, to let the consumer know what their usage characteristics are and can be expected when used as directed.)

What you are experiencing with the "old paints" lasting longer in the bottle than the new paints are the reformulation of the enamel paints to meet California air standards which the Federal EPA has adopted as well. Sometime in the 80's or 90's almost all of the enamel paints were reformulated, first they removed the lead, next they tweaked with the formulas and even pigments. Which is why it takes more of the newer paints to cover properly than it did with the old stuff in the 19 cent Pactra and Tester's paint bottles. I would also suspect that Tester's has reformulated their enamels once more, now they start setting up as soon as air is introduced to the mix. You also might be experiencing what Sign Painters refer to as "skinning" where the top of the enamel skins up in the container about 1/16" thick, if so, just cut through the skin, mix the paint below and use like normal. Worth a try to see if it works.

Fellow sign painter here apprenticed in the late 70's. Yes, you can reduce Sign Painter's One Shot Enamel with lacquer thinner to about a 50/50 ratio. You might even have some of the One Shot hardener in your kit, (I know I do). Reducing enamel paints with lacquer thinners by sign painters goes back to the early 1900's (and probably earlier) it's not a new idea. Sign Painters use lacquer thinner to dry quicker, smooth out the enamel's brush strokes and give it more sheen. MCW paints offers an enamel hardener (about 1 - 2 oz jar), which I've used successfully on almost all the enamels that I've got in my stash of model paint. So, I'm sure it will work with the One Shot as it's a straight enamel itself. One Shot sprays like any enamel, when reduced to the consistency of milk. Depending on your airbrush and air source/compressor, start around 15 - 20 psi either reducing or increasing air pressure as you go until you get the spray pattern you want. One Shot does make some really cool colors that you don't see in most ranges of model paints, only drawback is you either have to buy a 1/2 or full pint.

That's exactly what I use, probably have 9 or 10 full of small parts, both kit stuff and resin parts. Agreed, they are cheaper than anything else similar that I have come across. If you wait until around Christmas, those plastic Sterlite shoe boxes hover around a buck or two each, they go up after New Years for the organizing season. I use the shoe boxes for bagged parts, have one with complete engines alone, (plastic and resin), 1-quart Ziplock bags from Costco work, you can get some pretty big parts in them.

No, I line the walls and floor with white butcher paper which lasts a long time. The booth is vacuumed, then the filter cleaned out after every painting session. Prior to painting, the fan is turned on for an hour or two. This seems to pull any airborne dust into the filters before it would have landed on fresh paint. The cleaner the booth, the cleaner the paint is what I am finding.

Yes, you can, but you will need to step up to a good reducer and a flow improver along with priming and sanding the primer. The other thing is the cheap acrylic paints have some really wonky pigments in them. It's like they aren't ground uniformly or something, but they clump. The better craft paints have a greater pigment ratio to acrylic medium which gives you better coverage. Use a good acrylic airbrush reducer like Createx or equivalent to reduce the paint mixture to spray consistency, like milk. Experiment with the air pressure 15 - 20 PSI is a good starting point. Wear an N95 face mask when painting with acrylic paint, it's not so much the acrylic medium, but the pigments (you really never know what was ground up for the paint pigment. As with just about any paint system, the basis of good bodywork goes a long way to getting a smooth finish. After you get a decent finish you can clear coat with acrylic clear, acrylic lacquer automotive clear, or even 2K clear to get a real shine to the paint.

I use the alligator clips like everyone else and stab them into a chunk of Styrofoam with a chunk of modeling clay stuck on the bottom, keeps it from falling over with painted parts on it. Plus some 1/2" X 1/2" double back tape bits that I stick the part onto a wood coffee stirrer stick, works for me!

Dependent on size - Hardware organizer, Jewelry parts organizer from (Hobby Lobby they're Cheap), Stero Clear Plastic Shoe boxes for larger parts and assemblies everything in the shoebox gets bagged so it can be quickly found. Resin & 3D printed parts - R & M parts stay in the bag until used, stored in another plastic shoe box you can lay them on their side like a file card box. Photo Etch are in their bags on small pegs on cabinet doors. Tires - stored in another Hobby Lobby jewelry parts box. Doug Whyte did a YouTube video on Make Spare Model Parts Easier to Find which is pretty helpful to get thinking about storage systems.

This, plus - If I have a question whether 1K or 2K clear will work with the decals I use the "Title Strip" on the Decal Sheet (applied to a spoon, the one that I tested the paint and air pressure on). Title Strip = part number, what car it's for and who made it. That is if it is on decal film, if not then I use the "trimmings" off of the decals that are going to be applied since it's the film that might react Vs the ink which won't.

Thanks! Great idea, this one should be pinned right up there with the others. Those hex beads also work well with "rubber hose", or vinyl coated wire to represent the high-pressure fittings in use before braided stainless became cheap enough for the masses to use.