68 Mustang - a disappointment

[Kmb0319]

A couple months ago, I went to my LHS to buy the new Revell RX-7 kit, but I had been thinking about the fact that my collection was missing a "staple."  While I did have a 67 Shelby GT350, I didn't have any classic "regular" Mustangs in my collection.  So, only planning to buy 1 kit, I saw a single straggler of the Revell 68 Mustang GT, and decided to grab it instead.

Everything started out well, but I was having trouble committing to a color.  My first choice was Highland Green, but I was planning to use the kit's awesome torque thrust wheels, and that was pushing me far too close to Bullitt.  After debating several, I went with another signature Mustang color, Acapulco blue.  With that, I then chose to do the two-tone blue interior.  It's nice, but I was a bit underwhelmed in the end... probably should have just gone with the green.  But then, I had weird problems that came up:

-  When I painted the headliner/pillars as part of the interior, the paint bled through the tape in a few spots.  Where that happened (mostly around the front windshield), the paint pooled under the tape and ate away some of the plastic, messing up my lines around the window.  

-  The front end refused to properly attach to the body, even using super glue.  It took 5-6 attempts to get it to stay, and all the bizarre holding/mashing to get it to hold in place ruined my clear coat on the top of the right front quarter panel.  I'll touch it up, but still

-  The clear I used (Duplicolor, used it lots of times before) suddenly acted strangely.  The shine was great, but it cracked in places that made no sense, and it refused to dry.  Two weeks after I had cleared, it was still slightly sticky to the touch.  I tried to get some wax on to protect it, and the wax left a haze... just stranget

-  I painted the taillight panel black.  That was a 67 thing, not a 68, and wasn't my intention, but my chrome pen bled while doing the taillight trim, and that was the easiest way to clean it up

-  During the front end debacle, I was holding the front end in place in my lap, and when I brought the car up, a headlight had fallen out.  No big deal... I've lost lots of TINY pieces during a build... sometimes it takes a few days, but I always end up finding them.  This much larger piece disappeared.  I found it a couple days ago after almost 3 weeks missing

Anyway, this kit seems nice and fits together mostly very well, but it does show its roots as a diecast.  In the end, I was underwhelmed, but that's probably just me.  I wired the engine and raised the rear end so it didn't look droopy, and then used the AMT pad-printed Polyglas.. smaller in front, bigger in the rear.  I wanted to look a little mean... don't think I got it, but at least I have a non-Shelby Mustang on the shelf.  Anyway, on to a few pics:

Interior:

Engine

Done:

 

[Curt]

Well in spite of all that it really looks good!  Just think, it's a build you'll remember...

[Snake45]

Well in spite of all that it really looks good!  Just think, it's a build you'll remember...

+1 to all that. Not bad looking at all, my friend!

[bobthehobbyguy]

Looks nice. Sometimes models to decide to fight you every inch of the way. Learn from the things that gave you problems and use that knowledge on your next build.

[GT4494]

Looks a ton better than my 1968 1:1  looked when I was in high school!

[vamach1]

I have only built the Bulllitt diecast and the Red prepainted fastback.  I had no assembly issues due to screws used in these kits and the same for the 67 Shelby GT500 in light blue.  I like that they were quick builds but have not tackeled the full kit versions which if course have similarities to the 67GT350 kit up to a point.  Yours looks great despite the challenges and the heads up.

[espo]

Great color and I like they wheels. You have great deal of patience, I have turned lesser problems turn a build into donor kit.  

[jeffdeoranut]

years ago I built the 67 and had so many problems with it that I refuse to attempt a nother mustang of that generation

[donb]

Well in spite of all that it really looks good!  Just think, it's a build you'll remember...

X2 

[John Goschke]

In spite of the headaches the end product looks fine!

[geetee66]

Don't beat yourself up man!

It looks pretty good despite your problems with it. And the paint colour is a good choice.

Nothing I do, EVER goes as planned! But problems are solutions waiting to happen and that alone, drives me forward.

[Lizz62]

I think it looks pretty dang good!

[RAMBENNA]

looks good to me, nice job

 

[landman]

looks good to me, nice job

 

x2

[vamach1]

Here are the diecast ones i mentioned.

[Metaldrumm]

Love the color, and the torque thrust rims set it off.

[Robberbaron]

I agree, looks great!

 

[E. Raza Ronny]

Quite a hectic build it seems. I feel you man, for the loss of small parts. Still wondering how i lost and entire guage decals that flew off the backing.

[Kmb0319]

Quite a hectic build it seems. I feel you man, for the loss of small parts. Still wondering how i lost and entire guage decals that flew off the backing.

OUCH!!!! That sucks!  The one thing i did find when I bought a kit that didn't have guage decals is that a white pencil will fill in the numbers and lines nicely without messing up anything.  Then a toothpick with red or orange for the needles, and your guages look pretty good without the decals... of course, that's as long as they are engraved, and not completely reliant on the decal for detail.

[webestang]

Looks very nice! I've been debating on if I should buy this kit, I think after seeing this I'll do it. 

[bogger44]

Sorry to hear of all the problems you encountered, Kevin.  Still, you turned it into a pretty darn good looking build.  Man, those Torque Thrust's and Polyglas tires really set it off, excellent choice!  As for the front end problem you encountered, was it leaving a gap in between the fenders and inner fenders?  I've built two of these and experienced this problem on both.  The only way I could cure it was by adding in some evergreen to fill the gap.  Oh, and off topic here, but when I had commented on your sweet '68 Chargers I remember you saying you'd be looking forward to whenever I'd build mine.  Well, I've been plugging away at one and finally getting close to finishing it, soon I hope Lol.

[Kmb0319]

It wasn't that... when I test-fitted the front end onto the body without the chassis, it fit so well that it stayed in place without any glue... I could pick the body up and the front end would stay in place if I didn't move it too quickly.  But, when the whole car was together, the front end bumped into the frame and wouldn't align correctly or stay on.

As for that Charger,  BRING IT!!! I can't wait to see what you do with that kit.  I'm now excited waiting for the re-release of the 69 Daytona.  It had gone out of production when I got back into the hobby, so this will be first chance to build a winged car.

[Geno]

Looks pretty darn good to me.

[Classicgas]

Looks good, great color.

[bogger44]

It wasn't that... when I test-fitted the front end onto the body without the chassis, it fit so well that it stayed in place without any glue... I could pick the body up and the front end would stay in place if I didn't move it too quickly.  But, when the whole car was together, the front end bumped into the frame and wouldn't align correctly or stay on.

As for that Charger,  BRING IT!!! I can't wait to see what you do with that kit.  I'm now excited waiting for the re-release of the 69 Daytona.  It had gone out of production when I got back into the hobby, so this will be first chance to build a winged car.

Ahhh..now I understand the issue.  Not sure why it did that.  I'll have to remember to watch for that when I build my other one.  If you enjoyed how the Chargers went together, you'll like building the Daytona as well....it's a good kit.