JoHan 1975 Cutlass : RESTORED

[1972coronet]

Bought this as an unassembled promo . One of its prior owners took it apart (cleanly) , and started some body work ( separation marques on the quarters ; moulding dips on bonnet ) .

It was originally a factory silver metallic , and I wanted to keep that theme . 

I rescribed the panel lines ; filled-in the "dents" on the bonnet ; then it was primer-sand-primer until the "dents" were feathered-out (Tamiya White Putty , followed by red oxide filler-primer on the bonnet only ; then Tamiya Light Grey Primer overall ).

The colour coat is Tamiya Silver Leaf (aerosol) which was followed by Tamiya Pearl Clear Coat (aerosol) and finally Testors Enamel Gloss Coat (aerosol) . Perfect amount of gloss , close to factory finish .

Molotow pen for the trim around the windscreen , backlight , quarter lights , and door trim . 

Tamiya Black Panel Line Accent was used on the wheel covers ,  panel lines , windscreen trim , backlight trim , and around the emblems and side marker lamp bezels ; grille , too . 

Tail lamp lenses were treated to Molotow (for reflective properties) . 

Bumpers' rub strips were simply scraped of their plating , as the bumpers were plated-over black plastic (perfect !) 

Headlamps were painted with a mix of Tamiya Clear Blue with Tamiya Gloss Clear ; Black Panel Line Accent was used to 'separate' them from their bezels .

 

So , in other words , I tried some new 'tricks' with this bad boy . I still have to do some touch-ups here and there , but it's done !  

Compliments and critiques welcomed .

 

*** EDIT : ALL-BUT-ONE PHOTO DELETED --- SEE NEWLY-ADDED IMAGES IN RECENT POST .***

Edited December 8, 2020 by 1972coronet
GARBAGE PHOTOS DELETED

[RichCostello]

How does it look with the lights on?

[1972coronet]

52 minutes ago, RichCostello said:

How does it look with the lights on?

What lights ? 

[RichCostello]

1 minute ago, 1972coronet said:

What lights ? 

I was just kidding. It looks like you took your pictures in the dark.

[1972coronet]

48 minutes ago, RichCostello said:

I was just kidding. It looks like you took your pictures in the dark.

Oh , okay ! Haha !  Believe it or not , there were two lights on in my (small) bedroom when I snapped those gripping photos ! My bedroom's on the northside of the apartment complex ; the Sun set at 16:50 , so there was no natural light available when I took the pics at 19:30 . 

Perhaps I'll get some A.M. photos in tomorrow (around 10:30 or so) .

[espo]

I like your paint treatment on the Headlights, it's hard to get those solid plastic chromed things to look realistic. Suggestions. Maybe use some flat black inside the wheel wells, otherwise I think it looks great as is.  

[1972coronet]

4 hours ago, espo said:

I like your paint treatment on the Headlights, it's hard to get those solid plastic chromed things to look realistic. Suggestions. Maybe use some flat black inside the wheel wells, otherwise I think it looks great as is.  

Thanks much !   I , too , was surprised by how well those headlamps came out  .

I didn't paint the interior nor the chassis , as I didn't want to deviate too far from the promo 'theme' .  

IF the interior or chassis had been painted or in need of repair , then I'd have done something with those components as well .  I really wanted to paint the interior a nice cranberry red , but I didn't want to separate the dashboard from its fixed location .

Thanks again !

[StevenGuthmiller]

My only complaint is the photos as well.

How about some shots of the entire model?

 

I agree with Rich.

It looks a little like a kid taking a few pictures under his covers after he's been told to turn the lights out and go to bed for the final time.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[1972coronet]

52 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

My only complaint is the photos as well.

How about some shots of the entire model?

 

I agree with Rich.

It looks a little like a kid taking a few pictures under his covers after he's been told to turn the lights out and go to bed for the final time.

 

 

 

 

Steve

HAHAHAHA !  Surely felt like a kid again when I was taking those photos ! 

I'd planned to take some outdoors photos today , but the overcast weather prevented that . I live in an apartment ; the only place where I'm able to take photos is outside on the patio --- otherwise we get the "lights-out-after-dark-bed" photos .

I'll see what tomorrow brings... I know that the natural light will play-off the subtle pearl finish .

[1972coronet]

New round of photos , much better than the 'Honeycomb Hideout' photos . 

No sunlight today in "always sunny" California , so no luck with the lighting ( I'm not well-heeled enough for some expensive setup like some of you folks have ) .

Hopefully these new photos are satisfactory...  if not , then I have no viable recourse .

Enjoy !

P.S. : I again seek "cheers and jeers" for my efforts .

[NYLIBUD]

Great job.

[AMT68]

Excellent detail job and a very smooth paint finish. The bumper chrome is extremely nice. I have a couple of the '75 Johan Cutlass kits and have toyed with the idea of creating a "Y76" model by partially blanking off the rear quarter windows. Just have to devise a plan to do so. 

Edited December 9, 2020 by AMT68

[StevenGuthmiller]

Much better!

 

 

 

Steve

[doorsovdoon]

That's one classy looking car, I like the lines of these Olds and Buicks from the 70's. Very nice job on this one.

[1972coronet]

30 minutes ago, doorsovdoon said:

That's one classy looking car, I like the lines of these Olds and Buicks from the 70's. Very nice job on this one.

Thanks much !  I , too , love the Colonnade A-bodies of 1973-1977 , especially the Oldsmobile design . 

Oh , but to be able to go back to the mid-late 70's when the kit-version of the Cutlass (and others) were plentiful --- I always bought 'em at Alpha Beta markets ( around $ 2.00 back then for these ; $3.25 for glue kits ) . None of them survived my childhood (haha) as I'd take 'em apart , repaint 'em , ad nauseam until they broke .

[doorsovdoon]

1 minute ago, 1972coronet said:

Thanks much !  I , too , love the Colonnade A-bodies of 1973-1977 , especially the Oldsmobile design . 

Oh , but to be able to go back to the mid-late 70's when the kit-version of the Cutlass (and others) were plentiful --- I always bought 'em at Alpha Beta markets ( around $ 2.00 back then for these ; $3.25 for glue kits ) . None of them survived my childhood (haha) as I'd take 'em apart , repaint 'em , ad nauseam until they broke .

Yeah, what I wouldn't give for a time machine! My local model shop in the early 90's sold kits for like £3. There were at least four places in my town that sold models back then but the one I used mostly was just outside of town, his stock was mostly 1/25 cars and trucks and not the usual planes and Hornby trains, the majority of which was Jo-Han kits. I remember it well because Jo-Han kits had a particular box art style which I loved.

[Tom Geiger]

32 minutes ago, doorsovdoon said:

Yeah, what I wouldn't give for a time machine! My local model shop in the early 90's sold kits for like £3. There were at least four places in my town that sold models back then but the one I used mostly was just outside of town, his stock was mostly 1/25 cars and trucks and not the usual planes and Hornby trains, the majority of which was Jo-Han kits. I remember it well because Jo-Han kits had a particular box art style which I loved.

Interesting that your shops had Johan kits in the UK. I lived in Germany from 1969-72 and the shops in town had Airfix and Revell of Germany.  The dollar took a dive against the Deutsch Mark, from 4:1 down to less than 2:1 while we were there. 1:24 and 1:25 kits averaged 20 DM so they were $20 US to me back when kits were $2-2.50 in the US. It was a rare treat for me to get one!  I remember building a VW Beetle and a Porsche 911. I still have the 914 I bought then unbuilt!  
 

[doorsovdoon]

17 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

Interesting that your shops had Johan kits in the UK. I lived in Germany from 1969-72 and the shops in town had Airfix and Revell of Germany.  The dollar took a dive against the Deutsch Mark, from 4:1 down to less than 2:1 while we were there. 1:24 and 1:25 kits averaged 20 DM so they were $20 US to me back when kits were $2-2.50 in the US. It was a rare treat for me to get one!  I remember building a VW Beetle and a Porsche 911. I still have the 914 I bought then unbuilt!  
 

Yes, Airfix was an extremely popular brand here. I remember one side of the shop, it might have been one of the other shops I can't quite remember, was literally a wall of Airfix model planes, they sold for about £3, the 1/25 cars were about £6 to £8.

[ZTony8]

Nicely done model. The real cars used lousy steel in the bodies and were champion rusters. At the first Buick dealer I worked at one of the mechanics had a '73 Regal with the more formal style roof than John's model. It was a good thing that the Buick had a vinyl top on it as that was the only thing holding the roof panel to the quarter panel! On the later cars the rear bumpers used to rust and fall off of the reinforcement bar. A wood plank was an often seen substitute.

[michelle]

nice work looks great