1941 Willys Gasser

[ModelcarJR]

This is the Big John Mazmanian 41 Willys Gasser that I bought from a Louisiana modeler at the last Houston show. He had his collection ruined by Hurricane Ida in 2021. He bagged a lot of kits and the decals are ruined but the rest of the plastic is in good shape. So I bought a couple of kits and this is one of them. I could get another set of decals and some Candy Apple Red paint but I probably will just paint it with something I have and mark it with an A/GS in the window and call it good. I have built two of these as street rods and both came out very well and placed in two different contests. Its a simple kit but builds up so well. It paints and rubs out easily and looks great once complete. 

It rained yesterday and will again today. But that's great since we haven't had much rain in two months so I won't complain. For the moment, I just wash off the Louisiana mud and put a few things together to get ready for paint. Thanks for looking! ?

Edited September 15, 2023 by ModelcarJR
Copy text

[Zippi]

Nice.  I'll be watching.  I've built one as the Gasser.  I'd like to build another as a Street Rod.  

[bobthehobbyguy]

Be sure to check this video for building tips on a couple of gotchas in the Willys kit.

 

 

[ModelcarJR]

Thanks, Bob and Bob! I appreciate your comments!  Bob T, I watched about 12 of the Yost videos and didn't see anything specific on the 41 Willyous yexcept taking parts of the tree. Was there anything else? 

[bobthehobbyguy]

Sorry didn't realize that was the wrong video. Here is the correct link.

 

 

 

[slusher]

I have had a Willy’s for a while just have not got around to wanting to build it. Looking forward to yours John!

[ModelcarJR]

Thanks, Bob and Carl! Bob, thanks for the video as it helped in getting a couple of things taken care of. I wouldn't have found the extra plastic on the inside of the A pillars on both sides. I removed both slivers of extra plastic with my X-acto knife and then sanded it out. Now the windshield glass will fit flush and stay in place I probably won't use the red glass and will probably cut my own using clear acetate since its essentially flat. Unfortunately, the trim built into the red glass will probably not be present and I probably will just not have any chrome trim on the windshield. I also wouldn't have found the mold line on the nose of the hood between the two trim pieces on each side of the hood.

I did find the mold lines that seem to run from the midline trim the back fender to the edge of the trunk. And I always take the clips off the hood that clip into the slots on each side of the hood. This time I even filled the slots with a bit of plastic to prevent the slot from ghosting out from under the hood when closed. I also always sand down the fat front fenders to eliminate the crown on these fenders. Yost indicated that there were mold lines on the tops of these fenders. I don't know if there were or not but they are gone now because I sanded out the tops of the fenders.  There is also a mold line on the hood between the scope opening and the cowl. I sanded that out too. I also deepened the door and trunk lines by back-scribing with my knife and even added some gray panel line accent color to see if that would work.  So I think that everything is taken care of. I don't have before photos but here are a few photos of the finished corrections. Thanks for looking! 

[ModelcarJR]

I had a window today where the humidity got down to 50% so I primered the body and all the other white plastic pieces. I am using a new primer called NOW which I am not real high on but its $7.49 for a 9 oz can made by Krylon and sold by O'Reilly's. I'll probably rub it out a bit and wash it before I paint again. I have time as its gonna rain anytime now as I type this. I haven't figured out what color yet but here are my choices from what I have on hand:

Tamiya - Italian Red, Maroon, Orange, Yellow, or Metallic Orange or Candy Lime Green (either over gold).

Dupli-Color - Black, White, Dark Toreador Metallic or Bright Aqua Metallic. 

I'm leaning toward Italian Red because it would be quick and easy. But I also like Candy Lime Green, if I could pull it off. I wish I had a medium blue or a Light Blue Metallic but its not in inventory at the moment. Let me know what you think. Thanks for looking! 

[customline]

Candy is difficult if you aren't very consistent in overlapping strokes. It's hard to get an even look. Practice a bit if you go candy. Otherwise, the bright aqua metallic for a street rod and if it's a drag car I like yellow or orange. That's just the rut I'm in, though. Sublime green worked for me once.

Please forgive the intrusion ☺️

[ModelcarJR]

Thanks, Jim!  I appreciate your suggestions!  I have the same concerns about the Candy Lime, especially on these fat-fendered builds. Yours looks really good in the Sublime Green and I see you did your thing with the modifications which look great! I may go with another color, still undecided.  

Here are my two iterations of the street rod kit. One in Aqua Sign Painters lettering enamel shot through an airbrush with white interior. I frenched the headlights and taillights and it took first place in Street Rod. The other is Tamiya Orange and Dupli-Color Gloss Black with orange interior. I think I built it around Halloween. It also took a first in Street Rod. So Yellow may be a good choice. 

Edited September 17, 2023 by ModelcarJR
Copy text

[customline]

16 minutes ago, ModelcarJR said:

Thanks, Jim!  I appreciate your suggestions!  I have the same concerns about the Candy Lime, especially on these fat-fendered builds. Yours looks really good in the Sublime Green and I see you did your thing with the modifications which look great! I may go with another color, still undecided.  

Here are my two iterations of the street rod kit. One in Aqua Sign Painters lettering enamel shot through an airbrush with white interior. I frenched the headlights and taillights and it took first place in Street Rod. The other is Tamiya Orange and Dupli-Color Gloss Black with orange interior. I think I built it around Halloween. It also took a first in Street Rod. So Yellow may be a good choice. 

Oooo yeah.....those two are awesome, the two-tone is eye candy. What paint is the aqua ? .....yellow? Always good. We are trained to pay attention to yellow. BTW, those tail lights on my Willie were kit parts. They look pretty stupid. AMT.....what was I thinking? 

Edited September 17, 2023 by customline

[ModelcarJR]

Thanks, Jim!  I took a picture of the can below.  The top of the can says I paid $6.05 years ago plus shipping which probably means it was about $12 total. I've only painted a couple of models with it so I have at least another dozen or so that I could paint with this 4 oz can. I think a fellow modeler who does pin striping for a living gave me the idea to do this. Those guys have crazy skills! 

BTW, looks like you took the bezel and the light and molded it into a taillight of your own and painted it red. Probably made sense at the time as the bezel and taillight aren't a very good part of this kit because they point upwards when you mount them as a unit. There's no angle to the bezel like there should be. Not sure what I'll use for this one.  Thanks for your reminder! 

[customline]

4 hours ago, ModelcarJR said:

Thanks, Jim!  I took a picture of the can below.  The top of the can says I paid $6.05 years ago plus shipping which probably means it was about $12 total. I've only painted a couple of models with it so I have at least another dozen or so that I could paint with this 4 oz can. I think a fellow modeler who does pin striping for a living gave me the idea to do this. Those guys have crazy skills! 

BTW, looks like you took the bezel and the light and molded it into a taillight of your own and painted it red. Probably made sense at the time as the bezel and taillight aren't a very good part of this kit because they point upwards when you mount them as a unit. There's no angle to the bezel like there should be. Not sure what I'll use for this one.  Thanks for your reminder! 

JR, I can't remember what possessed me the day I installed those tail lights but they look quite goofy. ONE SHOT! Professional sign paint. Very good! How are you thinning it? Yes, the pinstriper has a skill that is to be admired but I think many of us could develop it, given the desire to do so. But not at 1:25th scale ?

[ModelcarJR]

Thanks, Jim! I just use the Yost method for thinning paint both enamel and lacquer. I use a the cheap Klean Strip lacquer thinner from Walmart! Also, thanks for the reminder about the taillights and your suggestion to paint the Willys yellow. See below.

I thought about the taillights and here was my solution. I took the bezels from the tree, sanded the chrome and some of the rim of the bezel and then glued them to a piece of 1/8" plastic tube. I drill out the holes in the body, and wallered (technical term)  them out a bit. Then I stuck the plastic tube in each hole, straightened them so that they are pointing back and level and glued them in place. After paint, I'll foil them before adding the taillight lenses. Now they won't be pointing to the sky.

Jim, I took your suggestion to paint the body Bright Yellow. I don't have anything that is this bright and there are plenty of these yellow gassers on the internet. The paint, Tamiya Yellow came out great as the weather has been great today at about 90 degrees with 40% humidity. Two coats of paint over Tamiya white primer and two coats of Krylon Clear Lacquer. It won't need much rubbing out. So maybe I'll find some decals for it. But I might get some more bodies painted while the weather is nice. Thanks for looking! 

[customline]

That looks super, JR, and nice work on the tail lights. Maybe I'll revisit the "Rat Fink" for some upgraded lighting. ?. 

[ModelcarJR]

Thanks, Jim! I appreciate your comment! 

Rubbed out the body and added foil including on the taillight bezels. I'll work on the engine next. Thanks for looking! ?

 

[customline]

I'm a sucker for a yellow coupe, JR. How many projects are you juggling?

[dragcarz]

Beautiful 

[Zippi]

Looking pretty kewl there John.  Foil work looks nice.

[James2]

Fancy build you have there....

[ModelcarJR]

Thanks, Jim, Roger, Bob, and James! I appreciate your comments! Jim, I normally build only 1 model at a time, just funny that way.  I'm a closure kinda guy - finish what I start and don't start something I can't finish. But I wanted to get a few bodies painted while the weather is cooperating and unfortunately, I can't stop with bodies -  I have to paint at least the primary color on all the other parts. So I have three that I am painting right now. I have to re-paint the 67 Chevy Impala once it is out of the oven cleaner. I may paint a few more bodies and try to stay with bodies only but it will be tough! Thanks for looking! ?

[ModelcarJR]

Built the engine and added spark plug wires. Also added Tamiya Smoke to the blower. Noticed that there is a "flying pulley" spinning all on its own. I guess those are injectors on top of the blower. Maybe I should add a fuel log and fuel line as if I know anything about these engines but I don't. So this will probably be the extent of the detail for the engine. Thanks for looking! ?

 

[TransAmMike]

Looks great in yaller John?   Very nice work on the engine!!

[customline]

That pulley with no visible means of support? Idler. To adjust the belt, no doubt.  But it's probably not spring loaded. I looked at some setups and it's part of the blower front cover on some but yours looks too low. You could try to add detail to it. Good luck 

Beautiful work on the hemi, John. I would try to go to the block with it. Ace?  ACE!......

[Zippi]

Good looking Hemi there John.  It's gona look mean in the business end of the Willy's.