2005 Corvette Buildup Teaser pic-----1/28/07

[MrObsessive]

Well, I'm still being bitten by the modern car bug, so here's my next one that'll take me into '07........Revell's '05 Corvette.

This model should be very simple to do due to Revell’s easy (at most times) assembly. The color I picked is one of my favorite GM colors…………….It’s Sunset Orange, that’ll have a simulated glass roof since Revell didn’t seem fit to replicate this in scale.

Here’s a pic of a car similar to what I’ll be doing…….

These are eBay pics so I could get some reference……….this car has been modified somewhat in the engine department, but I’ll be building mine bone stock. The interior I may do in a beige color, but I’ll have to see as I get closer to building it up.

The first thing I did was getting rid of the mold lines and block sanding the body to get everything nice and straight. A Ted “Chopper†Lear trick I used to keep mold lines (and scripts and whatnot) from reappearing is to sand away the mold lines per normal……….then take some liquid glue and brush over the area. My choice of liquid glue is Ambroid Pro Weld.

After the area has dried for awhile, you’ll notice that the mold line magically reappears! Not to worry, simply sand the area away again, and you’ll get rid of the mold line forever.

See, the trick is getting the solvents to soften the plastic because the plastic once molded, has a “memoryâ€. Once the area is softened up, the molded area will show up what was molded there, be it scripts or trim or whatever. You’re getting rid of the “memory†by sanding it away because of the hot solvents in the glue…………….which since paint is not as hot as glue itself, the mold lines shouldn't reappear once painted.

Thanks Ted! 8)

One of the things I noticed in this model is how “soft†the body appears. I don’t know if it’s because of the new plastic or what. I wanted to sharpen up the fender creases somewhat so here’s what I did…………..I laid a piece of tape across the peak of the fender and then with a balsa sanding block and 400 grit sandpaper, sanded away lengthwise along the tape.

This was repeated for the other fenders as well………….it’s something that’s not noticeable to most but something that I wanted to do for myself.

Hmmm…………lets open the grille for grins……… I got out the dremel-moto tool and started to slowly grind away at the inside of the grille. One has to work slowly here, as a slip up can ruin your day!

As one can see here you have to work slooooooowllllllly! You’ll start to see the grille bars showing from the other side.

After I was satisfied from grinding out the plastic with the dremel, I used a riffler file to grind out the rest of what was needed.

Ahhhhh, now this looks so much better! I have to admit that this was my first try at something like this! I’ll take an exacto blade and clean things up a bit around the edges.

I got curious and started fitting the chassis and interior inside the body, and I noticed that peculiar wheel placement that I heard others complaining about in the past.

This’ll have to be taken care of before too much chassis work is done……….if you notice that the opening of the brake discs are not quite centered in the wheelwell. I’ll have to figure a way around this one without it looking too gimmicky.

Okay, that’s it for now………the next step is to clean up the paint booth (still dusty from the Mustang! ) and spray on several coats of Future Floor Wax, to get ready for primer!

Stay tuned! :wink:

[ismaelg]

Looking good Bill! I'm out of town but I'll write a longer note later. This is one of my all time favorite kits. Watch out for the soft plastic. Plastikote, VX and Moon Mud primers work fine. I had problems with Duplicolor. Also watch out for the front driver's side wheel alignment. I also found out that it is easier to install the headlights separated. I cut them into 3 individual parts.

I've built 3 but I have the itch to do another one, this time Atomic Orange with tan/black interiors.

Looking forward to see yours built!!!

Thanks,

[MrObsessive]

Looking good Bill! I'm out of town but I'll write a longer note later. This is one of my all time favorite kits. Watch out for the soft plastic. Plastikote, VX and Moon Mud primers work fine. I had problems with Duplicolor. Also watch out for the front driver's side wheel alignment. I also found out that it is easier to install the headlights separated. I cut them into 3 individual parts.

I've built 3 but I have the itch to do another one, this time Atomic Orange with tan/black interiors.

Looking forward to see yours built!!!

Thanks,

Thanks for the heads up Ismael!

Like the Mustang I'm gonna use the Future for some extra insurance.........and then it'll get primered with Rustoleum sandable primer. I've had pretty good success with that so far as far as compatiblity with the automotive paints I like to use.

I have Sunset Orange paint mixed so far in a spray can by the local paint jobber.................I'll load it into an airbrush jar and spray away later.

As far as the headlights go, I was thinking of using several different sized MV lenses (?).............we'll see as I get closer to that step.

[93Z34]

This car looks great so far Bill! I love the newer 'Vettes and I can't wait to see this one come together! You don't see many of these cars painted this color so yours will be a refreshing take on a great subject!!! You also did a great job with the grille work and it will really add to the overall appearance when the car is done! Keep us updated Buddy!!!!

[Billy Kingsley]

I did the same thing as Chopper and was told I was nuts...Although I've only done it to remove copywright info on the bottom of NASCAR Chassis.

My solution was to stop telling people that's what I did, rather then listen to being told I was wrong.

Boy, that's vindication if you two guys do it

I'm not a real big fan of the new Corvette, but I do like it better in scale then in 1:1 (odd, isn't I? )

Are you going all out? You could put it next to your red Corvette with the working everything at shows.

[MrObsessive]

I'm afraid not Billy...........I'm at a point where I won't be doing near as much full detail stuff just simply to get more models done.

The exception may be the Z06 when I get around to it.......and of course the stillborn '55 Ford.

I've been superdetailing stuff for 10-15 years now and it's time for a needed change. :wink:

[MrObsessive]

I got nosy and did some investigative work with dial calipers to see just how off the driver’s side wheel placement is as Ismael had mentioned. As the above pic has shown, I thought it was the passenger side wheel that was off. Much to my surprise this it what I came up with……….

I tightened up the dial calipers when I first got a measurement on the passenger side…………

Note how the wheel would be about .10†rearward than the other side!……….this is the drivers side we’re looking at.

In the pic above, on the passenger side, I have the caliper right against the brake disc “shimâ€. How Revell got this measurement off is anyone’s guess……….but I have a way to fix it in due time. :wink:

I figured while I have the ambition……….might as well wash the body and all body related parts up really well, and then let air dry and spray on the Future.

Forgive the yellowish look of the body…………….My camera seems to have had indigestion at the moments I took these pics, although it’s probably the yellow halogen light I use when painting.

I’ll let this sit overnight, and then maybe if I don’t get too busy with all the hustle and bustle of Christmas Eve, I’ll primer it.

Thanks for lookin’!

Edited September 8, 2008 by MrObsessive

[Brian Fishburn]

Bill, thanks a million for posting that tip with the mold lines, though I can't picture Chopper ever sanding away a mold line or emblem

I couldn't pass up taking this picture. A couple of cool choppers

[MrObsessive]

Okay a quick update…………..This morning I primered the body, lift off roof section, mirrors, and the hood.

So far no crazing as the following pics’ll show……………

A little hard to tell because of the flat paint.........but trust me----it's all good! 8)

If you’re wondering what type of primer I use it is this………

I like this shade of primer for brighter colors…….also since the Krylon I used previously for primer is all but impossible to find in this shade of gray. I used this under the color coats in the Mustang, so it’s been very consistent as far as being trouble free.

I’ll let the primer sit for a few days and hopefully by mid week I can put on the color coats. Meanwhile, I can start building up the engine and chassis details.

Stay tuned! :wink:

[Marc @ MPC Motorsports]

I'm afraid not Billy...........I'm at a point where I won't be doing near as much full detail stuff just simply to get more models done.

The exception may be the Z06 when I get around to it.......and of course the stillborn '55 Ford.

I've been superdetailing stuff for 10-15 years now and it's time for a needed change. :wink:

Nice work so far, Mr. Obsessive.

This is the same philosophy I took when I decided to do curbside builds. Engine and chassis detail are my "weak" points and as a kitbasher, I get all tied up in fitting new drivetrains in those old metal axle chassis kits.

They're all shelf models once they are built, aren't they?

[simonr]

As always, an impressive job from you. Keep us updated with this awesome model, Bill!

Merry Christmas to you all!

Simón

[MrObsessive]

Today I decided since I have off…….......might as well start to color coat it. I sprayed the Sunset Orange paint into an airbrush jar (no thinner needed) and applied very light coats to the body, hood, and mirrors. I think the results turned out very well as the following pics show………………

The roof section will get painted black, as I’ll try to replicate what would be the glass roof option for this car. I’m gonna clearcoat the heck out of it as I want the finish to be well…….......like glass!

I’ve noticed that this paint has dried rather flat………….the guy at the automotive paint place did say that this paint can only be had in a basecoat. So maybe later today I might get the nerve to clearcoat everything in my trusty Tamiya Clear X-22………..but I have to go back to work tonight for third shift, so that may have to wait until tomorrow.

So far so good on this one!……………and no crazing of the plastic! That’s the main thing………

Stay tuned for more later! :wink:

[crispy]

Looks great Bill. Thanks for your step by step tutorial as well. Will make it easier to work on mine when the time comes.

OF course I want to do the same color, and I'll be doing an Atomic Orange Z06 myself.

Chris

[Steve H.]

Looks good... Thats a gorgeous color!

[MrObsessive]

Here’s my final update for 2006………….I went ahead and clearcoated the body to get that out of the way. The final result came out pretty sharp! Well, almost……………….here are a few pics…..

The hood had given me a few fits……one of the things I learned about this paint is that it is a bit pearlescent. Meaning, it CANNOT be touched once painted! No sanding, polishing NOTHING! If you touch it, you’ll have to airbrush that spot all over again. It took three tries to get the hood right, meaning three times stripping in ELO and putting on Future and reprimering. Suprisingly, the hood did not craze any of the times I had to repaint.

The third time I had to repaint was because the clear believe it or not attacked the paint!……..not the plastic. The paint jobber had warned me about alcohol based clears with this type of paint, but I got overzealous and put too heavy a coat on in the last couple coats and the clear wrinkled the paint at the leading edge of the hood.

Here’s the hood all nice and painted and clearcoated now……..

My patience got ahead of me and I decided to mock up the wheels after the clear dried sufficiently.

Just picture the front end about a scale inch or so higher, and that’s the stance I want…….

Today, I clearcoated the liftoff roof section to simulate a “Glass†top. It’s in the dehydrator as I type this. I also picked up some MV lenses at the train shop yesterday………I’m gonna use these to replace those funky lookin’ molded in headlights the kit gives you.

I’m startin’ some preliminary work on the engine now…..got the basic pieces put together and painted the whole works with Tamiya Gloss aluminum. Tomorrow I’ll finish it up with the rest of the pieces and then get started on the chassis. That’s where I’ll have to tackle that wacky wheelbase issue.

I like to cover what I’m handling with parafilm…….keeps the paint from wearing away from overhandling.

Well, this has been a productive year for me considering in 2006……………This’ll be the first completed build of 2007 with any luck!

Thanks for lookin’! :wink:

Edited September 8, 2008 by MrObsessive

[crispy]

Magnificent work Bill!

It's so shiny now, will you still polish the paint out once it has all cured?

I ask since looking at new cars on the lot they have exactly the shine you have now. Once you polish it out though I feel it gets to be much more shiny that a real life counterpart. By no means is that meant derogatory, but just to fulfill my curiosity.

I usually paint and clear and depending on the vehicle determine if I should polish or not.

Again, great tutorial Bill!

Chris

[MrObsessive]

Hi Chris......It's hard to tell by the photo but there is some orange peel on the sides and rear deck that I want to get rid of.

I'm maybe a little too thorough when it comes to clearcoat and polishing, but I really hate the way I see some of the 1:1's painted. I've seen new $50,000 Corvettes with rather orange peely paint jobs that shouldn't be there for that kind of dough. :shock:

[MrObsessive]

Okay, it’s been awhile since I did an update……….but here’s the latest on the ’05 ‘Vette. I started to polish out the liftoff roof to simulate the optional glass top on the 1:1. I clearcoated the black lacquer with Tamiya X-22 (my favorite!) and put in the dehydrator for about 6 hours.

Here’s the result…….

Wow!! Dig that shine!

I think that the glass roof makes the roofline of the C6 much better looking and not so “blockyâ€. Why Revell didn’t offer this in the kit is a mystery………..but the kit is building up fairly well so far.

I turned my attention to the chassis details after getting tired of polishing…..(it can wear you out!) and started to paint the chassis to represent the different structures of the chassis. I took my Tamiya tape and masked off the floor section and then sprayed that section with Tamiya gray primer, since that closely represents the 1:1’s floorpan.

BTW, the Tamiya primer didn’t craze the plastic, as I did spray it directly out of the can, however I did put it on in very light coats at a time.

As you can see I also masked off the gas tanks and airbrushed those with Alclad Magnesium. The upper control arms I brush painted with Tamiya Gunmetal acrylic.

After I was satisfied with how the painting details went, I went ahead and finished up the engine and front suspension pieces……….

Different shades of Alclad were used to get the shades for the engine block, lower engine cradle, and suspension arms. A side note………1:1 pics I have of the engine out of the car show the block as an aluminum color……….however Revell tells you to paint the engine block black. I went with what the pictures showed and painted the block aluminum, as I think it looks better and more “hi-techâ€. :wink:

Now that the engine was done and the front and rear suspensions are in place, I put it all together in the floorpan, and I’m pretty pleased with the looks of it.

Note how the different shades of aluminum can bring out the details……………more work for sure, but worth the effort!

Now I want to try to fix that off wheelbase problem with the fronts!…………….

I filed down the shims on the backing plates on the fronts and then filled the hole in with .080 Plastuct styrene rod. I flowed in some Ambroid Pro Weld, and let sit overnight.

I then took a drill bit the approximate size of the wheel spindle and drilled a new hole a few 1/64’s of an inch forward than where the previous hole was set………….

Chassis’s all done now!

I thought previously that only the driver’s side was way off as far as the wheel placement was concerned. Both sides actually needed adjusting to my eyes, as I test fitted both sides with the brake discs on, and they line up the way they should now……………

The front inner fenders will need tucked in the fascia a bit more……………that is the ride height the car will have when everything is done.

Yesterday, I started messin’ around with the interior……………..I got the seats painted and floor flocked. In a departure from the 1:1, I painted the center console black. Pics show the console a buff color like the seats……….but this looks so bland to me. Besides if I’m gonna spend 45g’s for this car, they’re gonna make it the way I want!

Well, I still have a little ways to go yet……………..paint the door panels and dash, dechrome the wheels and repaint them, and then it’s just the little things left. The glass will have to be masked and "Blacked Off"..........and finish rubbing out the body.

Thanks for lookin’! :wink:

Edited September 8, 2008 by MrObsessive

[Steve H.]

Bill, Your color variety on the chassis/suspension/engine really make that whole thing pop! Even if some metal colors are not prototypically correct, it fools the eye into thinking there's more detail, even if its just paint detail. Very nice work, as always!

[ismaelg]

Looking GREAT Bill! I'm very glad somebody like you is doing justice to one of my all time favorite kits

[Randy Kern]

She's looking spectacular in that color, Bill! Even your non-obsessive projects are over the top. Hope you finish it by next Saturday. I'll bring my humble version of that kit, also.

[ismaelg]

Bill,

I talked to a well known resin caster and friend to try to cast a transparent roof. It turned to be harder than what we thought. It didn't came out crystal clear. This is it in the Magnetic red C6 after tinting it from the inside. I think it can be improved a bit by burying it under Tamiya X-22 acrylic clear.

Having it been a total success it would have been offered for sale.

Thanks,

[Wildrice]

Great work. Your paint and detailing are awesome.

[MrObsessive]

Bill,

I talked to a well known resin caster and friend to try to cast a transparent roof. It turned to be harder than what we thought. It didn't came out crystal clear. This is it in the Magnetic red C6 after tinting it from the inside. I think it can be improved a bit by burying it under Tamiya X-22 acrylic clear.

Having it been a total success it would have been offered for sale.

Yeah, that's a complex shape to boot Ismael. That's why I cheated and simply painted the roof black!

In the 1:1, the panel does look almost completely black from the outside anyway. :wink:

[MrObsessive]

Thanks for the compliments as this juncture guys! It should be a downhill slide from here on out. As I'm typing this the door panels and dash have been painted..............just waiting for it to dry so I can detail 'em.

Hopefully if all goes well I'll have pics of the dash, and the completed interior tonight.