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'57 Chevrolet Bel Air


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It's now finished. It took bit over an year to complete, and original idea was to build it as simple and fast build... Well, something went wrong and it's now bit more detailed as the idea was... But anyway, it's painted with Revell's Enamel paint and spray gun. A bit of polishing, and BMF... Interior is built box stock, but otherwise there are some details added. Well, on to the pics, here is a link to WIP topic. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=37260&hl=

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More pics....

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Hey, i am first :D

Hi Niko,

you build a very beautiful Bel Air! Well done! Perfect detailed engine, BMF-work and interieur. Paintwork is also not bad, but in the last picture it seems, that you had silicone on the primer?

Nice car, really nice!

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Hey, i am first :D

Hi Niko,

you build a very beautiful Bel Air! Well done! Perfect detailed engine, BMF-work and interieur. Paintwork is also not bad, but in the last picture it seems, that you had silicone on the primer?

Nice car, really nice!

(hail damage) But it's a nice job anyway.

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Thanks, Dave, Jim, Gordon, Terry And Brett!

This was supposed to be a quick build. Idea was that this project should take about month or two, but sometimes you just end up with this. :D But I'm pretty happy about the end result too, so it doesn't matter that project wasn't so quick build... And oh, those side vents... I forgot to paint them. I'll fix that. Thanks.

And yes, constructive criticism is great, because when I hear what people think, I can do maybe something better next time. ;) Of course it's nice to hear positive comments too, but tips and criticism helps me to do it better next time.

Thanks everyone for the comments!

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Niko, looking at your model, and knowing WHICH 57 chevy it is makes a differenc! You have made a silk purse from a sows ear! That ANCIENT Revell kit is almost as old as ME! You did a GREAT job on it! i ALWAYS enjoy seein how well you Euro guys are at building our cars!!! :D:);)

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OK my friend...since you said you welcome constructive comments I shall do my best to point out some things you might execute better the next time around. I'm not busting on you here...just genuinely trying to help you see a few things....

1. The hood is ill fitting...this is probably because of how the hinges are mounted? I have this kit and without the hinges attached, the hood fits very well in it's place.

2. The rubber part of the wiper blade has been BMF'd....maybe paint that part flat black?

3. In the 3rd photo, under the driver's side front headlight, there is some kind of chunk out of the body there...what is that?

4. You've lost the bottom part of the trunk lines. Kinda looks like it had filler on it and then the lines weren't replaced. Maybe you can scribe them in?

5. The passenger side headlight lens is crooked as compared to the driver's side being done correctly.

6. In that same photo you can see some junk in the paint on the front of the hood. Maybe that could be sanded and polished out?

7. You're missing the oil breather tube in that hole in the front of the intake manifold.

8. Your brake lines are all located incorrectly. They should be routed over the top of the rear end and the front suspension pieces...and alongside rather than on the bottom of the frame rails.

9. While I love the scheme you picked out for the interior, your paintwork lines between the white and red on the seats is pretty sloppy. Maybe use some masking tape next time?

10. And the paint has a lot of orange peel in it along with some silicone pockmarks. These could probably be sanded out and polished.

11. I realize that the kit includes those 4 mounting blocks for the rear end, but no car I ever saw had blocks at all 4 corners. I was a gearhead in the late 60's and when we jacked up our cars we did it by using extra long shackles at the rear only...nothing in the front.

Now, all this said, it's still a pretty decent looking model. You did a pretty good job with BMF'ing the car. There's a lot there that had to be done for sure.

Now...I hope you don't think I'm tearing the model apart. I just see that everyone else is telling you what a great job you did when in reality, there's a bunch of things that could be done to make your model really nice. And no one else was pointing anything out even when you said you'd take constructive comments. I hope you can take my suggestions in that context.

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Thanks for the comments, fellas! ;)

Terry, thanks for the feedback, great to hear constructive criticism, I want to make it better next time. I try to tell something, but I don't know all of the words in english, so this may be bit hard...

1. I have no hinges on the hood. I have this problem in my '57 Nomad too, but next time I'm working on Monogram-based '57 Chevy, that needs to be fixed. I was looking at that gap when those parts were in primer, but mostly this is displayed with the hood off, so I didn't do anything for it. Next time needs to make it better.

2. Oh, that's my bad. :unsure: But it's late now, I don't want that windshield to be black. I've forgotten that thing too many times.

3. On that picture, there's some mold flash. I thought, I was removed it, but when I got some paint on, it can be seen again. I used bad primer on this, and I didn't notice that when there was just a primer. Luckily it can't be seen so well in live.

4. This kit don't have those trunk lines there. And I don't have good "dymo" tape, so I didn't want to make too big damage for this body. Next time needs to fix that too.

5. Those were hard to install. I had to push them hard and then they "snapped" on their places so hard, that I couldn't turn them to correct way anymore. :( Next time needs to make few modifications to them before installing.

6. Yes, that is looking bad. I can't do anything for it anymore, because I must be very careful with the BMF on this, I don't want that Chevrolet text to come off...

7. Haha, I was thinking, how long it takes before someone notices that part is missing. I fix it, I install that part later, now I'm going to go and paint it.

8. Yes, you're right. I don't know how I installed them like this. :blink: Well, better job next time.

9. Masking tape needs to be used, looks like, I was bit lazy with it. Just bought good Tamiya's masking tape.

10. I need to buy polishing kit when I have money for it. Hope that pretty soon. Then needs to learn, how to use it.

11. I'm not sure of that thing. Kit instructions show to install all four mounting blocks to jack rearend high. I don't know about real cars, and I haven't built them yet. We had that style in 80's, but my dad wasn't huge fan of cars with jacked rear end.... I just went with kit instructions and maybe they are incorrect, but I fix that next time also... :D

THANKS for your comment, Terry, thanks for others too. Really appreciated. :P

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That is one Beautiful 57'! . .

I will note that at one time I did have this same kit. . Practically speaking it was garbage from the get go, I am not too surprised that you have had to take as long as you did to make it come out great! Me. . I just got too frustrated with the kit and chucked it into the dumpster, , Nothing fit, not even the Fin Decals, and the molding was just terrible. But its good to see you got this kit to work out the way you wanted to build it :). Awesome Job.

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I really like the Chevy Tri-Fives. Nice job on this one!

I have noticed several models on the forum that show "pupils in the headlights". I usually cut out a small circle of BMF, and stick it over the hole, cut the plug off the back of the lens, then glue the lens in with Elmers White Glue. Dries clear.

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