SPA Modeler

I am in awe of how natural and real the interior looks. Looks like real material, be it Naugahyde or leather. Is it the matte spray?

Thanks Lyle! I mixed a hint of gloss in with the flat to get the desired effect.

Nice rework on that interior - I agree with Lyle - it looks real.

Ok I'll admit it, after going back and re-reading this thread from the start (a great story) I REALLY fancy having a go at something automotive. The only thing I have in the stash that fits the bill is a Hasagawa 1/48th WWII Jeep - but it has engine and chassis detail and should give me some experience of the build process (it's already out and on the bench!), but then I'll think I'll go for a car (maybe something from Tamiya or Revell/Monogram in 1/24?) - Thanks for the insperation!

Cheers

Stuart

Thanks portman! It'll be cool watching somebody else build an automotive build in here and am flattered that I was an inspiration for you on one.

I just ordered that 56 F-100....

You must be contagious...the last few times I was in Hobby Lobby, I caught myself gazing somewhat longingly, at the car section. That was all I built for quite a while way back when.

I didn't mean to go head over heels with this build at all. I just meant to install a hood and paint it and replace the rear spoiler and that was it!! After I got started and got in with the right crowd I started learning all kinds of stuff and that's only been 4 months ago. I started this build in the first week of November and 4 months later I still aint through with it yet!!!
As far as going to Hobby Lobby goes, I've already bought about 2-3 automobile kits from there, 3 from Micheals and 4 from ebay. What tha hell am I doing!!!!???? I'll be starting another aviation build in another month but I've got my next 3 automotive builds lined up already!!!

I will have to explain myself for the next update briefly. When I was 14 I liked the color of the molded body and elected to use clear coat only on the molded color. Back then, it was perfect! So I broke out some primer and was ready to start priming for a paint job when I thought to myself, "You know, it would be cool keep with the originality of this build by doing the same thing all over again...............................with today's skills." .

Folks what unfolds here in this part of the update, you're not gonna believe................because quite frankly.....I couldn't either!

For starters the clear on the body was fair by todays standards and a major break through back then! But being fair aint gonna git it. So I began this whole ordeal by sanding the clear coat and decals off of the original body.

I began sanding the gloss coat and decals off of the original body....







Then started wet sanding the body to bring the plastic back out to its original shine with these pads ranging in grits ranging from 3200 all the way to 12000. This stuff works!!



starting here:



and ending here:



After this I decaled and shot a coat of clear (I will disclose the methods used at the end of this post) but found a paint run at the R/H rear quarter panel and a speck of dust on the drivers door. So more wet sanding was needed which I did at my brothers house while we were out of town during Christmas.

Here we are right before the final clear coat with the affected areas polished back out

When you're touched, it all works.

and here we are after a successful gloss coat after waiting two weeks for good weather:





Now for the part that's hard for even me to believe. I applied the gloss coat on using Testors Ultra Gloss Finish......................................from a spray can ..............thanks for lookin.

Thanks Lyle! I just had to let it "gas out" for a week or so after that. On to other stuff...