# Christine build



## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Hello All-

Well, since my wife and I love the movie, she went and ordered Christine. Im not experienced in this stuff and this will be a challenge to say the least. Christine will not be going anywhere after she is done, but just sit in the house unless she gets mad I guess? Im going to post some pics of the progress as I go as Im not a fast model builder so this build may take some time. The garage is where I do my spray painting and we have been hit with high heat and humidity for around 3 weeks now, so I hope it goes well. Im looking forward to any suggesstions/advice as the build goes. I will post any progress as I can- Thanks-

The first few pics are of the first and second primer coat. I noticed some molding line on the trunk, so I re-sanded it and put final coat of primer on and then sanded-


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

What primer did you use? Doesnt look like you lost any fine detail with it. 

The heat is probably helping the paint spray and flow better.

As to the drying stage you can move the body inside to dry where the humidity is a bit more controlled.


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## Andy Oldenburg (Feb 16, 2021)

I never saw the movie, may take a look at it. Looked at images of the ´58 Plymouth Fury and it´s gorgeous. Guess you will paint it in red and am looking forward to the progress. 

Take Milton´s advice and bring the painted body inside. Too much humidity can make the paint dull and will end up in unnecessary polishing.


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Milton Fox Racing said:


> What primer did you use? Doesnt look like you lost any fine detail with it.
> 
> The heat is probably helping the paint spray and flow better.
> 
> As to the drying stage you can move the body inside to dry where the humidity is a bit more controlled.


I used rustoleum flat grey and yes, had to bring inside after I applied the base red coat which is much darker red than the car in the movie. I want a darker red to show. Ill post the pics in the morning. Looks like I've got some wet sanding to do.


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Andy Oldenburg said:


> I never saw the movie, may take a look at it. Looked at images of the ´58 Plymouth Fury and it´s gorgeous. Guess you will paint it in red and am looking forward to the progress.
> 
> Take Milton´s advice and bring the painted body inside. Too much humidity can make the paint dull and will end up in unnecessary polishing.


Yes Andy- I brought it inside after I put the base dark red on. I wanted to go darker red than the car in the movie. Ill post pics in morning- Thanks


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

HagMan said:


> Hello All-
> 
> Well, since my wife and I love the movie, she went and ordered Christine. Im not experienced in this stuff and this will be a challenge to say the least. Christine will not be going anywhere after she is done, but just sit in the house unless she gets mad I guess? Im going to post some pics of the progress as I go as Im not a fast model builder so this build may take some time. The garage is where I do my spray painting and we have been hit with high heat and humidity for around 3 weeks now, so I hope it goes well. Im looking forward to any suggesstions/advice as the build goes. I will post any progress as I can- Thanks-
> 
> The first few pics are of the first and second primer coat. I noticed some molding line on the trunk, so I re-sanded it and put final coat of primer on and then sanded-


Heres the darker red coat that has not been on 24 hours yet. Im going to wait at least another day before I even think about wet sanding. What grit do you guys recommend I start with? Its Krylon Fusion Cherry gloss over dark grey primer. Thanks-


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

At minimum 1000 to 1200 but will you need to since you already sanded the primer?


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Ok- yes, I will need to sand, and I think the humidity got to it a little bit before I brought it in the house to finish drying. I'll start with 1200 and go from there. I'm hoping I put enough paint on so I dont have to spray another coat and sand again-

Question: When sanding, should you only sand in one direction or do a criss-cross pattern?


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

Preferences vary. I prefer the one direction but most people still curve their line a little anyway.


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

I guess as long as the shine works out good is what matters


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## Andy Oldenburg (Feb 16, 2021)

Grit depends on how smooth/bumpy the surface is. 1200 is OK, unless it looks like orange peel. Then you might have to start with 400 and move up. Better to work with fine grit and patience then to get too course and mess things up. On the roof and hoods I likes to move in circles, but on the sides I go long and straight. If performed well, you won´t see it afterwards anyway.


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Ok Andy- Between what you and Milton mentioned, I think Im going to start with 2000 and use not hot and not cold water, but in-between. Im also going to refrain from sanding any of the trim areas that Ill be putting the metal foil on so that hopefully it sticks to it. Going to start this today, so I hope it goes well and I wont have to put another coat on. Also, as far as primer is concerned, Ive been re-thinking the process and think I need to just spend the money and get a few cans of the Tamiya primer because this rustoleum stuff spits when sprayed and not near as smooth and thin as the Tamiya does from what Ive read. Well, with that said, its off to sanding- wish me luck- never done this before.


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Here is the before sanding pic to show you the texture Im working with- it really shows in direct light. Ill send an after pic later-


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

That is pretty extreme at this scale. I would follow Andy's recommendations.

What is the current humidity there today?


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

So, after doing some sanding, the finish definitely smoothed out, however Im going to shoot another coat on. I masked the sides that the foil will go on and masked the top which will be white. This coat is going to be very light out of the can. The humidity in the garage is around 79% which is lower than it has been the past couple weeks, but still up there. Will post a pic later-


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## Andy Oldenburg (Feb 16, 2021)

Looks like your making good progress 
Talking about cans, I would shy away from anything from a DIY for models. Those plastic nozzles are just not fine enough. Tamiya cans cost more, but the paint runs out smother and the nozzles are much finer too. It´s almost impossible to get a bumpy surface, at worst you could getting running drops. Stay about 10 inches away with the can and keep moving side to side (or up/down), to prevent applying too much.


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Yes- I finally kicked down yesterday and ordered 4 cans of the Tamiya primer. I will start using that from now on. Im almost done with the final coat of red and it looks better so far. I think with the polishing compound I ordered, it should be fine. Ill take a pic after I get the rest done and the roof painted white. How do you make them seatbelts and do the dash on that Impala show car you did? That looks real cool-


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Heres the Earnhardt one I just got done with- it went together well-


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## Andy Oldenburg (Feb 16, 2021)

A cool stock car racer, nice job! Do you have any pics of the interior? Are the wheels and tires from the kit, and what kit is that?


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Thanks- It is a Revell (Pro Finish) model I bought years ago. Its an easy build that supposedly requires no painting or glue, but I painted most all of it, except the body. The body is supplied (pre-painted with the number). Im not sure how long Revell made these type of models, but I sometimes will work on 2 models at the same time while Im waiting on either paint or glue to dry on one, I work on the other. I put the final coat of red on Christine and painted the roof white yesterday. Im going to do a final very light sanding today and see if the Novus #2 polishing compund works. If it doesnt work or I screw it up, then Ill be stripping everything and starting over again. There are a few You Tube channels that have real good info on tips and stuff Ive been checking out. Finding out as with other tasks that model building is trial and error, but this is a learning process. I appreciate any advice from experienced folks like you. Will keep updating as I go-


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Oh- yes- the wheels and tires are from the kit. I scrubbed the wheels, painted the rims gloss black, applied aluminum to the center spindle cover and painted the lug nuts bright yellow-


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

HagMan said:


> Hello All-
> 
> Well, since my wife and I love the movie, she went and ordered Christine. Im not experienced in this stuff and this will be a challenge to say the least. Christine will not be going anywhere after she is done, but just sit in the house unless she gets mad I guess? Im going to post some pics of the progress as I go as Im not a fast model builder so this build may take some time. The garage is where I do my spray painting and we have been hit with high heat and humidity for around 3 weeks now, so I hope it goes well. Im looking forward to any suggesstions/advice as the build goes. I will post any progress as I can- Thanks-
> 
> The first few pics are of the first and second primer coat. I noticed some molding line on the trunk, so I re-sanded it and put final coat of primer on and then sanded-


So, here she is with final coat of red and white on roof. The paint came out a little rough and Im really thinking that the high humidity in the garage is not getting along with spraying paint. Anyways, their needs to be some sanding for sure, so going to grab the water and 3000 grit and give it a little sanding, and then try out the Novus #2 polish and see where she is. Ill post pics when done. And Im really serious when I say the humidity is messing with the spray. Its been 75-85+% humidity here for over 3 weeks now- it sucks and cant wait till fall gets here so I can start splitting fire wood-


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Heres the pics- she looks rough- that damn humidity. Ill post after the light sanding and a little polishing-


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

I can see the concerns you have. Are you still happy with the body trim details (they are still crisp and have depth?) 

Other than waiting for the humidity to reduce naturally what are you doing with your paint cans. Are you warming them up - usually a hot water bath helps improve the paint flow and viscosity. 

How much pre paint shaking are you using (doing). 

If you are not warming up your paint where do you store it? What is the temperature difference between where it is stored and where you apply the paint?

If you are losing detail depth and still have orange peel you may want to split your paint applications into 1/2 or even 1/3s. Thicker coats may lose their ability to stretch and level out. IIRC this is the effect humity plays upon during drying times. Be sure to let the proper drying times occure between coats.


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Hi Milton-
I did make some progress. I started with some 3000 grit and water and was able to get most all of the blemishes and rough areas out. Then, I took some Novus polish and worked that on a few times. I then followed up with a coat of pledge. It actually looks much better. Going to apply another coat of pledge on today and if all goes well, it should be ready for metal foil. As far as the humidity and spray cans go- The spray cans are kept in the garage-(same place Ive been spraying with the high humidity). I have a temp/humidity device in the garage so I know what it is all the time. The temps have been right around upper 70's to mid 80's, so I would think the temp of the cans would be fine? After thinking this over, I think I might look at building a homemade small spray booth with an exhaust fan and put in the basement. My basement is big and stays very cool inside even on the hottest and humid of all days. When I spray, I usually spray light coats, but even doing very light coats, if I dont bring it inside the house, it takes forever to dry. I thought of the basement idea last night and think I can rig something up with some flashing material, a small bathroom exhaust fan and some dryer vent tubing. Whats your thoughts about moving the spraying to the basement?


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

Can you relocate your humidity gauge to the basement to start a base line measurement. I was going to suggest a new painting location in the house as you plan to set it up but the basement would be more ideal. In your planning though - like a garage- make it 1/2 as big again as you think you will need for future projects!

Not to further muddy the waters (painting issues will vary by location) but when you say it takes forever to dry - was that still within the parameters set by the paint brand in its application guidelines at their maximum range? If more - how much longer?


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Good point- I have not really paid too much attention to manufacturers' drying times. I should take a look and see. I think the basement would be better for spraying than the garage. I can re-locate the humidity meter in the basement for a few days and kind of get an average. I have some extra flashing and a small 120VAC exhaust fan that I can make something homemade with and just run the exhaust pipe out the back basement door. At this point, anything would be better than the garage unless I want to wait until winter to spray in the garage. Ummm- I cant wait that long as Im already prepping my Revell 1965 Chevelle SS 396 that I want to do after I get done with Christine


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

After some light sanding, polish and clear- Im saying ok, and going to start working on the foil


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## Andy Oldenburg (Feb 16, 2021)

Thanks for the Info on the model. So it´s kind of a snap together. That explains the very exact decal work.

I have made it a regular to cover the last coat of paint on the body with a least one clear coat. That way I don´t polish the paint coat. In case I polish too deep, I won´t destroy the paint. This makes sense especially if it is a metallic. The clear coat gives the body a "deeper" shine, just like our big automobiles, that get a clear coat too.


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Andy- you are 100% correct about the clear and polishing as Im learning on this build. This is also a crash course for applying bare metal foil for me. I am learning that when cutting the foil, to go slow with the blade and apply no pressure on the blade, as the weight of the blade will do the cutting. It is starting to look decent and Im about 1/2 way done with the foil. Ill post a pic or two up in a few. I was also wondering how you make the distributors with plug wires. What size and materials do you use? I bought a pre-made distributor with wires for Christine and cost me over $6. Im sure I can make them with the proper materials and save some $$ in the long run. Thanks for any advice and have a good day-


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Heres some foil on so far-


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

Looking good...


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Thanks- I finally finished the foil. What a crash course in using the foil. Now; I feel more confident for future builds requiring it. I could not figure out how to apply it inside the car, so I got a chrome marker out. And wouldnt you know it- Just as I was finishing, was not paying attention to the exacto blade and I accidently scratched the foil above passenger side window. It is noticeable, but I did not want to rip the entire section out and re-do, so I left it. As soon as the primer I ordered gets here, I can get the rest of the parts that I washed and are hanging up some primer and start moving on with other areas.


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Got the good primer today-


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## Andy Oldenburg (Feb 16, 2021)

Nice to see you happy with your build! That is what makes the fun of it.

Here is my "old" thread on how to make a distributor. This basic you can customize a bit to match your build. I forgot to mention to be careful with the superglue. Bend the wires long ends apart like a spider to prevent the glue from running up and wait about half an hour to cut the short protruding ends.









Make your own ignition distributor!


Hello everybody, maybe you´ve had the same experience as I have with connecting ignition cables to your model engine. I build in 1/25 and it seems almost impossible to connect 8 cables plus 1 for the coil to that little plastic „bean“ you get as a ignition distributor. It dosn´t look very neat...




www.hobbytalk.com





If small corners (especially on the window frames) turn out without foil, I just give it a drop of molotow in the end. It usually doesn´t show.


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Thanks for the link. I knew you had a thread about this that I had noticed the other week. I purchased a pre-made distributor with wires the other week for around $7 and thought since Ive got alot of cars yet to build, why not make my own and save money. The molotow seems to blend pretty good with the foil as you mentioned. Ive learned alot since joining this forum and although most match colors, ect... to replicate the real car, but Im going a little different with what supplies I have on hand. For instance- the engine color on a 1958 Plymouth Fury is "Commando Gold" but on this build, it will be Austin Tan Pearl which is the exact same body color of my 2010 Dodge Ram. Why this color? Well; I had bought some touch up spray for my truck a couple years back and had some left over. Also, the 1958 car color was Tubidor Red, but I wanted it a little darker and went with Krylon Cherry Gloss Red. The interior dashboard will be Cherry gloss red as well. The interior flooring, door panels and seats will be painted Colonial Red which looks like the Cherry gloss red, but very slightly different. I plan on putting foil on the interior door window roll up handles and small strip on the panels. Ive also been thinking of tinting the windows in a dark green clear to give it more of a sinister look. Ill be posting some more pics as I go. Thanks-


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## f1steph (Jan 9, 2003)

Nice car....... don't get her upset........ hihihi...


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## Andy Oldenburg (Feb 16, 2021)

This is what gives us the real fun in model building. Being creative and thinking that next step into: how can I turn it into MY model. Sometimes I want to go as original stock as possible and I check the colors and the obvious details. But even then I can give my own twist to the model with my detailing. And then I like to change as much as possible to get far away from the image on the box. 

We are not doing "painting by numbers", we are creating an individual piece of art. That´s how I see it, and I come from the canvas painting side of art.


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Yes, being a new modeler; I guess it is good to sometimes think outside the box and put your own twist on it. I think that is where the creativity comes out and makes it look somewhat unique in ways with personal touches.


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Almost done with the inside door panels and seats. Just a little minor stuff left-


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Im ready to put the plug wires on. Never done this before so I hope it goes well-


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

Remember to identify the firing order so you can arrange them in the correct sequence around the distributor. A bit more fussy to accomplish but more realistic to the eye.


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Milton- that's a good point. I've got the distributor on and will get the plug wires run later today. My question is where run the coil wire? The firewall, wheel wells? Not sure if I'm going to have to rig something-


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

If that is the Type A engine the coil is located just in front of the distributor on top of the intake but still behind the carb. Looks like it will be where the 2nd hole in the intake is...


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Hi Milton- I noticed that there is a small slot just to the rear left side (when looking at the engine from the front) of the carburetor on the intake manifold, but there is no part on any of the trees that goes to it. Also, nothing in the instructions relating to a round cylinder type coil that would attach? Ive seen many pics of the engine that has the coil in this spot, but not parts for the model? Any suggestions you may have?


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Well- Christine has been a little bit of a bitch this evening while working on the undercarriage, the frame was warped in two places, so I had to heat it up and straighten it out a bit. I wired the plug wires to reflect the firing order of a 1958 Fury with a 318 CID. Trying to figure a way to rig a small round piece if styrene to make a coil to fit on the intake so I can run the main wire to it. What about running a second wire from it and attach it to the firewall next to the brake booster to act as the wire from the ignition switch? Need some ideas from you guys. Thanks-


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Engine with plug wires, homemade ignition coil and the car underside. The plug wires are routed from firing order of a 1958 Plymouth Fury with the 318 CID V8. I drilled two holes at the end of the ignition coil which the main coil wire goes to. Ill attach a red wire to the other hole and route it to the firewall next to the brake booster.


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

After taking a week off, got a little more done-


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## Andy Oldenburg (Feb 16, 2021)

Your making good progress and the details are looking fine . I always love a red/black color combination.

Since i´m not an auto mechanic, I had a lot of questions about where with lines, cables and wires lead to. Maybe you have more car experience then me. I spent tons of hours checking images on the net. After visiting classic car meetings (which don´t come around here that often) and sticking my head into the engine bays I have a better insight now. 

I try to be as true to original with the details as possible. But sometimes one has to improvise and in the end what counts, is that all the wires and lines have a plausible setup. Check images of the same engine and you will find several different variants and setups. What your doing looks correct to me.


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## HagMan (6 mo ago)

Hello Andy-
Its a work in progress as I try to work on it when I can. The way I am going to do the wires are as follows-

1. The red wire in the firewall is the ignition wire that will run to a top of the small box (starter relay) next to the battery.
2. The battery will have the positive (red) wire run to the bottom of the small box (starter relay).
3. The battery will have the negative ground (black) wire run to a chassis ground.
4. The red wire (power) on the homemade ignition coil will run to the bottom of the small box (starter relay).
Im also going to run the main starter power wire from the bottom of small box (starter relay) directly to the starter. Im not going to attach a black ground wire from the starter to a chassis ground because the starter will be grounded at its case to the engine block.

Ive also been working on the Revell 1965 Chevy Chevelle 396 Z-16. The current plan is to paint the body flat matte black and paint (colonial gloss red) rally stripes on the hood, roof and trunk. I already painted the engine block orange and cylinder heads aluminum. The only thing I cant find is rally wheels for it. I dont like the look of the stock spoke type wheels and want to put rallys on it. I wonder if anyone here has some 1/25 scale rally wheels they would want to part with??? Anyway- thats an update for now. Hope all is well in Germany-


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