# It's a pace car...



## scottnkat

Well, after having a bit of a break, I am starting to get into this great hobby again. For my first project in the new model room (my first designated modeling space - woo hoo), I wanted to do something out of the ordinary. I decided on an old MPC Mustang pace car. 










I got this kit off evil-bay a long time ago, checked out the contents and put it away. When I received it, the body was covered in thick brush paint in red and grey. Most of the parts were off the sprue and some were missing. I wasn't in the mood for a project at the time, so away it went. Well, I finally pulled it out and decided to work on it. 

First thing I did was soak the body in Super Clean to get the paint off. It took a few days and a few scrubbing sessions, but the paint was finally taken off. That was when I found that the body was broken - one of the a-pillars going to the roof was broken and had been glued in poorly. Luckily, the Super Clean removed the glue so I was able to reposition it and glue it properly. 

Then I started looking at the body (sporting a full roof) and the model box (sporting a T-top) and realized that I wanted the T-tops. So out came the X-acto knife and we chopped off the top. The kit did come with an H-shaped piece to use with the T-tops, but it had nothing to it. So, I put some strip styrene between the windshield and the top of the back roof to fill in the space and make it look better. After sanding the body down, I took it out for primer. Unfortunately, I hadn't taken any pics of the progress up to this point, as I just plain hadn't thought about it. 

Once it was primed, I realized that the car was missing the rear spoiler. I checked the box for the parts and found that I had one warped end cap, but not the other, and I had the rear spoiler itself, but it was broken - it looks like someone hacked the one side away altogether. This wasn't going to do and I didn't wanna use the stock spoiler, so out came some sheet styrene and a bit of body putty. It's now starting to get the shape, but still needs some more work. 










This still needs a bit of work before I can consider the body ready for paint, but it is coming along. I'm gonna put the V8 engine in here and not the little turbo 4 cylinder. I scanned the old decals (which were pretty well messed up) and started using Photoshop to clean them up and fix what needs help. I have also been working with Photoshop to make some decals for the seats as the seats have a unique pattern to them. More to come on that later.


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## superduty455

Nice job saving the old kit. 
I look forward to seeing you progress. 
If it's any help to yo I have seen the seat decal inserts on ebay. Might make your job easier, just an fyi.
Keep at it!
Chris


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## scottnkat

thanks, Chris, for the info about ebay. I've seen those too, but I didn't wanna pay that much for them. Instead, I found a picture of the seats, then used Photoshop to make the basic pattern. I then just duplicated the pattern into a long strip that I can cut as I need to. It may not be as exact as the one on ebay (or maybe that one's not exact - I dunno), but this way certainly saved money.


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## scottnkat

Well, I have the pattern for the seats done. The basic pattern is like this:










Since the inserts for the front seat and rear seat have two different widths, I basically made 2 strips of this pattern in two different widths, keeping the center dimensions the same for aesthetic reasons. If anyone wants a copy of the two files, just let me know and I'll send you the two small psd files. They are 3000 dpi resolution, so they don't get too blurred when printing.


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## superduty455

Nice work Scott. Like I said I was just throwing it out there. If you can make them your self, all the better. That's what it's all about. 
Chris


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## scottnkat

Thanks, Chris - I appreciate it.


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## Pete McKay

I owned the 1:1 of that car in 1980 the year after is paced the Indy. It was the first car I ever spent more than $10,000 on. The difference between the replica's and the real car was the T-Top, the replica's all had sunroofs. Mine was a V-8 car with the stick, only 1,866 of that option were made out of the 10,478 produced. A company called Barber in Texas would convert the sunroof car to the t-top car for another $1500 in 1982, which was the year I sold mine. I saw one recently in SoCal with less than 2000 miles on it and the guy was asking $30K for it.


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## scottnkat

Wow - that's cool, Pete. Thanks for the info. I'm doing this with the V8 - no option for the tranny - just the one molded on the engine. Glad I made the choice to do the T-top instead.


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## 440 dakota

very nice work good kit to save


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## Ian Anderson

That's all good and well Scott, but what about these "GOLDEN WHEELS" for a BONUS, wont they be a little to heavy for a styrene model kit, ????..lol..with the price of gold today, You could sell then and make BANK Dude, and then by more kits I should think,,...lol..lol..lol.. I have this kit and Its has NO GOLDEN WHEELS, or any bonus at all,.....I think I have been RIP OFF here it seems........lol..lol..lol..





*Ian*


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## Pete McKay

Here's the 3 Mustangs that paced the indy:










Monogram has made all 3 cars, I don't know if they were ever offered as a 3-for-1 kit in the same box though. You should probably note that the real car wasn't silver, it was "Pewter" and had a slight goldish tone to it. 










This is a replica sunroof car, not a USAC produced Pace Car. But the color is pretty dead on.


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## Ian Anderson

Yeah, A few Deferent years of these went across the Block at *Barrett Jackson* (_Scottsdale_) a few years back, "CHEEP", I know because I was there,..lol..lol..lol..But the _TA's_ and _Chevy Camaro _Pace Cars fetched the most,...





*Ian*


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## scottnkat

nice picture, Pete - I hadn't seen that one before. I actually have all three of those kits, as well as a few other pace cars. Who knows? Maybe this thread will become a list of multiple pace car builds. 

Regarding the color, I may just end up sticking to silver - I don't have a pewter color and this is not one of the months when I can spend money (we have rich months and poor months). But I appreciate the info anyway. :thumbsup:


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## scottnkat

Ian Anderson said:


> I have this kit and Its has NO GOLDEN WHEELS, or any bonus at all,.....I think I have been RIP OFF here it seems........lol..lol..lol..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Ian*


Tell ya what - if you'd like, I will gladly send you the golden wheels as well as the card to use to redeem it. It's the least I can do :tongue:


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## Ian Anderson

[email protected], just though it look funny is all,......lol..lol..lol..Its that what it was, A COUPON IS ALL ???,,..thats funny....




*Ian*


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## scottnkat

yep - you saved up the golden wheels on the box, then returned the card with the golden wheels and you got a free model kit. Boy, I miss those days


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## scottnkat

Well, time for an update:

I think I am getting the rear spoiler pretty well. It's taking alot of putty, alot of sanding, more putty, etc. But we're finally starting to see the two sides begin to match and the back line up straight. Should have this done in the next day or two. I've also started the flocking on the carpeting. I would have preferred to do the floor without the sides on, but the previous owner had already glued the sides onto the floor. So, we work with what we have... 










I've also put the decals on the seats. Right now, they are just rough rectangles. Once they get to where they are laying down nice and neat, then we'll use the X-Acto knife to trim them to the shape of the insert. The engine was already put together, so I just touched up the paint a bit here and there. I can't believe they put a Holley Dominator on this little 302 - seems a bit overcarbureted, but I always like the look of a chromed Dominator, so it stays. 










Finally just doing some painting of parts and touch up painting on those pieces that were already painted. Not alot to see here, but I do like that Alclad Exhaust Manifold color for the exhaust (although I think it's a touch too dark). This was my birthday present from my wife - a couple of new bottles of Alclad last month. It's my first time trying it out, but I may try using it on gloss white next time just to see how it comes out. 










That's really about it for the updates now. Nothing coming together yet, but things are starting to head in that general direction :thumbsup:


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## Gemini1999

It's nice to see someone else show an interest in Fox-era Mustangs. I bought a sealed Monogram version of the 1979 Pace Car. I wanted the MPC kit, but they were really pricey. I did see the eBay auction for the seat fabric decals - I thought that it would be a nice addition to the kit, so I bought a set for mine. I also found a set of the Fred Cady Pace Car decals and I got a set as a backup, just in case I have problems with the original decals. Getting a kit version of the 79 Pace Car was one of the kits that was on my "must have" list, so getting one was a big deal.

Keep us updated on your progress - I'd love to see how it turns out!

Bryan


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## scottnkat

thanks, Bryan. I would have loved a set of those Fred Cady decals, but it seemed the only places that I could find them wanted more for shipping that the price of the decals themselves. Hence, I just used my trusty computer to make them. 

I printed the seat decals on white decal paper so I could just paint the seats black altogether, then trim them. Are the ones you bought off ebay on white paper or clear paper? If clear, then I would have had to paint the insert white and I am inherently lazy (as my wife puts it) or efficient (as I put it) - I just hate doing extra work when it's not necessary - so the black seats and white decal paper worked for me.


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## Pete McKay

Scott, Testors has a color called German Silver Metallic that was sort of close but it doesn't have the golden tone of the Pewter. The bad thing about Ford paint then (and sometimes now too) is that the silver oxidized so fast, in 5 years it looked horrible. I have owned 3 silver Ford cars in my life, the two I kept I had repainted gray once the paint went bad. The last silver car I had was a 2004 Focus ZTS and in just over 18 months in the California sun the paint was already giving up. I had it repainted MoPar Bright Platinum Metallic, and it looks so much better.


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## scottnkat

Pete, 

I know about that terrible Ford Silver - I had it on my truck. Lucky for me, the clearcoat also started coming up, so I could just sand it down and spray primer over it. Yep, my truck still looks terrible, but at least now it has a reason to look terrible. He he he. 

Thanks for the info on the paint. I'll see if my local Hobby Lobby has that color in stock - I can't make a trip out to the hobby store for probably another month. That's the downside of living in the boonies.


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## scottnkat

Sorry it's late, but I finally have some updates. I've been working on the interior. Much of this was already put together, so I've been touching up paint where needed (in a few spots), applying new paint where needed (almost everywhere), putting a few things together, and having to make some parts. For instance, the engine compartment was already glued to the frame, but the guy who had this kit before never put the shocks in. Well, the shocks weren't there, so I had to make 'em. Just little things like that have been slowing my progress a bit. But I finally got the interior together and about 90% done. I tried to take a close-up photo to show off the seats, but my camera just doesn't wanna focus in that closely. 










I then started working on the car's glass. The glass piece originally looked like this:










Well, those two crosspieces just won't work with this here t-top, so I started to cut them off. Unfortunately, the plastic is old and brittle and we had a small accident when the upper corner of one of the back windows snapped while I was trimming. I did fine it and glued it back on. The windows are pretty yellow. I'm hoping that a bath in Future will clear them up a touch. 










I also found the German Silver Metallic paint mentioned earlier. The car body got it's first coat of color today. It is missing that golden sheen to it, but I hope it ends up looking the part. 










The end is in sight now - just a bit more to go....


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## scottnkat

Well, I got the black laid on the lower half of the body. I still have to clean up the edges just a touch, but at least now it's starting to get some color to it. 










Also, I finally got a better shot of the seats and the decals.


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## s.moe

scottnkat.....s.moe,here.....Looking good so far on your Mustang, really like those decals for the seats......Could you imagine trying to mask and spray those????? Can't wait to see the finished build.......s.moe......out.


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## 71 Charger 500

The glass is all pretty simple relatively flat stuff. Why not get some new clear plastic sheet from evergreen and make new ones?


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## harristotle

This is looking awesome! :thumbsup: Wouldn't be a bad idea to maybe try and make new windows if the Future bath doesn't work.


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## Ian Anderson

*HOLD OUT ON THAT SCOTT*, on the new windows that is dude, The one in the Kits i sent you,..*JUST MIGHT WORK*,..Check it first before going the distance here..,.........



*Ian*


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## 440 dakota

lookin good the seat decals really add to it


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## scottnkat

Hi there - thanks for all the suggestions about the windows. Actually, it seems that the future bath did get rid of most of the yellowing - it's still there just a touch, but not bad at all anymore. I may go ahead and try it one more time just to see if we can't make it all that much better. 

Also, thanks for the comments on the seat decals - if anyone wants them, just shoot me a message and I will send you the Photoshop file so you can print them up yourself. 

Don't have time to do anything on it tonight so it may be a day or so before I have any more updates.


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## scottnkat

sorry for the long time between posts - I have been sick as a dog and really wasn't doing very much work on the car at all except maybe 5 minutes here or 10 minutes there. Seriously, it was all I could do to try to keep up with everyone else's posts these past couple of weeks. But still, those few minutes here and there do add up and I did make some progress. The car is about done now. Here's some pics:



















And here's a top-down look at the t-tops and the seats:










Finally, I figured that I needed a place to put these pace car models that I have. Normally I just put the cars in one of those model cases, but I wanted to sort of tie the pace car into the display. I took a picture of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and a picture of the track itself and made this display:










So here is the (almost) finished product - I realize it's not 100% perfect, but when I realize that I was doing this while I was sick and the mess I started with, I am actually rather pleased with the end result:


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## 71 Charger 500

Pleased with end results? DUDE, that display is the coolest thing! That is absolutely cool! Anyone who says that isn't cool isn't a car guy! Fantastic job on the car as well. I really like the seat decals.

Mo


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## s.moe

scottnkat......Nice job on your Fox-Body Mustang.....Pic's look great, and nice job on the Display case too......A little at a time adds up my friend.....Looking forward to more............MOE.


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## harristotle

Excellent job, the display really finishes it off good!


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## scottnkat

Thanks for the nice comments Mo, Moe, and harristotle. I like how the display case turned out as well. I think I'm going to use that same display for all the pace car models that I have - it just goes well with them, I think. I finally finished the car up this morning - the mirrors are all on and everything. So, now it's time to start something anew. Can't just do nothing for too long.


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## Pete McKay

...Sarah, my daughter, calls me, says to look at the Mustang Pace Car in the forums, she types me "Dad, that's the car I was conceived in!" LOL!!!! Cracked me up. She's wrong of course but I'm not going to tell her.


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## scottnkat

ha ha ha ha!! You seriously just made my wife laugh right out loud, Pete. :thumbsup:

Well, I decided what my next car will be - I'm gonna do the 1955 Chevy pace car next. Started sanding the body already and it looks like it will be a fun kit. 










You know, on a side note, I loved building models when I was a kid and just sort of fell out of it. I've really gotta thank my wife for this past year with getting me started doing models again. She got me started as a method of physical therapy, and who would have guessed that it's also mental therapy!!

I also wanna thank Pete, Ian, Moe, Mo, Schwinster, Chris, Dom, Dakota, and everyone else on this forum. You guys all make it fun and I have learned a hell of a lot by watching your builds. I may never be in the same league as you gentlemen, but it's great having you all as my forum friends.


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## Ian Anderson

I have this kit as well Scott, In complete nice shape as well,.....Let me know if you need it for some reason,..I don't mind parting with this one really, FOR THE RIGHT TRADE,.....





*Ian*


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## 440 dakota

Scott that Mustang came out awesome esp for what is was when started very nice save

Ian since were on 55s do you have any post cars or any Revell with opening parts ? possible trades waiting lol


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## Ian Anderson

Like which ones are you looking for Ron, I do have some like that, Just not sure Which ones off the bat,......NAME THEM and I will look,....And if not I CAN GET THEM, i have some great connects now,...Wait tell you see my next batch,,....WHOO HOO,...Bad to the bone,...And A LOT OF THEM....





*Ian*


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## 440 dakota

aha got your attention PM sent


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## scottnkat

Aw, now I feel special - I was able to provide a forum for personal business to be initiated. I've got my feel-good feelings going on now. Woo hoo. 

Alright, maybe I am joking a bit.


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## Pete McKay

Plan ahead...here's you next ones after the Chebby.

http://www.amazon.com/MPC-6214-Scal...=A1NC2PUIMBHRWX&ie=UTF8&qid=1318907654&sr=1-5

I know it's $70 but you get 3 Pace Cars, I believe the Firebird is worth that by itself.


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## scottnkat

Pete McKay said:


> Plan ahead...here's you next ones after the Chebby.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/MPC-6214-Scal...=A1NC2PUIMBHRWX&ie=UTF8&qid=1318907654&sr=1-5
> 
> I know it's $70 but you get 3 Pace Cars, I believe the Firebird is worth that by itself.


Thanks, Pete. I already have the Firebird and the Camaro. I just need the 94 Corvette (and I think that's the cheapest one of the three).


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## Ian Anderson

*[email protected],.....*yes you did buddy,....Good job,..lol......So do you need another kit like that one by any chance dude, ???? if so let me know Like I said, I have one for you here Scott, And I doubt I will ever build it,.....I nave had it long, But its In perfect shape...



*Ian*


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## Ian Anderson

That FIREBID is pretty hot ON ITS own there pete,..nice score there for sure.....



*
Ian*


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## Pete McKay

Scott the 'Vette on the Amazon page shows it to be a '95....are you sure it was a '94? The yellow one I believe is an '86.


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## scottnkat

Thanks for the offer, Ian. I tend to only build one model of each one (I don't really do the multiple models of the same item thing), so I don't think I need another '55 pace car. Thank you for the offer, though - it is appreciated.

And, that Firebird does look pretty darn nice, Ian - I have to agree with you.


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## scottnkat

Ah, Pete, you are correct - I got the years mixed up. It's the 1986 Corvette pace car that I still need to get at some point. I have the '94 Mustang (yep, '94 was not a 'vette) and I have the '95 Corvette C4, as well. I am also looking for a '68 Torino GT convertible still - I saw a resin kit on "that" website, but I got outbid. One of these days, I'll get it, but money's tight so I've gotta work with what I've got right now (as I am sure alot of us can relate to).


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## Pete McKay

I think the '78 Vetter was the best looking of the Vette Pace Cars, that blakc and silver really set the car off.


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## scottnkat

The 78 was a very pretty car, I've gotta agree. When I was in high school, my friend's dad had one (pace car stickers and all). He would never even let us sit in it. But it was nice to look at.


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## Pete McKay

I've seen hundreds of replica's, that scheme always reminded me of Dale Sr.


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## s.moe

Pete, I was thinking that same thing yesterday when you posted it.....About it remind's me of Earnhardt Sr. It is a nice car, Got a fellow around here who's got one..............MOE.


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## bucwheat

Not impressed with the real pace car,good luck on your rebuild.:wave:


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## scottnkat

I apologize for the delay between posts - sometimes real life gets in the way of enjoying our hobby. 

Well, I finished the engine. I am not very familiar with Chevys, so I just went by the kit's instructions for putting it together. But I did so something I hadn't done before - I wired the engine (in the correct firing order) and ran a fuel line from the fuel pump to the carburetor. Sorry, Pete and harristotle, but your builds kinda inspired me a touch - my engine is nowhere as nice as the ones you guys do, but it is an improvement for me. I figure if I try something new with every build, I will eventually get better and help myself grow. So, here it is - my Chevy smallblock for the '55 Chevy.


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## 71 Charger 500

That engine looks really good !


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## scottnkat

Oh, story about the wires - my daughter saw the orange block and decided that it needed green on top since it was October and Halloween time. She wanted it to look like a pumpkin. So, the green wires are her contribution. At least they will be easily seen. 

Thanks, Mo - I appreciate it


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## Ian Anderson

*[email protected],..*I like It Green to dude,.._Very festive my friend_,........*HEE HEE HEE*,...It does look kind of Pumpkin'is......but a nice job, NONE THE LESS....



*
Ian "The Great Punken" Anderson *.....lol...lol... 

And yes, "I meant to spell it like that"


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## scottnkat

ha ha - thanks, Ian - you always bring a smile to my face with your wit.


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## harristotle

scottnkat said:


> I apologize for the delay between posts - sometimes real life gets in the way of enjoying our hobby.
> 
> Well, I finished the engine. I am not very familiar with Chevys, so I just went by the kit's instructions for putting it together. But I did so something I hadn't done before - I wired the engine (in the correct firing order) and ran a fuel line from the fuel pump to the carburetor. Sorry, Pete and harristotle, but your builds kinda inspired me a touch - my engine is nowhere as nice as the ones you guys do, but it is an improvement for me. I figure if I try something new with every build, I will eventually get better and help myself grow. So, here it is - my Chevy smallblock for the '55 Chevy.


Looks awesome! I'm glad I'm helping to inspire some extra engine detail, I've always felt it makes a huge difference in how the finished car looks.


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## scottnkat

Boy, it seems lately the only time I get to do anything is on the weekends. So, here's my most recent update. The engine is mounted in the frame and all four wheels do touch the ground (sigh of relief). Here's my progress so far:


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## scottnkat

I've also been working on the interior and the body. The interior is almost done - just a few touch ups to do:










I also finished painting the body, putting on the Bare Metal Foil, and just kinda getting it in order and ready for decals:



















I hope to have another update soon.


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## 71 Charger 500

That is looking really good. The flocking on the floor looks nice as well!

Mo


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## Ian Anderson

Killer scottt,...Love the color on that baby......."NICE WORK"





*Ian*


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## scottnkat

Thanks, Mo and Ian. I appreciate it. I'm hoping to be able to finish this soon so I can start something else.


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## s.moe

scottnkat......The '55 Bowtie look's great, You've done a nice job on the motor and the Interior,,And that Two Tone, Love it.....Can't really tell from the pic's,, But is the red a metal flake??? My eye's aren't what they use to be.......From trying to read Ian's Post's......:lol:.........MOE.


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## scottnkat

Thanks, Moe. I appreciate the comments. The red on the body is not a metal flake - it's just Banner Red (a solid color). I painted the interior with the Testors red bottle paint. I figured it was off just a touch from the exterior paint enough so it would look a little different, but it wasn't so far off that it would look odd. 

and I love Ian's posts - they're great!


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## s.moe

I like 'ol Ian,, That's why I bust his chop's so much,, From time to time......If I didn't live over here on the East Coast,, We'd definetly be hanging out together,, HECK, I'd love to get in on some of his deal's he gets.......:thumbsup:.....Love the red and the stock look on the ' 55.........MOE.


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## scottnkat

Well, I started applying the decals to the body so I could clear coat it before I finish assembly. I just found out the decals are old and yellowed. It was not so noticeable on the red background, but when I placed the lettering on the white, terrible yellow outlines. Lucky for me, I make it a habit of scanning all decals before I use them. So I just printed up another set on clear paper and used those. Voila - no more yellow outline. :thumbsup:

I agree with you wholeheartedly, Moe - Ian is a great guy and it would be fun to hang out with him. He's got a great sense of humor and some great stories - and you've gotta love those deals he finds... :woohoo:


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## JamesInNC

Scott - catching up on some threads in the Car forum. Really like your work, especially the MPC kit you saved. 

Where do you buy that flocking? And how is it applied/installed? I'm building a Batmobile right now and think it will make a nice addition to the kit.

Cheers,
James


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## scottnkat

James,

Detail Master makes the flocking. They sell them in small rectangular tubes at my local hobby store (well, not so local as I live on a mountain and it takes 40 minutes to get there, but you get the idea). They have dozens of colors, so it is not too hard to get the color you want. 

Some people paint the floorboard then sprinkle the flocking on the wet paint. I tend to paint the floorboard the color I want and let it dry. I then use Elmers white glue on the floorboard. I have small disposable brushes that I use to spread it out thinly on the floor so I have relatively even coverage. Once that's done, I sprinkle the flocking all over the floor. I will press it down with my fingers or the butt-end of a tool in the corners and let it dry. A couple of hours later I just turn it upside down and tab the bottom to get all the excess off. I do all this over a separate piece of paper so I can pour the unused flocking back into the tube when I am done.


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## JamesInNC

Scott - thanks for the information! I'm going to give it a try.

James


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## scottnkat

James, as an experiment, my wife spent a buck at Wal-Mart (I know it's a terrible place, but two of our sons work there so we kinda have to support it) and bought one of those wire strainers - you know the kind with the wire mesh that stuff goes through? Anyway, her suggestion was to use that to "sift" the flocking material to make it smaller and more "in scale" with the models. I'm going to try it on the next car I do. I'll let you know how it goes.


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## Ian Anderson

Hey Thinks for the Vote of confidence there guys,...And,..Well if I thought it where possible my self, I would love to meet *ALL OF YOU GUYS & GALS* as well,..Who knows, 
you know as well as I do, that the world seems like is a much smaller place these days, _YOU NEVER KNOW,. _maybe at some convention we may run a ground ALL AT ONCE sometime,...
I mean, Stranger things have happened,...*Oh* ,..one more thing here before I go,...


"HAPPY HALLOWEEN GUYS".. and *May all your Tricks Be a Treat*,..lol..lol..lol..I know all of mine have...lol...



*Ian*


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## 71 Charger 500

scottnkat said:


> James, as an experiment, my wife spent a buck at Wal-Mart (I know it's a terrible place, but two of our sons work there so we kinda have to support it) and bought one of those wire strainers - you know the kind with the wire mesh that stuff goes through? Anyway, her suggestion was to use that to "sift" the flocking material to make it smaller and more "in scale" with the models. I'm going to try it on the next car I do. I'll let you know how it goes.


I use one of these and it works great. Just pour your flocking material into it and tap it with your finger. It causes it to come out in small pieces and covers very well this way.

Mo


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## scottnkat

Well, I have hit a snag on the car. The factory decals which looked okay last night looked terrible this morning once they had dried. The ones I made for the rear fenders are fine, but all those on the red are awful. I tried resetting them, then tried using decal solvent and they just got worse and worse. Unfortunately, I have no alps printer so I cannot print white. I am gonna have to find some replacement decals before I can get this all finished. Bummer.


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## s.moe

Scott... Hate to here your having problems with those decal's......Old ones like that, Just give me fit's , Too.....I don't have the right equipment to print new one's or do copies,, So usually I'm stuck trying to find one's form somewhere else, or rob'em from another kit............MOE.


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## s.moe

:wave:... Hey, Genevieve......I want you to know that you did an EXCELLENT JOB..:thumbsup:..On YOUR truck......Ian may have painted it,,,,But Your the one who brought it to life by finishing it........It's definitely a build to be proud of and WE'LL be looking for more build's from you in the future....:woohoo:..:roll:.........MOE.


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## scottnkat

Thanks, Moe. I found some Fred Cady replacement decals on evil-Bay that end today - hopefully I will win the auction and I can finish this up without too much delay. 

I'm gonna show Gen your comment when she gets home from school - she will be so happy to get a comment about it. Thanks, Moe


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## s.moe

BOTH of you are very welcome..... And Thank you for showing us her finished truck............MOE.


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## harristotle

How do you get such clean lines with bare metal foil? I've only worked with the stuff a little bit, but found it rather frustrating.


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## scottnkat

Moe, Genevieve is standing next to me and just read your comments. This is what she has to say:

"Thank you for the comment. I appreciate it and it makes me want to do more models."

There ya go, Moe - you are helping to build our hobby. :thumbsup:


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## scottnkat

harristotle, regarding using BMF, I don't think I really do anything special. I cut a piece a little larger than I really need, peel the backing off, then place it over the spot it needs to go. I then take a toothpick and rub down all the edges and corners to it stays well in the areas that I need it to. Then, I take a new #11 blade and cut along the edge. I use the same toothpick to pick the edge off and peel the excess away. This is only the second model I have used BMF on. The first one was the Chrysler Turbine with lots and lots of chrome trim, so I had plenty of practice on that. I hope that helps.


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## harristotle

scottnkat said:


> harristotle, regarding using BMF, I don't think I really do anything special. I cut a piece a little larger than I really need, peel the backing off, then place it over the spot it needs to go. I then take a toothpick and rub down all the edges and corners to it stays well in the areas that I need it to. Then, I take a new #11 blade and cut along the edge. I use the same toothpick to pick the edge off and peel the excess away. This is only the second model I have used BMF on. The first one was the Chrysler Turbine with lots and lots of chrome trim, so I had plenty of practice on that. I hope that helps.


I'll use your method the next time I use the stuff, thank you!


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## scottnkat

Let me know how it works for you! :thumbsup:


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## scottnkat

well, I won the auction for the replacement decals, so hopefully they will arrive this week and I can finish this up this weekend. :woohoo:


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## s.moe

Scott.....Sorry I wasn't home at 2:28 pm, When you and Genevieve did post # 81........I was gone to get my boy's from school at that time......Tell her I said that she was welcome and I'll be looking for her next build,,,,,

As for me helping to build our hobby,, You and 'ol Ian started it,, I just added some praise and encouragement.......
Glad to see you'll be able to finish the '55 now that you got the replacement Decal's...........MOE.


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## 71 Charger 500

harristotle said:


> How do you get such clean lines with bare metal foil? I've only worked with the stuff a little bit, but found it rather frustrating.


The key is to use a NEW blade every time you use bare metal foil. If your car has a lot of chrome on it, like my Hudson Hornet, you can use up to three or four blades on that car. I have two knives so I use one for cutting the foil on the backing paper and another for trimming around the edges on the model. I will do the windows on the Hudson with one blade, then change it and do one side of the car and probably put a third one in to do the other side of the car. A NEW blade is very essential in getting nice results when it comes to Bare Metal Foil.

Also, take your time, go VERY slowly! Do a few pieces then give your eyes a break and go back to it. Patience is definately a key when working with the foil.

Mo


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## Schwinnster

Boy, I've been missing out....... _ Nice_ stuff going on here Scott. Can't wait to see your '55 all together. The individual parts are looking great!


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## JamesInNC

Scott,
Regarding the BMF: How do you apply it to round/oval parts like head/taillight rims. I've wanted to try it, but it seems like the BMF would have crinkles/creases on rounded objects. How do you get it to lay down flat on parts like that?

James


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## scottnkat

James, 

I hadn't done a headlight or taillight rim until you asked. Basically, what ended up working for me was to wrap the BMF all the way around the outside of the rim so it was totally covered. This does create some creases going around the outside, but they did burnish down pretty easily and the BMF is pretty darn thin stuff. Once I got the outside wrapped up, I used the razor to cut slits in the inside where the clear part goes. I then burnished that down using the toothpick as well. Granted, it may not quite look as pretty as a nicely plated part, but it worked. Upon reviewing this, however, I think if I had separate headlight or taillight rims to do, I would simply shoot them with Alclad. So I think for myself, the BMF is good for the trim on the sides of the body and the windshield and window frames. Separate parts would end up being done with the Alclad. Thanks for making me learn something new, James. 

Scott

PS - My second oldest son shares your name - it's a good name - he is rather fond of it


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## s.moe

Scott....I've never used any of the BMF, Always to chicken to give it a try,,So I'd just paint my trim....Got to admit, It does look sharper than paint,Though.......Guess I just need to get some and practice on an old body.....After all, We can only truely learn by doing it first hand, Right?? Practice makes perfect...So they say......................MOE.


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## scottnkat

Moe, in all honesty, I had heard of BMF and seen the results, but I was not going to use it. I figured it was gonna be too hard and I didn't wanna waste any more money than I needed to - after all, for the cost of two packages of BMF, I could get another kit. But I try to do something new with every build. When it came time for the Chrysler Turbine, I just kinda sucked it up and tried it. I realized that there was so much chrome on that car that I would never get it to look right, so I might as well try. Now, I am nowhere near the best at using the stuff, but I did find out that it's not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. My two biggest recommendations if you do decide to try it would be:

#1) use a brand new blade so your cuts are clean - I actually changed the blade a couple of times while doing the Chrysler and a new blade makes a big difference

#2) be sure to burnish down the edges really well with the toothpick (or something else soft enough not to dig into the paint, but firm enough to really get the BMF down)


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## s.moe

Thank's for the Info and the heads-up on that, Scott....:thumbsup:....................MOE.


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## scottnkat

Well, the decals came on Saturday, so I was able to put them on finally. I had an issue with the decal over the front driver's side fender - it started to curl up. When I tried straightening it out, the color started flaking off. I decided to leave it as is instead of ruining it more. Hence, that decal is not 100% straight. Oh, well - in the words of Tom Cruise in Risky Business, sometimes you just gotta say, "What the %#@#". 

So, I have the body on and it's time to get this sucker finished. Here's the progress so far:


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## 71 Charger 500

I think it looks pretty dadgum good.


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## harristotle

Looks real good to me :thumbsup: tough luck on the decal, but I think you made the right decision in just letting it be.


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## scottnkat

Well, I am now considering this build done. I finished getting the rest of it together this evening. This build had taken longer than planned, and I had a few issues to deal with that I hadn't had to before, but overall this is not a bad kit. Thank you, everyone, for your comments and suggestions. You all are a wonderful lot of guys. So, here's the final pics:




























And in it's new resting place: My patented (not really) Indianapolis Speedway display case:


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## 71 Charger 500

That turned out really, really nice!


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## harristotle

You did an absolutely awesome job on it. Seriously it came out great!


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## scottnkat

Thanks, guys. My wife says that I should turn the car around so the side without the messed up decal is showing. Unfortunately, the Virgo in me just can't stand that - all the cars must be pointed in the right direction (or the left direction, as the case may be). Thanks for your comments, though - they are appreciated.


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## harristotle

scottnkat said:


> Thanks, guys. My wife says that I should turn the car around so the side without the messed up decal is showing. Unfortunately, the Virgo in me just can't stand that - all the cars must be pointed in the right direction (or the left direction, as the case may be). Thanks for your comments, though - they are appreciated.


Haha, yeah I would be the same way. Got to have everything facing the correct direction.


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## Ian Anderson

It looks like you could take _THE HOLE _family out in that pummy Scott,....
*KILLER BUILD MY FRIEND*...everyone is correct on this one as well,.. *"IT' LOOK GREAT*"..I have this kit as well in my stash,..But I doubt it would_ EVER BE THIS NICE_,.....









*Ian*


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## s.moe

Scott.....You did a great job on your '55 chevy Pace Car,, All the detailing to the engine and the interior, Really show all your hard work.......Nice build..............MOE.


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## scottnkat

Aw, thanks, guys - I appreciate your comments. It's a nice kit - I just had a couple of small hurdles. 

Ian, I am sure yours will be fantastic (as always) when you get around to it.


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## scottnkat

oooooh, I just noticed that I made the 100th post in this thread!! Yay, me!!!! Okay, I can calm down now. he he he


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## s.moe

Con, grat's on 100 there scott and hopefully many more,my friend........I've got the '53 Indy Pace car... It's a Ford Convertible, White body, white-gold interior, Gold lettering ....It's a lindburg 1/25 scale kit,, Thought about building it several times, when looking through my stash..................MOE.


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## 440 dakota

looks great came out very nice,your on a pace car roll what one is next ?


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## scottnkat

Moe, I have that kit as well. It looks like it could be a fun car to build. 

Dakota, I am not sure what I am gonna do next - if I do another pace car next, it will probably be one of the newer ones as the past two were both older. But I might try something new - I'm not sure yet.


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## Schwinnster

I couldn't figure out what you were talking about Scott, at first, when you were talking about decals-- thought you were just doing a stock build. _Very cool_ way to display it:thumbsup:


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## scottnkat

s.moe said:


> I've got the '53 Indy Pace car... It's a Ford Convertible, White body, white-gold interior, Gold lettering ....It's a lindburg 1/25 scale kit,, Thought about building it several times, when looking through my stash..................MOE.


Well, Moe, when you do decide to build it, and if you decide that you don't wanna post it in your regular garage, there's a forum thread right here where that would fit in. :thumbsup:


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## s.moe

Thank's for the offer, on using your thread to post pic's of my '53 Pace car,,,If Built.....Scott,,,,,,But I don't know if I could top the amount of detail that you did on the '55 chevy.....That would be a hard act to follow, my Friend......For me, it'd take a few month's, for sure........And right back at you on the offer, As well.....................MOE.


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## JamesInNC

Scott,
Your pace car is superb! Really outstanding detail. Looking forward to your next build.


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## scottnkat

Schwinnster, I always try to put my completed models into cases now. We had a terrible accident once when my wife dusted my models years ago - a harrowing tale of flying small parts and pieces - I'm sure you can understand. But I do try to add a background that fits and I figured that any other Indy pace cars that I do should use that background - it is rather apropos for the subject. Of course, I will have to find another background if I do any pace cars from other tracks. Luckily, that's not in my plans yet. 

James and Moe, thanks alot for your comments. I really appreciate it. You guys (and really, all the guys on this board) are fantastic!


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## scottnkat

Well, I got bored waiting for Christmas so I decided to build another pace car. In an effort to save time, this will be done box-stock - nothing too fancy at all. I'm just gonna try to do a decent job of it so I can move on later. I decided to build this pace car:










When I looked at the box, it almost looked like a black cherry color over a light grey. After checking into it, however, I found it was actually a lighter shade of purple over white. As such, I had to go get some different paint. Here's the basic body so far with just the two main colors and the black engine compartment:










This should be a relatively quick build - I'm not going to take a month on this one :thumbsup:


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## scottnkat

I also got started on the interior. It has a two-tone black with purple inset interior color. 










The flash was kinda harsh on this shot, so I took another without the flash:










Finally, I found a nice shot of the dash pod and such. I ended up making decals for the dash pod as well as the radio and climate controls. You can't see it very well in here, but this is how the dash looks:










Alright, I know I said it would be box-stock, but I don't consider making extra decals doing anything extra. Oh, dang, I guess it is. Alright - I lied. But it will be 99% box-stock. Okay?


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## scottnkat

A little update - it's coming along:


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## swflyboy

scottnkat said:


> A little update - it's coming along:


Wow, pretty impressive considering you only took about a few hours to build all that. Love the detail, keep them coming :thumbsup:


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## scottnkat

thanks, swflyboy - I had no time at all yesterday for anything, so I am hoping to get some time to get things going with this today.


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## 71 Charger 500

Vettes are about all they use at Indy anymore isn't it? Doing a good job on it Scott.

Mo


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## scottnkat

2009-2011 have had Camaros. From 2002-2008 they used Corvettes, with the exception of 2003 when they used an SSR (what an awful idea for a pace car, that was)


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## scottnkat

Well, I did get a little time to work on the car just now - here's where we are at now:



















Still have a little bit of painting to do then decals, but the parts are all on now. We've entered the home stretch.


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## Schwinnster

Nice looking build Scott, _but_....... can't wait to see it with the hood down. Reason being-- *does that windshield seem big/tall to you?* --just wondered if it would look a little less 'tall' with the hood down against it. 

Looking thru your WIP pics, it doesn't look like it could go on/in any different, but look at the pic of the 1:1 on the box-- the top of the windshield is pretty much even with the top of the roll bar.


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## scottnkat

I had noticed that too - and it kinda bugs me just a touch. It does sit a little high - I am unsure how to fix that, though, without taking alot more time on this than I had planned. So far, I've put in maybe only 8 hours total (this was meant to be just a quick little something for me) and there's a few things that I would change if I were doing a regular build. This one will end up in the kids' room instead.


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## scottnkat

Okay - well, my little "experiment" with doing something quick and easy is finished. I put the decals on last night, the put some MocroSol on this morning. Apparently, the decals are not compatible with MicroSol - you can see them crumpling, melting, and just plain not acting properly in this pic:










I'm leaving the other side alone - this is definitely a build I will be doing again when I can spend the time to do it justice. The kit is not bad, but I found a few places where it just needs some massaging - the window for one and getting the hood to close properly for another. I would also spend a bit more time on the paint and such to make it a bit of a "cleaner" build than what this was. 










Gennie is happy though - she gets a new purple car for her growing collection


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## Schwinnster

Sounds like you've caught the bug Scott-- you *can't* do a quick build. 
I'm willing to bet every one of us has said those famous last words.....

*"I'm gonna do a quick build of this here _________ " * 

Uh huh..... good luck with that! LOL!

Shame about the Vette. I'm getting close to finishing my Deuce, and I always get really nervous that _something_ is gonna go wrong-- like your decals here. Probably why I don't finish too many


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## scottnkat

Well, after a bit of a break from pace cats, I got the bug once again. I have decided to build the 1961 Thunderbird pace car. Only problem is that there isn't a kit of the '61 T-bird. So I am working on the '62 Thunderbird. First job is going to be making changes to the trim and hood to make it look like the '61 instead. 

This is how the trim looked when I started:










First thing I did was sand all the trim off to make it smooth:










I then glued some thin strips of styrene to the rear to make the '61 trim from:










Finally, after that dried, I got out the sandpaper and shaped the rear trim to more closely match the trim from a '61:


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## scottnkat

And here's the rear end with a little color on it:










Yes, I have finished the body work and done the base coat of paint on the car. I forgot to post pics of the hood in progress, but all I had to was add the ribs to either side of the hood. I used half round strips, sanded them down so they were more like 1/3 round strips, then rounded the ends and glued them on. You can see the completed hood on the car below:


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## scottnkat

I haven't posted much lately, but I have been busy working. The engine and chassis are almost done. For the engine, I decided to use a tri-carb setup. The carbs are pretty good (not great, but a lot better than some I have seen). I also hooked up a fuel line and plug wires. Here's a pic of the engine:










The kit comes with a couple of different wheels and tires. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with the regular hubcaps. However, there are wire wheels that I liked, so I decided to use those. Here's a pic of the wheels:










Finally, here's a shot of the underside. This is my first time trying to spray the body color on the sides of the chassis. I have seen others do this and I liked how it came out, so I'm trying this for the first time. I think I got a bit too much of the gold on the sides, but I actually kinda like it anyway.


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## scottnkat

Well, I have got the BMF done on the T-bird. Not much else to show right now, so here it is:



















More to come...


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## CorvairJim

Lookin' GOOD, Scott! :thumbsup:


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## scottnkat

Well, the interior is done. As you can tell, I did it in white.


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## scottnkat

I have also fit the body onto the chassis. It was a tight fit, but it does fit together well.


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## scottnkat

And now a word from our sponsors:

Well, I guess I am in a pace car kinda mood. You may have seen the '72 Hurst Olds that I had built in my garage thread. I decided to change it up and make it into the '72 Indy Pace Car. I made the decals myself. Here it is in it's new livery:










I now return you to your regularly scheduled program...


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## scottnkat

Well, the parts are coming together. We should be able to get this finished tomorrow, unless something comes up.


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## DOM-19

Very,very clean & neat ,great job on both they look great , after awhile you could tell -good or not so good --dom


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## scottnkat

Well, the Thunderbird is finished. I hope you enjoy the pics:


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## scottnkat

Forgot the engine shots:


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## s.moe

Hey, Scott....Awesome work, my Friend.....You surely turned a '62 into a '61.....Body mod's came out Great......As did the paint,interior,and Decal's......Another superb build to add to your Pace Car Collection......:thumbsup:

Oh Yeah.....Your '72 Hurst Old's, Also look's Great with it's Indy Pace Car Decal's applied, Too......

MOE


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## CorvairJim

Scott, I just wish I had the time and talent to knock them ot as quickly as you do. The T-Bird was what, 2 weeks start to finish? A fantastic job, my friend!


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## scottnkat

Thank you, Moe and Jim. I appreciate both of your kind words. I appreciate it a lot.


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## pejota

That is awesome! Great looking car!!!!


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## s.moe

Your Welcome, my Friend....Catch ya, Later......

MOE


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## scottnkat

thanks pejota!

see ya later, Moe!


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