Scale Auto 2015-06

THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR MODEL CAR MAGAZINE

June2015

HOW TO CHANNEL A FORD HOT ROD p.21

30+ TOP MODELS FROM NNL WEST P.32

Build this new-tool 1967 CAMARO

Tim Boyd’sAMT 1934 Ford

by Bob Downie p.16

PLUS

PORTFOLIO: Chuck Poi’s vintage race cars p.40 Upgrade AMT’s 1950 Chevy pickup by Dave Thibodeau p.26

HOW TODetail an early Hemi by Tim Boyd p.14

BONUS ONLINE

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Vol. 37 • Issue 1

ROUND 2 LLCSCA • 06/01/2015 • 4C • 1 PG

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Scale Auto (ISSN: 0195-217X, USPS:493-550) is published bimonthly by Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612. Periodicals postage paid at Waukesha, Wis,. and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Scale Auto, Kalmbach Publishing Co,. 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612. Canada Publication Mail Agreement # 40010760.

Check us out at ScaleAutoMag.comONLINE GALLERY, KIT REVIEWS, TIPS & TECH, VIDEOS, FORUM, AND MORE! Become a registered member today and get in on all the action!

+SA

26

FEATURES 14 Detailing an early Hemi

hot-rod engine by Tim Boyd Simple steps to upgrade

16 Build a new-tool 1967 Camaro SS by Bob Downie Stock or racing versions

21 How to channel a Ford hot rod by Tim Boyd

Start with a 1934 Ford kit

26 Upgrade AMT’s 1950 Chevy pickup by Dave Thibodeau

How to build the Deep Blue 50 Pro Touring truck

32 NNL West 2015 Santa Clara, California • January 31, 2015

38 Circle City Indianapolis, Indiana • October 25, 2014

40 Portfolio: Chuck Poi “Oval-track racing is in my blood,” says this Hoosier modeler

DEPARTMENTS

4 Starting Line

6 Questions & Comments

8 New Products

10 Tips & Tech

12 Bench Racer

30 One Great Model

46 Classic Kits

49 Kit Reviews

56 Advertisers Index

57 Classifieds/Events

58 Finish Line

21

16

REVIEWS in this issue

• Team Lotus Renault

• Chezoom Corvair

• Gazoo Racing Toyota

• VW Golf GTI

• Jawbreaker

• Audi R8

• 2013 Camaro ZL1

50

55

7 TOP KITS! p. 49

June 2015 Vol. 37 • No. 1

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STARTINGLINE BY JIM HAUGHT

4 Scale Auto • JUNE 2015

Survey says ...Thanks to everyone who took the

time to participate in our recent survey of subscribers. We had a tremendous response – something like 2,000 folks during the first day or two – and that is truly gratifying.

It shows that you care a great deal about the hobby, our product and its role in that hobby, and the kind of information you want us to provide each issue and on our Web site.

It will take some time before the final numbers come in and can be fully appreciated; but so far there aren’t any real surprises, even in a quick look at the numbers – and that’s a good thing.

DOING THE RIGHT THING Above all else, it remains clear what you want to see in the magazine: how-to content. That’s not a problem, believe me!

How-to stories have been the stock-in-trade for this title since it began in 1979 – and certain topics, such as painting and decaling, that are truly “evergreen.” They always find an audience.

Kit reviews are also a reader favorite. They always rank in the top three subjects covered in each issue, and the survey confirmed that. Readers like to know “what’s in the box” before they decide whether or not to buy – and they like to see the completed model.

ON WITH THE SHOW(S) Show coverage is also near the top of the preferred-subject list. Seeing a published image of a model you built continues to be a huge thrill for many modelers. “Means more than winning an award,” is what I hear often.

I try my best to remember that as I select models for photography at the shows. I want to give a bird’s-eye view of what was on the tables, but not get so locked-in on which models might win

that I miss other good models and their stories.

ALL HAIL MR. HAMILTON Another longtime trend that the survey shows is continuing is our readers’ appreciation for the outstanding job Ken Hamilton does, issue after

issue, with the “Tips & Tech” column. The bite-sized topics Ken covers in two pages are always the most-read and most-liked part of each issue. Ken’s insight into all aspects of the hobby, and his ability to solve all manner of problems, is amazing. And he does it all in a way that is encouraging and enabling. Thanks, Ken!

THANKS AGAIN We really appreciate the vote of confidence shown with this survey. Rest assured we will continue to do our best to give you all sorts of ways to enjoy the hobby.

You care a great deal about the hobby, our product, and its role.

Jim HaughtEditor

Editor Jim HaughtArt Director Tom Ford

Editorial Associate Monica FreitagEditorial Assistant Jenny Maaske

Publisher Mark Savage

Editorial Offices 262-796-8776Fax 262-796-1383E-mail [email protected]

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TRADE SALESSelling Scale Auto magazine or products in your store: Phone 800-558-1544 press 3Outside U.S. and Canada 262-796-8776 ext. 818Fax 262-798-6592Email [email protected] site www.Retailers.Kalmbach.com

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Scale Auto (ISSN: 0195-217X) is published bimonthly by Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612. ©2015 Kalmbach Publishing Co. All rights reserved. SUBSCRIPTION RATE: United States – 1 year (6 issues) $27.95, 2 years (12 issues) $49.95, 3 years (18 issues) $72.95. Canadian 1 year $34.95, 2 years $59.95, 3 years $86.95. Payable in U.S. funds. (Canadian price includes GST). BN 12271 3209 RT. Canada Publication Mail Agreement # 40010760. International 1 year $36.95, 2 years $65.95, 3 years $95.95. EXPEDITED DELIVERY SERVICE: Domestic First Class - $15/yr., Canadian Air - $15/yr., Foreign Air - $35/yr. POSTMASTER: (USPS: 493-550) Send address changes to Scale Auto, Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612. Periodicals postage paid at Waukesha, Wis., and additional offices. Scale Auto assumes that letters, new product information, and other unsolicited materials are contributed gratis. Feature articles are paid for on acceptance. Photographs and other editorial material accepted separately are paid for on publication, at which time Scale Auto obtains publication rights. Information about submitting articles to Scale Auto is available on request from the editor. Unsolicited mate-rial, if not accepted, will be returned if adequate postage and wrap-pings are provided. Scale Auto assumes no responsibility for the safe return of unso-licited material.

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QUESTIONS&COMMENTS

Mustang photoThanks for including a picture of my

Blue #5 Mustang Late Model on your Web site, highlighting the recent Atlanta NNL contest. Just so many fantastic models there!

Having the opportunity to have my model photographed meant as much as an award there. Glad you could use it somewhere, so thanks!

– Bob Davidovichvia E-mail

Thanks for the note, Bob. It’s always nice to make people happy by publishing an image of one of their models.

I can’t tell you how many times modelers tell me that having a model

photographed means as much or more than an award. It happens at every show I attend, and is a good reminder of how important model selection is.

– Jim Haught

Mopar colorsI just finished reading the December

issue of Scale Auto and the article by Mike Dowd on the Sox & Martin Cuda. The paints he used for the white, blue, and red are incorrect colors.

I have the 1967 GTX and the Cuda, and the the reds and blues are two different shades, even though the white is the same for both cars.

I got my white, reds, and blues from MCW. You can get them in airbrush and aerosol form.

For airbrush, the paint listing for the white is #6452,which should be used on any Sox & Martin model kits. For the 1967 GTX,# 6436 is the correct blue and for the 1970 Cuda and Superbird it would be #6853, and the red for the 1967 is #6238 and for the Cuda and

Superbird it’s #6861. These are all lacquer paints and need

several coats of clear, for they dry flat. You can also cross-reference them into aerosol paints.

When putting the Sox & Martin decal on, do so before clearing it and then put the sponsor decals on for on the 1:1 cars; they were stickers and not painted on. These colors are found under the race car section.

For anybody building any of Sox & Martin’s cars, the engines are painted Ford engine blue, not Hemi orange, for that was a stipulation Jake King,who was their engine builder, required when he was hired on to build their engines.

I met Ronnie Sox and Buddy Martin when they were doing their car clinics back in 1969, and this is for Mike Dowd, the only markings on the tires were Drag 500.

Hope I see this in the next issue of Scale Auto. Happy building!

– Skip Smartvia E-mailSPOTLIGHT HOBBIES

SCA • 04/01/2015 • 4C • 1/2 H

http://www.spotlighthobbies.com


QUESTIONS?

Send your questions and comments to Scale auto, Ask Scale Auto

21027 Crossroads Circle, Box 1612 Waukesha WI 53187-1612

E-mail: [email protected]

All letters submitted will be considered for

publication unless otherwise specified. We’re sorry, but personal replies are not possible.

Skip,I, as well as all the other contributors

to Scale Auto, strive to provide the most accurate information possible. When dealing with subjects like vintage race cars, most of the pictures of the original cars in publications are black-and-white.

My goal was to review what was in the kit and provide a guide to make a nice shelf model.

As for the engine color, I haven’t been able to find any documented specifications. I found photos of “restored” cars – one with the engine painted black, one blue, and all the others Race Hemi Orange.

I found photos of the 1970 Cuda with Firestone and Drag 500 on the tires – others with only Drag 500. Back in that time the markings, sponsors, etc. changed from race to race.

I chose to use Testor’s Model Master paint, because it is readily available in most well-stocked hobby shops. MCW is an excellent source for paint to build models with the exact colors. Look for a detailed build of this car in a future issue.

– Mike Dowd

Tire questionIn the April 2015 issue of Scale Auto,

Clay Kemp describe how he weathers the tires of his Hawaiian Funny Car build, using a Tamiya weathering kit. Was wondering if he could expound on his technique for doing this?

Thank you.– Jim Pollivia E-mail

Hi Jim,Thanks for the question. I usually

decal the tires, then DullCote them to seal in the decal. When that is dry, I run the applicator on the dark gray section of the weathering kit, then gently rub the sidewalls until the white of the decal is toned down.

It doesn’t take much. And if it gets too dark, simply wipe it clean with a wet paper towel and try again.

– Clay Kemp

1970 Torino reviewThank you for a great model car

magazine. I haven’t regretted picking up my first issue of Scale Auto Enthusiast in a hobby shop back in the early 1980s.

I wanted to let you, David Mars, and other modelers know that the decals and vague instruction sheet are not the only differences between the 1970 Torino GT 85-4099 reissue and the original Pro Modeler issue 85-5958.

Revell saw fit to correct a flaw in the

original issue by molding up the correct high-back bucket seats.

The Pro Modeler 1970 Torino GT and the original-issue 1970 Torino Cobra have the incorrect bucket seat modeling a separate head rest, which was only on bench-seat-equipped 1970 Ford and Mercury products.

I took a chance and purchased the reissue in September 2014, seeing the picture on the cover showing high backs; we all know that kit cover photos sometimes do not depict what’s in the box.

Revell should be thanked and applauded for doing this. They could have reissued it in the original form, but chose to correct it, and it’s one of the reasons I purchased a couple more.

The review David did was helpful. I like that the reviewers actually assemble the kits and pass on the pluses and minuses.

Keep up the great work! Thanks for all these years of great model car reading. Wishing you continued success.

– Ken Porrazzovia E-mail

Sinkhole CorvetteWhat a wonderful story! [2/15 issue]I have been down to the Corvette

Museum’s sinkhole job site several times this year, and the destruction is hard to describe – even with photos. My heart goes out to the folks who had prized cars lost to this event.

Dave really went above and beyond making that replica for Mr. Helmintoller. Kudos to Dave and his devotion to our hobby.

– Dan Varnervia E-mail

April 2015 issueI got the latest [April 2015] issue of

Scale Auto yesterday, and just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the two articles Tim Boyd wrote.

I’ve been trying to figure out a way (for years!) to get that look on my mag wheels. Thanks!

And the “Classic Kits” Charger III brought back so many memories. After the Chrysler Turbine, it’s my favorite Chrysler concept car. So smooth-looking!

I remember building at least two kits back in the day, and failing miserably at getting them right. I know where a mint kit is, and when I can scare up enough cash, I’ll get it and try again.

– David Dalevia E-mail

Nice article about cutting out doors and trunk lids. But how do you cut out a door on a modern pickup or hardtop? The upper door frame is hard to cut, and is extremely delicate. I’ve made hash of several attempts. I’ve tried the backs of blades, and silk thread. Every cutting example I can find is done with a convertible. Any suggestions?

– David Youngvia E-mail

See your favorite hobby shop for our complete line of plastic kits or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Galaxie Limited, Box 101, Neosho, WI 53059 262-673-6386

21 foot tandem axle tag-along trailer

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NEWPRODUCTS


1/24 SCALE

Model T 1913 Roadster - American Passenger Car, No. 24001, $59.99. From ICM available from Squadron Products.

Toyota Celica 1600 GT, No. 20265, $34.99. From Hasegawa USA.

Back to the Future DeLorean, No. 011850, $38.99. From Aoshima, available from Dragon Models USA Inc.

Nissan GT-R (R35) 2014 Model Pure Edition, No. 011324, $46.99. From Aoshima, available from Dragon Models USA Inc.

Audi R8, No. 85-1690, $12.95. Blue SnapTite From Revell.

Lamborghini Murcielago R-SV 2011 GT1 Zolder #38, No. 007143, $69.99. From Aoshima, available from Dragon Models USA Inc.

1938 Custom Ford van, No. HL114/12, $24.99. From Lindberg, available from Round 2.

1/24 DECAL SETS

Rex White 1962 Chevy and 1937 Ford, No. 12006, $11.50. Gofer Racing Decals. For 1/24 and 1/25. From Mason Distributing Co..

Gauges and dashboards, No. 11032, $10. Gofer Racing Decals. For 1/24 and 1/25. From Mason Distributing Co.

Nose art decals (pin-up style), No. 11033, $10. Gofer Racing Decals. For 1/24 and 1/25. From Mason Distributing Co.

Rat rods, No. 11034, $10. Gofer Racing Decals. For 1/24 and 1/25. From Mason Distributing Co.

1/24 DETAIL SETS

Nissan GT-R (R35) common detail up parts, No. 011362, $24.99. From Aoshima, available from Dragon Models USA Inc.

1/25 SCALE

1932 Ford Victoria Lil’ Viky, No. AMT902/12, $25.99. From AMT, available from Round 2.

2013 Challenger SRT8, No. 85-4358, $19.95. Red. From Revell

2013 Camaro ZL1, No. 85-4357, $19.95. Black. From Revell.

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, No. 85-1686, $12.95. Build and Play - SnapTite. From Revell.


JawBreaker Wild Rail dragster, No. MPC821/12, $23.99. From MPC available from Round 2.

1969 Cougar Eliminator, No. AMT912/12, $23.99. From AMT available from Round 2.

1937 Chevrolet CPE - The Original Stovebolt, No. AMT899/12, $29.95. Build it three ways (stock, custom, or drag). From AMT available from Round 2.

2014 Mustang GT, No. 85-4309, $19.95. Prepainted body. From Revell.

Acura Intregra Type R, No. 85-4311, $23.95. From Revell.

Matt & Debbie Hay’s Pro-Street Thunderbird, No. 85-4356, $24.95. From Revell.

Super Shaker 1964 Chevy Impala 409, No. AMT917/12. From AMT, available from Round 2.

1/25 DETAIL SETS

Custom & Competition Muscle car “red line” tires, No. AMT-PP013/24, $13.99. 4 each in sizes F60-15 & L60-15. From AMT, available from Round 2.

1/12 SCALE

Honda NSR500 1989 WGP500 Champion, No. 21504, $57.99. From Hasegawa USA.

CarTech Auto Books & Manuals39966 Grand Ave.

North Branch MN 55056(651) 277-1200

www.cartechbooks.com

Dragon Models USA Inc.1315 John Reed Ct.

City of Industry CA 91745(626) 968-0322

www.dragonmodelsusa.com

Hasegawa USABox 9021

Champaign IL 61826(800) 637-7660

www.hasegawausa.com

Mason Distributing Co.44 Kingston Dr. No. 131

Daleville VA 24083(800) 777-3977

www.newcenturyhobbies.com

Revell1850 Howard Street, Unit AElk Grove Village IL 60007

(847) 758-3200www.revell.com

Round 24073 Meghan Beeler Court

South Bend IN 46628(574) 243-3000

www.round2corp.com

Squadron Products1115 Crowley Dr.

Carrollton TX 75011-5010(877) 414-0434

www.squadron.com

SOURCES

Specializing in old and collectiblemodel kits, over10,000 in stock!

We buy model collections.We also do mail order.

Come visit us on the web at:www.deanshobbystop.com

Contact us for a free catalog.Specify car or military list.

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TIPS&TECH BY KEN HAMILTON


We love Snail Mail here at the T&T Workshop. There’s something refreshing about

opening envelopes sent in by readers who have taken the time to compose and mail Tips and Questions related to our favorite hobby.

Unfortunately, many letter writers do so because they do not have Internet access, which means seeing their letters in print may take even longer than those who communicate with us via E-mail.

However, be assured that we read every letter that crosses our bench, and we do print your letters as quickly as possible. That said, we’re starting with several letters that showed up in the snail-mail bag.

Q: I’ve noticed that many models in Scale Auto have clear urethane applied as a finish coat. Is this an automotive product, or is it available for models? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Can it be applied over any paint? Will it cause any harm to decals? How is it applied, and can it be color-sanded?

I’m a new subscriber and enjoy it very much. I’ve been building kits since 1959.

– Francis PivarNew Kensington, Pennsylvania

Ken: That’s quite a handful of questions, Francis. Entire books have been written about painting models, but we’ll try to give you a quick overview.

The paint quality of just about any model can be exponentially enhanced with a clear top coat. Clear can be applied to any compatible base coat, but the key word is “compatible.” Always use an enamel clear over enamel paint, and laquer on lacquer.

You can certainly use automotive clear, which can be sprayed from a can or decanted into a separate container and used in an airbrush. Several manufacturers offer spray cans and jars of clear made for model builders.

Clear coats won’t usually cause a problem with decals, but it’s always best to experiment with a scrap decal from the same sheet before applying clear to an entire decaled model.

Clear coats can be polished to a brilliant sheen by using one of several polishing kits found on the market.

This is merely a short introduction to the subject of painting models. Check out your local hobby shop for books on the subject – and most of all, keep reading Scale Auto for more paint and modeling tips.

Ken: Here’s another Snail-Mail Tip – a thought-provoking observation:

Tip: It seems that with most Gassers I’ve seen in the magazine, the slicks are tucked neatly inside the wheel wells. For a true Gasser, you must radius-cut the rear wheel wells and set the slicks slightly beyond the body.

Check out any 1960s hot rod magazine, or the book Gasser Wars, to see what I mean.

Back in those days, car bodies were a dime a dozen, and cutting the quarter-panels was no big deal. Don’t be afraid to reflect that in your build.

– John ZachasChicago, Illinois

One tip regarding attaching a car body to a chassis was so just-plain-KOOL, we had to use at as our T.O.M.

Rich Williams built an all-purpose body-spreading tool that’s a real jewel. The car body is placed upside-down into the tool, where two aluminum angles can spread the body just enough to accommodate slipping in the chassis.

We’ll let Rich take it from here:

“This tool works well to install and remove the chassis from the body. The best thing is that you have complete control over the amount of spread. The two thin aluminum angles are covered with electrical tape to prevent scratching the paint.

“I built the fixture while building a short-track car, where the front glass is glued in place from the inside. The chassis was a tight fit, so extreme spreading of the body was needed, and the windshield broke loose.

“With this fixture, I can watch the windshield and only spread the body just enough for the chassis to slip in place.

“I added a gauge that can be marked when I determine the amount of spread for each model. The wing nut is tightened when you have the spread where

you need it. The fixture is super helpful when removing the chassis, because you know from the arrow just where to spread the body.

“After the model is painted, I use a soft towel resting on the plywood base to prevent damage to the paint.”

TIP OF THE MONTH: Body-spreading tool


Ken: Another longtime modeler and SCA subscriber snailed in a question and a great tip:

Q: My question concerns class lettering on drag cars. Sometimes you can find these letters on a decal sheet, but what if you are building a drag car of your own?

I’m building AMT’s 1955 Chevy as a Gasser, and I want to dress it up with the proper classification. I’m stumped, and I need to get pointed in the right direction.

– R. GarrettRedding, California

Ken: Good question, R.G. My best advice is to visit the model railroad section of your local hobby shop, and check out the decal section.

Model railroaders are sticklers for accuracy when it comes to lettering locomotives and rail cars, and the aftermarket industry has responded by offering waterslide decals with alphabets in many different sizes and fonts. Micro-Scale, among others, makes a wide range of these products.

As with any decal, cut as close as possible to the letter, and apply them individually to your project car.

Straight lines in various widths and colors are also available, so you can create the proper “slash” seen between letters of the classification

One more thing: As John mentioned above, don’t be afraid to cut out those rear wheel openings.

Along with his question, R.G. sent in this great tip:

Tip: Try using temporary tattoos on your models. You can usually find them in the toy department of your favorite department store. Some are focused just for kids, but others are detailed and very cool. They can be applied per the instructions and can be clearcoated when thoroughly dry.

Ken: R.G. sent some samples (another advantage of snail mail) and the ones he sent would provide some really interesting graphics for an eye-catching

model. Thanks for writing, R.G.

Another thing we love at the Workshop is reader feedback.

Two issues ago, “Model Mike” asked a question about spreading a car model body to get it over the chassis, and we reached out to our readers for suggestions.

That problem must have hit a nerve, because we got a ton of great suggestions on how to solve that problem. Here are several:

Tip #1: I have found that credit cards placed between the body and chassis will allow the body to actually slip right on.

When I say credit cards, I don’t mean those thick Visa or MasterCards; I’m talking about those thin plastic-coated cards that usually have a health or dental plan on them. My AAA card is a good example of the perfect type to use.

Just place the cards over the wheel openings in the body, and slip it on. This method works great, weather inserting the body from the front or rear. The flexibility and thinness of the card allow their easy removal.

This is a great trick that I use on almost all of my builds. Hope this helps.

– Steve Delorevia E-mail

Tip #2: What works well for me is to carefully remove some material from the sides and upper edge of the chassis. Rounding the upper edges of the chassis and the upper part of the inner fender wells also helped. Just 1/32 of an inch on either side of the frame will give you an extra 1/16 of an inch total.

Also, the body can be similarly modified.

Remove material from the inside of the rocker panels and wheel wells. Here again, just 1/32 inch from each side gives you an extra 1/16 inch.

This procedure also makes the thickness of the body look more to scale. Just be careful that the modifications don’t affect the character lines on the outside of the body.

This should all be done in the preliminary stages of mocking up the model. Work slowly, and check fit often.

A 1/16 inch narrower frame and 1/16 inch wider body gives a total 1/8 inch – about three scale inches in 1/25 scale.

I really doubt that anyone will notice the difference visually, but it sure gives you some extra room for assembly.

I hope this helps.– Tom Mate

via E-mail

Tip #3: Use two pieces of .010" to .030" styrene sheet, three inches wide and spanning from the firewall to the rear of the chassis.1. Place the chassis on blocks. Small Testor’s paint bottles will work.2. Place (lean) the sheets of styrene lengthwise against each side of the chassis.3. Set the body down on the chassis. (You can also address individual trouble spots if that’s more practical for your project.) 4. When fit in place, pull the sheets of styrene.5. Glue to your heart’s content.

Dimensions, as well as procedure, can be modified to personal preference.

– Gasser Dave Garneauvia E-mail

Tip #4: As a rule, I always install front and rear valance panels prior to painting. Occasionally I have to trim the front and rear of the chassis to install into the body; during mockups it is usually obvious whether to install the chassis nose-first or tail-first.

When the body/chassis fit is super tight, I use strips of .010" or .015" stryene, about an inch or so wide and 4 inches long. I put two strips just aft of the front wheel wells, and two strips just forward of the rear wheel wells, then place the chassis nose-down or tail-down and apply gentle pressure to slide the chassis into the body and just pull the strips out.

It’s a good idea to not install side-view mirrors, antennas, spoilers, or any other external details prior to getting the chassis into the body. Please don’t ask how I know!

I hope this helps. – Mike LentinoTempe,Arizona

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BENCHRACER BY ANDY KELLOCK


Alfa Romeo GTA

Now that Revell has rereleased its racing version of the Datsun 510 with the BRE decals, it got me

thinking about other Under-2 Liter (U2) cars in Trans-Am.

When Ford, Chevrolet, and Chrysler withdrew from the series after 1970, the best racing was in the U2 class, where Datsun and Alfa Romeo duked it out for the championship.

John Morton’s BRE Datsun won the championship in 1971 and 1972.

Alfa Romeo has always been a strong competitor in Trans-Am. Early on, they were one of the first factory teams, fielding at least three cars in every race during the inaugural 1966 season.

They were fighting against the Lotus Cortinas, Mini Coopers, and BMWs in the U2 class. But Alfa Romeo emerged victorious, and took the U2 Manufacturers Championship in 1966.

KITS The winning car, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA, has been treated well in 1/24 scale. Tamiya and Gunze Sangyo made kits. They are out of production, but still fairly easy to find. The Gunze kit includes racing parts, but is a curbside. The Tamiya kit has a nicely detailed engine, and it’s easy to convert to a race version, so this was my choice for a starting point.

BODY Body prep work is easy. Build it as a street car, except leave off the front and rear bumpers. All the other brightwork, such as wipers and door handles, stays on. You’ll need to fill the mounting holes for the side mirrors, but leave the bumper mounting holes unfilled.

INTERIOR The biggest challenge is the interior. There is no rear seat, but this is a separate item, so leave it out. However, you’ll need to fill in this area with plastic sheet to cover some gaps and holes.

You’ll also have to cut the parcel shelf away from the rear seat and attach it to the chassis. There are some mounting tabs for the interior sides (on top of the rear wheel wells) you can use as a guide.

The front bucket seats can be used as racing buckets, and you’ll need to add a simple roll hoop. I couldn’t tell whether the roll hoop was two-, three- or four-point, so I made a four-point.

Smooth the inner door panels, removing the armrests. Paint the door panels black; the rest of the interior is red. I used the kit dash as-is and added seat belts to the front buckets.

ENGINE The Tamiya kit gives you the Autodelta (Alfa’s racing contractor) version of the 1600cc engine with a twin-plug head and distributor.

To make the engine wiring easier, I used a predrilled V-8 distributor, and just had to drill holes in the molded-in spark plugs in the head.

Omit the air cleaner and build the rest of the engine bay per the instructions.

Paint the engine an aluminum color overall. The battery stays in the engine bay. I improved the appearance of the now-visible carburetors by cutting off

the kit venturis and replacing them with aluminum ferrules.

WHEELS AND TIRES I used the kit wheels and tires. The tread is not correct, but I couldn’t find any suitably-sized alternatives. Paint the wheels aluminum, and use a black wash to bring out the details.

LAST FEW MODIFICATIONS FOR THE RACE VERSION Use the kit headers, but discard the exhaust pipe and muffler. You’ll need to add a curved twin-exhaust extension that exits just under the driver’s door. I used plastic rod with a plastic tube for the collector.

From your spares box, add a racing fuel filler to the rear deck and find a suitable racing mirror. The Alfas used a fender-mounted Raydyot mirror or a Talbot-style (bullet) mirror on the door.

There was no drivers’ championship in 1966, but if there was, it would have gone to Horst Kwech, an Australian driver on the Alfa team. He won more races than any other Alfa driver.

Unfortunately, he drove a right-hand- drive car, and the Tamiya and Gunze kits are left-hand-drive. The gracefully curved Alfa dash is not symmetrical around the centerline, and so is too difficult to convert to RHD.

I also had an old Ricambi decal sheet for the car that Jochen Rindt drove to

Who says you need a big V-8 to have fun in Trans-Am? Build an Alfa Romeo GTA to complement Revells rereleased BRE 510.

Start the racing interior by leaving out the back seat. Separate the parcel shelf and cover the gaps with plastic sheet. Install a simple roll hoop from plastic rod or tube.


victory in the season opener at Sebring. This was a LHD car, so this was the car I chose to build. Don’t worry if you can’t find the Ricambi sheet; the markings are basically black numbers in white gumballs.

Other markings, such as the Autodelta green cloverleaf in the white triangle, are included in the Tamiya and Gunze kits.

Paint is Tamiya Italian Red (of course). Finishing touch is some masking-tape strips to cover the headlights.

Use the front buckets from the kit, and add racing seat belts. The entire interior is red, except for the door panels, which are semi-gloss black, and the dash top, which is flat black. The twin-plug engine has been wired and the carb trumpets have been replaced with aluminum ferrules.

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Detailing an early HEMI hot rod engineUpgrade your hot rod’s engine with these simple steps

by TIM BOYD

When we build a traditional hot rod model, we can quickly come to two conclusions:

The hood is likely to remain in the box instead of on the model; and

The engine will be a major focal point of the finished model.

I’m going to demonstrate some basic engine detailing steps for one of the

most popular hot rod engine choices: the first-generation Chrysler Hemi.

I’ll include some paint-detailing, aftermarket hop-up parts, simulated chrome plating, ignition wiring, fuel lines, and a representation of the carburetor linkages.

Although we’re using an early Chrysler Hemi here, all of these steps

(other than the exact routing of the ignition wiring) would apply to any early OHV V-8 hot rod engine you choose to build.

If you’ve never detailed a model car engine before, this would be a great time to start. And for our many readers who already detail engines, maybe you’ll pick up a new idea or two.

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We’ll use components from the first-generation Chrysler Hemi engine in Revell’s 1932 Ford Five Window Coupe kit (85-4228, left), along with some hot rod hop-up parts from Replicas & Miniatures Company of Maryland (right). Among your many kit and aftermarket parts choices for early Chrysler Hemis, most are designed similarly to these examples.

Replicas & Miniatures offers an extensive choice of hop-up parts for the most of the popular model hot rod V-8s. These parts are specifically designed for the Revell 1932 Ford, but readily adapt to most other early Hemi engines in model kits. If you prefer kit-based sources, some similar hot rod engine components can be found in the Round 2 AMT Double Dragster kits (AMT-627 and -642) and Revell’s “Hot Rod Hydro” (85-0392).

One of the coolest features of most early OHV V-8 engines is the “valley cover,” which covers the top of the engine block. Often this part is plated, and may even be ribbed. To add paint detailing, mix a small dollop of Testor’s Flat Black enamel with a similar amount of Testor’s enamel thinner, then brush it onto the part. Wipe the paint off the raised sur-faces with a soft cloth or your finger, leaving the effect shown. This also works great for the ribbed valve covers found on many hot rod engines.

Replicas & Miniatures does not plate its parts, so to achieve the plated finish in the prior photo, use Alclad II Chrome paint. It’s important to use gloss black enamel – not lacquer or acrylic – as the basecoat prior to applying the Alclad. Otherwise the plating will rub off when you assemble the parts. Keep the coats of Alclad thin, and apply only enough coats to achieve the plating effect. Additional coats will quickly dilute the plated appearance.


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Ignition wiring is prominent on Chrysler Hemi engines, so this is the first priority for engine detailing. You can make a wired distributor, or use aftermarket parts. Here (from the right) are prewired distributors from Parts by Parks and Morgan Automotive Details, as well as predrilled distributors (if you prefer to add your own wiring) from Replicas & Miniatures.

I’ve painted the Stromberg carbs and log-style intake manifold in authentic colors. Fuel lines are routed from the lower front driver’s- side of each carb back to a “fuel log.” The fuel log is a strip of Evergreen sheet styrene with six holes drilled in the side, and one hole in the end for the primary feed from the fuel pump. In a hot rod application, this fuel log will be glued to the engine firewall during final assembly, after the six fuel lines are trimmed to fit at the fuel log.

The six carb intake “horns” can be glued facing forward, rearward, or at an angle as I’ve done here. To make sure I achieved a uniform angle, I drew the template on yellow paper and used it to align the horns. Use slower-setting super glue to give yourself time to fine-tune the angle of each horn. I left the interiors of the horns unpainted, but many hot rodders apply a color-coordinated coat of paint to the inside of each intake horn. Flat red is a popular choice.

You can find engine-specific spark plug firing-order diagrams on the Internet, but I suggest you concentrate on achieving a realistic appearance to ignition wiring. Here I’ve routed the passenger’s-side wiring from the distributor to the characteristic center valve cover spark plugs found in all Chrysler Hemi engines. I’ve the “draped” the wires downward because of gravity (instead of tightly stringing them directly from the distributor to the spark plugs).

Aftermarket photoetched parts are available to allow creation of detailed throttle linkages. But in this application, much of the effect can be achieved by adding just the horizontal portions of the linkages. I’ve glued two pieces of brass rod that run along the bottom of the driver’s side of each row of carbs to deliver this visual effect.

This is the result so far. I still have some paint touchups to do.

To see this power plant inside its new home, turn to page 21!

BUT WAIT … THERE’S MORE!



Build a new-tool 1967CAMARO SS

Revell’s kit can be built in stock or racing versions

by BOB DOWNIE

Revell recently debuted its all-new 1967 Camaro SS. As part of its Special Edition line, it’s marketed as

a 2-in-1 kit, with stock parts for a stan-dard SS and a pseudo-racing version.

The racing version isn’t a comprehen-sive variation; Revell has only added a different air cleaner, a simple roll bar, a set of Minilite-style racing wheels, and a large sheet of racing stripes, roundels, and sponsor decals.

Although the stock wheels look reasonably accurate, the chrome-plated racing wheels look somewhat undersized under the Camaro.

With fresh tooling, the parts are generally quite crisp and clean. Mold lines on the body are deceptively small; they’re hardly noticeable as they go over the roof and across the rear part of the C-pillars toward the corners of the rear fenders.

The mold lines are more prominent across the trailing edge of the deck lid and the rear fender corners, but they are easily sanded smooth prior to painting.

There are a few faint sink marks on the roof surface from the molded headliner underneath, on the hood from the molded detail underneath, and a small mark on the passenger’s side door. This is mostly remedied by a good coat of primer before paint.

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Bob Downie’s 1967 Camaro is his first build of a favorite 1960s car.

The basic body, with crisp engraving.


ISSUES Revell captured the look of the Camaro fairly well, but a couple of problem areas show up under the microscope:

First is the angle of the taillight panel and rear splash pan. The taillight panel should be nearly vertical, with just a slight angle, the splash pan below it hav-ing a greater visible angle. Revell ren-dered these two panels at exactly the same angle, so the taillight panel is angled downward.

This also causes the mounting pins and receivers for the rear bumper to be angled rather than horizontal; by adjust-ing the pins, the bumper can be fairly easy to mount horizontally, and this would be an easier fix for the builder than changing the angle of the taillight panel if it’s bothersome.

The grille is missing the two horizon-tal chrome strips that run between the

headlights and border the inset turn sig-nals. I solved this problem with two thin strips of foil, but this would be an easy fix for Revell.

The headlights are slightly under-sized. The model depicts them centered between the top and bottom of the grille surround, but the 1967 headlight center-line is higher than the grille centerline, and the top of the headlight bezels should be slightly “chopped off” where they intersect with the grille surround.

Although this is relatively minor, it does affect the “face” of the model, especially compared to reference photos.

The rocker panel chrome trim has been engraved in a manner that makes using it compulsory; if the builder were to want a lower trim level (especially on the racing version), painting over it would look a bit odd, and removing it would be quite difficult.

ENGINE BAY The 396 V-8 is crisp and well-engraved. I’m not sure if I mixed up the cylinder heads, but I had to go back and revise the assembly, because I ended up with the valve covers on the wrong sides. Decals are included for the valve covers and oil filter.

It would be far easier to attach the lower radiator hose after the engine is finished, and just prior to assembly with the chassis, rather than trying to fit it between the engine and radiator at the time the radiator is installed.

Look closely at the water pump to see where the hose is located (there’s a small hole). The instructions are somewhat vague in showing attachment points.

The engine looks quite good after it’s assembled and detailed.

The plated alternator includes a bracket. The valve covers and air cleaner are plated, as are the carburetor, fuel

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Racing parts include four Minilite style wheels, a smaller air cleaner, and a roll bar.

A closeup profile shot showing the single angle of the taillight panel and splash pan area below it. The taillight panel should be nearly vertical, with little downward angle.

Chrome rocker trim molded to the body; problematic to remove cleanly and retain the sheet metal undercut if the builder chooses a lower trim level, especially in the race version.

The comprehensive decal sheet has loads of detailing decals and many stripe, roundel, and sponsor decals for racing versions. Printing is crisp, and the surface finish was clean and uniform.



pump, alternator, and fan clutch. All of these parts should be painted in their appropriate shades of metal for a more- accurate appearance.

CHASSIS The dual-exhaust chassis is fairly well engraved, but there is no brake or fuel line detail. The exhaust tips are molded with open recesses, allowing for easy detail with a drop of flat black paint.

Everything assembled with relative ease, but after final assembly I noticed that the rear wheels were not centered in the wheel openings; the entire axle could stand to be mounted slightly forward to center the wheels.

The metal pin axles are larger in diameter than the brake and suspension mounting holes, so all of those pieces need to be opened up a bit before the metal pins will install properly.

INTERIOR The platform-style interior floor shares the inner front fender liners. The interior is the base bucket-seat interior with a full console.

The rear seat cushion is separate; there is engraved detail behind the seat. The side panels are well engraved and have “Camaro” decals on the door panels.

Dash detail stands out; there are separate instrument panel gauges that install from behind, and there is a clear gauge cover that mounts between the dashboard and the instrument decal sheet. The builder can just cut out the gauges and glue them behind the clear cover; no need to dip them in water.

There is a rally-style wood-rimmed steering wheel with an “SS” decal in the center. There are a trio of auxiliary gauge decals that mount to the console, and even shift pattern decals in black or

white, depending on which color you paint the shift knob.

There’s a separate set of pedals that mount under the dash, and the pedal engraving is pretty nice.

CLEAR PARTS Glass installation is somewhat exceptional; the glass pieces are molded thinly, with nice, precise edges, and the glass is distortion-free.

There are precise, thin recesses under the roof to easily locate and glue the glass in place.

Vent windows are separate. This makes them easier to paint and foil than if they were molded to the body with separate glass.

The only issue was that I had to trim a tiny piece of chrome trim from the upper door chrome trim on each side of the body, so the vent windows would fit with foil applied.

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The assembled engine as installed into the chassis. It would help to attach the lower radiator hose just prior to installing the engine into the chassis in Step 2 rather than in Step 8, where it’s difficult to snake the hose among the engine, radiator, and accessory belts.

The finished engine as installed into the chassis, with radiator, firewall and interior detail added.

I used Tamiya’s new TS-87 Titanium Gold as a substitute for Chevrolet’s Granada Gold.

The interior depicts the standard bucket seat trim. Nice detail on the dash and side panels, with decals provided for the various gauges, side panels, and even the shift pattern.


Sun visors are part of the windshield, and there is a separate clear dome light and a chrome rear view mirror that mounts to the inner roof between the visors.

FINISHING UP Final assembly was relatively painless The interior/chassis assembly mostly snapped into place. I only needed a couple drops of glue to tack it into place on either side of the radiator cowl under the body.

The decals applied without any issues. I noted that their surface finish was better than I’ve experienced with most recent Revell USA kits.

The separate chrome wipers, door handles, and two-piece rear view mirror are nice added touches to the model.

Front and rear spoilers are included. I used the flat black front spoiler, but decided to build the model wihtout the body-color rear spoiler.

There are even tiny lock-cylinder decals, and decals for all four wheel centercaps.

Underhood there are decals for the battery, radiator shroud, and crossmember, and a couple of thin stiffener bars that mount between the radiator crossmember and the inner fenders.

CLOSING THOUGHTS Considering that the original 1967 Camaro is one of my favorites from the 1960s, I’m surprised that this is the first time I’ve built a 1967 Camaro.

Overall, I’m pleased with the model. The few design anomalies don’t stand out enough to make that big of a difference in final appearance, but I understand how those details may affect other builders.

I’m sure we’ll see quite a few of these on the show and contest tables, and I’m looking forward to seeing which variations Revell has in store for this Camaro.

I found this to be a rather enjoyable build that resulted in a pretty neat finished model.

It’s best to build as a stock SS; the race version looks to be more of a tribute car rather than a 1:1 race car.

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An overview of the finished interior and engine compartment.

The chrome grille and taillight panel will need some paint-detailing.

There is good chassis detail; my research showed mostly chassis that were undercoated in black. The bell housing was attached to the engine when painted, so the factory bell housing had Chevy Orange overspray on it.

Flat black acrylic paint was brush painted onto the grille and taillight bezels, and excess was wiped away with a dampened cotton swab before it dried. Chrome foil strips were added over the flat black on the grille between the headlights to depict the missing trim pieces that Revell did not engrave.



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Decals are provided that depict the thin redline tire detail. These decals were applied after the tires were mounted to the wheels.

Inner headliner detail; the headliner is engraved into the roof, and there is a separate clear dome light and separate chrome rear view mirror. Glass fit is exceptional; it’s thin and distortion-free.

“A rather enjoyable build that resulted in a pretty neat finished model,” says Bob Downie.

After the redlines were installed, I brushed a thin layer of flat clear over them to tone down the sheen of the decals that was glossier than the surrounding tire. The wheel spokes were also painted silver.

Underhood detail is quite good out of the box, and will benefit from any aftermarket hoses and wires the builder can add. There are enough parts and decals to keep the underhood area from looking sparse.


How to CHANNEL a FORD HOT ROD

A 1934 Five Window Coupe is the starting point for techniques that can be adapted to many 1930s Fords • by TIM BOYD

For more than 50 years, the building blocks of hot rods and customs have been chopping,

sectioning, and channeling. We’ve covered the basics of chopping

and sectioning previously. We’ve also touched on channeling –

lowering a body so that it sits flush with the bottom of the frame – and showed how it applies to the 1932 Ford (see References).

Channeling 1932-and-earlier Ford hot rods is pretty basic and relatively easy to accomplish, but applying the same technique to mid-to-late 1930s Fords can be more challenging.

This article will cover the fundamentals of channeling using AMT’s 1934 Ford Five Window Coupe

kit. However, the basic approach will apply to any hot rod model, and is specifically applicable to 1933-1936 Ford bodies, and with some additional tweaks, possibly even 1937-1940 Ford bodies, as well as Chevrolet bodies from the same era.

Although I’ll concentrate primarily on the mechanics of channeling, I’ve also included some information on the other steps of building the display model shown here.

For those who are ready to accept the challenge, this guide to channeling will give you a big head start. The payoff will be a model that accurately captures this popular 1950s-1960s technique that is enjoying renewed popularity, with the current 1:1 scale focus on restoring and

recreating historically accurate “traditional” hot rods.

For this article, I’ve employed the Full Channel approach (see Sidebar). As is so often the case, the principle of channeling is straightforward; completing the operation is a bit more involved. Follow along for all the details on how you can complete a channeled Ford hot rod.

“CabrioLow” by Pat Covert, Scale Auto Enthusiast, February 1998

“Kitbash a Deuce,” Scale Auto, December 2005

REFERENCES

In this article, we’ll explain channeling in detail, and demonstrate the key steps involved in applying this customizing technique to mid-1930s Ford hot rods.



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Compare the stepped, Z’d effect of the narrowed rear of the frame (on top) to the stock 1934 Ford frame below. The Z’d effect shown here is mild; some 1:1 builders increase the height of the frame step as much as a foot, which puts the rear of the body almost on the ground when the car is assembled.

To get the frame to tuck in behind the rear body fender wells, you’ll also need to narrow it. I cut the rear part of the frame/floorboard into several pieces. The narrow center piece and the gas tank/bumper mount units are discarded before the remaining parts are glued back together.

I glued the narrowed rear section of the frame back to the main section. To help increase the strength of the joined area, I cut a structural reinforcement from sheet styrene (shown in pink) and glued it to the top of the frame along the join. This joint is hidden when the model is assembled.

Most channeled rods also have a “Z’d” chassis, which steps the rear frame to allow the suspension to sit higher into the body. I’ve marked an angled line across the bottom of the frame, in front of the rear suspension. Cutting at this angle allows you to glue the rear section of the frame back on the top of the front of the frame, overlapping horizontal mating surface for additional strength while also retaining the original wheelbase/frame length.

Two 1934 Ford hot rods illustrate the difference between a traditional “Highboy” stance (right; the frame is visible beneath the body), compared to the lowered appearance that results from channeling (left; the frame is no longer visible). Even with the radical suspension modifications to the rod on the right, it still rides much higher than the channeled rod.

CHANNELING BASICS

CHANNELING ILLUSTRATEDThe following images illustrate the principle of channeling.


HIGHBOY Here we have a 1934 Ford body and frame shown in the typical fenderless “Highboy” configuration. The bottom of the body aligns with the top of the frame at the firewall (A) and the center of the rear fenderwell (B). This is the way most 1930s Fords would appear if you took the stock car and removed just the fenders.

ANGLE CHANNEL The body has been lowered at the firewall so that it now sits flush with the bottom of the frame (C), rather than the top of the frame as in the previous photo. However, the body remains aligned with the top of the frame at the rear fenderwell (D). This results in a raked, downward alignment of the body toward the front, and is the basic principle that was applied in building Tom Prufer’s famous 1:1 scale Cop Shop Coupe.

FULL CHANNEL In this case, the body at the firewall has been lowered so it now sits flush with the bottom of the frame (E), just as in the previous photo. However, here the body at the rear fenderwell is also lowered so it is flush with the bottom of the frame (F). To do this, you must either narrow the frame (as we’ve done here) so it sits inside the fenderwell stamping, or cut down the fenderwell stamping to allow the body to move downward over the frame.

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You’ll also need to reduce the vertical depth of the interior so the interior/body assembly can drape over the frame rails. Often you’ll have to section through the middle of the interior walls, but on this model I was able to achieve the same result by merely trimming down the interior walls where they meet the windshield/cowl area in the body. The original interior is shown at right; the diagonally shaded area on the project’s interior on the left shows the material that will need to be removed.

During channeling, some body styles will require you to notch the bottom of the firewall at both ends to make room for the body to slide down over the frame rails. But with mid-1930s Fords, the reduced depth of the firewall does not require these modifications. Instead, spread the body apart at the lower front edges and slide it down over the frame rails, as shown in this mockup photo.

The AMT 1934 Street Rod kit includes this tuck’n’roll interior unit. I flocked the carpet area with black Ken’s Fuzzi-Fur and swapped in a steering wheel from an AMT 1940 Ford kit. The inside door handles and window cranks are poorly defined, so I added individual plated parts from the Revell 1937 Ford Pickup. They are too large, so consider using photoetched parts instead.

BUILDING THE 1934 FORD



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I modified the front of the frame to move the front axle centerline forward relative to its stock position, and to further lower the front suspension. I removed the rear portion of the front crossmember of the 1936 Ford frame (shaded in blue ink), and cut out the forward portion of the front crossmember from an AMT or Revell 1929 Ford frame (shaded in pink).

The 1929 Model A crossmember is then glued in place on the 1934 Ford frame in front of the remaining portion of its crossmember. This extends the front wheelbase while maintaining the structural integrity of the original 1934 Ford frame casting. Compare the revised frame (which also has the front bumper mounts removed) with the stock 1934 Ford frame; you can see how the relocated crossmember has moved forward.

I wanted to use a beam front axle (as opposed to a tube axle) as it is more period-correct and is more widely accepted in usage with hairpin radius rods. I used the dropped front axle from the Revell 1929 Model A Pickup and 1931 Model A Tudor (the same parts are in both kits), then removed the transverse leaf spring and inserted the dropped spring from a Revell 1932 Ford Street Rod kit. The modified part is below, the donor parts above. The finned brake drums are from Scenes Unlimited.

The rest of the front suspension parts are from Revell Model A kits, except for the hairpin radius rods from the Revell 1932 Ford Rat Roaster kit. The Model A parts must be modified to accommodate the more extreme lowered suspension location, including relocating the tie rod assembly to the bottom of the backing plates and reversing the pitman arm/drag link assembly. If you don’t mind the tube axle and disc brakes, use the entire Rat Roaster front suspension assembly.)

At the rear, I used the stock AMT 1934 Ford Coupe kit (not the Street Rod kit) suspension assembly, but I cut away the stock differential and inserted a cutdown Halibrand Quick Change from the Revell Slingster dragster kit. If you want to use a larger quick-change assembly, you should also employ a 1929 Model A rear crossmember/transverse leaf spring, and modified floorboard.

The combination of a channeled-but-unchopped mid-1930s Ford Coupe was popular during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and is typically to attributed East Coast hot rod builders. This style is enjoying a renaissance with the popularity of the “Traditional Hot Rod” movement. Retention of the fabric-filled top instead of the smooth, metal-filled roofs seen on the 1980s and 1990s rods is another period-style element.

COMPLETED MODEL


Assembly of this Chrysler 392 V-8 is covered in “Detailing an Early Hemi Hot Rod Engine” in this issue. The engine block came from the Revell 1932 Ford Five Window Coupe Street Rod kit; the induction/exhaust systems and rocker covers are sourced from Replicas & Miniatures of Maryland, and are finished with Alclad II Chrome paint.

A panel of painted card stock covers the opening between the bottom of the rear body and the rear frame crossmember. The 1962 Chrysler Imperial “gunsight” taillamps/bezels are in the original AMT Ala Kart kit and 1970s Street Rod Series 1929 Ford Double kit reissue. The “1961 Massachusetts” license plate (from an ancient AutoWorld Catalog offering) signifies the East Coast/early 1960s style and time frame.

Front tires are from Revell’s Rat Roaster kit, with painted white sidewalls using Tamiya Fine White primer. The whitewall drag slicks are found in Revell’s Lil’ Coffin and Blue Bandito kits.

The chassis modifications were minimal, because the focus of this article was channeling, but I encourage you to pursue a more detailed chassis configuration if you are so inclined.

Short of radical and impractical air-bagged suspensions, only channeling can yield a hot rod body stance that sits this low to the ground.



Upgrade AMT’s1950 CHEVY PICKUP

How to build the Deep Blue 50 Pro Touring truck • by DAVE THIBODEAU

T en years ago, a buddy at work brought me the AMT 1950 Coca Cola Pickup model kit, and asked

me to build it for him. There was a catch, though: he did not

want it built stock. He wanted me to make it into a pro-street-style build. They were still in style back then.

Many projects and life in general got in the way, and the project kept getting put on hold.

Luckily, he was a patient friend, because it took me those long ten years to get back to this project.

This time it was different, though! Pro touring is as popular as ever, and

it took little convincing to get my buddy on board with my new ideas:

“Just do it the way you feel it needs to be done, because you are the builder.”

I just had to tell him to watch the build unfold, and he would not be disappointed.

Here is how it came together.

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After doing some research, I learned that many budget-minded 1950 pickup builds used mid-1990s chassis. I thought, why did my model need to be different? So I utilized the chassis from the latest Revell GMC Syclone kit. The power plant is a resin Ross Gibson 502 TPI, and the wheels are from an AMT late-model Camaro kit.

It took a long time, but Dave made good on a promise to build this pro touring truck for a coworker.

I wanted all of the running gear to match the paint on the body. This is the first piece I painted with the color I was going to use on the entire build. It is ScaleFinishes Kona Blue. It is a color that Ford uses on the late-model Mustangs. I turned the differential cover on my Sherline lathe. The rear bar will support the coil-over shocks later.


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Here you can begin to see the blue/red color theme starting to take shape. The coil-overs were turned on my lathe. The coils were made from wrapped silver wire painted with a red Sharpie. The two link bars are covered in Scale Motorsport carbon-fiber decal. That will be the third part of the theme of the truck.

Here is where more of the carbon-fiber theme comes in. Instead of a traditional wood bed, I made a new floor from sheet plastic and painted it semigloss black from a spray can. Then I applied Scale Motorsport 1/24 scale carbon decal, followed by Shopline clear. Then I added the photoetched bed slats from the Detail Master wood bed kit.

There are many hours of block-sanding, filling, and removal of all body detail. I filled or removed the vents, door handles, and hood seam to make the truck look “liquid” yet retain its heritage. I wanted everything to be monochromatic, so a lot of Kona Blue was applied, followed by Shopline two-part urethane clear through the airbrush.

Even the bottom side of the bed got the carbon-fiber treatment.

7 8

A brief test-fit of the chassis to the body reveals how special the color combination is. The carbon just adds that hi-tech touch to the build.

The engine also carries the carbon-fiber theme. I shot the block in Alclad duraluminum through the airbrush. The oil pan and valve covers were covered in Scale Motorsport 1/24 twill weave and clearcoated with Shopline two-part clear.



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Even the firewall is carbon-fiber! I made a hinge that allows the hood to pivot forward.

During this build I purchased a mill to go with my lathe. A fellow modeler guided me in making the intake. We used the Ross Gibson resin intake as a guide. I thought it would look good to add some milling detail to the top side.

The steering wheel and center is from Model Car Garage. The entire shaft and stalk were turned on the lathe.

While I was at my friend’s house making the intake, he helped me make a fuel cell. I also added the milling detail to the top of the part.

With the new intake in place, I turned and milled a pulley system for the engine. Here it’s mocked up in place. The belts were made from pieces of electrical tape.

I stayed fairly stock in the interior. I airbrushed Vallejo Flat White, followed by Insignia Red acrylic. Scale Motorsport carbon was applied to the dash, followed by two-part Shopline clear. The houndstooth on the seat is also from Scale Motorsport. I turned the gearshift knob and scratchbuilt the rest of the four-speed shifter.


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After the engine was in place, I turned and milled a brake booster, then added the air-conditioner compressor lines using Detail Master braid and fittings.

The front of the chassis shows the scratchbuilt steering rack assembly. The rest of the exhaust system can be seen going to the engine.

The exhaust exits from the sides of the rear fenders. I turned the muf-flers on my lathe. The rest of the exhaust is made from plumber’s solder, bent precisely and polished. The brakes are fully plumbed, with Pro Tech line and fittings. The E-brake is made from braided fishing leader line. The driveshaft is scratchbuilt and covered in Modelers 3D decal.

The brake rotors were turned on the lathe. The calipers are resin pieces from Scale Motorsport, painted to match the interior. This rounds out the red theme on the truck. Pro Tech valve stems top off the assemblies.

Dave’s 1950 Chevy blends classic styling with a few modern touches.



1962 Corvette

I love the older Corvettes! When Revell released this kit, I wanted to build it as a full-detail, but instead built it box-stock.

I wanted to pay close attention to paint detail and to the body color, the engine colors, and the chassis colors.

I tried to build this close to a factory-stock 1962 Corvette. I hope you enjoy looking at it as much as I enjoyed building it. – Jeff Marsh

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Inside door panels detailed with paint and chrome foil

Front grille blacked out

Exhaust system ends drilled out and painted Model Master Metalizer Stainless Steel

Chassis painted Tamiya Matt Black

Paint detail added to kit rims to separate inside rim from hubcap



ABOUT JEFF MARSH I live in Morristown, Tennessee, and am a heavy equipment mechanic by trade. My father got me into building models at a young age. I build racing cars, motorcycles, street rods, and factory-stock. I build mostly full-detail models, with a box-stock build thrown in from time to time. All my friends are model builders that I have met at model shows. I enjoy building models.

Fuel system painted Model Master Metalizer Aluminum

Engine painted Chevrolet Engine Red

Tires from AMT 1/25 Firestone Deluxe Tire Pack

Foil added around interior for the chrome trim

Steering wheel drilled out for realism

2-part epoxy added to gauges for a glass appearance

Model Master Flat Red with semigloss coat for realism

Body color is Tamiya Gloss Black/ Tamiya clear



SHOW COVERAGE

NNL West

Open-wheel racing fan Josh Whaley built this McLaren Honda MP5/5B box-stock from a Tamiya kit. The model took three weeks to build, and the finish is Tamiya Italian Red spray-can paint.

“It was next in line,” was Tony Rosselto’s reason for building this JoHan 1970 Cuda. It has aftermarket carburetors, hood pins, and wiring, and is finished with Tamiya spray-can paint.

Randy Ludi is a fan of “historic road racing,” as he calls it, so he built this 1965 Shelby Cobra from a Revell kit. He adjusted the ride height, dechromed some parts, and used Studio 27 decals.

“Always liked these cars growing up,” says George Mattox about Chevy’s 1959 Impala. This model was built from a Monogram kit, and has been lowered and wired. The finish is PPG and Sikkens.

“They don’t make a Monte Carlo convertible, so I made one,” says Al Hausen about this Revell 1970. “I love to build what GM never made,” he says. It has aftermarket wheels and tires, with dechromed mag wheels.

Santa Clara, California • January 31, 2015 • by JIM HAUGHT


Ron Ramsay’s USA-1 1968 Camaro Funny Car uses a modified Polar Lights chassis and Slixx decals over House of Kolor paint. It has Speed City Resin rear wheels and the exhaust is made from solder.

“A great kit!” saysa Richard Horton about Testor’s Harley-Davidson Sportster 883. He modified the seat and used aftermarket hoses. The finish is Gloss Candy Red paint from Tamiya.

Bob Cook’s Revell 1969 Shelby GT500 has a wired engine, added interior detail, Bare-Metal foil trim, and Grabber Orange Testor’s Model Master spray-can lacquer paint with clear lacquer on top.

“I just did what came to mind at the time,” says David Champion about building this Revell 1949 Mercury. “It went together really easy,” he reports. The finish is Krylon Sky Blue spray-can paint.

Stan Pinnick’s 1972 Plymouth GTX is “just detailed,” he says, and is finished in Tamiya Chrome Yellow. “I just like the car. It has a companion piece of what one would look like today,” says Stan.

Andy Lowery’s Little Drag is based on a friend’s Big Drag, “but I only have space for a 1/24 scale model,” he says. It has an aluminum push bar, roll bar, and steering wheel. The paint is Tamiya French Blue.



NNL West

“It’s what I like to ride,” says Gary Silva about this Aoshima Kawasaki Street Fighter. It has a custom seat, dual headlights, and Valspar paint on the body, with Krylon Champagne gold on the wheels.

Art Laski’s Monogram 1941 Willys street rod has a Halibrand quick-change rear end, House of Kolor Pink Pearl paint with PPG Omni clear, opened doors and trunk, and working rear suspension.

“I saw one run at Laguna Seca,” says Michael Alvarez about the Maserati Birdcage Tipo 61. The 1/43 scale model was built from an AMR kit, which Michael says was “a nice build that went together very nicely.”

“It’s a Cyber Formula AN-21,” says Roger Karker about this Aoshima kit from the Japanese animated series. He added brake lines and seat belts, and used Testor’s lacquer for the finish.

“I saw the 1:1 at the drags,” reports Rich Ruggiero about why he built this 1965 Plymouth Melrose Missile from a Lindberg kit and resin body. It has aftermarket injector stacks and wiring.

Mike English extended the frame and respoked the wheels with wire on this 1/12 scale Revell Honda 305 Bonneville. The front and rear suspensions are scratchbuilt, as is the gas tank.


Monnogram’s Slignster was the basis for Bernard Kron’s Top Eliminator model. “I attempted to add more period-realistic authenticity to an already-excellent kit, circa 1959,” he says.

“Got to be the best-looking car of all time,” says Keith Brumbley about the Lamborghini Miura. He built this model box-stock from a Hasegawa kit, with Tamiya paint on the body and Alclad on the wheels.

The history of Duensenberg race cars inspired Paul Flink to build this 1921 from an Aurora kit. He detailed the interior, designed his own decals, and used Rust-Oleum spray-can paint.

Henry Finch’s AMT 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 was based on a model he saw in Car Modeler. It combines parts from three kits and some scratch-built items. The body is finished with polyurethane automotive paint.

John Teresi’s scratchbuilt HeadHunter took two months to complete. It has Pro Tech braided line and fuel lines, and is finished with House of Kolor purple paint.



NNL West

“My idea of how I’d like to see one full-size,” says Jerry Amaral about this “original issue” AMT 1962 Chevy. He removed the vertical grille bars and shaved the door handles, badges, and scripts.

“First street car I’ve built in a while,” says Henry Trent about Tamiya’s Posrche 993 GT2. It has a C-1 Models resin transkit, took a month to build, and is finished with Tamiya Bright Blue paint.

“It’s a garage-built racer and a hand-me-down beater wagon,” says Steve Hinson about his 1949 Mercury and belly tanker, built from Revell and Star Models kits. The trailer is scratchbuilt.

“An experiment with nonautomotive colors,” says David Campbell about this box-stock Revell 1970 Chevelle. The finish is Tamiya German Gray with Tamiya clear. The trim is Bare-Metal foil.

William Chan’s Minardi M193 is a conversion of a Tamiya Lotus 107B kit. It has AMC decals over Tamiya color, with Gunze-Sangyo clear. “A privateer Formula I team subject is rare,” he notes.


“I saw a 1:1 with this color combo,” says Brad Diemer about why he built this Revell 1950 Oldsmobile Rocket 88. It’s Testor’s Pacific Blue and Tamiya black. He added plug wires and flocked the carpet.

“I wanted to try out some new paint,” says Sean Langer about why he rebuilt this AMT 1970 Monte Carlo as a lowrider, 12 years after it was originally completed. The finish is PPG color-changing paint and clear.

“An enjoyable project. I like older-style race cars,” says Terry Freeman about this 1934 Ford Modified. It’s wired and plumbed, took three months to complete, and has Testor’s and Tamiya paint.

“Just a nice kit with good detail,” is how Scott Hess describes AMT’s 1957 Chevy Bel Air. It has a street machine chassis, Monogram Cragar wheels and tires, Bare-Metal foil trim, and Tamiya paint.

“Built for a local club contest with a ‘shark’ theme,” says Greg Plummer about this Revell 1968 L88 Corvette. He added wiring and chromed the bumpers with Alclad. “A fun, easy build,” says Greg.



SHOW COVERAGE

Circle City 2014

Karl Koons loves the history of sports car racing and vintage racing, which is why he built this 1968 Corvette from a Monogram kit. It’s box-stock and has a Rust-Oleum finish.

“I used original, old decals,” says Joel Thorne about the markings on his Fujimi Porsche 917K. The paint is Dupli-Color GM Bright Red. Why build this model? “Hey, it’s a 917K!” says Joel.

“My girlfriend loves the purple two-tone,” says Wes Salazar about the House of Kolor paint on this Revell 1950 Olds. He lowered the suspension and used Pegasus wheels.

“I needed a slump-buster, and this kit was a simple build of a cool car,” says Steve Lohr about this box-stock Monogram 1970 GTX. It has MCW paint and Keith Marks decals.

Richard Smith’s AMT 1965 Chevy stocker has a wired-and-plumbed engine, scratchbuilt exhaust, and Rust-Oleum paint. The wheels and tires are aftermarket parts.

Indianapolis, Indiana • October 25, 2014 • by JIM HAUGHT


Ron Hartlieb’s Revell 1955 Chevy Bel Air was something

different for him: “Normally I do rusty trucks. I thought I would do an old car,” he says. It has resin brakes

and toolbox and Vallejo acrylic paint.

Mark Moran lowered this Revell 2010 Camaro, and used Tamiya Italian Red paint. The wheels are from Aoshima. He estimates that it took 50 hours to complete. “It looks wonderful lowered,” he says.

“I just liked the box art,” says Bill Shoaf about why he chose to build this Revell 1967 Corvette. It’s box-stock and has Testor’s Model Master Emerald Green paint.

“My first motorcycle build!” says Joey Beeson about this Revell 1/12 scale chopper. The finish is Lime Ice and White Lightning pearl, and it’s fully wired and plumbed. “Awesome!” says Joey.

“I own 8 full-size Mustangs,” says Kenneth Kellner. This AMT 1966 350H was built “almost out of the box” with flocking and valve stems added. “The color and decals pop,” says Kenneth.



PORTFOLIO: Chuck Poi

“Oval-track racing is in my blood,” says this Hoosier modeler

I grew up on the Indiana side of Chicago, in Hammond. At age 5, I went to my first race with my father and my uncles. Oval-track racing has been in my blood ever since. By 1961 I was buying all of the AMT 3-in-1 kits to build cars like the USAC stock cars I saw race. Drag cars were my main focus during the mid-1960s, as well as World War II aircraft. I was a photographer for Stock Car Racing from 1978 through 1984. I discovered Scale Auto in 1984, and entered my first contest that same year. I was amazed at the detail levels being achieved, and what was available in the aftermarket. Fred Cady’s clear decal film and 1 Shot sign-painter’s paint opened up a whole new world. I leaned toward building a lot of the USAC

stock cars, because few modelers were building them. I still prefer building cars of drivers who are not famous, or the cars of big-name drivers before they became successful. The availability of inkjet-compatible decal paper has opened up another level of building unique stock car models. Just one good picture of a car that has an available body in plastic or resin, and I have yet another version to build. I view each car I build as a tribute to the men who drove them. I encourage model builders of all ages to try making their own decals, build something a little different, and try adding some extra details. Many are surprised at how simple some of the additional details really are. If I can do it, anybody can! – Chuck Poi


> 1969 PEARSON MERCURY CYCLONEThe 1969 Mercury Cyclone is a resin body I cast using a conversion kit and a Polar Lights Cyclone Spoiler II kit to convert it into a conventional Cyclone. I had a spare MPC chassis that fit under-neath with a minimum of alterations. My own decals and resin cast tire/wheels. It’s semidetailed, with plug wires and fuel lines. This was one of David Pearson’s last rides with Holman & Moody. This same car later became the very successful Coca-Cola Mercury that Bobby Allison drove for the remainder of the 1971 season. Dupli-Color Metallic Blue was the closest paint I could find.

> 1957 FORD T-BIRDI found an extensive article on the 1957 “Battlebirds” in Sports Car Illustrated many years ago. Then I saw that Mini Exotics offered this body in resin. The kit came with a simplified one-piece chassis, so I took the Monogram 1/24 scale 1956 chassis, which had separate front and rear suspension pieces, nar-rowed it to fit under the 1/25 scale body, and went from there. I decided to build the Lincoln-powered car, doing a complete scratch-built fuel-injection system. Headers were made from solder. The quick-change rear end came from the 1925 T kit. Mini Exotics also furnished the rub-ber tires and pot metal wheels. Dupli-Color white paint. Probably my most detailed and accurate build so far.




> 1963 FORDI took advantage of the excellent AMT Starliner kit and used it as the main donor to build Dick Hutcherson’s IMCA championship 1963 Ford. A 1964 Modified Stocker kit provided the inte-rior. Paint is MCW Springtime Yellow. I resin-cast a 1963 Ford grille from a master I made that has the front hood- release emblem ground away, and resculptured it with the small rectangu-lar hole. This is one of my more detailed builds. Did all the decals on my Epson R300. Ground away the passenger’s-side windshield wiper and rescribed the cowl area. All of this from one picture!


> 1965 DODGE CORONETThe 1965 Coronet was another car I had not seen built up with the blower engine. When a great picture of the engine became available on the Internet, I decided to try to build this car. The body is from Polar Lights, over a Lindberg 1964 Petty Plymouth donor. Parts-box blower. The hardest part was making a mas-ter of the unique hood and then resin-casting it. Numbers were from Fred Cady, and I did all the rest of the decals. The paint is Dupli-Color. The 1:1 car set a closed-course record at Daytona during the Chrysler boycott of 1965.




> 1960 PONTIACThe 1960 Pontiac is a USAC car I saw race in 1961. MCW resin kit, with my own decals. I made my own one-piece tire/rim combina-tion from resin. The paint is Dupli-Color white and gold. The 1:1 car had four small-diame-ter exhaust pipes, which gave it a high pitched screaming sound.


> PETTY TURBINE CARThe Petty turbine Chrysler was just a “what if?” concept that I had been con-sidering for some time. A simple build, with one of my first attempts at making my own decals. Dupli-Color Metallic Medium Blue. A relaxing, fun buildup.


CLASSICKITS BY TIM BOYD


This is not the sort of kit we typically feature in “Classic Kits.” It’s from an overseas kit

manufacturer, and it’s from a later time period than we normally cover. But it could be one of the most important model kits of the last 30 years.

The 1:1 “W126” generation of the Mercedes S-Class was introduced in 1979, and the highly desirable two-door hardtop 500SEC variant broke cover at the 1991 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The V-8-powered 500SEC was produced through 1991, with a midcycle freshening in 1986; this kit represents the 1982-1985 variant of the prestigious aerodynamic coupe.

In an era of generally dull automobiles, the 500SEC was a design inspiration. If there was ever a car of that decade worthy of Tamiya’s first full-detail 1/24 scale auto kit, this was it.

Until this point, most Japanese 1/24 scale model kits were greatly simplified, and omitted any substantive underbody

detail. They were designed to incorporate small electric motors that powered the cars – an important feature in the Japanese home market.

Tamiya’s 1982 introduction of its 500 SEC model was said to represent its first 1/24 scale kit with a separate engine and full chassis/suspension content.

Looking at the kit today, the engine itself is rather simplified in its engraving and appearance (this statement could also be applied to the engines in many domestic kits from this decade).

But the rest of the kit contents are superb for the era. The intricate suspension assemblies, the fully detailed interior tub including separate door panel castings, and the highly accurate, correctly proportioned body casting – all are highlights.

One other area where this kit excels is its instruction sheet. The assembly procedure is well organized and easy to understand, and the instructions include exceptionally detailed painting

information – features generally not found elsewhere at the time.

This kit was later reissued in a “Lorinser” tuner version, with some attractive BBS-type spoked wheels. Neither kit version is well-known today; typical values run from $35-$45.

The importance of this kit is not reflected in its value as a collectible, but in the fact that it opened the door to other full-detail kits from Tamiya, as well as the other Asian kit manufacturers that followed their lead.

It is indirectly responsible for the huge variety of full-detail 1/24 scale international automotive kit topics we enjoy building and collecting today.

Tamiya Mercedes 500SECMercedes-Benz 500SEC Kit No. 2429Introduced: 1982 Present value: $35-$45

AMERICAN EXCELLENCE TRADINGSCA • 06/01/2015 • 4C • 1 PG

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1967 Cadillac Eldorado,BoS-ModelsNr.: E53-191464 $ 99.95

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1:181:18

1972 Cadillac Coupe de Ville,BoS-ModelsNr.: E53-193759 $ 99.95

1991 Buick Park Avenue, met.-dark red, NeoNr.: E53-176745 $ 59.95

1988 Buick Riviera 88, BoS-ModelsNr.: E53-193925 $ 39.95

1957 Buick Roadmaster Convertible, NeoNr.: E53-185455 $ 59.95

1936 Buick Special, dark red, WhiteBoxNr.: E53-196487 $ 24.95

1965 Buick Sport Wagon, BoS-ModelsNr.: E53-194763 $ 39.95

1970 Cadillac De Ville Convertible, BoS-ModelsNr.: E53-193945 $ 39.95

1933 Cadillac Fleetwood Allweather Pheaton, NeoNr.: E53-185819 $ 74.95

1957 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible, NeoNr.: E53-198582 $ 59.95

1992 Cadillac Seville STS, BoS-ModelsNr.: E53-193927 $ 39.95

1930 Cadillac V16, WhiteBoxNr.: E53-186638 $ 24.95

1980 Checker Marathon, Yellow Cab, WhiteBoxNr.: E53-186639 $ 24.95

1950 Chevrolet 3100 Pick Up, WhiteBoxNr.: E53-196467 $ 24.95

1958 Chevrolet 3100 Pick Up, WhiteBoxNr.: E53-197396 $ 24.95

1978 Chevrolet Camaro Rally Sport, NeoNr.: E53-198581 $ 59.95

1963 Chevrolet Corvette Pininfarina, BoS-ModelsNr.: E53-193872 $ 39.95

1974 Chevrolet Malibu 2-Door, BoS-ModelsNr.: E53-197957 $ 39.95

1965 Chevrolet Veraneio, WhiteBoxNr.: E53-197397 $ 24.95

1936 Chrysler Airflow, WhiteBoxNr.: E53-194607 $ 24.95

1995 Chrysler Atlantic Concept, BoS-ModelsNr.: E53-193862 $ 39.95

1952 Chrysler SS, BoS-ModelsNr.: E53-193935 $ 39.95

1966 Dodge Dart, met.- light lilac, WhiteBoxNr.: E53-186643 $ 24.95

1956 Ford Fairline, yellow/white, WhiteBoxNr.: E53-186648 $ 24.95

1987 Ford LTD Crown Victoria, BoS-ModelsNr.: E53-193937 $ 39.95

1960 Ford Thunderbird Convertible, red, NeoNr.: E53-185952 $ 64.95

1937 Ford V8, dark blue, WhiteBoxNr.: E53-186654 $ 24.95

1956 Lincoln Premiere Hardtop Coupe, NeoNr.: E53-185920 $ 59.95

1959 Plymouth Savoy, WhiteBoxNr.: E53-197393 $ 24.95

1963 Studebaker Avanti, BoS-ModelsNr.: E53-193848 $ 39.95

1953 Studebaker Commander, BoS-ModelsNr.: E53-185889 $ 39.95

1968 Willys Rural, blue/white, WhiteBoxNr.: E53-197395 $ 24.95

1:43 Order online now: www.American-Excellence.com

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Ayrton SennA is one of the biggest names to ever drive a Formula 1 car. His driving talent and success were second to none. Fujimi has seen fit to release a kit of Senna’s Lotus 97T that he drove to victory on a rainy day in Portugal in 1985.

In typical Japanese kit style, the parts trees are bagged individually. Most are molded in black, and there are trees that are satin chrome-plated, plus a tree of translucent smoke parts.

I was disappointed to notice that the windscreen in my kit was broken into two pieces inside the sealed bag.

The tires are excellent renditions of Goodyear F1 rain tires. Even though they are not shown on the box art, Goodyear and Eagle transfers are included in the kit.

The parts were cleanly molded, with no flash and minimal mold lines. This held true until I got to the plated tree with the most parts on it (the other tree is the wheels).

Many of these parts had major mold lines or were attached to the tree where

the imperfections would be visible. I recommend stripping the plating, fixing the flaws, and using your favorite metal finish on these parts.

Assembly was straightforward, with no real sticking points. I recommend leaving all of the turbo parts on their trees while painting them; I did not, and had a tough time figuring out which part went where. They all look similar, but they are not the same on the left and right sides of the engine. Using the part numbers on the tree would have helped tremendously.

It should also be noted that the drawing and painting directions for the cam covers do not match the parts contained in the kit.

For the most part, the painting guide is correct; however, the brake calipers should be a goldish color and not steel, according to my references. Painting the gold centers of the wheels took some patience, but the results are worth it.

This car was built at the beginning of the carbon-fiber era of F1 race cars. This means that most of the chassis,

suspension and body parts are various shades of black or dark gray. A nice gloss black paint job on the body parts was supplied by using Tamiya spray cans.

The distinctive JPS Lotus striping and logos are printed well on the decal sheet. Unfortunately, they have a flat sheen where they should be glossy.

Application was going OK until I started on the pinstripes. They are very thin and difficult to keep straight and parallel where needed.

Some of the stripes broke up so badly that I abandoned them and built my model as a “test” version of the car. I will buy a set of replacement decals from Indycals to finish off my model.

Except for the decal problems that I encountered, this kit was a pleasure to build. Everything fit as it should, and it looks good sitting on my shelf.

– Mark Melchiori

Fujimi Team Lotus 97T Renault

KITREVIEWS

Team Lotus 97T RenaultFujimi No. 090641Model Type: Injection-molded styreneMolded Colors: Black, clearScale: 1/20MSRP: $58.95Pros: Good parts fit; makes a nice shelf modelCons: Decals have flat finish, and are thin and difficult to apply; flash on plated parts



This kiT is a marriage of the earlier chassis/engine of the AMT Barracuda Funny Car kit to the body of the AMT second-generation Corvair annual kits.

It’s only been issued twice before, as the “Corvair Funny Car” (#6757, 1967) and “Chezoom” (#157, 1968). This new kit is a direct reissue of the Chezoom kit with the normal Round 2 kit additions, including a second set of tampo-printed blueline vinyl drag racing slicks and a second windshield/backlight molded in translucent red.

AMT’s early Funny Car series kits have a somewhat low parts count, and sometimes omit parts such as the brake pedal and rear brakes, as is the case here. Noticeable draft angles on some parts, knockout marks (in this case, prominent on the interior floor), and plated parts tree mounting tabs in prominent/undesirable locations, are artifacts of 1960s kits engineering.

Some flash is present, though it’s less prominent than on many other kit reissues from this period. The only noticeable sink marks are on the front hood, but these are sandable without the need for fillers.

Although the AMT Barracuda kit has been merchandised as the Hurst “Hemi Under Glass” wheelstander, the

tooling closely replicates the first Tom McEwen 1965 Barracuda midengine Funny Car. Builders wanting to add details to the chassis/engine should refer to the December 1965 Rod & Custom.

The engine is a somewhat generic Chrysler Hemi, mostly comprising the second-generation (1964-1971) McEwen car Hemi, but with a first-generation magneto/intake manifold configuration. The valve covers are shown upside-down in the instructions, but the mounting tabs correctly locate the parts. You’ll need to shorten the mounting tabs on the idler arm and crankshaft pulley of the supercharger drive belt.

The interior is also simple in its design, but in adapting the parts from the earlier Barracuda kit, the instrument panel does not line up with the body cowl/windshield, leaving a 1/8" gap. This can be addressed by fabricating a filler panel, or by using the translucent red windshield unit (although tinted windshields were not allowed by NHRA back then).

In a feature shared across most of AMT’s Funny Car Series, the front axle places the tires too far back in the body wheel openings. File the locating tabs on the spring and glue the axle 1/16 inch forward (toward the front).

The chassis pan/frame requires the builder to remove 7/16 inch off the rear edge, and (unmentioned in the kit instructions) narrow triangular sections will also need to be trimmed off the remaining rear edge on either end in order for the pan to fit into the narrower Corvair body.

Two-piece styrene front and rear tires can be assembled and painted to a correct appearance (as on the model pictured here), but the vinyl slicks are an alternative for the rear tires. Wait to install the wheelie bars until after you’ve assembled the chassis to the body.

I removed the door handles, vent windows, and badges (typical with 1960s Funny Car kits based on annual-kit bodies), and I painted the body with the spray-can horizontal painted fade technique demonstrated in the December 2011 Scale Auto.

This is a desirable reissue of a much-loved and hard-to-find kit. It’s relatively stress-free and easy to assemble, with a handsome finished appearance, and I recommend it accordingly. – Tim Boyd

Chezoom Corvair Funny CarRound 2 No. AMT 873/12Model Type: Injection-moldedstyreneMolded Colors: White, black, translucent red, clearScale: 1/25MSRP: $24.99Pros: Fun build; first reissue of this kit in 47 yearsCons: Instrument panel gap; some detail parts omitted

AMT Chezoom Corvair Funny Car


This is the fourth version of the Toyota 86 (Scion FR-S in the US)/ Subaru BRZ twins in the Tamiya line. It’s basically a modified reissue of the street version, with a new sprue of parts for the rally version, which includes new wheels, racing seats, and roll cage.

Body parts are molded in white, and most of the rest in black. A couple of the sprues are common to the street version, so you will have a few items to stuff your parts box.

There is a small chrome tree for the bright bits, and some self-adhesive metal transfers for the mirror faces and some logos. The new decal sheet is beautifully printed. Also included is a sheet of die-cut masks for the windows.

The instruction sheet is done in typical Tamiya foldout style, with clear exploded-view steps and detail-painting notes along the way.

The nine piece rear suspension sub-assembly does a great job of reproducing the 1:1 car’s independent setup. Molded detail is crisp, with practically no cleanup required other than the sprue attachment points, and parts fit is excellent. The chassis pan does require a fair amount of masking.

The MacPherson-strut-style front suspension is well represented by a six-

piece assembly featuring poseable steering. The inner fenders and upper half of the engine are molded as a single part, requiring more masking to paint. I cut off the fronts of the fenders to make the task easier. Disc brake and caliper detail is good, but hidden inside the wheels. The Dunlop tires have excellent tread and sidewall detail.

The engine is made up of only four additional parts, and although it looks a little simplistic by itself, it looks surprisingly complete with the body in place. The three-piece exhaust looks basically stock, with different chrome- plated dual tips for this version.

The floor pan has molded-in rear seats and separate side panels. Molded relief detail is good throughout, with decals for the speaker grilles. Molded detail on the dash is good too, with decals for the instrument cluster, radio, and more speaker grilles. Unfortunately, the rally computer is just a decal stuck over the stock glove box door.

Seats are slightly different for the driver and navigator, so make sure to place them correctly. The three-piece roll cage’s tubes connect in more of a lap joint than the normal butt joint, resulting in more easily aligned and stronger joints.

Cleanup of the body was a breeze; it only needed two small nubs filed off the trunk lid that locate the spoiler on the street version. Front and rear fascias fit perfectly, but the hood was a tight fit.

Some of the decals are quite large – especially the sides. The fit is darn near perfect, but with little overlap of adjacent graphics, so alignment is critical to avoid gaps.

You will need setting solution in a few areas, but the decals respond well, and will conform to even the tiniest contour.

Windshield and side windows are molded as one, with a separate rear window, and mount from the inside with ample tabs for gluing.

Headlights and taillights mount from the inside, and fit perfectly.

I had a little trouble with the hood alignment, which seemed to be caused by the small pins on the underside not aligning with the chassis, so I just nipped them off.

Overall the build went smoothly; fit and finish is superb. The decal job may be a bit much for a beginner, though.

– Mike Klessig

Tamiya Gazoo Racing Toyota TRD 86

Gazoo Racing Toyota TRD 86Tamiya No. 24337Model Type: Injection-moldedstyreneMolded Colors: White, black, clearScale: 1/24MSRP: $71.00Pros: Reissued kit has new parts for seats, roll cage, and wheels; excellent parts fitCons: Rally computer is a decal instead of a separate part



Fans oF compact European cars have another shot at Volkswagen’s mid-1990s Golf GTI, thanks to Fujimi’s rerelease of its 1992 model.

This time, the car is packaged as a Cox 420si. Cox is a Japanese tuning company that specializes in VWs.

The kit has three sprues of black plastic, one of clear, and one of chrome. There’s also a bag of small screws, a set of vinyl tires, four vinyl keepers for the wheels, a small decal sheet with a gauge cluster, a couple of GTI badges, and the badging for the Cox 420si special edition. The 78 parts include left- or right-hand-drive options.

Many parts attach with screws; others fit tightly into locating holes or snap into place. I used glue where I didn’t trust the friction fit, though.

A one-piece underhood detail part appears to depict the base monopoint injection engine, rather than the 16- valve DOHC engine shown on the box art. Because of this, I opted not to open the hood.

The underbody is relatively simple, and there are no front brakes, which allows for operating steering. The rear axle is detailed with disc brakes. The tires are nicely molded Pirelli P7s – a

good choice for a period car – with decent sidewall and tread detail. The plated five-spoke wheels have Cox nameplates in the center caps.

The interior is molded tub-style, so the door panels have only a shadow of the 1:1 car’s sculpted arm rests, door pockets, and other details. The dashboard shape is good, but the center stack is a little vague, especially around the radio. The instrument cluster is represented with a decal.

The car includes one-piece sport seats without any texture, so they represent leather surfaces well. The rear of the seatbacks are hollow.

The builder has a choice of manual or automatic transmission shifters. However, it looks like the parts molded into the floor pan and the underhood detail part represent an automatic transmission.

The instructions are a single sheet, with exploded-view drawings showing simple steps. Painting callouts are included, and there’s a drawing showing decal placement for the Cox special- edition badges and some Japanese-market window stickers.

The body shell is easily the best part of this kit. The proportions look great,

and there is little flash. The mold lines mostly follow gaps in the body panels.

The only sanding I did was to remove the antenna base from the driver’s-side front fender (the kit includes a roof-mounted antenna) and some lines on the bumper covers, which are molded as part of the body.

I used Tamiya Camel Yellow to represent VW’s Ginster Yellow. When the color was smooth and shiny, I masked it so I could paint all of the black trim on this European-spec car. North American GTIs tended toward an overall body-color theme, but the body shell has the European-style fender spats molded on.

Assembly went fast. The parts fit well, and the dreaded chassis-and-body-shell assembly wasn’t a problem; the chassis snaps into two sturdy slots in the bumpers. The only downside was that the ride height seemed a bit too tall.

Modelers who are up for a bit of scratchbuilding can make a standout model of a popular compact tuner car. Those who are just getting into the hobby can have a good-looking model without much difficulty. – Eric White

Fujimi Volkswagen Golf GTI 420 Si 16V

Volkswagen Golf GTI 420 Si 16VFujimi No. 12484Model Type: Injection-moldedstyreneMolded Colors: Black, clearScale: 1/24MSRP: $22.99Pros: Quick assembly; RH- or LH- drive optionsCons: Engine detail does not match box art; car sits too high


MPC’s reissued Jawbreaker kit perfectly captures the nostalgic look of one of the more outrageous dragster styles: a 1930s sedan body perched on the back of a slingshot dragster.

The basic dragster is the MPC Ramchargers kit with a highly modified 1932 Ford body replacing the Ramcharger fuselage.

The kit has a ton of chrome parts, such as the 5-piece front axle and suspension, so I decided to leave as much of the chrome in place as possible and build my Jawbreaker as more of a 1960s Show-and-Go rod.

The instructions are a series of exploded views with a maze of dotted lines and arrows showing parts placement. In some cases the placement is not very clear, so study them closely and look ahead to see where attaching parts will locate. Few of the parts are named; that is a disappointment.

The five-piece frame is simple to assemble. Some minor flash on the edges of the frame rails became noticeable after the first coat of paint, but the overall condition of the parts is good, considering the age of the tooling.

The body required a little more work. You will need to use some putty and sandpaper if you don’t like the unsightly

seam running from front to back. I glued small plastic tabs on the inside of the body to add strength where the body halves meet. Assembly, putty work, and primer was done in an afternoon, and makes for a much-nicer-looking model.

The tricky part is the “interior” of the body, which is a one-piece assembly comprised of the wheel houses and the panel surrounding the cockpit. This should be glued in as the body is put together; when that is done, painting it aluminum and the body an alternate color is difficult. I put it all together as a unit and painted it Testor’s Lime Ice.

The Chrysler Hemi engine has 23 parts, 18 of which are chrome, and it will respond nicely to a little added detailing.

The Ramchargers “zoomie” exhaust headers are still included with the kit, but I just had to use the wild three-piece headers that swoop out over the slicks. They look like chrome on the box illustration, but are molded in white plastic. I puttied the seams and added some chrome foil on the collector tubes.

When test-fitting parts, I was concerned about how the body would attach to the frame, but it snuggles right over the frame as it should. I did have to notch the upper nose piece to clear the

fuel pump, and file the firewall a smidge for the steering arm.

Even though some of the parts are a little fiddly, (the butterfly steering wheel, for instance), if you take your time and get all of the parts where they belong, the model comes together quite nicely.

The kit includes soft, preprinted Good Year slicks, which look great! They are soft rubber, and it isn’t difficult to push the wheel rims right through the tire. Use a light touch with them.

The decals broke into pieces while I transferred them to the body. I shot a coat of Crystal Clear enamel on the sheet, and that fixed the problem.

You can build the Jawbreaker with or without the nose piece. If you use it, the upper piece can sit in place and is removable. That exposes the fuel line, steering linkage, and chrome fuel tank.

The wing above the body can also be left off if desired. It should be installed after the body is in place, and doing so is a delicate operation. It should sit higher above the roof than shown. I glued the rear support too low, but didn’t want to try to change it. – Rick Hanmore

JawbreakerMPC No. 821Model Type: Injection-moldedstyreneMolded Colors: White, chromeScale: 1/25MSRP: $23.99Pros: A great nostalgic dragster kit to build as-is or modifyCons: Placement of some parts is vague; decals too fragile

MPC Jawbreaker



My son Brennan, who turned 8 years old in October 2014, recently took his first trip with Dad to the NNLSouthern Nationals in Smyrna, Georgia, this past November.

He finally got a good taste of how cool model cars can be, and he told me on the trip home he would like to try building a model car like his pops.

I shared this “piqued” interest with our Editor, and he graciously sent Brennan the new Revell SnapTite Audi R8 to break in his interest in modeling.

The wait through the mail was grueling for him, because the Audi is one of his favorite supercars. He is a big Iron Man movie fan, and he has a tricked-out version on his Need For Speed video game. After about a week, the package arrived at my work address, and I made his day when I brought it home that evening. Of course, it had to be built that evening, so we set to work.

It is a simple kit, as most Skill Level 1 snap kits should be.

The kit consists of 13 parts that are molded in blue, black, clear, and red.

As Brennan examined the parts, he noticed the blue plastic molded body had a little metallic flake incorporated in it. Revell took care of all the small painted details on the body, such as the C-pillar panels painted in silver, and all of the moldings painted in black – right out of the box.

Even the front and rear four-ring Audi emblems were painted crisply.

The wheels are molded in black, with decent-proportioned tires with no sidewall detail. Brennan opened the five-step instruction sheet, and began to assemble the car.

I sat and observed just to make sure he did not break anything, as new builders often will until they develop the necessary “touch.”

With only 13 parts, he moved fairly quickly, and I was proud to see how well he was doing, and how immersed he was in the kit!

He snapped the seats, dash, and steering wheel in place easily, and moved on to the body.

He had trouble with the taillights;

they did not want to be coaxed into their locating holes. It was the only time he needed assistance from me.

After we got past that, he blew through the rest of the build with ease, snapping the tires and wheels together and setting them in the axles on the one- piece chassis.

Another nice feature of the kit is the tampo-printed black border on the glass. There are no screws in this kit; just some push pins that hold the chassis to the mounting towers on the interior.

It was great seeing how proud Brennan was of his first model kit all finished up. He spent a good part of the evening marveling at his accomplishment.

I do not know if he will continue building. I hope he does, but I will not push him if he takes on other interests. But if he comes to me wanting to try another one, I will not hesitate to buy him another kit to try.

This kit was a perfect first-time build, and I recommend it to any new young modelers who are wanting to give the hobby a shot!

– Dave and Brennan Thibodeau

Revell Audi R8

Audi R8Revell No. 85-1687Model Type: Injection-molded styrene snap kit, prepainted bodyMolded Colors: Blue, black, clear, redScale: 1/24MSRP: $12.95Pros: Perfect-first-time build; good paint and detailsCons: Taillights did not fit well; parental assistance needed


Somewhat of a different approach with my review this time. Actually it is my 10-year-old son, Rexton, who did the building on Revell’s new 2013 Camaro ZL1 kit.

He’s been watching me build models since he was a baby, and after doing a few snap kits, he is moving into building more full glue kits on his own.

This Camaro was a perfect project for him to transition between the two styles of kits, and get more comfortable with a more difficult kit.

Revell designed these kits specifically for modelers who are looking to move up from snap kits to full glue kits, but may be overwhelmed by the complexity of a full glue kit, or the thought of doing all the painting on a bare-white-plastic kit. This made it a perfect project for my son to tackle.

The kit comes in a colorful box, with the body on display behind a clear window. The body is prepainted and clearcoated, with the trim pieces and badges already painted. The windows are finished and installed into the body.

Parts breakdown starts with the basic chassis pan, interior tub, and smaller parts spread out through several metallic gray trees. Two black trees, as well as clear and translucent red pieces

for the headlights and taillights. Four rubber tires, metal axles, and a chrome tree are also included.

Building begins with a somewhat detailed engine assembly that will require glue and paint. Paint callouts are included in the instructions.

With the engine painted and installed, Rexton moved on to installing it in the chassis and adding the lower front suspension. This was really the only part where he ran into trouble.

Getting the engine to sit straight, and keeping the suspension together, seemed to be a bit frustrating. I’m not sure what the issue was, but eventually he got it fairly close, and proceeded to the exhaust system.

The interior required a few pieces to be glued together. The seats are each two pieces, and the dash needed to be glued to the inner door panels. There are opportunities to do some interior painting, but since it was all molded in dark gray plastic, he left it unpainted and just built it according to the instructions. The entire interior can then be glued to the chassis pan, and inserted into the body.

All that is left is to install the tires onto the wheels, and insert the wheels and axles onto the chassis. The front of

the chassis can be glued to the front of the body to make sure it all stays together. Then the mirrors are added, and the Camaro is complete.

The kit starts slightly challenging with all the engine work, but then seemed to gradually get easier. It could have easily have been put together in a day or two, but with waiting for the paint and glue to dry, he spread it out over a week or so.

There was a slight issue with the front wheel on one side not lining up in the fender opening, but that could probably be traced back to the troubles he had at the start getting the engine and suspension in.

Overall, I think the kit does exactly what it was designed to do: provide a great transition from easy kits to harder kits, and he’s proud of himself for building it, and seeing it on his shelf.

It definitely left him wanting to work on more models, which was great to see as a dad, and great for the hobby to keep a young builder wanting more.

– Clay and Rexton Kemp

Revell 2013 Camaro ZL1

2013 Camaro ZL1Revell No. 85-4307Model Type: Injection-molded styrene, prepainted bodyMolded Colors: Metallic gray, blue, black, clearScale: 1/25MSRP: $19.95Pros: Good transition kitCons: Slight issue with engine/suspension assembly and alignment


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KIT KRINGLE1520-D East Dixie Dr.

AsheboroNORTH CAROLINA

General plastic model kits. Full line ofTestors paints. Detail parts, wheels, etc.

R/C Cars & Airplanes.Hrs: M, T, Th 11-7; Fri 11-6; Sat 10-2e-mail: [email protected]

336-249-6127

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ZNZ HOBBIES972 Talbert Blvd.

LexingtonNORTH CAROLINA

Oklahoma’s largest plastic kit, paint and aftermarket inventory. Planes, cars, trucks,

armor, ships, trains and sci-fi. Special orderswelcome! Mon - Fri 10-7, Sat 11-6, Sun 1-5

Web site: www.topshelfmodelsllc.com

918-274-0433

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TOP SHELF MODELS119 S. Main St.

OwassoOKLAHOMA

Complete full line hobby shop.Large selection of plastic, diecast and

accessory detail parts.Open Mon-Fri 10-8, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5.

503-644-4535

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TAMMIE’S HOBBIES12024 SW Canyon Rd.

BeavertonOREGON

East Tennessee’s largest plastic model selection. 8,000 sq. ft. of hobbies & toys. Located in Knoxville’s premier shopping

destination. Turkey Creek Area.Open 7 days a week.

865-675-1975

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HOBBYTOWN USA11145 Turkey Dr.

KnoxvilleTENNESSEE

Come see our new, spacious location.Large selection of new & out-of-production

kits. Accessories & finishing products. Servicing the hobbies since 1986. We buy kit collections. www.wheelswingshobbies.com

416-752-0071

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WHEELS AND WINGS1880 Danforth Ave.

TorontoCANADA–ON

COMING EVENTSMN, BLOOMINGTON: NNL North Model Car Show. The Knights of Columbus Hall, 1114 American Blvd. West. Sunday, May 17, 2015, 10:00am-4:00pm. $10.00 entry fee for unlimited models. Lots of vendors, silent auction, plus a big raffle. For more info contact Bob Maderich at 612-423-2985 or [email protected]

PA, PITTSBURGH: Three Rivers Automodeler’s Annual Model Show & Contest. Castle Shannon Volunteer Fire Hall, 3600 Library Road. Sunday, September 27, 2015. 9:00am-3:00pm Admission: $5.00, under 12 free w/adult. Floor rights: $13.00 @ 8:00am. Theme: “Rat Rods.” Contest registration: $2.00 each model. Con-tact: Jim “Rocky” Roccasano 412-795-8407 6:00-10:00pm EST.

TN, CROSSVILLE: 31st Annual IPMS / Middle Tennessee Modelers Association Scale Model Show and Contest. Main Exhibit Hall, Cumberland County Fairgrounds, 1398 Livings-ton Road 38555. May 16, 2015. Free admission. Contact Info: Randall Cooper 931-456-9803 or Bill Carlo 931-788-3842 or email [email protected] or Facebook

PLASTIC FOR SALE(BRAND NEW FACTORY SEALED) “Plastic model parts car” Never been glued or painted ever!! “3 piece body” with lots and lots of parts! Got over a 1,000 parts cars, from 1920’s to now! 70% there or more, selling for only $5.50 to $7.50 each, plus shipping and handling. Send $3.00 for my list., LARRY HALEY, 114 Thompson Walton Ct., Apt 115, Farmington, ME 04938, 207-778-9268, Call 9:00pm.

FOR SALE: 1/24 & 1/25 scale “racers”. Send SSE for my sale list. ED MOLLOY, 13725 Wheeler Acres, Grass Valley, CA 95949-8881

HUNDREDS OF CAR KITS. Call or e-mail for free list. Please mention Scale Auto. DEAN SILLS, 116 N. Washington St. Owosso, MI 48867. Phone: 989-720-2137, Fax: 989-720-0937, E-Mail: [email protected]

PLASTIC WANTEDIMMEDIATE PAYMENT for your unbuilt or built model kits. Any size collection. DEAN SILLS, 116 N. Washington St. Owosso, MI 48867. 989-720-2137, Fax 989-720-0937, [email protected]

MODEL CAR/TRUCK KITS WANTED. Unbuilt, started, or built. Promos, slot cars, old model magazines/catalogs also. Any size collections. Good prices paid. FRED STERNS, 48 Standish Rd., Buffalo, NY 14216. 716-838-6797. Fax 716-836-6057. [email protected]

DIECAST WANTEDFRANKLIN AND DANBURY MINT DIECAST CAR COLLECTIONS Pocher, Aurora, Revell, Monogram model kit collections. JIM CRANE, 15 Clemson Ct., Newark, DE 19711. 302-738-6031. [email protected]

PARTS FOR SALEPRO TECH MODEL PARTS- Check us out for the finest in 1/25 and 1/16 scale detailing parts at www.protechmodelparts.com or call 321-960-0532.

PARTS WANTEDAMT 28 FORD 2DR SEDAN CHASSIS, 32 Ford 2DR Se-dan Parts, 57 Chrysler Imperial Hubcaps, 85 Corvette Rear Wheels and Tires, Compressor From Wedge Hauler, Lil Go Weevill Dune Buggy Engine Front Rubber Tires From Black Widow, Headers From Red Chariot. Phone 631-991-0643 or 516-368-2749.

MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE50 YEAR MODEL COLLECTION Extensive collection of diecast and plastic in all scales. Diecast, promos, busses, oil company annual trucks. Contact me with your needs. MARC (VA) 434-665-9941, [email protected]

FOR SALE: PAINT BOOTHS. The finest and most afford-able. Four models to choose from. www.pacepaintbooths.com 877-872-4780

QUALITY MODEL REVIEWS of current and vintage model kits. Use the search button or browse the Review Archives for exactly what you want. Money back guarantee. Online only at www.rightonreplicas.com

TOYS WANTEDALL SLOT CARS WANTED. Any kind, any condition. Top dollar paid for slot cars regardless of condition. Contact PAUL at 586-752-3675. E-mail: [email protected]

Classified AdsComing Events Rates: $35 per issue (55 word maximum). Ads will contain the following information about the event: state, city, sponsoring organization and name of event, meet, auction or show, dates, location, times, admission fee, name and/or telephone number and/or email of person to contact for information. Name, daytime telephone number and street address of the person providing the information is also required but need not be included in the ad. Unless otherwise requested, ads will be published in the issue month that the event occurs in. Additional months are available at the $35 per issue fee. Please specify issue date(s).

Word Ad Rates: 51¢ per word, $15.00 minimum per issue. Payment must accompany ad. No agency commission.

Send to: “ Classified Ads,” 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612 Waukesha, WI 53187-1612. Or call toll-free 888-558-1544, ext. 815 for more information. E-mail: [email protected]

KPC ADVERTISING ACCOUNTSCA • 06/01/2015 • 4C • 2.38W x 1.76H

Registration at ScaleAutoMag.com gets you a free monthly e-mail news-letter, access to discussion forums for all interests and skill levels, product reviews, and much more!

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http://www.thehobbydepot.com

http://www.houseofhobbies.com

http://www.HQHobbies.com

http://www.sparetimeshop.com

http://www.mymummy.com

http://www.mymummy.com


http://www.modelcave.com

http://www.kitkringle.net


http://www.topshelfmodelsllc.com

http://www.wheelswingshobbies.com







http://www.protechmodelparts.com


http://www.pacepaintbooths.com

http://www.rightonreplicas.com



http://www.ScaleAutoMag.com


FINISHLINE

I love the old AMT kits with custom parts,” says Luke

Karosi about this 1957 Chevy Bel Air. “ I wanted to build a mid-1960s-style street custom with a period-correct forward rake. Built it box-stock using the custom pieces in the kit.Paint is HOK Tangelo Pearl Orange with Testor’s One-Coat clear.”

A lways wanted to build a belly tanker,” says Curt

Raitz, “and I found a boatload of photos of the restored So-Cal Lakester to make building it a lot easier.” The engine is a Flathead.

QUESTIONS?

Send your Finish Line questions to Scale auto, Finish Line

21027 Crossroads Circle, Box 1612, Waukesha WI 53187-1612


WANT TO SUBMIT A PHOTO?

It’s easy! Visit our contributor submission Web site at www.contribute.kalmbach.com

and follow the step-by-step guide. Be sure to provide all the necessary

information and details about your model!

kit.Paint

kit.Paint


www.contribute.kalmbach.com

DRAGON MODELS USASCA • 06/01/2015 • 4C • 1 PG

Model Kits

Dragon Models USA, Inc.1315 John Reed CourtCity of Industry, CA 91745www.dragonmodelsusa.com

Phone: 1 (626) 968-0322Fax: 1 (626) 968-0234E-mail: [email protected]

OFFICIAL DISTRIBUTOR

The trademarks, copy-rights, and design rights in and associated with the following Lambo-rghini Vehicles Aventa-dor LP720-4 50’ Anni-versario are used under license from Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., Italy.

AOS-0107471/24 Lamborghini Sesto Elemento

AOS-0107091/24 Lamborghini Diablo GTR

AOS-0115391/24 Lamborghini

Aventador LP720-4 50th Anniversary Edition

http://www.dragonmodelsusa.com


TAMIYA AMERICA INCSCA • 06/01/2015 • 4C • 1 PG

http://www.tamiyausa.com

Documents

Scale Auto 2015-06