Scale Auto August 2020

Car racing. Whether you’re talking NASCAR, oval tracks, slogging through the elements in a rally, or gutting it through a 24-hour endurance nightmare, racing has always been as much a part of car culture as chopped tops and custom wheels. Utter Ali or Frazier and you’re talking boxing; Ruth or Gehrig, baseball. Mention Petty, Unser, Penske, Ganassi, Andretti, Earnhardt, or a slew of other racing worthies from the U.S. and around the world, and you’re likely in for along conversation (probably heated, too!). For Scale Auto, it’s been a long time since we’ve featured so many race cars between the covers of a single issue. And we thought it high time we remedied that. And many of you have been calling for more diverse subjects, so we’re here to please. Of course,…

I wanted to update everyone regarding a few points regarding our the “History of Scale Model Pickups, Part 2: Chevy and GMC” that appeared in the April 2020 issue. The following information comes from Tom Carter, owner of Spotlight Hobbies. • Page 51 – Chevrolet did offer a factory-produced long-bed Stepside in the 1967-72 period, although the numbers produced were exceedingly small. The 8-foot Stepside bed was available on the C10 and C20, along with an 8 1/2-foot Stepside bed for the C30. The kit replicates the C10 8-foot bed. • Page 52 – The Mule Skinner kit was the 1980 annual (not the 1979 annual kit as stated). The 1979 annual was called the Dust Devil (not pictured in the article), and the Super Duallie kit was a mid-year 1979 kit…

Scale Auto doing great Just a letter to tell you how great it is to see the improvements in the magazine in the past year. I have been an avid subscriber since 2001 and have kept every issue in binders. To me Scale Auto has been my ongoing at-home learning experience in the hobby of building model cars. So much has been learned from Ken Hamilton and Andy Kellock, just to name two, and my library of Scale Auto is a pleasure and a vast resource. There was a bit of a blip in the content over the past year or so, but now the staff has stepped up its game and it is really great to see this. Anything from a boxbuilt, plain blue pickup like we did as a kid…

1/24 Scale • Ford Mustang GT4, No. 24354, $53. Two marking options included. From Tamiya America • Chevy LUV street pickup, No. 85-4493, $26.95. Separate cab and bed design, custom bed cover, optional sun windows. From Revell • Richard Petty 1986 Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2 Aerocoupe, No. R-RPGP1986D, $39.95. From Salvinos JR Models • Bobby Allison Chevy Monte Carlo 1982 Race Winner, No. R-BAMC1982R, $39.95. From Salvinos JR Models • Blue Max Racing 1986 Pontiac 2+2 driven by Rusty Wallace, No. BMGP1986B, $39.95. From Salvinos JR Models • Lamborghini Centenario Roadster, No. AM02-00012, $150. Resin body, photo-etched metal details, decals. From Alpha Model 1/25 Scale • Willys Panel Paddy Wagon (Monopoly), No. MPC924M, $29.99. From Round 2 • 1927 Ford Model T Vintage Police Car, No. AMT1182, $29.99. From Round 2 • Supernatural 1967 Chevy Impala four-door, No. AMT1124, $32.95.…

Transferring Signs Our good friend and longtime model railroader Karl Osolinski provides this issue’s Tip of the Month. Primarily for diorama guys, it can be used to attach signage and lettering to weathered vehicles, too. The basic idea is to reverse an image and transfer it onto another surface. Here’s Karl to explain: “If you’re tired of sanding the back side of paper signs to get them thin enough to apply to a building, try this simple transfer method: 1. Select a sign and reverse the image on your computer. Print the sign on something a little stiffer than copy paper. I use Epson Presentation Paper Matte (No. SO41062). 2. Mask the area on the wall where you’ll place the sign and paint that area white. 3. Brush on a coat of Mod Podge Photo…

PAINT STRAIGHT CHROME Q I’ve finally come to the part of my build that I’ve been dreading: How to paint the chrome side moldings so they look straight and clean. I’ve tried free-handing it, but my lines are choppy and irregular. What is the best way to make this model look like the real thing? Any advice you could provide would be greatly appreciated. – John Kirkland, via email A Your best bet is to use Bare-Metal Foil. Many modelers either love it or hate it, but, once you get the hang of it, the results are terrific. Several articles on applying foil have appeared Scale Auto, but in a nutshell the technique involves cutting an oversized piece of foil, placing it over the trim, burnishing it down with a cotton swab and…