Tabla de contenidos para October 2016 en Scale Auto

We have some truly unique, creative, Beyond-the-Box tips for you this time. Here’s one where finding the raw material might be a daunting task, but it’s an example of keeping your eyes open for unusual objects that can be used to enhance our models. Tip: My wife recently retired her old gardening gloves. They were woven fabric with some type of orange, flexible vinyl coating on the palm and fingers. Through the years, the coating had stiffened and cracked, and some tiny pieces had flaked off. I dug them out of the trash after I noticed that the fine crackle pattern and some of the exposed underlying fabric looked like deteriorated vinyl car seat covers! Sure enough, when I cut out a couple of sections and added them to car…

Because of limitations in the injection-molding process, a majority of kit-furnished plastic model-car wire wheels tend to be clunky and out of scale – especially if the wheels are plated. Even after a little cleanup with a file or hobby knife, the look of individual round spokes just isn’t there. Several nice photoetched and castresin aftermarket wire wheel sets are available, but we can make our own using simple hobby tools and kitsupplied wheels – by replacing the kit spokes with real wire. Ken Walkley shared his wire-wheel technique (the first method described here) with me several years ago at NNL East. A big thanks to Ken for planting the seed for this article. These procedures don’t reinvent the kit wheels, and we’re not doing any radical scratchbuilding. We’re simply…

BECAUSE OF TIME CONSTRAINTS, I was not able to complete the engine and chassis details in time to be included in Part 2 of “Customizing a 1947 Chevy.” However, after that part of the article was submitted, I was able concentrate on finishing the build in a more proper fashion. The engine block and shiny black bits were painted with Testor’s Acryl. I used Citadel acrylics to represent the various shades of metal. The carburetor linkage levers are photoetched pieces; the rest of the assembly is a combination of jewelry wire and styrene rod. The air cleaners are from Replicas & Miniatures of Maryland. The fuel line and brake line fittings are made from styrene rod, and the lines are various sizes of jewelry wire.…

1967 Nickey Camaro Revell No. 85-4377 Model Type: Injection-molded styrene Molded Colors: White, black, translucent red Scale: 1/25 MSRP: $24.95 Pros: Well-engineered kit Cons: Hood clearance issue NICKEY Chevrolet was a dealer that changed the 1967 Camaro’s stock engine for a 427. This kit is a good representation of that conversion. The instructions proved to be accurate, using 20 steps to take the build to completion. Line drawings are used, with the parts called out by number. These numbers and the color callouts are described using charts included with the instructions. The engine represents a Corvette 427, dual four-barrel carburetors. and dual air cleaners. A well done two-piece set of headers is provided. When the headers are attached, the mounting pin on the transmission will need to be shortened. The…

Sunbeam Tiger AMT No. AMT998 Model Type: Injection-molded styrene Molded Colors: White, black, clear Scale: 1/25 MSRP: $27.99 Pros: Quick build; generally good parts fit Cons: Sparse interior detail THE SUNBEAM Tiger is another example of stuffing a little American V-8 muscle into a small British roadster. Tooling seems to have held up well, with most of the engraved detail still crisply molded, and just a little bit of flash. The kit can be built stock or as a racing/custom. The decal sheet appears to be new, and offers a selection of stripes and numbers – but unfortunately, no scripts or gauges. Only the stock engine is offered; for a racing version, you may want to source your parts box for performance parts. The chassis pan features some nice molded…

Porsche 914/6 Revell No. 85-4378 Model Type: Inection-molded styrene Molded Colors: White, clear, black Scale: !/25 MSRP: $25.95 Pros: New decal sheet and tires Cons: Lots of flash; much test-fitting required THE PORSCHE 914 was a joint development by Porsche and Volkswagen as a lower-priced option to the 911 and a replacement for the Karmann Ghia. The reissued kit’s parts are molded in white, with a tree of chrome-plated parts and two sets of clear parts – one for the race version and one for stock. A set of one-piece tires is new, replacing the original two-piece units. The decal sheet is also new, and offers a couple of sill stripe options for the stock version, and SCCA club-racing decals for the racer. Step one: go out and get a…

Black Arrow When Moebius announced it was doing a sedan version of its 1965 Plymouth kit, I was excited. For the last 10 years I’ve been holding onto a Fred Cady decal sheet to do the Black Arrow Super Stocker, to finish off my collection of Bill Jenkins drag cars. There are rumors that a drag version of this kit is coming, but I decided not to wait. The conversion to a drag car is fairly simple. Let’s see how to do it. INTERIOR The 1965 Plymouth lightweight drag-racing sedans – the A990s – were made from lightweight steel: no aluminum or fiberglass front ends, as dictated by NHRA rules for that year. They had stripped-down interiors with no rear seats, lightweight carpet, and thinner-than-stock windows. Thankfully, Moebius has made…

FERRARI HAS an exclusive program for their top customers called “Corse Cliente.” Starting with the Enzo-based FXX, the Ferrari XX program is dedicated to its most faithful customers who are lucky enough to be able to own and drive these limitedproduction cars exclusively for the track, with Ferrari providing all the assistance. Tamiya had previously modified its Enzo to make its first FXX kit, and now this new modified reissue of the LaFerrari that is the FXX K. The K stands for KERS, the hybrid Kinetic Energy Recovery System derived from its Formula 1 program that uses battery power (obtained from the kinetic waste heat energy from braking) to increase the horsepower and performance of this spectacular trackday toy, using an electric motor/generator inside the transmission. CHANGES There are quite…

Former drag racer now builds drag-car models I grew up in Northern Wisconsin, and have been interested in model cars since the early 1960s. Our small town had a variety store where I saw my first model: the AMT 1932 Ford 5-window Coupe. I couldn’t wait to go back to buy another one. Models cost about $1.50 then. Fast-forward to 1984. Having moved to Minneapolis/St. Paul and raised three boys, I decided to start building models again. Monogram’s Glidden, Iaconio, and Sheppard Pro Stock kits enticed me back to modeling, and I never looked back. I dabbled in 1:1 car drag-racing as a youngster, having owned a 1957 Chevy 150 two-door sedan, and helped a friend with his 1968 Dodge Charger. I cannot afford the 1:1 cars anymore, so modeling…

BMW 318i Hasegawa No. 20271 Model Type: Injection-molded styrene Molded Colors: White, black, clear Scale: 1/24 MSRP: $39.95 Pros: No fit problems or surprises Cons: Dash/windshield fit leaves visible gap THE HASEGAWA Team Schnitzer BMW 318i was originally issued in 1995, and from what I can tell, has not been back since. The body looks to be the same as the street-car kit, but that’s about where the similarity ends. Most of the parts are molded in white, with just chassis details and some other pieces molded in black. The decal sheet is clearly printed, but has a slightly satin finish. Dry transfers are included for the tires, along with a welcome sheet of diecut window masks. The interior is a tub type, and features all of the sheet-metal details…

THIS KIT assembles easily enough for a novice builder, yet offers enough detail to please more-seasoned modelers. It was developed during the heyday of the “kustom” car, and the abundance of optional custom parts reflects that. It builds into a beautiful showroom-stock version with up-top or convertible boot, as well as a pretty-cool-looking dragstrip racer. There are two optional custom (Styline) front-end treatments that use an extended custom hood, and a pair of wind splits for the rear fenders. Stock and chopped windshields are included, as well as a chopped “deVille” half-top. Sadly, the Victoria-style chopped roof and full Carson top from the original 1960s version are not present, but the four scale cement blocks and three-piece trophy are still there. The large decal sheet has racing logos, stripes, and…

Old-school hot rods make better rat rods,” says Bob Wise, whose 1937 Ford was built from a Revell kit, with a Buick engine and resin Studebaker wheels. “Notice how uncomfortable the driver is, just to make the scene in style,” says Bob. 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! A photo of the 1:1 car in a magazine inspired Ron Leedy to build this 1969 Plymouth GTX from an AMT kit. The three-month project is box-stock, is wired and plumbed, and has MCW Limelight Metallic paint. QUESTIONS? Send your Finish Line questions to SCALE AUTO, Finish Line 21027 Crossroads Circle, Box 1612, Waukesha WI…

I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED the Shelby Mustangs. When HRM Resins (Harold Bradford) offered this 1968 Shelby Mustang, I had to have one to add to my collection. My goal for this build was to add some operating features. Because it’s a convertible, I chose to add visible working features such as seat backs and an opening glove box and trunk. I wanted to keep the detail in the “reasonable” category so I could finish the build in the short time before the next contest. The kit was designed to use the AMT 1967 Mustang running gear.…

HAVING ALREADY BUILT Moebius’ International ProStar kit, and having its 1969 Ford F-100 and 1971 Ford Ranger kits in hand, all I can say is that these are kits by modelers, for modelers! As soon as these kits were announced, I sought to do a kitbash conversion, and this project was inspired by a vehicle I saw for sale on eBay Motors. Having F-100 kits that differ in engine type (six-cylinder vs. 390 V-8), transmission (manual vs automatic), pickup bed (short-bed vs long-bed) and model years gives a number of variations that can be built. I chose to build a worn 1969 Ranger with a 390 engine, a manual transmission, and the short-bed box. ENGINE SWAP I started the project by assembling the V-8 engine, followed by the three manual…

During the 1960s, Jim Keeler was a model car builder, author, and employee at Revell. Modelmaker Aurora eventually hired Jim in a lead product-development role for a new series of 1/16 scale Funny Car kits. The resulting “Aurora Racing Scenes” series became an incredibly ambitious series of eight parts pack/figure/diorama offerings. Each of these 1/16 scale products incorporated unprecedented levels of accuracy and complexity. As an example, the Donovan engine kit included a single, incredibly detailed engine-block casting; eight connecting rods and pistons on a working crankshaft; a separate camshaft and timing gears; blower rotors; a mechanical throttle linkage; and a threepiece clutch assembly. Given the large scale and the high level of detail, these kits were priced well above the mainstream hobby market. And to make a completed model,…

1972 Ford Sport Custom Moebius No. 1220 Model Type: Injection-molded styrene Molded Colors: Gray, black, clear Scale: 1/25 MSRP: $34.99 Pros: Rear bumper options; differences from 1971 kit Cons: Poor fit of hood against windshield cowl; fit of interior to cab (to clear chassis) I WAS THRILLED when Moebius announced its Ford pickup series. Suddenly, we were getting 1969-1972 pickups that had never been kitted. One of the first things I wanted to find out was how different the 1972 truck is from the 1971. I knew the grille would be slightly different; I was pleasantly surprised to find quite a few other differences. The 1972 has different side trim running the length of the body; the tailgate trim is different; and the 1972 is a short-bed (the 1971 is…

Batmobile Moebius No. 964 Model Type: Injection-molded styrene Molded Colors: Gray, clear, black Scale: 1/25 MSRP: 44.99 Pros: Good enginering and fits; solid completed model Cons: Fiddly wing attachments ANOTHER cinematic chapter in the Batman saga, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, means a new Batmobile. The Caped Crusader’s military-style Tumbler of the Dark Knight trilogy has been replaced with a lower, sleeker vehicle. It’s barely visible in the rainy gloom of the film, but Moebius released a kit before the movie premiered. Kudos to it for that. Molded in medium-gray plastic, the parts show nice recessed panel lines and no flash or awkward ejector-pin marks. Some of the mold seams and edges need cleanup – mostly quick swipes with a sanding stick – to ensure a snug fit. A…

1957 Chevy Bel Air AMT No. AMT988/12 Model Type: Injection-molded styrene Molded Colors: Red, black, clear Scale: 1/25 MSRP: $32.99 Pros: More detail parts than previous releases Cons: Chrome attachment points AS A KID, I built AMT’s first 1957 Chevy kit and fell in love with the car, building several reissues over the years. Now AMT has done a complete retooling of this legend. This new kit has more detail parts than previous issues, and even has a selection of photoetched parts. This kit has a great color guide to show the combinations available from GM for the body and interior, and which colors to paint everything else. One of the downfalls of the instructions is the parts aren’t named. The builder has to look closely at the pictures and…