Tabla de contenidos para February 2019 en Scale Auto

I’m, going to tell you something you already know - you can find a lot of inspiration at model car shows. Like you, I imagine, I love cars from the 1950s and ’60s in particular, but love seeing anything new and different that I’ve never seen before. I admire the automotive modeler (artist?) who can scratchbuild something either only he dreams, or that is rare and certainly has not been produced as a plastic kit or in metal/resin die-cast. So traveling around the country for both Scale Auto and FineScale Modeler I get my jollies walking around and viewing the fantastic builds that line the show tables. One show that was particularly inspiring this past year was the IPMS/USA Nationals in Phoenix. And we’ve got four pages of gorgeous builds…

It’s exciting when a new kit manufacturer enters the hobby, even more so when that firm happens to be releasing something in your interest area - in my case, NASCAR models. Salvino’s JR Models’ first release is Buddy Baker’s No. 28 1980 Daytona 500-winning Oldsmobile stock car, dubbed “The Gray Ghost,” in 1/25 scale. There has been much posted and debated online about this kit. Since there are several areas that have accuracy issues, I’ll dive into those first. The body is a fairly accurate representation of the NASCAR Olds, but could use a bit more refinement in several spots, for instance, more prominent character lines at the top along the sides, and the lower door area. The front and rear bumpers also could use a bit of reworking to…

Look familiar? This Chevy Camaro appeared in the December 2018 issue of Scale Auto. But right out of the box, this new-old-stock (NOS) factory-sealed Yenko Camaro body had issues that needed addressing before I could start a build. Unfortunately the tires had melted divots into the roof and hood through the plastic bag they were sealed in. Oddly this happens more often than one might think. This how-to will show that fixing this damage really is not hard to do.…

Fun on 4-wheels (mostly) at the Phoenix show While the FineScale Modeler team finds plenty of military models at every IPMS/US Nationals, we were impressed with the variety of auto-related models at this past year’s gig in Phoenix, Arizona. So, we put on our Scale Auto hats for a bit and snapped this collection of impressive vehicles.…

In 1958 Mercury introduced the Parklane to its premium luxury car lineup, with the ’66 Merc falling into the middle of the second generation of the full-size behemoth. 1965 saw a redesigned chassis and slab-sided body architecture it would wear until the end of the Parklane that then replaced by the Marquis in ’69. This kit was originally based on the 1966 promo for Mercury and shows its promo roots proudly. For this review, I made a second kit to show one of the other ways this kit could be built-as a stock, drag, or custom/street rod. Its decent 19-piece 427 cid “Super Marauder” V8 assembles first, and the only drawback was the passthrough for the metal axle. In one kit I was missing the driver’s side exhaust manifold and…

This is a nice kit of a unique bike circa 1972, an air-cooled two-stroke triple that made 37 horsepower with a six-speed transmission. Overall fit of the crisp parts is excellent, but there are many tiny pieces that need a little more cleanup than just where they attach to the runners. It’s easier to hand-paint the smaller parts and subassemblies as I went along rather than try to airbrush parts of like colors together. A high percentage of chrome-plated parts in this kit hide a good portion of the sprue attachment points so touch-up is minimal. I kept a Tamiya Chrome Silver Paint Marker (X-11) handy. The only options are the rearview mirrors. I opted for just one as that is what I preferred back when I rode. While not…

Modelhaus responds We at Modelhaus are well aware of the need for the services we have provided for 30+ years. It’s incredible that anyone would accuse us of just closing our doors without any attempt to sell our business. We’ve talked to about two dozen individuals with and expressed interest in purchasing the business, but only two returned for a second conversation and no offers were made. We’ve also talked to more than one company that assists in selling businesses, but most wouldn’t even converse with us since our annual sales didn’t meet their minimum. The one interested party that did go beyond an initial contact was unable to formulate a plan for advertising such a niche business and backed out. Modelhaus was much more than molds and original parts.…

Here he is to explain: “In the past, I’ve had clearcoats seep under very small decals, typically those less than 1/16-inch. When this happens, the decal drifts out of position due to gravity. I solved the problem by building a simple paint-drying rotisserie made from 2x4 lumber, a piece of 1/4-inch diameter brass rod, and a slow-speed display motor from Micro-Mark. I always attach a good, solid painting handle to the body I’m working on. When the model is painted, the 1/4-inch rod goes through the handle, which is then placed on the 2x4 cradles. The end of the rod is connecting to a bushing on the motor shaft and secured with a set screw. Note: The handle also serves as a counterweight when the body is on the rotisserie,…

This is an encore performance. About 30 years ago I built a classic vintage NASCAR for what was then Scale Auto Enthusiast, creating a replica of the last of the factory stock NASCAR racers, “the dinosaurs.” AMT’s ’66 Ford Galaxie was my starting point for a pretty much out-of-the-box build of Fred Lorenzen’s No. 28. That ’66 represented a stunning example of what an upscale, semi-luxury American banker’s hot rod might look like, especially with a high-output 427 cid twin four-barrel V8 known as the legendary 7-Litre. But full-size rocket rides were fading. That 7-Litre would be a sharp build, so for this story I asked Curt Zahn if he could replicate that street machine (see page 23), while I turned my attention to a drag racer that once caught…

I absolutely love building drag cars and like choosing cars that are different. During each project I take on, I focus on paying attention to the small details while choosing the right colors and textures. Doing so can make a world of difference in the finished model. I’ve always been a big fan of Pro Stock and “door slammers,” particularly Pro Stock racer Warren Johnson, aka “The Professor.” His victorious NHRA Pro Street Olds Cutlass was the inspiration behind my build. My 1/25 scale Cutlass, which started as a Revell kit, is more of a “weekend warrior bracket racer.” Whether you are a new or seasoned builder, research your subject, plan it out, and look for reference photos online, and in magazines. Start collecting the detail parts you’ll need, pay…

Truthfully I had never made a trailer before, but was curious if the trailer in Revell’s Kurtis Midget Racer kit (No. 85-4267) might serve as a solid foundation. Since I’ve built several of these Kurtis Midget Racers, I had quite a few trailer parts hanging around my workbench. With a plan in place, I scanned the web for pictures of actual racing trailers, and while there were a few single-axle haulers, the majority had tandems. Apart from that similarity there wasn’t really a single “universal” design, and it appeared as if most of the vintage trailers were built from scratch. What this means, is that we, the model builders, have the freedom to draft a design of our own. Of course, and appropriately so, the trailer in the donor kit…

Mazda entered three 767B prototypes in the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the GTP category with a best of 7th overall. Hasegawa added the Mazda to its family of Group C machines in 1990. Typical of the rest of the line, it’s a fairly straightforward curbside kit with simple construction yet still yields an accurate replica of the real car. Tooling appears to have held up pretty well for the most part, but there is some flash to clean up. Perhaps one of the more critical items for the fluorescent orange and green livery of the Charge-sponsored machine is its decal sheet. All of the green areas are handled by decals, requiring the builder only to paint the orange. Decals are printed well…

AMT’s newest reissue, the “Gear Hustler,” is a 1965 Chevrolet El Camino done up like a construction foreman’s personal vehicle. It joins the Crew Chief Blazer and bulldozer as a part of AMT’s “Construction Series,” complete with three sets of construction company decals to match. The box is packed to the brim with parts, as this kit includes a ton of options. There are two sets of glass, clear and blue-tinted, for both the windshield, headlight lenses, and bed cap. Tinted red taillight lenses are also included. There’s the bed cap itself, as well as a six pack of soda and a pair of hard hats for some extra interior detail. Out of the box, you get three sets of wheels: stock covers, Cragar S/S mags, and a new set…

Months ago I was in Toledo, Ohio, for the 39th NNL Nationals show on a hot Saturday. Armed with my standard photography setup, I was ready to fill multiple memory cards with images of the best 1/24, 1/25, 1/12, and die-cast models. Minutes after the doors opened up, Editor Mark Savage and I curiously floated around the floor, meandering between tables and delicately placing photo request sheets below builds that we wanted to feature in the magazine. It’s a ballroom dance we like to call “tagging.” I’m 28, and at every NNL show I’ve traveled to from coast-to-coast, I’m disappointed by the lack of younger builders. I’m often flooded with, “Where are all you young guys?” It’s a question that stems from fears that this hobby is going to die,…

Auto World ‘72 Chevy Vega Yenko Stinger The name Yenko goes hand-in-hand with Chevrolet, a nomenclature reserved only for a rare breed of highpowered vehicles that bear the bowtie up front. Chances are you’ve heard of the Yenko Camaro, Chevelle, or Nova, but Don Yenko also got his hands on Chevy’s little Vega during the 1970s. He swayed GM to offer a hyped-up special engine, that amidst a slew of performance modifications, like forged aluminum pistons, an optional aftermarket turbocharger, and upgraded gear ratio for its four-speed manual, the Vega Stinger thundered out 155 horsepower. A reinforced suspension and Positraction rear end, with trac bars, backed it up. For two years, Yenko built 400 of these hot Vegas and it’s estimated only 11 remain in good hands. So, scoop up…

I have a confession to make: I’m a lifelong gearhead. While my grade school classmates were perusing their Highlights and Ranger Rick magazines, I was devouring every syllable in Hot Rod, Road & Track and Popular Mechanics. For my fourth grade summer reading requirement, I checked out library books about how 4- and 2-cycle engines worked. After reading them, I wrote up reports and drew illustrations to demonstrate all the inner workings. This affliction was exacerbated by my grandfather, a trucker who put more than 2 million miles on Mack trucks. He’d regale me with stories of early days spent in the cab, some tales embellished, but as a teenage gearhead, I was all-ears. Born the eldest of three to a shopkeeper in Brooklyn, grandpa Sam went to work at…

Like Bill said, I enjoy creating street-stock model cars and do my best to make them appear like a miniature replica, capturing the 1/1 look of something, just 25 times smaller. After seeing Bill’s ’66 NASCAR-ready Galaxie and his more recent Schmitt drag version, I was hooked! I had AMT’s ’66 Ford Galaxie kit, and Bill wanted something in a factory shade of blue, so I chose Tamiya’s Pearl Light Blue (TS-58) which mimics Ford’s Silver Blue Poly quite well. The poly business means it’s a metallic paint. Inside, I used Plasti-kote off-white vinyl color spray paint. An online gem that reveals a lifetime of historic, vintage automotive dealer brochures is www.oldcarbrochures.com. Everything on this website has been scanned-in and is presented in sharp and clear color, making the pre-build…

Personal luxury cars were originally defined in the auto industry as premium - and powerful - cars based on entirely unique platforms versus the mainstream entries from major brands. The Ford Thunderbird, Buick Riviera, Oldsmobile Toronado, Cadillac Eldorado, and Lincoln’s Mk. III/Mk. IV, all count as personal luxury cars. Here we’re going to feature 1/24 and 1/25 scale kits of personal luxury cars from the 1960s and early 1970s. These kits were never the top sellers in AMT’s, JoHan’s, and MPC’s annual lineups, which makes many of them largely unknown to today’s builders and collectors. Let’s pull back the veil of the personal luxury car model kits and take a closer look at this fascinating chapter of our hobby. 1958-1972 FORD THUNDERBIRD » DEFINING THE PERSONAL LUXURY CAR More than…

This kit’s origins date back to 1960 when AMT extended its “Trophy Series” with a 1940 Ford sedan to follow up the popular ’40 Ford coupe. This reissue includes parts for a stock, street rod, or drag build, and two engines – a Ford flathead V8 or an Olds V8 with three carburetors or fuel injection. Options include nerf bars, fender skirts, roll bar, hood scoop, dropped front axle, and custom wheels with many tires. There’s also clear glass or transparent red. The kit models some of the most noticeable differences between a ’39 and ’40 Deluxe sedan – the hood, grille, headlights, and taillights. Different dashboards and other changes prevent this kit from building an accurate 1939 Deluxe. Deleting the vent windows, using the included floor shift, and removing…

If we’re talking car model releases, it’s Hasegawa’s turn at bat. In addition to a pretty steady stream of new tooling, our friends in Shizuoka have been on an aggressive program of reissues, including this slick little Lancia from 1994. Lest you write it off as merely the street version of the rally Delta reviewed a few months back, there’s quite a bit of distinct content in this kit. The body shell carries the evoluzione’s extended wheel flares, and optional front grilles rather than a single piece molded to the body. The street interior has sport seats without roll bars, and the rolling stock are sharp renditions of the evo’s alloy wheels and vintage rubber Pirelli P7s still razor-sharp to this day. The basic chassis plate and suspension carry over…

Subaru has been on the leading edge of rally racing for years with its all-wheel-drive machines. Colin McRae and navigator Derek Ringer triumphed in the 1993 New Zealand Tour De Course, finishing in a record 6:12:31. This kit is well-packaged, has fine detail parts (some photo-etched), nice Cartograf decals, and almost all the parts need minimal cleanup and a light coat of primer. The interior is a no-nonsense race-inspired driving space and Hasegawa pulls the look off quite well. Begin with the bucket seat, painted Subaru World Rally Blue Pearl with gray and black accents on the seats and nearby door panels. All other parts were picked out per color chart. Hasegawa’s seat belt material, while easy to cut, disappointingly curls when cut thin and the decals have trouble sticking.…