Table of contents for August 2020 in Scale Auto

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…

While reading Monte Carlo Rally: The Golden Age, 1911-1980 (Graham Robson, Herridge and Sons, 2007), I saw a photo of a Renault 4CV that won its class in 1951 with four doors and a 760cc engine. This, I thought, would make a great subject. Not all race cars are fast and powerful. I even had the Heller kit of the car hiding somewhere in my stash. Imagine my horror when I opened the box to find the police version, which had a modified body with cut-down doors and no B-pillars. Mentally committed to the build, I decided to forge ahead but change my focus to how to modify the body to bring it back to stock appearance. At first glance, the approach seems straightforward: Just add some plastic to replace…

The late-90s Formula One cars with their high-revving V10 engines were some of the best sounding race cars in motorsports. Period. I picked up my Tamiya 1/20 scale McLaren Mercedes MP4-13 from a friend at a swap meet, first because I’m an F1 fan, but also because it contained a bunch of desirable aftermarket goodies. Mentioning aftermarket parts should give away that I didn’t build the model box stock. I went all in for details, starting with a detail set (now long out of production) from Scale Motorsports that included bargeboards and beautiful brakes. I also bought a set of aluminum wheels and mount hardware from Perfect Parts. On the other hand, I scratchbuilt bodywork stands, a tire rack, and an under-car transport dolly. The engine cover, nose, and upper…

Occasionally, racers run on a wet or “heavy” track, which can result in some spectacular mud splatter. To get that “at-speed” look, like on this sprint car, load your paintbrush with the appropriate color and blow air from an airbrush through it at about 40 psi. If you don’t have an airbrush, you can use the kind of compressed air can for blowing dust off a computer keyboard. It may be a little harder to control, but it works well once you’re used to it. There’s a range of opportunity with weathering, from heavy to subtle. It depends on how you feel at the time. My friend Roger English shortened the body and rear chassis on an AMT ’36 Plymouth modified coupe and added Big Donkey Resin wheels and tires.…

I have been a fan of Tamiya’s excellent lacquer spray paints (the TS line) for more than 20 years. For several years after giving up spraying enamels, I enjoyed an easy phase of shooting my model car bodies using TS paints directly from the spray cans. The finishes were almost universally excellent and quick and easy to achieve. Eventually, wanting more precise color matches and better control of application and paint thickness, I began decanting my TS paints for airbrush use. I wished for a day when Tamiya might offer the TS colors in bottles intended for airbrushes. That day has finally arrived. Tamiya’s LP line of paints caters to modelers who love the company’s color range and prefer using an airbrush for applying paint. Most of the colors I…

This is the second time Revell has released its hotly anticipated Ford Model A Roadster. Superb molding throughout, the detailed parts exhibit no sink marks or flash of any kind, and the kit offers you one of two possible builds: a highboy or channeled body. Options for the Chevy small-block V8 include either a three-carb setup or a blower. The kit also provides two types of rims: 1940 Ford Deluxe rims and hub caps or chrome Hildebrandts. Not surprisingly, the Roadster shares a lot with the 1930 Ford coupe Revell released a couple of years ago, such as the frame, front and rear suspensions, floor pan, fuel cell, battery, and the Chevy engine. For me, it was a traditional highboy with the carbs and Deluxe rims and hubs all the…

Revell Germany (also available from Revell USA) has brought us a new tool of the iconic Land Rover Series III LWB (long wheelbase). Inside, you’ll find a 28-page instruction booklet with paint callouts and parts for a Series III you can build as either right- or left-hand drive and with your choice of multiple seating options. Starting underneath, the Series III is a 4x4, so you get front and rear driving axles. To ease mounting, the axles have tabs to slot into holes in the frame. The front end has been simplified with basic steering, separate spindles, and a tie rod. There are front and rear shocks but no steering linkage or steering box. The frame glues to the underbody, which also serves as the interior floor. There are numerous…

Just a kid when I started modeling full-time in 1949, and I have kept at it every day. All the while, drag cars have been a passion of mine, and I’ve built a number of dragster models over the years — four of them named Black Rose. I’ve added a few accomplishments to my name during my modeling career, but last year, I was awarded a biggie. All car modelers have modeled their favorite car, but how many of us have had our models turned into the real thing? I have. Since 1967, I have owned my favorite car: a ’67 Chevy Nova SS. Too bad it was never kitted. However, my son Henry and grandson Sean inherited my interest in drag cars and purchased a ’67 Nova SS to…

Mark Melchiori’s build of a Revell 1/25 scale 1966 Penske-Sunoco Corvette on the cover of the December 2006 Scale Auto cover certainly grabbed my attention! After devouring his review of the then-new kit more than once, I rushed out and bought one. Not long after getting home and browsing through the kit’s contents, I started a lengthy search for relevant reference material on Roger Penske’s explosive Sting Ray. With time, I began noting things that were missing from the kit, and the longer I researched, the longer the list: night-racing headlights with clear covers; disc brakes; front and rear window-glass retainer clips; fender flares. Rather than discourage me, I wanted to get building more than ever. Now, to get down to business. PAINTS USED • Model Master flat black (No.…

Jim Kampmann, a long-time modeler and friend, suggested to me that many modern spray paints are translucent rather than opaque. This means that the color behind the paint affects the final hue. I put his theory to the test while working on the Penske-Sunoco Corvette, because I wanted that blue to be as dark as the real car.…

Weathering adds a whole different dimension to a model, particularly if it’s a car. A spatter of mud or a dusting of dirt gets you thinking about where a vehicle has been. If a body panel is bent or scratched, you might wonder, “What happened there?” About a year ago, Monty McCord, a pal and old-time racer who drove jalopies and latemodels on short tracks in Nebraska in the ’60s and ’70s, encouraged me to build a model of a dirt-track car. The thought intrigued me. NASCAR, Indy Car, and Formula 1 get the press and glory, but there’s a whole lot of racin’ going on at short tracks all over the country. You can argue that the roots of auto racing in the U.S. stretching back more than 100…

During the 1930s, Alfa Romeo was a major player in the racing community with wins at Le Mans, the Targa Florio, and the Grand Prix circuit. The 8C 2300 (designating the eightcylinder engine and its 2300cc displacement) was perhaps the most notable, gaining the “Monza” moniker after famous racer Tazio Nuvolari drove it to victory at the 1931 Italian Grand Prix. This is an all-new tool from Italeri, which has been on a roll of late with 1/12 scale releases. Incorporating well over 300 parts, the level of detail is what one would expect in a large-scale kit. Operating features include posable steering and an opening hood. Decals are provided for Nuvolari’s racer, or, if you prefer, you can use the die-cut stencils and paint the numbers. Following the instructions,…

Tamiya’s Kawasaki Ninja H2 Carbon is a new kit with a few parts from the racing version. Be sure to follow the directions carefully, to make sure you use the correct parts and sprues. In some cases, the instructions call out the new LP paints from Tamiya. At the time of this build, they weren’t yet available in my area, so I decanted and airbrushed TS spray paints. Several decals eliminate some detail painting on the rear hub, front rotors, and the lock faces. A very nice touch! Many parts are multiple colors, and I found it more efficient to spray the main colors and brush paint the rest. Parts fit is impeccable, which makes painting some subassemblies easier. The green stripes on the wheels are provided as decals; two…

Ever since its introduction in 1989, the Mazda MX-5 has been extremely popular with car enthusiasts worldwide. With over 1 million units sold, it is the highest selling two-seat sports car in the world. The fourth generation introduced the RF retractable fastback option and gave the car a more coupelike silhouette. Just like the real car, Tamiya has followed up the release of its model kit of the fourth-gen MX-5 with the RF. New parts include the body, seats, and wheels, with most of the remainder sharing the same parts trees as the original. A small sheet of metal transfers provides mirror faces and badging and a sheet of die-cut window masks are also included. A curbside kit without an engine, but the chassis offers plenty of detail. The double-wishbone…

The Digger ’Cuda is a throwback to the wild dragsters from the ’60s and ’70s when a five-point harness and a parachute on the back were all the safety measures anyone needed. A quick glance at the parts in this kit reveals both the one-piece tubular chassis and long body to go over it are both straight. I was glad to see this, because long single parts like that can warp and make fit and finish a challenge. The instructions have you start with the detailed Hemi engine. After assembling the engine halves, I had to do a little cleanup for a solid fit to the transmission, but nothing major. Note: The injector riser sits atop the blowercase assembly. I left this piece off until I had assembled the entire…

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…

A dive into my stash turned up an original AMT ’63 Corvette Sting Ray with the exact headlight configuration I was looking for. I reached out to a friend of mine to have the parts recast in resin. Model Car Garage provided the seat-belt hardware, and I sourced hood pins with scuff plates from Pro-Tech. Best Model Car Parts offers a photographic sheet of accuratelooking gauge faces that met my needs perfectly. • 1965-1967 Corvette gauge faces, Best Model Car Parts via eBay • Resin disc-brake calipers (4), Replicas & Miniatures Co. of Maryland • Seat belt hardware (No. 2089), Model Car Garage • Hood pins with scuff plates (No. PTMC-06), Pro-Tech…

The Mercury stock cars built by Bill Stroppe have always interested me—particularly the colors he painted them. That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to build his NASCAR 1964 Mercury Marauder. Darel Dieringer was the primary driver for the Bill Stroppe No. 16 car during the 1964 season, though many famous racers drove Stroppe cars over the years. On my project list for 10 years or more, I had started working on the body of an AMT 1964 Mercury Marauder (No. 6022), but then stalled and moved on to other projects. When I came back years later, I realized I needed to start over, because I’d removed some of the key panel lines while taking off the trim. Also, the Marauder chassis wasn’t accurate for my purposes. That, along…

For as long as resin model parts have been available, modelers have worked to prep them properly for both assembly and paint. Most resin parts contain a moldrelease agent that allows the caster to easily remove the parts from rubber molds. To ensure the release agent doesn’t inhibit gluing or ruin a paint job, it must be removed. For years, the go-to product was Westley’s Bleche Wite whitewall tire bleach followed by a second wash with dish soap and warm water. However, technology changes, and modern resin casters recommend various techniques. For example, Big Donkey (the manufacturer used for this build) suggests you dampen a cloth with 91% isopropyl alcohol to clean its parts because they’re made from a water-based polyurethane resin. That means soap and water can cause surface…

Chrome finishes have always been a challenge for modelers. Companies have offered a number of solutions, from specialty paints to adhesive foil. Now, Warbird Decals enters the market with two sets of unique decals printed by Cartograf. Stripes (No. SP007) has 16 stripes in nine sizes ranging from .35-inch wide down to a very thin .012 inch (lettered A-I), and Thin Stripes (No. SP008) offers eight of each of the four the finest stripes (F-I) from SP007. The chrome isn’t actually printed, but stamped onto the carrier film. The color is a completely opaque, nonmetallic foil that allows the stripes to work just like other water-slide decals. However, you must be careful not to fold or wrinkle them, or you’ll mar the chrome finish. While the decals conform to curves,…

All-new kits of current cars have been sparse in recent years unless you count Mustangs and Camaros. The every-day, mom-and-pop family car is rarer, still. But now comes Academy with an allnew kit of the Hyundai Santa Fe SUV. This is a one-version model with some intriguing features. First, it’s primarily a press-fit kit. It has all the feel of a promotional model or a snap kit, but it offers great details: posable steering; multi-piece interior; multi-piece taillights with separate clear backup light lens; separate door handles; separate roof trim; a see-through grille; gorgeous, intricate wheels; and a small but detailed decal sheet that provides gauges and badges. Although the kit is a curbside, the nose builds up from 10 pieces, including a separate hood. The interior features separate side…

In keeping with seeing value in its catalog of older kits, Round 2 has reissued the MPC 1978 Dodge Monaco in California Highway Patrol markings. While there are some shortcomings typical for mid-70s tooling, Round 2 certainly ups the ante with better wheels and tires, new decals, and new law-enforcement accessories. Hobbyists should take notice. The origin of this kit dates to 1974, when MPC released the 1975 Plymouth Roadrunner two-door coupe. There are traces of the Roadrunner in this kit: You’ll find some extra parts such as the 440’s six-pack intake manifold not mentioned in the instructions. The white styrene body required minor cleanup. But the cowl panel, which should be flat and align with the bottom of the windshield, was arched in the middle and prevented the hood…

Generally, in this column we cover older kits that have never been reissued, or not reissued in many years. Kits with interesting stories behind either the kit itself or the 1/1 scale subject also make prime candidates. The AMT Car Craft Dream Rod has all these elements and more. The 1/1 scale Car Craft Dream Rod began as sketches in the October 1961 issue of Car Craft magazine with a brief to create a hot rod from then-late model body parts such as the 1960 Pontiac and Corvair. Bob Larivee Sr. (a principle at Promotions, Inc. and ISCA founder) commissioned customizer Bill Cushenberry to fabricate a real car based on the Car Craft design study. Cushenbery further tweaked the design with elements of the short-lived asymmetric school of auto styling.…