Well, here goes another one. 1/25th this time. I said a lot in the "Look what I'm getting for X-Mas" Thread, but, I wanted to document this build as itself on its own merits.

So, I said that I did a comparison between the MPC original kit and the AMT re-issue. The original molds are, of course, better. The AMT molds are horrible with lots of flash and sinkmarks. Everything though is the same...except for the MPC/AMT markings





All's that changed was the name of the producer...and the quality.

I started with the rear end and pretty much just re-built it. Us armor builders are so used to the details that when they are not there, we tend to sigh with disgust, don't we?
Well, the rear end was horrible, of course, and I had to hack and putty and scratch-build just to get the AMT rearend looking like a rearend again.
Heres the MPC (red) and my rebuild...so far


It will get some (a lot!) more details added.

I also worked on the interior a bit. Nothing major, I just scratched out some armrests and cut the speaker holes and added "speakers".



I cleaned the heck out of the body parts and assembled them onto the body. This included the trunk spoiler, front spoiler and the panel under the back bumper. It's ready for primer!


So, tell me what you think so far! More to come as the build progresses.

Cuhail

Its looking good so far... why are the reissued kits have alot more flash and worse detail?? because the old molds are wore out or what???

Hi Shannon,
Yes, that's exactly the reason why re-issues suckle. MPC actually cut the molds originally, pressed out a buttload of kits and used up the molds pretty well. When AMT bought the molds, they were in less than glorious shape, but, still usable. So, they bust out a whole bunch of re-issues of old MPC kits and VOILA!

This kit is still fun though, it's really bringing me back to "The Good Ole Days" of my modeling past. I pretty much finished the rear end. I just have to make some better spring-type shocks, and I can paint 'em up and take some pics.

Toodles for now. Shannon, if I haven't said so, welcome to Armorama! These guys know EVERYTHING!

Cuhail

Gods! I need a camera!

AT HOME!!

ALL THE TIME!!!

There...that's better.

I wrapped up everything on the engine but the stuff I can't do yet, like the distributor and wires, the intake manifolds up. I finished the rearend. Looks awesome. Gave the body a primer job and checked my seams and lines. Re-sanded and added another primer coat.
I don't know if it makes a differance, but, I used Testor's Flat Red as the primer, and buffed it out with a coffee filter. Came out well. When I throw that Red Metal Flake on there, it should look great!
Well, I'd love to say pics are coming but, at this rate, who knows when a camera will grace my model room.

Toodles
Cuhail

Looking good so far Murphy. The 72 Goat is one sweet muscle car.
AMT can certainly be a challenge. Flash, sinkmarks, ejector pin marks, warped parts you name it.
Looking forward to see the rebuild rearend. And the rest of cause.

cuhail,

how does the coffee filter thing work???

It works...well.
Basically, I do just that. On this model, I went with a red metal flake final body paint, so, I used a flad red for primer. After a full day to dry, I'll take a paper coffee filter and "sand" the whole thing. It takes the heavy, gritty, typical flat paint texture and buffs it to a semi-gloss finish that still does the primers job, gives the final coat a stable base to adhere and shows me where the body still needs work-before I add the final layer.
It works pretty well, I used this method on Don's Coupe, Harley Truck




I tried it and got better rattle can results (by the way, I don't have an airbrush rig set up yet, so it's all rattle can and paintbrush.) than ever before.

Try it on a scrap piece of plastic card and you'll see what I mean.
In fact, I'm goin down to "coffee filter sand" the GTO right now...again. :-)

Cuhail

Ok, I took some photos...finally.

First, let's show that rearend I rebuilt. Sorry there are no in-progress shots, but it's hard to do with no camera during the process.



I still have to make some springs.

Onward now, to the engine. Standard Pontiac blue was in order for the block. Heads and oilpan are aluminum and the headers are red. The engine is, as yet, unfinished because I am waiting for AM resin and PE.







There we are! Now, for that wonderful GTO body! No suprises here either, it came out wonderful.







And I dry-fitted the body to the chassis (Just to see how it would look) without the interior.



So, how's that coffee filter sanding work as of these pics?
Not too shabby, eh?

Comments welcome!
Cuhail

Very cool Cuhail. To bad the molds are so worn.
Can't wait to see it done.
Vartha

Yeah, as we've heard many times, AMT has got a "Reckoning" coming if they want to keep selling models.
Thanks B-Rad, good to hear from ya!

Cuhail

Looking good so far even with the dodgy kit that AMT / Ertl manages to produce. Love the paintwork. Was there gaps either side of the bonnet (hood) as that was another problem with the Dodge i built an if so how did you solve it ?
Andy

No, it fit just as well as the old MPC's fit. There were no fit problems with this kit at all, just some sloppy molding. Flash was an issue and ejector pin dips, but, it was nothing that isn't on the MPC version.

Cuhail

I had about 15 minutes to kill last night, so, I started the master brake cylinder. Very crude as of yet, but that should change in the near future. Sorry, it's the only picture I have of this part.



A little more work, a little paint and some brake lines and it's all good!

Groovy, eh?

Cuhail

Your GTO is looking really good so far. What did you use for the fly wheel looks a lot like a brass gear.

I tore apart an old alarm clock a few years ago for all the tiny little gears and cogs and other super-small, super-detailing goodies it contained.

The flywheel is one of those

Neat trick, eh?
Cuhail

Alright! I sent the Mrs and Kid off to see "The Nutcracker" Ballet in Chicago for the day and settled in with a new CD (Jet, Born Again) at the workbench.

Happy Holidays Folks, ain't it a B#*@H just to get a little modeling done?

Any whoose, I worked on the interior and engine compartments a little and I thought I'd share.

For the engine bay, I added an aluminum battery plate. Just measured , cut and folded the little bugger out of .010 aluminum flashing.



I added photoetched battery terminals to some tiny wire and remade the battery itself by sanding down the face and adding aluminum bits and heavier wire for posts. La Finito!



Now, for the interior. I looked through ump-teen websites for photoetch goodies for this model. I found very few. I figured I could cut most of what I wanted out of sheet aluminum and plastic rod to make the very small window cranks and door-pulls. It didn't really work with the aluminum, but, digging through my photoetch bin, I came across backpack straps, and...
As such...




Plastic rod, cut thin, attached and the door handles attached. I then sanded the disks even flatter. I cut the "straps" to crank-handle size and added slices of smaller diameter rod as the knob.



Going back to work after dinner.

Cuhail

Ok, tomorrow. I have to figure out what interior colors I want.

Any suggestions?

Cuhail

Hi all, I did a little more work on the GTO yesterday.
I finished the battery, the only thing left is attach the negative cable to the alternator housing (when it's installed).


I also put that plate in front of the radiator that the hood latch is on. I am so not sure what it's called.


The Master brake cylinder is roughed out and the brake lines attached. I think I'll route some fine wire around the firewall as well.


I'm working on the interior today and will post pics later! I went with ModelMaster Light Ivory for the base color and I'll be mixing MM Skin Tone with MM Military Brown for the other tones.
We'll see how it turns out.

Cuhail

You're doing great job superdetailing this kit! I like the two tone interiors in ivory/brown (earth brown or maroon). Looking forward to seeing this baby finished.

Cheers
Pedro

Thanks Pedro! Here's the interior, almost done. Tomorrow I'm running up to HL to get some carpeting. I used to use crushed velvet ribbon to simulate carpet, and I thought I'd try it again. It will be a similar brown to the center console.
I am totally experimenting with the photography, so please bear with me...
Here's the interior.


Here's the dash


I still have a lot of work on the interior to do, the dashboard alone needs all the gauges and switches painted. I need to do the ceiling fabric in the body.

Wow, I am having such a good time building this car! It's been so long since I've done a 1/25th scale model for ME, I am enjoying the break from armor and 1/35th immensely! I know I have a very big project in the T2K06 campaign, and the other campaigns I've joined ( Hooray 4 Hollywood and By the Book) so I think I'll shelve the other '72 GTO (MPC) until later.

Well, that's my report!
Cuhail

You are making good progress Murphy. Excellent work on all those details.
The master brake cylinder turned out great.

Thanks man!
I went to Hobby Lobby today...what an ordeal! I walked around that store 2 complete circuits looking for Peel and Stick Velvet. I asked the fabric lady about velvet ribbon...nothing. I asked the framing counter lady...nothing. Finally, I stopped an older lady (who actually looked like she cared) where I could find the stuff and lo and behold, we found almost exactly what I was looking for. Paper backed velvet sheets.

Hooray, right?

no.
They only had purple, teal and some weird sea-foam green, patterned stuff.
Oh, "But a truck is coming tomorrow, sir, maybe (MAYBE!?!) there will be some more then" the nice lady told me.
Geesh, what a day.
I did find dollhouse carpeting in the right color, so I got it. It has a foam backing (so the dolls don't get cold feet???), but it seems pretty workable.
We'll see.

More later,
Cuhail

Well THAT didn't work. I'll have to run back to the HL to see if the truck had my stuff. It won't. I know it.
So, I'll have to run to Vernon Hills and check their HL out. They won't have it, I know they won't.
Then, I'll have to go to "Michael's" and they will have SOME, but not what color I need.




Not that I'm pessimistic...

Cuhail

Alright, it didn't work out as bad as I thought it would. I didn't go back to the same Hobby Lobby, I went to the Vernon Hills one and they had exactly what I needed. Chocolate colored suede paper. Awesome stuff they got there! It cut like a dream, and did a fairly good job as carpeting.
Let's take a look, shall we?

Heres a shot from the left.


And the right view.


And then I taped the seats down and dropped the dash in (just for the photo) to see how it would look.


Now, I have to point out that I am NO carpetlayer, but I think I did okay. It's really so close to the MM Military Brown paint that I can touch it up with that.

So, I officially recommend Hobby Lobby's Suede Paper! It's good stuff and I'm sure not limited to uses that I employed. :-)

My photo skills are re-generating slowly. I'll have it locked down by the time I finish up this car.

Cuhail

That suede paper looks pretty sweet.

Did you have any problems gluing it?