Alright! Here's another AMT muscle car I'm doing, the 65 Pontiac 2+2.

What a great car! A huge 421cid with dual quads and a four speed! Classic lines and that sweet Pontiac front grill. I'm taking my time with this one to try and get some better results than the Wildcat.

The engine.
I like it. It went together pretty well, although I did notice the right valve cover doesnt sit right. Meh, I worked it out. I also replaced the top end of the motor including an aftermarket distributor (Preston's) and the dual quads and air cleaner came from the spares box. I plumbed out the carb and ran lines to the fuel pump. The headers are scratchbuilt (and will be the subject of a future "How-To", stay tuned).
I also wired the battery and tubed(?) the W/Washer fluid.

The chassis is rolling on wheels snagged from a 69 Firebird T/A. Originally, the axles in the front and back were both just metal rods but, I filled the holes in the front wheelwells and re-drilled to accept cut-offs from the original axles so they wouldn't extend through the engine! (Gods, I hate that little feature! )
I also hate the molded in rearend and driveshaft.

On to some pix, eh?

The installed engine and front firewall/radiator support.







and the silly undercarriage.


The gaps in the tubing between header and exhaust pipe have been filled since I took the pix.

Any comments made are welcome!

Cuhail

Interior is done. A nice Milk Chocolate Brown. Pictures guaranteed delivered in the morning.

No comments on that nasty engine?

Cuhail

Just saw

Overall it looks good. I would strap together the spark wires at the back of engine to make the bends more 'permanent'.

WIll the firewall hide all of the back of the engine and tranie?

Thanks Scott,

I know where you're going with that wire loom idea, but, I'm gonna remember that for next time. It'd be a real pain to attempt it at this point on this engine. And, I believe the firewall goes to those two nubs about halfway along the tranny. We'll find out soon, because....

...the interior is done.







I had good luck with this dashboard. And, though I slipped a little with the piping on the seats, overall, I'm pretty satisfied.

Comments totally welcome.

Cuhail

this is getting interesting. Nice color on the interior.
Did you use a fine tip marker for the piping? It looks very consistant in thickness.
I like the dashboard - I think it came out well

I'm going to tell you all a secret. I use Sharpie's and Sharpie's Superfine points a LOT! I have every color made and I use them all the time. I used the Black superfine point to do the piping on the seats. I used orange to color the white sparkplug wires and the superfine to color the plug boots. The battery and W/W fluid container are colored with Sharpie's as well as the anodized fittings I used on the fuel lines.
I love the Sharpie revolution.

Cuhail

I use a caligraphy pen for the same deal - I started with them because they were finer and I learned the power of the pen on aircraft panel lines.
They do make it quick and easy.

Nice work so far Murph the interior looks good nice idea with the fine line marker, you are doing a good job on a very old dog of a kit. Have you painted the body, waiting for those pics.

I really want the body to look good on this car, so, I've primered and wet-sanded twice now to eliminate ANY "Orange Peel" problems with the color coat, Dupli-color Cayman Green. Co-incidentally, the same color as my Ford Exploder. Hey, that's what ya get when ya inquire to the SWMBO about color. I talked her out of pink. I think it'll look good with the white primer I used. It will be a lighter green than my truck. I wanted to do a sort of "Candlelight Cream" color with the brown interior, but, in an attempt to get the ole Lady interested, I asked "What color, Dear?" Silly me.

Look for the body color about Monday as I'm patiently waiting for the weather to go back to "normal" so I can paint a good coat outside.

Cuhail

Well, I had to do something while I was waiting for paint to dry, so, I added the stereo speakers. I used the Sharpies to draw the speaker cones and centers.


And then added the grills, formed into a dome using the end of a BB gun CO2 cartridge.


Kinda cool how that works out, eh?

I also added the (hopefully) last coat of paint last night, to the body. I am giving it a couple more days to cure before I give her a sanding. I took it out of isolation for a few minutes to snap some pics. I think it's gonna look good.

You tell me,





I'm gonna sand Thursday, so we'll see how it looks then.

Comments welcome.
Sharpie's rule!
Cuhail

Murph,
Hey that paint on the body looks real good, nice and smooth. Looking at the pics show no orange peel, I do see the small blemishes on the four corners. I’m guessing there the cars logo. Question, why sand. Is the paint on the body bad, peeled. If not why not just buff it out using 3M compound. That’s what I use most time getting a smooth paint job. But beware just as with sanding, don’t stay to long around the sharp edges or you’ll burn through the paint.

The engine looks great, the interior well it does look good. Two things I can suggest to help clean it up. First lightly dampen a q-tip in a thinner and lightly wipe off the off marked lines, at most get them to slightly disappear. Then go over the area with the interior color using a fine brush.

Don’t forget to add in the Pine Tree air freshener on the radio knob and dice on mirror

What more...
Joe

Awsome! Your details are great. Love the windshield washer res.

The rear speakers are a nice touch. what material did you use for the grilles? Have you ever tried using those cheap, tiny, inside the ear, speakers for scale woofers? Although your work esp. under the grilles.

I agree with mother about the exterior paint. It already looks smooth in the pictures.

Thanks guys.

About the color coat and sanding. Since I use rattle cans, I always wind up with some orange peel effect and so I lightly wet-sand with #2000 sandpaper. I then use buffer sticks made for nails to give it a good shine. I still have to do a bit of black under the trim line, as per SWMBO's direction. She wanted it, she gets it.
I'm not sure where you are going, Joe, with the q-Tip and the thinner on the interior. The lines in black are piping, not shading or an attempt at a wash at all, I was just experimenting at an attempted technique. I figure with the body on, ya won't really see 'em anyway, so....

I am gonna go with some dice, I think. And the Air Freshener, even though I hate the smell of most of them, will be there too.

The speaker grills are Detail Master and I think it said "Boom Box Grills" on the package. The PE sprue is visible in the picture of the speakers without the grills installed. I used the second-to-the-smallest pair. What sucks is they ripped a bit when I was forming them into domes.

Glad ya like 'er,
Cuhail

The Pontiac is coming along nicely Murphy. I'm very impressed by the paintjob on the body. How many coats have you given it?

How many coats?

Hmmmm...let's see.

Mist coat
First color coat
Second color coat
Third color coat

I'll sand today and if there's any rub-through, I'll throw another coat on.
Sand again and if it's okay, I'll mask and do the black under the trim line and the interior part of the roof.

so, it looks like 4 or 5.

Unless...Joe, 3M Compound? I've never used it. Come, teach please.
Joe? JOE?

:D

Hmmm, we'll wait for Joe now
Cuhail