Post by Whiterook on Oct 9, 2024 16:27:53 GMT -5
When I was a kid in the 70s, I built a few automotive kits, where I basically slapped the kit together, slapped on a few decals, and that was about it! I never painted a one of them that I can recall, let alone sealant coat it. They were about as basic a build as you can get. I don’t recall; any models in the 60s, but I am not saying some snuck in there, but I certainly didn’t carry the hobby into the 80s. And of course, there were far more military subject builds (mostly aircraft and ships, and I can’t recall one armored unit). The point to remember here is, it’s been five decades plus, since I built a car!
However, I’ve collected a couple automotive kits over the past few years now, sitting untouched in my stash, and of late, I am getting the itch to revisit my past! I’ve got a very cool limited edition Batmobile, the Speed Racer “Mach 5” (see here), and a month ago adding the John Wick 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS (see here) to my stash. Now to digress a smidge, I was chickenshit to try the Batmobile, because I knew I’d never be able to pull off the finish (paint and seal) with any justice, simply because, I don’t know how. The Chevelle is now, an even more scary prospect. The Mach 5, well, not a real concern…but those other two? …oh baby, those are scary!
So, automotive has been on my mind!
I’ve decided it’s time to change my attitude on building automotive subjects and have decided to jump into a Group Build at another forum (MSC), with a dragster (see here), the MPC Bantum Blast.
…of course, I know I can build it! But I have no idea how to paint it… let’s be honest in recognizing that the civilian automotive build and paint process is much different than military. I’m used to assembling a model pretty much in it’s entirety, and then priming/painting/finishing. I need to school myself, and the best ways to do that is examples from forums on whole subject builds and YouTube vids on theory. On the former, I started looking at a few builds and came to three major discoveries right off the bat:
To a military modeler, this is definitely a bird of a different feather!
However, I’ve collected a couple automotive kits over the past few years now, sitting untouched in my stash, and of late, I am getting the itch to revisit my past! I’ve got a very cool limited edition Batmobile, the Speed Racer “Mach 5” (see here), and a month ago adding the John Wick 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS (see here) to my stash. Now to digress a smidge, I was chickenshit to try the Batmobile, because I knew I’d never be able to pull off the finish (paint and seal) with any justice, simply because, I don’t know how. The Chevelle is now, an even more scary prospect. The Mach 5, well, not a real concern…but those other two? …oh baby, those are scary!
So, automotive has been on my mind!
I’ve decided it’s time to change my attitude on building automotive subjects and have decided to jump into a Group Build at another forum (MSC), with a dragster (see here), the MPC Bantum Blast.
…of course, I know I can build it! But I have no idea how to paint it… let’s be honest in recognizing that the civilian automotive build and paint process is much different than military. I’m used to assembling a model pretty much in it’s entirety, and then priming/painting/finishing. I need to school myself, and the best ways to do that is examples from forums on whole subject builds and YouTube vids on theory. On the former, I started looking at a few builds and came to three major discoveries right off the bat:
- The upper body is done separately, in building and painting long before the floor chassis, wheels, and other items go on;
- Many pieces are painted on the sprue (this is true of methods I’ve seen on military models by others, but not one I typically follow; and
- The primer/paint job requires a lot of sanding to achieve that glass-like gloss finish of modern new autos.
To a military modeler, this is definitely a bird of a different feather!
