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24 Articles

It’s hard to say goodbye

During the ensuing months, I had the absolute pleasure of planning and editing eight issues, including this one, each with a unique flavor and flair. I told you in the October 2019 “Starting Line” that I wanted Scale Auto to be a hub where modelers went to learn from fellow modelers, get news about the scale-modeling world, and be entertained. And I think we succeeded. Of course, whenever we see something end, naturally we feel a sense of loss, particularly when it’s a long-standing, integral part of our lives. Though I have been part of the Scale Auto family for 18 months, it feels to have been much longer, and the magazine and you have become an important part of my life. I would go to bed nightly thinking about…

It’s hard to say goodbye

Hello from Europe I live in France and have been a subscriber to Scale Auto for nearly 30 years. I am a lifelong Ford fan and an avid builder and collector of Ford Motor Co. models. I read Tim Boyd’s “Classic Kits” column about the AMT Capri II (April 2020) with great interest. He wrote that he did not find more-recent reissues than the final T224 café racer. Of course, I own all the models that he describes, but I think that there is one package that he didn’t mention: the AMT/Matchbox kit, which is probably identical to the T224 inside. Thank you for this great magazine and take care! Bertrand JosephChaligny, France Ed: Bertrand, thank you so much for writing and supporting Scale Auto. We reached out to Tim…

AMT 1969 MUSTANG MACH 1

When modelers critique new kits, they often note exterior appearance comes up short even with excellent parts fit and far more complete underbody details. While compromised in many ways, AMT’s 1969 Mustang Mach 1 annual rates among the most desirable of all collectible Mustang kits, and you’ll have to pay handsomely to acquire it. Why? Because modelers will always prioritize a kit with a correct exterior despite other shortcomings. Following AMT’s highly detailed 1967 and 1968 Mustang annuals, the 1969 Mustang annual was a step backwards: a single-piece promo-style chassis (not the prior kits’ complete front and rear suspensions and separate factory exhausts); a simple and simplistic five-part interior; and a change from a multiple-kit build with engine options to a very basic 2-in-1. The box art mentions “Super Stock”…

AMT 1969 MUSTANG MACH 1

1/24 Scale • Coca-Cola® VW Camper Van (Quickbuild), No. J6047, $21.99. From Airfix • Coca-Cola® VW Beetle (Quickbuild), No. J6048, $17.99. From Airfix • LB Lamborghini Aventador V2, No. HD03-0550, $200. Kit contains resin, photoetch, decals, metal wheels, parts and logo. From HobbyDesign • Artisan Spirits FT86 (wide body kit), No. HD03-0561, $100. Kit contains photoetch, decals and metal parts. From HobbyDesign • Aston Martin DBS, No. AM02-0015, $150. Kit contains photoetch detail parts, decals, wheels and glass parts. From Alpha Model • Ferrari 488 Pista, $150. Kit contains photoetch detail parts, decals and wheels. From Alpha Model • Mclaren 720S, $150. Kit contains photoetch detail parts, decals and wheels. From Alpha Model • Porsche 935 Baby, No. 3639, $54.50. From Italeri • RWB Porsche 964, No. HD03-0537, $190. Kit…

LESS-DENSE METALLIC Q I am planning metallic and pearl paint jobs. I want to avoid the “metallic look.” I want a sparse/random spacing of particles in the finish. Can this be done with premixed metallic and pearl hobby paints, or should the particles be applied in separate layers of clear coats underneath a final clear coat to achieve a dusted effect? Could this effect be achieved by spraying from very far away in glancing passes? Do you have any suggestions for metallic or pearl combinations to tint clear coats? Also, are there any airbrush nozzle size requirements for particle clearance versus hobby paint spray cans? – Fred Richardson, via email A All good questions, Fred. I contacted master modeler Mark Jones for some definitive answers. Here’s what Mark had to…

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING

Unusual racing subjects spark my imagination. Driven by memories of significant cars, races, and drivers from my youth, I enjoy modeling cars that you won’t find in most modelers’ collections. Quite often, this leads me down a tortuous path to build something that hasn’t been kitted, but I can get to the end by kitbashing or starting with a slot-car body or even a die-cast car. But what to do when there is absolutely no place to start? This is where I found myself when I realized I simply had to build a Lotus 18. This car, the first rear-engine Formula One (F1) Lotus, launched Colin Chapman’s meteoric rise. No Lotus collection would be complete without it, and all I could find was a scale drawing online. The boxy, rather…

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING

HISTORY OF SCALE MODEL PICKUPS: ALL THE REST

In the October 2019 and April 2020 issues of Scale Auto, we took a look at the rich, 60-year history of full-size Ford, Chevy, and GMC pickup scale model kits. At last, the time has come to wrap up with an overview of the rest of the field. Far from being a list of leftovers without better classification, some of the most intriguing pickup kits lie ahead. Not only do we cover Dodge compact, midsize, and full-size pickups, but we circle through Ford, Chevy, and GMC midsizers, plus Ford and Chevy compact imports. Speaking of imports, the Datsun (later Nissan in the U.S.) and Toyota brands were the compact trucks of choice for many during the ’70s and early ’80s, so we’ll see some of them, too. Just months after the…

HISTORY OF SCALE MODEL PICKUPS: ALL THE REST

TURN UP THE HEAT

Every modeler, at some point, wants to paint flames on a car or truck. Whatever your subject, it really doesn’t matter: You can paint flames on practically anything, in almost any color, and it doesn’t have to stress you out. You can use templates to get realistic flame effects, just like it’s done on full-size cars. But often you’ll end up with flames that appear out of scale or quite large compared to the rest of the model. There are simple techniques you can employ to achieve real-looking flames that minimize the use of templates or eliminate them entirely, letting you expand your freehand airbrushing skills. And what’s nice is that once you’re comfortable with the techniques, you can experiment and come up with your own painting styles. PREPPING THE…

TURN UP THE HEAT

BAD TO THE BONE

At model car shows or local club meets, fellow builders often ask about my process for painting graphics, like skulls and faces, on my cars. Over the years, I’ve honed my technique into a series of fundamental steps. Anyone can learn to paint graphics on a car model, however, that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to get perfect results the first time you try. As with all things modeling, practice and experience perfect a skill. Use these steps as a starting point, and then find what works best for you. Experiment and have fun! Paints used Tamiya Fine Surface Primer light gray (No. 87064) Bob’s Paint Orion silver, Spanish gold, and apple red lacquer Smart Classic 2.1 VOC clear (No. 4121-1), Classic 2.1 VOC Fast Activator (No. 4102-4); if ambient…

BAD TO THE BONE

Revell 1955 Chevy Pro Sportsman

The theme for the 2019 NNL Milwaukee show was drag cars, and I wanted to show something new. With plenty of options to choose from, I finally settled on the Revell 1/25 scale 1955 Chevy pro sportsman. With a lot of detailed parts already in the kit, it gave me a good basis for show piece. In fact, as the car started to come together, most of it came out of the box with a lot of detail work to round it out, including opening the trunk and doors, removing the front clip, and wiring and plumbing wherever was necessary. When it came to the finish, I thought it would be cool to see a modern drag car with an old-school gasser-style paint job. That’s when I decided to paint…

Revell 1955 Chevy Pro Sportsman

LACEWORK UNKNOTTED

Fine interlocking lines with delicate scallops and spider-web tracery only begins to describe the spectacular finishes you can accomplish by using lace for your car’s paint job. When done right, lace finishes demand attention, practically grabbing you by the chin and forcing you to look. Most people assume creating a lace pattern for your car’s finish is a complicated process. But honestly, as long as you have patience, painting lacework isn’t nearly as difficult as the results would have you believe. COLOR CHOICES For this how-to project, I chose to go with black over silver, which looks nice under a blue candy coat. However, feel free to experiment. I could have used green over the silver and black. Or you might want to go with a sunny gold, red, and…

LACEWORK UNKNOTTED

Revell’s 1/25 scale 1932 Ford three-window coupe “Deuce” first appeared in late 1996, alongside a December Scale Auto story featuring a build of the final preproduction test shot. The kit was a revelation for scale street-rod and hot-rod builders, featuring flawless body sculpting, the first-ever truly correct “highboy” building option in 1/25 scale, and a state-of-the-art drivetrain and suspension layout. It became the basis for five derivative Revell kits, including other 1932 Ford body styles, four alternative engine configurations, and many ancillary parts that could be swapped between the various kits with little or no modification. Scale Auto readers voted the three-window coupe the 1996 Kit of the Year (June 1997) and Kit of the Millennium four years later (August 2001). Top of the class at the time, 22 years…

Revell recently announced that its existing tool and paint lines would be available in North America. The timing could not be better as Testors has discontinued the Model Master line, including its Metalizers. Revell offers three paint formulations: Email Color enamels in 14ml tins; Aqua Color acrylics in cleverly designed 18ml bottles that double as mixing palettes; and Spray Color 100ml spray cans of acrylic lacquer. Of course, there is a range of thinners and cleaners for the enamel and acrylic paint ranges. Revell made color matching from one of its paint lines to the other easy by making the numbers for each color universal. For instance, gloss clear is No. 32101 for enamels, No. 36101 for acrylics, and No. 34101 in the spray cans. Starting with the acrylic lacquers…

Tamiya Ford Mustang GT4

Tamiya’s all new tooling for the Ford Mustang GT4 looks like a street car, but it only builds into one of two race cars (the Graywood Festival No. 17 or the official Ford car No. 18). And yes, it is curbside, but it does include a bare engine block and transmission — think of it as a starting point if you want to detail under the hood. As you would expect from Tamiya, the parts don’t have mold lines to contend with, and the sprue points end up hidden during assembly. There are a few delicate mold lines on the body, but cleanup and prep were negligible. Of course, the parts fit extremely well, and I’m again impressed at the engineering for the clear components (especially the lights) to make…

Tamiya Ford Mustang GT4

AMT ’32 Ford V8 Coupe

It’s not as if personal preference is particularly right or wrong, but building only in the hallowed 1/25 scale can cheat you of things you might otherwise enjoy. Take ’32 Fords, for instance. When Revell introduced its storied line of “Deuce” hot rods back in ’96 and then wrung body styles and engine variations out of that tooling clean into the aughts, there was always some minor puling over the absence of stock versions, never more apparent than with the three-window coupe, previously botched by Monogram and never kitted by AMT. Except AMT did — in 1/32 scale. Sure, the age of the kit shows a bit, more in overall design than in the quality the molds. The 35 parts themselves are decently crisp and clean, with sink marks manifesting…

AMT ’32 Ford V8 Coupe

AMT 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 XL

Produced from 1959-1974, the 1963 Ford Galaxie was graced with a more streamlined roof than previous years. The XL range boasted more comfort features than baseline models. AMT’s ’63 Galaxie kit dates all the way back to 1964, and has been reissued numerous times over the last 40+ years in various forms. Round 2 tags this latest release as an “advanced customizing kit” with parts for a stock, custom, and advanced custom Galaxie. The engine appears to be an FE 390 V8 with options for a stock induction system or a Roots blower which would require a hole cut in the hood. The kit contains one style of exhaust header for both engines. Unfortunately, the engine shows its promo-style heritage with a hole through the oil pan and block to…

AMT 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 XL

MPC 1976 Dodge Dart

MPC’s ’76 Dodge Dart can be finished as stock, custom, or as a drag car. Review the instructions and the parts to determine whether you want to go with route A or B; I went with B, a drag car. The instructions move logically from wheels, to engine, then chassis. I went with stock wheels with drag slicks in the rear and pad-printed Goodyears up front. The engine’s high-rise manifold and four-barrel carbs assembled without difficulty. The 426 Hemi comes with several details, including a water pump and starter; the latter looks a little clunky. I couldn’t seem to get the manifold to sit properly over the tab on top of the engine, so I removed it and that solved the issue. It’s not the most accurate engine, but you…

MPC 1976 Dodge Dart

AMT 1927 Ford Model T Police Car

AMT’s ’27 Model T has been through a bunch of versions since it was released in 1964. This police car variant was first introduced in 1972 and was one of AMT’s most detailed kits with a multipart engine, suspension, and interior. It’s still a nice kit and fits together well overall. Along with the car itself, modelers also get a wealth of period police details. The hot-rod engine upgrade with Frontenac twincam cylinder head and chrome exhaust is still included and referred to as the “police pursuit engine.” Earlier versions also included chromed wheels and custom tires for a hot-rod version, but those have been omitted in this release. I wanted to build a model that was period-correct, so I dug out a copy of Monty McCord’s Police Cars: A…

AMT 1927 Ford Model T Police Car

Franzis 1965 Ford Mustang V8

Plan where you’re going to display this big K-Code 289 Windsor small-block before you start building. Packed securely in a large box, the engine comes with a perfect-bound instruction book (written in German and English) that also includes a pictorial history of Ford Mustangs from inception through 2019. Like previous visible engine kits by other manufacturers, it can be used as a learning tool for those who don’t know how an engine works. It is simplified in some ways, but the sheer size, transparency, and working features distract from that aspect. It comes with a screwdriver to help with assembly. Three AA batteries (not supplied) power motion and a sound chip and speaker that simulates the sounds of the engine starting, idling, and revving. Small light bulbs replicate firing spark…

Franzis 1965 Ford Mustang V8

AMT 1969 Plymouth GTX Hardtop Pro Street

AMT’s 1969 Plymouth GTX Pro Street melds muscle car and dragster to take high-octane racing to the street. The 22-part 426 Hemi builds into a fair representation of Chrysler’s iconic “elephant engine” with a three-piece intake manifold. The two plain carburetors can be topped with a set of velocity stacks or triangular air filters. A two-piece four-speed transmission fixes to the rear of the engine. I deviated from the kit instructions for painting purposes and built up the floor pan and engine bay as one assembly without attaching the front subframe and K-member. Doing this allowed me to paint the whole unit and then detail the engine bay. At this point, I attached the complete engine and transmission assembly to the five-piece front subframe and installed it from underneath just…

AMT 1969 Plymouth GTX Hardtop Pro Street

AMT ’65 Chevelle Modified Stocker

Round 2 has brought back the AMT ’65 Chevelle Modified Stocker. It appears to be a direct reissue with four, wide, pad-printed tires, a fifth padprinted “floater” tire, and new decals. The engine comes with 20 parts, including a set of headers with side dumps. The radiator has an upper hose, but no lower one. The kit shows its age with a hole through the block to accommodate a metal axle, and only the oil pan secures the engine to the chassis. I added a homemade mounting bracket at the transmission cone. The multipart roll cage features molded safety padding. A bit fragile, I recommend pinning the joints for more strength. The gauge pod on the roll cage has raised details but no decals. The steering column does not go…

AMT ’65 Chevelle Modified Stocker

AMT 1965 Dodge Coronet 500

The Dodge 1965 Dodge Coronet was a top-seller for the maker that year. The 500 was the top of the line as a hardtop or convertible and considered the high-performance series. AMT’s kit of the ’65 Coronet is actually a reissue of a 2004 Polar Lights snap-together kit. Building the Coronet is easy and fun, although I recommend test-fitting and enlarging the mounting holes for various parts to reduce the pressure required to push parts together. Reinforce those joints with some thin plastic cement. The chassis, engine, and interior go together with little effort. The separate exhaust system features cutouts for a drag version. Nicely detailed front and rear suspensions come in multiple, separate parts. However, the instructions are vague regarding placement of front suspension parts, so test-fit before committing.…

AMT 1965 Dodge Coronet 500

AMT 1966 Buick Wildcat Hardtop

Buick’s Wildcat started life as an option for the Invicta line in 1962 and became its own model in 1963 with a standard 401 V8 engine. In 1965, the Wildcat got an upgrade with a new body style and an optional 425 power plant. In 1966, the Wildcat “Grand Sport Performance Group” package offered a choice of a single, four-barrel 425 V8 or dual four-barrel carb that churned out 360 horsepower. I appreciate Round 2 bagging all the parts separately, including the tires and metal axles. What’s more, for a kit with its roots in the days of promotional model kits, the parts appear crisply molded and almost flash free. Assembly starts with the 19-part Buick 425 dual-quad V8. Easy to build, a hole through the engine’s block to accommodate…

AMT 1966 Buick Wildcat Hardtop

One, last, checkered flag

With profound sadness, we mark the final regular print issue of Scale Auto magazine. But though it’s with regret and a sense of loss that we cross this final “Finish Line”, I think it important to remember what this magazine did to help start the second renaissance of the modelcar hobby. After the demise of Car Model and Model Car Science, the hobby had no large-circulation magazine with national distribution, though Dennis Doty’s Model Car Journal worked hard to keep the fires of our hobby lit. When I learned from Dennis that Gary Schmidt was about to start a magazine called Scale Auto Enthusiast (the periodical’s original title), it was a cause for celebration. I called Gary and offered him an extensive database of names and addresses which he used…

One, last, checkered flag

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