Hello all! My first post in auto builds. I hope I am posting in the correct place. I am 72 and got back into the hobby a couple years ago after many years off, while tending to a small business and family duties. I have learned a TON from all the modeling groups and great video presentations. While I am by no means a pro, I think I have progressed rather quickly just by absorbing and trying new techniques.
Anyway, I have chosen the share my Firebird build because this is probably my best work so far. The Firebird is of nostalgic interest to me as I had a friend back then who had a red one. We spent many hours in that car just tooling around from place to place. We even used it as sleeping quarters on our trip to the somewhat infamous “Erie Canal Soda Pop (music) Festival” back in 1972.
I didn’t document all steps of construction, except for the interior tub just before the final steps of completion. I apologize for that. The finish color is factory Autumn Bronze with a black “vinyl” roof, both lacquers from MCW Finishes. I absolutely love their products. I sprayed both over Tamiya rattle can grey primer using my H&S Infinity airbrush, at 10-12 PSI. Roof
vinyl overlap joints and roof/body trim were replicated with Evergreen .010 x .030 styrene strips. Interior vinyl is Tamiya semi gloss black from the rattle can. Some interior chrome was picked out with Molotow chrome ink, applied with brush, as well as a little silver Prismacolor pencil here and there. Kit chrome was stripped and sprayed with Revell Chrom. Trim was done in BMF. Touch ups were made using Sruoloc chrome pen (amazing product and in IMO, better than Molotow pens). Panel lines were accented with black oil panel line wash. I think that covers it.
I really enjoyed the kit for the most part. As I
have found with Revell kits, some parts fit flawlessly but others, not so much. Nothing that couldn’t be overcome with patience, however. Here are some photos. Hope you like them. Comments welcome. Thank you!
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Hell yeah! Looks awesome! Nice job.
She’s a beauty! Very nice work.
WOW! What a beautiful build of a beautiful car. I actually thought that it was a real 1:1 car! That interior looks so spot on, love that exterior color and those red line tires makes me think of Hot Wheel cars from my youth. Welcome to the Auto Builds BinSpin and you hit it out of the park with a Home Run!
Outstanding build-well done!
Wow! Thank you SO much for the kind words! It was a fun build. It seems the more of them I do, the more I find myself spending extra time trying to get details right. If you look closely, you’ll find plenty of mistakes, but I know this is like any other hobby in that you can never really be perfect. Cheers!
Thank you very much. It means quite a lot to me that you enjoyed it.
Great build. I like the wood grain console. How did you do that?
Cheers,
Mark
Over the course of my modeling life, I’ve built a grand total of 3 or 4 cars. But dang, it’s hard to tell from some of your shots that it’s a model. The wood grain console looks like the real deal. Excellent work!
Surprisingly, it was just the kit decal with a liberal dose of Solvaset. Thank you.
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Thanks Aggieman! I’m kind of just back into it myself. It’s my 8th car in about the last 2 years. But with about 50 years between those and my last ones as a teenager! I never would have known to try any of the techniques I employed without a ton of help from this and other groups and the many great tutorials on YouTube. I really enjoy Frank’s Model Shop and hpiguys. Fun hobby!
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@Binspin I have kind-of a similar story, albeit without the 50 year gap. Girls, baseball, and school became a bigger interest as I was going into high school, but I picked up the hobby again a few years after getting out of college and entering my professional career. I remember picking right up where I left off with the same techniques that I’d used as a kid, although the one thing I never had as a kid was now within reach - an airbrush. And from reading FSM, which I discovered in a local public library, I picked up so many new techniques that covered the entire range of tasks necessary to complete a model (which in my case is typically WWII aircraft although I have built a handful of other subjects just to keep things interesting).
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Aggieman, I also love WW2 aircraft. My dad was a bombardier aboard a B-17 so I liked (and do still like) to build them as a tribute to him and all the brave men and women who flew and fought in them (in every conflict, I will add). It certainly keeps me humble to think of them while I build and decorate. I will post a few in the appropriate group. Thanks again.
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Nice job on the Firebird, i have been eyeing the 1970 one that Revell has.
Binspin, now that your Firebird build is complete, and so well done, can I drive the car?
Yes, fotofrank, but be home by 11!
Thank you, NucMedTech. I haven’t looked into the ‘70, but if it’s as nice as this one, go for it. Much better detail than the AMT kits.
Agreed, most anything will be more detailed than AMT or MPC. Revell kits usually just give you one option with how you build the kit, MPC/AMT have more kits with 2 or 3 n 1 options.
I did an AMT ‘65 Grand Prix just before the Firebird. It was one I’ve had in my stash for quite a few years. I can attest, it was a struggle. Molded-in chassis detail, the usual crappy metal axles, ill-fitting parts, one-piece clear windows, in other words, typical AMT. It turned out ok because I liked the color I used, but I’m not especially proud of it. I did learn a neat trick though: someone suggested this Faskolor Faspearl White paint to lay over AMT’s cheesy chromed headlights. It actually does make the lenses look like clear glass.
