Hey Mike, I am smiling over here. That grill looks great! You guys are getting me primed to build a car.

Right on to what Mustang said about about the polishing system. By doing that you never have to worry about dust, clumps, or orange peel. It is really liberating once you get the system down, and the finish is flawless.

I like Mustangs advice about starting dark and going to light. That is a really nice effect. I am taking note of that one.

Great work here guys.

Lookin' great Mike! FYI-be verrrry careful sanding around raised detail and on corners. If you don't pay attention you'll be down to the primer and THAT....................SUCKS!!!!!!!!

No worries though. Just be mindful and you'll be A-OK.

Oh excellent! I have the sanding pads so I just need the Novus and a shammy cloth. Which we probably have around here somewhere, or something like it lol.

But I'll be getting some Novus because you say it works and I don't feel like experimenting with untested polishing compounds. I only have one shot at this after all lol.

I started working on the front grill. The part was over 1/4 inch too deep and stuck out of the front of the car way, way too far. I had to grind it down to get it to sink in enough to be flush with the front of the car. I made a line with Tamiya tape so I wouldn't grind off too much then fiinished off the sanding with a micro file, which made quick work of it.

Then I had to add spacers so it would line up in the middle of the front opening. Which I made to look like the screw placements that are on the real thing.

I gave the front of the grill a wash with AK interactive to get into the deep crevices and then slopped some Vallejo Black in the middle. The grills on these cars are always black so that makes things easy. The acrylic doesn't stick to the chrome plating very well so I can clean up the slop with a tooth pick and get good, clean lines.

Now it's just a game of cleaning up the trim. As you can see I've got the red over the X in the center of the grill. I will clean it up so it has the chrome trim around it too.

M. Brindos

Lots of ideas rolling around in my head. :)

The headers actually have a little shading that's not showing up in photos. I used Alclad on 'em so there's some black under that stuff that shows up in the crevices and cracks.

Before I forget, orange peel aint always a bad thing. Get yourself one of those sanding pad kits that has sanding pads from 3200 grit all the way up to 12000 grit. Start with 3200/3600 and work your way up through the ranges to 12000. You'll see that the "orange peel" dissappears and you'll be left with a decent gloss at that point. After that you break out the Novus 2 polish on the finish to really bring out the shine. Then at the end of the build hit the whole thing with Novus 1 to complete the Bad A shine you'll have after your done. Don't use polishing clothes for your Novus 2 and 1 treatment. Instead go to the automotive isle in the store and get a chamois to polish with. You cant get much softer than cow skin for polishing.

I think the next time I build a car I'm going to try fabricating all of the brackets so the Alt, Smog pump, PS, and such are not just hanging in mid air. Then there is all of the wiring and linkages... Lots to build, and it seems like a lot of fun.

I carved the belts on this one into "V" belts so they didn't look like blocks and I'm very happy with the way those turned out. Next time I think I will take it a step further and scribe some definition to separate them more.

Lots of ideas rolling around in my head.  :)

Oh yeah. I totally see what you mean. The shading from dark to light is very subtle but gives the overall impression of a solid color while giving you some tonal variation. Nice.

I also see that your carbs have the look of used, but not dirty aluminum. Those details really stand out. Those headers look brand spanking new and just bolted on a minute ago.

I'm surprised that you didn't fab some exhaust gaskets for that one, lol. I was thinking of doing that to see how it would look. I'm really (for the first time ever) liking the combination of flat and gloss and some gaskets (among other real details like your throttle linkages and fuel lines) really make these little engines into mind blowing little works of art on their own.

Time to admit, I've been watching your builds very closely. Because of the details you add. ;)

I think I've got a more than good chance of finaly finishing a car model. lol

I always get bogged down when it comes to the body paint because I've always had so many problems achieving a smooth glossy surface. Orange peel seems to be what I get unless I use Car touch-up spray cans.

So I've come close, but usually put them back in the box for "someday" when I can fix whatever was wrong, or get the m o j o back.

Sorry Mike. lol. Looks like we've got the mechanical background in common. As far as the light wash I think it's still a great idea not so much for the grime but for bringing out some detail. I usually black base my engines so when I paint them I can go from dark to light with the shade instead of the light to dark. Light to dark often leads to way too much paint and the black base helps with the shadowing in crevices and all. This is a black based engine painted with the dark to light method and a light (and I do mean light) wash. As you can see , there's no grime but the details are brought out.

mustang1989

Dang Mike!! That engine looks really good and I like that AMC decal on the air cleaner. It may not be stock but it adds some character to the engine. The only thing that I noticed was the wires normally have a natural droop to them where the go over the rocker covers. I wouldn't worry about doing anything with it this point though as that engine has had alot of good work put into it. Lookin' good so far Mike!

 

Thanks Mustang! Yes I know the spark plug wires naturally droop. I have over 30 years of working on cars lol. But I liked the way those looked, even though now you have me thinking about changing them - that's still an option as they are not glued in. I like how they look on the left side, but they now seem too long on the right side. Dang you (shaking fist comically).

I'm also having second thoughts on the Smoke wash as well. When we had our cars we didn't let the oil and dirt build up on the engine. We also learned that chrome engine parts need a lot of constant polishing lol. Experience from winning car shows taught us that lol (fingerprints are most distracting for photos lol).

So thank you again. I do think the carburator and the transmission could use a little grime. Aluminum tends to keep some dirt and grime even after you wash it off lol.

Bakster

Hey Mike, the engine looks excellent. I am really impressed with your attention to detail. Don't forget to add some oil into the engine before you start it up...

 

 

 

Thanks, Bakster! I've got nothing on the other guys, but I'm picking up ideas like crazy around here lol.

As to adding that oil... I don't think it will get very far without the throttle controls lol!

Thaks for the responses fellas.  :) I'm learning a lot from you all!  :D:D:D

Hey Mike, the engine looks excellent. I am really impressed with your attention to detail. Don't forget to add some oil into the engine before you start it up...

Dang Mike!! That engine looks really good and I like that AMC decal on the air cleaner. It may not be stock but it adds some character to the engine. The only thing that I noticed was the wires normally have a natural droop to them where the go over the rocker covers. I wouldn't worry about doing anything with it this point though as that engine has had alot of good work put into it. Lookin' good so far Mike!

Annnnnd... Done.

Everything is the right color and it looks like an AMC engine. Including the ever rusty and never clean exhaust manifolds. It just wouldn't look right with those in clean cast iron lol. I've never seen an AMC with fresh exhaust manifolds so this is an accurate depiction lol.

Okay, so the only thing left to do is to add the Tamiya Smoke wash and its all finished.

^ The only thing that is not accurate here is the AMC logo on the air filter. There should be a chrome-like silver sicker that goes around the circumference of the lid that tells you its AMC (with logo) and what cubic inch the motor is. So this is inaccurate, but the best I could come up with.

I'm very happy with the way this turned out. Of course its missing all of the throttle controls and the emissions plumbing, but its been a long time since I've had any of that stuff to play with and I don't remember what all goes where lol.

Aotake... a little bit lol. Almost the same formula I would mix for Aotake. But now that you mention it, it does resemble Aotake.

Thanks, Steve. That's as close to the actual emblems as I can get. :)

The hood scoops on the 1:1? Yeah, back yard Revell lol! Yes, we've been an AMC family for decades. Ever since my Grandfather bought his first Rambler. Dad had 7 of them in the yard at one point, but sold them all off. Even his multiple trophy winning '70 Rebel SST. That was a hard one to see go. Its been the only thing I've ever wanted to inherit lol.

I've been working on the engine all morning long, since about 6am. I've scratch built a MSD-like distributor because the orriginal part looks nothing like the real thing and this was definitely a sweet upgrade part when we could get our hands on one for a good price. I'll make up the MSD coil for the firewall later.

So other than that I'm detailing the air cleaner a bit so it looks like the real ones more, but everything else is stock parts.

Its a WORK IN PROGRESS and needs some touch-ups and more love to finish it off. I'm definitely going to give it a wash of diluted Tamiya Smoke later.  :)

The heart of the beast. Is it a 304ci, 360ci, or a 401ci? No idea. There are no decals provided for the sticker that goes on the air cleaner that would boast about what kind of power plant this is and the only way to know on the actual engine would be a stamp cast into the block, the firewall sticker, of the sticker that goes on the air cleaner. Since none of these have been provided I suppose we'll just have to guess lol.

Hmmm.

    If I didn't know better I'd say you like American Motors stuff . I am correct ain't I ?  T.B.

Oh My ;

 Now that's an interesting looking glue Bomb . Are those Revell Hood scoops on there ? LOL,LOL. Yeah , it can be fun .  T.B.

The hood emblem looks great. And so do the rear emblems. Really nice work. That really pulls it together.

Mike: Looks snazzy! 

Hmm, the engine colour looks almost aotake! And did you try buffing the silver? Dunno if it would help any or not. 

Well I guess I'm doing a pretty good job. My Mom had to ask if it was a real car lol!

So a little further detail added to the gas cap and I trimmed up the Gremlin Hood emblem while I was at it.

And an extreme close-up that looks seriously gritty.

And now I'm seeing some weird anomaly in the gremlin's head? WTH is that? Gotta go fix that real quick.  :/  (Edit: it was some odd bit of shine from somewhere. Its fixed now)

Mike, I hear you. Macro sees all the things that the human eye doesn't, at that level. Along with that, it is really hard to photograph the model and catch all the subtle color  nuances. I have seriously struggled with that on a ship build that I am doing. You try to build something that looks good to the human eye, but it really gets lost in translation in a photo. The camera just can't capture the tonal detail. This is why I know what you are saying is true. It always looks better in real life. 

Looking good sir!

Thanks, Steve. It looks a lot better in life. I'm actually quite happy with most of it. But Macro is a cruel mistress lol.

Mike, that is an excellent job trimming all that out. I think it looks tight at this macro level. I don't think its hideous at all. Nice job sir!

Steve

Just a little update.

I masked off and detailed the back of the car. There are no decals for this section and almost all of the Gremlin X models had this section of the back end trimmed in Black/Red/Blue/White. It depended on your main color and trim package.

I painstakingly detailed the AMC logo and Gremlin Gas Cap, then finished off with painting the license plate lights. The Macro makes these look poorly done and makes the paint still look "gritty" but I've gone over all of it with a 12000 grit sanding pad. It's smooth as I can get it without removing the paint lol.

Well, here is "the ugly" that is a Macro shot of the back of the car.

I may have to get a little closer to those plate lights and trim them up a little better. This picture makes them look hideous lol.

That's a really cool shade of blue on that motor Mike. I apply a thinned down coat of Tamiya Smoke to my engines to bring out the detail and to give it a slightly used look. The thinned down coat also doesn't dirty it up too bad so you've got some beauty to it rather than a worn out look.

your silver is looking good. I always had an issue trying to get silver paint to look like car paint silver.

Hey Mike-- thanks for the synopsis on your Dads car. That was fun to read. The car will be a real gem and a fantastic accomplishment when you get it done. I am excited for you two. What a cool thing to do with your Dad. 

Thanks, Mustang. If I run into any problems or have any questions I will be asking you.

Crown, Thanks! not one problem yet, but Murphy's Law will eventually catch up with me again lol.

A couple shots of the engine/trans that Dad assembled. Believe it or not, this is the actual AMC engine color. We had some left over from years ago.

:D

looking good 

Lemme know if you need any help with the gloss finishes when you get there Mike. I've spent the last two years learning and feel ok with where I'm at in that regard.

Good morning, fellas. Yeah, Mustang, Dad wanted to build a car so he could see if he wanted the new project car to be painted in silver. They may not be the same year, but so far, we both love the color on the model.  :) 

I've not built a car in a long time and its been even longer since I've ever finished one. I usually bog down once I get to the body. Engines, transmissions, interiors I've got no problem with. But shiney finishes are a weak point in my skill set. lol.

So far, so good.

Bakster, it's a real hunk of junk LOL! but these kinds of things take years to build up right. First stage will be to take it all apart and find out what can be restored and what will be replaced. The former owners of this car have done a lot of damage to it, inside and out. But we have some extra parts for trade in the deal as well. An extra roof rack, a power steering pump from a chevy, etc.

This car is literally a mess right now. No radiator, leaking break lines, ameture conversion of the shifter from column to floor that is super sloppy. Yeah, we've got our work cut out for us with this one lol.

Those hood scoops are some back yard scrap sheet metal pop riveted to the hood. They even cut holes in it, which means we need to find a new hood somewhere, and these cars are getting VERY rare.

Its an X car, but someone replaced a bunch of stuff or stole it for another car along the way. Fortunately we still have a spare engine sitting in the corner of the garage.

This car actually started with a 232 under the hood, instead of a 304. We've got a 256 that will fit nicely though. Lots of  AM options to fix it up with.  ;)

So years of wrenching ahead of us. It will be nice having this to work on while we have a model of the intended goal sitting on the shelf for inspiration.  :D

Next up for the model, is some tooth paste polishing! That should make it shine!  :D:D:D

Hey Mike, the silver looks good.

Thanks for posting a picture of your Dads new baby. Look at the hood scoops! What a fun project. 

Well looky who we got in here! Good ol' Mike! I'm really looking forward to seeing what you do with this one! Great to have you on board in the Auto section.