TonyW

I'm still on my building construction apprenticeship Mike. I'm bound to get it wrong a few times before I get lucky. I did think the Shelby building was so simple that it would probably be an easy build. I'm still getting the hang of this kind of modelling though. It's very enjoyable trying out brand new (to me) techniques. When they work, it's great. When they don't it's a bit of a pain but another way of doing things gets tried. Eventually something is going to work. This frontage has got me thinking a bit. The lessons learned on the Ford Dealership building and the Shelby one might come together with something like the Mel Burns front.

The factory stole the idea for the '71 model. I'm not bitter though.

The Mustangs rear end has had a bit of a makeover. There's nothing wrong with the factory version, it's nice and simple and suits the car well. That's not to say that the owner of my car didn't decide it needed a bit of upgrading. The Mustang had a huge accessory aftermarket and add ons were everywhere. After fitting a new front grill, my owner thought the rear end looked a bit plain. A new look was needed. I've made a frame for the indented rear panel out of .5mm rod and bent it to fit the opening. Then I cut and painted a bit of the mesh I used up front to fit the panel. The panel itself got painted in a dark grey. The frame got chromed with a Molotow pen and the frame and mesh added to the car. The stock filler cap and tail lights got thinned down quite a bit and added as well. The tail lights have had one coat of Tamiya clear red added, with another still needed. The hood scoop also got a chrome lip added for extra drive in points. Next up will be a return to trying to crack the glass moulding issue. Once I have that sorted, the end will be in sight. Tony.

The blue car has been ignored for a while now, the '69 Boss 302 build kind of took over for a while. That one can have a turn in the wings for a bit and the blue car can have centre stage for a change. The Shelby building has been put on hold as my version of it didn't match up to some of the excellent pictures unearthed here, showing it with much greater clarity. Starting again from scratch would be the best option and depending on the time available, it might happen. To make a start on the car itself today, I thought I might be able to repeat the grill modification that worked so well on the Boss '69. No chance. The grill bars got thinner and thinner and eventually collapsed on me. I thought it might happen so I had a plan B ready and waiting. A small piece of Verlinden accessory netting was cut out to fit the now empty grill surround, glued in place and sprayed silver. I like the look, very period aftermarket. The car itself got a proper freshen up as well, the clear coat got flatted off and the whole polishing thing took place.1500 grit, down to 12000 followed by a couple of coats of car wax, all brought the finish out and put a smile on my face. And, the obligatory coloured card background shots...

The engine bay of the Boss has been giving my eyes and tweezer technique a good work out over the last few days. I think I'm winning although I sometimes wonder. To open the batting, I added two rows of scale bolts to the inner wing edges. That was fun. I've had a couple of sets of scale bolt heads for probably over twenty years now, still unused. They are the smallest pieces of anything that I've ever added to a model. I had to go up a size for the fenders as the very smallest proved too much for my old eyes, even with a magnifier. Not a perfect installation, but serviceable. A fuel line was run up from the fuel pump to the carb, plug wires added although it's not the tidiest job in the world. The air cleaner can covers the offending area pretty well though. The air cleaner got what I think is some kind of smog device added to the side of it although it's a bit oversized and may well get replaced. There's all kinds of smog gear on the engine, adding it is a bit odd to me. Every American car I've owned has had the emission gear binned on day one. Not exactly eco friendly these days, but that's the way it was. The brake fluid reservoir got a spring clip added to the top and brake fluid lines run out the side of it. The coil got it's king lead added, The battery got its filler caps painted red and the headlamps were assembled and fitted. Revell have done a first class job here, they look like the real deal. The Mustang badge on the grill got chromed, detail painting to come, the oil cooler was fitted and can be seen through the grill, making that job worth the effort. The front bumper and air dam/spoiler were also fitted although the bumper didn't behave and has set in slightly the wrong position. An easy fix though. Yet to come are battery leads and starter wiring, heater hoses and maybe headlight wiring. I've noticed that the real Mustang grill badge has two tiny, and I mean tiny, pins holding it in from the rear. They can be seen in the Hot Rod cover picture above. I like the idea of adding them! The hood release arm needs adding as well. Probably a few more bits as I come across them, then I'll glue the hood shut over the whole lot. Not really. Tony.

So long as they are well wrapped with twenty pound notes, I'll be happy to accommodate. 🤑

Tamiya really are in a class of their own, aren't they? The presentation of the kit is first class and the quality just shouts out at you. I wish they did a range of 60's Muscle Cars.

Very tidy modelling. The seats look especially good.

Isn't it great when you spend ages getting yourself right back to where you started from? I'm glad I'm not alone here. 😀 The grill looks very good. Huge close up pictures are merciless and yours passes with flying colours.

That engine is looking a bit special now. The alternator brackets put a huge smile on my face, and the very distinctive fuel line looks really good. That part catches my eye every time I look at pictures of these cars, so adding it is a very good idea.

Darth Vaders Saturday Night Special! That black looks tough. The big arches suit the original shape perfectly as well. My engine fan has suffered in much the same way as yours. I managed to remove it from the block with a pair of long nosed pliers after a trial fit, damaging only one fan blade in the process. My hood has the same fit issue as well! I thought I had fitted the radiator top part a bit wonky but maybe it's a Revell boo boo? I'll be relieving the inner hood area to make things fit.

The paint is older than me, yet it still goes on without a brushmark. Keep a wet edge and don't overbrush if possible and it flows out beautifully. I wish current Humbrol paints were as good.

All the decals are provided by Revell, Mike. There are a few more to be added to the engine bay, along with wheel cap centres and various Mustang badges. All very nice, if a little temperamental to apply. I'll be adding more detailing to the engine bay, just because I can. Plug wires may well make an appearance. The problem, if there is one, is that things are not quite as they should be in the first place and modifying everything would soon get to be a pain. The kit is very nice and has a lot to be happy with. But...The front suspension is a bit basic, being moulded in one bit already on the chassis Brakes are lacking, cables need adding, the rocker covers look a bit wrong, the tower braces are wrong, it goes on and on. It still builds well without any of this getting sorted though. It looks like a Mustang, it's bright and brash, it sits well and I'm enjoying the build.

More tortoise than hare, but it's getting there... Hood decals added. You only get the outer edge of the full monty, the pinstripe and about the first six inches of the solid centre part. The middle bit is down to you. I brush painted the middle with Humbrol Gloss Black, using a sixty year old tin of one hour enamel. It went on beautifully. I'll flat out any dust specks once it's dry enough and finish it as a semi gloss. A pair of ancient photo etch licence plate surrounds were added to the Illinois plates provided in the kit and will get added at the end of the build. And before you know it, the side stripes got added to one side. A very fiddly job, the decals are really good but have a habit of moving when you don't want them to and not moving when you do! The area above the BOSS 302 lettering is out of whack a bit. I'm not sure I can live with that. For the life of me, I couldn't make the thing go where I wanted it to. I'll take another look tomorrow. I suspect that area will get replaced. I also added the trunk lid black decal. It worked fine. I also added a radiator overflow pipe to the rad cap. The side of the cap got drilled for an appropriate size bit of wire that was then bent across the rad and dumped down the side as per the full size car. Once I painted it black, it completely disappeared. I know where it is, but I can only just see the thing. More wasted effort.

I'm not sure why things started distorting. Probably dissimilar materials expanding and contracting at different rates over time I guess. Without the foam filling everything would have been very delicate, although a bit of plastic sheet bracing might have been a solution. The card base itself might have moved about a bit and the foam stayed still. Who knows? Foam mountboard has been problematic with a couple of recent builds. It's not the most stable of materials. I'll be avoiding adding foam to builds in the future. MDF seems a whole lot more stable as long as it's well sealed.

A bit more got done yesterday, not a lot but progress of a sort. Trying to get the dip out of the top of the rear window louvres saw me crack three of the things. Repairs have been made and the glue should be dry enough this morning for a bit of remedial rubbing down to take place. The engine got more ancillaries added which busied the thing up quite a bit. The radiator and support were added to the body and I then started to worry about how to assemble everything. The chassis fits easily enough to the body when slipping the rear end in first, then opening up the body at the front wings to let the front part of the chassis fit. The problem then is the engine and radiator fit. The engine fan sticks forward quite a bit and sits as it should, inside the radiator shroud. That then prevents the body itself from being able to be fitted Funny Car fashion. The engine bay needs to have the body slipped into place at that end first. Fitting the rear becomes a bit more difficult then as the rear body needs to be opened up a fair bit to make it fit that way around. It might have been possible to fit the engine in place after fitting the body but it looks a bit tight. The fan gets right in the way. I've left the fan unglued at the moment to allow a bit of fore and aft movement at the fitting stage. The engine is glued in now as there's a bit of added detailing I want to do that will be a lot easier with it fixed in place. The rear panel has been left off for now as well. Hot Rod magazine had this handy view of the 429 motor in a '69 body on one of its covers. Very useful for details. The 302 motor looks tiny in comparison. The front light surrounds have been painted with very dark grey and give the thing a quite sinister look. The engine bay is starting to look suitably busy now as well. The holes for the hood supports need filling in and I still need to finish the cowl repairs. I fitted the dash decals as well. The dials look brilliant, they settle in the holes really well and are readable if the fancy takes you. The wooden glove box door and instrument surround decals went on as well. The glove box one went fine, the instrument one failed a bit. The very thin bit of woodgrain at either end of the decal wont fit the dash panel, it's a bit short. It dried out of shape at one end, spoiling the effect somewhat. I was quite annoyed with that but need not have been as the panel is just about invisible once fitted. You really have to try to see the thing! I'm now annoyed at the effort put in for no result. You can't win.

This one never did see completion Adrian. It deserved a bit more attention really, but other projects and builds pushed it further and further back in the line. I took another look about six months ago(!) and the base had distorted somewhat. The vac form towers had also started to come apart. The effort involved in bringing it back from there was more than I was up for. The base is now landfill somewhere with the aircraft currently residing in a storage box labelled Built Lancasters. There's a few others keeping it company. One day you're the dog. The next day, the Hydrant. Tony.

That's a shame. Would holding the pen at an angle and doing one side of the raised area at a time work? Or maybe cut a bit of card that fills the centre gap while you do one side at a time? The initial idea is a good one, getting the method dialled in would be worth it in the end. Good luck.

Nice work. Browsing through some old Sports Car Graphic magazines turned up this advert. Does it look a bit familiar?

More steady progress on the '69 Boss. I'm using old Musclecar Classics articles for colours and any detailing I can add. I think I've got the engine blue pretty close now. An old bottle of Testors blue for a base and a French blue oil wash over that. It looks bright in the pictures but it matches the magazine articles quite well. I can always add more oil paint to darken it a bit. The interior has had a first coat of semi matt very dark grey, along with the rear window louvres. The same dark grey got used to cover the engine bay after a 0.5mm strip was masked of on the inner wing edges. Black oil paint will get scrubbed into the grey later and most of it then removed to bring out the shadows and creases. The grill got painted with the same very dark grey. It looks about right. Molotow ink will provide the trim later. From the front the radiator area is visible through the mesh. The oil cooler will be a bit more visible once that's fitted. From the rear, looking forward, the grill makes me smile... ...which is just as well as I've made a bit of a blunder that is under repair as I type. I tried the same plastic removal method as used on the grill but this time on the louvres at the base of the windscreen. I've managed to bust a couple and the missing bars stand out like a sore thumb. I've repaired and repainted one bar, there's two more to do, right in the centre of the panel. Annoying, but not a deal breaker. Nothing's fixed, but it's hard to resist propping it all together to get an idea of how it's going to look. Ignore that louvred panel gap, I'm trying too. And here's how the thinned rear window louvres look. The hinges need reducing a bit and there are shadows on the tops of the louvres where the middle support was. I'll have to try thinning the tops a bit more to see if that will do the job, I'm trying to avoid filler on such an already thin piece. More later. Tony.

Now that's a good idea. I'll be watching your results with more than a bit of interest.

To make the wheel painting a bit easier with all those segments that need filling, I dilute black paint just enough so it runs into any low areas, and then touch it over the wheel nuts to fill that area. Five touches, five wheel nut surrounds done. Let it dry and repeat as necessary. The black builds up and the capillary action does the painting for you. Once that area is done and dry, tilt the wheel over a bit and do the same with the cut out area next to the rim. It's a bit of a faff waiting for the paint to dry enough to do the next segment but it's easier on the eyesight than straight painting. Any paint that wanders off can be either removed with a cotton bud or a paintbrush damp with thinner.

Time to knock off for the day. The threatened rain turned out to be a bit of a shower about one o'clock and that was it! Oh well, a days happy modelling took the place of laying a garage base, so I'm not about to complain. Plenty got done this afternoon. A light coat of Tamiya Yellow was sprayed onto the body parts, just to see how it was going to cover. It went on really well! After the initial coat I left it half an hour and put on a slightly wetter one that flowed out to a decent gloss finish. That wasn't quite what I had planned. The nose wasn't fixed yet and I was concerned about the fit there. I left the paint to harden and got back on the rest of the kit. Taking a look through some references here, it seems the rear window slats didn't in fact have a centre support as provided by Revell. Some delicate file, knife and saw work got the support cut out and everything is looking much thinner. The louvres and the grill have also been primed with Tamiya grey primer. Moving back to the bodywork, I fitted the nose piece after a bit of fettling to make things line up. A dab of superglue got things fixed firmly and then I added a couple of coats more yellow. I'm very impressed with the paint, it flowed out really well and coverage was amazing for yellow. The hood is taped into position above the car body as I expected the yellow to go on poorly. Having it get the same coverage as the rest of the body was the aim. I need not have bothered, the paint covers very well indeed. The body can harden for a day or two now. The chassis is next in line for attention. More as it happens...

Here we go again, another addition to the build pile. This time it's one of a pair of Revell Boss 302 kits, bought way in advance of the GB, from an internet promo that offered the kits at far too good a price to pass. Five kits on the go at once. This could either be a triumph or a tragedy. Time will tell... Things all look very nice indeed. The decals look crisp and clean, the interior wood panels and instrument faces will make life easier. Tire decals are included, the stock wheels look good and the rest of the model looks very inviting. Work commenced this morning as rain is forecast here today. That gives me a good excuse not to be working outside, which was my previous plan. First up, an attempt at bare metal foiling the MUSTANG lettering on the trunk lip. I didn't know how well this would work, so wanted to get it sorted now. I've not used the stuff for at least fifteen years, probably more. I added foil over the whole upright part of the panel and rubbed the foil into the letters as tight as I could get it. The plan was to paint straight over the foil and rub off the raised letters. No primer, I didn't want a white edge next to the yellow topcoat. It looked terrible. No good at all, the foil seems to have a slightly rough finish, no matter how hard I burnished it. Off with the whole lot then, with a huge sigh of relief that I didn't wait until later in the build to reveal the lettering. The kit decals provide pin sharp lettering that will do a far better job although not raised now as I've sanded that off. Possibly the kit decals would have settled over the raised letters but I didn't want to take a chance on that not working. Taking that lot off was a good excuse to tidy up the rest of the body and prime it for later paintwork. I've also thinned the wheel arch lips and window surrounds down a bit to lighten things up a bit. 3'' thick scale wheel arches won't cut it. A couple of templates were cut to fit the front and rear window openings, mainly to see if flat material would work, rather than having to mould curves. They work just fine. Fresh clear plastic will be cut when I get to that part of the build. And a bit of Scary Mary thinning out of the front grill and slatted rear window took place. An hour or more of taking sliver after sliver off the back of the moulded kit grill finally paid off with a very delicate see through grill for a reward. I used a medium file and a pair of scalpel blades, one curved the other straight. Material was removed from the back of the grill bit by bit until the near transparent backing could be pushed through from the front with an old toothbrush. The debris raised then got trimmed from behind. Repeat until the grill is open mesh. It gets scary towards the end as the mesh is incredibly delicate once the webb between the bars is gone. Here's the result, along with the now decaled tires and one painted wheel. The rear window cover panel is getting similar treatment. The right side has been thinned out so far. That panel isn't as nerve wracking to do, although I've had enough of that kind of work for today. I'll finish it off later. Taking me up to lunch was a bit of red oxide primer for the chassis and floorpan. I added the tires to the shot to save shooting a separate picture for them. Not a bad start to the build, let's hope the rest of it goes as smoothly. Tony.

Superb work. Your attention to detail is quite amazing. I learned a lot from the video, thanks for posting. Where did you get the wipers and tire template? Tony.