Q 0 0

7 2X
*
 Whether you’re building your first plastic scale model car or just
want to improve what comes in a kit, this book i s for you. Long
time car modeler Bill Coulter takes you through every stage of
building and detailing a model car. You’ll learn how to paint and
finish cars and build intricately detailed engines, transmissions,
suspensions, wheels, and interiors. Not only will you learn how to
build a realistic-looking car, you’ll be given the tips and techniques
for building a car that can vie for first in any contest.

BUILDING AND DETAILING SCALE MODEL CARS

includes detailed, how-to chapters on:
• Getting started
• Preparing to build a model car kit
• Painting and finishing
° Building and detailing the chassis
• Building and detailing the engine and transmission
• Building and detailing the interior
• Modifying and detailing the body
• Adding wheels and tires
• Performing a simple conversion
• Transporting and displaying model cars

KALMBACH JIbOOKS
$8.95 13001
I S B N 0 - flTOBU - 113 - 5

llllllllllllllllllllllllllll , . ? o o p o >
 About the Book
Many model builders will tell you that scale model cars
outrank all other modeling subjects in fun and creativity.
Longtime car modeler Bill Coulter couldn’t agree more,
and in this book h e tells you how you can enjoy model
car building to its fullest.

This book provides proven techniques for building

and detailing every part of a car. From the grille to the
rear bumper and everything in between, Coulter covers it
all, even the needle on the speedometer and cigarette in
t h e ashtray. You’ll learn what materials to use to make
brake lines, how to create tire wear, how to lower or raise
t h e suspension, how to achieve a stunning paint job,
and much more. You’ll discover how you can modify just
about any c a r - a n d add special touches that highlight
your creativity. And if you want to enter your car i n a
contest, the author shares building tips aimed at daz
zling the judges.

Regardless of your modeling goals and interests - b e

they a contest-quality Winston Cup NASCAR, a mantel
piece ’57 Chevy, or a 1/24 scale model of your own c a r -
this book will help you build a better-looking, more realis
tic model.

About the Author

Bill Coulter has been build
ing model cars with great skill
and enthusiasm for more than
40 years. A business communi
cations consultant, he’s written
frequent articles for many hob
by and real-car magazines, in
cluding Auto Week, FineScale
Modeler, Scale Auto Enthusiast,
and Stock Car Racing.
 (building and detailing)

BY BILL COULTER SCALE MODELING HANDBOOK NO. 11

1. Getting started ................................................ 3

2. Preparing to build a car kit .......................... 6
3. Painting and finishing model cars ................ 10
4. Building and detailing the chassis ................ 18
5. Building and detailing engines
and transmissions ........................................ 27
6. Building and detailing interiors ..................... 35
7. Modifying and detailing the body .................. 41
8. Wheels and tires ............................................ 51
9. Conversions and modifications .................... 58
10. Transporting and displaying your models .... 61
Glossary ........................................................ 63
Index .............................................................. 64

Editor: Michael Emmerich

Assistant Editor: Marcia Stern
Art Director: Lawrence Luser
Artists: Patti Keipe
Phil Kirchmeier
Glenda Oslage

The Ford Cobra in the center of the front cover was built by
Gregg Luser. The other two cars were built by Steve Davis.

KALMBACH BOOKS
© 1 992 by Bill Coulter. All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in part or in whole with
out written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations used in reviews. Pub
lished by Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P. O. Box 1612, Waukesha, W l 53187.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Coulter, Bill.
Building and detailing scale model cars / Bill Coulter.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-89024-113-9 (pbk.)
1 . Automobiles - Models - Design and construction. 2. Automobile
detailing. I. Title.
TL237.C68 1991
629.22 ’ 1 - dc20 91 -61 898
CIP

To order additional copies of this book or other Kalmbach books, call toll free at (800)533-6644.
 Fig. 1-1. A perm anen t work benc h is the dream
wher e every thing is, and keeping your work of every modeler. Being well organized, know ing
1 . Getting
MODEL CAR building is unique
amon g scale mini ature s hobbies. No
where else does the builder-craftsman
take near limit less licen se; exerc ise un
bounded creativity, imagination and
origi nalit y; and produce such exac t,
delicate, and articulated mechanisms.
Model car enthu siast s appr oach each
building project with the specter of the
above-mentioned choices loom ing be
fore them. Many time s just decid ing
precisely what one wish es to accom
plish with a model is difficult beca use
there are so many alter nativ es.
Model car build ing includes all those
types of models the folks at the Interna
tional Plastic Modelers Society (IPMS)
like to refer to as “civilian-wheeled vehi
cles.” This grou ping includes all cars,
trucks, motorcycles, and so on.
Building styles range from curbside to
out-of-the-box to replica-stock, to minor
or major conversions, and finally to
scratchbuilding. Because of the diver
of the hobby, model car building andsity de
tailin g can appe al to youn g and old, nov
ice and expe rt. A youn gster may build a
model of his favorite car, an adult may
build an accu rate replica-stock model of
the car he drive s, and the builder of full-
size race cars, rods, or customs may at
tempt radical expe rime nts in mini ature
before heavily inves ting time and money
on the full-size item .
area clean i s important.
started
You can find a place in model car viding you cover appliances with drop
build ing no matter what your interests cloths to protect them from overspray.
or skill level. Just picki ng a project and You can spray paint outside if the
starting means you’re halfway there. weather is warm and sunny, but avoid
If just getting started is half the bat this on windy days (remember the say-
tle, then finding the right work envi
ronment and buyin g the proper tools
and supplies are a good part of the
other half.
Work environment
You won’t have to build an anne x to
the garage or expand your den to ac
commodate car modeling. In fact, all
you need is an area.large enough to fit
a common kitchen or folding table and
a comfortable chair , fig. 1-1. You also High intensity lamp
need good light ing in the work area,
perhaps a high-intensity lamp , fig. 1-2.
And that’s it. To protect your table
from paint spill s or nicks, cover the top
of it with newspapers. Then
some thing with a smooth, rigidplace sur
face, such as Formica or Plexiglas, over
the papers.
For spray painting, grinding, or saw
ing, you’ll need an area where overspray
won’t cause dama ge to surro undi ng
household goods — and to you. Usua lly Fig. 1-2. A well-lighted, clean work area
the basem ent or garage is fine for isn’t a necessity, but it sure helps you keep
grind ing or sawi ng, but a well-venti track of what you’r e work ing on. This mod
lated area, away from heat sources, is a eler work s under a high-intensity lamp,
must for spray paint ing. A utilit y room and corre ctly wear s safety glass es while
using a moto r tool.
with an exha ust fan will suffice, pro
3
 Pen Liquid enai
cement

Gap-
Spray

Painlbn

Wet-dry'
sandpaper

Super glue

Putty (epoxyi

Fig. 1-3. Tools like the ones shown here are essential for building Fig. 1-4. You’ll need some or all of these supplies to finish
good-looking model cars. your model.

ing about not spitting into the wind?).
Tools and supplies
You should be able to find most of
what you need at a well-stocked hobby
shop, although craft shops, electronic
supply stores, hardware stores, and
mail-order outlets also carry many
modeling supplies. If you can’t find it in
a hobby shop, try one of these others.
Here are the basic tools and supplies I
recommend, figs. 1-3 and 1-4:
• Hobby knife with No. 11 blades.
These blades dull quickly so buy an ex
tra package.
• Sandpaper, medium- and fine-grade
automotive
• Files, one jeweler’s and one larger
• Liquid plastic cement
• White glue
• Modeling paints (see chapter 3)
• Brushes (see chapter 3)
• Tweezers
• Razor saw
• Jeweler’s saw
4
You’ll need additional tools and sup
plies as your skills — and the sophis
tication of your projects — increase.
These include:
• Motor tool
• Filler putty
• Airbrush
• Alligator clips
• Pliers
Safety precautions
Building model cars is a safe hobby,
certainly safer than, say, building and
racing full-size cars. But every once in
a while someone gets hurt due to care
lessness or ignorance. If you follow
these easy safety precautions you’ll
have no need to worry.
• Always use protective eye gear when
handling a motor tool. That one time
you don’t will be the time you’ll need it.
• Never use electric tools near sinks,
tubs, or anything that might contain
water. This is a good way to get a jolt —
of electricity!
• Never spray paint without wearing
an organic-cartridge filter mask. The
chemicals in spray paint were never in
tended to reach your lungs, and this is
the best way of making sure they never
do. Here, an ounce of prevention is cer
tainly worth a pound of cure.
Choosing car kits
Experience is no doubt the best
teacher, but a bad experience may af
fect your outlook on building model
cars for a long time. Put another way,
don’t buy a kit you won’t b e able to
build for lack of skill or interest. Mea
sure your skills against the complexity
of the kit and avoid buying something
too complicated — or too simple.
Price and number of parts often indi
cate the complexity of a kit, so when
you’re just starting out, buy modestly
priced kits with few parts. Also, choose
a kit you can build in a few hours. The
thrill of a finished model will whet
your appetite for more. When you dis
cover these kits no longer challenge
you, step up to the next level of com
plexity. Keep following this pattern
until you’ve reached the point where
every kit is a challenge and every ex
perience satisfying.
Something else worth remembering:
Accept that you’ll make mistakes no
matter what kit you choose. One of the
things that separates accomplished
model car builders from casual ones is
how they react to mistakes. Don’t lose
your cool (you may be able to work
your way out of it with minimal, if any,
damage), and never set the model aside
without determining how and why you
made the mistake. This i s how you
avoid repeating the same mistake —
and how you build up the skills to
tackle more complex kits.
Reference material
One way to enhance your enjoyment
of the hobby — and to build a better
car — is to read about and see the full-
size car you’re modeling, fig. 1-6. Refer
ence material about full-size cars is
■■■
widely available from a number of
sources: Auto magazines, books, shop
manuals, pamphlets, sales literature,
and product brochures are good places
to start, fig. 1-7. You can find these
sources i n bookstores, newsstands, and
libraries, which have extensive auto
motive sections. Sometimes you’ll even
spot something of value at flea markets
or garage sales.
Other good sources for learning about
full-size cars are car auctions, car muse
ums, car shows, and race tracks. At
these you’ll see everything from an
tiques and muscle cars to vintage or cur
rent racing cars to the latest street rods
and customs. Take a camera and note Fig. 1-6. Detailed, accurate reference material will help you build a replica.
pad with you.
Of course, often what you want to see respect for the efforts of others. If • Right attitude
may be right outside your window. you adopt t h i s approach toward the • Right workplace
Chances are you might see a full-size hobby, the chances are good that • Right tools
car that you want to model in a neigh your experiences will be consistently • Right project
bor’s driveway or i n a supermarket positive. • Right reference material
parking lot. Car dealerships, of course,
are excellent places to find and exam Before you begin, make sure you This book will teach you the right
ine full-size cars. Such observation know the recipe for successful model techniques; the right skills will come
may unlock a few mysteries about the car building: with experience.
full-size car — and your model.
For beginners and causal builders,
reference material is not essential, but
it adds to the fun. If you intend to com
pete in model car contests, however,
you’d better know your subject; good
reference material will ensure that you
do. Good reference material is even im
portant when you build something that
tests the limits of practicality. After
all, don’t you need to know what the
limits of practicality are before begin
ning to test them?
Adopting a good attitude
What’s a good attitude to bring with
you to modeling? A good attitude is one iflHL
that says I’ll stick with the project,
working out problems until I’ve fin
ished the model. A good attitude is pa
tience, persistence, and the courage to
plow ahead regardless of failures. A
good attitude is a willingness to learn
from mistakes. And a good attitude is Fig. 1-7. Reference material is plentiful and covers just about any topic, from muscle cars
an appreciation for one’s own work and to vintage race cars.

CHRYSLER
300
Edited by Thomas E Bonsall

5
 ■-
\
to

Fig. 2-1. Always check the parts in the kit against the instruction sheet.

2. Preparing to build a car kit

YOU’VE purchased your kit and want you to be a repeat customer. in the instructions for first time; you
you’re ready to begin. But before you Read the instructions. This may may find out later that some already
plunge into building you’ll help your sound too basic, but car kits fit together glued parts need to be separated to fit
self if you follow a few preliminary in a specific sequence. So don’t start into another assembly.
steps. gluing parts together as you read along Another reason to read the instruc-
Determine if you’ll need special
tools. Chapter 1 provides a list of basic
tools, but depending on the nature of
the kit and what you want to achieve TABLE 1: GLUES FOR USE ON MODEL CARS
with it, you may benefit from using ad
ditional tools. Type Brands Pluses Minuses
Check the contents of the kit before
starting to build. Now this doesn’t Styrene tube Testor Good for beginners Dries slowly; gets
mean because the box says there are 91 stringy with age
parts in the kit you need to count every
one. However, it’s always better to dis Liquid bottle Micro Weld, Excellent for plastic- Thin and runny; won't
cover something is missing or damaged Testor, Weld-on to-plastic bonding join other materials
before you need the part.
Lay out the parts on a clean work
surface. Don’t remove any parts from Cyanocrylate Zap-a-gap, Lock- Bonds everything; Tricky to use; not
the sprues, however, until you are (super glue) tite, Devcon quick drying strong; short shelf life
ready to use them. Compare the pieces
to the instruction sheet, checking to be
sure you have the parts you’ll need and Two-part Devcon Strong; dries
epoxy Messy
in what sequence you’ll need them, fig. quickly
2-1. Then arrange the parts (still at
tached to the sprues) in the order you’ll White glue
need them. If some parts are missing, Elmers among Good only for attach
many others Not strong
don’t despair. Most model manufactur ing clear parts;
ers will be glad to help you if parts are dries clear
missing from their kit. After all, they

6
 f (
\•’
J

Fig. 2-3. To familiarize yourself with h o w the kit goes to

Fig. 2-2. Hold the parts tree firmly on a hard, flat surface when gether, test f i t parts before gluing. This will expose potential
cutting Individual parts loose. trouble spots.

of engine half

Fig. 2-4. Join parts by applying a small amount of glue along the Fig. 2-5. To remove mold lines, use the back edge of a hobby
edge of one half of the assembly. Here l*m using a cyanoacrylate knife blade as a scraping tool. A small, flat file (shown here) also
super glue. works well.

tions is that many of the current kits

include abundant information about
the full-size car you’re modeling. They Apply body filler here
can contain useful information about
what factory colors were available and
what options were common for the en
gine, wheels, and tires. You’ll need this
information to decide how to finish
your model.
Also, instructions can be helpful in
identifying parts found on full-size cars.
Remember, this hobby deals with reality
in miniature. Many of today’s instruc
tion sheets provide valuable painting,
detailing, and decal placement informa
tion. If you ignore the instructions, espe
cially on a kit you haven’t built before,
you’ll probably regret it. “Pay me now,
pay me later,” goes a familiar televi
sion commercial.
Tab A fastens to tab B . . . Fig. 2-6. You’ll need body filler to eliminate gaps between parts. Here I’m using Squadron
Green Putty, found in most hobby shops.
To cut parts loose, first lay the sprue
on a firm, flat surface, then take a
sharp hobby knife and cut the parts cially if you’re building a kit you’re un Check to see how the engine parts fit
loose at the base, fig. 2-2. Never twist familiar with. Temporarily put the together. Do the engine and transmis
or break the parts loose. Once a small parts together, with masking tape if sion halves match up? How much of the
chunk of plastic is torn away from the necessary to hold them in place. Trial engine can be assembled before the
edge of a part (especially on chrome- fitting the car serves two purposes: It parts are painted? Is the windshield in
plated parts or clear window glass) the shows you what the model acutally stalled from the inside, or is it flush
flaw is nearly impossible to repair. looks like, and it reveals fitting prob mounted from the outside? If the model
It’s always a smart idea to trial fit lems before it’s too late to correct them, has bucket seats, is there a definite
the parts before gluing them, espe fig. 2-3. Here’s what to look for: right and left, or are they interchange-

7
 Fig. 2-8. U s e a small, f l a t screwdriver b l a d e to a p p l y b o d y filler
Fig. 2-7. A p p l y b o d y filler to f i l l small openings in the body, s u c h in this sink mark, a depression where the plastic didn’t com
a s these for fender ornaments. pletely f i l l the m o l d .

ing the parts together. Before you

start gluing, make sure all the pieces
Square, flat piece of hard rubber line up squarely (a trial fitting will
have already alerted you to problem
areas). You may have to sand or cut
away excess plastic that prevents
smooth fits. Before removing any
thing, though, double-che ck the in
structions. Make sure that stray plas
tic i s just that and not part of the car.
Join parts together by spreading a
small amount of glue along the edge of
one side of the part and then placing the
two pieces squarely together, fig. 2-4.
Use glue sparingly. If you’re new to the
hobby, you may want to use tube glue,
which sets slower and is more forgiving
of mistakes. Liquid glue, or super glue,
sets faster. I l i k e to use super glues
and two-part epoxies because they dry
quickly and form a strong bond, both
plastic to plastic and to other model
ing materials. See table 1 for compari
sons of glues. When the glue i s dry,
Fig. 2-9. B l o c k s a n d i n g i s o n e technique for achieving a smooth, flat surface. use a hobby knife, a small flat file,
and sandpaper to clean up seams and
edges.
FOR USE ON MODEL CARS There are two things to look for when
TABLE 2: FILLERS-PUTTIES you start gluing parts: mold lines and
cracks. Removing mold lines (marks
Type Brands Pluses Minuses left in manufactur ing the kit) is impor
tant, since you don’t find them on full-
Green stuff Squadron Shop Easy to use size cars, and contest judges always
Shrinks; soft
epoxy
look for them first. Sometimes you can
Two-part A&B Hercules, Strong, durable;
Pro-poxy
Expensive use the hobby knife blade on the diag
works with wet finger
onal as a scraping tool to begin removing
Automotive 3M, Du Pont, Micro Easy to work with; the lines. A small flat file will normally
spot filler Doctor-Tools stable; won't shrink or crack
Expensive remove what’s left, fig. 2-5. Touching up
the area with medium- and fine-grade
Two-part auto 3M, Du Pont, PPG Easy to work with; wet-dry sandpaper will finish the job.
motive filler Expensive Seams (cracks or gaps at the point
stable; won't shrink orcrack
where two parts meet) are the other
problem. Occasionally you’ll need to
use filler to repair a seam or fill a sink
able? Are there tabs to fasten the mark, figs. 2-6 and 2-7. Most gap fillers
bumpers to the front and rear of the Make-ready work well, but don’t use regular hobby
body? (These make it a great deal eas The make-ready stage on a model car body putty (by the model manufactu r
ier than working with parts without is a critical phase of the building process. ers) because it shrinks easily and be
tabs.) Here you begin the initial assembly, glu comes dry and brittle. See table 2 for a
list and comparisons of fillers. Use a flat
8
 Building out-of-the-box
Most of us started out building kits
“out-of-the-box" (OTB). But once our
skills evolved to the point where we
wanted to enter contests, we aban
doned strict OTB projects because
contests shunned them. Today, how
ever, OTB has gained acceptance in
contests, and separate categories and
rules have been established. For in
stance, with the exceptions of paint,
chrome foil, and decals, you can’t add
detail to the model (eg, plug wires, oil
lines, valves stems, and so on), nor
modify it. This Porsche 944 is an ideal project for an out-of-the-box model. The exterior finish
Don't be fooled by the term OTB when must be nearly flawless.
it comes to rating the skills required for
such a project. But also realize that you
can build a contest-quality model car
OTB. Why? Because these kits are un
questionably the great equalizer among
model builders of all ages and skill lev
els. As long as you’ve mastered the ba
sics, you can enter an OTB contest. If
you hope to win, though, choose a kit
that matches your skills.
The best choice for an out-of-the-
box model project is one that allows
you to display your talents to the ut
most through the use of basic building
skills. These skills include cleanliness,
preparation, gluing, filling, sanding, and
finishing. There are many kits from
which to choose, but the best is one
that’s neither too complex nor too basic
in detail and construction. A race car
might be a good choice if it doesn’t suf
fer from lack of added detailing, like
spark plug wires. A snap-together kit is
probably too basic, unless the chassis
On an out-of-the-box model the use of paint finishes and foil is the ticket to a realis
and engine are well appointed. tic-looking car. Good building skills, especially mastery of the basics, is a must.
If you want your entry to stand a
chance in a contest, pay attention to the one another, and are they perpendicu
basics. How you remove the parts from lar with the table surface?
the sprue, for instance, could make a big • Are decals on straight?
difference. Touching up spots or edges • Do the decals need a touch-up with
where the plating is missing, careful glu matching paint?
ing of parts, and eliminating seams are Also, make the extreme limitations of
other basics you should attend to. Ask building an OTB work for you. How? By
yourself these questions before entering using various shades of black, metal,
an OTB model: and gray paints on chassis detail. Slight
• Is glue showing at the joints and variations in flat and semigloss colors
are seams still visible after the model in the interior can bring upholstery to
has been painted? life. Be sure to sand the tire tread and
• How smooth is the paint? Is it on so apply washes to suggest weathering
thick it looks poured on? Is it orange and age. When the opportunity to detail
peeled? with paint or foil presents itself, take ad
• Is the model covered with dirt and vantage of it. The body paint should be
smeared by fingerprints? flawless.
• Is glue showing on clear parts like Building an OTB model, especially Select a well-appointed kit for your out-
window glass and taillight lenses? as a contest entry, can be enjoyable, of-the-box project. The more available
• Does the car sit squarely on a flat but you’ve got to master basic building detail, the more you can exercise detail
surface? Do the wheels line up with skills. ing skills.

tool, like a small screwdriver tip, to ap
ply the filler, fig. 2-8. Let the filler dry
completely, usually overnight, then use
a small file and medium-grade sandpa
per to begin the cleanup.
In some cases, block-sanding the
area is the best way to maintain the
shape of the surface, fig. 2-9. Block
sanding is just as the name implies.
Wrap sandpaper around a flat object,
like a small block of wood or hard rub
ber, and work the patched area back
and forth until the surface is smooth to
the eye and the touch.
The real test of how well you’ve elim
inated the seam will come after appli
cation of primer coats. Wet sanding
and priming over the filled areas will
reveal how well the seams have disap
peared and how well you’ve blended
the filler into the surface of the part or
body shell. Continue with the gap
filler, sanding, and primering until all
flaws disappear.
An old adage says preparation is ev
erything. I don’t know if the source of
these wise words was a modeler. What I
do know, however, is that in model
building, preparation is the foundation
that guarantees a quality model.

9
3- Painting and finishing
model ca rs
SO YOU thought there were only
seven great wonders of the world?
Wrong! Ask any model car builder and
he’ll swear there is one more — a good
finish on a model car body. Noth ing
strikes fear into the hear ts of model car
enth usias ts like the prospect of putti ngl
a smoo th, clea n coat of pain t on a mode
car.
One reas on is that there’s little or no
marg in for error . You eithe r get it all
right or all wron g. Som e of the thing s
that can go wron g are runs, drips , fin
gerp rints , lint, dirt, bubb les, orange
peel, fish-eyes, and pain t that is too
thick or too thin. They affect everyone,
from beginner to seasoned modeler. If
you’ve never experienced any of these
problems, then you should be givin g
pain ting lessons!
But don’t let any of this get you down.
Although painting a model car can trip
you up, it’s certainly possible to achieve
a beautiful paint job — experienced or
not. Here’s a list of things you can do to
reduce the chances of some thing going
wrong:
• Neve r pain t wher e dust and dirt
10
are present. Strive to work in a clean
environment.
• Never paint during humid or rainy
weather. Humidity is one of the biggest
enemies of good paint finishes. It causes
paint to run and sag because it cannot
dry properly.
• Never paint without cleaning the
surface of the car’s body. No primer or
paint will cover up oily fingerprints
and yield a satisfactory paint finish.
The rest of this chapter examines the
gamut of model car painting, from
what brush to use to how to spray
paint. Follow these tips and techniques
and your painting should improve.
Paintbrushes
Don’t waste your hard-earned money
buying inexpensive brushes. Quality
artist brushes are not cheap, but the
disappointment and headaches eigh caused
by cheap brushes will far outw the
initial savin gs, fig. 3-1. Nam e-bra nd red
sable brushes are your best investment
over the long haul. Use pointed brushes
(No. 000, 00, 0, and 1) for detail work
and flat brushes for painting broad sur
faces. Always keep the brushes clean
when not in use, fig. 3-2. I recommend
usin g a mild thinn er like turpe ntine for
this. More powerful thinners like lac
quer thinn er shorten the life of brus h
hairs by drying them out and mak ing
them brittle.
Pain ts for plas tics
Man y com pani es offer pain t in bot
tles and aero sol cans inten ded prim ar
plastic mod
ily for use on polystyrene
3-3. What ’s spec ial abou t thes e
els, fig.
ain no ingredients
pain ts? They cont
that will attack the surface of the plas
tic, resu lting in what is commonly called
“crazing.” This condition occurs when
pain t cont ainin g a stron g solv ent or
thinn er desig ned to speed dryin g time
and aid in leveling the paint as it dries is
appl ied direc tly to model plastic.
If you’re conc erne d abou t the pain t
you’re usin g and how it will reac t tor
your mod el, test the pain t usin g either
a spare piece from the kit, the unde
side of the inter ior tub, or the top of the
and
chassis. App ly p a i n t to the surfa ce look
let it sit for a few minu tes. Then ,
 '33

Fig. 3-2. Keep paintbrushes clean and always moisten the hairs Fig. 3-3. All these paints are designed specifically for use on plas
by rubbing them between your thumb and index finger. tic. You’ll f i n d them at your hobby shop.

Fig. 3-4. Brush paint small items that by virtue of their size don’t Fig. 3-6. Wipe the top lid of paint bottles clean after each use.
lend themselves well to spray painting. Dried paint will make the lid nearly impossible to remove.

closely for evidence of a chemical reac

tion between the paint and the plastic.
If none appears the paint is safe to use
on your model.
Paints for plastic include enamels
(thinned with oil-based solvents) and
acrylics (thinned with rubbing alco
hol). Cleaning up enamel paints re
quires a solvent; acrylic paints can be
cleaned up with water, provided the
paint is still wet.
Remember, unlike other types of
models, such as aircraft, armor, or
ships, in model car building you usu
ally want the finish to be high-gloss.
The final exterior finish on nearly ev
ery automobile is gloss. Other areas of
the car, however, have a great deal in
common with military and aircraft
models. Interiors, chassis surfaces, en
gines, transmissions, and so on, gener
ally wear either a flat or semigloss
finish.

Bottled paints
Use bottled paints to brush paint
parts too small for a spray can or air
brush, fig. 3-4. I recommend against
brush painting broad areas since bot Fig. 3-5. Most bottled p a i n t already c o m e s i n j u s t a b o u t t h e r i g h t c o n s i s t e n c y to
tled paints tend to show brush strokes b r u s h paint.

11
Fig. 3-7. An aerosol can is the quickest and most cost-effective
method for painting a model car. Warning: Never spray paint in a
room without good ventilation.
Fig. 3-9. Use water and a mild dishwashing detergent to thor
oughly clean the surface of the body shell before starting to
paint.
when applied directly to large sur
faces. Confine their use to details and
small items (suspens ion, engine, ex
haust, interior detailing ).
Most bottled paints are about the
right consistency for application straight
from the container, fig. 3-5. Always
shake the bottle vigorously and occa
sionally stir the contents so all parts are
completely mixed. Keep the lip of the
bottle wiped clean so the lid will un
screw the next time you open it; dried
paint makes an excellent glue. Occasion
ally turn the bottle upside down in stor
age to keep the paint from settling in the
bottom of the jar and drying out quicker.
Spray cans
Spray cans offer the best, quickest,
and least expensive method for painting
model car bodies, interiors , and chassis
plates, fig. 3-7. Most aerosol cans hold
more than enough to put a generous coat
of color on any popular scale kit.
Numero us brand names and colors
are availabl e. Though model paint has
edged up in price, convenience and va
riety still make spray cans a real value.
Spray can painting preparat ion. A
light wet sanding (600-grade sandpaper
or finer) of the body surfaces is an excel
12
a good last step before priming and painting.
Fig. 3-10. Fasten the body to a paint stand like this one made from
a coat hanger wire. Apply a generous coat of primer to the whole
surface of the model.
lent idea before priming and painting,
fig. 3-8. Use automotive wet-dry sandpa
per and dip it in water and then start
sanding. Periodically rewet the paper
and rinse the model surface and paper.
The water serves as a lubricant and
surface cleaner. Wet-sanding takes
the “sheen” off the plastic. It also
gives the paint or primer a foothold,
somethin g to cling to.
Don’t forget to thoroughly clean the
surface of the parts to be painted. Use a
mild dishwashing detergen t and warm
water to remove oily film, dust, and
dirt, fig. 3-9.
Then apply a good primer coat before
applying the finish color. This im
proves your chances of getting a good
finish when painting the body shell.
The primer will help the paint stick
better to the model’s surface, and if
you’re painting a light color over dark
plastic, the primer will hide the dark
color.
Gently wet sand the dried primer
coat before applying the finish color of
paint. Again wash and dry the parts
thoroughly before applying the final
color coats of paint.
Spray can painting. For good results
briefly warm the spray can in a pan of
warm tap water, then shake it briskly
before spraying. Warming increases
the spraying pressure of the can, and
warm paint tends to dry quicker and
level out better. In other words, you’ll
get a shiny finish and reduce the
chance of orange peel.
To begin painting , mount the body se
curely on a fixture (a bent coat hanger is
a good choice), fig. 3-10. Start spraying
slightly beyond one end of the body,
moving across the surface horizontally
to well beyond the other end of the body.
Continue this on both sides and on the
top surfaces. Then turn the fixture at
90-degre e angles to apply paint in the
same fashion to the front and rear of
the body. Hold the can about 7" to 10"
away from the surface. Do not stop in
mid-course while painting — that’s a
guarante ed way of getting a sag or run
in the paint.
Only practice can determin e the best
speed at which to cover the surface
with good wet coats of paint. Being con
sistent and establis hing a repeated
rhythm to your techniqu e is importa nt.
What you’re trying to achieve is an
even and consiste nt coating of paint
over the entire surface of the body.
Rememb er, enamel and acrylic paint
finishes are “soft,” unlike the hard fin
ishes of automotive paints. They will
nick, scratch, or scuff easily. Enamels
take considerable time to dry. So put
the painted model, still on the fixture,
in a safe, dry, and dust-free area for a
few days to dry thoroughly. If possible,
put it in direct sunlight, where it will
dry best and quickest. Water trap
Airbrushing
Although airbrushes cost more than
spray cans, they’re a good investment.
You can use any type of paint or color
with one, something you can’t do with
spray cans since not all colors are avail
able. Plus, they’re especially handy for
mixing your own colors. Airbrushes also
allow you to adjust the spray, which in
creases your control over the pattern
and volume of paint. Basically, the air
brush does just what the aerosol spray
can does but better and more effi Fig. 3-11. A single-action airbrush with an adjustable spraying pattern is ideal for painting
ciently. It simply mixes diluted paint model cars. This i s a Paasche model.
with air from an outside power source
and propels it onto the surface of the
model.
The simplest non-adjustable air
brushes provide a broad spray pattern.
This is a problem for aircraft and mili
tary builders who need more control
over the pattern of their spray paint
ing. But this type of airbrush is ideal
for automotive modelers. A broad, even
spray pattern is exactly what model car
builders require, fig. 3-11.
There’s one thing to remember about
using airbrushes: Most paints will need
to be thinned around 50 percent (that’s
one part water or solvent, one part
paint) to easily flow through the air
brush. Properly thinned paint should
be about the consistency of water, fig.
3-12. If it’s too thin, however, it won’t
Watch paint level
cover the surface well. Simply add a bit
more unthinned paint to your mixture
to increase coverage.
Air supply. The two most popular
types of air supply for an airbrush are
canned propellants and the venerable Fig. 3-14. Move the airbrush in a sweeping motion from one end of the model to the other.
air compressor, fig 3-13. If you only use Never stop during this motion.

jggr

’’•t’ania.i.

F
ig. 3-12. To spray properly, most paints will need to be thinned Fig. 3-13. Two of the most popular types of air supply for an air
30-50 percent, about to the consistency of water. brush, compressor and aerosol propellant.

13
 the airbrush occasionally, then the pro
pellant can is your best choice. But if you
frequently use custom-mixed colors or
paint colors not available in aerosol
cans, invest in an air compressor. It’s not
cheap, but the cost of a few cans of pro
pellant can soon make the cost outlay for
a compressor seem within reach.
The one drawback to the canned pro
pellant is its tendency to “frost up,”
which reduces the pressure delivered to
the brush. When this happens you need
to either wait a while or set the can in a
pan of warm water for a few minutes
before you continue spraying.
Using an airbrush. You use an air
brush the same way as you do an aero
sol can, fig. 3-14. Practice on an old
model body or a scrap of plastic until
you’re comfortable holding and moving
the airbrush back and forth. During
application, keep an eye on the paint
Fig. 3-15. If you mess up during painting, simply strip off the offending paint with oven level in the jar.
cleaner or concentrated cleaning solution. Work in a well-ventilated area. Keep the coated Don’t expect to achieve a perfect fin
body in an enclosed plastic container. ish the first time you paint a model.
Even the most skilled builders miss the
mark occasionally. If you’re unsatisfied
with the finish let the paint dry, wet
sand the body with fine-grit sandpaper,
clean again, and spray on another coat.
If all else fails, strip the offending finish
with a concentrated cleaning solution
(like 409 or Fantastic) or oven cleaner,
fig. 3-15. In either case, work in a well-
ventilated area and wear plastic gloves
to protect your skin, fig. 3-16. Keep the
stripping agent and body shell in an en
closed container (preferably plastic) af
ter the solution is applied.
Automotive paints and p r i m e r s
Using automotive paints on a model
car opens up all kinds of possibilities,
fig. 3-17. Occasionally, you’ll get a
match between the paint on your model
car and the paint on its prototype, but
Fig. 3-16. Once the paint is stripped from the body shell, clean the surface thoroughly it’s a hit-and-miss proposition. Usually
with cleanser and an old toothbrush. to get this match you have to custom
mix automotive and model paints. At
the current cost of model paint by the
jar, a touch-up can or touch-up bottle of
the correct automotive paint color would
be cheaper and definitely less time-con
suming, fig. 3-18.
The active ingredient in nearly all
automotive paint, whether acrylic,
enamel, or lacquer, is not suitable for
direct use on styrene plastic. This
shouldn’t deter you from using auto
motive paints, but you’ll need to em
ploy special preparation, like apply
ing a primer.
Applying automotive primer. Apply
a barrier coat over the plastic that is
compatible with both the plastic and
the car paint. Plasticote No. T-235 and
Duplicolor No. 99 primers usually yield
satisfactory results. A word of caution,
Fig. 3-17. With the right primer as a protector any automotive paint can be used nn
though: There are no absolutes in this
a
operation. You’ll need to experiment
to ensure the automotive primer you
inese
paints as you would model paints. ’ choose is compatible with the plastic
in your model (a chemical reaction
14
 Fig. 3-19. Use masking tape to fasten small parts to a painting stand, such as this strip of
corrugated cardboard box.

Fig. 3-18. Automotive paint allows you to

select the exact colors used on full-size
street-driven cars.

will occur if they’re not). As many

modelers have discovered, if a n auto
motive primer works well on one kit
that doesn’t mean it will work well on
every plastic model.
When you begin painting, apply a
few light coats of primer at first to
gauge how it reacts with your plastic. If
all goes well, shoot a few more light
coats of primer over the body shell,
then stop long enough to allow the
application to dry (30 to 60 minutes).
Next, gently wet sand the body shell
with 400- to 600-grit sandpaper until
the surface is smooth. This should re
veal imperfections in the body that re
quire attention with a file, coarser pa
per, or more body filler.
Next, shoot more primer over the
body, making the coats wetter and Fig. 3-20. You can purchase a finishing kit like this one by LMG (Micro-Mesh polishing kit)
heavier than before. Approximately six that contains everything you need to achieve a quality finish.
to eight generous, even coats are
enough to protect the plastic surface
from the automotive paint.
Wet sand the body once more with
600- to 900-grit sandpaper until the
surface is slick and smooth to the
touch.
Applying automotive paint. You can
use either automotive paint from a
spray can or touch-up bottle (if you use
touch-up bottled paint, you’ll need an
airbrush). Apply a couple of good, even
coats of color on the body surfaces, as
you would if you were applying model
paints. In a few days, after the paint is
dry, wet sand the model using 900- to
1200-grit sandpaper. Be careful not to
sand through to the primer. Then apply
the final top color coats of paint.
you used paint from a touch-up
bottle for the initial coats, you’ll again
need to use an airbrush for the final
coats. Remember to use a mild thinner Fig. 3-21. Once the paint is thoroughly dry you can start finishing. Here automotive pol
or reducer, since the longer the wet ishing compound is carefully applied to lacquer finish.

15
 paint lies on the surface of the body be
fore it dries, the better chance the re
ducer or thinner has to penetrate the
primer. Just like shooting car paint di
rectly onto plastic, this will etch or
craze the finish.
Paint f i n i s h i n g
Once in a while a modeler will get
lucky and end up with a clean, shiny
finish . . . one that needs no additional
attention. This is, however, rare. No
matter what type of paint you have
used or how it was applied, polishing
the paint or “rubbing out” the finish is
pretty much the same procedure.
Polishing. Most rubbing compounds
and polishes are designed for automo
tive use and are not suitable for model
car paint. A few polishing kits, how
ever, are available, most through mail
Fig. 3-22. A polishing kit with various fine grades of sandpaper and polishing liquid is order sources, that are ideal for use on
ideal for working this soft model enamel to a high-gloss finish. model car paint finishes. Only use
“white” polishing compound; never use
automotive polishes on model paint. A
couple of polishing kits I’ve used suc
cessfully are LMG (Micro-Mesh polish
ing kit) and MSC (M2000 polishing
system), fig. 3-20. Again be cautioned
that model paint is soft even after cur
ing for a long period. It will never be as
hard and durable as automotive paint.
To polish modeling paint, use succes
sively finer grades of wet-dry sandpa
pers to bring the finish to a nearly ideal
state. Always work back and forth in a
left-to-right horizontal motion. Never
work in circles or combine a circular
motion with the back-and-forth one.
After working through the successive
grades of sandpaper, dab some liquid
polish on a clean, soft cotton cloth and
apply it to the model, using that same
back-and-forth motion. This will bring
the final finish to a mirror shine.
You can also use model polishing
Fig. 3-23. If no clear coat or decals are needed, automotive paint can be waxed to a realis kits on automotive enamels and lac
tic finish. quers, but you don’t need to be as
painstaking. You can employ almost
every type of rubbing and polishing
compound made for use on full-size car
finishes, figs. 3-21 and 3-22. Still work
cautiously, especially with automotive
compounds, since you could rub off too
much paint and go right through to the
primer or even the plastic!
Be patient with both model and auto
motive paints, and if you’re in doubt,
always experiment on a scrap piece of
plastic or an old kit part. Excellent re
sults can be achieved by proceeding
slowly and thinking ahead at each
stage before you plunge in.
Waxing. If after polishing you still
want a brighter paint finish with more
gloss, wax may be necessary. Again,
when waxing model paints, use only
wax advertised as suitable for use on
such paint. Stay away from automotive
waxes that contain cleaning agents;
10 in
these are nothing more than rubbing
Si compounds in disguise. This kind of
wax is suitable only for use on automo-
16
tive paints; it will damage the finish on
a model paint job — and ruin all of
your hard work.
Apply wax in small amounts no mat
ter what type of paint you use. Work
ing in one small area at a time, put the
wax on the surface with a clean, soft fa
cial tissue, cotton cloth, or cotton swab.
Work slowly and deliberately. Be pa
tient and you’ll get good results on ei
ther type of paint finish.
In some cases a household spray wax
like Pledge can be put on model or
automotive paint finish. Using a soft
facial tissue, apply the polish, then
with a clean tissue briskly rub the sur
face to a high luster.
Polishing is OK for paint finishes but
never wax any surface that’s going to be
covered with decals. In most cases, wa
ter-slide decals don’t adhere well or con
form to waxed surfaces. If you inadver
tently get wax on an area to be decaled,
clean the surface with rubbing alcohol
on a tissue before proceeding, fig. 3-23.
Clear coating. Clear coating over
paint finishes is usually employed when
the builder wants to get a high-luster Fig. 3-25. Even in this black-and-white photo you can tell that the body on the left has yel
finish without the tedium of polishing lowed while the polished-waxed body on the right has retained its bright white.
and waxing. If you fall into this cate
gory, stick to clear-coat paints made for act science. Paints expand and contract gleaming white finish gradually turn
use over model paints. I’ve had success at different rates, at different stages pale beige. Experiment with primers,
with Duplicolor and Plasticoat lacquers, (such as during or after drying), and color paints, and clear finishes on scrap
Tester and Pactra enamels, and Pactra under different conditions (such as ex pieces of plastic before applying them
and Tamiya acrylics. Clear lacquers and posure to heat or cold). Some types of to your model. And never apply spray
enamels intended for automotive use clear-coat paints have been known to paint over a waxed surface, fig. 3-25.
should never be applied over model cause the color coat to crack or craze. Painting may be the most difficult
paint finishes. Also, some clear-coat paints applied challenge facing model car builders,
One caution: Some model car clear over light colors, especially white, be but it’s not unconquerable. It’s a lot
coat paints can react negatively to con gin to yellow with time, fig. 3-24. like learning to ride a bike: When you
tact with certain model paints. For in My advice: Don’t use a clear gloss get thrown off, you just pick yourself
stance, model enamels may work well coat unless it’s essential. There’s no up and try again. Picking yourself up
under an acrylic model paint clear doubt clear coating helps blend in paint after a mistake is what model car
gloss, but the reverse may not be true. separation lines and decal edges, but painting is all about. Thousands of
Model car painting, especially when you may eventually pay for this with model car builders have done it; you
mixing different mediums, is not an ex- discoloration. It’s not unusual to see a can too.

17
4. Building and detailing
the chassis
TO SOME, the chassis is the least
visible and glamorous part of the model
car. But much of the car’s character is
contained here. Contest judges are es
pecially interested in the chassis. Once
the judges have examined your model’s
exterior, they’ll naturally want to turn
it over to see how serious your building
efforts have been.
Here are some of the things they’ll
look for:
• Have you modified or enhanced the
front and rear suspension, and is the
front suspension posed or is the steer
ing articulated?
• Have you raised or lowered the rear
suspension?
• Did you modify the exhaust system?
• Have you included all the visible
plumbing, like brakes and fuel lines?
This kind of attention to the detail of
the chassis is but another way of sepa
18
rating serious car models from also-
rans.
Identifying parts
Chassis. Generally the chassis is one
of three types:
• Body and frame
• Unibody
• Tube frame (round or square tube)
The first type is simply the body
shell and floor pan mounted over a full-
length and full-width box or X-section
frame.
With the second type, the unibody
chassis, some of the structural mem
bers, floor pan, and front and rear bulk
heads are welded together as a unit,
hence the term unibody. Subframes are
then bolted to this assembly as mount
ing points for the suspension to com
plete the chassis. This chassis is found
under many production vehicles today.
ill I.
The third type, tube frames, are
found under many competition, foreign
sports, and exotic cars. Here the con
struction can be completed with square
or round tubing. In the case of compe
tition cars, the roll cage and frame
form an integral cage-like piece that
creates a resilient but light structural
unit.
Front suspensions. Many of the
newer model car kit releases have
well-executed front suspensions. Gen
erally there are three types of front
suspensions: coil springs over shock
absorbers with upper and lower A
frames; torsion bars with upper and
lower A frames with shock absorbers;
and McPherson struts, a self-contained
unit with lower A frames only and no
shock absorbers.
In most cases the parts can be easily
assembled and painted to provide a
realistic setup. Some kits, however,
particularly those that have been in
production for a while, lack much
front suspension detail.
Once again, obtain good reference ma
terial. Many automotive books and mag
azines offer information about front sus
pension systems. An even better source
is an automotive shop manual. The shop
manual usually shows the complete
front suspension in both exploded view
(showing individual parts and their rela
tionship to each other) and assembled
form.
Rear suspensions. Just like front
Fig. 4-1. This is a box-style frame with
header dumps made from plastic tubing.
Fig. 4-2. A perimeter box-style frame used
on current road racing and stock cars.
Fig. 4-3. A box-style separate frame is
found under this 1950 Ford convertible.
Emergency brake cable
suspensions, rear suspensions can vary.
Some of the types include:
Quick change rear
axle/coil springs
• Torque-tube, solid axle with a single Trailing arm Inboard header
transverse leaf spring I / dump pipe
• Solid rear axle with dual leaf springs
• Solid rear axle with coil springs over
shock absorbers
• Independent rear suspension
Make sure any changes to your mod
el’s suspension are practical. Again,
good reference material will help here.
For example, an independent rear sus
pension is not a good choice for a high-
powered drag machine. It would, how
ever, be ideal for a current street rod or
custom. Drive shaft safety strap Transmission mount
Exhaust systems. Exhaust systems
for street-stock automobiles consist of
lengths of tail pipe interrupted by an
occasional muffler or resonator, origi Fig. 4-4. An X-style frame is found under this late-model stock car.
nating at the exhaust manifold and
ending at the back bumper.
Street rods and customs use about Spring shackles
anything that can safely carry the ex
Solid rear axle/leaf springs K member
haust gases from the engine to the pe Front subframe
rimeter of the car. Here, creativity rules. Emergency brake cable \
Side pipes, straight pipes, and modified
headers are common.
Racing cars usually don’t have con
ventional tail pipes and mufflers. Some
racing series, though, require a special
muffler. For the most part, dump pipes
are the common choice for use on road
racing, oval track, and drag cars.
~~~
. £
Building, modifying,and
detailing the chassis
Occasionally the chassis of a model
will have the street stock exhaust sys
Ion-steering posed
tem molded onto the surface as an inte Exhaust
swab covered with bare metal foil
gral part. For the most part, this isn’t a
problem. But if you’re modeling a com
petition car that doesn’t include a stock Fig. 4-5. This 1971 Plymouth has a typical unibody chassis.
exhaust system, you’ll have to remove
the exhaust system. The objective is to
eliminate the mufflers and tail pipes
without disturbing the rest of the
chassis.
Using a motor tool equipped with a
small flat-ended grinding bit, slowly Steering link
grind away the exhaust detail, fig. 4-9. s. i Protective side nerf bar
Nerf bar
You will need to use a motor tool with
variable speed or attach your tool to a
rheostat control. The speed should be
slow enough not to melt the plastic but
fast enough not to overload the motor.
With eye protection and a steady
hand, work back and forth, stopping oc
casionally. This will take time and re
quire some patience, but you’ll like the
results. Remove the entire muffler, fig.
4-10. Of course, this will leave holes in
Ja \
Franklin quick
the chassis pan. Here’s how to fill them. change rear
axle/coil springs
Clean the areas until no debris re
mains. Then, use stiff paper or card Header dump pipe
stock and a pencil to draw templates of
the holes. Transfer the template outline
to thin sheet plastic and use scissors or a
hobby knife to cut out the pieces, fig. 4-
11. Then glue the filler pieces in place. Fig. 4-6. Tube frame represents much of the construction found on many of today’s rac
The areas on which you used the grind- ing cars. This is a 1 970s-style asphalt modified.

19

Motor tool
Fig. 4-9. Use a motor tool to remove the muffler and tail pipe,
working back and forth parallel to the chassis surface.
Card stock templates
ing bit may require a final sanding.
Since you used a bit with a flat end,
which works in a sideways motion along
the surface instead of a vertical drilling
motion, cleanup should be minimal.
Building a front suspension. You
can construct the various suspension
and steering parts using small-diame
ter styrene plastic rod (.040"), fig. 4-12.
Once you’ve decided on the suspension
parts for your model, cut pieces of rod
into appropriate lengths. Using a small
20
Opening where muffler
had been
Fig. 4-10. Here’s the chassis before and after removing the
molded-in exhaust system.
pair of needlenose pliers compress or
flatten the ends on the tie rod, stabi
lizer bars, and so on between the non
knurled part of the jaws. Use a jewel
er’s file to round the flattened ends of
each rod. From this point, assemble the
parts according to your references. The
last step is to fashion the lower A frame
from a plastic C beam and glue it into
place.
Building a steering front end. Many
newer kits have fairly accurate and
Fig. 4-8. Here’s a torsion bar suspension
on a unibody chassis.
Fig. 4-7. A tube-frame chassis as used on a
mid-1970s modified car.
Molded-in exhaust
Fig. 4-11. Use card stock to make a tem
plate for cutting sheet plastic. Use a pencil
to outline the openings while holding the
card against the backside of the chassis
well-detailed front suspensions . The
torsion bar suspension on this 1/24
scale 1970 Plymouth, fig. 4-13, is all
there, but it’s molded as a one-piece
unit. Modifying the front suspension so
that the wheels are steerable enhances
the model without a lot of work.
Since you will need to free up the
parts that will be movable, first make a
cut with a razor saw along the front of
both lower A frames and remove the
stabilizer bar and struts. You’ll relo
cate them later since their original lo
cation doesn’t allow the spindles to
move. Next, carefully separate the tie
rods from both torsion bars, fig. 4-13.
Work slowly and patiently, being care
ful not to damage the pieces. Next,
make a cut on each end of the tie rod to
separate it from the steering arms.
Leave as much of the round fitting at
the end of the steering arm as you can.
Now drill a hole, slightly larger than
a regular straight pin, through the end
of each A frame and continue directly
into each spindle. Make the next cut
between the A frame and the spindles
 Fig. 4-15 STEERING FRONT END

Tie rod Straight pin

A frame
Tie-rod |
end U
Steering arm

Torsion bar
Shim

Lower A frame

Spindle
Steering arm V

K member Control stn

Front stabilizer bar Fig. 4-12. Additional pieces to build a more ac

curate front suspension may be made from
small-diameter plastic rod. A frame may be
made from sheet stock or C beam plastic.

Straigl

tie-rod
Lower A frame

Torsion bar

Steering arm
Tie rod
Shim

Fig. 4-13. Carefully separate the tie rod from the torsion bars with Fig. 4-14. The spindle and A frame are in position for the rod to be
a razor saw. attached to the end of the steering arm.

Fig. 4-16. The assembly o n the left is

straight from the kit. Compare this to the K member
same unit ready for installation.

just above the axle shafts. Don’t make

the hole too large since this will give
the finished suspension a sloppy look.
Once the drilling is finished, remove
the spindles completely from the A
frames. Be careful not to disturb the
steering arms when cutting the spin
dles loose. If the suspension sags, put a
thin sheet of plastic shim between the
spindle and the A frame to compensate Spindle removed
for the material lost during sawing.
Next, build up the tie-rod ends. Start
by obtaining plastic tubing slightly Hole for straight pin
larger than the diameter of the tie rod.
Drill out a length of rod large enough
to slide over the end of the tie rod. Cut
two pieces of the drilled-out tubing front suspension onto the chassis for a sert straight pins through the tie-rod
about 1/4" long and slide one over each trial fit. Cut straight pins to length and ends and on through the steering-arm
end of the tie rod. Don’t use glue here insert them through the A frame into fittings. Attach the wheels to the spin
since these new tie-rod ends will need the spindles. Drill a hole in the fitting dle-mounted axle shafts. Move the end
to be adjustable. on the end of each steering arm. Do pieces on the tie rod in and out until
To align the wheels, assemble the likewise for both ends of the tie rod. In the wheels are parallel. Secure the new

21
 side of the steering arm fitting. This will
intro! strut hold the tie rod/steering joint in place.
Be careful not to get glue on the joints.
Front
The final step is to remount the stabi
. sway I
lizer bar and control struts on both A
for that street rod or custom project,
you enjoy a few other choices: alumi
num or copper tubing, plastic tubing,
and cotton-tip swabs.
Cutting various lengths of tubing to

3
Lower
A frame
Fig. 4-17. This i s the finished steering
front suspension.
rod ends to the tie rod with super glue.
Be sure not to glue the joint between
the steering arms and the tie-rod ends,
since movemen t in this joint is critical
to the steering action.
Once everythin g is aligned, glue the K
member, with the torsion bars attached,
to the chassis. Put the spindles in place
and insert the straight pins through the
lower A frames. Install the tie rod to the
steering arms, fig. 4-14. Place a dab of
glue on the tip of each pin on the back
frames just slightly below their previous
location on the spindles, figs. 4-15-4-17.
Building exhaust systems. Using
the proper exhaust system on your
model car is importan t. Ensuring that
all the parts line up and connect to
gether as they would on a full-size car
is essential, fig. 4-18.
If you’re forced to create a new set of
pipes and mufflers, especially where
none existed before, take heart. Using
solid solder makes the job of bending
up a street-stock-type system fairly
easy.
Non-factory mufflers can be fash
ioned from Vs" plastic tubing, or you
could separate the mufflers from kit ex
haust pipes and use them along with
the solder. Solder wire is especially
useful when an engine conversion re
quires hooking up the kit exhaust to
different exhaust manifolds.
If straight exhaust pipes seem right
connect each header to each muffler,
then running tail pipes beyond the rear
axle is pretty routine. Cut pieces with a
hobby knife, rolling the tubing back
and forth while pressing the knife
down firmly. After cutting, glue the
pipes in place.
Using the plastic center section of a
cotton-tip swab is slightly more work
than the above method, but it’s a sim
ple and inexpens ive method for making
straight exhaust pipes. After determin
ing the proper lengths as before, cut
away the cotton-tipped ends. Ream out
one end of the remainin g piece with a
hobby knife, using a twirling motion
until you’ve thinned the wall thickness
down to a realistic dimensio n. Glue the
other end in place at the outlet on the
back side of the muffler.
Stock and road racing cars use dump
pipes attached to the header collector
to complete the exhaust system. Here

Tie rod clearance K member

Stock muffler Lake pipe is important
Torsion bar Control
Drive shaft .strut
safety strap

Lower
A frame
Stock exhaust system Exhaust header Kit headers

Fig. 4-19. This mid-1960s drag car doesn’t use dump pipes like
Fig. 4-18. Make sure all exhaust system parts line up and connect oval track racers. Clearance for suspension pieces as well as en
as they would on a full-size car. gine parts for a swap need to be considered.

Plastic tubing
Small diameter h o l e r s ; Kit exhaust header

plastic tubing

Fig. 4-20. These dump pipes on a mid-1960s NASCAR Stocker

are formed from plastic tubing bent to shape. Once attached to
the headers they are secured to the chassis by U-shaped
pieces of wire. Fig. 4-21. Once the plastic tubing is bent to shape It slips forward
over the end on the exhaust header.
22
aluminum, copper, or plastic tubing
may be used, but some builders prefer
using plastic since it’s easier to bend to
IL’EIE
shape. Aluminum or copper tubing re
quires a tube bending device.
Plastic tubing, 3 /ie" in diameter, can Tie rod bent t o clear
be bent by applying a little heat from a o i l pan drain p l u g
low-wattage light bulb where you want
Header collector
the bend. Bend the warm tubing to the
desired angle, then ream out the outlet
end of the tubing. You may also have to
ream out the inlet end slightly to allow
the dump pipe to slip over the end of
the collector. Or you could simply butt
the collector and dump pipe and join
them with a strong glue, like five-
minute epoxy (figs. 4-19-4-22).
Modifying drive shafts. If your drive
shaft doesn’t reach between the trans
mission and the rear end, modification
is necessary. Lengthening or shorten
ing the drive shaft isn’t difficult, but it
requires good basic math and accuracy.
To shorten the drive shaft, cut off the
universal joint on one end, then remove
the proper amount from the drive shaft Fig. 4-22. Short pieces of aluminum tubing, 3 /ib", are used to make a set of header collec
and reattach the universal joint. tors. The tie rod is bent slightly to clear the engine pan.
Use copper, aluminum, or plastic
tubing to construct a longer drive
shaft. Select a diameter closest to the Fig. 4-24 RAISING REAR SUSPENSION Fig. 4-23 LOWERING REAR SUSPENSION
original unit. Measure the length be
tween the transmission tail shaft and
rear, allowing for the length of the two
universal joints. Cut the tubing in the
usual fashion, clean up the ends, and
glue one universal joint on either end.
Finally, install the new drive shaft. Lowering block
Lowering or raising rear suspen Shackle
sions. Getting the right stance for the Shock Absorber
type of model you’re building can be Q Rod
difficult. Lowering or raising the rear
suspension can help you achieve the
“low-down” look of a ’50s custom or the O Shackle
1/8"
“high-tail” look of a street machine. O
I’ll focus on two procedures, both of O
O
which use a solid axle with leaf springs. Lowering block Drill hole
Rod °
The principles for these can be applied to
most other types of rear suspensions.
Following these two basic methods will
make the job of raising or lowering the
rear suspension surprisingly easy.

Disc brake
caliper

Rear axle Trailing arm

Fig. 4-26. Drill a hole in either the caliper or

the brake drum, if so equipped, for install F i g . 4-25. Racing c a r c h a s s i s c o l o r s vary. The s q u a r e t u b e f r a m e o n t h i s road r a c i n g
ing fluid brake lines. car is aluminum.

23

Emergency
Master cylinder brake
(to brake pedal)
Disc brake
Hydraulic brake system
Emergency brake system
4-28
The springs in your kit will be either
attached to the axle or molded as sepa
rate pieces. If they’re attached, cut the
individual springs away from the axle
with a razor saw by running the blade
parallel with the length of the spring.
Then fashion a lowering block approxi
mately the width of the leaf springs
and about V4" long, fig. 4-23. How tall
you make the blocks will depend on
just how low you want the rear end to
sit.
Experiment with the thickness of the
lowering blocks to determine the right
stance for your car. There is a limit to
just how far you can force the rear axle
up under the car. Eventually the axle
will be touching the chassis or the rear
bumper will be on the ground.
Raising the rear of a model car may be
necessary for a variety of reasons. Many
drag cars sit higher in the rear than in
the front. Street machines usually sit
higher in the rear to gain better tire
clearance. Of course the look achieved
doesn’t go unnoticed either.
To raise the car, cut four Vs" x V2"
Sheet plastic
24
Drum brake
To rear
Fine wire brake
1/8"
- — <
To emergency
brake pedal To rear
EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE brake
strips of thin sheet plastic to represent
spring shackles. Drill holes slightly
larger than a straight pin in all four
strips along the length according to fig.
4-24a. Next, drill a hole laterally
through the end of each spring-mount
ing bracket. Then cut two straight pins
to the approximate width of the
assembly.
Insert a pin through one set of
shackles and spring-mounting bracket
(shackle, bracket, shackle) as shown.
Then glue the other ends of the shack
les to the chassis by placing one shackle
on either side of the frame member.
Once the glue dries, place the model up
right on its wheels. This will tell you if
any rear suspension adjustment is nec
essary to achieve the right height.
If adjustment is necessary, remove the
straight pins and carefully move the
rear suspension up or down. By reinsert
ing the pins into one of the other sets of
holes (lined up with the hole in the
spring-mounting bracket) you can adjust
the suspension to the height necessary
for a proper stance on your model.
Fine wire
Jj.9; T!?o u g h , h e * l 0 0 k different, the emergency brake on this
1960s Dodge uses the same principles as explained in the text.
Oil cooler
Fig. 4-31
Rear-End Oil Cooler
Through
floorboard
Rear
axle
Blue
For older stock cars etc: '
insert in line and attach
to chassis near rear axle
B u i l d i n g a s h o c k a b s o r b e r . Simple
adjustable shock absorbers can be made
from plastic rod and plastic tubing. First
5
cut a piece of .040”-diameter rod /ie"
long. Then cut a piece of .080"-diameter
tubing 5 /i6" long. After cleaning up the
ends of both the rod and tubing, insert
the rod partway into the tubing.
Next, cut two Vie" d i s k s from .080"
diameter rod. Invert these pieces, glu
ing one on each end of the assembly,
fig. 4-24b. Then drill a small hole in
each disk. These two round disks rep
resent the shock-mounting brackets.
By simply pulling the rod in or out of
the tubing on each shock, you can ad
just the length of the shock absorber a
little to allow for attachment between
the rear axle and the chassis.
Painting. Before installing brake
lines, fuel lines, and other parts on
the chassis, you must paint its vari
ous parts. Select your paints and colors
carefully, since you’re aiming for real
ism and engaging in a bit of showman
ship as well.
If you want accuracy, paint all fac
tory street chassis components one
color, like factory black or dark gray.
However, whatever color you decide is
right is right} after all it’s your model.
Iraft braid
Sheet plastic
Small-diameter wire
So, what if you want clearer definition
of the components against the chassis?
Mixing flat black and aluminum in
various proportions will give you a
variety of metallic finishes. You can
apply these to such parts as the tie
rods, steering arms, sway bar, and
drive shaft. Gloss black alone, or with
just a drop of silver, gives a nice finish Rear-end pump
to A frames, springs, and the rear
axle.
The chassis on racing cars, especially
NASCAR Winston Cup cars, is gener
ally painted the same color as the inte
rior, fig. 4-25. In rare cases, the chassis
is painted the same color as the body
shell. As with the colors for the street
stock suspension components, there is no
right color for your racing car chassis.
The one exception is the drive shaft on
Winston Cup cars. This is painted white
to give it greater visibility in the event a
car loses one during a race.
Street rod and custom car chassis col Fig. 4-32. This mid-1960s NASCAR racer is plumbed much like currect race cars. If using
an exterior rear-end cooler pump remember to include it in the detailing.
ors are limited only by your imagina
tion. Many of these cars feature mono
chromatic paint schemes. Here the drill a hole in each brake assembly on ter bit. Then using 3 /32n-diameter craft
engine, body, and chassis share the the back of each wheel, either in the braid to represent aircraft-type oiling
same color: hot pink, pastel lime green, drum or caliper. Follow the lines in fig. lines, install the braid as shown in fig.
even taxi cab yellow! 4-27 to run the brake lines. 4-32.
Detailing. Figures 4-26 and 4-27 show Street-driven cars, and possibly rods You can represent the fittings like
how to plumb the hydraulic brake lines, and customs, are equipped with an those used on aircraft lines on a full-
which begin at the master cylinder on emergency brake. Figure 4-28 shows a size racing car with a bit of paint.
the fire wall and terminate on the back typical emergency brake cable assem With a small brush apply a dab of
of each wheel. I recommend using soft, bly. From the three-point intersection, transparent red and blue paint over
small-diameter wire that’s easily bent to the brake pedal cable runs forward to the braid where each line enters the
various contours. For some applications ward the fire wall, while the other two rear end housing or an accessory. Re
you could choose the smallest-diameter cables are routed one to each rear member the fitting attached to the
chrome craft braid. Remember that wheel brake. Small-diameter uncoated hose is red and the fitting next to the
street-driven cars of the past few years wire and a piece of thin sheet plastic, accessory is blue.
are equipped with a dual master cylin fig. 4-29, can be used to fashion a re A well-detailed and appointed chas
der. This means the front brakes are alistic assembly. sis will dispel any notions that this
fed from the front reservoir while the Many race cars are equipped with a part of the model car is unglamorous.
rear brake lines come from the rear rear oil cooler. Figure 4-31 shows how Good basic building skills combined
reservoir of the master cylinder. Drill to plumb the rear-end cooler lines. with strict attention to authenticity
two holes side by side in the master cyl First drill the appropriate holes for the will open the eyes of any doubter, and
inder located on the fire wall. Then rear end plumbing with a 3 /32"-diame- probably those of a few contest judges.

25
 Return spring
Distributor
5. Building
engines
A MODEL car engin e rates as much
attent ion as its count erpart in a full-
size autom obile. Unlik e power plants
in model airplanes, ships, or armor,
which are usually built replica-stock,
you have lots of buildi ng freedom with
model car engin es. .
You can use the engin e in your kit as
is, or you can modify it, or even replace
it with an engine from another kit. To
modify the engin e, of course, you’ll
need spare parts. If you’ve kept spare
parts from past model cars you’ve built
(if not, you should consider it), sift
through them for something you might
be able to use. If nothin g turns up, or
you don’t have any spare parts, con
sider swapp ing an old kit, or the un
wanted engine, for the desired parts
with a friend.
Choosing and building an engine is
your best opportunity to exercise your
creativity and display your detailing
talents. You can even get away with
26
Tube header
A.
•me craft braid
and detailing
and transmissions
pushing the limits of practicality here. whole engin es betwe en differ ent make s
Plan your model car building project of cars. This practi ce (eg, puttin g a
early, since what happens with the en small block Chevy V-8 into a prewa r
gine and transmission can be critical to Ford) is the fundamental concept be
the finished model. Although our work hind most Amer ican rods, custom s, and
in this chapter is intended for 1/24 and drag racing cars.
1/25 scale models, most of the tech Generally, automobile engin es come
niques apply to any scale. in four, six, eight, or more cylinders and
are usually one of the following designs:
Identifying and choosing parts
Engine. I will cover internal combus
tion engines in traditionally configured Four cylinder
drive-train layouts (front-engine, rear Flathe ad
drive). Engine and transmission identi Overh ead valve
fication is important because knowing Overh ead cam
what you have has a lot do with why or “V”)
Six cylinder (in-line
you might want to change it.
For example, on full-size car engines Flathe ad
you can’t randomly swap engine parts OHV
between different makes of cars. Chev OHC
rolet valve covers don’t work on Dodge
engines; likewise, a Ford intake mani Eight cylinder
fold doesn’t fit on a Pontiac engine. OHV (Hemi or Wedge)
This doesn’t mean you can’t swap OHC
Dual Overh ead Cam (DOHC)
 Cool can (filled with L ,
Fuel log and used to keep fuel from
vaporizing from heat)
Carburetor
linkage

Coil Oil filler cap

Bell crank

Coll
Distributor

Fig. 5-1b. In-line Flathead 6-cyllnder engine. Finned head made from sec Fig. 5-1c. This Chrysler 426 Hemi engine includes Hilborn fuel
tion of custom grille. Three single-bbl carburetors used with fuel log. injection.

Alternator

Coil Fuel pumps

Surge tank
Air cleaner

Exhaust header

Fig. 5-1 d. B i g - b l o c k Chevrolet V-8 with Rochester fuel injection. Fig. 5-1 e. Small-block Chevrolet V-8 with d u a l 4-bbl carburetors.
Note f i n n e d valve covers a n d p l e n u m cover. A wash used o n Note coated electrical wire used to s i m u l a t e rubber-coated air
s u c h parts h e l p s d e f i n e t h e detail. craft-style fuel l i n e s to carburetors.

Oil tube

Coated wire

v 7
A

Clear fishing line used to

replicate clear fuel lines

F j
Fig. 5-1 f. B i g - b l o c k General Motors V-8 Is a natural for short track
dirt stock car. Note the upswept 180-degree headers a n d t h e In Fig. 5-1 g. T h i s DOHC 4-cylinder road racing engine develops
teresting use o f d e c a l s o n v a r i o u s e n g i n e parts. nearly 1,000 horsepower due to turbocharging.

Some examples are shown in fig. 5-1
and on pages 32-33. Check a library or
newsstand for books or magazines with
detailed information on engines.
Similarly, the appearance and func
tion of automobile transmissions differ
from a manual to an automatic to a
transaxle. The automatic transmission
has an inspection pan on the bottom
surface directly behind the bell hous
ing. The manual transmission does not.
The transaxle is used predominantly
i n front-drive cars. (One reminder:
Don’t forget to choose the shifter that
corresponds to your transmission; you

27
 Oil coolei Alternator Fuel filter PVC

V O i l filter
Front s h o c k a b s o r b e r
Coil

Top radiator
hose - — —

Ground wire

Master c y l i n d e r

ist header PVC Battery

Fig. 5-1 h. This big-block Ford NASCAR V-8 uses uncoated wire Fig. 5-1 i. A typical layout for a Dodge big-block Wedge V-8 engine
for plug wire, w h i c h is then painted with a brush. in factory stock trim.

systems used on full-size cars would fill

Small-block
Chevrolet V-8
Small-block
Ford V-8
B;g-b!cck
Plymouth
Wedge V-8
Fig. 5-2. Take time to note the differences
between manufacturers’ exhaust manifolds.
You can’t swap them on full-size engines —
and model engines are no different.
wouldn’t want an automatic shifter on top
of a manual transmission.)
Fuel systems. Once you’ve settled
on an engine-transmission combina
tion the fuel system for the engine is
your next consideration. Here are
some common fuel induction systems:
• one to three single carburetors
• one to three dual-throat carburetors
Stick-shift
transmission si
Original
automatic
transmission
Fig. 5-3. In this engine-transmission
it’s important to find a transmission similar
to the one being replaced. This is a classic
automatic-for-stick swap.
• one or two four-barrel carburetors
• Weber carburetors
• Rochester fuel injection
• Hilbom fuel injection
• superchargers with carburetors or
fuel injection
• turbochargers
• tuned-port injection (TPI) and so on
The number and type of induction
a large book, since they’re almost limit
less. Figure 5-1 looks at just a few for
our purposes here.
Again, remember to compare apples to
apples when selecting engine parts from
another source — for example, putting
Ford cylinder heads on a Ford or Cor
vette fiiel injection on a Chevrolet V-8.
Carburetors, superchargers, and injec
tors may be used on most engines if the
correct intake manifold is used.
Exhaust manifolds. Every model car
kit contains an exhaust manifold for
swap the engine. The manifold is always one
of two types: a representation of the
stock manifolds or a set of tubular ex
haust headers. Sometimes it’s both.
The headers are fine for any applica
tion except possibly replica-stock. Us
ing the headers from the same kit as the
engine at least guarantees you’ll have
items specifically intended for that en
gine. After all, different makes of full-
size car engines require different ex
haust manifolds. Always double-check
before you accidentally assemble mis
matched parts; there are people who
know the difference, fig. 5-2.

Transmission t a i l shaft resting

o n frame cross m e m b e r

Front engine mounts

Engine m o u n t

Standard shift transmission

Fig. 5-4. A proper set of engine mounts must be used to fit the en
gine to the chassis rails. This is always a trial-and-error exercise. Fig. 5-5. This I s how the engine should l o o k when it’s securely
mounted in place.
28
 Frame rail
Sheet plastic \

Engine

Plastic rod

Fig. 5-6 ENGINE MOUNTS

Make sure you’re comparing apples

to apples before you get carried away
swapping parts or accessories. If you
want to replicate a specific type of Fig. 5-7. To make tublar headers first drill
header design for a specific make of four holes approximately .080" in diameter
car, look at the engine headers in a in each cylinder head at each exhaust port Fig. 5-8. Next, cut eight pieces of .075"-di-
similar full-size car or refer to accu location. ameter solid wire solder to a length of 2W,
rate source material. You’ll be glad
you did.
Accessories. Accessory items on a
model car engine can be replicated in
scale just like those on full-sized cars.
After the mandatory coil, starter, and
alternator, most cars today come equipped
with power steering, power brakes, and
air conditioning. Reference material for
these items is readily available. Add
ing them to your street stock, rod, or
custom would be a nice touch.
Building and detailing,
a simple swap
There is no right engine swap for a Fig. 5-9. Insert the solder pieces one at a Fig. 5-10. Then bend the solder pieces to
model car. Some swaps, however, are time into each hole. the desired shape.
more practical than others. The pri
mary purpose for swapping an engine
in a full-size car is to gain more power
and improved performance. A big-block,
super-charged V-8 would be fine for
street, show, or drag racing competition;
it would be out of place crammed into a
small front-drive compact or in an oval
track or road racing car.
One of the most basic engine swaps is
replacing a small engine with a larger
one. Another popular swap is replacing
an automatic transmission with a man
ual shift unit. This one’s easy to do.
First, cut the engine and transmission
apart with a razor saw. Cut laterally Fig. 5-11. Finally, bring the free ends of Fig. 5-12. With small needlenose pliers,
across the back of the engine block, the four lengths of solder together and carefully shape each piece of aluminum
separating the bellhousing-transmis glue them. into a square o n one end.
sion and engine in two pieces.
Next, remove a manual transmis
sion from another engine and glue it Fig. 5-13. The finished collector should
slide over the ends of the four solder
to the back of the engine block, fig. 5- header pipes like this.
3. Check closely to ensure that the
center line of the engine and trans
mission are aligned. them slightly to achieve a proper fit.
Before you install the engine and The engine should fit squarely over the
transmission ensure that your chassis mounts. It shouldn’t sit up at a severe
and engine-transmission are a good fit. angle, and it shouldn’t be so far down
Check that the engine rests on a suit that the cylinder heads or valve covers
able pair of engine mounts, fig. 5-4. rest on the engine mounts or frame
Then, make sure the tail piece of the rails, fig. 5-5.
transmission rests securely on a frame Figure 5-6 shows how to construct en
member. gine mounts that attach inside the
If your frame already has mounts in frame rails. They may be fashioned from
the engine bay, you may need to modify almost any material, with plastic I

29
 Fig. 5-15 Bolts
Radiator hose
To ignition
(through fire wall) FUEL LINE FOR STOCK/STREET
DRIVEN ENGINES
Voltage regulator
Coil

Distributor Fire wall

Carburetor
Alternator To radiator
Inlet neck
Heater hoses Intake manifold
(not used on
race cars)
Plug wires (8)

Top radiator
hose connection

Bendix Bottom radiator

hose connection

Fuel filter
Battery To fuel
Starter tank
Fuel pump To radiator -----►

beam, rod, or tubing your best choices.
It’s best to test fit the engine into the
area between the frame rails to deter
mine the location of the mounts. Mea
suring the approximate length of the
mounts is a good beginning before cut
ting plastic. You’ll need to use the trial
and-error method until you achieve the
right fit.
Once the engine and transmission
are test fitted in place, add the acces
sories to the front of the engine. Set the
radiator in place to see if there is ade
quate clearance for the fan blade. Now
is also a good time to locate the radia
tor inlet and outlet and the mounting
points on the engine for the top and
bottom radiator hoses. You may need
to modify the radiator or substitute an
other one to align the connecting points
with each other.

Oil filler tube

Breaker cap
V-8 distributor

Fig. 5-17. If the distributor cap i s too s m a l l to d r i l l individual

Fig. 5-16. Spark p l u g holes are drilled in the valve covers o n a holes for spark p l u g wire, ream out the center of the cap to ac
Hemi, in the side of cylinder heads on a Wedge engine. cept the plug wires.

Cylinder he<
Intake mat

Sump pump

Stick-shift
Sump pan

Fig. 5-19. Drill two holes each side-by-side (between t h e ex

Fig. 5-18. Sometimes y o u can drill individual plug wire holes i n haust ports) o n t h i s NASCAR small-block General Motors V-8
the distributor. engine.

30
 Coated wire
\ Fuel log

Fuel pi

L A.
Carburetor
Hf*ad sh Wised on some
Wire Ion Cup cars Valve cover breather

Fig. 5-20. The wire should be loose enough so y o u c a n realisti Fig. 5-21. Use either t h i n , small-diameter wire o r craft b r a i d to
cally drape i t over the engine. represent t h e fuel line to the carburetor.

Drill tl

If J Thin sheet pl;

Fig. 5-24. M o u n t a small-diameter d r i l l b i t

with t h e shank e n d exposed. Wrap f i n e
Fig. 5-22. Drill a hole for a piece of wire to Fig. 5-23. C u t a piece of sheet plastic as wire a r o u n d the bit e n d to a n approximate
be used to mount the bell crank. shown, then d r i l l three s m a l l holes. length of 3 /a".

The final step is to test fit the front

suspension members. This will reveal
clearance problems between the engine
oil pan and such items as the steering
links, radius rods, or stabilizer bars.
Making tube headers. When you
can’t find either the correct headers or
ones that suit your needs, making a
pair of tubular exhaust headers from
solder and aluminum tubing i s your
best alternative. First drill four holes
approximately .080" in diameter in
each cylinder head at each exhaust
port location, fig. 5-7.
Next, cut eight pieces of .075"-diameter
solid solder 2V2" long, fig. 5-8. Referencing
the style of headers desired, insert the sol
der pieces one at a time into each hole and
bend to shape, fig. 5-9. When the desired
shape is achieved (fig. 5-10), bring the free
ends of the four lengths of solder together,
fig. 5-11, and glue them.
To make collectors use 3 /ie" aluminum
tubing and cut two pieces 3 /s" long. With
small needlenose pliers, carefully shape
each piece of aluminum into a square on
one end, fig. 5-12. The finished collector
should then slide over the ends of the
four header pipes, fig, 5-13. After test fit
ting the collector to the ends of the
header tubes, glue it in place.
Painting. Start by primering a l l
parts you want to paint, even engine
parts. Paint adheres better to primered
Straight wire
Bell cranl
Fig. 5-25. Cut a piece of sheet plastic as
shown and glue it to the manifold. This will be Fig. 5-26. The complete carburetor linkage
used as a bracket for the throttle linkage rod. shown in place.
surfaces than it does to bare plastic.
Plus, with a primer you won’t need as
many coats of paint to hide bright- or
dark-colored plastic. The colors of rep
lica engines and transmissions can b e Anchor
pretty specific. Reference material will bracket
show what colors are appropriate for
your car’s engine (for a sampling of en
gine colors on various cars see pages je roi
32-33).
You’ll only need to use the correct
colors for an engine-transmission when
you’re building an exact replica of a
specific car. Generally, street stock
cars have their engines painted factory
colors. Luckily, model paint manufac
turers produce such colors. Check your
favorite hobby supply store for these Fig. 5-27. The carburetor linkage with air
paints. cleaner added.

31
Jaguar DOHC-6 motor; Weber carburetors Flathead Fond V-8 motor; Weber carburetors

P l y m o u t h Hemi V-8; two 4-barrel Big-block Chevy V-8 Pro-stock; two 4-barrel

P l y m o u t h Flathead in-line 6 ; three 1 -barrel Plymouth Hemj Hj|bom jnjectjon

Most full-size racing engines go un
painted, leaving the bare metal ex
posed. You can duplicate this on a
colors. Transmis sions are painted alu
minum. Intake manifolds can be cast
iron or aluminum . Exhaust manifolds
are cast iron on street engines and be
come a flat brownish-charcoal color af
ter short use. Headers can be black,
dark gray, white, silver, and, as on a
few Winston Cup cars, light sky blue.
If you are building a street rod or
custom, throw color rules out the win
dow. Engines for these cars can and are
painted whatever colors the builder
32
chooses. Sometimes the color choice
contrasts to that chosen for the body
color. Other times it matches the body
color — giving the car a monochro
matic look.
Mixing various combinations of steel,
aluminum, magnesium, bronze, copper,
and other metallics can bring out the
character in an engine. With the excep
tion of show cars, few engine parts are
chrome, or bright and shiny. Flat white
mixed with aluminum makes a con
vincing cast-alloy valve cover color. A
touch of copper or bronze mixed with
aluminum will give a carburetor the
right look. The fittings on aircraft-type
braided oil lines can be represen ted by
dabbing on with a brush transparent
blue and red. The red fittings are at
tached to the lines while the blue fit
tings are attached to the dry sump
accessories.
Make a dark wash by diluting flat
black with a considerable amount of
thinner. Apply this mixture over a
plated part like the engine valve covers
to add realism. Use this techniqu e on
other parts of the engine to bring out
the detail.
A product called Great Glass Stain
will add yet another dimensio n to your
detailing variety (see Chapter 8 for
Chevy 0HV-V6; one 4-barrel. Big-block Ford V-8; one 4-barrel

Dodge Hemi V-8; single 4-barrel Big-block Pontiac V-8; three 2-barrel

Small-block Chevy V-8; Hilborn fuel injection Plymouth Hemi V-8, dual ignition, 16 plugs; two 4-barrel

other applications of this substance).
Great Glass Stain is a liquid intended
for the craft hobby. When it’s applied
with a brush over plated parts or areas
covered with foil, it provides an anod
ized look. Available in various colors
like gold, red, blue, and green, it allows
for interesting effects.
Many contemporary race cars, street
rods, and show cars use various colors of
plating, especially around the engine.
Review current publications on the sub
ject to see if they hold something for
your current modeling project.
Begin the detailing process when all
the engine parts are painted. Proceed in
stages, working slowly and deliberately.
Electrical wiring detailing. Nothing
hurts the final appearance of a well-
detailed engine more than the instal
lation of wiring or hoses that are the
wrong size. For the best results, use
small-diameter wire (coated and un
coated), which can be found at hard
ware stores or electronic shops. Table
1 lists the correct sizes for wiring and
hoses. Or use prepackaged engine de
tailing materials, such as those made
by Detail Master, MSC, or Parts by
Parks. These are available at hobby
shops.
Here’s how to install electrical wir
ing: Drill the proper number of spark
plug holes in the cylinder head (usually
between the exhaust ports) and the dis
tributor cap, figs. 5-17-5-19. If the dis
tributor is too small to drill out each in
dividual hole, simply drill out the center
of the distributor cap to accommodate a
grouping of nine wires (eight plug wires
and one for the coil). Run the individual
wires from the distributor to each plug
hole. Be sure to leave each wire loose
enough so it looks realistically draped
over the engine, fig. 5-20.
The electrical system in fig 5-14 i s
generic, but looking under the hood of
a full-size car or referring to books

33
 From oil
TABLE 1 : AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRICAL cooler
AND PLUMBING

Part 1/16 scale 1/24-1/25 scale 1/43 scale

Plug wires .020" .013" .007"

Fuel lines .031" .020" .012"

Oil lines .062" .040" .025"

Fully Oil filter
Radiator .125" .80" .050"
Belt To oil
Brake lines .015" .010" .006" Sump pump tank
To oil
Fig. 5-28 DRY SUMP OIL SYSTEM cooler

Rat b l a c k wash

Holes drilled Sump p u m p pan|

f o r dry s u m p

Exhaust ports

Bell housing

Spark p l u g h o l e s

Fig. 5-29. Drill three holes completely through the oil sump
pump.

Fig. 5-30. The dry sump pump is clearly seen in this view. Note
the entrance and exit of the craft braid from the pump.

ator
Fig. 5-31. All appropriate holes need to be
drilled to plumb the dry sump oil system.
and magazines will give you a n idea
of the proper wire sizes, colors, and
lengths.
Fuel line/carburetor linkage detail
ing. The fuel line is relatively simple,
running from the gas tank in the rear
of the car forward through the fuel
pump and up to the carburetor, fig. 5-
15. Add a fuel filter between the fuel
pump and carb, fig. 5-21, especially on
street-driven cars. This can be made
from small-diameter tubing or by drill
ing a small hole in a short piece of plas
tic rod and slipping it over the fuel line.
Elementary carburetor linkages con
sist of a bell crank, return spring, and
cable. Follow the steps in figs. 5-22-5-
27 to produce a realistic linkage. The
bell crank can be made from thin sheet
plastic. The operating cable is made
from uncoated steel wire. The return
spring can be fashioned from some
thing like armature wire. The concept
shown here for constructing a simple
carb linkage is the basis for nearly all
linkages regardless of what fuel system
you choose.
Dry sump oil systems. Some street-
driven and nearly all serious compe
tition cars employ a dry sump oil system.
This was developed to more effectively
maintain a constant oil supply in high-
revving racing engines under extreme
conditions and to help keep them run
ning cool.
Figure 5-28 shows how to replicate a
dry sump oil system. Begin by drilling
3
/32 m holes in the pump, pan, valve cover,
block, cooler, and oil supply tank, figs 5-
29-5-31. Using silver craft braid or the
equivalent, connect the engine and the
system accessories as shown.
In the same way there is no ideal or
right engine for many model car
projects, so too engine swapping i s not
an exact science. This i s especially
true with model cars in 1/24-1/25 scale.
Some engine-transmission swaps are
common even for model cars. The best
advice is to make a choice, then see if
you can make it work. There is no
shame to the trial-and-error method.
Many times what you learn through
this process will make your next en
gine swapping, engine modification, or
engine detailing project less compli
cated and more fun.

34
 Fig. 6-1. This finished interior sports subtle detail, including door hardware, sun visors, and so
on. Note the semigloss finish.

6. Building and detailing

interiors
IT WOULD be easy to justify not
putting much work in to the interior of a
model car. Unless you’re building an
open car (roadster or convertible), the la
bor you’ve put in on the interior won’t be
seen or appreciated by many. But some
interior detailing touches can be seen
and appreciated, and they’ll make your
model stand out.
For our purposes, interiors will be
grouped as follows: street stock, rod or
custom, and competition. Car modelers
do not adhere rigidly to these catego
ries. For instance, some street-able
cars have custom interiors. Likewise,
racing cars are not the only ones
equipped with a roll cage and harness.
And many street cars straddle the line
between all-out drag cars and typical
grocery getters.
Building a stock interior
The first step when building stock or
street stock interiors is to obtain infor
mative and reliable reference material.
Magazine articles, dealer brochures,
and special-interest car books can help
you replicate interior material fin
ishes, factory colors, and accessories.
Some items are a must for a complete
interior, including turn signal levers,
gear selectors, rearview mirrors, win
dow crank handles, and door handles.
These items may not be included as
part of the kit interior, and even if they
are molded in, they are sometimes
poorly defined.
Your first thought may be to look for
these parts in other kits. If you’ve saved
extra parts from past building projects,
you may find these items in your scrap
box. If not, don’t despair, since making
such details is easy, fig 6-31, page 40.
A turn signal lever is made from a
short length of wire with a drop of
white glue on the end to represent the
knob. Drill a small-diameter hole in
the steering column just below the
wheel on the left side and glue the le
ver into it.
If door hardware detail i s lacking,
you can make a set of door handles and
window crank handles. The quickest
and easiest way to make these pieces is
with sheet plastic and plastic rod, figs.
6-6-6-9.
Custom upholstery
To upholster the interior of a model
car first choose a fabric like corduroy or

Open ashtray
with cigarette

Fig. 6-2. On this track roadster interior you can see how effective Fig. 6-3. The finished interior with upholstery in place on seat and
the upholstery, instrument detail, and accessory items are. door panels.

35

inside rearview mirror on this
'54 Imperial is attached lo the
dash surface instead of the top
center of the windshield’
Fig. 6-4. The finished rearview mirror in place.
Soft wire
Small needlenose pliers
Fig. 6-6. Soft small-diameter wire can be
flattened and bent with smaller needlenose
pliers to make a convincing door handle.
Fig. 6-8. The assembled window crank uses
a short piece of straight pin to represent the
hardware that fastens it to the door.
36
of wmdshiekl frame
Fig. 6-5. Sun visors made from thin sheet plastic are necessary
on this 1965 GTO convertible.
Finished
door handles
Tweezers
Fig. 6-7. Use tweezers to put the final
touches on the door handles. Also use
them to handle these small parts.
Fig. 6-9. The door handle glues directly to
the door surface while the window crank is
mounted with the straight pin.
Seat belts made from
masking tape
velour. You’ll want a thin fabric so you
don’t wind up with seats that look like
overstaffed chairs. Also, remember that
the cloth will increase the width of the
seat. I recommend you cut the seat in
the middle and narrow it by twice the
thickness of the fabric, fig. 6-11-6-12. If
you plan to upholster the door panels,
narrow the width of the seat four times
the thickness of the fabric. Finally, se
lect a color that doesn’t show dirt; you’ll
be handling these cloth pieces a lot.
Start by cutting paper templates to
match the seat sections and interior
panels, fig. 6-13. These templates will
be used as patterns to the fabric. Cover
the back of a section of cloth with
masking tape before cutting out the
pieces. This will control unraveling
and help maintain the shape, fig. 6-14.
Use contact or rubber cement like 3M
or Weldwood to fasten the cloth. The
cloth will stick better *if you coat both
the back of the cloth and the seat with
the glue before applying the fabric.
You may need to use drops of instant
glue along edges and corners, fig. 6-15.
Follow the same procedure when in
stalling cloth to represent carpeted
floors. Making a good template in
volves trial and error. Keep at it,
though, since the more precise and ac
curate you are in making the template,
the better the cloth pieces will fit.
Racing interiors
If you’re converting a street machine
to a competition car, your approach to
modeling the interior will be different
than if you were building a racing car
straight from the kit, where the inte
rior pieces may be included.
First, remove the parts not found in a
racing car and add those that are. Good
reference material will help with this.
To complete this properly, you must
also know the vintage of the model
you’re replicating. Racing cars from
the 1950s and 1960s differ considerably
Fig. 6-10. The upholstery on this street
looks good: The seams match up and ex
cess glue was kept off the top surface of
the fabric.
 Narrow the seat by two or four times
thickness of cloth

Fig. 6-11. To narrow a seat, make a cut down the center and re Fig. 6-12. You’ll need to clean up the joint where the seat halves
assemble the halves. were mated. Use a small file a n d sandpaper.

File card template

Seat to be covered
with cloth

Masking tape

Cloth

Fig. 6-14. Apply masking tape to the back of the cloth to keep it
Fig. 6-13. Use a f i l e card o r equivalent to make templates of from stretching. Transfer the template pattern to the tape
seat sections. backing.

■l
with cigarette

r
Fig. 6-15. Cut the fabric panel with a sharp hobby knife and a straight
edge. Use contact cement to fasten the panel to the seat surface. A Fig. 6-16. This custom 1950 Ford Convertible is a good example
drop of super glue may be necessary where comers meet of contest-winning detail. Note the dash, carpet, and upholstery.

from those of the 1970s and 1980s.
Stock-type racing cars have evolved
from racing machines based on factory-
built vehicles to today’s custom-built,
hand-fabricated creations.
As an example, the NASCAR stock
cars of the mid-1960s were a hybrid,
part factory-built pieces, part hand
made parts. The interiors resembled
the street versions of the car, with
some exceptions.
Here’s how to convert a street stock
car to a 1960s NASCAR. To start, re
move the front and rear stock seats. Re
move the door panel detail with a
hobby knife, file, or motor tool. Work
slowly to maintain a smooth, flat sur
face, fig. 6-17. Using card stock, fashion
a template to represent the aluminum
pieces that will replace the stock interior
side panels. Use the template to cut plas
tic sheet to represent the interior panels,
figs. 6-19-6-20. You’ll also need a racing
steering wheel, or you can use the stock
wheel and remove the horn ring.
Most early stockers weren’t equipped
with a special seat for the driver like
today’s race cars. A beefed-up stock
bucket seat was used with extra pad
ding here and there.
All stock car racers use standard floor
shift transmissions. If your kit doesn’t
have a floor-mounted shifter, and if you
can’t find one left from another project,
take heart. Figure 6-31d, page 40, shows
how you can make a shifter.
Most early stockers used either stock
dash instruments with a few additions,
like a tachometer, or a fabricated in
strument cluster attached to the dash,
fig. 6-21. When the racing instrument
cluster is glued in place on the dash

37

Fig. 6-17. U s e a hobby k n i f e to remove
d o o r h a n d l e s and window c r a n k s from t h e
interior bucket. Then u s e a m e d i u m f i l e to
remove the r e m a i n i n g detail.
Fig. 6-19. Make a template from f i l e card f o r
the aluminum pieces that will replace t h e
stock interior s i d e p a n e l s .
Fig. 6-20. Test fit the template to t h e inte
r i o r s i d e p a n e l . Then u s e i t to make s i d e
p a n e l s from thin sheet plastic.
and the glue is dry, use a small amount
of body putty to mold the instrument
cluster to the stock dash. After the
putty has set, carefully file and sand
the area smooth.
Roll cage. Roll cages are installed in
racing cars to protect the driver from
serious injury. Many of the new kit re
leases are dedicated race cars with all
the right pieces, including a full roll
cage. Conversions, however, don’t en
joy this advantage. When converting a
38
Notch the corner of dash for
better fit of roll cage
Interior side panel
Fig. 6-18. Test fit t h e interior components. Note that the left corner o f t h e d a s h i s notched
to allow better clearance for the roll cage.
Fig. 6-21. When t h e racing instrument cluster i s g l u e d i n place, u s e a b i t of body putty
f i l l gaps.
street stock kit to a competition car
you’ll need to construct a roll cage.
Using 3 /32" and Vie'-diameter plastic
rod or tubing, follow figs. 6-22 and 6-23
to build a realistic race car roll cage.
Heat, say from a low-wattage light
bulb, will make the plastic pliable
enough to conform to the desired shape.
Cut the pieces of rod or tubing and su
per glue them together securely. Watch
the amount of glue you use, making
sure to keep the roll cage junction
points clean.
The roll cage in fig. 6-22 is designed
to fit to early 1960s to mid-1960s Ford
interiors. You may need to adjust the
length of the pieces to fit the dimen
sions of the interior on your project
model. You’ll probably need to change
the width or height of the roll cage
too.
Detailing
Paint finishes. The first step in detail
ing the interior is to select the correct
Race car instrument cluster
Green Stuff body putty
to
color and finish to match the full-size
car you’re representing, figs. 6-24—6-
25. Street stock, custom, or street rod
interiors are rarely painted in shiny,
high-gloss finishes. Most upholstery
has a flat or semigloss finish depending
on whether it’s cloth, Naugahyde (plas
tic imitation leather), or real leather.
Conversly, racing cars usually have
a mixture of flat and gloss finishes in
the interior. Their interiors contain lit
tle fabric and lots of metal surfaces
such as roll cage tubing, exposed floor
panels, and metal interior panels. With
a race car interior the dash is usually
flat black, the side panels finished in
flat colors, and the seat fabric in a flat
finish. The floor and non-padded parts
of the roll cage are usually a gloss fin
ish. Reference the full-size car to be
sure.
If you must use a gloss paint to
achieve the right color always finish
the job by shooting the interior sur
faces with clear flat or semigloss finish.
Fig. 6-22. The stock car roll cage i s constructed using two differ
ent sizes of plastic tubing. Fig. 6-23. Once you’re happy with the fit of the roll cage in the in
terior, coat it thoroughly with primer. After the color coat is ap
plied, brush paint padded parts of the roll cage with semigloss
black.
Accessory controls
Gear shifter lever \

Fig. 6-24. Once the interior i s spray painted with a semigloss coat Fig. 6-25. Compare the unpainted interior o n the left to the
of paint, begin picking out details with silver and black paint and painted and detailed buckets o n the right. This shows what the
a fine-tip brush. right choice of finishes can achieve.

Fig. 6-26. Because of the numerous gauges o n a race car dash, Fig. 6-27. After applying a coat of flat black paint o n the instrument
careful detailing of the instrument faces is essential. faces, use a 000 brush to pick out numerals and so on with silver.

Dashboard. Using good “0” to “000”

brushes is one of the best ways to bring
out the detail on a model car interior. A
wash applied to the dash instrument
faces will clearly define the numbers
and pointers. A touch of silver paint ap
plied to the dash instruments will fur
ther bring the features to life, figs. 6-
26-6-27. Armrests, door panel trim
detail, window cranks, shifters, turn
signal levers, and door handles all ben
efit from carefully brushed paint. As a
final touch, use a brush to flood each

Fig. 6-28. Note the finished interior o n this

made from tape
road racing car. Some race cars don't use
roll bar padding.

39
instrument with a product like Kristal-
Kleer. This simulates the glass or plas
tic lenses that cover the instruments. Wire Sheet plastic
Seat belts. Whether street stock, Sheet plastic
custom, or race car, seat belts are ap 5/16"
Drill hole
propriate. Current race cars and many M a k e two
older ones use a five-point seat-shoul 7/8"
der harness; older street stock cars of
the 1950s through the early 1970s em Glue
Drill hole
ployed only seat or lap belts.
Wire
The simplest way to make realistic | LJ Glue
3/16"
seat belts i s to use Vs’-wide masking Chrome foil 5/16
tape strips. Seat belts are found in a va on surface _e •
B. S u n v i s o r
"
riety of colors on full-size cars, but dark A. Rearview Mirror C. Turn Signal Lever
gray or black are most prevalent. Place
the masking tape onto the seat and
Craft bead
drape it into a convincing shape. Then
paint it.
3/8"
Seat belt hardware (buckles and so Bent wire
on) can b e simply suggested with sil 5/8"
ver brush paint, or you can purchase
aftermarket photoetched pieces in the
appropriate scale.
Roll cage padding. Some race cars
Drill hole
use foam padding on portions of the roll
D. Gear Shift
cage to protect the driver from bumps
and bruises. However, don’t assume all
race cars have roll cage padding. Thor Adjust length
to fit 7/8"
ough research should dictate how you interior
proceed, fig. 6-29.
The padded areas have already been to fit interior
Roll Cage
defined on the roll cage constructed
earlier in this chapter. After painting •5/8'
the entire cage the correct color, apply Pin head white
semigloss black paint to the padded ar Plastic rod glue
eas with a brush. This should result in Soft wire
a convincing padded roll cage. Drill small
Electrical shrink tube is a natural Sheet plastic
Flatten diameter hole
Bend Length of
choice for modeling realistic padding. unwound
You can find this material at most elec Length of
G. Window Crank sprue
trical or electronic supply stores. Select
a diameter slightly larger than the roll H. Radio Antenna
cage bars on your model. Then deter
mine what areas need padding and cut
pieces of shrink tube to the proper
lengths. Some pieces may be slipped nally, apply white glue to the seam in sters, dragsters, or convertibles offer you
over the end of bars and slid into place. each piece of tube to hold the padding the best opportunity to show off your
For the others, slit the tube lengthwise, in place. handiwork. But remember in contests
and slip each piece over the proper Though the interior, especially on keen-eyed judges will be looking into all
place on the roll cage. When you’re sat closed cars, is the least visible part of areas of your finished model. Any fea
isfied with the location of each piece, the model, a host of building and de ture added or techniques used to en
rotate the cut line on the padding, pick tailing opportunities are at your dis hance realism or increase authenticity
ing a spot where it i s least visible. Fi- posal. Of course, open cars like road could be the difference for your model.

Fig. 6-29. To add padding to the roll cage, start by cutting shrink
tubing to length and slitting it lengthwise. Open the spread tubing Fig. 6-30. The electrical shrink tubing, once in place, makes for a re
and press it onto the roll cage. Steady the piece with tweezers. alistic representation of the roll cage padding on full-size stock cars.

40
 76
9
O
9
U
Fig. 7-1. A beautifully detailed and finished Alugard Pontiac. Note how the decals lie flat and with
out bubbles.
7. Modifying and detailing
the body
BODY SHELLS require a great deal
of attention, especially because they’re
so visible. You can do a number of
things to enhance their appearance,
from radical body modifications to sub
tle detailing. It’s a good idea, though, to
master simpler tasks before moving on
to complex ones. If your building skills
are developing, wait until you’re more
confident before tackling a radical body
modification — since these usually af
fect every component of the model.
Building and modifying the body
Top chopping. Car tops of the 1920s
and early ’30s are the easiest to chop.
When the windshield and door posts are
nearly vertical, as in fig. 7-2, it’s easy to
hammer the lid down a few inches to
give the car that lean, modem look.
Pinstriping tape is available in a va
riety of widths and, once you’ve done a
bit of math, will be used to mark the
cut line. Working in 1/24-1/25 scale, a
5" reduction in height on a full-size car
top is equivalent to 3/ie" plus the thick
ness of the razor saw cuts.
Mark a dimension at about the mid
point on the vertical pillars and run
3
/ig" striping tape horizontally around
the top. With a razor saw make a cut on
either side of the tape, fig. 7-3. Sepa
rate the top from the body and remove
the plastic pieces under the tape.
Clean up all edges with a hobby
knife or small file. Then lay a piece of
fine automotive sandpaper, like 320
grit, on a flat surface. Sand the two
parts of the body, moving slowly in a
figure-eight motion to lightly clean up
the pillar ends on both. Do not press too
hard, fig. 7-4.
Next, check the fit of the two pieces,
taking note where the joint isn’t sitting
square or level. Correct the problem,
and when you are satisfied with the
way the top fits in its new position,
glue the pieces together with epoxy or
super glue, fig. 7-5.
When the glue is dry, file and sand
the seams. You may need to use a little
body putty along with automotive wet-
or-dry sandpaper, both medium (300-
400 grit) and fine (400-600 grit) grade.
You may also wish to prime the areas
around the cut line to reveal defects,
fig. 7-6.
Convertibles. Changing from hard
top to convertible is one of the easiest
modifications to make on a model car.
I’ve chosen a 1966 Mustang to convert
fig. 7-7, but the basic procedure is the
same for any convertible. In the case of
our 1966 Mustang, the conversion is
made even easier since the original kit
was available as both a hardtop and
convertible. This means that the inte
rior already has the necessary top bow
side pockets on either side of the rear
seat.
First make a straight cut across the
top, parallel with the top of the wind
shield frame. Then cut the “B” pillars
free from the body by carefully cutting
horizontally to the top of the fender
line where the top is joined to the rear
of the body, fig. 7-8.
Since the windshield frame is slightly
curved you’ll need to rework the straight
cut with a small half-round file to match
the shape, fig. 7-9. If you have a collec
tion of old kit parts, rummage through
them in search of a convertible boot
cover that can be made to fit. If you
strike out, consider purchasing either a
vacuum-formed boot cover or one cast
from resin, fig. 7-10-7-11. These items
are available from a number of small
manufacturers, such as Modelhaus, All
American Models, Mad Dog Models,
Mike Miniature Motors, Mill City Rep
licas, and Jimmy Flintstones Produc
tions. Check the advertising section of
modeling magazines for more.
The last step is to make sun visors
and attach them to the inside top of the
windshield frame. The size and shape
of these vary from make to make so, as
I’ve said often in this book, check a
good reference source for your car.
Fashion the sun visors, fig. 6-31b (page
40), and glue them into place.
41
 Mark to align
s t r i p i n g t a p e to
Fig. 7-2. Once the top pillars are marked to
the desired dimension, run a strip of auto
motive striping tape horizontally around
the top.
Fig. 7-5. Once the two pieces are securely
joined with super glue, fill the seam with a
small amount of body putty. Then file and
sand until smooth.
Fender flares. When wider tires are
required on a full-size car, whether for
the street or track, the first step is to
open up the wheel wells for proper
clearance. This is all well and good, ex
cept that the tires stick outside the
fender line. Model car builders face the
same problem. TheL good news here,
Fig. 7-6. The reassembled top is compared here to the finished
item.
42
>ing tape
Fig. 7-3. Carefully cut first above the strip
ing tape with a razor saw then cut below
the tape.
though, is that the remedy used on full-
size cars also works for models. The
materials and size of the job may differ,
but the results will be just as pleasing.
First enlarge the wheel opening to a
radius slightly greater than the tire, fig.
7-12. Using the tire as a pattern, scribe a
line on the fender. Cut away the fender
material with a hobby knife or motor
tool and clean up the opening with a
half-round file and sandpaper, fig 7-13.
Wrapping sandpaper around the circum
ference of the tire and using it to do the
cleanup work in the wheel opening is a
sure way to maintain the correct shape.
You can choose one of two ways to
flare the fender opening to cover the ex
posed tire. The first method is to cut a
strip of .040"sheet plastic approximately
W wide. Make the length of the plastic
strip slightly longer than the circumfer
ence of the wheel opening. Glue the strip
around the inside of the wheel opening,
fig. 7-14. When the glue is dry, fill the
area between the strip and the side of
the fender with body putty, fig. 7-15. Af
ter the putty is completely dry, file and
sand it to shape, fig. 7-16.
The second method requires more ef
fort in the beginning but less finishing
•A'’ pillar
Fig. 7-7. Carefully cut across the top of the body where the vent
frame meets the top of the windshield.
Fig. 7-4. Sand the two body pieces i n a
figure eight motion to clean u p the cut
area. This will ensure you keep the
edges level.
work in the end. Cut a piece of .040"
sheet plastic in a crescent or half-moon
larger than the wheel opening, fig. 7-17.
Glue this piece to the outside of the body
surface in an arc around the wheel
opening.
When the glue is dry, work the plastic
piece to the shape desired for the flare.
Then, use a little body putty to finish
filling in the seam between the flare and
the fender surface, fig. 7-18-7-20.
Spoilers. Spoilers can be either deco
rative or functional. For a street-driven
or show car they are mostly decorative.
For a competition car, they are serious
business, fig. 7-21.
Building a spoiler for the rear of a
race car, fig. 7-23, first requires mak
ing a template from card stock. This is
a trial-and-error exercise: You’ll need
to cut the card stock to the approximate
shape and continue working it little by
little until you’ve achieved a good fit.
Transfer the outline of the template
to thin sheet plastic. Carefully trim the
spoiler from the plastic sheet and clean
up the edges with a small file and
sandpaper.
Full-size car spoilers don’t just butt
up against the cars’ rear deck surface.
 Fig. 7-8. Use a razor s a w to r e m o v e t h e t o p b y c u t t i n g at b o t h
“ B ” pillars.
Fig. 7-10. Trim the vacuum-formed boot
cover with a sharp hobby knife.
The spoiler has a lip bent to an angle
along the bottom edge that is used to
firmly attach it to the body.
Cut a strip(s) of plastic sheet and
glue it to the spoiler along the bottom
edge, fig. 7-22. You can glue the spoiler
to the body before or after painting, de
pending on whether it’s to be the body
color or another color.
Wings. Wings have been used on a
number of racing cars for years, fig. 7-
24. The style shown in fig. 7-25 is simi
lar to that used on winged sprint cars.
Here the application is a mid-1970s
pavement modified stock car. You may
choose to design your own configura
tion, fig. 7-26. Once you decide on a de
sign, use .040" sheet plastic to build a
simple wing.
You may opt to glue the wing di
rectly to the body shell surface, or
make it removable, fig. 7-27-7-28.
The unit i s attached to the body with
short lengths of wire inserted into
matching holes i n the base supports of
the wing and the top of the body
surface.
Roof rails. Since mid-season 1987,
NASCAR has mandated that all Win
ston Cup stock cars have roof rails.
These are a pair of sheet metal ribs
Fig. 7-9. Using a jeweler’s file, shape the top of the windshield
frame to match the curve of the leading edge.
that run along the top, parallel to the
center line of the car.
To install them on your car, first
mark a line on each side of the top Vs"
from the top edge of the window open
ing. Stop just short of the windshield
frame in the front and the rear window
frame. Place masking tape on one side of
each line and use a razor saw to cut a
groove from front to rear, sawing com
pletely through the top surface. Be care
ful to avoid sawing through the front or
rear window frame, fig. 7-30.
Next, cut a strip of .010" sheet plastic
about 5 /ie" wide and as long as the dis
tance from the front and rear edges of
the top. Notch the lower ends of the strip
to the length of the groove, fig. 7-31. Test
fit the strip in the groove. When you are
satisfied with the fit and look, insert it
for real, 7-32. Run a bead of glue inside
the top to hold the strip in place. Then
with a small file shape the strip to its fi
nal form. Repeat this for the rail on the
other side. Use caution and sand spar
ingly, fig. 7-33. Work slowly so you don’t
remove too much material. The strips
should be about 3/32" tall, fig. 7-34.
Side windows. Occasionally your
model will require side windows, fig. 7-35.
When the original kit includes the pieces
the task is just a matter of installing
them. If side windows don’t come with
Fig. 7-11. Install the Interior (with dash) and test f i t the boot cover.
the kit, though, you can make them us
ing clear plastic sheet.
Place card stock inside the body shell
(make sure the side window area is cov
ered). Run a pencil along the inside of
the window opening to capture the side
window shape, fig. 7-36. Mark the loca
tion of the door line and the edge of the
window frame on the template, fig. 7-37.
Transfer the shape to a piece of buty
rate clear sheet plastic, leaving extra
material around all the edges. When
you’ve trimmed the piece, test fit i t in
side the body shell side window open
ing. When you are satisfied with the fit
remove the new side window “glass.”
Cut a narrow strip of chrome trim foil
and run it along the line representing
the window edge molding. During final
assembly you’ll attach the finished side
window inside the body shell with
white glue or epoxy, fig. 7-38.
Vinyl tops. On most full-size cars a
vinyl top is made by gluing the vinyl
onto the surface of the vehicle. Most vi
nyl tops consist of three pieces of mate
rial, a center section and two side
pieces. These are joined by a seam on
either side. There is a trim strip, usu
ally chrome, where the top joins the
body at the base of the “A” and “B” pil
lars to finish off the job, fig. 7-39.
On a model car the simplest repre-
43
 Remove excess material from here
Tire to b e u s e d o n
finished model

Felt-tip marker

Fig. 7-12. Mark the shape of the radius to be cut to match the
wide tire.
Fig. 7-13. After the plastic is removed from the marked area, clean
up the opening and test fit the tire.

Plastic strip

Wood applicator
Medical syringe used to.
apply liquid cement

Fig. 7-14. Glue the strip of plastic inside the new fender radius. Fig. 7-15. Use body putty to form the flare into the fender surface.

Fig. 7-16. Once the strip has been trimmed to shape, again test fit Fig. 7-17. In this method use a crescent-shape piece of material to
the tire. form the basis of the flare.

sentation of a vinyl top is achieved
with tape and flat black spray paint.
First, using V32"-wide chart tape run
two parallel strips from the windshield
to the rear window opening, fig. 7-39.
Use masking tape if you don’t have
chart tape. Then, place a strip of
smooth V32"-wide tape at the base of the
windshield posts and along the base of
the “B” pillars where the top meets the
body.
Next, mask the body to protect it, fig.
7-40. Using flat black spray paint,
“dust” the paint onto the exposed areas
of the top. You should move further
away from the model surface than you
normally would when spray' painting.
You want the paint to be nearly dry by
the time it reaches the model’s surface.
This will give it a bumpy finish, some
thing you usually try to avoid, but the
desired texture for a vinyl top.
Continue to apply coats until you
have a good covering of paint on the
surface. When the flat black is thor
oughly dry, spray the top with a couple
of light coats of semigloss clear finish.
After all paint is dry remove the
masking material but leave the chart
tape in place to represent the seams.
Proceed to detail the window trim and
drip moldings as you would if the
model were all one color, fig. 7-41.

44
 Apply body
Fig. 7-18. Check the tire fit to determine how much material
should be removed.
Detailing the b o d y
Final detailing of the body goes a long
way toward capturing realism. The fol
lowing detailing exercises will help you
improve your model’s realism and ele
vate it to contest status.
Chrome trim foil. Chrome trim foil
like Bare-Metal Foil is a quantum leap
for the model car building hobby. Once
upon a time, all chrome trim detail was
brushed on with silver paint. No mat
ter how steady your hand, the results
never looked real.
There is no substitute for chrome trim
foil. The shiny thin sheet with adhesive
backing conforms to almost any shape.
The foil is easily trimmed to shape and,
once burnished down, results in a realis
tic bright chrome finish, fig. 7-42.
There are a couple of different ap
proaches to using foil. For lengthy sec
tions of side trim, for example, cut a
strip of foil just wider than the body
trim. Gently peel the foil away from
the backing sheet, fig. 7-43. Place one
end of the strip at one end of the body
trim. Lay the remainder of the foil strip
over the trim, applying slight tension
until all of it is in place.
With a facial tissue, rub down or bur
nish the trimmed area, ensuring the
foil has conformed to the body molding
Fig. 7-19. A finished fender flare blends nicely into this road rac
i n g Camaro’s body lines.
Mounting strips
I' Spoiler
adjustment/support rod
Fig. 7-22. Deck spoilers just don’t bolt to
Fig. 7-21. Study pictures of spoiler modifi- the rear deck. Make a couple of mounting
cations used on short-track stock cars. strips to attach them.
completely. Using a hobby knife with a the same no matter what the subject:
new No. 11 blade, run the tip along the Though the procedures are straightfor
line where the edge of the molding ward, you need to stay calm, remain
meets the body surface. Carefully peel flexible, and, above all, be patient.
off the excess material on either side of First a word of caution. Don’t apply
the body molding. Burnish the foil decals over flat finishes. If the final fin
again to clean away residue left by the ish needs to be flat, apply the decals
adhesive backing, fig. 7-44—7-45. over gloss paint, and when everything
For trimming window areas, you
may follow the above technique or cut a
piece of foil larger than the window
opening. Trim out the inside area, leav
ing extra foil to fold around on the in Fig. 7-23
STOCK CAR DECK
side of the window opening. On the out SPOILER TEMPLATE
side edge follow the same procedure
used with the side trim, fig. 7-46.
For emblems, nameplates, and door
handles it takes a bit more effort to work
3/4"
the foil in and around the more complex
shapes. A cotton-tip swab is effective for
this. Be careful not to pull off the foil
from the piece being covered when re
moving excess material, fig. 7-47.
Decals. What would a race car be
without that boatload of sponsors’ decals
covering it from bumper to bumper?
Choosing the correct decals is important
but so is their placement. On oval track
racing cars, sponsors’ decals normally
appear on both front fenders; numbers 1/8"
appeal’ on both doors, the roof, and
around the head and taillight areas.
The best advice for applying decals is
45
Fig. 7-24. Race car wings most often are left unpainted alumi
num. You may wish to add chrome foil to the side panels. Fig. 7-25. Wings are appropriate for old-style Eastern modifleds.

3/8" Locator pins made from

uncoated wire

Locator holes drilled into

Wing supports
3/4’

Curve to fit top surface

Fig. 7-27. This is one relatively simple
method for mounting a wing to the top of
your model.

Short lengths of wire

used to mount wing

Fig. 7-28. You can mount wings directly to

the body shell or use this method to make
the wing detachable. Fig. 7-29. This late-model dirt Stocker looks good with a large wing.

is thoroughly dry spray the surface
with flat or semigloss clear paint.
Select a pair of small, sharp scissors
like those used in sewing. These will
allow you to trim right up to the edge of
the markings, fig. 7-48. Excess clear
film should be trimmed from the de
cals, leaving a smooth, clean edge. This
will help ensure the decal lies flat and
looks realistic.
Next, clean the body where the decal
is being applied with tissue and luke
warm water. You can also use a mild
decal solvent like Micro Sol by Micro-
Scale, Inc., instead of the water.
Trim each marking as close to the
edge of the image as possible. Then
place one decal in a small saucer of
lukewarm water. After 10 to 20 sec
onds pick up the decal between your in
dex finger and thumb and push gently to
see if the film moves freely across the
backing sheet. Leave the film partially
on the backing sheet and place the ex-

46
 Mark line paralie
with edge of top

Fig. 7-30. Use a razor saw to cut a slot, making sure not to cut through the top and rear Fig. 7-31. Notch each end of the plastic
window frames. strip as shown so it will fit into the groove.

w?" Wood block

Sandpaper (wrapped
• * around block)

Notched strip

Fig. 7-32. Insert the notched strip into the groove cut with a Fig. 7-33. Block-sand the strip to shape once it is glued securely
razor saw. from inside the top.

—
fNote black decal used

d
fo rd

k car racer

mark martin
Fig. 7-35. Note that by cutting a rectangular notch from the top of
Fig. 7-34. Here’s an example of roof rails on a finished model. the side window, it appears to be lowered slightly.

posed decal film at one edge of the in
tended area. Slowly slide the backing
sheet out from under the film. Gently
press on the decal with a damp tissue to
push extra water and air out, fig. 7-49.
As the decal dries, continue to work it
with a dry tissue to ensure no water or
air bubbles remain trapped under the
surface, fig. 7-50. Make sure to maintain
the correct position for the decal.
If you apply the decal to an irregular
surface, you may need a strong decal
solvent like Micro Set, also by Micro-
Scale. Apply the solvent sparingly with
a wide brush. Then with a damp tissue
a rect position glue the bottom end of it
PPly pressure to the decal to make it
conform to the body surfaces. You may
have to repeat this until you’re satis
fied the decal is lying uniformly flat.
Hood pins. Some street-driven cars
and most competition cars use a form of
hood pins. Making the hood pin func
tional in 1/24-1/25 scale isn’t that diffi
cult and adds an extra detail dimension
to your model.
To make working hood pins like the
ones on the 1964 Plymouth stock car in
fig. 7-52, you’ll need sewing needles
with eyelets large enough to allow fine
wire to pass through the opening. Drill
three holes in the leading edge of the
hood, fig. 7-51. Choose a drill bit
slightly larger than the diameter of the
needle.
If nothing is located directly below
the three holes, you’ll need to fabricate
a panel to anchor the needles, fig. 7-52.
Once this is accomplished, use the
holes in the hood as a guide and drill
three corresponding holes in the an
chor panel.
Next cut off the end of a needle to
about 3 /4" and push it up through both
holes from the underside. Leave the en
tire eyelet exposed above the top sur
face of the hood in the closed position,
fig. 7-53. When the needle is in the cor

47
 Window trim line

I Cardstock

V
Window outline

Fig. 7-36. Use card stock and a pencil or fine-point marker to Fig. 7-37. Cut this template from the card stock, leaving a bit of
record the shape of the window opening. extra material around the edges of the window glass.

s,de
Strips of chrome foil window is attached inside
v body shell using white glue
Butyrate
sheet plastic

LaFAYETTE
FAYETTEVILLE, N. C.

Fig. 7-39. Use Wchart tape to simulate the vinyl top seams and
Fig. 7-38. Side windows add realism to any model car. trim of “A” and “B” pillar base.

Fig. 7-40. Mask off the lower part of the body before painting the
top. Fig. 7-41. The finished vinyl top should look as g o o d as this.

to the underside of the panel. Repeat

Fig. 7-42. Burnish the foil sufficiently to
bring out trim detail.
this for all three pins. (The rear deck
lid probably has pins to hold it down
too. If so, simply repeat the process for
an opening deck lid or fix the pins in a
closed position.)
The next step is to form a retainer
clip using fine, uncoated wire, fig. 7-54.
Make a few practice samples first,
forming the wire with small, pointed
tweezers.
Then cut a length of small-diameter
silver sewing thread. Tie one end to the
retainer clip, then add a touch of white
glue. Fasten the other end under the
hood or in a hole in the car’s grille. Re
Fig. 7-43. One way of applying f o i l i s to peat this procedure for all remaining
u s e a sheet f r o m w h i c h y o u t r i m away hood pins.
excess material. Next, with the clip removed from the

48
needle eyelet, open and close the hood
to make sure there is sufficient clear
ance between the holes in the hood and
the needles. If not, remove the hood
and slightly enlarge the holes with a
No. 11 knife blade.
Finally, to replicate the metal washer
at the base of each pin on the hood sur
face use silver paint and a 000 brush to
paint a small ring around each of the pin
holes in the hood surface, fig. 7-56-7-57.
Head/taillight lens installation. Some
kits contain clear plastic headlight
lenses and tinted taillight lenses that
must be installed in a chrome bezel.
Avoid using regular plastic cement or Fig. 7-45. Once the trim line is cut with a
super glue for this task. Plastic cement Fig. 7-44. Burnish the foil once the model is sharp hobby knife, remove the extra mate
assembled to remove excess adhesive. rial carefully.
will remain visible after it dries; super
glue will damage or fog the clear parts
and the chrome. White glue is your best
choice since it dries nearly transparent.
Use a toothpick with a dab of white
glue on the end to place the glue spar
ingly around the headlight or taillight
opening in the bezel. With tweezers
gently place the clear lens in position,
fig. 7-58. Once the glue dries the lens
will stay securely in place — and the
bonding agent will be all but invisible.
Detail washes, grilles, and so on.
Just like other areas of a model car, de
tail contained in grilles, bumpers, and
trim panels can be defined with a thin
wash. Dilute flat black enamel with a
mild thinner like Tester’s or Pactra Fig. 7-46. You can apply chrome foil in Fig. 7-47. Gently work foil around emblems
Paint Thinner, available at hobby shops, strips as shown. with cotton swabs to conform to shape.
or Turpex or turpentine, available at
paint and hardware stores. Using a
small, pointed brush, flood the recessed
areas with the wash, fig. 7-59. Remove
excess enamel with a tissue or your fin
ger. Remember to wipe the paint away
only from the raised areas, leaving the
color in the recessed areas.
Additional small exterior body
parts. Attaching small exterior body
trim parts requires extra care. These
parts are usually attached to the sur
face of full-size car bodies with adhe
sives or hardware. You can use similar
techniques on your model. Fig. 7-49. Place the decal in its proper
When attaching an outside mirror, Fig. 7-48. Use sharp sewing scissors to cut position, and hold it i n place while care
make sure both surfaces are clean be out the decals. Cut as close as possible to fully sliding the backing paper from the
fore you apply glue to either the mirror the image. underside.
base or the car body. Then sit the mir
ror on the body before applying glue.
This will identify where paint must be
removed. The scraped spot should be
slightly smaller than the base of the
mirror where it touches the body.
Pick up the mirror with your twee
zers. Apply a drop of super glue on the
base of the mirror. Then carefully place
the mirror in the proper spot on the
body surface, fig. 7-60.
You can follow this approach for at
taching almost any type of trim item,
such as antennas, door handles, or em
blems, fig. 7-61.
Another way to attach a mirror or
antenna is as follows. First drill a Fig. 7-50. Carefully rub the decal with a
small-diameter hole into the base of damp tissue to remove excess water and Fig. 7-51. To attach the hood pins, first drill
the mirror. Cut a short piece of un air bubbles. holes in the leading edge of the hood.

49

Fig. 7-52. Fashion a bracket to fit under the
edge of hood. This will serve as a mount
ing surface for the hood pins.
Fig. 7-55 HOOD PIN
■ 1/8” (approx.)
White glue
Toothpick
Fig. 7-58. Apply white glue inside the
headlight bezel with a small applicator
like a toothpick. Install the clear lens
with tweezers.
Length o‘
Fig. 7-61. This simple antenna is attached
in like fashion to the mirror.
50
Sewing needle
Fig. 7-53. Glue sewing needles into place,
adjusting them so the eyelet is visible
above the surface of the hood.
Silver paint
Fig. 7-56. Paint the edge of the hood pin
holes silver. This represents the hardware.
Fig. 7-59. Dilute flat black paint and ap
ply a wash to the grille detail with a
small brush.
coated wire and glue it into the drilled
hole in the mirror.
Then drill a corresponding hole in
the body where you’ve decided to at
tach the mirror. Insert the wire which
was installed in the mirror base into
the freshly drilled hole in the body.
You may wish to use white glue when
making your final attachment. This
will enable you to remove excess glue
easily with a moist tissue or cloth.
Just a few words before concluding
this chapter. You always get better re
sults if you make alterations before ap
plying body paint. This may seem like
an overstatemen t, but thinking ahead,
such as test fitting for hood clearance,
checking for tire clearance on fender
Uncoated
w,re
,
/<
Fig. 7-54. Use small tweezers to bend the
soft wire to shape. Make one retainer for
each hood pin.
Sewing needle
Retainer [£-
Fig. 7-57. The finished hood pins look just
like the real thing.
Fig. 7-60. Place a drop of glue to the base
of the mirror and with tweezers position it
on the spot where paint was scraped from
the door sill. It should show no signs of ex
cess glue.
openings, or finding sink holes before
the paint goes on the body, will make
building and detailing the body easier
and more enjoyable.
I can’t emphasize enough how impor
tant it is to pay attention to the basics
of model car building. You can’t hide
poor workmanship with paint. What
value is an award-winni ng paint job if
the model is plagued with excess dried
glue, untouched mold lines, and poorly
aligned parts?
Master basic skills first! You should
strive for balance in all areas of a fin
ished model. Too many models, espe
cially contest entries, fall short of the
mark because the builder ignored this
advice.
 Fig. 8-1. Wheel and tire detailing adds authenticity to any model whether it’s a 1950s street ma
chine, vintage, or high-tech race car.

8. Wheels and tires

OFF-ROAD tires on a ’50s custom? the box. (On the other hand, returning Aftermarket wheels and tires
Flipper hubcaps on a NASCAR racer? a street rod kit to replica-stock or con
These combinations sound absurd and verting a stock street car to a specific Aftermarket wheel and tire sets suit
they are (unless you’re building some drag racer will require an inspired able for use on sports cars, street ma
thing really off the wall, of course). If parts search, especially for wheels and chines, and street stock applications
you want your model car to be called tires.) are available, fig. 8-4. One word of cau-
something other than absurd, make sure
you select the proper wheels and tires.
The right combination establishes the
character of the model. The wheels and
tires you choose say as much about your
model car as the paint finish, assembly
job, and how the model sits on a flat
surface.
Wheels and tires identify the model
car’s type (street rod, race car, or replica
stock) and era. For example, whitewall
tires say 1940s to ’50s; raised white let
tering says 1960s to ’70s; and extra wide
tires like the 40-50-60 series are defi
nitely a 1980s and beyond look.
Just as important as choosing wheels
and tires is what you do to them after
you’ve made the selection. Attention to
correct and accurate detailing here can
turn any good shelf model into a con
test contender.
Kit wheels and tires
Many plastic kits include wheels and
tires that are exactly right. Model
manufacturers of sports cars, drag cars,
muscle cars, and stock car racer kits
usually pay close attention to such de
tails. So before you begin any modifica
tions, and exercise your prerogative of
individual taste, check what comes in Fig. 8-2. Details on wheels and tires add to the realism of this Cobra Daytona.

5*1
 7/' J:

Fig. 8-3. Replica-stock vehicles from many eras, especially the 1930s
and 1970s, included painted wheels as a common feature. Here are Fig. 8-4. Arii and Tamiya offer aftermarket wheels and tire sets
Tom Creeger’s 1970 Olds Rally 350 and 1934 Ford stake bed truck. that can be adapted to many different models.

tion here: Although 1/24 and 1/25

scales are usually close enough that
the wheels and tires are interchange
able, this isn’t always true. Always
check that the parts will fit together,
and simply ask yourself if the wheels
and tires look right on your model.
Anytime you choose to swap wheels
and tires from another kit or use non
kit items, some modifications likely are
B
necessary. Fig. 8-6. Rally wheels with c h r o m e trim
Here’s one example: Arii wheels and r i n g s need a bit of paint on the wheel s u r
tires can be adapted easily to fit on face to g i v e depth a n d contrast. Flat a l u
many of the current muscle car models. minum was u s e d o n t h i s rally wheel a n d
Figure 8-5 shows how to use Arii flat black was brushed into t h e cooling
wheels and tires on the Monogram slots to set off the wheel, hubcap, a n d
1971 Plymouth Satellite. The proce r i n g combination.
dure is easy and doesn’t take long.
Some wheels and tires from the Arii
line will provide a ’70s look, others a
more contemporary one.
Detailing replica-stock wheels
Hubcap. A key to achieving replica
stock appearance is the correct use of
hubcaps and beauty rings. An excellent
first step is to observe how these parts
fit on a real car wheel. The hubcap
snuggles down onto the wheel surface
with only the center section and rim
extended much beyond the wheel and
tire profile. The hubcap also never com
pletely covers the surface of the wheel picked out using a small brush and
and the hole for the valve stem usually thinned paint. Darken the brake cooling
goes through the beauty ring at the slots in the wheel surface with flat black
outside edge of the wheel rim. or charcoal gray paint and a small
With this in mind, here’s how to model brush. Finally, wash the entire hubcap
a hubcap. To achieve the proper hubcap- surface with diluted black paint. This
to-wheel fit, you often have to sand the will add depth and character by empha
back surface of the cap to remove un sizing surface features, figs. 8-6-8-7.
wanted ridges and dips, or perhaps file Grease c a p a n d l u g nut. If your car
down the grease cap and molded-in lug doesn’t require, or you don’t want, a
nut detail. Don’t forget to drill a hole in wheel cover or hubcap, the grease cap
each wheel for the valve stem along the and lug-nut will require more attention.
outside edge of the rim. (Make a valve This might entail something as simple
stem from a Vs" piece of small-diameter as coloring a hex-nut knock-off with sil
wire painted black or silver, fig. 8-11.) ver paint on a sports racing car, brush
Do not glue the hubcap or beauty ring in ing on dark metallic gray for a grease
place until you’ve applied the wheel’s fi cap, or adding five silver lug nuts on an
FITTING AFTERMARKET WHEELS nal color treatment. early ’50s dirt track stock car wheel.
TO A MONOGRAM 71 PLYMOUTH Color areas on the hubcap, such as the Wheel weights. Wheel weights made
embossed or recessed emblem, should be simply from a dab of white glue, or per-
52
 haps from a photoetched piece, and
painted aluminum or steel don’t re
quire great modeling skills. However,
they add the kind of detail that brings
the wheel to life, figs. 8-12-8-13.
Painting wheels. You may decide the
finish on the plated wheels is just fine
the way they came from the factory. Or 1U J
you may choose to apply a diluted black asnoHiNi:
□ UJO
paint wash to the plated wheel to add
depth. Some wheels that appear to be
plated on full-size cars are actually IHIH
painted gloss silver. You can achieve mm
this look by using one of the chrome
paints made for models.
You may just wish to tone down the
brightness of the kit plating. You can
accomplish this by using either a semi
gloss or dull coat model paint. The re
sulting finishes offer either a polished Fig. 8-7. This racing wheel, with a chromed rim, h a s h a d t h e brake c o o l i n g slots d e
metal look or the satin finish found on tailed with flat black paint. Also, the wheel center i s painted b o d y color and t h e k n o c k
unpolished metal wheels, figs. 8-8-8-9. off hubcaps, which h o l d t h e wheel and tire onto the spindle, are b r u s h painted silver.
Mag wheels. Mag wheels, as used on
drag, custom, or street rods, often have
a steel outer rim with nonferrous (or al
loy) centers. Duplicating the appear
ance of these wheels can be as easy as
painting the mag wheel center with
varying shades of metallic gray. You
may wish to paint the wheel center a
straight aluminum color, or you may
mix in increasing amounts of flat black
to the aluminum until you’ve achieved
the desired look, fig. 8-20.
Anodized wheels. Anodized wheels
are used on a variety of street, show, and
competition vehicles. An easy way to
achieve this look is with Great Glass
Stain. It’s a transparent, tinting liquid
made for the craft hobby. Any plated
surface will allow you to create a look of
chrome tinted with gold, red, blue, or Fig. 8-8. Spray clear Dullcote on chrome- Fig. 8-9. T h i s s h o t s h o w s clearly t h e d i f
whatever GGS color suits your mood, fig. plated wheels to achieve a more realistic ference D u l l c o t e m a k e s o n a p l a t e d
plating look. wheel surface.
8-15. Maybe you’d like to use blue-tinted
chrome wheels with a candy blue paint
job. Simply brush the GGS color over the ing the right appearance of the spokes. tween the spokes is removed. Be careful
plated wheel surface. Some race cars Until recently, the spokes in plastic wire about how much you remove; too much
used gold-plated wheels. Just use the wheels were not even close to being pro will weaken the wheel. You want a
same technique, fig. 8-16. portionately correct — they looked too clean but sturdy spoke. Use a fresh No.
Plastic wire wheels. Wire wheels thick and heavy. Nowadays there are a 11 blade to remove the remaining traces
were common on automobiles into the couple of ways to correct this problem. of plastic between the spokes. This will
early ’40s and in many racing car appli If your plastic wire wheels are molded allow brake drums or disc brakes to ap
cations into the ’60s. The toughest part in a solid piece, grind and sand the back pear behind the spokes, giving the
about modeling the wire wheel is achiev- of the wheel until most of the plastic be wheels a more realistic look.

Fig. 8-10. These wheels have black wash over chrome plus flat Fig. 8-11. Using a pin vise, drill a small-diameter hole near the
black in the cooling slots. edge of the wheel’s outer rim for a valve stem.

53
 Fig. 8-13. Once the white glue has dried, paint the wheel weight
Fig. 8-12. Use a toothpick to apply a dab of white glue along the aluminum or steel. Then, add a strip of chrome paint to the center
edge of the wheel rim to form a wheel weight. of the weight to finish the job.

Fig. 8-14. The wheel o n the right, with valve stem, wheel weight,
lug nut, and grease cap detail, contrasts sharply with the plain Fig. 8-15. Great Glass Stain brushed over chrome plating may be
wheel on the left. used to give a tinted look.

You can improve the appearance of
wire wheels molded in multiple pieces
with open spokes with judicious use of
paint. Most full-size stock and racing
wire wheels were painted either flat alu
minum or body color. The reason: The
chroming process makes spokes brittle
and unsafe for racing demands. Painting
the spokes on plastic wire wheels a
shade or two darker than the rim will
make them appear to have more depth
Fig. 8-16. Simply brush Great Stain Glass over plated wheel surfaces to get a quick
anodized look.
54
and look less heavy, figs. 8-17-8-18.
Photoetched wire wheels. Cottage
industries now provide the car modeler
with another option to provide realistic-
looking wire wheels. Photoetched wire
spokes and white-metal wheel rims are
available in most scales and can look
convincingly realistic. You can polish
the rims to a bright finish using a small
wire brush mounted in a motor tool. The
rims and spokes can also be painted to
accommodate other applications. An
other plus of using the photoetched wire
wheel is that it allows more brake detail
to show behind the wheel due to the
thinner spokes, figs. 8-19 and 8-30.
Replica-stock tire detail
The tires on full-size cars rarely look
as factory fresh and unused as they do
on model cars. One way to make any tire
look more natural is through weather
ing (I’ll discuss this later). Tires, with
the possible exception of those on show
cars or in advertisements, are not black.
Instead, they range from dark gray to
tan to a reddish color. Their color also
varies from the outside sidewall to the
inside sidewall.
Like other parts of the model, tires
can enhance realism if detailed well
and can detract from it if detailed
poorly or not at all. To avoid the latter
wash your tires with soap to remove
any mold-parting solution and handle
them carefully, since the natural oil
from your fingers can cause smears
and runs.
Before painting the tread and sidewall
you can add special detail by sanding
worn spots into the tread to indicate mis
alignment or a balance problem (see dis
cussion later in chapter), fig. 8-21.
If your car’s tires have a fairly deep

Fig. 8-17. You can detail plastic wire wheels
by first using a wash of diluted flat black paint
brushed over the spokes to give depth. Then
you paint the spokes with a darker shade of
silver paint after the wash has dried.
Fig. 8-22. To accentuate tire tread, use flat
tan or gray paint and flow it into the tread
recesses. Then lightly sand the surface.
Fig. 8-23. White sidewalls are a must o n a
1950s custom. Sign Painter One Shot white
is ideal.
tread pattern, paint the tread first with
a light gray or tan acrylic paint such as
Polly S, Pactra, or Tamiya. Allow the
paint to dry thoroughly and then mask
off the tread area.
Next, paint the tire sidewall with
flat charcoal gray and allow it to dry
thoroughly. Remove the masking from
the tread and gently sand it, leaving
the light gray or tan in the recessed
tread areas, fig. 8-22.
Mud will give the tires a weathered
look. To indicate it, apply contrasting
colors of flat earth-tone paint to both
Fig. 8-18. The detailed tread and sidewall
and wheel detail and the Great Stain Glass
and diluted flat black paint brushed in be
tween the spokes make this wheel pop out
in comparison to the kit wheel-tire.
Fig. 8-20. Wheels with alloy or nonferrous
centers can be represented by mixing
varying percentages of black and alumi
num o r a gunmetal color and brushing the
mixture onto the wheel centers.
the inner and outer sidewalls of the
tire.
Whitewalls. You can make realistic
whitewall tires by using either Polly S
acrylic flat white or Sign-Painter’s
One-Shot white paint and applying it
to the sidewall with a clean medium
sized brush. Avoid painting over the
same area repeatedly to ensure no
brush strokes show, figs. 8-23.
Lettering. Used much like dry-trans
fer lettering, Shabo Scale makes white
sidewall transfers that are placed on a
clean sidewall surface by positioning
Fig. 8-19. Photoetched wire wheels may be
retrofitted to older models such a s this.
Fig. 8-21. The unsanded tread of a racing
tire compared to one that has been sanded
with coarse sandpaper.
and then burnishing or rubbing over
the carrier sheet until the transfer
releases.
Raised white letters. Raised white
lettering can be achieved in much the
same way as painting whitewall tires.
Here you use a smaller brush to lay
paint onto the top surface of the letters
only. Hold the brush at a flat angle and
avoid loading it up with too much
paint. Go back over the raised letters
until you’ve applied the right amount
of paint.
Many manufacturers offer sidewall
55
Fig. 8-24. Coat the sidewall of the tire with Polly S clear finish be Fig. 8-25. After you’ve coated the sidewall with clear, position the
fore applying decals. white decal.

Fig. 8-26. Once the decal has dried, coat the sidewall once more Fig. 8-27. This finished tire has had the tread grooves cut in it,
with Polly S clear. and the tread area sanded to enhance realism.

Fig. 8-29. A used tire should look like the one on the top.

Fig. 8-28. Randy Derr i s sanding the tread o n a racing tire that
has been chucked in a lathe and i s rotating slowly.

lettering on wet-transfer decals. Here’s
how to attach these to your tires. After
cleaning with a dry cloth the sidewall
area where you want the decal to be po
sitioned, coat the spot with Polly S clear
flat paint. Apply the decal, and after it
has set put a final coat of clear flat paint
over the entire sidewall. The edges of the
decal will be nearly invisible.
Shabo Scale offers other dry-transfer
products including a variety of sidewall
white lettering. Also, check out the pine
wood derby supplies at your local hobby
shop, since Pinecar dry-transfer decals
offer a couple of sheets with sidewall let
tering on them. The Pinecar sheet, how
ever, may be expensive; it provides only
enough to do one set of four tires per
sheet, whereas Shabo’s sheet allows you
to do four sets, figs. 8-31—8-34.
Tread detail. The final step in tire de
tailing is the tread. The most common
added detail (something I mentioned
earlier) is to give the tire a worn or used
look by sanding it. I use coarse sandpa
per cut from a sanding disk. Simply slide
the tire over one index finger and rotate
it while sanding the tread to the desired
look. If you’re fortunate to have access to
a lathe or device where you can rotate
the tires, find a plastic rod or wood dowel
rod slightly larger in diameter than the
inside diameter of the tire and chuck it
up in the lathe. As the tire rotates
slowly, hold medium-grade sandpaper
against the tread surface and move it
back and forth until you get the worn
look desired, figs 8-27-8-29.
Occasionally, you’ll need a large
tire for use on, say, a pro street model
or a dirt track stock car. The pickin’s
are slim for these tires, but you can
always find a big set of racing slicks
somewhere. Again, if you have access
to a lathe or rotating device, use a ra
zor saw to cut evenly spaced concen
tric grooves. Then cut oblique grooves
with the same razor saw by first mak
ing a jig, fig. 8-35, to hold the tire in
place. A cutting groove, much like a
miter-box saw, allows you to rotate
the tire in even increments while cut
ting diagonal grooves in the tread
surface.

56
Fig. 8-30. Herb Deeks’ photoetched wire wheel kit. This is one of Fig. 8-31. Burnish decal lettering with a wood clay working tool or
many kits available from cottage industries. ball point pen.

2” x 2" x 3/4" Saw-cut groove

wood block guides razor saw

Centered 5/8"-diameter
dowel pin holds
tire in place

Fig. 8-32. Here’s dry-transfer sidewall let

Fig. 8-35 TIRE JIG FOR CUTTING TREAD PATTERN
tering by Shabo and Pinecar.

Fig. 8-34. The sidewall lettering on the finished tire looks ter
over the tire sidewall and slide it on. rific — and realistic.

57
 Fig. 9-1. A simple conversion involves swapping parts from similar kits. On the left is a 1939
Ford Deluxe, on the right a 1940 Ford Deluxe.

9. Conversions and
modifications
FOR SHIP, tank, plane, and car model For example, no major hobby manu the ’39 Ford grille, hood, and fender as
builders the job is pretty much the same, facturer has offered a 1939 Ford De sembly from the sedan and the main
but what it’s called isn’t. Ship, tank, and luxe Coupe or 1940 Ford Standard body piece from the 1940 coupe. As fig.
airplane modelers build conversions, but Coupe in 1/24 or 1/25 scale. Except for 9-2 shows, the pieces from the two kits
car modelers build modifications. A con minor details the two full-size cars are fit together like the proverbial hand
version or modification, simply put, in nearly identical outwardly, fig. 9-1. in-glove.
volves reworking a kit model — using Using parts from the Ertl 1939 Ford Assembly is straightforward, and you
handmade parts or swapped ones — into Sedan and 1940 Ford Coupe kits makes have the choice of making a replica
something unique. it easy to build either car. You’ll need stock, vintage custom, or street rod from
One of the things that sets model car
builders apart from other modelers is
their desire for unique creation. They
are always looking for ways to build
something just a bit different, something
that is truly their own creation. It may
be the use of nail polish pastel colors in
stead of enamel or lacquer paints, an un
usual engine configuration, or a knock 1939 Ford
out set of wheels and tires. Whatever it
is, it’s got to be different!
The following examples are not com
plete projects but brief suggestions of a
range of modifications (or conversions)
within the skill levels of all model car
builders.
Simple conversion: 1939 Ford
Deluxe Coupe or 1940 Ford 1939 Ford S<
Standard Coupe fenders Z

One of the easiest model car conver

sions is swapping parts from one kit to
another to create an unusual model. Fig. 9-2. Here’s a conversion using parts from the 1939 and 1940 Ford Deluxe.

58
 Remove top from
1964 Dodge
Fig. 9-3. To start o n this advanced conversion, remove the
tops from both the 1963 Plymouth and 1964 Dodge with a ra
zor saw.
Fig. 9-5. This conversion allows you to build either a street stock
version or historic super stock drag car.
these combined parts. You can make the
cars as close to the originals as you
want. But no matter what you do, be
sure to research these two prewar Fords.
It will yield such information as wind
shield wiper location, which car had col
umn shift, which had a floor shift, how
many taillights characterized the fac
tory stock 1940 Ford Standard Coupe,
and more.
Of course, you don’t have to make an
exact replica of either car. Other simi
lar combinations of parts can help you
create a ’39 Ford Deluxe or ’40 Stan
dard Coupe that reflects your individ
ual tastes and is unique. How much
you experiment, if at all, is entirely up
to you.
Advanced conversion: 1964
Dodge two-door, post sedan
The formal hardtop styling of the
1963 Dodge and Plymouth was carried
over to 1964 and was used on the two-
door, post sedans for both car lines. Un
fortunately, the model manufacturers
never gave us these 1964 body styles in
a production hobby kit. By combining
the top from the Johan ’63 Plymouth
with the lower main body section of the
Johan ’64 Dodge or Plymouth, you can
'lymouth top on
Cui lit r,-
Fig. 9-4. Once you’ve removed the tops, glue the ’63 Plymouth top
onto the ’64 Dodge body shell.
Fig. 9-6. Thoroughly wash all resin parts to remove mold-release
agents. Use super glue or five-minute epoxy to fasten resin parts
to styrene.
build either of these two-door, post
sedans.
Remove the ’63 Plymouth and ’64
Dodge tops with a razor saw, fig. 9-3.
Glue the ’63 top in place on the ’64
Dodge body, fig. 9-4. Add door posts on
both sides, use the ’63 Plymouth rear
glass, and the ’64 Dodge windshield.
This conversion might be finished
into an authentic street stock version
or a vintage super stock drag racing
car. The finished model in fig. 9-5 is a
famous factory-sponsored drag racing Fig. 9-7. Following the conversion kit in
car from 1964. These two-door post se structions, remove the rear body section
before installing the new deck section and
dans were the mainstay of the Chrysler rear window.
factory efforts in those days. Digging
through print ads, dealer catalogs, or
feature articles from magazines of this
period can be an asset in producing an
accurate model of one of these cars.
The resin factor: 1986 NASCAR
Pontiac 2 + 2 race car
Many cottage industries produce resin
parts to create unique and interesting
variations (turn back to chapter 7, page
Fig. 9-8. You can use plastic cement, ep
oxy, or super glue to fasten the new deck
area into place. The vacuum-formed piece
i s also polystyrene.
59
Fig. 9-9. With the body conversion pieces in place, the model ration, such as cleaning away mold flash and filling occasional
looks as if it came straight from a kit box. pinholes, is often required.

Fig. 9-12. The ultimate conversion may be a complete resin kit!

Fig. 9-1 1 . The finished resin-bodied model looks every bit as nice You’ll still need to find drive train, wheels, tires, and other acces
as anything from a kit box. sories to complete the model.

41, for a partial list). Hand-cast resin ish the model as you normally would. NASCAR T-bird using a cottage-indus
pails combined with a kit body shell pro The resin takes paint and primer much try resin body conversion kit like one
duce easy conversions. The companies the same as kit plastics, figs. 9-9-9-10. from Mill City Replicas, All American
provide all the parts and instructions nec Models, or Mad Dog Models. The resin
A complete resin body: 1988 body will require a bit of clean-up, like
essary to complete a specific conversion. NASCAR Ford Thunderbird
In our example, we’re using both a removing the mold flash and filling a
resin nose clip and a vacuum-formed, Maybe the conversion pieces you want few air bubbles, but it works about like
polystyrene deck lid to convert the Mono aren’t offered in any kit. It may also be the kit body shell. Once the body is
gram Petty Pontiac Grand Prix into the that you’re looking for a “missing link” primed and painted, combine it with in
limited-production speedway 2 + 2. piece that can only be built through terior, chassis, drive train, and wheels
The new resin nose clip fastens to the hours of scratchbuilding. Don’t de and tires from the ’86 Monogram stock
front of the kit body shell. It fits in the spair — just take a broader look. When car kit and finish building the model as
same manner as the kit nose clip. Five- you do, you may run across the 1988 you would normally. The finished model
minute epoxy or super glue works best NASCAR Thunderbird. You say you will look as good as anything you’ve
when mating resin pails to polystyrene. don’t remember seeing one on the store built from the kit box, figs. 9-11—912.
Wash resin parts thoroughly with soap shelves? You didn’t see it there because Many quality resin bodies are avail
to remove mold-release agents, fig. 9-6. it wasn’t produced by the major model able from a variety of cottage industries.
Otherwise, nothing short of atomic fu car kit manufacturers. To build this Whether your interest is prewar replica
sion will bond the pieces. car you would have had to kitbash stock, street rods or customs, or contem
Follow the conversion instructions to body parts from the 1986 Monogram porary super speedway stock cars, the
prepare the rear of the body to accept the NASCAR T-bird kit with its street ready availability of resin parts and
new deck lid and rear window, figs. 9- stock 1987 kit — a long, arduous job. complete resin body shells open up many
7-9-8. Once this work is completed fin Today, though, you can build the 1988 possible model building subjects for you.

60
 Fig. 1 0-1. After placing a part of the the dry cleaning bag into
your model into it. the bottom of the kit box, gently set

10. Transporting and

displaying your models
YOUR MODEL is finished, and now
you want to move it somewhere. Maybe
over to a friend’s house or a modeling
club meetin g. Or perhap s to a contest.
Whatever your reason s, you should
take steps to transp ort your car model
safely.
Transporting
Origin al kit boxes are an inexpe n
sive way to transp ort your models. But
you’ll have to take extra measu res to
protect the model from damag e. One
way is to use the clear plastic bag that
your dry cleani ng is return ed in. Flat
ten the bag and run your hands over it
to force out trappe d air. Next fold the
bag length wise to the approx imate di
mension of the kit box’s length . Place
one end of the folded bag into the bot
tom of the box and begin layerin g it
back and forth in an accordian-style
Ibid. Stop when you have about half the
bag in the box, figs. 10-1-10-2.
Place your model gently on top of the
pile of folded bag. Contin ue layerin g

61
Fig. 10-3. A plastic f o o d storage container i s great for trans Fig. 10-4. One option for transporting y o u r model I s to build a
p o r t i n g your model. It’s also a good box for storing parts wood box. Lined with strips of foam, it makes a secure
while building. container.

the rest of the bag over the top of the a base and a four-sided top that snap display your model cars, remember
model car. locks to the base. Your model can be at that maintaining them in a near dust
Carefully put the kit box top half tached to the base for security. Another free environment is important. Pro
down over the bottom half, moving option would be to custom-build a dis tected from dust and damage, your
slowly to push out trapped air. Once play case, fig. 10-5. hard work can be preserved for a long
the top is in place, secure the two However you decide to transport and time.
halves of the box with tape or a large
rubber band.
You can also cut pieces of soft foam
rubber and place one in both halves of
the box, then place the model between
them. For best results avoid anything
too firm. The car should “float” in soft
material that won’t break off even
small items like mirrors and antennas.
You can use more substantial con .
tainers, such as a shoe box, household
plastic food container, or handmade
small wooden box. It just depends on
how much time and money you want to
spend, figs. 10-3-10-4.
Displaying
Safely and attractively displaying
model cars is a problem as old as the
hobby. Dust and damage are your two
biggest concerns. One simple way to
combat these problems is to put your
model in an enclosed bookcase.
A clear plastic display case designed
to hold a car-size model is the next best
choice. You can purchase these from a Fig. 10-5. An excellent method for displaying your work is a dustproof plastic case. These
hobby shop or through mail-order out cases are sturdy and available at a nominal price. This one is made by Jo-Han Models,
lets. They are constructed in two pieces, available through X-EL Products.

62
Glossary
Aftermarket parts. Non-kit items produced to
enhance a model car building project, such as
wheels, tires, and decals.
Anodize. Putting a decorative or protective fin
ish on parts through an electrolytic or vacuum
plating process. Commonly available in black,
red, green, and gold.
Armature wire. Small-diameter wire used to
wrap the armature of a small electric motor.
Articulate. An assembly with functional joints
or movable parts.
Bezel. The trim enclosure surrounding a head
light or taillight on an automobile.
B l o c k - s a n d i n g . W h e n sandpaper is placed
around a block of wood o r hard rubber to
form a rigid and consistent finishing tool.
Burnish. To repeatedly rub a material so it will
adhere to a surface or to polish a surface.
Card stock. Any stiff paper product used to
make post cards, file cards, and so on.
Cottage industry. Home-based, small busi
nesses that manufacture specialized products
for the model industry.
Craft braid. A cord-like, trim material for the
craft hobby available i n various diameters and
colors including silver.
Curbside: A model car building style where
n o panels are open, and when judged in a
contest it’s not picked up or examined under
neath.
Dual overhead cam: When each cylinder head
of an internal combustion engine is equipped
with two cam shafts mounted o n top of the valve
train.
Dump pipe. The large-diameter exhaust duct
which is connected to the header collector and
sits below the rocker panels.
Epoxy. A two-part adhesive composed of a
resin material mixed equally with a catalyst
that causes a chemical reaction resulting in a
rapid hardening of the material into a bonding
agent.
Fish-eyes. Small, round, concave depressions
ln
a paint finish, usually the result of a chemical
reaction to an oily film on the model.
Flathead. A cylinder head design where the
valve-train is located in the engine block.
F l i p p e r h u b c a p . A design prevalent in the
1950s that featured a three- or four-pointed
attachment ("flipper”) mounted in the center
of the hubcap.
Header c o l l e c t o r . Where individual header
pipes converge into a larger-diameter, short
piece of pipe.
H o o d pin. The device used on a race car to
hold the hood or rear deck lid in place, consist
ing of a vertical pin with an eyelet into which a
retainer clip is inserted.
I n d e p e n d e n t r e a r s u s p e n s i o n . Where two
axle half-shafts are attached through univer
sal joints to either side of the rear-end gear
housing and individually sprung.
Instant glue. A chemical compound adhesive
that contains cyanoacrylate ester, an eye irri
tant capable of joining quickly most materials
including human skin tissues.
K member. The front chassis stiffening m e m
ber used on late-model Chrysler products and
shaped like a “K.”
Kitbash. When parts from more than one kit
are used together to create a unique model.
Lathe. A machine used to shape materials like
wood, metal, or plastic by holding and turning
them rapidly against a cutting tool.
M a g wheel. Generic reference to automotive
wheels that are in the performance or compe
tition class. This term originally referred to a
wheel made of lightweight, nonferrous materi
als like magnesium.
Miter box. A jig fixture in which a saw is in
serted into a groove allowing the cutting of
materials at precise angles.
M o l d lines. The raised lines, usually along the
horizontal surfaces of fender and body edges,
which are left by the seam between the die
sections during the injection-molding process.
Monochromatic. A paint scheme in which all or
most of the car’s exterior (including bumpers,
grille and trim) is predominantly one color.
N A S C A R : National Association of Stock C a r
mier sanctioning organization for professional
stock car racing in the USA.
Orange peel. The textured finish of a model
car paint surface caused by the paint drying
too rapidly before the surface levels.
Overhead cam. One cam shaft per cylinder head
mounted above the valve train assembly.
O v e r h e a d v a l v e . A valve train a s s e m b l y
m o u n t e d i n t h e cylinder h e a d .
Parts tree. The plastic frame o n which the indi
vidual kit parts are attached. Used in the mold
ing process as runners to carry liquid plastic to
various parts of the die work.
Photoetch. Small, delicate parts formed from
thin-sheet brass, which is exposed to an in
tense light source through a negative in a pho
tographic process.
Pro-street. A type of street-able show car that is
designed to represent a pro-stock drag racing car.
R a d i u s rod. Metal bars, attached to both ends
of a straight axle and frame side rails, that
maintain axle alignment.
Replica-stock. A model that represents fac
tory original, street-driven cars.
R e s i n . A plant-and-vegetable b a s e d s u b
stance u s e d i n varnishes, paint, plastics,
a n d adhesives.
Rheostat. A device to vary the resistance in
an electrical circuit and used in cars to dim o r
brighten lights or change speed.
Solid axle. An axle made from one piece of
material and used o n many early production
vehicles and current street rods and customs.
Spindle. The pivoting horizontal rod, located
between the top and bottom A frames to which
the front axle is attached, which allows the
front wheels to steer.
Spoiler. A flat piece of material strategically
mounted to a vehicle to interrupt the smooth
flow of air, causing a down-force.
Stabilizer bar. A solid metal rod mounted to the
suspension and frame to restrict rapid movement.
V a c u u m f o r m i n g . A molding procedure
which u s e s the rapid removal of air from u n
der a pliable sheet material to pull t h e sheet
down quickly over a convex master, forming
a relief copy.
Wet s a n d i n g . When automotive sandpaper is
saturated with water, enhancing its ability to
smooth surfaces.
Wing. A lateral surface mounted to a car for the
purpose of applying considerable down force.
63
Index
A Engine painting, 31
Acrylic paints, 10, 12-13
Aerosol cans, 10, 12
Aftermarket tires, 51 , 52
Airbrushes. 13
Airbrushing, 13-14
Air compressors, 13-14
Alloy (nonferrous) wheel cen
ters, 53, 55
Anodized wheels, 53
Antennas, 49, 50
Armrests, 39
Automotive paints, 14-16
Automotive primers, 14-15
B Ford Deluxe Coupe (1939),
Beauty rings, 52
Block sanding, 8, 9
Body and frame chassis, 18
Body fillers, 7, 8
Bottled paints, 10-11, 12
Box-style frame, 18
Brake cooling slots, 53
Brake lines, 18, 25
Bumpers, 49
Brush painting, 11,12
C Great Glass Stain, 32, 54, 55
Canned propellants, 13-14
Carburetors, 28, 31 , 34
Chassis detailing, 25
Chassis painting, 24
Chrome-plated wheels, 53
Chrome trim foil, 45, 50
Clear coating, 16-17
Contests, 5, 8, 9, 18, 25, 51
Convertibles, 41
Cottage industries, 59
Cracks, 8
Customs, 19, 22, 25, 29, 32,
33, 40
Cutting parts, 7
D
Dashboard, 39
Decals, 45, 49, 57
Distributor cap, 30
Dodge (1963), 59
Door handles, 35, 36, 39, 40,
49, 50
Door panel, 39
Drive shaft, 23
Dry sump oil system, 34
Dump pipes, 19, 22
E Wings, 43, 46
Electrical wiring, 33-34
Emergency brake cable, 25
Enamel paints, 11, 12-13, 16,
17
Engine mounts, 28, 29
64
Engine swaps, 29, 34
Engine types, 26-27, 32-33
Exhaust headers, 22, 28
Exhaust manifold, 28
Exhaust system, 18, 19, 22
Extra-wide tires, 51
F Stock cars, 22. 25, 29, 31 , 35,
Fender flares, 42, 45
Finishes, 1 1
Finishing kits, 15
Fittings, 25
Fluid brake lines, 23
58-59
Ford Deluxe Coupe (1940), 58
Ford Standard Coupe (1940),
58-59
Front suspension, 18, 20
Fuel lines, 18,31,34
Fuel systems, 28
G Paint primering, 12
Glues, 8
Grease cap, 52, 54
Grille, 49, 50
H Polishing, 16
Header collectors, 22-23
Headlights, 49, 50
Hoodpins, 47, 50
Hubcap, 52
I Racing interiors, 36-40
Induction systems, 28
Instructions, 6-7
Instrument detail, 35, 37
Interior painting, 38-39
J Rearview mirror, 36
Joining parts, 7, 8
K Resin, 59-60
Kit complexity, 4
Kit selection, 4
Kit tires, 51
Kit wheels, 51
L Safety precautions, 4
Lacquers, 15, 16, 17
Lettering, 55
Liquid glue, 8
Lug nut, 52, 54
M Side pipes, 19
Mag wheels, 53
Make-ready stage, 8
Model car subject selection, 4
Modified headers, 19
Mold lines, 7-8
Muffler, 19, 20, 22
Mustang (1966), 41
N
NASCAR Ford Thunderbird
(1988), 60
O Super glue, 8
Orange peel, 10
Out-of-the-box kits, 9
Outside mirror, 49, 50
P Tail pipes, 19, 20, 22
Paintbrushes, 10
Paints for plastic, 10
Petty Pontiac Grand Prix, 60
Photoetched wire wheels, 54,
55, 57
Plastic wire wheels, 53, 55
Plymouth (1963), 59
Plymouth (1964), 59
Polishing kits, 16
R Turn-signal lever, 35, 39, 40
Race cars, 19, 22, 23, 29, 32,
33, 37, 38, 40, 45, 54, 59
Radiator, 30
Raised white lettering, 51 , 55
Rally wheels, 52
Rear-end cooler, 25
Rear suspension, 18, 19, 23-
24, 25
Reference material, 4-5, 18,
29, 35
Replica-stock tires, 54-57
Replica-stock wheels. 52-54
Roll cage, 38, 39, 40
Roll cage padding, 40
Roof rails, 43, 47
S Window trim, 44
Seams, 8-9
Seat belts, 40
Shifters, 27, 37, 39, 40
Shock absorbers, 24
Show cars, 29, 33
Sidewalls, 54-55, 56, 57
Side windows, 43, 48
Sink marks, 8
Spark plug holes, 30
Spoilers, 42-43, 45
Spray painting, 4, 12
Squadron Green Putty, 7
Steering front end, 20-22
37, 38, 40. 45. 46, 54. 59
Stock interiors, 35
Straight pipes. 19
Street rods, 19, 22, 25, 29, 32,
33, 38
Sun visors, 36, 40, 41
Supplies, 4
T
Taillights, 4, 9
Thinners, 10, 15
Tire wear, 56
Tools, 4, 6
Top chopping, 41
Touch-up paint, 15
Transmission, 26-28, 37
Tread detail, 56
Trial-fitting parts, 7-8
Tube collectors, 31
Tube frame chassis, 18, 19,
23
Tube glue, 8
Tube headers, 29, 31
Two-part epoxy, 8
U
Unibody chassis, 18, 19
Upholstery, 35, 36, 37
V
Valve stem, 54
Vinyl top, 43, 48
W
Waxing, 16-17
Wheel painting, 53
Wheel weights, 52, 54
Whitewall tires, 51 , 55
Window crank handles, 35,
36, 39, 40
Work area, 3
Workbench, 3
X
X-style frame, 19
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