’73 Camaro

Thanks Mark!

I'm glad to help, it's part of how to keep the hobby alive. 

I use a few different primers depending on what I'm doing. 

The economical gray and white Krylon primers work well for checking body work (and prepping die-cast pieces). 

Tamiya Fine white and light gray primers are excellent, but a bit pricier and work very well just before putting and color down. 

I also used catalyzed two part automotive primers for some of the larger subjects.  PCL High Fill Poly-Primer is a good value.

I buy from my local paint supplier.  Since I worked in the auto painting industry I just keep going back to the same store.  I've found most shops are fine with "non-professionals" and hobbists buying direct. 

Last time I bought The Matrix I think it was around $50-$60 for a quart of clear and 8 oz of activator.  Stored properly it will last quite a while and you can paint a lot of bodies.  Valspar also makes a good clear as does PCL which is usually more economical.

I appreciate someone of your caliber taking the time to post here and show people like me how to do it.  Both my H and VL came with the #3 installed and I am going to change them both to the #5.  I started with the Neo for Iwata CN with the .35 needle and it is nice for detail work but doesn't flow well enough for anything else... plus the cup is too small.

Mark, what primer do you use?  And where do you get your Matix?  Every thing I googled was $250 but I am assuming these are in 1:1 quantities.

Glad I was able to give you hopefully usable info.  I have never used the #3 cone or needle.  I found there is enough overlap between the #1 and the #5 that I just never needed it.  I have two or three #3 sets.  Also, I shoot a lot of 1:1 automotive paints, and they seem to flow better with the five.

Yes, that is who I am, just another model builder.  And I do appreciate the compliment.

Thanks for the explanation Mark... I am new to all this and recently got the Paasche VL and H.  It seems everyone recommends the #3 noozle and needle so it is interesting to hear you are using the #5.

I think I just figured out you are Mark D Jones?  Then you really are the real deal... LOL... no wonder your work is so perfect.  Being very new to this hobby (within the past three or four months) I have still managed to read several of your articles.

Thank you Spencer!

I forgot the fire extinguisher when I was finishing up the interior.  So I made one.  The bottle is aluminum turned on the lathe; the handle is carved from styrene with a stretched sprue nozzle and a piece of tubing for the gauge.  I used the art I already drew for a 1/12 scale extinguisher and reduced it and printed it.  The strap on the real car is Velcro; I used electrical tape on the model.

Wow Mark , I've just gone through all four pages of this thread , as usual , your work is phenominal . Love the blue & white colour , and those "snowflake" wheels suit the Camaro  . 

Thanks!  The body was painted by airbrush (Paasche VL with a #5 needle and cone) with the the Admiral/Cloisonné blue from the original touch up paint I had for the real car, with a coat of intra-clear to seal it.

After the decal stripes were applied it was cleared with The Matrix two-stage urethane using the same airbrush. After it cured it was cut and buffed then waxed.

The trim striping on the dash was done with a custom decal I drew and printed in metallic blue.

Wow.. you are the real deal.  This is an incredible build.  I'd love to know how you painted that perfect paint job on the body and also how you painted the blue on the dash.

And now installed in the interior. 

Also could now install the console with Hurst shifter and graphic equalizer…

Harness installed on the seat.  The fabric is velour and was replicated by adding talc to the paint.  I misplaced the head rest I already made so I made a new one thus guaranteeing the lost one will appear soon.  The headrest knob was machined from aluminum with the proper 9 notches in it.

I made the harness for the driver's seat.  A couple different kinds of tape, some hand cut Mylar and some custom made decals.

They are Schroth ASM (Anti-Submarining) so there is an electronic inertia reel that mounts into the back seat.  I just took off the Momo pads on the real car, but since they were on it for 20-some years I thought I'd put them on the model.

Wow! Awesome Built! Great attention to all details from the smaller to bigger one! 

Bravo! 

What a beautiful build. My first car was a 1973 LT, so I'm watching your build with great interest. Your attention to detail is amazing, and the finish on the car is spectacular.

Simply flawless, smooth as glass ;)

Finally got the chrome trim done and waxed the body.

I finally got around to polishing some of the body parts.  First I sanded the hood stripes smooth then hit it with some Tamiya wax.

Thanks guys!

As for the headers, they were a breeze to install on the real car (and I have had multiple sets over its lifetime), but there is just not enough space within the model to install, let alone fit them in between the frame rails.  So the best trick was to cheat a little and cut out material from both the frame and the headers knowing once it is all together it will be very tough to see.

Really nice work. As a former-owner of 70's F-bodys, I appreciate your detailing 'the little things' that make all the difference.  It is interesting that this kit had the headliner texture molded in, most are just flat plastic and sink marks. 

I feel your pain with the headers.  I'm working on building a copy of my wife's 3rd Gen Camaro convertible, and while the headers I have fit okay, they're still a deal to fit.

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

Man, I'm speechless. You could post just the mirror in "Other Models" all on its own. That is quite a piece of workmanship. 

I made the Wink mirror by milling some smoke colored plexiglass to make the base for the mirror panels.  Then boxed them with some 0.010 sheet styrene.

The water temp and oil pressure gauges I machined a couple weeks ago have been installed in their little under dash panel.  The switch for the driving lights has been added to where the cigarette lighter used to be.  A crush sleeve was machined from aluminum and added between the steering wheel and column.  I’m calling the dash done for now.

Exhaust system has been colored and weathered and dry installed with the suspension sub-assemblies.

Originally I planned to make the exhaust pipes out of solder, so I filled in the mounting holes in the chassis.  But after looking at the kit’s pipes, even though it is for the single crossover style muffler, I saw it would be much easier to modify those parts into what my car has.

I used the left over turbo mufflers from the AMT ’66 Nova (I used to build another one of my cars) and chopped and spliced the Camaro pipes to fit sans the single muffler. The cross-over pipe was made from a piece of one of the headers that didn’t work.  It is all pinned together with aluminum rod.

Base coat of silver ready for proper coloring…

The engine is still at the same point as is the majority of the rest of the car.  Too many irons in too many fires, some if not most of it my own doing. 

This project requires more concentration than many others for me, so I often let it set until I have the time and energy to really focus on it. 

And constantly starting (and finishing) other projects is not speeding up the completion either.

Mark, fantastic stuff, I think it was you who said" make each indvidual piech its own masterpiece ". exactly what u are doing here.

Simply outstanding. Any updates on the engine? No pulley assemblies, last we saw 

I machined a set of aftermarket Auto Meter gauges from aluminum.

A vacuum gauge, tach, and oil press & water temp.

Scale master is right, as mentioned above, your attention to detail is assidous!  You might not have to even polish out that clearcoat, it already looks great.