*FINISHED* Don't judge me: Monogram 1978 Pontiac Trans Am

[tatocorvette]

Hello,

    Sometimes in life, weird things cross your path and you take an unplanned detour.  So I was browsing thru boxes of old stuff and found lots of old models, parts, stalled projects and more from my youth. Some of those are well over 40 years old! I'll take some pics and provide longer explanations on some of those later.  But this one, somehow jumped out of the box into the workbench! It's been in that box for probably over 30 years!


It's a 1978 Monogram Snap-Tite Pontiac Trans Am. It was loose but I was able to find all the parts but the decals and box, which I don't recall ever existing. 
The catch? This model is 1/32 scale!
You may not know it but as a kid and teenager, I was a huge Trans Am lover as well as Corvettes.  
This is a very simple and rather crude kit with less than 20 parts.  
I want to see if I can do a simple project.  I said simple, not necessarily quick.






As much as I love it, I'll resist the urge to make this a Bandit. 

A light sanding (it seems it had a very light coat of red spray can paint) and first coat of primer reveals some mold lines that still need attention.



Thanks,
Ismael

[kyledehart5]

Can’t wait to see where you take this one Ismael!

[Ben_B]

No judgement from me! I was a fan as a kid, too.  I’ve even recently been thinking of picking up one of the old 1/24 Monogram ‘77 Trans AMS off of eBay, just for fun. I look forward to seeing what you do with this build!

Ben

[tatocorvette]

Hello,

Ready for (hopefully) last coat of primer.





Wait, what happened to the chassis mounting tabs on the sides of the body?



Yeah, those tacky sidepipes are horrible. 

Thanks,
Ismael

[scooterer]

Very interesting. I'll be lookin' forward to watching how you turn this in to a "silk purse". 

[tatocorvette]

Hello,

  Just having some fun with this. Nothing serious.
Not fixed in place yet but you get the idea. Mirror imaging wire was a fun exercise.


But, La Piece de Resistance so far!



Added passenger grab bar, key cylinder on the steering column, turn signal lever, steering wheel emblem, manual shifter, power windows controls (below shifter), classis 6x9 speakers and floor mats made out of sand paper.  Hand painting the 1/32 dash was another fun exercise. 




However, not everything is going smooth. Upon inspection I found the glass has some rather serious damage. Will try to save it but it will be an uphill battle. 

Thanks,
Ismael

[tatocorvette]

Hello,

Added wire exhaust, resonators and oil pan plug to the otherwise single piece chassis.


Thanks,
Ismael

[kyledehart5]

Looking spiffy. Looks like you’ve installed some classic cherry bomb or thrush glass packs. Love it.

[tatocorvette]

Hello,

  First color coat. Meh.. Too dark for my liking.  This is Corvette LeMans blue. Way too dark for what I had in mind.



So sanded it down and started all over again, this time white primer. Will use a different paint.  
Possible Option: Porsche Cobalt Blue   
I wanted to use Corvette Laguna blue (used in my C7) which is close to the original Pontiac's Martinique blue but I don't have enough left.  Jetstream blue is very nice as well but I need that for my stalled C6 ZR1. This project has to be $0. Have to use whatever I already have.



Thanks,
Ismael

[Ben_B]

When I was in high school, the owner of a local strip club who lived around the corner from us had a powder blue TA with a four speed. Even the wheels were matching blue, instead of the usual gold. I never liked the color, but the car was still pretty cool. Especially when some of his, um, employees were riding with him.

Ben

[tatocorvette]

Hello,

I think we are now on the right path:


Cobra Colors Porsche Cobalt blue, purchased back in early 2007.

Thanks,
Ismael

[kyledehart5]

Yes. Looking very nice. I dig the blue.

[tatocorvette]

Hello,

 Polished the hood after letting the clear dry for about a week to get a feel for it.


Thanks,
Ismael

[tatocorvette]

Hello,

  This one is DONE! Or at least 99.999999%

This was a "quick" fun project. Despite been a "quick" one, I put some effort in it.

Monogram Snap-Tite Trans Am

Paint: Cobra Colors Porsche Cobalt Blue lacquer over T235 primer
Interior: Rattle can Desert Sand

Mods:
Passenger grab handle
Shifter
Turn signal lever
key cylinder
Floor mats
Photoreduced 6x9 speakers
Glovebox key hole drilled
Molded side exhaust removed
Wire exhaust 
Resonators (classic cherry bombs)
Exhaust tips
Oil pan screw
Marker lights (home printed)
License plate
Inspection/registration sticker (windshield)
Scratchbuilt inside rearview mirror (typical car of the 70's, it fell off  )
Backup lights
License plate lights
Missing body panel lines painted (bumpers)
Home printed (and carefully cut) Firebird wheel centers (plus another one as steering wheel center horn button) 
Wheel/tire locator pins cut out and wheels modified for proper placement
Restored windshield (Deep scratches, a melt spot and fog spots. A lot of time and effort on this) 
BMF (a lot of it)
Black painted paper card inside front and back between chassis and body to prevent light passing thru exposing "emptiness"
Driver's side window partly rolled up. (I did the passenger side as well but it was swallowed and fell in  )
Nose emblem cut from a red sticker
Door locks (dabs of silver paint)
(May have missed some other details)


























As a reminder, it is 1/32 scale


What do you think?
Hope you approve. 


Thanks,
Ismael

[Ben_B]

Your usual excellent work, Ismael! Well done! And thanks to you, I picked up a Monogram 1/24 Trans Am kit off of eBay this week. I’m also blaming you for causing me to have the Smokey and the Bandit theme song stuck in my head all week!

Ben