*FINISHED* A few quick builds for a local buildoff

[tatocorvette]

Hello,

   Our Puerto Rico local modeling community has been making these friendly build-offs for years. A topic or a kit is selected and you have usually like 3 months to build it.  At the end, we all get together and share the completions. No prizes, no contest, just for fun. It's been over a decade since I have participated.  A few weeks ago, it was decided that the theme for the next friendly build-off was going to be: "70 Years of Corvette: Any year any style".  Of course I was forcefully shoved in there.  I'm helping the organizer and I am providing support to participants with reference, tips, suggestions, parts from my parts box, even a kit, etc. 
Few rules: Opened only to local participants in the facebook page or whatsapp group (I'm in the latter). You needed to register from July 1st to the 5th showing what model or models you are going to work on. Either unstarted or untouched glue bombs to restore.  You need to post progress but the finished model can not be shared until the end date.
To our surprise this has been the most prolific  build-off ever! Over 21 participants (a HUGE number for the local community) but most importantly, everybody registered at least 2 models! Some registered as many as 10!  So we may end up with about 40+ finished models!
So this been a time bound thing with only like 4 months, combined with my glacier pace building speed, it is a perfect opportunity to work on poor models as quick curbside builds that I would otherwise never touch.  i.e. AMT crap 
So don't tell anyone I'm sharing this here but these are my entries, and I'll post progress here as well.

1. 1990 Corvette Convertible. A candidate for one of the crappiest kits ever made.  But I love the subject.




2.Make an auto-cross home garage racer from one of these '84 promos, or butcher both if needed



3. 1963 Convertible. 


4.Trying to make a Corvette Spyder out of 3 junkers

 


5. '63 Split Window. The AMT kit everybody loves to hate


I submitted 5, but realistically, my goal is to finish at least 2, maybe 3.
Let's see how this goes.

Thanks,
Ismael

[sam]

Five models in four months !?!?

And you say you can't build one model in 24 hrs?

I challenge you to try one of them,and build it in 24 hrs. Remember, fast drying paints and superglue are your friends. You can even add details and finish in 24 hrs.

I'll even let you clean all of the flash off first,because they are AMT kits(even though that wasn't allowed in the 24hr builds I took part in), and glue four parts together before starting.(which was allowed).

[tatocorvette]

Shooting for 2, stretch goal is 3. My OCD will not let me. My problem is painting. Surface prep is several days. Primer alone is at least a 1 week deal.
In 12 days already, I'm working the primer on a body to hopefully be ready for paint next week and another body is in rough primer. Haven't touched anything else.

[sam]

I will let you off since we all know what your end results are like. Does caffeine help with the ocd? 😃

[tatocorvette]

The SR-71 used fuel as coolant. I use caffeine (lots of it) as a sedative 

[kyledehart5]

This is excellent. I will be watching this space with great interest!! Almost Speed builds for our friend here. Ismael, your dedication to the perfect paint job every time never ceases to impress me. I’m sure whatever you complete out of these will look wonderful.

[tatocorvette]

Hello,

OK, so this is what's happened in the last 2 weeks:

Taking the promo apart was harder than I thought. They used gobs of glue on it.


Despite been colored plastic, the promo had some sort of paint and it was deteriorating.


So after disassembly, it took a swim in brake fluid.


Next day it looked like this.  Already past 24 hours 


Sanded, primer, sanded, primer, sanded, primer, rescribe panel lines... repeat, repeat, repeat... Over 1 week on this loop


Addressed some of the gaps while at it.




And this is just the first test coat of Victory Red Lacquer.  Only a test coat that will be sanded down to almost nothing before 2 or 3 wet coats.




Yes, it is (was) a promo


This is where we are today.

Thanks,
Ismael

[sam]

By your standards, you're flying through this build. 😁

[kyledehart5]

Excellent!! That looks a million times better already.

[tatocorvette]

Hello,

Working on the '90 convertible: I'm not joking when I say these kits are some of the worst kits ever.








Thanks,
Ismael

[tatocorvette]

Hello again,

  After about a week of fighting:









Thanks,
Ismael

[sam]

Just so long as you win the battle.

I am so glad that I sold that AMT C4 a few years back. 🤣

[mustang1989]

Jul 12, 2023 18:02:32 GMT -8 tatocorvette said:

The SR-71 used fuel as coolant. I use caffeine (lots of it) as a sedative 

Looking forward to seeing you work your magic here Ismael.

[tatocorvette]

Hello,

  Plastic instead of brass in the interest of time.
Was it measure once cut twice? or the other way around? 

Started by drilling 2 strategic holes.












Putty will eventually take care of the scars.


Thanks,
Ismael

[mustang1989]

Dang near a perfect fit with that roll bar Ismael. Good work buddy.