'67 Corvette Gasser

Here's one I've been working on for most of the year (on and off). I'm not currently working on it just thought I'd share it.
It's pretty much finished, just waiting on decals and assembly. I've recently learned how to make custom decals with some help from Bernard Kron but my printer isn't playing nicely. Once I  figure out my printer, I'll be back on this build.
I started with Revell's '67 Vette and the SWC '41 Willys as the donor kit.
First mock up.


The interior tub sat too high so I took the floor off, shortened it and added a new floor, also removed the rear wheel arches and built larger tubs.



Dash from the vette, seat, roll bar, door panels and centre console from the Willys. Battery just sitting there, it'll be under the hood. I smoothed out the door panels and added pe handles and a chrome strip.

Some engine detail,






Just before final assembly, I'll go back over the engine and tidy it up.

Brake stuff,




2nd mock up,


Made a grille from straight pins.



That's all the building done next is body paint.
I love doing masking paint jobs with Tamiya spray cans. This one I used these craft boarder stickers as the masking. First a gold base and then the stickers.



Then hit it with candy lime green and removed the stickers.



A trick I learned here a while back from Allan was to shoot red over green for a deeper red or blood red. But I always gotta try something different so I used clear red. The clear red turns the green to a dark red and the gold to a metallic red. I left a couple straight line stickers on for some gold lines.





This is where I'm at now. I came up with the name " Red Velette", a play on Velvet and Corvette. Seeing some of Bernard's photoshop stuff and some advice he gave me, I gave it a go myself. Using a program called "Inkscape" I made this image. This is printed on normal paper.

Unfortunately my printer doesn't seem to print nicely on decal paper. Brand new printer, brand new paper but I get lines and blotchy bits. This is printed on decal paper.

Anyone got any ideas?
Thanks for looking

WOW Man, that's an outstanding build!

Fabulous project. So well-conceived and thoroughly executed. It embodies everything I love about auto modeling - the design creativity, the range of imagination it permits, the opportunity for detail and fabrication, and the discipline it demands to achieve proper fit and finish. In my case I'm almost congenitally incapable of building an actual replica of an existing or historic car, so seeing something like this really gets my juices flowing. (The grille with the straight pins is so cool!!! - I will steal this idea!!!)

One thing that I still don't do that looks so sharp on your build is all the plumbing and wiring. I do some, and frankly add pseudo-details to fool the eye with paint and placement of parts. But I love the mechanical aspect of car modeling and am battling to add more detail to my work. While I do ignition systems and some fuel plumbing, I still don't do throttle linkages, brake lines and detail electricals. In some cases, such as on race cars like this, and especially rail dragsters, high levels of detail add tremendously to the impact. A few years back I developed a severe allergy to CA and not using it stopped my attempts at fine work dead in its track. I'm working on my technique using epoxy, applying increasingly small amounts later and later in the cure cycle. But it's not like zapping CA with zip kicker! I'm determined to get to this level of detailing in my work! Thanx for the inspiration!

The paint scheme is fantastic. And the decal graphics are real sharp! It's almost a shame to add graphics to that paint job, but it is a competition car after all. I'm at a loss regarding the decal printing. Were you ever able to replace the cartridge(s)? Something that occurred to me is to take your decal paper, computer (assuming it’s a laptop...) and software and take output the file on some other printer in an effort to control for the printer/cartridge. If it still breaks up then it's most likely the paper. If not, then it's most likely the cartridge. It's extremely unlikely it's the software. Your design sense is so uniformly excellent that it's imperative this issue be solved! (A thought that occurred to me is that you e-mail a file to someone else with decal paper and have it printed there. It doesn't solve the problem but it will get you working decals!)

Decals - That's a problem with compatibility between your printer and the paper.
Do you have the correct paper for your printer?  I.e. Inkjet or laser?  You can't use paper made for one type of printer on the other.
Assuming you have the correct paper then what paper type have you got your printer set to?
Plain paper? - It looks to me like it may be a case of too much "ink" due to decal paper not being porous like plain paper.
Try setting the printer to glossy paper or iron on transfer paper (listed under speciality paper on my printer).
Testors decal paper instructions say set to plain paper but this is wrong (with my printer anyway).

Lovely work on the paint and the detailing.  Those linkages are exquisite.  I'll go to that level occasionally but usually don't bother drawing the line at plug wires and maybe fuel lines.

Strictly speaking it's not a Gasser.  Gas class rules required two seats to be fitted so this would have been classed as an Altered.  Unless it was a match racer then you'd do what you wanted.

However, it's still gorgeous.

Thanks guys  Glad you like it.
I've tried real hard one this one, I've done this kind of masking before and I'm quite comfortable with it but I'm still learning about engine detail. This is my 3rd detailed engine, the first two where street rods so this one is a bit different.
The grille worked out pretty good, I haven't test fitted it since painting the body but I'm sure it'll look perfect in there. I used long straight pins from the craft store.
Thanks for the seat tip Fred, I didn't think taking out a seat would change the class but no that I think about it, taking out a seat would change the weight making it altered. Ahhhhh I see!
I'm only loosely following gasser rules and I'm not too worried about having only one seat. I don't have another one anyways as it's from the '41 Willys and it only comes with one. One will have to do, sorry, no passengers!

I've tried every setting on my printer, no matter what I do it doesn't work.
It's a brand new Cannon Pixma MX726. Supposed to do everything. The decal paper is Detailers Choice. I did change out the cartridges, nothing changed. I've done every bit of troubleshooting available like test printer alignment, cleaning etc. Nothing works.
I've tried setting the printer to different paper sizes, different printer settings like plain paper, gloss, matte etc. Slow and high speed, low and high quality, nothing. It does work best on gloss though. I've tried to print on plain paper, photo paper and decal paper. Looks fine on plan but on photo paper it looks really sharp, no blotches or whites lines and a nice gloss finish.
I have 2 problems, Blotchy ink and alignment lines. Here's a pic of a different decal I'm working on, it shows the lines better.

To me, my printer just doesn't like decal paper. I'm going to try it on my mates printer, see if that works.

I still think it's your decal paper... especialy since you've changed out cartridges and you're getting good results on other papers.

Hmmmmm.
It sounds odd but when we had a similar problem printing photos on the big colour printer at a former job (A3 colour - luxury.  If only they knew what I was printing before anyone else got there in the morning...) I found that changing the software I was using made a difference.
Same jpg files but handling them with different software - no lines.

I to had problems with Testors decal paper. the i bought some on ebay  10 sheets A4 size posted for $20.00
and it's just great no problems since.  I only have the lady phone no she live in Vic (03)98440170 i hope this helps

Tony

I've only used micro-mark decal paper. it's fine when you first open it, but goes like that when it's old, i think it absorbs moisture from the air. it also does it if you touch it (oil from skin), so handle it minimally or wear gloves.

Looks killer, love that paint job, well done.

That's a killer paint job on the vette   

What an absolute weapon!! Great details and that paint!! 

I really like the engine detailing, looks awesome. And the red with the lace work is gorgeous.  

Wow! This thing looks great,
Hopefully you will have it finished for our show in Feb
Loving that engine too!

A lot of top class work going into this ,as well as showing people some great modelling ideas , well done .

outstanding building 
man just love those early 60's dragcars
 l am really digging that paint 
and the the detail is outstanding 
who cares if it  is not class correct 
that's what models are all about 
can't wait to see it finshed

joey1320 wrote:...who cares if it  is not class correct that's what models are all about...

Agree with you Joe, but there's no reason not to tell people if they're not accurate.

Great job on the engine detail looks awesome. And that paint job looks amazing.

Thanks heaps guys   
I should have it finished by Feb Shoey, Bernard the nice guy that he is, he's making me up some decals as we speak!
Thanks for all the help with the decals guys, Zen I will definitely try printing it through different software, didn't even think to try that. I will call the decal paper lady Tony, thanks. Just got to figure out how to properly print first! I would say that some of the blotches are from excessive handling by me  I'll use soft gloves next time.
Thanks for the tips guys!

It'll almost be a shame to put decals over that gorgeous paint.
I've got a '63 body fresh out of the stripper bath and this is inspiring me...