Putting the wraps on the '55 Bel Air. Wasn't a bad kit as far as flashing, mold lines, etc. But it did have a few quirks to it.
The original idea was to go with a blue/yellow street rod. I had extra rally wheels from another build that I wanted to use. After laying the primer and paint, I sat on it a few days and decided against it. Mainly due to, I wasn't feeling the color combo. I wanted to be different with it, but it just wasn't there. Then to add on, the rally wheels I have, along with the dozen or so wheel backs wouldn't cut it due to the fact the stock build has a movable pin suspension and a rear axle.
I could try and forge some wheel backs, but didn't, and still don't think my build skills are there yet. The other thing was that the "street" wheels were molded in white and it came with 2 Crager style rims in chrome. So I opted for the classic daily driver look to move away from the current line up of muscle cars I have.
The build itself, went really well with the exception of the front suspension and engine bay. Because it's supposed to be able to roll and turn, everything is a fine point connection. Despite doing everything i could think of to get it together, I ended up just gluing it solid. The instructions were a bit difficult as everything seemed to sit on the same level, and the arrows weren't clear as to which parts went first. Though most of it was fine, when it came time for certain assembly options, it was throw it at the wall and see what works.
This is the first car i've done that used so much foil. Even after sanding the body before painting, the paint melded a couple body lines with the body itself, So trimming the foil in these areas was a bit off, especially with these old eyes.
As the final assembly started, it was clear that certain mold points were off. Case in point is the leaf spring connectors. The passenger side sits about 1/32 forward, compared to the driver side. It seems this is causing the driver side stance to sit more like a muscle car. With the passenger side sitting deeper into the wheel well, I will have to make a minor adjustment by adding a riser to that side.
There are some minor issues with the rear lights and bumper shocks, but they've been fixed the best i could get them. Only major issues was with the paint. Days after it was painted, it started to develop bubbles on the driver side fender. The fenders also came out rougher than the rest of the body despite multiple sandings. Overall though, I like the look and this is another car that if I owned in real life, would make a great Saturday driver.
