Build Photos: 1977 Ford Pinto

And it begins... 

Overview of what's in the box. Not too many pieces. This should go relatively quickly. 

Signs of an old tool: flashing and somewhat blurry definition. 

Assembling the engine block, squeezing hard to get a seam of melted plastic to trim off with the hobby knife for a seamless part 

Nipping, sanding, washing, organizing parts for painting 

Happy to see my brushwork improving such that it's hard to see any strokes. Airbrush looks so good but I'm finding that it's not necessary in all cases assuming I thin my acrylics correctly (1 thinner w/ a touch of Flow Aid to 1 paint), use a good paint (Vallejo), and a quality brush. Those irregularities in the surface are from the plastic, I promise 😉 

Engine building... Looking clean and toy-like for now. 

Test fitting engine. All parts are coated in two layers of Pledge to protect the painted surfaces during test fitting. This went together pretty well with only a bit of tweaking the engine compartment. 

Hmmm... Engine is at an angle which isn't great. Might need to make a few more tweaks. 

OK. Cut away some of the left and right plastic tabs to free up some space and correct the angle as best I can. 

Engine weathered, varnished in matt, and installed (top view) 

Engine weathered, varnished in matt, and installed (bottom view) 

Cabin painted and assembled. 

Body brush painted in 5 coats of Vallejo Model Color Buff thinned 1:1 with a bit of wetted water (~0.5 cups of tap water + 2 drops of dish soap). Very happy with the outcome! 

Interior painted brown except for hood and areas around tires and engine which are black 

The glass is all one piece that glues in. Front side windows are optional and in this build I will omit them. The glass fits pretty well. I could have painted the ceiling but decided not to bother since someone would have to really get into a unique position to see it. 

Paint job glossed up with three coats of brush-painted Pledge. The trick is using enough Pledge to avoid brush strokes but not so much that it pools at the edges. I'm happy with the outcome. It's not perfect (there are some bumps) but I will improve in the future. A key is to paint in a dust-less room which isn't possible in my apartment so I just have to accept it. 

A little touch of chrome pen to fill in the FORD which gives better precision than a brush. And, by the way, you can't see the muddy edges from far away.  

All done!