-=And so it begins: 350Z streetDRAGON=-

[CRXdan]

I have to agree with Willimo
You are rushing this project. I woudl definetley strip it and start over. The putty looks terrible. The rest of the model looks so good like the interior and stuff. But the bosy itself isnt lookign great. Im not too impressed with the results so far either. If you dont "have time" put it aside until you find some time, dont put this model to waste

[pugdog13]

The color coverage is poor. The finish looks thick and dry.


Repair: short of stripping-

Try sanding the paint with 600 grit paper and then with 1000 grit paper. The goal is to reduce the thickness and smooth out the "egg shell" look. Spray a little primer over that fender and feather it out with 600 grit. Wash the body when done. Dry wirh compressed air, reduces lint in the finish.

Paint:

Spray LIGHT THIN FLAT coats. Practice on the box the model came in. You DONT want to make the paint "shine" with the color. Just cover the body without making the finish look and feel gritty. When you are done sand the entire body to a smooth finish with 1000 grit and apply the clear.

SLOWLY>>>>

[Artem1985il]

Originally Posted by willimo

If you keep adding new coats of paint, it will end up losing all the detail and the panel lines will get washed out if you're not careful. If it were me, I'd strip it and start over. But then, if it were me, I'd strip it and start over just so I could clean up the spots where the resin meets the styrene and rescribe the panel lines around the hood and betweent headlamps and wheel wells. Transkits are very ambitious and no matter how good they are take quite a bit of work to fit perfectly. I think most people here would agree (it's been said a few times) that you are rushing this project. Something with this scope should be tackled with great patience. Doing something perfect the first time will prevent you from having to undo and redo things a second time.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is your second model. Just becuase it is your last and because you threw a lot of money at it you've won awards in design doesn't guarantee you a perfect model. I've built close to 20 and mine are still far from how good I want them to be, and I'm sure everyone here, no matter their level of skill, feels the same. Everyone is aspiring to a greater level. I'm not trying to flame you or fuss you or be rude at all, but the impression I've gotten from all your posts is that you think you've got incredible skill and ability. Granted, your first and second models are coming along much better than most of our first and second (unpainted, almost solid glue bombs from me at age 10), but you are still a beginner. I don't care how much natural skill you have, nothin replaces practice and experience. What we do here on this forum is try to help out new modellers with our collected experience. Posting your progress like you are doing can help highlight errors a modeller encounters, and share skills with others looking to learn. At the same time, people watching your progress can offer advice and help. What aggrevates me is that we've given you plenty of advice that you've ignored. Why? I don't know. But we don't give out advice for our health, we do it because we want modellers to get better. Models aren't a competition... ok well sometimes they can be, but it's friendly competition to raise the bar and help drive up the level of skill and amount of knowledge in the community. We wouldn't check in and watch the progress of this car if we didn't think it had potential, but if all the great, FREE information is going to waste, what's the point of coming here to show your build? You've had very little to say about the construction beyond the cost of the build and misinformation.

Anyway, I'm going to continue to check in on this model becuase I was promised the best 350Z ever. I'll be sorely dissappointed if this is not the case. I hate to say it, but so far I'm not really all that impressed.

Thanks for taking the time to type all that. I am rushing the project and ignoring some of the advice, but if it were up to me, I would do the opposite. The reason I am in a hurry to finish this is because my parents are strongly against me modeling at all - for a few reasons that I won't explain. Well, a big one is that I spend a lot of money on this, while I have to save every dollar for my $8K tuition each quater. Every time I sit down to work on the model, I have to listen to a lot of crap from my parents. So that's why I want to fiish this as fast as I can while maintaining a good result, this is why I don't follow the advices - I can't buy another polishing kit or spent extra 5 days working on the thing. Hope you all understand.

It will still be the best 350Z you people ever saw.

Oh, and thanks to everyone for making this one of the more popular threads - all comments are greatly appreciated.

[86_SR5]

Originally Posted by Artem1985il

It will still be the best 350Z you people ever saw.

The way it looks, yeah, best for interior and underchasis and such detail. We all hear BS about our models wether it be from our parents or gf's (only they call them toys).

[Artem1985il]

Originally Posted by 86_SR5

The way it looks, yeah, best for interior and underchasis and such detail. We all hear BS about our models wether it be from our parents or gf's (only they call them toys).

Exterior too

[Sebstar]

that remains to be seen yet.
with those panel lines on the bonnet, i suggest you strip the thing. not much else you can do. i am even more noob than you, but those paint blotches are a bit too hefty to cover up...

ps: what paint is that?!?! the colour is amazing!

[Artem1985il]

Originally Posted by Sebstar

that remains to be seen yet.
with those panel lines on the bonnet, i suggest you strip the thing. not much else you can do. i am even more noob than you, but those paint blotches are a bit too hefty to cover up...

ps: what paint is that?!?! the colour is amazing!

Nobody panic! I've fixed the 'strip lines' - they are invisible. Plus, half of them will be covered with flame decals around the headlights. The dragons 'becoming' is almost complete.

The paint is Tamiya's Camel Yellow.

[slk320]

ahh.. what happened to the rest of the SAS kit? where are the beuatifull side skirts and the rear valance?

Dragon is missing his tail eh?

[Artem1985il]

Originally Posted by slk320

ahh.. what happened to the rest of the SAS kit? where are the beuatifull side skirts and the rear valance?

Dragon is missing his tail eh?

I could not use the side skirts because it would be impossible to apply the side decals over their contour. As for the rear valance, after going through so much trouble with removing the hood, I decided not to use it. It's not much different from the original anyway - no openings for turn signals and slightly modified 'exhaust pipe slot'. Plus I wanted to avoid risking ruining the body.

[DJ RaYgU]

Originally Posted by 86_SR5

The way it looks, yeah, best for interior and underchasis and such detail. We all hear BS about our models wether it be from our parents or gf's (only they call them toys).

Amen man. I f***in hate it when they call em "toys". Man, patience is the key to everything. If u hadn't rushed ur body, it would've came out perfect. I was looking forward to "the shit" kit man. Well, neways good luck on the rest of the kit. BTW wut college do u go to?

[Purpura Delujo]

Its looking good, but the yellow and red too often ruins a model for me because I instantly think of that stupid Ronald McDonalds dumb ass suit.
If your parents are complaining then just tell them its something you enjoy doing, try to spend less money on them, I try not to spend much. If the main reson is because you spend too much money on them then just buy a normal kit, buy some spraypaint and primer for it and just take your time, build them when your parents aren't home so that you don't rush.

[EMAXX]

Everyone supports me modeling. All my friends think its cool, and my parents buy me models and stuff. I like it.
Artem1985il: I'll forgive you. We all have bad days. I understand.
And hopefully what you say is true. I'm kind of doubting the best 350Z, but I'll let you try.

[Sebstar]

i love it how my friends think its kinda geekish, yet still think its cool. considering its a pretty cheap hobby (once you are set up anyway), and its fun. also my mum supports it. any time im not on the computer she takes as a blessing (which isnt as much as it used to be). Also my dad really likes it i think, because he used to build a few models back in the day (like in the 70s)... but both of my parents are too blind to notice the small detail. mum just looks at me and shrugs when i try to point out how i drybrushed a bolt on the chassi, lol

[tonioseven]

I admire your ego.

[gasman03]

I've been building for 14 years, since I was 5, and basically non stop since then. and there's always a kit in my college dorm. I've been building for so long its apart of me. my parents used to pay for eveything but then when I got a job I started paying for everything. all my firends don't care about me building. its a great way to relax,

The second model I ever built looks like shit compared to yours, but I think you've gotten a little overzeolous with all you decided to put into it. resin at times can be completely different to work with styrene. also, cutting open hoods, and removing bumbers is not easy to do, becouse it requires alot of patience, and a real steady hand,

SAS resin transkits look very good, and i've seen alot of resin kits, some shitty one's (R&R Vacuumcraft)and some insane one's (Modelhaus), SAS are Extremely well done. but there really not intented for unexpierienced modelers.

The Tamiya 350Z is a fantastic kit. great for beginner modelers, but you may have gotten a little over your skills with all your putting into it.

also, yellow paint is hard to do, becouse its hard to get the pigment of the yellow paint to stick to the finish, I can't tell you how many time's I've painted a kit yellow and it come out like that, I recommend warming the paint for about 5mins in hot water. it allow the pigment to stick to the body