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

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

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>>>>

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. :iceslolan

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

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

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 :grinyes: :grinyes: :grinyes:

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!

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.

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? :rolleyes: :icon16:

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? :rolleyes: :icon16:

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.

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?

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.

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.

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

I admire your ego.

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

I admire your ego.

HAHAHAHA.. Well said...well said...

:loser:

I admire your ego.

:loser: Glad to see you didn't waffle about coming up with a perfect response!

"Lego of my Ego!" :evillol:

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?

The body came out nearly perfect as is, I was suprised how well it turned out - very even, without leaks or bubbles. After I polish it with 8000 grit and compound, it'll look great.

Those decals I have are very difficult to apply as the 'paper' they are printed on disolves very easily - even after 2 seconds in room temp water, the places without paint rip just by touching. The white text "dragon" that I put on the winshield - I had to do it one letter at a time - the word wouldn't stay together.

And I go to University of Denver, it's a private school, that's why it's so expensive. Next year tho, I will be able to apply for FAFSA and get a bunch of scholarships, hopefully enough to cover all tuition. I would qualify for both need-based and academic.

:loser: Glad to see you didn't waffle about coming up with a perfect response!

"Lego of my Ego!" :evillol:

??? I don't get that ego post by tonioseven. Explain?

Could you tell me what size sheets your decals were printed on?

Could you tell me what size sheets your decals were printed on?

The same size as regular paper I guess, A4. Look at the pic - there's 3 sets of decals on one big sheet.

Progress report:

Today I've put the final coat on the body - as I mentioned, it looks great. I will try to finish the wing by tonight (paint and decals), expect a pic at the end of the day. I will also paint the sideview mirrors...hope I have paint left. :rolleyes:

Hey, dude my cousin goes to UD. What year are you in? Do you know anyone named Gene **? If you do, that might be my cousin. Hit me with a pm, and we can talk some more about this. It is pretty expensive since it is private, but its a really nice school.
Sounds good, hopefully it turns out good like I said.

??? I don't get that ego post by tonioseven. Explain?
You keep saying that this will be "The best 350Z you've ever seen!" Which is saying a lot for an unfinished project.

BAD NEWS:

I didn't have any body color paint left for the side view mirror...so I painted them black. This is gonna look crappy, but I had no choice.

I can repaint them red..would that be better?

i would say repaint it red if you feel like stripping the paint... otherwise, stick with the yella

i would say repaint it red if you feel like stripping the paint... otherwise, stick with the yella

You misunderstood...I don't have any more yellow left for the mirrors, so I had to paint them black. I might strip the black and paint them red at the end, after I assembeled everything else, if it looks better. Still sux that they won't be body color :(

oh, well then i dunno

Red mirrors.. Yuck, spit, *Ricer* Leave em' black.

Red mirrors.. Yuck, spit, *Ricer* Leave em' black.
My exact thoughts.

You keep saying that this will be "The best 350Z you've ever seen!" Which is saying a lot for an unfinished project.A very wise man; I admire the fact that someone promises me the best model of a particular subject I've ever seen. When I see that, it's time for me to stop building.

My exact thoughts.

also my thinking pattern, honeslty i dont think red and yellow go together, but its your model.

lets see more pics

My exact thoughts.

Yeah, black might be better...but then again, the interior and chassis is red...that's why I was thinking red. We'll see...

Here's 4 new pics: the body showing the place where I had a problem - fixed now; the wing (the attach things are painted too (metallic grey)); and 2 preview shots - the glass in not attached and the body is not polished, still drying. Yellow mirrors would look best, but oh well...

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/112163progress33.jpghttp://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/112163progress34.jpg
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/112163progress35.jpghttp://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/112163progress36.jpg

wow u did fix it up... good job on the paint to (i was a bit skeptical at first) o yea and also LEGO MY EGO!

wow u did fix it up... good job on the paint to (i was a bit skeptical at first) o yea and also LEGO MY EGO!
Same here, I think the black mirrors will stand out and look better, plus they'll resemble CF.

very very very nice...

You don't need a new spraycan of yellow to do your mirrors. Don't you have any gloss yellow paint to do them by brush?

A very wise man; I admire the fact that someone promises me the best model of a particular subject I've ever seen. When I see that, it's time for me to stop building.

I meant that it would be the best 350Z if everything went as I planned, and it already hasn't - the mirrors, the 'fragile decals'. Maybe it won't be the best ever, but close - my goal is to beat Hiroboy's Yellow 350Z
http://www.spc.org.uk/nissan/i/350z-005.jpg

You'll all tell me if I pulled it off at the end.

- my goal is to beat Hiroboy's Yellow 350Z
That look's like it might be a hard order to fill.

Although it is nice, it certainly isn't the best 350z I have ever seen.

my goal is to beat Hiroboy's Yellow 350Z

Beat? I not exactly the best way to put it, you make it sound like posting models on this site is a competition. Don't forget that we are all here to help each other and show off our models. Not to try and make models better than each other. :grinno:

I meant that it would be the best 350Z if everything went as I planned, and it already hasn't - the mirrors, the 'fragile decals'. Maybe it won't be the best ever, but close - my goal is to beat Hiroboy's Yellow 350Z
http://www.spc.org.uk/nissan/i/350z-005.jpg

You'll all tell me if I pulled it off at the end.

And you actually wonder what people are thinking when they comment on your ego? Any time a creator has to say anything about "being the best" before something is finished is definitely riding on their ego. And that attitude is what puts off so many people. In life in general, the ones with the biggest egos seem to have no clue that this trait bothers others. Saying it will be "the best" and your goal is to "beat" someone else's work who has earned respect and admiration without demanding it, is nothing but an ego trip. And when said ego-tripper fails to live up to their claims, it leaves them wide open to the criticism they so aptly have earned.

You're on your second model. It's looking decent at this point, pretty good for someone's second model. And I'll be perfectly honest-it's nowhere near Hiroboy's efforts. He's spent a long time perfecting his style. You've self-imposed all kinds of roadblocks to genuine success. And you make big claims. One doesn't learn how to build the best models overnight. It takes time, skill, determination, and a humble attitude to know what you should do when you learn something did not go right. It would be much easier to just have fun with the model, build it for yourself, show it off, and as you said...let the public decide on how successful it is. If you've earned respect, it will be reflected in your work and attitude towards others. When you ask for opinions, you have to be ready to deal with negatives even if you are only expecting positives.

Atleast, some wise words from our main man, ZoomZoom.

I could not agree more with you.

Olivier

Well, the model looks cool till now. But as others said, this is no competition, so you don't need to beat someone. If you want a contest, enter the AF competition. And forget the "I want to beat someone's model" thing. That's stupid outside of a contest.

Just my :2cents:

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

hot water for 5 minutes..?? are you for real ??????

did the can explode???

I've been doing it for years, and I've never had a can explode, but only leave it in the hot water for 5 mins, much longer then it will explode. It really allows the paint to stick to body or primer better, I also heat the body a little with a blow dryer set on low, once again, to get the paint tp stick better

by hot water, i think he means hot but not enuf burn you

Exactly,

I also run the tap till it hot, then put the can in a jug with the water for 5 minutes. especialy with primers

Here here

-=IT'S DONE=-

After 6 hours straight of working on the model, I finally finished it. The result is better that I expected in most areas, worse in others. I've ran into so many prolems today...unbelievable. The hardest part was the decals - they were so thin and fragile that I had to cut the graphics up into multiple pieces to make it work. The dragon on the roof, for example, I had to cut into 6 pieces and then apply them one at a time; for the side flames - 6-8 pieces. Another hard part was painting the edges of the body around the winshields and side windows - I had no body paint to fix a mistake if I made one...turned out ok. Other than that, it just took time...I haven't left my room from 11Am to 5 pm.

It's dark right now, so I can't take good pics outside, you'll have to wait till tomorrow. I will make a 'finished' thread tomorrow around 12pm with lots of pics. For now, here's a peak:
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/112163progress40.jpg

This is my last post in this thread - thanks to everyone for all the advice, comments, and lectures about my ego. Looking forward to your reactions to the final thing.

I will post a link here to the 'finished' thread tomorrow.

w00t... blurrage

w00t... blurrage
That's the wildest, nicest, blurriest Z I've seen!

That's the wildest, nicest, blurriest Z I've seen!

I blurred the pic on purpose :evillol: don't want to reveal it yet. You'll see it tomorrow.

That's the wildest, nicest, blurriest Z I've seen!


Now dat's one fast 350Z - so fast that its blurry. Can't wait till tomolo. But in the meantime....must...work...on...silvia.

w00t... blurrage

:lol: :cwm27:


I'm just going to share my opinion at the moment, that picture makes that car look like a McDonalds promo toy.

The blur really ads to the look of the car actually.

HAHAHHAHAHHAHA, funny

*cant wait till when its up*and no, i didnt mean that :\

I blurred the pic on purpose :evillol: don't want to reveal it yet. You'll see it tomorrow.

Methinks the pic got blurred to spare us our health. He's photoshopping it right now to make it the best Z we've ever seen so we can tell him it's awesome and that we should be honored to be reading the words he typed on our miserable little PC monitors.

uhm... was that a joke?

uhm... was that a joke?

Do you really think we should get down on our knees and thank this kid for the great model he's shown us?