Build Photos: 1977 Ford Pinto

1
August 4, 2021
And it begins...
2
August 4, 2021
Overview of what's in the box. Not too many pieces. This should go relatively quickly.
3
August 4, 2021
Signs of an old tool: flashing and somewhat blurry definition.
4
August 4, 2021
Assembling the engine block, squeezing hard to get a seam of melted plastic to trim off with the hobby knife for a seamless part
5
August 5, 2021
Nipping, sanding, washing, organizing parts for painting
6
August 5, 2021
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 😉
7
August 9, 2021
Engine building... Looking clean and toy-like for now.
8
August 9, 2021
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.
9
August 9, 2021
Hmmm... Engine is at an angle which isn't great. Might need to make a few more tweaks.
10
August 9, 2021
OK. Cut away some of the left and right plastic tabs to free up some space and correct the angle as best I can.
11
August 11, 2021
Engine weathered, varnished in matt, and installed (top view)
12
August 11, 2021
Engine weathered, varnished in matt, and installed (bottom view)
13
August 16, 2021
Cabin painted and assembled.
14
August 16, 2021
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!
15
August 16, 2021
Interior painted brown except for hood and areas around tires and engine which are black
16
August 19, 2021
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.
17
August 19, 2021
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.
18
August 19, 2021
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.
19
August 19, 2021
All done!
20
August 19, 2021
21
August 19, 2021
22
August 19, 2021
23
August 19, 2021
24
August 19, 2021
25
August 19, 2021

Comments

8 4 August 2021, 11:34

Robert Podkoński
Am I right that it is one of these "legendary" cars that stories are told about?

5 August 2021, 15:10

Peter G
I'm not sure! I'm not much of a car guy. I just liked its shape and back story.

5 August 2021, 20:42

matt
yeah that was the one that exploded when rear ended

5 August 2021, 20:51

Ben M
Boom

6 August 2021, 03:00

Robert Podkoński
Thanks Matt, I was not sure if I read something about that... and it is mentioned in the song "Pretty fly (for a White Guy)" by The Offspring, as far as I remember 🙂

6 August 2021, 04:14

Bob Hall
Youtube Video

6 August 2021, 05:43

Christian W
*lol* I know this scene.

Looking forward to your build. I like rar and unusual model kits seeing build.

6 August 2021, 06:32

Peter G
Done! 29.5 hours. Overall I'm happy with the build although it was an old mold and pieces didn't quite fit together as they should. The hood and trunk, for example, aren't nice and tight. Instructions were a little unclear in places. There are no decals of any relevance so I had to use chrome and black pen to fill in the pre-molded details which ended up looking great so no biggie. Elements like windshield washers are cast into the mold instead of separate parts. Turned out looking fine but such corner-cutting surprised me. The model is fully brush painted with several coats of Pledge for the gloss and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.

19 August 2021, 17:18

Album info

Hello and welcome to the build. I'll be taking on what should be a nice and easy construction of a 1977 Ford Pinto. Why the Pinto? I like its old school angular look despite its infamous reputation as a rolling explosive: motherjones.com/politics/1977/09/pinto-madness Thanks for watching!

1977 Ford Pinto

32 images

1:25

Completed

All albums

View all albums »