Split poster sent this Tuff Ones Camaro for repair. Of course my pics dont do it justice. A very nice, clean example...'Cept the vent posts are hashed. :cry:

Some times you can shove them around after some cement softening, but these were kinked and broken. Donor posts were snifed from another tuffie cull, but any thin blue sliver of body would have done nicely.

With a fresh blade the remnants were CAREFULLY pared away. The new vent post was cut and then checked for fit. Ideally they should snuggle in and stay put so you have hands free. If not go cut another one and try again!

Once fit, just a touch of liquid cement with a dry brush technique to start. Then walk away for a night. After things have dried, I use a long darning needle that's chucked into a pin vice to add a dot of blue goop to the inside points for reinforcement. After a few minutes the goop dots are feathered out for a seamless appearance. Again using the dry brush technique. Care must be taken so the cement doesnt wick onto a tampo and destroy it! So always err to the dry side. Ya can always reset the post again, but ya cant fix a tampo.

Only takes 10 er 15 minutes a side with materials on hand, but ya gotta have SMALL nose tweezers. Do one side at a time so the first one is properly set before you handle it to do the other side. After quick scuff with some 2000 and a light reglaze with cement you can polish it up gently with a q-tip and compound.

Attached with the fix pics is a super sweet Merciless Benz Vibe hardtop that Split sent as a bribe. After a bath and a two stage polish, I put some straight, freshy rims and PVT silis on. What a cream puff. Runs great. There'll be a little sumthin' in Jeff's Christmas stocking this year. I luv you man! :p

Now THAT'S how ya get yer rig to the top of the repair list. LOL. Really I just had the blue going on another car at the same time. So I was all set to do blue anyway. ;)

So that's the trick. I have to remember that. :devil: rr

Nice job, Bill! Dave.

Oh man, beeeeautiful job on that Camaro. When I started hunting for Aurora t jets I didn't have (and that would have been 95% of them) the tuffy Camaro was way, way up on the list, even though it isn't the rarest or most elusive one out there. That Sunoco/Penske/Donohue scheme made it a must have, even though he was #6 in most pics I have seen. I know, Aurora didn't do two-stencil numbers then. (BTW, Brock Yates' "Sunday Driver" is a must read for any 60's road racing enthusiast, interesting insight on Donohue in it).

Bought that one with posts bad as shown, but with crispest, brightest graphics of any T/O I have. Looks just great Bill, and that will occupy a prominent place in my little glass display case, and look like Christmas morning running around the track too!

I have a soft spot for vibes, soft in the head I guess, and am glad to put that one where he will be appreciated and enjoyed!

Thanks for the pics! :thumbsup:

Jeff

Thanks guys,

Like Split I've always loved blue Penske 'Camaro...Still a very high cool factor after all these years. On my list of to dos is a more hunkered down version with proper rims and meats. Only a matter of time 'til a suitable victim finds it's way here. :thumbsup:

Vent post repair is really simple once you learn what not to do. ;)

I practiced on culls 'til I finally figured out how to keep from gluing the wiley buggers to my fingers. :rolleyes:

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/500/medium/to_camaro_002.jpg



Got my t/o Camaro back from Dr. Bill, surgeon and bone yard scavenger extraordinaire - and it looks like new. Maybe that's a letdown for you custom guys, but that's the way I wanted this one - but, at least I could put a hot rod chassis under it.

But which one? The original t/o with a nice shiny cut down driven gear - got to find some front wheels with better chrome for these close ups - or the chassis with the whole hog cut out job and screw on wheels?

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/500/medium/to_camaro_001.jpg

Well, she sits very pretty on the t/o -thanks Bill! And all those holy gears need a bigger greenhouse anyway...

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/500/medium/to_camaro_003.jpg

Now that's quality posting. Great work and info.


Thanks for the tips.:thumbsup:

Very punny Mark!

Thanx for the props. Thanx to Jeff too, for taking the effort to show the completed car. I dont often get to see the finished product as most work is completed on a buck chassis or no chassis at all.

Many thanx to all those for your generous donations of scrap Aurora plastic! Without your kindness I would be hobbled to a much slower pace.

Bill, you are the repair KING!

Thanks VJ, Coming from the reigning contest champion that means a lot! Coincedentallly it was one of yer Rods that led me into Hobby Talk in the first place.

Take another bow!

BTW...Me and the rest of the South Park gang will see you at the bus stop after school...We're bringing Cartmann and he's gonna kick you right in the .... :p

Congrats again VJ!

The repair job is OUTSTANDING... and that chassis with all the swiss-cheese gears is PERFECT under the Mangusta. Never occurred to me that you could see the workings of the top plate so well under all that glass. I picked up a Mangusta body with hogged-out wheelwells at a show a while back, now I want to do a cool-looking chassis to show off under it. Ooooh, maybe an XLerator conversion? Hmmm...

--rick

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:


:dude:

Ditto on the Mangusta compliment.

oops duplicate

Thanks VJ, Coming from the reigning contest champion that means a lot! Coincedentallly it was one of yer Rods that led me into Hobby Talk in the first place.

Take another bow!

BTW...Me and the rest of the South Park gang will see you at the bus stop after school...We're bringing Cartmann and he's gonna kick you right in the .... :p

Congrats again VJ!


NUUUUUUTS