Ok Guys......

[69*Goat]

I am about to start on the Accurate Miniatures 1964 Corvette Grand Sport. I need some suggestions on what is the correct blue to use. I really don't want to order from MCW,(nothing against them), I want to try my LHS first. Have any of you guys built this kit?

Thanks in advance

Russell W.

[Zoom Zoom]

Brian did the white one on commission (and it gets displayed w/the 1:1 :cool: ), but other than that I don't know anyone who has built it. Tamiya Metallic Blue is probably fairly close, and one of the vintage GM blues from Testors (lacquer) is probably pretty close. I would assume you would decant/airbrush.

[69*Goat]

Tamiya Metallic Blue is probably fairly close, and one of the vintage GM blues from Testors (lacquer) is probably pretty close. I would assume you would decant/airbrush.

I saw the Tamiya Metallic Blue yesterday, but it looked to be a little on the translucent side. It might work over a TS-30 Mica Silver though, ah another experiment.......

And yes, it would be a decant and airbrush.

:biglaugh:

Russell W.

[Zoom Zoom]

Most Tamiya metallics/pearls are a bit translucent and need a solid basecoat underneath for the best color coverage. Gloss Aluminum or even TS 23 bright blue would be good.

[69*Goat]

I just read an article on Modelmadness where a guy used Testors Boyd True Blue Pearl Enamel.... I might try to find some of this.

Russell W.

[Zoom Zoom]

Tamiya's Light Metallic Blue is a pretty good match for the Boyd's. Enamels...only when nothing else will work...though that is a good color.

This car is Tamiya Light Metallic Blue:
http://images30.fotki.com/v473/photos/1/10258/17860/Dscn5819-vi.jpg

And...if you do shoot Testors enamel you can get away w/using Testors lacquer clear over it. The color has to be very fresh. I start clearcoating at that point regardless.

And...those Boyd's colors are also pigment-weak. Base coat of a similar non-metallic blue recommended.

[Eric Cole]

Which version of the '64 Grandsport are you going to do?

I get the years mixed up but there is more than one blue for the GS race cars. One is GM's Nassau Blue which is a lighter, sorta silvery blue. However, I don't know which year or which race had which color without more research.

Speaking of research, when I get home from work I do have a book dedicated to the Corvette GS and I can look it up for you then.

[69*Goat]

Which version of the '64 Grandsport are you going to do?

I was planning on this version....http://www.jimnohio.com/images/64CorvetteGS_AM5000_95.jpg

It is the Factory Sebring version from 1964.

[Dino Scuderia]

I'm not sure what color you should use...the True Blue would certainly give it some pop in that scale.

I didn't build that version....but I will tell you the kit is kind of sucky as I'm sure you have heard. I had assembled the chassis and detailed the engine bay....put the body on and the hood would fit because the engine was too high...so I had to get 'creative' in the eleventh hour to get the hood on.:rolleyes:

I used the Model Car Garage etch set which has several useful parts and gobs of overkill parts.

My advice is to pre-fit everything like you would a resin kit.

[Zoom Zoom]

Russell, are you on GPMA (yahoo group)? If you are (or join) you may get a good response to the hobby paint inquiry there, as the model has likely been built by numerous people there.

[Eric Cole]

I looked at my Corvette GS book last night and there was only one color picture of the car at Sebring. It was a night time picture of the car sitting in the pits under lights. Although the lights were pretty bright I'm not sure they really showed the color of the paint correctly. Having said that, the color in that picture was closer to Nassau Blue and not as bright as the Tamiya Light Metallic Blue or Boyds True Blue.

The picture of the built model on the back is shown to be a little darker than the picture in the book, but it's close. If you notice in the picture on the back of the model box although it's a somewhat darker shade of blue it does have a silvery/frosty look to it. So did the picture of the car in the book.

I would consider using Testors Nassau Blue with a drop or two of a darker non-metallic blue mixed with it.

[Zoom Zoom]

Eric's post reminds me that my recollection of these cars is a darker blue than true blue or the Tamiya light metallic blue color...and Nassau Blue does sound like the right color.

Problem w/the Testors lacquer color is oversized metallic particles. It'll be pretty close color-wise, but the out of scale metallic always bugs me about Testors spray lacquers.

In the "good old days" I'd mix enamels to match; probably true blue or the olds engine blue mixed w/the much darker copenhagen blue, sprayed over dark non-metallic blue.

The lighter blue that was on some of the GS's...I'd suggest going to MCW. In fact if you're picky about the color in any respect, don't avoid MCW as it's good paint and you can have it fairly quick.

[Eric Cole]

My only use of the Testors Lacquer Nassau Blue was to replicate the vinyl seats in the 1970 Pontiac TransAm. Sprayed from the can and overcoated with Semi-gloss clear. The metallic was suprisingly small in this application.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y197/justdande/Completed%20Model%20Cars/Revell%201970%20Trans%20Am/100_0796.jpg

[Zoom Zoom]

Then Nassau Blue isn't the color I was thinking. Not sure if the '64 GS color is also a production Corvette color, but I'm suspecting that none of the really common hobby colors is quite right.

The two blues in '64, silver blue & Daytona blue, seem right from my CRS-addled recollection. I've seen one of the open top GS's at Amelia in the lighter blue w/o markings, and they said it was correct. Daytona blue is pretty dark...I used Copenhagen Blue (Model Master) on my 1/16 split window, but I think it's a bit too dark.

[BRE350Z]

Guys:

Did a quick spoon test using Testors Nassau Blue, color looks close and metallic particles are small. The part number is 28128.

Wayne

[Eric Cole]

Are you confused yet, Russell? :D

[69*Goat]

Well......

I stopped at my LHS at lunch and did some research. I looked at the Tamiya metallic Blue, Model Model Master Metallic Blue, and the Nassau Blue Testors Lacquer. I ended up buying the Testors Nassau Blue. I will shoot this over TS-15 dark blue, which should darken it just a smidge. I will do the spoon test first.

Russell W.

[Zoom Zoom]

Sounds to me like you're anything but confused at this point! Good luck w/the spoon test, I suspect it'll end up being a good combo.

[Scott]

Just to mess this thread up even more, I seem to recall that the Mecum GS's were painted a Cadillac color.

[Dino Scuderia]

Just to mess this thread up even more, I seem to recall that the Mecum GS's were painted a Cadillac color.

The version I did which was the white car with blue around the bottom did use a Cadillac blue. The owners friend that commissioned me told me what to get.

That Caddy blue doesn't look like what's on the version Russell is doing, IMO the Caddy blue looks lighter.

[Zoom Zoom]

They used Cadillac paint so the GS would ride smoother around Sebring :D

[Eric Cole]

Although this is not the car you're building, the GS restoration pics of #001, #002 and #004 should be very useful for chassis and engine detail.

http://www.racingicons.com/gs/index.html

Also,
http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3312/Chevrolet-Corvette-Grand-Sport-Coupe.html

[69*Goat]

Although this is not the car you're building, the GS restoration pics of #001, #002 and #004 should be very useful for chassis and engine detail.

http://www.racingicons.com/gs/index.html

Also,
http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3312/Chevrolet-Corvette-Grand-Sport-Coupe.html

Eric:

Thanks for posting the links, those will come in handy....

Russell W.

[69*Goat]

I shot the first color coat today. I will let this sit for a day or so, then I will follow it up with some Tamiya compound, and then some Nassau Blue Metallic from the Testors Custom Lacquer line.

http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy12/mrwells/Corvette%20GS/DSC_0112-1.jpg

[BRE350Z]

Any updates? Looking forward to seeing this one come together.

Wayne