Custom Firebird

blght · #1 02-03-2003, 08:32 AM

Hi guys,
Just wanted to post a few pics of my custom firebird

It was originally an s2000. I didn't do a whole lot of bodywork on it... just basically sanded down the front fenders(to give it more of a slimmed down, sleek design). The wheels are just painted gold with black center caps. Those alloy wheels from Germany would really have been perfect for this project, but I had to work with what I had. Feel free to post any comments or questions, but take it easy on me... this was my first custom

-paul

binaryterror · #2 02-03-2003, 09:12 AM

RX-7's resemble the firebird shape much better than the s2000.

I still see way too much s2000, but the paint looks good!

Canadian Bit · #3 02-03-2003, 09:26 AM

I know. I can see way too much of the S2000, but modelling putty will do the trick.

blght · #4 02-03-2003, 09:55 AM

Quote:

I still see way too much s2000, but the paint looks good!

Thanks! .. I must have stripped it and re-painted it 3 times

about the s2000....yeah....I know, but it was my first custom attempt so.... I think in "person" a lot of the s2000 is overlooked by the way the black paint sort of hides the detail & shape. But yeah, you can definitely still tell what it was born as

-paul

Cyber BRat · #5 02-03-2003, 10:06 AM

I agree the Rx7 looks way more like a firebird. Check my avatar, looks more like a firebird than your s2000. Sorry man, but it still loooks good.

hogjowlz · #6 02-03-2003, 10:20 AM

nah. the s2000 looks like a firebird. thats the first thing i thought the first time i saw an s2000.

blght · #7 02-03-2003, 11:14 AM

hogjowlz: Thanks! that's what I thought too when I first saw it

but man, yeah the rx7 would have definitely been a decent body to work off of. Oh well, there's always room for improvement! The toughest part was getting the hood logo, so basically if I had an rx7 body I could re-do the whole thing.

I'm not too worried about it though... since this was my first custom. A lot of the stuff I've seen on the net puts my efforts to shame!

The next custom I do is not going to have any special requirements... It's just going to be a skyline re-paint

-paul

Stridex · #8 02-03-2003, 11:38 AM

Now that is a sweet custom car. Very Very Very nice job.

crazydave · #9 02-03-2003, 11:56 AM

I looks nice, I like it, but it reminds me more of a Fiero, than a Firebird. Good work though. Where did you get the little Firebird decals? Did you make them?

hogjowlz · #10 02-03-2003, 11:58 AM

what did you do to the rims?

blght · #11 02-03-2003, 12:18 PM

Hi guys, Thanks for the added compliments!

Hm..fiero....yeah since it's in the "bit" (short & stubby) form factor... yeah, I can see that

Decals: I made them myself, they are printed on photo paper, then I separated a few layers of the paper from the front glossy layer (to make them real thin), and then applied them with glue.

Rims: basically I painted the spokes gold, painted the hub caps black and left the actual outer rims silver. I was going to paint the whole wheel (including outer rims) gold, but if you look up some old firebirds & trans ams, you'll see that one of the wheel types was gold spoked with silver rims....so I tired to copy that effect the best I could (while still using original bit wheels).

-paul

#12 02-03-2003, 12:24 PM

That thing looks sweet man!!

You said you stripped the paint a few times. What paint do you use & what do you use to strip it?

blght · #13 02-03-2003, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Blamminator
That thing looks sweet man!!

You said you stripped the paint a few times. What paint do you use & what do you use to strip it?

Thanks a lot

as far as the paint... originally I tried brushing on Pactra acrylic enamel (I think testors used to make it)...what a nightmare....brush marks, drips etc... anyway, I used 70% alcohol to strip off the pactra acrylic enamel. Next I used gloss black -spray- model paint..... which was the 2nd coat...that got messed up as well so I stripped it with regular paint thinner (which surprisingly enough, had NO effect on the plastic at all). The final paint job was gloss black testors spray paint.

-paul

Pojo · #14 02-03-2003, 02:02 PM

I wouldn't say it looks like an old Firebird, but that is one SWEET S2000! Great job man! I love the paint, hood decal, and the rims

blght · #15 02-03-2003, 02:45 PM

heh... I guess that's one way to think of it! Thanks

you know, after looking at the rx7 and the s2000 I really think the s2000 was a better base since the rx7 is more "bubbly"....especially the roof...and how the hood of the rx7 is sort of bubbled or arched up a little. The s2000 on the other hand has a really flat hood as well as roof.

-paul