Introduction
Here is my AMT 1/25 scale 1970 1/2 Camaro Z/28
NOTE: The model shown was built from AMT’s early ‘90s kit, which was
based on reworked AMT or MPC tooling. This kit has some shape
accuracy problems, particularly in the nose area. AMT currently has
out a pair of 1970 1/2 Camaros based on all-new tooling, and they
are much more accurate.
Painting Citrus Green
I wanted to paint my ‘70 1/2 Camaro in Chevrolet “Citrus Green,”
as shown in the showroom brochures of the day as well as on the
cover of the March 1970 issue of Hot Rod magazine. But no such model
paint existed. What to do?
A scan of the paint racks at the hobby shop turned up something that
seemed to be in the ballpark. Military aircraft builders, do you
recognize it? Yep, it’s Model Master FS34151, more commonly known as
U.S. Interior Green!
This paint is flat, of course, and I needed it glossy. Four or five
coats of Model Master Clear Top Coat took care of that little
detail. I rubbed the gloss coat out with Wright’s Silver Creme, and
you can’t tell that the paint was ever flat. I did not use the kit’s
Z/28 stripe decals, as I determined that they wouldn’t fit
accurately. This is acceptable, as not all Z/28s of this year had
the stripes.
Interior is Model Master Field Green from the military line. I
turned this from a flat to a semigloss (to represent vinyl where
appropriate) by overspraying it with a mix of Testor Glosscote and
Dullcote.
The chassis was painted using Model Master Black Chrome Trim, engine
is Model Master Chevrolet Engine Red, and the wheel spokes were
detailed with Model Master Gunship Gray.
The Benefit
of Hindsight...
Looking back in hindsight, my Camaro model has two problems.
First, I painted the chrome window trim (Model Master Silver
Chrome Trim) before clear coating. As the clear coat has yellowed a
bit over the years, the window trim now looks as if I were going for
a gold anodized appearance!
Second, although the Interior Green paint matches the references I
used pretty well, I’ve since learned that real “Citrus Green” was a
metallic paint, not a solid. Were I doing this paint job today, I’d
mix a healthy dose of Model Master Turn Signal Amber paint in with
the green to get a hint of metallic sheen to it. Looks like I need
to pick up the new AMT kit and have another go at this! But the
point of this brief article is to show that you don’t have to let
the fact that the finish (flat or gloss) of any paint you want to
use isn’t “right” keep you from using it. Flat paint can be made
glossy and vice versa very easily!
Model on!
