Purchased: 1967 AMT Piranha - Need parts

The cars used a 140 Corvair engine and 4 speed Corvair tranny, but most of the rear suspension was unique and fabricated for the cars. They used Girling disk brakes and Koni shocks.

Test shots of the Man from UNCLE car were done at AMT Ertl years ago. The molds need some repair and the molds for the clear windows have been lost. Hopfully the kit will be reissued again someday, perhaps as a double kit with the Piranha Dragster and a trailer like the "Piranha Drag Team" was many years ago.

 

Well, I have started working on the car. The first thing I wanted to do is make a replacement driver's side headlight cover. The original one was cycolac but I decided to make mine out of fiberglass. This was my first attempt at working with fiberglass.

The photos below shows the passenger side cover I am imitating and then the driver's side bucket.

I first filled the bucket with styrofoam to help fill up space. Then some modeling clay to build up the cover. After I got the clay to the shape I wanted, I sprayed it with Krylon Crystal Clear. It never did dry, so I moved on.

Next I built a box around the fender with foamcore artboard, clay and duct tape. Since I only need one or two copies, I used plaster of Paris to make the mold. When it was dry (overnight) I disassembled the box, exposing the solid plaster.

I painted the plaster mold with gloss paint per the article I read but that was a mistake.

After 4 coats of wax on the painted mold, I applied the resin & fiberglass. Four layers of mat gave me just the thickness I needed

I let it cure overnight. I used wooden shims to pry the part out of the mold. Unfortunately one corner of the mold broke during the process and some of the other plaster lifted too. All the paint stuck to the part as well, but was easily removed with a wooden scraper. I then trimmed of the ragged edges close to the finished size.

A little more trimming work and sanding should make the cover smooth and the correct shape.

 

Just like Ed Roth used to do...

 

Well, I think Roth shaped the car in plaster and then put the fiberglass on top of that plaster shape, broke out the plaster, and then sanded the hell out of the fiberglass. Similar, but different. Thanks for the comment.

 

I have used spray on mold release and not had a sticking problem in the past, but the plaster needs to be very dry before painting or the moisture will keep the paint from staying with the plaster. A day may not have been long enough...But it sure looks good....Hope this project turns out well. Those are very cool cars. Good luck!