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Once again I come to you with a newly acquired 57b Impala model. This too was an ebay purchase and was intended as an upgrade on this particular variation for me. Indeed the model is nice and clean as far as paint chips and/or scratches are concerned. What is somewhat bizzare is how thick the paint is on the new model. Take a look here at an aerial comparison. The difference in casting definition is rather dramatic:



From the side also you can see a big difference:



Both the front and rear trim paint looks very proper. Clearly a mask spray silver trim on the front and red on the tail lights at the rear. Here's a view of the front:



On both models is is quite clear that the light blue roof was painted first and the metallic blue bodies done second. Only the paint thickness seems improper.
So what do you think? I don't recall seeing paint this thick on any other model within my collection.

It happens. I've had some that were so thick that you would think they were over painted by their owners ... but they were original.

It looks as if the model on the left has been sprayed twice, suggesting this body was still at the spraying stage, right by the gun's nozzle when the line was stopped for some reason and when restarted, this has received a second coating, not very common, but it does happen.

Ghosty.

This one can be found with a distinctive difference in the point where the mask rested on the roof. The mask was designed for the paint transition to be at the bottom of the A pillars. But on some castings, that point creeps up to varying degrees. I tried to capture that "effect" in one of my restored models (sorry about the lighting in the photo).

Hi Greg.
I'm pretty sure the model has not been tampered with, The paint is very thick so it may well have bee painted more than once (by Lesney)
I wonder if the 'high roof paint' is a result of the mask being fitted the wrong way round.

nickjones wrote:Hi Greg.
I'm pretty sure the model has not been tampered with, The paint is very thick so it may well have bee painted more than once (by Lesney)
I wonder if the 'high roof paint' is a result of the mask being fitted the wrong way round.

That would be my guess on both counts. Either that or there may have been some paint viscosity problems at that time it went through.

Remind me of my Uncle Jack, When a customer brought his car into the garage where he worked and told him "I painted it myself"
Jacks reply, "What did you use, a broom" ?