This model was in terrible condition when received by Joel. The headlight crossbar was broken. The bumpers were broken off along with their mounts. Two of the bumper mounts were missing. The paint was very badly faded and pin stripes were peeling. The dash decal was curled and cracked. The seat belts and interior pin stripes were loose. The body was loose. The brake lines, fuel lines and plug wires were loose. The grill insert and cowl lights were missing. The batteries for lights were dead.
Repairs: The model was carefully disassembled. The dash decal was softened with setting solution. After the decal dried, it was sealed with Krystal Kleer. The interior was thoroughly cleaned and all loose pinstripes were glued back in place. The seat belts were re-installed. The missing bumper mounts were re-created from styrene strip and were fastened to the model along with the two broken mounts. The broken headlight bar was repaired.
Paint: The body was stripped and primed. Testors Burgundy Metallic was transferred from the spray can to an air brush, lightened with a drop or two of silver, and applied to the model for a near perfect match to the original color. Testors Model Master enamels were mixed to match the cream color originally used on the interior and engine bay of the model. This paint was then used to brush paint the interior and engine bay areas that had to be stripped due to the repainting of the body.
General Restoration: The chassis and engine were thoroughly cleaned and the loose brake lines, fuel lines and plug wires were reattached. The dead batteries were remove and replaced with a micro- connector to allow the model to be illuminated via an external power supply. The model was carefully reassembled and the missing grill insert and cowl lights were replaced. The pin stripes for the body were recreated using decal film and after they were applied to the body they were sealed with Future acrylic floor finish.