THE GO CART

BUILDUP:
The monster car series is especially fun to build because it combines the joys of figure model construction with the joy of building a whacked-out custom car. Let's start by looking at the figure.
Paint the inside of Godzilla's mouth first, as it becomes quite inaccessible once the figure is put together. There are no details inside the mouth, and I suppose a stickler for details might want to sculpt a tongue. However, the many teeth that make it almost impossible to work a paint brush in through the mouth also conceal the lack of detail inside.
The instructions are quite good, but be sure to read them carefully. Cementing inner leg sections, as well as hind and forefoot sections, is essential before mating the two body halves. As well, spend the time to clean up seams in those areas, and perhaps even paint them. Speaking as someone who did it wrong the first time, it is much easier to work in those areas before finishing assembly. Godzilla's hunkered down, hunched over pose makes it quite difficult to get between his legs. As well, don't forget to cement the dorsal plates to pins in his back before joining the two body halves.
There is an unusual "bat-shaped" belly sections which seals the upper stomach and lower chest area of the figure. Glue this to one side of the body, and adjust as you glue the other body half down. A quick word about glue. I generally use both Zap-a-Gap super glue and Testors non-toxic polystyrene glue in the plastic applicator bottle (it also is available in tube form).
I like Zap to join pieces where I want an immediate, strong bone. Typically these are pieces like the dorsal plates which will not show seams. I use the Testor's product on areas that will need de-seaming when completed. The advantage here is that when tightly squeezed together, the melted plastic and glue will bubble up out of the seam. This mix solidifies and, when dry, can be scrapped away with a hobby knife to produce a seamless finish.
Some cheap plastic clamps are a good investment, to make sure the drying pieces are squeezed hard enough. (Check out your local LEE VALLEY - besides cheap clamps, you'll probably find some good deals on dremel heads as well as mini-files and chisels. Quite often tool shops are much cheaper than Hobby shops.)
Sometimes I will use both glues on a single piece. For instance, when joining the parachute halves, I used Testor's glue on the chute material to make it easier to de-seam later, and a drop of Zap on the parachute cords to spot-weld them together instantly.
Since the Polar Lights instruction sheet is an exact reproduction of the original except for a brief thank-you note and the Polar Lights logo, there is no mention of how to deal with the chrome engine parts. Remember that chrome will not seal with ordinary model glue (although you can use super glue). If you are going to use standard model glue, remember to use your hobby knife to adze off the mating edges. This procedure is exactly like removing a seam-line. Tilt the hobby knife at a forty-five degree angle to the chrome and gently scrape off the chrome. Don't push too hard, or you'll chip away plastic which will have to be filled later.
I also used my curved blade (exacto #28) to clean all the chrome off the pieces that represent flames belching out of the Go-Cart's exhaust. Paint doesn't adhere well to chrome either, so the flames can now be painted more easily in yellows, reds, and oranges.
I did use some Tamiya flat black on a few of the chrome pieces, the engine gas tank and the interior driving wheels of the chain drive assembly. Tamiya has really good tooth, but even though it will cover chrome it can still be brushed off fairly easily, so I'd limit this technique to a few areas that cannot easily be bumped or brushed till the paint scrapes free of chrome.
Polar Lights had to rebuild the moulds of this kit from one of the original models in the series. (Note the "thank you" to Stephen Agnelli for providing them with the means to reproduce this kit. In fact, this reissue is dedicated to Stephen's late friend, Daniel Partin.) This reproduction work is very good, and in almost all instances, the detail here compares favorably to the original kit. The one exception is the Go-Cart's seat, which originally had a pitted, chiselled-out-of-stone look, but in this edition is perfectly smooth. The pitted texture can be reproduced with a dremel cutting tool. Gently scribe a random pattern of depressions on the outside of the seats upholstery by touching the plastic with the dremel. Vary the pressure to create different depths of texture.
Painting instructions for the kit are a bit unimaginative. I think a silver chassis for the Go-Cart, or even Candy-Apple red, would be preferable to the grey cited in the instructions. As for the figure itself, I'm not sure why the painting instructions cite the dorsal plates as blue or Godzilla's eyes are red. Of course, the color it gives for Godzilla himself is 'green.' In this case, I recommend going wild with the colors on the figure and the Go-Cart. Paint it to please yourself - after all it is a parody kit.
I will admit that I painted this Godzilla a vibrant bright green. Starting with a dark, forest green, I cut the color with Liquitex's Cadmium Yellow Medium Hue, slowly adding more and more yellow as I leaned lighter and lighter on the dry brush. (The final coats were, essentially, yellow paint with a hint of green.) Afterwards I washed with a light golden brown wash, and later a violet glaze. I reworked the shaded areas of the figure with a wash made from mixing water into Liquitex Sap Green Permanent (this makes an excellent green wash).
I touched up with a yellow green mixture, and ended by giving the highest points on the figure a very light dry-brush coat of Cadmium Yellow Light. (NOTE: Liquitex's Cadmium Yellow Light - unlike most of the Liquitex paints - is TOXIC. Cadmium pigment is very poisonous, should not definitely not be airbrushed, and is somewhat absorbed through the skin. So be careful.) Maybe someday I'll do a grey Godzilla's Go-Cart too . . . but I have to say that green was a lot more fun.
I decided to follow the instructions and try blue for the dorsal plates. After coating them with a sky blue, I mixed a white-blue mixture for dry-brushing. Later I used a violet glaze, and then mixed an even lighter white-blue to dust the extreme edges of the dorsals.
I'm not sure why anyone would paint the eyes red, except to match the box art. I used the standard - slightly yellow/ivory - white for the eye, with black for the iris. A red wash into the eyelid nicely accents the edge of the eye, and a white high-light point in the black of the eye plays well - as Godzilla is so determinedly focused on the chequered flag.
Ultimately there's a lot that's fun to paint here: the dissolved fish ornament at the front of the car, the bamboo axles and rattan wheels, Godzilla's helmet and chute. There are lots and lots of possibilities, so don't feel too bound up by the painting instructions. It's more fun to invent.

Let me end by complimenting POLAR LIGHTS again on getting this kit out to the fans for a reasonable price. It's fun to build, looks cool when built up, and really marks the beginning of the long history of Godzilla parody kits. I'll definitely be building their kit of Kong's Thronster to go along with him. Like the Snake and the Mongoose, these two were born to be racing through the same diorama.
Next up from Polar Lights should be Jim Groman's sculpt of Godzilla '98, which has been announced as coming out with two bases. The first edition features a wrecked building base, whereas the second edition will come with an eggs and babies base.
Myself, of course, I'll be buying two and reposing the figure on the second base to create two distinct kits. (Currently Polar Lights has put the Godzilla '98 kits on hold, however they have released the classic Aurora Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Rodan and King Kong kits - JP) So hurrah for Polar Lights for keeping this hobby affordable and fun (as well as hopefully bringing some younger builders into the fold.)

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