Erik Smith

Tamiya's Honda S800 - one of my favorite cars.  OOB with some wire added in the engine bay.

Body is Duplicolor something-something brown (I have to find the cap) and interior is Tamiya semi-gloss black.  Bumpers were repainted with Alclad II chrome and engine is multiple shades of Alclad II aluminums.  

This is a fantastic kit - although it's engineered so "tight" that if you don't drill out the mounting holes (I didn't until after paint), part fit is very difficult.

One of the first kits I remember building as a youngster was AMT's Volkswagon Scirocco.  I remember having difficulty getting the whole thing together and it turned out to have a significant amount of glue.  I have thought about reliving that endeavor - and I recently purchased a replacement kit, so I thought I would show others what's in the kit...

This was an interesting time at AMT - I don't know the history of the the kit, but AMT had a couple very nicely detailed, state of the art kits in the late 70s and early 80s.  The Scirocco, Rabbit, and Subaru Brat are examples of such kits.  

Here is the kit circa 1981:

The body, nicely done aside from the horrible red plastic:

Parts - note separate interior side panels:

Tires - race tires are kind of truck like:

Chrome - nicely done wheels with open spokes:

Decals:

Overall, this is a neat little kit that looks like the real car.  I am not even close to an expert on cars - even less so on VWs, so any additional information is more than welcome.  

Also, if you have pics of the kit built up, add 'em.  Pics of your old Scirocco?  Post 'em too.

Thanks!

Okay, first off, I guess this is another whining post about the USPS.  

We have all heard and had problems of one sort or another.  

Lately, however, the service is failing in a drastic manner.  I have happily used USPS for shipping and receiving for the last 4 or 5 years - I can't remember any problems in that time period.  Zero.  International and domestic.  I probably buy and or sell a kit or two a week - a lot less in the summer, a little more in the winter.  This winter/early spring I have had numerous mailings gone awry.  

One package - with tracking - never arrived, to me or back to the seller.  The tracking clearly shows it going somewhere, just not to my address.  The seller, great seller he is, bought and shipped another item.  Resolved for me - seller out two kits.  

Then, within a week, another package, with tracking, is "missent".  Not a big deal, but delays a "priority" shipment for a couple days extra.  The seller and I both pay for "priority" and don't get it.  That package arrives safely, just late.  

A couple weeks pass - same thing.

The most recent - I bought a kit from Eugene, OR.  I live in Spokane.  Should be an EASY two day delivery with priority.  No.  Package doesn't even make it out of Portland this time.  "Missent".  It will now be a couple more days for the delivery.  Kind of ridicoulous.  

I am fortunate to be able to buy and sell models as I wish.  I am fortunate for a lot of things and I realize this whining has no global importance, but if I am paying for something, I expect what I pay for.

Anybody else notice a decline in service lately?  Is this how they are trying to get out of bankruptcy?  Dealing with the sequestration?

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day!

Here is the Monogram/Revell Dodge Viper RT/10.  This is the most modern car I have ever built - and it's almost a 20 year old car now...

This kit started life as a snap together, which I didn't know until I purchased one and read a review.  There is still a good parts count and the parts, despite multiple reissues, are still pretty sharp.  There is a lot of clean up, though, and lots of mold lines and weird things due to the "snap" features (some of which I didn't quite remedy, but I tried).

I made a few custom alterations and changed the wheels and tires - they are from the new Revell 1962 Corvette kit.  Brake rotors are Aoshima parts.  The supension has been adjusted and it sits a couple inches lower.  I added some basic wires to the engine as well.

Color is Tamiya Candy Lime Green with MM Wet Look Clear.  

I apologize if the photos are too big - Photobucket finally switched on me today and I need to figure things out...

Thanks!