maxwell48098

Yep, when I stared building model cars, they were $1.39 retail ($1.09 at local discount store), then they jumped to $1.49 when more pieces were added, then up to $2.00 for pickup trucks with opening hoods. You could get a tube of Pactra or Testors glue for $0.10 and small jars of Testors paint for $.10 as well, the larger round Pactra paints were $0.15, 50% more than Testors! Those were the days, and a McDonald's hamburger was $0.15, fries were $0.10, and a large pop was $0.15. Times change, and once prices go up barbecue of inflation, they never come down.

Neither of the local Walmarts in my area have ever stocked model kits in the past 3 years. Local managers say that they don't sell, so they don't get them to "take up floor space" from other faster selling products.

FYI GM sells more vehicles in China than in North America, and builds 93% of them in China.

Hodges Dodges turned into Hodges Subaru in Ferndale,MI. The times have bean a changing.

Interesting thought, Monogram introduced their first kit of the 1926 Mack AC in 1973, or 47 years after the model year the kit represents. The Mack B61 was produced from 1953 to 1966, so if Round 2 produced a 1966 model year B-61, it would be 60 years old by the time the kit hits the market. And the B-61 is one of the top collector trucks today as it represents the iconic short nose, big power of the Mack bulldog imagery. But I still want some!!!!! A.J.

At today's DAAM show in Waterford Twp, MI, Round2 announced that a Mack B-61 semi will be released a year from now. Didn't get to speak to anyone manning the display, so I'll let someone who did provide more details.

When I worked in a 1:1 body shop decades ago, when we'd splice two totaled Chevelles together to make one good one, we'd always did it at the base of the A-pillars where they'd meet the cowl/firewall. A.J.

Outstanding build. I remember being 9 yrs old and building one of these as a stock car, painted bright yellow with roll bar, numbers, and sponsor decals. Back then, one of the local race tracks in our area featured convertible stock car racing. My dad and I went to the race track nearly every Saturday night in the summer to watch those races. A.J.

My uncle Henry was a cigar smoker and I had him save the wrappers for me. I used them for bed floors, and even the side panels on the original MPC woody kit. A.J.

There is an acronym for this COIK = Clear Only If Known.

Very nice build that brought back lots of memories for me. When I worked for Chrysler, I had one of these as my company vehicle. For the time, it was unbelievably quick, and even with a Sure Grip rear axle, the rear tires broke loose, even when going from first to second gear at full throttle. Around town, it wasn't too easy on gas, but on the Interstate, it would get 24-26 mpg. Only got to drive it for about six weeks before it was replaced by a 1978 Dodge Ramcharger with a 440, but that's another story. A.J.

I've used this since my original can of "Ford Engine blue" from Eastwood ran out. I can't tell the difference. A.J.

Really nice build. FYI, the actual body name for these fendered Dodges was "Utliline" and Step Side was the GM name for their fendered pickups. The smooth sided Dodge were referred to as "Sweptline". A.J.

Remember one other tip when taking pics with a smart phone. Always take the photos with your phone turned sideways. That way you picture will be filled with more of the model you are photographing, and less of the background. A.J.

Very, very nice. A.J.

Yep, back-in-the-day, we used to say that "When the van's a rockin', don't come a knockin'." Of course nothing smelled worse that wet, moldy shag carpeting that guys used to line the interiors with. A.J.

Outstanding build. I worked at a Ford dealer prepping new cars back in the late '60's - early '70's. I prepped several of these, but my favorites were the Mustang Boss 302's and 429's. But you cpould break the rear tires loose even on the Galaxie GT boats! Looks right on. A.J.

That was the first "truck" kit that I ever built, followed by the IMC Dodge L700 and AMT Peterbilt 359. A.J.

I've done this using the spare wheels from other F250s that I've built without spare wheels/tires. A.J.

Here's where I got mine. https://stsupplyco.com/collections/scenes-unlimited/products/m53-1-25-ford-bb-wheel-tire-set A.J.

One of the dealerships that I used to call on as a Chrysler Service Rep in the '70's would buy cars at the insurance company auto auction that had someone non-violently die inside them. They went really, really cheap because they smelled horrible inside. So what they would do is to get a bale of alfalfa hay that they'd spread around the interior and trunk of the vehicle. Then they put it out in the sun for a month or so. Amazingly, the alfalfa absorbed the foul smell that was inside the vehicle. But then the interior of the vehicle interior smelled like alfalfa! To get rid of the alfalfa aroma, they'd then spread a couple bags of charcoal around the inside of the vehicle and put it back out in the sun for another 3-4 weeks. Amazingly, the charcoal absorbed the alfalfa aroma. They'd detail the car, then put it on the used car lot. On model kits that I've purchased from heavy smokers, I washed all of the parts in soapy water. For the box, I'd put three or four charcoal brickettes inside and leave it out in the sun for a couple of days. The smoke smell would be gone. A.J.

Outstanding build. I remember being a teenager and riding in my uncle Henry's white '64 Galaxie 50XL. The interior in his was red and it also had a 427!

Having been building model cars and trucks since 1958, then using resin conversion parts/kits, one thing I learned was that when you saw a resin item you liked, you bought it then because it may not be available months or years later. I've seen the same thing with some 3D suppliers. My first AIM resin conversions and parts were purchase in 1982. I still have some of those old, brittle, heavy fiberglass resin castings A.J.

The only problem with producing in China is that the tools, once sent there, can't be taken out. If my memory serves me correctly, based on a conversation with a former colleague who worked for Walmart back then,Walmart was the one who drove model companies to have their kits produced in China instead of US, using "Walmart approved" companies so that the wholesale prices would be low enough to maintain Walmart margins. Walmart also got the first containers of the new products. (This didn't make hobby shop owners happy.) As it turned out, several years later, Walmart dumped models altogether. Walmart did the same with other folks like Black and Decker where the B&D products sold at Walmart had their own, lower "Walmart" specs. Those lower spec B&D tools didn't last, and hurt the B&D brand as well. A.J.

I've had very good luck on some of my Franklin Mint die casts that used real rubber of soaking the tires in Armour-All. Then I let then air dry for a couple of days. I now will check annually if any of the tires are getting hard again and apply Armour-All using a Q-tip. A.J.