Uncle Mike

<<GM aquired Opel, however, in 1940 after the Nazi party had taken over passenger car production GM wrote Opel off as a complete loss. So there was no ties to GM when the Blitz was being made.>> Opel was Buick's import in the early-60's and continued to be for years. (I did services, electrical, warranty, and clutch replacements on them at Buick Dealerships for eons...)

Hey, John...I was talking to Tom Medley ("Stroker McGurk" and other cartoons since) who was there in the R&C offices in those days. Tom tried to explain what pandemonium it was with model cars on shelves, temporary tables, window sills, stairs, the floor, desks, and every flat surface! He said they just kept arriving (it was a 'mail-in' contest!) and never stopped, entries pouring in after the cutoff date! There was no way to return them, either...Wonder what happened to all of them!

Just joined, Bob...But get an error on password! HeLP!

Heck, Herm! I was waiting for the scratchbuilt '38 Chevy Coupe! Love that 'shortshot' rail! I had a 1:1 built from some 3" conduit, an old flathead digger...gave it to my partner, built a 122" for that flatmotor...with 4130 tubing this time! My Bonneville oartner and I were putting on some weight, and had to Porta-Power stretch the width of the cockpit rollcage 3" to fit us! Models can be as thin as when we were young...we don't have to 'put them on'! Nice "Stovebolt"!!!

Great info, Aaron. I am hyper-interested in 'Medium-Duty' (1-ton) Ford trucks, Late-'30s-Early-'40s. Think "Early 'Ironside' episodes" where Raymond Burr used an old 1941 Ford 1-ton 'Armored Car'... Not meaning a Thread-Hijack! Thanks.

G'Day, Frank, thanks! There's another good man on this site that has the way to post pictures...I've got to find that. I have a digital camera now, and have started in on some more of my old projects that sat too long! Hey, I really liked that bit of signature you left; it is what I live by. "If ya didn't build it, it ain't yours!" My '29 Tub has been getting readied for its big bash...It is to be the scale "kookie ll", Norm Grabowski's latest rod...Cad power, long, swoopy Mopar shell, no fenders... I wasn't taken by the car, the original one was "it" for me, especially in its original form; but the tub is a challenge to model! Amen: "Anything Grabowski"...

The fuel line on Stromberg carburetors enter the right hand side, at the top of the float bowl. Some models enter the float bowl from the center-right-side wall of the carb. Others have a casting that accepts the hose nipple at the top of the upper top part of the float bowl, at the front corner... All the Stromberg carbs' fuel lines enter the carb bowl straight-in from passenger side, at a horizontal angle. Hope this helps. One more thing: These Strombergs were notorious for leaks, hence our nickname for them: "Fire Pots". I wouldn't put it past these things to LEAK in 1/25th! (just kidding) These 4-carb pieces are sharp. Where did they come from???

When the real 'Eliminator' was stolen from thr late Don Thelan's "Buffalo Motors" shop, I felt such an outrage deserved a diorama. (some small tribute?) But Don passed away, and the diorama idea seemed like a bad omen, that might suggest disrespect for such a fine person. The car was never recovered, nor did any parts ever surface. Anyone here know who did the 'clone'?

G'Day, Frank! I also did a '29 Touring kitbash, but went a different way: Revell '29 R/Pickup and '31 Tudor sedan quarters. (Tudor tub) Yours has matched up nicely, with the beltline you scratchbuilt down the sides. Love these Revell 'A's and Deuces! Very scale...

Hiya, Harry! I also have this great kit...I used to race a C/Stocker, Fremont Drag Strip. (later called "Baylands") My racer was a '56 Ford convertible, 292" Y-Block...a real Chevy eater. 92 mph @14.20, respectable enough to irritate Hillary, the Pits Official, who took it upon himself to honor every protest! (they used to tear you down in those days, $50 would do it! The Chevy guys would cry like babies, "A Ford CAN'T BE that fast!" Well, it was. And they never caught me cheating. They measured it 'til hell wouldn't have it) Anyway, the Twin Dragster has Y-block Ford engines. (T-Bird 312's? With Crankshaft Co. OR 'Hank the Crank' strokers, these engines could have gone to 402 cubic inches EACH, which could put yours in AA/FD, or AA/D.) Some Ford colors might be novel, as most think these engines to be...ho-hum Chevy smallblocks.

Curt, you nailed him! Hair was a little thinner & darker, (but he COULD wear a toupee for those hard sales...) He was actually a nice guy, but 'sinister', like "muscle" in a '40s Film Noir... Boy, I wish I had the foresight to have taken pics of the sign, and the lot...There were a couple of "Hot Rod" lots in the L.A. area, and this one was a knockoff of those. We just didn't know a good thing when we had it! The Irishman wholesaled a channelled '32 Roadster to a bud of mine, it had a '52 Caddy in it, needed to be wired. Nick Morgado bought it for $300! I wired it. Yes, it's being modeled as we speak, Monogram '32 Rdstr body, Art Anderson Resin frame...just like it was when Nick bought it, NOT flashy paint or new chrome. I'm doing the "front row" of the car lot...some light poles, the 3/8" chain draped across, right in front of the '40 Coupes and all...

Mine just arrived. Body is nice, frame the same as 3-window and Highboy. Wheels are great, Kelseys are chrome; they strip nicely, if you want to paint them. If they weren't chrome, and you wanted them to be, it would be worse. American Torque-Thrusts have the rough cast spokes, BRAVO! Silver paint on the spokes make 'em real authentic! Windshield area and frame are superb, right on. Flathead is pretty scale, front parts look good; timing gear cover and water pump detail are what make-or-break flathead model engines. I have a large parts barrel, so Lincoln tranny, 3-spoke Bell steering wheel, spoon gas pedal, O.K., now for the reality: The license plate fillers are two versions of "Goodguise", 2 ea. of those. Tires (1 set of 'big & littles') are of the '60-series' that are too-low, too-wide, and too commonly identified with lawn chairs and flaming shorts. The carb. 'bonnets' have ridges around the bottoms...their shape dictates a directional removal from the tool. The "Flat-O-Matic" cast behind this flatmotor is another 'goodguy solution' travesty. In my Swap Meet diorama, this transmission will stack up with all the goodguys stuff, in one pile. The BIG Commercial headlights will be there too, right in the flaming lawn chair. If I sound like I'm 'bashing' this release, please bear with me. This was to be an 'ultimate' example, with options. Wish it had more Hop Up options, but I have parts... I am thrilled with this kit, and have 3 more coming. My Swap Meet Diorama will certainly get some laughs, when you add up all the unused stuff from 5 kits...(plus 'goodstuff' from 4 Hiboy kits)

Ho ho ho, boys & girls...Marry Christmas! I have been all over the internet, and can't find a link for Replicas & Miniatures. Would love to see their wares...I know they are in Maryland, but is theirs a catalog-only or do they have an online as well? Thanks in advance, "Uncle Mike". Atwater, CA

Thanks, Fellas! Always lookin' for stuff I won't have to make from scratch...(different front axles and such) Still early on the West Coast here, I've been in some old boxes that contain previously started hot rods that got put away when I was working on my 1:1 '27 Highboy. (I built a chassis jig, it got involved, so the model projects got put away! Blow your mind how many I had started!!!) But now, I'm BACK!

Yeah, me too! Grabowski & Ivo T's, (both in final shape, but pre-paint and all apart; found in the Laurel & Hardy '25 T Roadster box!) My replica of my first Roadster: a '30 Model A Cabriolet, channeled 6" over a Deuce frame (model is a 'Cherry Pie' '30 sedan delivery cowl & doors, upper frames trimmed off. Rear section is a '29 Roadster, as the real one got, for too much rust in the '30 rear. My model got a retrofit '32 Revell 3-window Coupe frame, as the AMT Vicky frame was SO not-'32-ish) Three '29 Highboys: Revell '32 frames, AMT '29 Rdstr bodies. All flathead cars...very authentic, as there are Monogram hydraulic backing plates, ("Son of Ford") Banjo rears with Quickies (2 of 'em, the 3rd is just a banjo) 3 Thirty-Two highboy Rdstrs, 2 are '70s kit Monogram, fenders trimmed off the fender/frame platform, and laminated .006" Evergreen on front rails firewall forward. One of 'em waited long enough for its 'rough-in' to get a '32 frame out of the Revell Highboy! (the seat and body are the '70's release, almost identical to the new release! But the older Monogram seat is much more authentic than the new one. (This one also got the Bell dropped tube, but '40 Ford drum brakes) I found some T Roadster projects, too...Blackie Gejian's "Shish-Kebob Spl., Anderegg Rdstr., (both cars shared the AMBR Trophy at Oakland, 1955; (I have the original chassis from the real Anderegg Rdstr, am restoring it to 1955 status) Highland Plating Special, "original Black Widow", (a '25 T Rdstr w/bustle, low with motorcycle fenders, racecar nose, full hood, 59-AB Flathead) "Original Black Widow" appeared in local car shows around Northern Calif. from '52- '56, after which it was sold and street-driven. Chet Carter owned it for awhile, in San Jose. Some trivia here: The Black Widow '27 R/PU that Monogram modeled from was owned by a gent who resided in Winton, CA., 7 miles from our door. Anyway, the car was stored in its original garage all these years, discovered in 1999 by Wyatt Bowman, (self-purported Model Guru and President of the Retro-formed 'Pharoahs', in honor of American Graffiti.) (Widow was showable as he found it, now he's talking about having the Y-block Ford replaced with a SBC! Some people's kids)

This has been a great time for me, this year...I am back to building, (actively, I mean...Four projects that were 'back-burnered' are back up on the bench.) I found this site, and asked some questions: Bang! Great answers, and I just got a Revell Merc, (which a kind member guided me through, and found me the thread for shimming the 'A' pillar for the proper 'teardrop' shape. Many thanks!) I am presently building models of all the cars I have ever had (since my chopped '36 3-window in '55! There has been a lot of them) Pics to follow, when I get the act down on posting. (found thread, have to study through it) Merry Christmas to all, from an old modeler and 1:1 builder. And God bless us, every one.

Hi, All. Two weeks ago, I read a great post on the forum, but can't find it now. The gent that posted had added .050" to the windshield posts (A pillars) and corrected the chop, resulting in a correct "teardrop". Please direct me to that thread, anyone? I got a Revell '49 Merc, but MUST make that correction! Thanks...

Hey, Wes. Where did that 4-spoke Bell wheel come from??? I need one for my Roadster, so I can show you cats some hot stuff.....Like your bed floor! I like the whole Rdstr Pickup!

Hey Milt! When I lived in Santa Clara, CA in '60, there was a used car lot on 10th & East Santa Clara St., San Jose. Large sign said, "SMILIN' IRISHMAN" In smaller print underneath, it said: "HOT RODS". There was always an abundance of '40 Ford Coupes, with flatheads, Chrysler, Dodge Red Ram, and DeSoto hemis, saw examples of them all. There were fendered and non-roadsters, but the '32-'34s got put inside the building at night. The latest model I ever saw in there was a '51 Merc, and it got wholesaled away! There were '46-'48 Fords/Mercs too. I traded him a '54 Corvette with a Buick engine straight across for a white '34 Ford Roadster with a Buick in IT! He drove the Corvette, never had it on the lot...Corvette was white, '57 Vette hubcaps. He always dressed in slacks and black dress shirt, white tie. 35 or so, he looked like a cheap torpedo in expensive shoes, with a pencil-thin moustache!

Anyone on here have any tips or printed matter to convert a '59 Cad to an "El Camino-type" pickup? There was a Coach works that did real-size ones for Cadillac for large funeral parlors, as "flower cars". I've seen this done on a Jo-Han model, but no particulars; I'm thinking of doing it to a Ghostbusters "Superior" body, but still need a rear window from a "pancake"-type roof. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

Hi, Steve! Say, are those the Sombreros that came in the Revell kit? The tires too? Man, they sure look right! And, YES! The perfect Taildragger-Tilt! It has been nailed...

Matt, when I got mine, I was admiring the 'teardrop' shape...then, Uh, oh! They cut the front a little excessive...I set it aside, then saw your post. That fixes it! .050"....039" is a 1/25 scale inch, so this .050" equates to 1-1/4" in the real world. I can see that. This is a MUST DO! Thanks for the generous tip!

Ron, you certainly have an EYE! This model is exemplary in its realism, and fidelity to scale! I'm wondering about the expanded metal floor! Everywhere I look on this project, I discover something else! This is inspiring.