styromaniac

I've been living in the Northern Virginia area just outside of DC for decades and its pretty sad whats been happening to this hobby since I rediscovered scale modeling as an adult. We had a good shop called Granddads just outside the beltway that catered mainly to the model train crowd but they were sufficiently diversified to satisfy the average modeler, unfortunately they closed when the owner retired and moved away in the early 2000's. We also had Pipers Hobby in Fairfax that catered mainly to the aviation and armor enthusiasts but they just closed last March cuz the owners widow decided to hang it up and retire to Pennsylvania. There used to be a Hobbytown USA in Manassas but they disappeared years ago. There's a shop called Hobby Hanger in Chantilly not far from where Piper used to be but they are almost exclusively a radio control hobby shop, but at least I can get paints and modeling tools there. I discovered there is a Hobby Lobby to the south of us in Woodbridge but that's a bit of a trek in heavy traffic ( I-95 south is the pits no matter what day or time anymore ). It baffles me...I live in a major metropolitan area with a lot of high income neighborhoods not to mention a heavy dose of both active and retired military ( who you think would help support this hobby ) but there are so few choices. The only saving grace is a strong IPMS membership in Fairfax and a first rate model car club with MAMA ( Maryland Automotive Modelers Association ). Brick and mortar shops are a dying breed....as are scale modelers.

I just happened to pop into the Hobby Lobby in Woodbridge VA on Saturday and saw one 29 Roadster on the shelf , so I brought up the 40% coupon on the cell phone and bought it for $17.80...now it will sit in my mancave for a few months....I have other "wanna do" projects ahead of it. FYI...due to the controversy surrounding the 30 coupe I have scoured the Michael's and AC Moore stores all around N Va just to see and have seen no 30 coupes anywhere so the word of mouth along with the Internet buzz about that kit must've cleaned them all out. I myself own two or three of the original Monogram stock version of the 30 coupe so if I really absolutely had to build one as a rod version I'd have a starting point ...my aftermarket supply would do the rest. Can't see forking over the absurd prices I've seen them going for on Ebay...even if it was discontinued...which they say it won't be.

As long as you're not doing a factory stock replica you can make that motor whatever you want....as long as it fits. Why not start with the 4 Banger with period correct hop up equipment? If a small block Chevy will fit, why not that? The venerable 283 with multiple carbs. Both mills can be sourced from numerous Revell kits.

So...will you be going for the weathered wood? Or the just like new finish?

Have been seeing it more frequently at the B & N near the Springfield Town Center Mall in N. Virginia . Bought #'s 199,200, 201 there. With the loss of hobby shops it's good to have some place it can be found.

Looks like a good start. Always loved the Cobras. Don't know why the big one does not have the opening the little one has.

Any tips youd like to share on getting this kit actually finished? Like a lot of Revell's Speed & Show kits back in the day, the detailing is good but the builds are frustrating.

Thanks for the info. . I'll give it a try.

What's the best remedy for salvaging decals? A clear coat spray? A liquid solution? Can anyone name a product they've used with success? I have a few nostalgic decals I'm sure will require some kind of treatment as a precaution if they are to hold together.

Rolls Royce Merlins in P-51 Mustangs. Hopped up flatties in period perfect hot rods. They just sound so right.

Norm Veber of Replicas & Miniatures of Maryland is a master of his craft & as nice a person as you will ever meet in this hobby. I've been buying his products for years..his nostalgic rodding & custom products are varied ( especially his flathead hop up items ) and his collaborations with other skilled builders like Rik Hoving know no equal.

At Last! I started this thread back in mid April. Thanks for all the photos & write-ups guys. Sounds like a Nostagic Rodder's dream come true. Gotta get me a couple...or three.

Cool. I've been wanting a new classic Olds mill for rodding projects for some time now. It was a popular engine back in the day.

This '30 Model A coupe by Monogram is the first kit I built when I got back into modeling back in the mid-90's. I turned it into dry lakes racer w/ a nifty weathered paint job. I liked it so much I picked up a couple of more for my stash. It's an old tool but a goody...not too clunky being a Monogram kit

Common complaint for the newer AMT issue was the incorrect look of the cowl/nose piece & the too small looking engine. Many suggested the older version of the kit mixed w/ some parts of the new version would yield an acceptable rendition.

Walter - I agree. What's cooler than those jet interceptor pilots admiring the graceful lines of that XKE ? ( reminds me of that Hot Rod magazine cover from the same era of LeRoi "Tex" Smith's XR6 parked next to the F-104 Starfighter ) The companion box of the yellow Jag convertible w/ the racing boats in the background was also very cool. I have managed to re-acquire a lot of these works of art from the 60's in the past few years...often the artwork on the box cover exceeded the execution of the contents inside. Like all those Aurora 1/32nd kits...The Wolf Wagon, The Ramrod, etc. My favorites have always been the Monogram hot rod kits of the early 60's..The Green Hornet, the Black Widow, the Yellow Jacket, the Blue Beetle, the Red Chariot. Those and the early Revell "Speed & Show" kits...the Stone- Woods- Cooke Willys, the Mickey Thompson "Attempt 1" & "Challenger", the Tri-Five Chevies.

When I got back into scale modeling in the 90's I was using what I was familiar with from my past and what was readily available, which was the Testors line of bottle & rattle can paints. I always considered detail painting ( engines, interiors ) my strong point but body painting my achilles heel...mainly due to my not having a spray booth, therefore I tended to forego the modeling subjects that required a killer paint job and develop subjects that were within my comfort zone and played to my strength..like beaters & rat rods. After putting in the hours & doing a lot of reading & talking ( Pat Covert's book for instance ) I began experimenting w/ brands that others had used..Duplicolor...Krylon..but it was the Tamiya line of rattle cans that impressed me the most...they laid down smooth & relatively trouble free. Only negative was the amount of coverage per can & the cost..but the results I deemed worth the price. It wasn't until I saw Donn "Lone Wolf" Yost at an IPMS event in Richmond awhile back that I saw what was possible with Testors enamel mixed w/ lacquer thinner and shot thru an airbrush. I bought the DVD and also found a reliable compressor at the same show. Since then I acquired a starter airbrush kit..haven't used it yet but with the scarcity of Tamiya colors lately & the increasing popularity of the Donn Yost technique it looks as if I may be returning to where I started..Testors.

Nick- Thanks. I'll have to look into that!

Dan- Guess I forgot about the Beatnik Bandit having an Olds mill...how did I do that? I thought the Revell gasser kits..the Anglia & Thames Panel..had fuel injected small block Chevies in them...cuz I thought that's all NHRA would let them run back in the day. I don't know if I have an AMT '40 Ford Sedan in my stash..but I have a couple of Stone Woods Cooke Willys somewhere. In any case..I don't think I've ever seen anything that looks like the classic Olds Rocket 88 in 1/25th scale. Will keep waitin' for the '50 Olds stocker & keep the fingers crossed.

O.K. Nick. Thanks for the heads up. The only "vintage" Olds mills I'm aware of is the one in the classic AMT Willys gasser & the one in the Revell "Orange Crate". I guess there may be others but can't speak to the level of detail. I'm wondering if anyone ever put one out with the stock ribbed valve covers. The "Orange Crate" has Offy heads...the AMT Willys had generic looking valve covers. If not..maybe an aftermarket guy did them. Don't think Norm at R&M ever did them.

So what's the status? Thought it would be out by now. Postponed till later in the year? Guess I missed that. Was looking forward to getting a look at the block..which i believe is a classic postwar hot rod OHV...a popular alternative to the flatheads along with the Caddy & early Hemi's ....

I used to fish with a guy that was really good..he was a Master Baiter.

I got back into this hobby back in the mid-nineties while going through some tough personal times, looking for a way to decompress after work. I was fortunate to find a local car oriented modeling club to go to ( M.A.M.A. ) that has some of the best builders & vendors in the craft. Observing & talking I was able to get up to speed pretty quickly. I was also able to find & participate in some local I.P.M.S. events over the years. While its true that the majority of their members are military oriented my work has earned more recognition from them than the regular car oriented crowd...which kind of tells me that my skill level may not be up to the standards of NNL competition but does meet the standards of the so called "snobbish rivet counters". Maybe they're just looking to get more automotive subjects..whatever. If I.P.M.S is the only option in your area I'd have no qualms checking in...any club in the country probably has its share of anal retentive loony tunes but that shouldn't stop you from blazing a trail for the automotive end of the scale hobby.

And regarding the famed Parts Pack releases....I thought it was cool they re-released some of the engines ..but wasn't the planned re-release of some of the cycles cancelled due to the poor sales of the motors?