ToyLvr

BUMP

We're also entering a time where most people under, say, age 40 probably won't know how to start a car from the pre-E.F.I. era. Most carbureted engines had a similar starting procedure: pump the accelerator once or twice (to set the automatic choke), then turn the key. Not that hard, granted, but necessary to know if you wanted to start the engine. Geez, these days you don't even need to insert a key to start some of these new cars!

I've heard that early VW Beetles had a crank pulley designed to facilitate wrapping a rope around it to start the engine by hand, sorta like starting a lawn mower. Any of you guys who are VW nuts, can you confirm this?

Josh: Do you by any chance have a Grandma who lives in Pasadena? ;-)

How long will it be before we see something like that Stuffed into a Fiat 500??? ;-)

Later versions of the Model T could be purchased with an optional electric starter. Definitely the way to go.....

Nice! "Clean" build...I like it!

And Rich, don't forget that we have some "survivors" we built 40 or 50 years ago where the Testors silver enamel we used on the trim *still* hasn't dried. ;-) Andrew, heck of a thread you started, but very subjective... Some will consider the late 50s/early 60s as the "Golden Age". Still others will consider today - right here and now - as the Golden Age, what with the accuracy of the more recent kits (Moebius) and the availability of PE detail sets, etc., etc. My greatest moment in modeling history? When I built an AMT '70 Impala back in the day, spray painted it and tried to really do it up right, and my old man took notice & told someone that his kid was really starting to get the knack of it.... Despite all of the innovations in the hobby, when you get right down to it, it all revolves around the personal magic that takes place at the work bench.

Haven't gotten around to checking my local Wally-World, but I recently noticed that models had made a return to the local "Meijers". Not much selection, but there nonetheless. I consider this a good sign for the hobby. Likewise, I agree that in some cases, this may be the only exposure that some kids get to the hobby.

Nice! Not only do I like "vintage" cars, but I like vintage built models as well. Both are like a time capsule....

Hi Folks: Here's my '25 T-Bucket, which I call "Shamrock" due to the metallic green color (plus I unveiled the rough draft on the weekend of St. Patrick's Day). I finally got it done after working on it off/on for approximately one year. My local model club decided to adopt the AMT '25 T as the official kit for our internal contest last year. I'm not much into Model-T or Model-A Fords, but I decided to play along and build a couple (I do respect the Model T's place in our American automotive history). Since I don't have much background with these cars, I read some 1:1 magazines to get some ideas. I spotted a roadster with this color scheme, and really like it. I also read where there's a trend towards using "alternative" powerplants these days, instead of the traditional Ford Flathead or SBC V-8, so I looked around in my stash and came up with something *really* alternative. I leave it to some of you more eagle-eyed observers to see if you can identify it. This was built mostly "out-of-the-box", with some mild kitbashing. Wheels are from the recent "Sock-It-To-Me" '62 Vette kit, with the brake drums from the '25 T Ford "phonebooth" version, modified to fit together. I got the rear tires out of the recent tire "parts pack" so the white wall sizes would match (the kit-issued tires didn't match). I fabricated the gas tank, using the chromed tank end-caps from a couple of the Model-T kits. Tail light is from the recently reissued "Fire Truck" model-T show car. Paint is Testors Metallic Green with Testors Citrus Yellow interior. I hope you find it amusing. Comments/questions/suggestions are always welcome - I'm always looking to improve. For those interested, the engine is a "Wankel" 4-Rotor rotary, which I sourced from an MPC '74 Corvette kit. "Corvette, you say"? For those who weren't around then, or don't recall, Chevy briefly considered powering a restyled Vette with a rotary. They even licensed the engine for production, and ultimately built a concept car. The project went away about as quickly as it came. I've always thought it would've been neat, though, as the engine supposedly would have developed 350HP. Anyway, that's more than sufficient HP to motivate my little T-Bucket!

There are four (4) HL stores in the metropolitan area, but the nearest to me is about 15 miles away, so I don't visit there often. The 40% coupon is great, but they seem to be about six months behind all the other hobby stores in getting new kits. If you're patient, you can get a good deal. If you want to be first on your block to have the latest kits, you have to shop elsewhere. Since I don't buy much of new stuff, it doesn't much matter to me.... My LHS is much closer, and with what I save in fuel costs, it works out better for me to shop there.

Welcome to Factory Stock, Wayne. Nice work - stay with this theme for a while....

I first fell in love with the '62 Vette while watching the TV show "Route 66" as a kid. Tod Stiles wouldn't know to think of this rocket that Ken is building. Looking forward to seeing the finished product, Ken. Awesome!

Christopher: Check out the 1971 movie "A New Leaf" with Walter Matthau. His expensive Ferrari spends most of it's time on the hook of a tow truck...

quote "Harry P." post "You don't understand because there's no science or logic behind collector car prices. It can't be understood. The prices can fluctuate wildly with no real ties to reality. Same as the stock market... it's all based on emotion, not reality." Same could be said for the price of old model kits on the Internet auction sites.......

As I've mentioned before in other threads, a gearhead is a gearhead, no matter where he's from. Just imagine what the guy would do if he had access to a typical American junkyard....

In the summer of 1976, I wandered into the local K-Mart one day after I got off work for the day (had a summer job while school was out). I headed to the hobby department, of course, and what to my wandering eyes would appear? A Pocher 1/8 scale '32 Alfa Romeo kit, right there amongst the more mundane offerings from AMT, MPC, Revell, and Monogram. The price tag was $30.00!!! I couldn't believe that this kit was sitting on the shelf at a K-Mart, much less for $30 bucks! I figured that the price tag was a typo, and should have read *$300.00*. I grabbed the big box and headed towards the checkout as fast as I could. Fortunately, I had the $30.00 on me (a rare occurrence for me in those days). I paid the cashier (who didn't bat an eye), and headed for my car as quickly as possible, and got ouuta there. Almost 40 years later, I still cannot believe my good fortune that day....

I, too, have had good luck with the Testors lacquer. I have found that Plasticote automotive primer, and the aforementioned Duplicolor & Tamiya primers, work well also. One thing to watch out for: the automotive-grade primers are often heavier scratch-filling primers. This can actually be handy if you've got some minor imperfections to hide on your bodywork. However, these primers will bury the scripts and other fine details on the model if too much is applied. Depending upon the model I'm working on and the situation with its bodywork, I often start out with a first coat of the scratch-filling primer, sand it smooth, then follow-up with the Tamiya fine-grade stuff. My experiences so far have been that the Tamiya primer will work with most anything you can throw at it. It's expensive, but it's good stuff! Often times, the paint manufacturers (both model paint and 1:1 paint) will market their paint as a "system", and tell you that you've got to use their primer, their clear topcoat, etc., etc. You'll find with a little experimentation that you can standardize on one basic primer (Tamiya) and one basic clear that'll work with most all lacquers. That way, you won't have to have 2-dozen different primers on your shelf. Oh yeah, for beginners, keep in mind that enamel paints require their own special primers, etc. Finally, there's no substitute for doing your due diligence in body prep, cleanliness, etc.

What, no Cute Koala bear to complete the scene.

Yeah, I can say that I've bought *running* 1:1 cars for less than what I've paid for some of these model kits!

I'm almost afraid to say, in case my better-half ever signs-on here and starts reading! ;-) Ironically, the one-and-only Pocher kit in my collection was purchased for a mere $30.00, brand new. I've paid in the range of $100+\- for several different rare kits over the years. I came close to buying my "holy grail" of 1/25 plastic kits, the AMT "Chevelle Drag Team", which was considerably more than $100, but it got sold out from under me before I could close the deal (and sell a kidney to raise the cash). Keep reciting the mantra; "It's Only a Hobby, It's Only a Hobby, It's Only a Hobby...."

Dale: This stuff is known commercially as "Super Clean", and is marketed primarily as an auto parts cleaner. Yes, it will remove the chrome plating from model car parts, as well as being a dandy paint stripper for models. It's kinda expensive, though. Last I checked, a gallon was going for around $10 at my local car parts store. If all you want to do is strip chrome, regular household ammonia cleaner will work just fine. Last time I checked, it was selling at the local supermarket for about $1.34/quart. Obviously, any leftovers will be handy in doing other cleaning chores around the house.

Got these two nice ones today from one of our friends here on the Forum.

My Tee Shirt says it all.... (Received this from my Grandson on Father's Day this year)