ToyLvr

This one just happened to be sitting there when I left the hospital recently. I was just thinking then that it sure would be a sweet subject for a new model building project. I didn't know Galaxie was working on this body style - AWESOME!

On our prayer list.... Family is more important than plastic. However, we hope to see you back soon.

For your amusement - see attached. I spotted this in a hotel parking lot a while back.....

Anne: I think that I mentioned this kit to you recently as part of the thread on the Monogram '57 Vette. The MPC '56/'57 Vette and '60 Vette kits are the real deal! I highly recommend them both.

Nice one! When you mentioned "Root Beer" for the color, that caught my eye. I have a car body that I painted with the Testors "Root Beer" lacquer. For the contrasting color, I chose Model Master #2909 "Light Ivory"..... Just a thought.....

Just as Rick mentioned previously, the modern version of baby food "jars" are now resealable plastic containers. See attached photo. I was blessed with a new grandson 21 months ago, and when I eventually saw this new baby food container, I asked my daughter to start saving them for me. So, if you have a baby amongst your family or friends, take advantage of these "free" containers. One last tip - for those of you who collect Matchbox or Hot Wheels, these containers are handy for storing them as well...

How about this? See attached... I found this one waiting there in the parking lot when I left the hospital the other day. Was the bright spot of my day.....

I would strongly suggest the MPC #301 '56/'57 Corvette kit. Really nice 1/25, and highly detailed as compared to the Monogram or AMT kits. The MPC even has a working from suspension that uses real metal springs. Likewise, I like MPC's #306 '60 Vette for the same reason. These are old kits from the golden years of MPC, but there are still quite a few around out there, some at reasonable prices (if you do a thorough search). Just my .02 cents worth..... Mike

I have both the '65 reissue, and an original '68 Continental (and a '61 and a '62, but who's counting). I agree - the '65 is a fine kit when you consider the era it came from. The '68 which I have also has the old style chassis. It has a funky option - can be built as a "Town Car", a *real* town car with the roof removed over the driver's area, as in the case of the classic town car limousines of the 30s.

Nice job, Emmanuel! Just a couple of general comments on the topic for you and some of the other participants on this post. 1) the Corvair DID sell well. Overall production was approximately 1.7 million units.... 2) there was some talk at the other GM divisions of each of them having their own version of the rear-engined compact, but ultimately GM decided to stick with Chevy alone. Even so, you can see evidence of shared parts and/or design concepts. If you ever see an early model Vair parked next to an early 60s Buick "Special" or Pontiac Tempest, you can pick out some of the shared items = seat frames, roof line, etc. The so-called "rope-drive" Tempest even used a lot of the Corvair's transaxle parts. You'll even see some of the late model Vair influence in the '67 Camaro. 3) For your amusement, attached are a couple of photos of my '66 Corvair which I used to own a few years ago. It was a "Kelmark" conversion kit which placed the engine amidships, and used the original Corvair 4-speed transaxle. The engine was a Chevy small-block 283 V8. Needless to say, it was a hoot to drive! One of these days, I hope to build a model to replicate it. Too many projects, too little time... Mike

Watching the Nicholas Cage movie version tonight. Would definitely bid on it at the Mecum auction if I had a spare $300,000 laying around. But geez, that could buy a whole lot of models for the collection. I'm so conflicted now...

Bingo! Albee, you're close. It's a Wankel 4-Rotor, sourced from a mid-70s MPC Corvette kit. Some of you old-timers (like me) may recall that GM briefly flirted with the notion of a rotary powered Vette back in the 70s. They licensed the technology from Curtis-Wright aviation, a developed a version of their own. It wound up in a Corvette showcar, but the project eventually died. Supposedly, the GM version could have produced 350HP - more than sufficient to motivate my little T-Bucket. MPC apparently thought it was was going somewhere, as they issued kits with the optional rotary engine for at least a couple years.

A view of the chassis, sans body...

Hi Gearheads: Nearing completion of my second T-Bucket project. By way of explanation, my local modeling club chose the '25 Model T as the 2012 internal club contest theme. I've never been much into Model Ts or Model As (although I respect their place in our American automotive heritage), but I figured I play along and take a shot at building a "T" or 2. My first attempt was a Rat Rod (see recent post in "Under Glass" entitled "I Smell a Rat"). The current project is a bit more shiny. Once again, the project is based on AMT's reissued '25 T kit, with some kit-bashing thrown in. The wheels come from the recently reissued "Sock-It-To-Me" Corvette. The body is painted a deep Emerald Green Metallic (Testors) with "Citrus Yellow" interior (whatever Testors calls it, it looks green to me). The fun part was selecting the engine. After reading up on some recent trends in T-Buckets, I learned that there's a movement towards non-traditional modern engines, so I decided to see how "non-traditional" I could get. I'll leave it to you more eagle-eyed observers to see if you can identify it. I've still got a few details to finish, including the fuel tank and tail light, etc. Comments/Suggestions/Questions are appreciated.....

Sam - the engine is a Chevy "Stovebolt" 6-banger, sourced from the AMT '51 Bel Air kit. As Alan noticed, I opted to install the performance "Nicson" 2-carb intake manifold with the "Zenith" carbs as supplied in the Bel Air kit. Hey Alan - when the kit manufacturers give us a lemon, we make lemonade..... BTW, anyone interested in specific details of this build, I wrote a very indepth article for the newsletter of my local model car club. Send me a PM with your e-mail address, and I'll send you a copy....

Hi Folks: Just recently completed my first Rat Rod (see attached pix). I normally like to build what I call "Showroom Stock" cars, and paint them in nice shiny colors. My local model car club chose the Model T Ford as the club's internal contest theme for 2012, so a few months ago I went out and purchased the AMT 1925 Model T kit. I intended to build a nice little T-Bucket roadster in traditional style. When I opened up the kit, I found that the roadster body was badly deformed. I was about to ship it back back to AMT - with a strongly worded letter - when one of my fellow club members suggested that perhaps I hang on to it for future use in a junkyard diorama, etc. The work "junkyard" stuck in my head, and over a period of days it morphed into "junker", and finally I knew what to do - build my first "Rat". It was quite a change of pace for me, and took a lot longer to build it "ugly" than I thought it would. I have a new-found respect for you guys who have been building them this way for years. Hope you find it amusing. Questions/comments/suggestions are all welcome... Mike

See the recent posts on "Worst Ouch". Seems to be a lot of trouble with body parts and CA glue lately ;-) Some might *want* to glue their eyes shut rather than look at Cranky! (HaHaHa)

Similar to Carl's story, I started in the mid-60s at age six (6). My much-older brother started building in the late 50s during the dawn of the "Golden Age" of car modeling, and I was in awe of his models (still am). He was an excellent craftsman, and later transferred his skills to his work with 1:1 cars. I wasn't allowed to touch any of his models, or even come in close proximity, so I started building my own after talking my Dad into buying a kit for me. The first one, as I recall, was like a 1/32 or 1/43 scale, and maybe a '40 Ford. Nearly 50 years later, it's hard to remember.... Been collecting model kits ever since, and building when I can. My absolute favorite pastime.... Epilogue: Last year, just after my brother's 69th birthday, he bestowed upon me the surviving units of his model collection "for safekeeping". Now I don't have to worry about getting caught and busted for sneaking into his room to look at the models.... ;-)

Hey Nick: Just noticed your thread regarding the Vair convertible conversion. Assuming you're planning on using the reissued AMT '69 Corvair kit as your base unit, you can save yourself a lot of effort by buying the resin convertible body that one of the resin manufacturers produced. All of the work is done, and the correct boot is included, too. The resin body is based on '68/'69 Corvair body shell with the side marker lights. I cannot recall who produced it, but I bought mine off of evilBay. Of course, this was approximately 3-4 years ago when the kit was reissued. If you want some photos, PM me for more info... Mike Mike

Dave: Seek treatment IMMEDIATELY, and hang tough. I Was diagnosed with colon cancer last August. Been through radiation, chemo, & surgery, and looks like I may beat it. Treatment is rough, but modern advances have helped beat the Big C; it's not the death sentence it used to be. At least one bit of good news; my time off on medical leave has allowed me to catch up on the model building list! Mike

Nice build, Al! Where'd you get the paint? If you take a close look at my member photo, you'll see my 1:1 '65 Corvair in Evening Orchid. My family calls her "Jasmine". I've got the rare AMT kit to build a 1/25 replica, but need the paint. Testor's used to have it in rattle can enamel #28146, but it has since been discontinued. I also need this color to use on the "Tognoti's T" I've got stashed.... Mike

Looks great! Congrats on your show of ultimate patience. Last time I had a kit fight me that badly, it wound up going airborne and had an untimely meeting with the nearest wall....

You'll probably have to explain the "Bobbit" reference to some of the younger guys. ;-) Wonder where Lorena is these days?

Mark: Did you use the original AMT "Craftsman" kit? If so, you get even more credit for a job well done. You're not telling the rest of the gang that it started out as a curbside promo, which would have required a great deal of work to open up the engine compartment and equip it with an engine. So nice to see a '64 - my favorite year for Malibu.

Ever seen this rare one? It's an adaptation of the equally rare "Man from Uncle" model kit from the 1960s TV show. Also known as the "Piranha"... Took me a long time to find this one to add to my collection of Corvair-powered vehicles.