ToyLvr

Second that motion! I've had the pleasure of meeting Dean in years past, and he's definitely an expert on model cars. Likewise, he's a total model car nut, and would be the kind of person who would appreciate Harry's models and want to help preserve them....

Hi Amy: First of all, I'd like to express my condolences to you and your family as well. Here's my thoughts on the disposition of your Dad's model collection. As some other Forum members have mentioned, many of his models were way, way above average in terms of their build quality and the basic kits were often rare and special. From my observations, many of his projects were large scale, and the kits themselves were very expensive to begin with. I think most of my associates here on the Forum would agree that many of his projects were "museum quality". As such, each *individual* model could be worth hundreds - or even thousands - of dollars depending on the subject matter and the build quality. So, I would definitely encourage you to seek advice from a knowledgable modeler in your area before you sell them or place them in a museum, etc etc. You deserve to get maximum $$$ for them. Speaking of museums, before handing over any models, be sure you have an understanding of what's going to happen to them, and get it in writing. Don't just assume that they'll be permanently displayed in his honor and lovingly preserved. Often times, "donations" of items to museums are sold off later on by the museum. You and your family should be the ones who decide where his models wind up. Perhaps you should consider an arrangement where you temporarily "loan" them to the museum for display for a specified period of time. Likewise, whatever museum you might choose, if you do decide to donate the models to them, check on whether the donation qualifies for a tax write-off. Finally, keep some of them for yourself, or other family members yet to come (grandchildren? Nephews/Nieces? Etc) These models could become family heirlooms that y'all will cherish for years to come. Remember, if you sell/donate them, once they're gone, they're gone.... God Bless you and your family.

I called Modelhaus on March 6th to update the info on my credit card. (if you've got an order in the works, and are not familiar with their credit card rules, you better go to their website and read-up on it). They pulled up my order in their computer system while I waited on the phone. I was glad to hear that my order was still on the "to-do" list! I was told that it would likely be another 6-8 months before they got around to shipping my order. I placed my order in June 2016, just before the order cut-off.... UPDATE 8/17/17 Order from Modelhaus arrived today?

Excellent!

I have a friend who owns a 1:1 1964 Gladiator pickup. He would go bananas if they actually manufactured such a kit?

In times past, I purchased a parts kit that had a melted hood. The seller had heard that you could "cure" the paint faster on your models by hanging the painted parts near a light bulb. So, he came up with a method to hang some parts inside of a lampshade. Needless to say, the paint "cured", alright. When he came back to inspect his handiwork, he found the hood warping into a weird mass of plastic. Too bad, as he had done a nice job on the paint job. He was so discouraged by this event that he gave up on the project and sold the kit for practically nothing. I happened to have some spare parts for this particular kit, including an extra hood, and was able to rescue it. So, add this to the list of curing methods to avoid! ?

'82 Jeep pickup from the movie "Twister". There are enough to different Jeep truck kits to eventually gather the parts for the truck itself, then have fun scratch building the "Dorothy" instrument package.

Anyone out there know anything about the history of "Life-Like" model company? I've seen a couple of their car kits here and there over the years. A friend of mine just recently acquired one of their ship model kits; I didn't know they manufactured anything besides cars.

Got my Molotow chrome markers today from Amazon. Can't wait to try 'em!

Thanks, Mark. for those who may be interested, this was custom-fabricated for me by a vendor on evilBay. Check out the current item #152392220106, then search "sellers other items."

Amongst the many cars I've owned was a '76 MG Midget, which I bought in the mid 1980s. I thought it would be fun to drive to work, and would offer great gas mileage. Not long after I purchased it, I drove it to work (25 miles) one morning, and everyone kept telling me that I had left my headlights on. I *never* forget to turn off the lights and lock my car. So, I went to check the car. Sure enough, headlight switch was in "off" position, but headlights were on. Thus began my acquaintance with Lucas Electrical components (otherwise known as Lucas, prince of darkness)? Then there was tuning twin carbs, and the high price of foreign car parts, and.......... The two (2) cars that I really miss are my '70 Pontiac Grand Prix, and my '76 Caddy Coupe DeVille (hope my Modelhaus '76 Caddy shows up some day soon). Both of these were victims of car wrecks caused by idiot drivers.

A belated Christmas present from my wife....diorama for displaying completed models.

And he grew up to work in the design department at GM. Probably designed the Pontiac "Aztec"?

Starliner for me, too. I need it for parts....

Don't celebrities usual die in "3s"? We've lost MTM, Mike Connors, and Barbara Hale....

What's the old saying about celebrities dying in 3s???

Nice!!! Loved the story, too. I have a 1:1 Evening Orchid '65 4-door sitting in my garage right now?

"Well, I had a car that would hardly crank, then I put a tiger in my tank...."

congrats, Vince. ? I've got two (2) grandsons myself, and another on the way in February. The oldest, now 5, started building Revell snap kits at age 4. You better stock up! ?

I like the notion expressed that this is a 24/7 model club meeting. You can stop by anytime you want, and stay as long as you want, show off your latest project, tell a joke or two. I also appreciate the encyclopedic knowledge available here. Whatever you're searching for, whether it be technical info, kits and parts, etc etc, there's *always* someone here with the answer. I cannot keep track of how many times I've asked for help, and someone here always bails me out. in short, I can always count on you guys....

Actor Mike Connors, best known as TV detective "Mannix", passed away on Thursday 1/26/17, age 91. You model car nuts of a certain age will remember Mannix's first season car, a Barris-built custom '66 Olds Toronado. MPC made a kit of the car. The last I knew of it, the actual car was in the "Star Cars" museum in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Add me to the list of big fans of the Silhouette show car, and the AMT kit. I first built the kit back in the 60s when I was a kid, with predictable results? I've been planning to take another crack at it, now that I've got a bit more experience. One thing that has always challenged me was that split body shell; I wish that AMT had engineered the kit a different way. Like many of you, I came across the photos of Paul Burke's build of the kit on "Coffin Corner". I think it is one of the best interpretations of the kit I've ever seen! I especially liked the seamless body on Paul's build, so I tracked him down and asked him about how he built it. Paul was kind enough to give me some advice. I plan to build my next one to replicate the original version with the Buick "nailhead" engine, and I've been collecting reference materials showing the early Silhouette. For those of you with a similar interest, I strongly suggest you track down a copy of the January 1963 issue of "Rod & Custom" magazine. It contains some good photos of the original car.

There was a factory-equipped 4-carb version of the Corvair engine (available with the optional "CORSA" upgrade of the '65-'66 Corvair, and sporadically offered in later model years) which developed 140HP off of the showroom floor. That engine could be "massaged" to create even more HP, so it would be more than adequate to power this spy vehicle (IMHO). ? I've owned a "140", and it was plenty peppy. I also owned a couple of the turbo powered cars. They were slow off the line, and didn't really get going until the turbo kicked in (not very inspiring for a spy car). The parts you need to replicate the 4-carb version are available in the aforementioned AMT '69 Corvair kit, which has been reissued several times. It also includes a decent replica of the proper fan belt arrangement for the cooling fan.

Thanks for your help, Ricky! For everyone else looking over our shoulder, it's the 2001 issue of "Car Modeler". Now I'm ready to do some modifications on my recently-acquired '63 Galaxie promo.?

Another early Christmas present to myself. I've been crazy about the Chrysler Turbine car ever since I saw one when I was a kid. Since then, I've bought and (attempted to) build several of the JoHan GC-300 Turbine car kits, and have bought other kits of Turbine-powered cars for my collection. I thought I had seen them all, but only recently discovered the existence of this MPC Camaro. It's a really nice kit, and I was fortunate to find an unbuilt example in mint condition. The turbine engine, exhaust system, and related parts in this kit have a striking resemblance to the JoHan GC-300 kit....