1959scudetto

OMG, Charles - how can you manage to create such wonderful, real-looking dioramas in this TINY scale? Unbelievable craftsmenship !

Awwwww Casey, that is NICE !!! I really like it very much how you created a convincing 1970 truck. Gives me some inspirations for mine in the stash: I wanted to leave off the Mercury sleeper or lenghten the frame. But your coice with the 359 sleeper looks much better - also the elongated tank, different drive axle tires and the old A/C unit on the roof. Super paint scheme, too - this light grey works exceptionally well. Definately makes me want to re-start truck modeling in the near future.

Thank you, Trevor and Chris!

Excellent build, Mario - looks like the box-art. To my knowledge, Heller did not make a DS kit in 1/24 (only 1/16 and 1/43).

Excellent model, Ryan - this was one of my holy grails before it was released in the mid 90's. First I looked at the photos asking myself: how did he manage the wood trim decals for the dashboard laying down so nicely? Then I read your explanations about the painted dashboard - excellent idea (if one is able to make it as perfect as you did here!) - Jean Daninos did the same with his Facel Vegas in the 1950's (metal dashboards got painted to simulate wood). The pics under the bridge are especially great-looking - you've done it justice - very nice!

Another oldie from my bench: in 1986 a friend from Indiana sent me the "American Van Lines" Moving van, and I started building this rig: The Peterbilt 352 was a bit dechromed, converted to a 282 with a single stack, a shortened frame and Ford Louisville SD suspension. The dropbedvan unfortunately had bad decals that (partially) disintegrated when being applied - so a lot of touch-up was required which added to much patina on the trailer. The whole rig will undergo a bit of rework/restauration sooner or later - pictures are from August 2005:

Some of you might probably have seen the 1:18 die-cast model from Minichamps, asking themselves: What's up with that? Here is the funny background story to this model (things like that aren't possible any longer), but: almost 50 years ago: Merry Christmas to all of you !

DM models is relatively new to the scene, and this is their first car model kit, see link: https://dmodelkits.store/

Very good looking McLaren, Tom - but this is not the M8B, but the M8D which was never driven in a race by Bruce McLaren (he died before the 1970 CanAm season while testing ths car at Goodwood). So beside Denny Hulme, Dan Gurney drove the first 3 races for McLaren, then Peter Gethin took over for the rest of the season. By the way, as Rich mentioned above, we builders are our own worst critics because we are never content with our work but I can't see anything wrong with it - even the paint finish is perfect. I have 2 of these in my stash and hope they turn out as nice as yours.

One of the highlights of my 1/24 diecast collection and one of the most beautiful and valuable luxury sports cars of the 1930s: the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B (between 30 and 43 cars have been built during 1935 to 1939 - according to different sources).The best known have a body by Touring of Milan which is a true sculpture. Franklin Mint have outdone themselves with manufacturing the Spider in a red and later in a limited black edition. The only things that have been criticised with this model have been the (flat) spokes, but I can live with that. I don't like the 2 holes in the body (for fixing the softtop) - anyway - enjoy the pictures: And here with the 1938 Coupé from the Alfa Romeo Centennial Collection - also with a body by Touring:

Another oldie from my bench: built box-stock in 1987 from the "Customizing series" - sprayed with car laquers from the can, BMF for the trim. Pics made 2 years ago immediately before selling it.

Very well done conversion, Tim - outstanding work in adressing all the necessary details for turning the "Museum model" into an excellent replica of the real racer. It sometimes can be hard to get all the information you need (restored race cars or replicas are never correct)

Excellent paint and chrome and nice photo-setting!

Looks good black and lowered - a mean machine - did you use Fujimi's Porsche 356 wheels?

Outstanding model, Mario - I have this kit in my stash and was very disappointed when I checked the parts. You proved that even this kit can be turned into a fine replica (I didn't expect that) I want to transform mine into a 1973 Porsche Salzburg rally beetle.

Good-looking Peterbilt !

Very nice, Sonny - I've never seen one in that color, but it looks better (for me) than the ever present red.

Though I've read different opinions about this kit, you made it look exceptionally well, Sonny! The exhaust tips - excellent! Now I also want to have one for my collection!

Thanks Paul, Gary and Rich - please check out the youtube video included above - no top intake here - only the exhaust - and both cars are 4-door sedans.

Paris-Dakar: the legendary desert raid rally, initiated by Thierry Sabine, was at the very beginning open to true amateurs and professionals, the route went almost 8000 km (5000 miles) from Paris through France, then over the Mediterranean sea to Algiers and across the Sahara desert to the finish in Dakar on the Atlantic coast. Back then it was a challenge for amateur drivers, sometimes with little or no experience, with economic budgets but, above all, an insatiable thirst for adventure. Today it has become Big business where the privateers have got no chance anymore. Sinpar: French company specialized in converting utilitarian vehicles to 4WD, mainly Renaults in the 60s and 70s – later taken over by Renault. The Marreau brothers: French adventurers, mechanics, Africa experts (nicknamed „desert foxes“) and amateurs in the truest sense: in 1971 they won the Cape Town – Algiers race in a Renault 12 Gordini, crossing the black continent (15.432 km = about 9.600 mls) in the record time of 8 days, 22 hours and 18 minutes through deserts and rain forests, bettering the existing record for 3 hrs. In the following years they participated in several other African raid rallyes. They were the very first to sign up for the first event in 1979, took part with their self-prepared 4WD Renault 4 (!) and become 5th. A year later, with the same car, they were no less than 3rd in the general classification. This caused quite a sensation, but Claude & Bernard Marreau wanted to win the event. With a 4WD Renault 20 – again self-prepared - they led in 1981 but DNF due to an accident. But finally in 1982 they reached their big goal and won the infamous race: (A remarkable feature of their cars were the exhaust pipes, running near the a-pillar up onto the roof) What if… they had driven a Renault 12 Sinpar 4WD? I had the model: Hachette (Ixo) 1/24 Dacia 1300 (= Renault 12) and the decals for the Renault 4, which they had competed in 1980. Here are the pics: And here with the base model in stock form:

Good-looking street rod, Mario ! How is your experience with Tamiya colors (I just bought myself 9 cans)?

Though the car itself is not to my taste, the model you created looks fabulous again, Mario - superb paint job!

I cannot see any flaws here - this is an absolutely perfect model built in a quality that many of us will never achieve (at least me!) - at first glance, I thought that I was looking at the real thing.

Very well build of this legendary Ferrari - these Gunze high-tech models can be very hard to get right with their white metal, vinyl and delicate photo-etch parts !

excellent looking beetle - has that "Cal look" vibe.