1959scudetto

Thanks, Tim! Thank you, Gary - I have read first about 1320 dragsters in SAE magazine - must be about 20 years ago - they offer almost only finished models, but some years ago there were several "kits" (I believe only one or two different models were available) for about 20 $ + postage on ebay, so I ordered this one - it was put together in about 1 hour ( the engine was already completed ) - you had to connect frame rails, axles, body parts and wheels and fix the whole thing with some screws.

Thank you, David - for the trim you need a steady hand - I'm not sure if I could do that today again (holding your breath when painting fine lines helps also, and you have to use very small amounts of paint at a time)

Thanks Car. Tom, David and Eric for your nice comments - I too like the body shape of that one - I saw one at a US car show 30 years ago and was very much impressed.

Thank you, Bob - the 57 Bel Air is one of my 50's favorite.

Thanks very much Wayne, Eric, Philippe, Chris, Chaz, Tom, Carl, David, Rastislav and Oliver for your comments !

Glad you like them, Mario - I have sold a lot of my models (aroungd 70 +), but these I will keep as well as about 30 others. Thank you, David - must have been a real treat cruising along in a `57 Convertible in 1963 or 64 with The Beach Boys on the radio.

Thank you Jim, Ray, Bob, Mike, Rusty and Lee for your nice comments onmy builds - very much appreciated !

Thanks Carl and David - old kits should be built and not only collected.

Thank you Carl, Bob and David for your comments - the blue of the '50 ragtop is the color the kit was molded in.

I have admired 60's front engine rail dragsters since I had a presentation at school about drag racing 50 years ago (the theme was chosen by myself - no one else had any knowledge about dragsters then). Having built a very delicate 1/16 Revell FE rail in the mid 80's, I wanted to have a die-cast, and a few years ago I could buy a "kit" (partially assembled diecast) by 1320 in 1/24 scale: Roland Leong's "Hawaiian" Top Fuel dragster. It was assembled in a very short time out of the box - I only added Goodyear decals to the rear tires.

Another one of my old builds from about 1984: one of my favorite US classics, amt's (original) 57 Bel Air HT. As usual, auto laquers from the can, trim and whitewalls brushed with Humbrol enamels. (Photos from 2005)

Perfectly built model of a G-model 911 !

Thanks, Tony and Dominik !

Another old (curbside) build which cries for restoration - some small photo-etch parts have fallen off. Built in 1988 or 89 out of the box, spraypainted with dark metallic blue similar to the original Ford guardsman blue - the white stripes are the kit decals as are the numbers - the sponsor decals have been added by myself to represent the Sebring class winner, but this had # 15 and not 13! The kit gave me hard times and is definitely not for beginners: lots of tiny photo-etched parts which can easily get lost, white metal parts which have to be cleaned with files and sanding paper and then carefully bent - you need 5 min. epoxy and/or cyanacrylate super glue for the metal parts etc. etc. In recent years I have learned that the missing wipers and too flat nose are due to the fact that the Gunze modelmakers inspected and measured a restored car with these inaccuracies. Despite the kit's shortcomings, the model is a fine representation of this racing icon and was the only game in town back then - at least for me ( I discovered it in a Viennese hobby-shop that has ceased to exist for decades now). I will reglue the fallen off pieces, change the number to 15 (Bondurant/Schlesser car), remove the Arizona license plate, tint the rear glass with Tamiya smoke clear and install wipers. the tire lettering also did not work as I wanted, and the metal parts in the front opening must be replaced - when building the model, I broke them, got angry and threw them in the basket (will replace them from thin aluminium sheet) Pictures here are from 2005 and show the car in the same condition as it was built 16 years earlier:

Thank you Mario, Ray, Glen and Lee for the nice comments on my builds.

Mario, this is so beautiful - you crank out one superb model after the other - whether they look like showroom or junkyard !

I have it on Excel (on my PC)

Thanks Gary - it was definitely worth it - and for about only € 10 you can't complain...

It is always good to have an (updated)l list of one's inventory...

Thank you Jim, Chris and Dominik !

This was exactly what came to my mind - great little rod!

2 more of my oldies: about 1984 I built the '50 convertible (amt/Matchbox version, molded in dark blue) - the body was brush painted with Humbrol clear enamel, the ragtop sprayed with grey primer from the can. A few years later I added the '49 coupe, light blue and white auto laquers from the can, used the kit-supplied Crestliner decals for the sides and made a sun visor modifying a leftover from an amt truck. As usual, Humbrol chrome silver for the trim and matte white for the tires. The Convertible urgently needs replacing its ugly vent windows... (the '49 has been sold last year)

Thank you very much, Mario - my models have been kept in closed boxes over the years - this might be the reason for their good condition. Well, you know the faults of your own models best. I did not strive to achieve perfect factory correct replicas (almost no reliable references in the mid 80's) - moreover, I used spraycans I had at hand which seem fitting for the models to me, but there are some details - here: the interior - that I would like to address to when I find some time to get at it (at the moment I'm modifying and repainting the interior of a Ferrari 250 SWB Spider California I built around 1988) Thank you Sonny - I liked the color so I used it for that one (I've got no idea if there ever was a DeSoto in a similar green, but I won't change it). Thanks, David, for your nice comment - I'm with you concerning the old JoHan Mopars that unfortunately will never again see the light of the day. Thnak you, Tom !

Thanks Chris, Larry, Philippe, Bob and Greg for your kind words.

Thanks, Tom, Ray, Al and Gene for your comments - yes, I should have shut the windows.