Nacho Z

That sounds amazing, Roy! It also sounds like quite the undertaking! I was born and raised in North Dakota and that is what I think of when I read northern plains. I absolutely agree with you about the TV. I have said it elsewhere in this thread, I truly don’t watch much TV. Mostly the local news and weather and then one of the 30 minute national news broadcasts. I do watch racing and football when our University team is playing. We also catch a few NFL games. That is it. It sounds like you have a wonderful retirement strategy. Peace and solitude, physically active, and hopefully stress free. My best to you!

I’m sorry to see that you are having health issues, Mike. Your case is like I said in my previous post. I’m in good health but that can all change in one doctor’s visit. An unfortunate fact of life is we just don’t bounce back as well as we did in our younger days. I wish you well and improved health, Mike.

So true. There are lots of neat little quips out there and there is one that goes something like “In our younger days we spend our time and health trying to make money. In our older days we spend our money trying to buy health and time.” Something to that effect. I turn 60 this coming week. Health wise I’m doing alright. That all can change with one doctor’s visit. As you said, Don, take care of yourself and your health while you are young and hopefully it will payoff when you are older.

Truth right here.

Absolutely gorgeous!!

Guys, I absolutely love all of this feedback! So much good information here. Thank you so much to everyone who has shared their stories and experiences. I hope others will chime in. I am taking this all in. I have watched a lot of videos regarding retirement, seeking out things to avoid or things to do. Fortunately, money shouldn’t be an issue. I’m not rich, but my wife and I should be comfortable. We won’t be jetting off to Paris for croissants, but should be able to hit Dennys as often as we want!, (that was a joke, BTW). Interestingly, just today I watched a video and the guy said that you have to flip your mindset from saving money to spending money. He pointed out that our whole lives we have saved and saved. Now is the time to spend our savings on the things we saved for. He pointed out how hard that is going to be for some people.

Thank you, Hans! Honestly, I was disappointed with this Heller kit and with my efforts. I think the fact that I was building it for someone else put extra pressure on me. If you search out my other builds on here, you will see my other completed models.

She looks great! A very clean build for sure.

Don, I don't watch a lot of TV, but YouTube eats up more of my time than it should...lol.

Claude, I had never heard this one before. It really hits the nail on the head! I will be using it in the future.

I'm really enjoying reading everyone's input and stories about their situation. Believe me guys, I'm taking it all in. Today at work was just another confirmation that I need to get out of there.

This right here. It is a concern that I have. I have been thinking about, in very broad terms, what my daily and weekly routine will look like. I actually like having a routine. If my wife continues to work for a few more years I’m sure I’ll get into a household chores routine which I won’t mind at all. Bench time will absolutely be part of the routine.

Keith, I pulled out this one statement from your post because it is one of those very thoughts that I’ve had. How am I going to go from full speed to idling. One of my friends told me it took him about 6 months to mentally transition from go, go, go to being able to actually relax. My money guy has given my wife and I a lot of good advice. He pointed out that if I do find myself getting bored or restless, I can get a part time job doing something completely different and I can do it on my terms. Thanks for the reply, Keith!

Noel, I have heard stories like this way too often. I’m aware of it and I’m a bit scared of it so I think I’ll be able to avoid it. I suppose that lifestyle, for some people, is perfectly acceptable and enjoyable. I have told my wife that for the first few weeks or months of my retirement I would like to do nothing. When I say “do nothing” I mean no big trips, no big projects, etc. Just lots of coffee, sitting on the deck, maybe some TV, getting together with old friends, and things of that nature. After a short time I’m sure I’ll be itching to do something more productive.

She is looking great, Justin!

Two thumbs up from me! 👍👍

I believe this is my first non-model related topic, but yet it is still model hobby related. I work a relatively chaotic and stressful job and have done so since I was 19 years old. I will turn 60 in December. My wife and I do not live extravagantly and therefore have been able to build up a nice little retirement nest egg. I am seriously considering an early retirement, probably in the Spring or Summer of next year, 2025. My wife is only 2 months younger than me and she could retire with me. She is not so sure that she wants to. I would love to get feedback on several things. Do you guys get bored? One would think that it will be great to do what you want, when you want, but at some point I would think boredom might set in. How about bench time? Again, I dream of being able to build models "all day long", but I would think that even that fantasy would lose its luster after a while. I was reading an older thread here and guys were saying that their build time or build completions didn't really increase like they thought it would. Do you miss your coworkers? Many of my friends are also my coworkers. How do you cope with declining abilities, whether they be physical or mental. I read in that same thread that eyes aren't so good and hands start to shake. I am really interested in seeing what you all have to say. Any advice is appreciated. I would love to hear about your experiences. Feel free to discuss the hobby aspect as well as the non-hobby aspect of retirement. Thanks!

Great job, Albert! That is one fantastic looking Vette!

That is perfect, Ken!! I can't thank you enough. I am, or at least was, struggling a little bit trying to figure out the gap in the rear, where the tail pipes exit. Your pictures really help. Thanks again!

I’m digging it, Bruce! You always stated that this one was not going to be an exact replica. I actually like some of the changes that you instituted! Nice looking model!

Great looking Oldsmobile, Tony!

I'm a little late to the party, Rich, but I'm happy that I took the time to find the thread. She is a beautiful Ferrari! There was never any doubt that you would knock this one out of the park. Bravo and congratulations!

I thought that I would share a few more pictures of the kit parts as they came out of the box. As I said in my last post, I am not complaining about the kit itself. Not at all. Just thought others might like to see what I started with. The biggest disappointment so far was the rear wing. There is a metal rod, very similar to axle rods from American kits, that runs through the wing. I'm sure it has something to do with the molding process although I don't know why it is needed. It has to be cut to length which could be tricky. On my example, the resin did not cover the metal rod and the whole wing is a little wavy. I am seriously considering scratch building my own rear wing. After many years, the brass PE looked a little worse for the wear. I spent a few minutes cleaning it up. I did the same with the 2 silver PE sheets. I'm not 100% sure what they are made of. Steel perhaps? The tires took a minute or two to clean up. The wheels are a very tight fit, especially the rears. I was afraid of breaking the wheels while test fitting them. I was even more afraid of getting them back out. I am still working on cleaning parts and test fitting. I am studying the instructions and getting a game plan of when to glue bits together and when to paint them. Thank you to everyone who has checked this out and to those of you who have commented. I appreciate it!

Well, dang, Ken, I might as well sell my kit and take up Legos! That thing is beautiful!! Good Lord, you have given me something to shoot for. I will fall far short of the mark, but I'm still going to shoot for it. I am really going to pour over these pictures. I'm seeing details that I had questions about. Would you happen to have any pictures of the tail? I am curious about the gap between the body and chassis where the exhaust pipes exit. I don't believe I have the best fitting kit and the rear is an area of concern. Anyhow, that Audi of yours is just fandamntastic!! Thank you for sharing.

Doggone, Steve, that is nice! Thanks for sharing it. You just have to love these racers and the fact that we can get them in scale, even if only in limited numbers and higher cost.