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AC Norton

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Everything posted by AC Norton

  1. AC Norton
    excite us and blow our minds, as usual, ray.........can't wait to see the end result. best, a.c. the ace.....
  2. AC Norton
    the hobby is still going worldwide, but in a much smaller numbers of builders compared to even 10 years ago. kids generally have no interest in anything unless its on a computer screen, and the older guys are, well,...getting older. I'm 60 next year, and have been building drag cars and a variety of other things since 1968. life was different back in those times,..and hobby items and toys were a huge part of kids lives back then. a car kit was 2-3 bucks, paint and other supplys were cheap,..and a weekend or anytime could be enjoyed creating a car that cost your parents less than 5 bucks,,,,spray paint and all. now a can of Tamiya spray alone is almost 10 bucks. the products for the last 15 years or so are geared to adult builders, and I do not think the younger set will pick up the pace of the hobby 10-15 years from now. speaking just for myself, I know that I can not crank them out like back in the 80s or 90s. some of us find it more of a challenge to sit for hours and concentrate like years ago. I tip my hat to those guys that still can bang out car after car in their late 50s and 60s . wish I could...a.c.
  3. AC Norton
    i'll forgive you for that, mark,...but don't make that kind of error again....lol....a.c.
  4. AC Norton
    well, now that you ask....old photos of some mods in that late 60s to mid 70s era seem to have huge slicks. several of the pics I have recently seen have the tire way out from the body. seems different cars and such ran different setups, but I am no expert. the 64 ford mod I am doing now looks better once the tires are sanded down some, with the sharp side edges rounded out a bit as well. I also trimmed the axle stubs down about 40 percent to bring them in some. that really helps, and looks ok to my eye. best, a.c.
  5. AC Norton
    I feel the same, john. they are a simple, yet a fun series to build and enjoy. I am presently working on the 64 ford mod, and enjoying it very much. I think all of the 9 in this series are interesting,...even if not really up to par by the standards of todays models. I will post it upon completion hopefully in a week or two. thanks for your input. a.c.
  6. AC Norton
    its funny,,,,,after buying and building cars from 1968 on, I really don't remember these kits from their 71 issue era. as I mentioned prior, I had 3 in the 1977 summer, and don't recall them until sparking a stock car interest at that time. I think you are correct, mark, that they were poor sellers too. buying the olds, fairlane, and gto around town in mid 77 I think tells us there was no lineup at the shops for these. certainly enjoying the 64 ford mod I am building at present. a.c.
  7. AC Norton
    thanks for that info, mark. makes sense now that the 65 fairlane, 65 olds, and the 65 gto were all that seemed to be around here by 1977 summer. regards, a.c.
  8. AC Norton
    does anyone know when the original amt modified stockers series,,,64 ford, 66 skylark, 65 olds 88, etc, hit the stores back in the day. I built 3 of the original issues in late 1977, but found some of them hard to find in most stores around here back then. also, does anybody remember if all 9 came out at once, or were they issued 2 or 3 at a time. I am building the 64 ford re issue at present and have always had a soft spot for them,,,just thought I would ask. thanks, a.c.
  9. AC Norton
    any ideas on how to get that musty, stored in a damp garage smell from small diecast...just got 8 ertl modifieds 1/64 mib and the cars themselves reek..thanks...a.c.
  10. AC Norton
    any idea how to get that musty, stored in a damp garage smell from 1/64 diecast...bought 8 ertl modifieds and they reek. thanks, a.c.
  11. AC Norton
    does anyone have any idea how to get that musty, stored in a damp place, odor out of some ertl 1/64 modifieds.....just bought 8 mib and they reek.....thanks, a.c.
  12. AC Norton
    like most factory professional teams at the time, usually 2 or 3 cars is likely. however, numbers, decals, even paint details changed week to week in some cases. nhra, ahra, would both assign a driver a yearly, or permanent number for that car. so, depending on where and what track you were racing that event, things changed accordingly. if you study photos of many of the FAMOUS teams of the era, i'm certain you will notice many changes in the same car, in the same season it was campaigned,,,sox, grumpy, landy, dyno don, etc, etc.............hope this helps. when I used to build class cars from the era, many moons ago, I just picked my favorite photo, and got the sandpaper ready.....a.c. the ace.
  13. AC Norton
    make one from plastic sheet.,,,,,,or, the only kinda-sorta one I remember is in the mpc early 80s re issue 71 mach 1 kits. it also probably is in other later mpc re issues of the mach as well. ....easier and cheaper to make one......the ace..
  14. AC Norton
    no, they were not the same, and keep in mind that car to car, season to season paint sometimes did change a bit. to do one of sox and martins, it depends on what car of what season....best I can do, but your gloss tamiyas ,===pure white, bright red, and dark gloss blue are close. a.c.
  15. AC Norton
    Tamiya silver leaf spray,...bright red,...metallic blue. all Tamiya sprays. make sure the bright red for the sides is not applied directly over the silver,... as it will darken the shade . apply the bright red spray first, then tape it off and spray the silver, then the blue . a.c
  16. AC Norton
    alan, look for a used one online. the mpc grumpys, American spirit, and usa-1 pro stock vegas all have the same chassis as the twister. just remember when looking at photos of built/ used chassis, the pro stock one you need has no stock exhaust on it, as the stock vega kits had. if you are patient, one will turn up soon, I am sure. the white twister vega from 2005 from stevens int. can usually be had on ebay for 25-30 bucks, as I have seen. a.c.
  17. AC Norton
    I would look to obtain a twister vega kit.....either the old black issue, or the white stevens int. one. that way you at least have a proper fit - to - all chassis that mates with everything. using a ford chassis out of the fire fighter will be a lot more work,...not to mention a makeshift way of building this. the rear kick area is totally different on both as well. a used twister kit or parts should not be that difficult to grab on ebay. going with ford to chev for this just won't cut it. just my opinion......a.c.
  18. AC Norton
    nice piece, alan. good to see one built considering the hundreds of red alerts sitting in collections never will be,,,,lol.....regards, a.c.
  19. AC Norton
    thanks, russell for your comments. the wheels are easy to detail in this kit, too. I love keystones, having them on 2 mopars back in the mid seventies. by blacking out the mounting hub area and center caps, you get the KEYSTONE CLASSIC look. I always liked them on most drag and muscle cars. regards, a.c.
  20. AC Norton
    if the decal itself has the clear carrier in areas that is not seen as your actual DECAL, per say, very carefully placed slits with a new no. 11 xacto blade may help in the clear carrier areas. however, I have always found, for about 35 years now,....that SOLVASET brand solution works the best for these tough jobs. if you are wary that the solution will burn or dis-tort your image,..and it can if too much is applied,..i use a small plastic bowl,..any type,...cut your solvaset 50/50 with fresh tepid water, and that should help you. the solvaset can be mixed and thinned with water to your liking for delicate and older decals,...hope this helps. regards, a.c. oh, stay away from testors decal set, its truly pure junk,....and even though some people swear by 2 part microsol/ set stuff, I have always found it to be messy , and usually can leave staining on your paint even after cleaned and polished.....burns thru your decals and paint as well.....
  21. AC Norton
    thanks to you , guys, for all your nice comments.
  22. AC Norton
    hi carl, as some of your other friends have offered, send anything you'd like up to me... I will gladly foil cars for you, I enjoy doing it, and have 6 or 7 new sheets in stock....lets not have them go to waste..best regards, a. c.
  23. AC Norton
    dynamite build, larry....a great looking 390 car. color combo is one of the nicest on these. regards, a.c.
  24. AC Norton
    hi james, looks great....what did you paint the body with.....a.c.
  25. AC Norton
    the slingster for number one spot.....however the round 2 re issues of the 75 dart, willys gasser,and ford race team hauler are close behind in my opinion. a.c.
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