FloridaBoy

Cranky, You are one incredible modeler!!! And from South Florida at that!!!! Do I know you? There is a contest tomorrow Saturday, Nov 22 and 23, at the Deerfield Beach Railroad Station right off I-95 which starts early Saturday, and finishes Sunday noon. Deerfield Beach is right north of Ft Lauderdale and Pompano, just take Hillsboro Blvd WEST exit 42 or 43, the station is one light on the left just west of I-95, but you have to cross the tracks and make a U turn at the courthouse and turn back, just before Denny's and the contest is on the south side of the building. If you enter, there is a nominal fee which allows so many cars, display is free. I will be there selling off my excess kits, and I sure hope to see you there, if you can make it. I went through most of your album, and even if you don't want to enter, I am asking you to bring your Frankie Salvage, and fabulous 49 Mercs, for display. I would certainly like to meet you and see your work. They are too great to sit at home. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

Beautiful child. Congratulations. My only advice is to enjoy every minute, because on day they will grow up and you will miss them. I have a son 20 and a daughter 18, and long for the days of Beanie Babies, PokEMon trade shows, Britney Spears CD's video games, Mario Brothers, Skateboards, Surfing, Doll Shows, Dance Recitals, and the other adventures that come with being involved with your kids. The sleep deprived nights will soon pass, then another nightmare session breaking him from his bottle, then potty training, flus, trips to the hospital, and then it is the toy stage, then teaching to drive, use tools, change a tire, and then come the friends..........Enjoy every moment for when they leave for college, you will miss them before the wind blows the footstep from the driveway. I have good relationship with both of my kids, but they just aren't around enough and the silence to both my ex wife and I are deafening. Enjoy, and you have a special blessing with a home hobby that keeps you around the house a little more and be able to bond with your children, share your interest, and even, bond more closely with your wife. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

This topic did not start as a rant or rave, but all of us, including me, probably felt the pain of damage, theft, or intruders touching and vented. Maybe emotions got a little raw because we DO have fun building, and take our art and craft pretty seriously, because of the time and effort it took to reach our respective points. I have seen models at contests which shouldn't be handled, and when I judge as I said before, many contestants ask me not to touch their cars, so I don't, it gets judge on what I am able to see based on the guidelines of the entrant. I also have seen, and learned from guys who can really take the effort of reinforcing a model using finishes, adhesives, underbody reinforcements, structural enhancements, etc, and likewise the entrant shows me how durable the model it. Case in point: Augie Hiscano displayed his over the years winners at one of our contests, and I was an entrant and an official, guarding the tables, and he Invited me to handle his cars. I did one, but felt very intimidated, but do remember it felt as strongly built as a die cast model. I know the level of details dictates the handleability, but we should pay strict attention to adhesives first, and take a tool box to shows. That's all. My best history is past me, and no longer active in competition, I just display. My intention is to pass on some of the experiences good and bad to this forum and defend my point. My two favorite hobbies seem to be in some state of decline, and since I have seen this before, want to help others so we can enhance the hobby and grow it like it deserves. I have no other agenda. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

Tbolt and AWB, Respectfully I must take issue with your comments about if we don't want to enter or display for fear of abuse, I think that is the wrong attitude. For sure, there is an assumed risk, but first all precautions should be taken, and second, all of us should watch each other's backs. My cars can be handled as they are prettty sturdy, but with outsiders you just don't know what is on the offender's hands, and all it takes is simple human consideration and empathy not to touch other's work. I saw a contestant with glue, paint and grease on his hands pick up another's model and move it so he could table his. That is egregious. There is no call for that, no matter how anal others think, the majority of modelers first, want to display their work, and second, expect a certain amount of security for the models on the table. One comment was if you don't want to take the chance, to not bring your models from home. I am surprised at that comment, for if we all kept our models at home, what would Model Cars have to show? Part of the community we share is the cammaderie and scuttlebutt at get-togethers, so what do we do, just bring ourselves and leave our cars at home and talk up what no one could see? I think not. A lot of the ideas shown are those who have brought cars to events and I sure don't see anything wrong with taking an assertive stance to offending touchers, handlers, and such. To be so passive would cost the hobby little by little in the long run. There are a lot of types of offenses I have seen at contests over the years, which include cheating, moving cars to enhance views, undermining cars, talking down others work and so on. To take a stance and not do anything else is to me the apathetic way out, and the bad guys will take over until there are no contests left. We contestants know we are taking some risk, but we want unnecessary risk to be as close to eliminated as much as possible. I've said this before, I have seen a time when model cars were almost taken out of existence at least down here, and it is a dark lonely world, and do not want to see that ever again. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

66dragfreak I am sorry to hear what your son did. Maybe he should have gotten a part time job to get the money he needed, because he would have known he was going to get caught. He left too many tracks. My daughter went through a tough time a couple of years ago, but she left my stuff alone. I've had two wives and 2 children, and both of them knew how much I valued my cars and trains, and when they had a little emotional hurt, they each inflicted damage on me which left a permanent scar. When my first wife and I separated, I left with as much as I could put in my car and on my boat to my new place. We made bitter attempts to reconcile but the general word to both of us was that we needed to change our behavior, habits and attitude before any reconciliation. I tried my best, but it seemed to me, she was unbending, and even said, I should have known better when I married her. When it became evident that the separation was permanent, she called me in my office one day and said, "Come and get your stuff" and out in the front yard, was my entire collection of trains and cars subject to weather and bypassing traffic and school kids. Somehow I managed to hear something in what she said, so I booked it over there pronto. I piled everything in my car, found a shady spot at work and took everything home. I was incredibly embittered, more than even I could believe. It turned out that she had a hard time reconciling herself with divorce, and tried to commit suicide several times. Every time she called me, and finally I told her I just didn't care anymore. That stopped her, but whenever I think of her even 20 years later, I remember those boxes of trains and cars parked on my front yard. I have forgiven her, but will never be friendly old Ken to her.......ever. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

lilsquirt, First, congratulations and you have my well wishes to you for taking the loss so well, and taking constructive measures to restore your collection. Shows maturity and humane-ness. I am by far farthest from the top echelon of builders here, despite my experience and years of modelbuilding, but one thing after all these years, is I have confidence in plastic. Unless a body or part is completely destroyed, I feel I have the ability to restore just about anything, except major burnt models or if th body is completely warped. The other consolation is that many models are available to provide the parts needed for restoration, either at the hobby shop or on one of the websites handling no longer in production cars or on Ebay. The good part is that your skills may have developed since the event, and with your new attitude after hospitalization, the models you restore just may turn out better. Right now, I am in the process of restoring about 10 models some in progress and some almost done. The biggest challenge right now is a 1/16 Scale 55 Chev Nomad in which the very large body has warped and a A pillar broken. But that is the challenge, and when other projects are drying, I go to this one and try to accomplish something every day. Also, I have had my devastating losses which I wrote about, like theft of my best 3 cars, and my current exwife inadvertently threw out about 12 projects in their boxes from my garage/workshop while I was at the rest home recoveirng from a hip operation. I was devastated, but I am just one model shy of complete replacement and restoration - a 61 Ford Galaxie Styline, which I still haven't located, and a couple of years ago, I had the chance and literally blew it. My fault this time. So, good luck, and may the wind be in your sails and hope you have a complete pain free recovery. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

I think a defining moment which really put the message home for me on rat rods was on a cool and windy Friday Night in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida known as Tower Shoppes. This is a parking lot of a very upscale trendy shopping center in western Ftl Laud, which is the new growth area, and hosts an informal "bring what you got" rod and custom show. You drive up park in a predetermined location, and sit by your ride until it is time to go home. Literally thousands of people just stroll by and admire the anywhere from 100 to 200 cars that show up every week. There are cars from every genre, muscles, fifties, fat fenders, hiboys, customs mild and wild and just about every version is seem. To live in Ft. Lauderdale is that you have to adopt a "been there and done that" attitude, acting like nothing surprises you and everything is "old hat". Not me, I look at life like a 4 year old kid on Christmas morning. Frankly, I resist change and resisted the invasion of rat rods into the pastime. I always felt that these barnyard cars were wasting away perfectly good deuces, A's, and other vintage tin. But this night was a chopped 3 window deuce highboy in gray primer, flathead with 3 strombergs, the right stance a crude interior, all the right stuff and definitely the right look. Now amid all this beautiful iron, the owner of this wretched deuce gets up off his arse in a lawn chair and fires up his flathead, and works the linkage to rev it up. Voom Voom Voom resounded throughout the parking lot, and soon enough, there was a crowd flanking this car, and the crowd watchers included other owners of some outrageous stuff. He continued to impress us with the clean but mean sounds and then the crowd erupted in applause. That told me that rat rods are for REAL. Never will forget that moment, and to this day, I am still trying to find my tape of that Discovery Channel show on Jimmy Shine. Plus, I have an old Revell Model A Tudor Sedan with opening doors and a frame that is just asking me to rat it up. Maybe I will, but I want to learn how to weather a model first. Afterall, this may tax my modeling skills to the max. Make it look "bad" instead of making it look good. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

Jarius, The men in the Ft; Lauderdale Model Car Club probably are in unison with me that not only are you a premier artist, but a designer, who can count on many models throughout the US, as well as a couple of 1:1 hot rods and customs as well. I enjoy all of your work, and will be entering a boat tail highboy deuce inspired by a picture you showed a few months ago. But sometimes life gives you unexpected gifts. One night when the Table Top Cruisers had a build meeting, I mentioned that your article on rat rod pickup trucks was captivating. Almost on cue, everyone reached in their workboxes and had just about every truck you conceived in progress along with the magazine folded open to the spot. Even I just started my 56 Ford Pickup and happily whacking away at the cab. Of all the underestimated artists you are the one. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

After reading these posts and replies, it seems like a theme is forming here. I will confess the "rat rod" look was of prime consideration, but it occurred to me, that rat rodding is the SPIRIT in which a particular car is built. A lot of what is popular on cars today is beyond what is easily and inexpensively available, and when I see make shift grilles, or engine parts, or suspensions, I now see what when in to it. I can remember a few years abo when Jimmy Shine had his own hot rod show on Discovery, we were introduced to him while building a deuce hiboy roadster for the SEMA show, and he took us surfing, cruising and just hanging out. When he cruised, he was in his famous rat rod, then Discovery must have read the mail, and soon, the show featured a rat rod being built, and the rat rod he was already driving. Great shows. The spirit of the rat rod are the roots in the grass, ahd desire in the heart, and the emptyness of the wallet, which makes one get real creative. I think every guy posting can tell in every car which reflect the spirit, and those which were built as parodies or imitations, or expensive approaches to create an illusion. I think the prime example of the illusion was a pretty neat 37 Ford Coupe featured in Street Rodder, which was built by professional builders, and featured a painted fiberglass body, and that paint job had artificial rust, cancer, and holes airbrushed in. I enjoy street rods no matter what, so regardless of the intention, if it looks good I like it. What appreciating rat rods has done for me has really expanded my interest base. I would have never liked a street rod made of a sectioned, shortened 30's cab with plywood pickup bed, and those headlights with the narrow beams and turn signals on top of the headlight (forget their name), and same goes for a lot of other options and features. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

To me, a "rat rod" is a generally home built rod, of any vintage and preferably pre-war, but that rule is not etched in stone, either. I recognize a rat rod by its collection of parts, its simplicity, its rough finish, open welds, no paint, little chrome and no billet. It is also devoid of thsoe creature comforts, like comfort, luxurious upholstered seating, inside door panels (or using sheet steel or plywood, no carpeting, and certainly no air conditioning. One of my favorite rat rod pictorials is one of some trucks modified by Jarius, and there is one very nicely created and built on in the "Under Glass" section right now. For me, it took a while for the "rat rod" taste and approach to "take", but now after seeing some in contests, some in real size at our weekly Friday night get together at the shopping center, and a couple of rat rod magazines published in Boca Raton, Florida, of all places (a rat rod dare not to drive these streets) I have finally embraced these cars. Believe it or not, I used to think when I saw a Deuce or Model A tricked out as a rat rod, I thought it was a waste of a good body and frame for a "legitimate" street rod. Most importantly, rat rods are a tribute to our roots and history, as early iron as seen in thsoe movies of the fifties are pretty much the forerunners of today's cars. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

Probably one of the most realistic weather jobs done on any rat I have ever seen. It almost looks real. Great work. You should be proud of yourself. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

In 1970, I experienced probably the absolute worst nightmare any modeler could experience at a contest. I was 22, going to school, working at a job, had a girlfriend, surfing my brains out, playing tennis tournaments, caring for a car, and had a million things on my plate. While in Modern Politics class in college, a classmate named Bruce J. told me his father Norman J. owned the local dragstrip, and recently built a large convention center type building, and the grand opening was a hobby and craft show. He even gave me a poster and said if I did anything, I might either want to enter something or attend. I was on the tail end of my building at the time, as it was becoming quite apparent the "Weird-Oh"s type street rods were becoming the vogue. My conventional street rods and customs were very aged and passe. But I had just finished my best models so far in my life - a sectioned and customized 40 Sedan, a 65 Buick Riviera, sectioned and shortened, and a 61 Galaxie Styline Kit, I sectioned, opened the doors, and hood, and added a motor and details. I put them all on one display stand at varying heights and it looked pretty good, even if I say so myself, and I was up against a lot of trendy cars. The craft show was to be 10 days in duration. Friday to Sunday following a week. When I put my cars on the table, I checked security to ensure my cars were not to be bothered. I felt secure, but did manage to make the long drive everyday to check on first, the condition of the cars, and second, to see if and when they received any recognition. That first Sunday, there was this huge trophy right next to my cars. I didn't win just first place in my division, but overall grand prize for the display, over crafts, ladies purses and such. Man, I was elated. At class Wednesday, Bruce told me they were closing early and advising the entrants to pick up their stuff so the building could be ready for the next event. Right after class, I booked it to the grounds to claim my cars, and they were stolen. The security guard didn't bother to check, there was a lot of confusion, and some of Ft. Lauderdale's finest citizens made off with my 3 best cars. I went ballistic, and went to the office to report the incident and submit a claim. The security guard with all brains in gear, " I wondered why they didn't take the trophy" duhhhhh. I heard he tried out for the Goofy part at Disney World and couldn't pass the mental test. When I got to the office, I met Bruce's dad, who was a candidate for jerk of the year, and he doubted every thing I said, first there was no error, they turned the cars over to the right party, then I am submitting a fraudulent claim, (I asked for $50 which represented the actual parts and materials cost to do the cars) then just out and out kicked me out, and dared me to sue him. I did Norman one better. Sonny boy Bruce relied on me for my help to get him through this class, like my notes, outline of reading material, etc, and that stopped there. Bruce said, "But I will fail the course, and that means I will have a tough time getting to law school". He must have had a tough time getting into law school. Bruce did OK as he ended up running the grounds until they went bankrupt in the late eighties. I saw him at a pro wrestling match at the pavillion, and told him about the cars, and he was just like his dad. I never recovered my treasured cars. Never. However, I tried to duplicate them. I managed to get another '40 sedan and almost duplicate it, I did duplicate the Riviera which sits unfinished in a box, and I did find an unbuilt Styline in a surf shop rebuilt it to primer, and my second wife inadvertently threw it in the garbage cleaning the garage. There is a small part of me that never recovered from that loss. I immeidately retired from all competition, avoided entering contests until 1985 in an IPMS costest and have been super-cautious since. For months, I went to every contest in the state, as the body work was so unique to all three, I could ID it right on the spot. Never saw them. This is why I am probably so sensitive to anyone even touching my models. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

Guys, I think I inadvertently opened up a can of worms, unfortunately a large can. Didn't mean to, but I think all of us ranting is enabling us to get some steam off our respective chests. I know between the PM's and posts, emotions ran high, but it is all worthwhile. I will relate an experience with kids touching models, but this time trains and cars. In 1998, my train club hosted a regional train show, swap meet and contest. My contribution was that my home train layout would be open for any tours or conventioneers, so a booklet of all of with open houses that weekend would be given a map and a description. Because I am located near the train clubhouse, as well as the convention location, I always get lots of visitors, most almost all good, and a real wack job or two. In all plastic model building hobbies, are the common enemy, rivet counters, those nit pickers who try to elevate themselves at the expense of their victim or his work. I was introduced in my own house to probably the worst one. This guy was some jerk from way out of town, brought his cosmetically challenged wife and undisciplined child. It was a hot Florida sunny day, and we were in my garage/workshop which was fan-cooled, and when people blocked the breeze it was hot. I was honored by being visited by Jim Kelly of Model Railroader, which is comparable to Gregg and Jarius knocking at your door wanting to see your collection of work. Jim was being entertained as my layout was fun, and we had new locos running that not even he had seen, because the freebies were waiting at his office. While and his friends were running trains and having fun, in walks this family. Immediately, the guy starts in criticizing everything, about my layout, his main thrust is that I chose the Pennsylvania to model while I should have modeled Great Northern, Since this was a club event, I smiled and took it, and "niced him to death". Meanwhile the little Pugsley he called a son quietly located himself behind a mountain, and took great joy in plunking or flicking the running trains off the track, and we could hear him giggling and busted him. My friend asked the father to keep his child under control, and he made every excuse in the book to avoid even correcting him. Jim saw him stuff my N scale autos and trucks in his pocket later, and we asked the kid to empty his pockets, again no correction. Then Jim, here is this big name in trains, coming to my assistance, asked the "dad" that since his layout is so exemplary, if he could bring a camera crew by and photo it and feature it in the next issue. Jim knew the answer forthcoming....."uh, I don't have a layout". You could cut the embarassment with a machete compounded by all of the glares he got aimed at him. Before he left, his wife asked to use the bathroom, which is a "no-no" on layout tours. That is crossing the line. After she left, my wife called me in the house, and I wondered if their hometown ever had indoor plumbing. She was that gross. My wife asked Jim to pose for a picture and this subhuman family wedged their way in one of them, but now, it serves as an example to be more cautious about open houses and guests, and for here, if you have people over to look at your cars. Beware of nit pickers, criticizers, and my best friend is proud he could predict by the look on the kid's face if he will violate the train club's no touch policy. So far he is batting 1.000. So at contests, take negative criticisms, or people ripping your style, era, type of car, taste without any suggestions with a total grain of salt. Many will feign being modelers so they have a chance that you may think they are familiar enough to touch or handle your car. Also, start looking at the look on several kids face and parental treatment to protect your work at a contest. Usually it is hyperactive or undisciplined kids with enabling parents that just can't resist the temptation. Maybe a golden rule in our hobby should be, "Treat every model as if it were built by a famous person". In other words, don't touch. Ken 'Floridaboy" Willaman

awbcrazy, At the last contest I was involved in, Wayne Stevens asked my permission to take some photos of my 40 Fords which won old Pactra contests I displayed with the trophies. I was honored that a winner of the Custom Class from the latest Salt Lake contest is admiring my stuff and asking my permission to pose my cars for photos. I gave him total freedom to handle as he saw fit. It is a trust issue, I guess. I would rather trust a fellow modeler I know to handle my cars or a judge taking that chance. Never a newbie, casual modeler, or insensitive person, never. I know the risk, and realizing that even if I don't enter, i take a model car first aid kit of tools, touch up paint, glue and polish. Frankly, I probably would entrust just about anyone on this forum provided they id'd themselves, as their work is just as delicate to handle as i would expect them to treat mine. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

I am willing to put my money where my mouth is. I am motivated by my sense of guilt from my youth for not giving Johan the creds it deserves. We are going into the model car contest season, and if I find one Johan kit of any type, I will buy it and work with Bluesman Mark or any others to get at least one real classic kit on the shelves under the johan name. After all didn't Galaxie do the same thing with the horrible Mongram Slingshot dragster, then along comes that beautiful 47 chevy. Can a company make it for a while on one or two good kits? If I can find one it will be sent to the person with no strings attached after the groundwork is laid. I have done some resin casting and worked with an aftermarket caster to make one of my customs a body - a horrible sectioned 41 Plymouth, or at least to my taste. considering the integrity of Okie, and Mark, and all concerned, if I find a kit, I will take that chance with you guys. I will let you know. That is, if I can afford an old Johan kit, as I would betcha they are probably a little pricey. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

lord, I was asked to judge a model car contest in 2004 against my better judgement, but they were hard pressed. I tried to be honest, but later learned the contest was as crooked as a hickory tree. First, the President and a couple of officers judged as well, but they entered, which to me was a terrible lapse of good judgement and integrity. Second, the President painted several cars for other members he judged, and gee whiz those cars got trophies. Then I was asked to judge stock cars, and it boiled down to 2 1940 Ford coupes battered into oval racing cars of the fifties and sixties. The defining difference was that the large mold marks on one car were left untouched and stood out like a bloody wound, otherwise a well built model. I gave it a second, and it turned out he had psychological problems and didn't take his meds, and he was judging too, I could see him getting worse as the judging night wore on. He kept pestering me all night to change my determination, totally wrong, bad mouthed me for the second place, and overall complained about entering the contest, despite winning other categories. At the meeting the following Tuesday, he intentionally sat next to me, and wrote threatening notes, then when he asked the floor, went into a diatribe against me and the judging. That is when I unloaded on the whole thing, the cheating, the shenanigans, judging your own cars, the total lack of integrity which I tried to preserve, and if they wanted to reverse my determination, to go into the treasury and buy this guy another trophy to celebrate his ego. He flipped out, and climbed on top of a counter in the kitchennette ranting and raving and that is when I left, and refused to return ever. Amazingly the President who didn't back me up, and let him go off, asked me to come back and couldn't understand why I wouldn't. This guy is has since moved away, and the last words that Augie Hiscano told me was why was I friends with this guy? I told him I had my fill of this guy and only joined back when he was long gone. But other experiences overwhelm the little bad ones. One Friday night, when I was 14, I told my Mom and Dad, that I entered the largest and most prestigious car contest in the City, and the judging would be over by 11pm or midnight. My parents were generally supportive because this pastime was pretty good as it kept me a model child, rather than some others engaged in juvenile deliquency. At this contest, at Gateway Hobby Shop down by the beach, had over 350 entries, and told my parents I would be happy with a 3 place. So, Dad brought it up to go out to late dinner, go down to Bahia Mar what the charter fishing boats caught, and catch the results on the way home. After midnight, we pulled up and the store was dark, but the window was lit. We looked around and on the side shelf in the window, there was my car, First Place!!!! My most valued trophy, because my Dad put his arm around me and said he was proud of me. I didn't sleep that night and called every friend I knew the next day. I finally made it!!!!!!! Lord, didn't your cartoons appear in their newsletter? I remember that something was in them. Also, I love Mark's work, and love that Mercari. He and I did some work together when judging his Model Car magazine custom contest. I hope some day to see him, or make a trip to Salt Lake City. Maybe there is one more contest in me before the toes go vertical and I start fertilizing the daisies. I wanted to enter the GSLMCC, and hope that I get to sometime. Heck I am still young. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

I have two fears in life - probably could be classified as phobias. First, is fire, and second is height. This isn't about heights, but my fear of fire began when I was 5 and my dad and mom took me to a smoldering house fire the morning after to look at the remains. An entire family was burned to death, and in my worst nightmares, I hear their screams and see that refrigerator door rolled up from melting in the front yard. Ever since then, I never had that morbid curiosity of fire that many kids had, and stayed away even from campfires. I will tell you that I sympathize with those poor unfortunate people in California over the past years, and it has sickened me that some of them were started by arson. I sure hope this one wasn't. A few years ago, in my former home in Boca, we had this dysfunctional family in which the youngest kid was a true problem, as he was constantly verbally and physically abused by his dad. He took has anger and aggression out by setting fires, like spreading lighter fluid over a road and setting it on fire, throwing fire bombs at the ducks in our pond, setting fires on the hiking trail behind my home, and even threw a lit can of fluid drenched newspaper on a neighbor's roof. Sick kid. One night, we had dinner at some friends' house, and my son Kevin goes to his room, and emerges saying, "Dad, the back yard is on fire". Yeah, right, but looking out the patio door, it was. This kid, Sean, constructed a bomb from a box laden with paper, drenched in gasoline, with a homemade fuse, and set it on the path, and it immediately went out of control and went into our hedges which connect to our home. I hoofed it into the garage and got the fire extinguishers, got the cordless, and went out to put out the fire. My wife got all of the important papers, and the children and fled out to the front of the house and moved both cars in case we had to evacuate. The neighbors heard the confusion and all were in their porches and told me it was Sean, I called the Police, goaded them into bringing the helicopter out to search for this ugh, person, and the helicopter with a sniper was hovering over Sean's house, while the 9 police units responding, (none helped with the fire, my extinguisher was bigger, and they didn't want to get dirty - way to go Palm Beach Sheriffs - and then caught Sean, then LET HIM OFF!!!! At 4am I was just recovering from the fear of actually being in the fire to put it out, and Sean, his two friends and parents show up, and start cleaning up the debris left by their bomb. The parents minimalized the kids actions, and they started ragging on me for calling the cops. Burnt bushes, debris, upset neighbors, and they are calling me bigoted because I called the cops on their little boys. I told them I was the victim, and how sick they were ragging on the victim, a sign of how sick a society this is. My wife got the camcorder and recorded me putting out the fire just incase the insurance company needed documentation and evidence, and then got the parents and Sean admitting to it, and dismissing it. I put the tape on the next evening news, and told them the next time, since I worked for the government right next to the Sheriff's Dept, I would call a chip and Sean would spend a couple of nights in jail before release, and see to it he got an amorous monster as a cellmate. Never had a problem with fire since then. That is what fear does. Later, after all the publicity on TV, I was offered to provide Sean a counseling course in fire pathology, and the parents refused. Sean is now doing time - 3 hots and a cot for the next 5 years. Do I know the terror and fear a fire breeds, yes!!!! Am I ashamed that fire puts absolute fear into me, no!!! I will say several prayers for them today, and at church tomorrow, ask our congregation to pray for the victims of this disaster. Whenever I tell people I am from Florida, all I hear is hurricanes. Those do not fear me, I drove through Hurricane Fay in Jacksonville on the way to a week with my special girl in NC. Debris flying in front of me on I-95, sometimes no visuals except a truck to guide me in my lane, wind blowing my car all around...... no big deal, but a fire, that is when my adrenaline pumps. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

lordairgtar First I accept your apology and thank you for being a man and manning up. You need to buy into your behavior, though, because calling a person a name is a mild form of abuse, not descriptive language or phraseology. Just because you haven't engaged in any phyical confrontations doesn't mean you can control your temper and what you say. I haven't been in any physical confrontation since I was 15, and I will be 62 my next birthday. I have gotten very angry myself, but paid the price and learned from it when I acted out verbally. It happens to all of us. I want to add something important here.......... In the past two days, I have been called and "idiot" and an "old fart" complaining about video games and if anyone were to read any of my posts, I state my opinion clearly, and treat everyone and every issue with dignity and respect. As I show respect, I have been around a long while and keeping my nose clean and mouth generally shut. I believe I have earned the respect given to others, and if not shown to me, I will just go back to the model railroad forums and forget about this. I am a 3 time Revell Pactra local and regional winner, IPMW Regional winner, my models were featured in CarModel magazine, have a car in the Model Car Builder's Museum at their request, undefeated in every model car contest in Ft. Lauderdale for 5 years in the "golden age", former President of the IPMS, one could surmise I have given and gotten a lot in the hobby, and will continue to do so. I strongly believe Model Cars magazine is the top class magazine - best ever - regardless of whether the content is aimed at my specific interests, particularly considering we have Jarius, Mark Gustavson, Bob Kuronow, and many others contributing to every issue, and thus, we should honor the magazine by conducting ourselves accordingly with dignity and respect, it not for the magazine but for ourselves and others. I have seen guys display their cars and "never heard of a discouraging word" toward the workmanship or taste of anything shown. That is respect. To others, before going off the handle and emotionally reacting to my post, read my contents very closely and do not second guess me. My life was spent writing professionally, and I was trained to put down exactly what I mean, and nothing else. I will never get personally involved in any confrontation, but will address the act, which I have done, for I command the same level of respect as you all do. I am quick to forgive and let's go out and have a beer, the message above is because I consider myself the least likely to be a recipient of this, yet I got it this weekend twice, and that is two times too many. If you were to meet me or know me, you would consider me a genuinely nice person and a true friend. As a modeler, contestant, club member, judge and builder for over 56 years, I feel I have the credibility to contribute from my personal experiences. It is my desire to leave at least a little legacy in a hobby that has generally treated me well. (Believe me, it has been worse. I got purse-whipped at a hobby shop by a mother of a young boy who lost contests to me twice in a row. The only problem was that I just protected myself against the battery, called the police, and walked away. Now that I am older, I want to address the issue directly). Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

The absolute real injustice is that in Johan's "heyday", they were just not popular, and treated like a stepchild all during the sixties. We were so into customs and rods, and Johan was producing Desoto's, Oldsmobiles, Cadillac Hearses, pre-Mopar Dodges, and others, we just didn't latch on to them. But I did eventually buy a 60 Desoto in the eighties, and it was every bit as good as the AMT 3in1 kits in the sixties. By the time that we all started rodding and customizing just about everything, Johan had already bitten the dust. I should have bought the 55 Pontiac, 56 Olds, and others, but didn't spring until I purchased the Mickey Thompson Titanium Pinto, which at that time was the drop dead best funny car made then, killing anything that AMT, MPC, IMC, Lindberg, Aurora and Revell had out. Good plastic, great detail, great finished model, a real innovative model, then they hit the shelves with a Maverick and Comet with 429 Fords, which were out of this world, then Challengers and then they bailed. I read that Okie Spaulding tried to resurrect Johan, but the totally ticked employees had made off with the dies or destroyed them, leaving scraps which Okie mortgaged his house for, and was left to reincarnate. Okie was a great builder from the midwest, and I wonder how this experienced affected him. I know if it were me, I would be totally jaded. There is a more expensive way to resurrect Johan's line. That is reverse thinking. I know there are a significant amount of collectors out there, and I would venture a guess that in the US, there is at least one or more unbuilt car of everything Johan issued. Watching resin casters work, it is remotely possible to "borrow the kit" and make molds treating the kit as a master, then returning the kit to the original owner with a $$$$fee, then market it or make new toolings. But how do you get the word out, coordinate, and who could finance such a venture, and if so, could it make money, and what would a kit cost. I have few regrets of the things in my life I did right and did wrong, because the past is past, and there is no one, not even God that can change the past. I do wish I knew then what I know now, and if we all did, Johan would be basking on easy street, don't you think? Right now, I am salivating at the Maverick Funny Car I built with the extended nose, extended front wheel well, honking 429, dark blue finish, and my wife inadvertently threw it in the trash. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

As I value just about everyone's feedback on this forum, I have a question as to how you go about something that is getting to be higher priority. A little background in a nutshell........ For my entire lifespan up until 2 years ago, my workspace was confined to a small area usually too hot or too dusty or crowded to really work efficiently. I used to have superstitions building in the past, like never using donor models, or wasting stuff, and keeping the old parts in the oriignal box and keeping all of the boxes in a closet or on the floor. My parts boxes came from just dumping the excess into a large shoebox or other container. Needless to say, it was expeditious, but grew to be more inconvenient when I had a light bulbed head full of ideas, and a million spare flathead motors. Then some stuff started to influence me. After selling off 400 kits 3 years ago, I have accumulated another 300, and still have parts from pending or near finished projects. It seems I am always looking to even kitbash motors, and just can't find the parts when I need them. I visited some members of my club and they keep and organize parts, and they get stuff finished quicker than I do. Plus at swap meets, the parts are always bagged which really impress me. Plus I am purchasing a lot of aftermarket stuff, I put the specific parts in the intended model box, and others in a shoe box. Now I have a large bedroom which is my work room. My bench is large and well shelved with drawers too, and it accommodates 2 activities -- trains and cars. There are always pending projects and now the bench is littered with parts, and wayward tools. So my plan is now to clean off the workbench, and organize parts. So far, I have wheels organized pretty well, the tools are getting together, the raw materials, (plastic, aluminum, clear plastic, Plastruct, etc) are together, as are glues, tools, paints. What I intend to do is to remove everything from trees and assign a bag to organize motors, running gear, etc. then put it somewhere I know it is and can access it quickly. What do you guys do with your spare parts? I am starting to really value flathead motors more now that ever before, as well as small block Chevvie motors. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

For me, flash is no big deal, as I spend a lot of time with clean up anyway. Flash is the easiest all it takes is an emery board, fine sandpaper, but every kit, no matter who makes it has parting lines, mold marks, sinks, fissures, inconsistencies, thin parts of plastic, and all manufacturers will make a model now and then molded in colors, or even red (ugh) plastic, which bleeds through, so if you want to make a decent long lasting model, clean up and primer is of absolute necessity. When I judge contests, I am probably hardest on several items. The first one is factory molding by products that are not cleaned up. Second, when one takes stuff off a sprue there is usually a little burr where the part was attached to the tree, and if that isn't taken care of, out the car goes. Third, I look at seams and joints, if they are clean and straight, yes and if not, out!!!! As for finish, a little fine sandpaper goes a long way, and if I see file or sand marks on a body, or a wavy body, whoops!!! Last I have some personal pet peeves. I always check if the car is conceivably driveable. I check the wheel wells and if tires are touching the fender, zero points, or if it is impossible for any driver to get in or out of the car, or sit on the seat and grab the steering wheel. Then I timed myself detail painting an interior. I am quite sick of looking at an otherwise nice car painted well and built well, and the builder took a powder and just sprayed the interior flat black. Look again at a real car with a black interior. In daylight it is semi glossy, and gray, and the side panels have chrome and wood pieces, and the dash has lots of buttons in chrome. So, I took an oven timer and a pre-painted interior in tan, and saw how long it would take me to detail a car. 10 minutes!!!! That included cutting masking tape for safety belts, painting knobs and handles, taking a wash of darker tan to highlight the interior details, and I was done. I have never seen a solid color steering wheel or a painted gearshift and knob. I didn't mean to digress, but I do not mark off as most judges won't molded on exhausts gas tanks and rear axles. Suggestion here is to take the reverse side of an xacto knife and scribe where the two meet, and give it a little separation. Then paint to look realistic, either black, steel, aluminum, or silver. I leave the rear axle molding the same base color as the frame, but paint the rear axle estimating the axle color and size and shape, and you have a little optical illusion. What turns me off was way back in the early eighties when ERTL came out with their AMT line, many models had totally warped bodies, missing plastic on bodies where the mold plastic didn't reach and those not corrected by AMT were turned into very expensive donor parts car. Only a couple. I have not had any problem with Revell kits. gbk1 Looking forward to seeing your 39 Sedan top and bottom. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

lordairgtar previous post: It's comments like that that make my blood boil. Who the heck are you to assume that just because the guy was fat that he was a clumsy oaf? If that were the case, all my models would be broken as I am a 409 lb. person. Maybe the guy should have never touched the car (I wouldn't have) but you should not make those assumptions. Small bits of plastic are fragile and can suffer damage under any handling. If the guy was thin, would you have mentioned his weight? Idiot! Response: If you look closely beyond your obviously uncontrollable temper, by calling a total stranger an idiot just because he said something you didn't like, maybe you should read it more closely. Never anywhere in my post did I say that the guy was fat, as I am approaching 300 myself. I didn't want to mention the guy was over 6'6", quite soiled, dressed in biker gear, and had a "willing to punch you out" attitude. The smallest guy in the club asked him not to touch any cars, and he complied. Also if you had any knowledge of this situation, you would see that undisciplined children, curious no-knowledge browsers, young teens who don't model, and particularly women who find the cars "cute", and any unknowing person can destroy a car. In this case we all figured the chance of a very large and oblivious person ignoring the signs would stand a better chance to uncaringly break a car, then get physical with the owner who confronts him. I know as I get older, I am less delicate than I used to be, and after seeing the carnage at contests, every joint I glue is fortified with either epoxy, drill holes and brass rod, and other forms of reinforcement. Glue just doesn't do it anymore except for small parts and superglue major joints. I am standing by my story as those were the facts. The fact you called me an idiot is not acceptable, as you do not know my intellectual capacity, my cultural background or educational background. It just reveals your uncontrollable temper. Maybe you should find some internal happiness rather than go off on an innocent post intended to help others on this forum. I do not want to get into a flame war with you over such a minor and inconsequential matter. Kindly ignore my posts from now on. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

Easy 50 Stude 52 Olds 61 Pontiac Conv and Coupe 36 and 37 Humpback tudor Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

Remember that old Harry Chapin song, "My Son Grown Up Just Lke Me?" Kevin is 20, and I was there every day, and never showed him nastiness, but was always supportive. My discipline came with consequences and calmly telling him that he needs to chill out, and his behavior and'or character was lacking. Spanking or other forms of punishment only took him to a level of terror and fear of me, so at a very early age, I stopped yelling and screaming at my kids, and took time to give them positive and negative reinforcement. My kids became not like me, but like themselves, very individual, although the general pursuits were similar, our tastes in movies, cars, people, behaviors, type of people, books etc etc was definitely theirs. My other philosophy was to respond to an interest with support, and not force or coerce or manipulate them. So when Kevin decided to build a model car, he didn't like the selection I made, and instead built a Tamiya Lamborghini Countach, painted it black and it came out great and we displayed it. My daughter didn't like my art, so she pursued her own, plus dance, plus other activities and my wife and I were there. I watched so many unhappy kids trying to please their Dads by being like them. I learned that lesson. The only unfortunate thing was when they lost interest, I was just getting into it, then felt lost when they went into another direction. The only thing we differed greatly was music - they like Rap, and I like Doo Wop. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

Great work guys, Thanks particularly goes to Bluesman Mark and Art Anderson with their accurate version of model car history. Many cars by AMT now issued are rehashes of sixties toolings because the models fill a void in our menus. If you buy a car before 1970, except the 62 Pontiac, 57 Ply and Chrysler, 62 Chev, 66 Nova, 60 Ford, and a few others, you can be guaranteed it has molded in rear axles, holes in the motors for metal axles, molded in exhausts, and spare lakes pipes and exhaust that just are to be glued over the molded in stuff. But the stuff listed above or any Trophy Series kit, except the 57 T Bird, you are getting sixties state of the art tooling. At the same time, Revell was in my humble opinion was putting out junk. Try putting together a 55, 56 or 57 Chevy, Tony Nancy dragster, spare parts engines, and the list goes on and on. To me, the benchmark model that now defines Revell was their 32 Ford series starting with the 3 window coupe, which AMT responded with the 32 Ford phantom Vickie, and reproducing the Monogram 37 Ford series under the Revell Monogram moniker. If you get creative, you can parts swap some of the kits and come up with a detailed car top and bottom. The 62 Chev will fit all sixties bodies, the 60 Ford will fit into the 66 Galaxie, and so on. If we newbies got one of today's kits back then we would have totally freaked out. It is just evolution. Imagine the growth factor when in 1960 we didn't even paint the underside of the car. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman