ChrisBcritter

Re fixing the fit on engine parts: Shoot, I expect to do that with these old kits - Tamiya isn't going to make a '60 Ford pickup, and I'll probably be too old to build by the time Moebius gets around to it, so...

Jo-Han tires from the '70s, in my experience, are't as bad in that respect - the USA Oldies kits I built in that period don't seem to show any tire melt on the wheels.

Awwwww... Of course you'll be the only guy on the forum who will have to remove down from a paint job.

Hi Scott - Those are the optional finned knockoff wheelcovers Buick offered on the Riviera and AMT used in the '63 kit; the base version was like I posted but without the seven blades (those were Electra-only): I got one of them modified with a lot of very careful trimming and I'll be molding it tonight.

Not 1/25, but I have a project going with one of these: Toy bank promo made by Superior Coach. I'm replacing the generic front end with the nose and running gear from the old Revell 1/48 '55 Chevy stake bed truck. Really looking forward to cutting out all those windows .

Took another whack at it a while ago. This time thinned it about 2:1 with a small drop of dishwashing liquid. Success! Nice subtle dirty effect and no beading. Thanks for the suggestions!

I'm trying to get a dirty grey/brown wash over flat black lacquer. I thinned Testor's acrylic weathering colors down about 4:1 with their Aztek universal thinner and airbrushed it on a scrap part that had been sprayed flat black. Ta-da! Beaded up like crazy. Tried adding a little rubbing alcohol and... beaded up again. Any suggestions? Normally I'd brush the stuff on but I don't want brush strokes. Thanks for any help you can suggest!

Got one '63 Buick wheelcover modified to the Riviera version and sank it in the purple pond to dechrome it and get it ready to cast. After that, I started experimenting with some acrylic paint to weather the '65 Nova chassis. I'll discuss the result of that under Questions and Answers...

No, it came with "scrissors" .

Got a set of '63 Electra wheelcovers and started shaving the seven blades off each one to make them into base model covers for my '63 Riviera. Or maybe if I have a lick of sense I'll modify ONE and cast it .

Certain parts do have a very consistent market; besides that valance panel (I saw one go for $20-something recently), Continental hood ornaments are regular $8-$20 sellers; the last two glass units for the '60 Ford pickup went for over $20 each. '63 Pontiac rear bumpers often have broken taillight bezels so that's another tough one; early Nova taillights come in three different versions - two with very small easily-lost red lenses. I think a savvy resin caster (paging Greg Wann...) could do pretty well with items like these until the market was satisfied.

build a still

I had the same idea - but I just took the blade, broke off half of the handle end (lengthwise) to narrow it, and secured it to the woodburner by tucking it into a nut that was just big enough to press-fit onto the shaft. It did work fairly well.

About the only Hostess items I go for anymore are the crumb cakes and apple pies; when we were kids we had most of the other Hostess stuff available (they had an outlet store over in Wheeling that was cheaper than the the grocery store) and I had my fill of cream filling pretty quickly - just too sweet. And as for coconut: Uck-o, but it makes great pies to throw/get hit with.

Probably this one - Twinkles? https://www.mrbreakfast.com/cereal_detail.asp?id=380

Snake, look up "F&F Cereal Mustang" and you'll find plenty of 'em; JVZ made the later Mercurys (including a '69 Marauder! ) with more accurate wheels.

Trying to think of a kit I have that these would be good for - would they be correct (or close) for Revell's Austin Healey 100-Six if I changed the knockoffs?

No, it wasn't, plus the USA Oldies issue has an incorrect interior - dashboard is '63 and the rest is '64 promo. So yours is more desirable to builders. Also desirable is the '65 Continental - the convertible has been reissued many times, but the sedan was one-and-done. You'll need a hood ornament, but fair warning - those always get bid up high on eBay.

Here's a '50 Ford speedometer - if that needle was pointing straight down, you guys were hitting 110! (via 2040-parts.com)

a certain notoriety

Half-and half mix of Cracklin' Oat Bran and Total with 2% milk. When I was a kid I had my share of Post cereals thanks to Linus the Lionhearted on TV - every character promoted a different cereal (which eventually brought the FCC down on Post and the network ). Later, I would be specific in telling folks "I like the cereal Quake but I like the character Quisp." Quake tasted like Cap'n Crunch but was less likely to cut your mouth; Quisp got soggy way faster. Early '70s I really liked the taste of Team Flakes; now long gone. Now if you really want to dig into your cereal, take a look at the webcomic Breakfast of the Gods (saved on archive.org): https://web.archive.org/web/20120505174327/http://breakfastofthegods.com/breakfast-of-the-gods-book-1/book-one-page-1

Probably a Day Two mod: Removing most of the '55 Chevy's vertical grille bars, leaving one on each end and (IIRC) three in the middle so it doesn't fall apart, then painting the remaining verticals black to give a fully horizontal look. I've seen this on a lot of old mild customs.

I see a lot of folks walking around the neighborhood now (and to the four girls I saw yesterday , "staying six feet apart" doesn't mean "spread out into the street"). I've taken my mom out for a drive on sunny days, obviously NOT getting out of the car until we got home; that way she gets to see the countryside instead of just around the block. I'm surprised nobody talks about going out motoring; if you stay inside your car, why not?

About the only vintage tires that don't seem to melt rims are Monogram's. Modelhaus Tires has duplicates of all kinds of old kit tires in either soft or hard resin; time will tell how long they will last.

And isn't it nice not to have to remove convertible top bolsters? Vinyl roof, or no?