ChrisBcritter

Let's see: got the '56 Plymouth, Olds, and DeSoto, '58 Olds, two '59 DeSotos and a '61 Dodge. Sure wish I'd grabbed a '57 Olds and the '58-'59 Cadillacs.

Don't bother with Edsel promo wheels either; for some reason it has an enlarged version of the 1/1 car's dog dish hubcap! The ones on the newer kit are OK unless you don't want to use the optional tri-bar spinners; then you'll have to fill in the three little mounting holes.

With plenty of flash in both white and chrome for your scratchbuilding needs! (Seriously, the chrome can make good mirror faces.) Still love these Eldos; used to draw them on my notebooks in third grade.

Shouldn't that be "Charger, Ford LTD, Monaco"?

Exactly; that's why I'm going with Monogram wheels/tires/etc. on my Hubley '60 and '61 Ford wagons - those really need 1/24 parts to look good. The custom wheelcovers in their old '55 Chevy kit are nearly-perfect copies of the '61 Ford ones, and the T-bird wire wheels in the original-issue '40 Ford pickup are like fine jewelry (somebody should recast these!).

Whereas some English actors could do excellent Southern accents (Charles Laughton was great at it - check out Advise and Consent). If you're familiar with the Chicago area accent, compare Dan Ackroyd in The Blues Brothers and Blues Brothers 2000 - in the sequel he's really "pushing" the accent hard compared to the original.

'57 Lincoln, actually - '58-'60 had a larger hub (it was intended to have the Teletouch pushbutton transmission like the Edsel). The AMT '59 Craftsman part could be modified to match, however. Thanks - this will be a big help!

Almost forgot: Air compressor that switches from running your airbrush by day to running your CPAP at night.

I have the scriber; the blade is a bit too thick for cutting out doors and trunks but it's good for scribing into smooth plastic, or making the first cut if you want to deepen a shallow panel line. I really like that cement and its small brush applicator (mine hasn't fallen out - yet...).

Sweet job on the body/paint work. Is that Testor's Root Beer lacquer?

Looking forward to seeing more of this! A handy hint: this kit has issues with alignment of the cab and hood; I wound up channeling the body 1/16" over the fender unit and it was a big help. (Not trying to hijack - it's an old work-in-progress) Really helped with the body/hood/grille fit. (You'll need to trim the bottoms of the inner door panels a bit, too.) Good luck!

A magnet that works on plastic and finds parts in carpeting. Knife and saw blades that never dull - and fingertips that are impervious to them. A home vacuum metalizer for chrome that costs under $50.00 (before the 40% off coupon). Photoreactive paint that dries instantly with UV light like Bondic (and comes off with Super Clean in five minutes). Speaking of: Red, blue and amber Bondic. Remote hypnosis to put all other bidders to sleep when a '61 Tempest shows up on eBay. Vinyl tires that never melt styrene. Oh, wait - Monogram came up with that formula about 60 years ago; maybe others could take heed?

From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come) - Dave Edmunds (written by Bruce Springsteen)

Has anyone run into this situation? I used both Purple Power and oven cleaner to strip what appears to be very old metallic lacquer from a Hubley '60 Ford wagon. I finally got nearly all of it off after soaking it for a week in a fresh tank of Super Clean; however there is still a powdery residue remaining after I rinse and dry it, especially in the crevices. The surface has slight etching from the lacquer; I sanded the body down and that seems to take care of most of the etching and the residue, but I really want this thing clean before I prime it. I haven't tried the isopropyl alcohol yet (can get the 91% at Target OK), but will it work on old lacquer?

From an early '70s classified ad in Motor Trend: "1953 Lancia (pronounced lawnchair in Beverly Hills)"

Beautiful work! (And who would have thought we'd see three well-built 1936 Toyodas in Under Glass this year? I wonder who's going to tackle building the weather-beaten, cobbled-up Siberian sole survivor that's now in Holland?)

Here's your color chart for '79: http://www.autocolorlibrary.com/aclchip.aspx?image=1979-International-pg01.jpg

I buy kits either with a 40-50% off coupon or try to score cheap deals at shows or on eBay; hunting down a bargain is half the fun for me. (It helps me justify the rare occasion when I spend the going rate, like on my '64 Corvair.) "Pay retail? Where's the sport in that?"

Man, that is some nice craftsmanship. You should build hobby rooms as a sideline! One question: You say you live in a one-bedroom apartment, with a garage - on a farm? And how did you get the OK from your landlord? Must be a nice guy.

So here's a tougher one. Although the summer's gone I'll try to carry on Although you won't be with me And when school is through I'll still be loving you Oh, nine months can be so long... Hints: Singer was born in Colorado. Regional hit in the Southwest in late 1959. HUGE hit in South America, however - the singer became very successful there and even more so behind the Iron Curtain. Lovefordgalaxie should get this one easily.

You flew too high Off of the ground Hit stormy weather And had to come back down... Probably don't need hints on this one?

"Cleaning"? What is this word "cleaning" of which you speak?

You got a great deal on that Pierce-Arrow! It's a V-12, actually. First time I've seen that kit's engine close up; it looks like a 12-cylinder version of a Buick nailhead - maybe put the extra one in an AMT Riviera to freak people out?

The kit isn't my cup of... soda, but those drum headlights and possibly the suicide front axle mount would be great for my T speedster project. Have to watch for one being parted out.

How about green and white as a (very late) Edsel dealer service truck? I have one mint '60 pickup hubcap you can use to cast some up, if you like. Also, if you decide not to use the chrome reverse wheels... (hint hint...)