Richard Bartrop

Impressive work so far. Looking forward to more!

I've seen worse, but the beauty of optional parts is that they're optional. Sounds like you still get a '48 Ford convertible with some extra parts that can be put to better uses.

Pearl Drops is also a very good plastic polish, and Novus us excellent if you can get a hold of it.

Hasegawa already offers the BMW 327 in 1/48, so some companies already get that some people want period cars to pose with their planes, and I know there are builders of 1/24 fighters who want the same thing, and I pointed them to the classic kits that already exist. Heller made a 1/24 BMW 328 which is pretty close, though if someone wanted to do a 327 as well in that scale, I would be okay with this.

I look at it like the lottery. The odds my be low, but they're zero if you don't play, and in this case, all it's costing you is a little bit of your spare time. How are they going to know what you want if you don't say anything, and sometimes you find that oddball request isn't so oddball after all, and someone might just see your idea and think "You know, now that you mention it. that might be fun to build"'. The oddball stuff makes for an interesting modelling subject precisely because it's oddball. As was mentioned earlier in this thread, look at all the obscure armour and aircraft that ends up in kit form. There's nothing wrong with old favourites, and there are usually good reasons why certain cars get kitted over and over again, but people like a little variety too. Once you've built the model of your dreams, or even built it two or three times you're probably going to want to build something else. No matter how much you like '57 Chevies, chances are good that at some point in your life, you're going to think, "I'd like to build something other than a '57 Chevy this time". Personally, I thought the early Chrysler 300s were really cool, and I also remember in the ancient days of Usenet, when the subject of new kits came up on rec.arts.models, I made sure a Chrysler 300C was part of my want list, and then as now, some self styled marketing genius would be sure to let us all know how pointless it was, because if it was worth doing, it would already be done. The Chrysler 300C from AMT, and the 300 and 300B from Moebius sitting my stash says to me that just maybe, this exercise isn't so pointless as some want to think.

The Anglia would probably go over big with the Harry Potter fans.

Right, that's the one I'm thinking of. Very nicely done.

Very nice. Is that the Imai kit?

`I will be watching this one for sure.

I could get behind rereleasing Revell parts packs. The big and little whitewalls with steel wheels from the '29 RPU would be a natural for a new parts pack. With the rising price of full kits making it harder to rationalize buying one just for an engine or a set of wheels. parts packs are looking more attractive.

The thought had crossed my mind. How much demand is there for '49 Monarch grilles?

It ran a Buick.

The grille went together faster than I expected. Now say cheese...

Italeri still uses multi-piece bodies on their classic kits, so that wouldn't be a deal breaker. However, if someone were to release a nicely detailed 1/25 '56 Buick with a one piece body, I would not have a problem with this.

I'll second that about the Pyro brass kits. They have a respectable amount of detail even if they were blown up to 1/24 or 1/25, and a Mercer in the same scale as MPC's Stutz Bearcat. I will agree that its better to have a kit that needs some work than none at all, but there are kits where it you could argue that it might be easier to try and build from scratch than try and whip them into shape.

As an alternative. I've seen museums where real life classics rest on stands to keep the weight off the tires. it might be something over a model museum piece.

I have my own opinions on rat rods, but it doesn't matter what I think about them, because it's not my project. It's John's baby, and he's the one who has to be happy with it, so his opinion is the only one that counts here.

Sold through Canadian Ford dealers as it's own make, even though it's nearly identical to a Mercury of the same year, which could be purchased at your local Canadian Mercury dealer. I'm starting with AMT's venerable 1949 Mercury kit, and have started on altering the trim.

They are correct for the period. The black tires we're familiar with were just starting to come on the market, and it did take a few years fr them to catch on. This looks promising. About as traditional a hot rod as you can get.

Even if there may not be a lot of interest over here for the Scarab, what about on the other side of the Atlantic? I know there's a British company who's name escapes me the specializes in kits on vintage European trucks. Maybe someone like them would be the ones to talk to?

I'd be lying if I said their weren't some kits I'd like to see come back, but it's because I liked the subjects, but I had little love for the promo based models where a slab of bumpy plastic was supposed to represent the chassis, and it's one of the reasons I loved the Monogram and Jo-han classics. I like that I don't have to make do with things like thread and carboard for detailing, and that I can buy styrene like I used to buy balsa wood. I love that there are kits of subjects I wouldn't dare to dream of as a kid. I like all the tools materials and finishes available. I love that I have at my fingertips, refeneces for almost any modelling subject, and that I can communicate with modelers from all over the world, and if that hard to find kit isn't in my area, then the internet will put me in touch with someone who does have it. Even when I do revisit a favourite subject, I have the tools and skills to handle it that I didn't have then. Reliving my modeling youth? Forget that noise. These are the good old days, right here, and right now.

I could get behind that. If you need to fill up the box, throw in the parts for a drag version.

Airfix apparently thought different once

I would be very surprised if there was anyone on this group who didn't.

That's just it, this was a 1930 Packard coupe that had the vinyl tires. This was purchased some time in the 70s, so it looks like somewhere along the line they decided to "upgrade" the kit.