Pete J.

Here is a photo I thought you might all enjoy. It is from it is from the Cotter & Pearce book on Holman Moody. This is a later B model. You can tell from the twin carburetors. When I was speaking about the roll bar in the engine compartment I miss spoke(wrote?) and was referring to the anti-roll or stabilizer bar. As you can see in this photo it is much smaller that the one on the model. As to the eye candy in the engine compartment, there were a lot of different configurations. You can see deeper oil catch tanks in this photo. The size of the tanks was dependent on the race. The 427 used a lot of oil to cool the beast. Also of interest, at some point the need for a lot of fuel pumps was reduced by adding a large 2" diameter crossover tube between the fuel bladders. This ran between the tanks under the drivers seat. I can't imagine that passing safety inspection now. Just a little back ground that a lot of people don't know. On the GT40, H&M acted and the primary contractor with ford. When the original Mk2's bodies were finished in England they were all shipped to H&M for final assembly and prep. The H&M shop in Charlotte was always the main shop for this effort by Ford. When major mods were done, they were all done there. At the time Shelby's shop didn't have the capacity to handle that many cars. That is why you will see a lot of shots with John Holman in them. He had primary responsibility for the cars. There was a lot of friction with Shelby as a result. At one point John actually had Shelby ban from the pit area. You can well imagine how that went over.

WHAT!!!! Ok, you got me. I just spent 5 minutes trying to peal off a layer with not success. How old is your paper?

I have always use Micro Set and Micro sol and they worked for me. My main difference is that I use automotive lacquer and my top coat. That is because that is what I clear with when I am done. I have gotten in the habit of doing a very very thin top coat. The first time I used them I use a heavy coat and like you couldn't get the decal to settle down. When I removed it the decal was very strong and rubbery. I suspect this is what my be going on. One very thin coat is all I ever use.

The Arkham Asylum for the criminally insane! Me and the Scarecrow cell mates!

For those who have been following me on this build, thank you! It has been challenging to say the least and I learned a lot. The final photos are under a separate header. Here is the link - http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=91639&hl=

Ok, this beast is done. For those who have not been following this build it is ICMTH's 1:32 A6M2b Zero. Almost entirely photoetched and white metal. I scratch build a number of parts including the gun barrels, cowl flaps, spark plugs and other little bits. It took 8 months to do.

Art, I believe your are correct for 1948 because that is when Willys-Overland started producing the civilian version and thus took the name and look out of the public domain in spite of the fact that the name "Jeep" should have been untrademarkable because is was a common term used by GI's to identify a light "general purpose"(abbreviate GP) vehicle. Correct me if I am wrong, but such trademarks and trade dress do not apply to items manufactured under contract for the government. Those items are legally part of the public domain, and can be modeled without regard to trade mark rights as long as a trademarked name is not associated with them.

Very nice work! Just a couple of comments and I know this one is way to late, but you could have dumped the fuel pumps. The original Mark II's had Bendix submersible fuel pumps in the fuel bladders and were not visible. The cars that you see in current condition use that configuration because of the tendency of the submersibles to short out from time to time. The part on the fire wall was a pressure regulator. The major glitch in the engine compartment is the roll bar. The one from Trumpeter is way too large and really catches my eye, but I doubt anyone else would notice. As I said, just a couple of comments, not on your build, which is really very nice, just what I am not happy about with the kit. Love what you did getting all the panels to fit together.

License fees are one of those things that you can do without if you are small enough and make few enough so as to not attract attention and are in the right country that doesn't honor trademark infringement agreements. This is why you will see this sort of thing pop up. Major manufactures who do stuff on a world wide basis have to be careful because if they get in trouble they can loose long term agreements or become persona non gratia to other major manufactures. As I recall Tamiya had a big hoorah with Chrysler for selling WWII light utility vehicles as "Jeeps" once Chrysler trademarked the name. After that they had a difficult time getting continuation license deals on other Jeep products. Getting around a trademark is a mine field at best.

I know one thing for sure. I have too many kits and if I live another 40 year I may get to all of them but that would make me 104. Not likely I will get to all of them. Having said that, there are no "holy grail" kits in the pack. When I look at my next project, they are all on the table. Some are multiyear projects others are week end project. I guess it depends on what I am in the mood for. I do know that I have kits I probably won't ever want to build as they were purchased at a different time in my life and I have lost interest in the genera. But, no, there are no kits I won't build, just those I won't get around too.

Looks like from a couple of comments, I need to provide a little background info. As to the getting older part, I am 65 and have had my mobility issues from time to time. Doesn't mean that you can't pay attention to how your movements are affecting others. There are plenty of seniors who have mobility issues and get around just fine. If there are two people who have mobility issued, one should bring the walker into the store, not grab two shopping carts and walk side by side down the aisle. If you want to take the time to look at something, pull your cart to the side, don't set it up at an angle across the aisle blocking anyone else's passage. Yes, you can get your sample and move on. Standing in the way of anyone going in or out of an aisle while you taste your sample is rude no matter who does it, especially since the free sample days are also general busy days. Since I have retired, I go to Costco more frequently than I use to and often in the middle of the day. I don't particularly enjoy shopping for groceries. It is just a fact of life. I generally have a list and just want to get in and get out with a modicum of efficiency. Frankly as I have gotten older, I have less tolerance for random acts of rudeness, intentional or other wise. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to be aware of others around you and try to keep traffic flowing. It doesn't matter whether it is Costco or another store with cart, keep thing moving. Very similar to right lane bandits and other traffic issues, but that is an entirely different rant.

Stupid people with shopping carts! Yea, I get it. What I don't get is Costco idiots! Costco has huge aisles. Plenty wide enough for at least 3 abreast yet people still manage to block them and look at you like you have a square head when you ask to get by while they are starring blankly at a box of Cheerios. On top of that, on free sample days, you can get one little old lady blocking the whole aisle while she takes her time actually picking the sample and then just stands there while she eats it. By the way an old couple is worse than just one. Grab your #### sample and move on! You don't need to block off the whole ### aisle. Look around and be courteous. You aren't the only one in the whole stupid store!

PoliZap for super glue. Won't fog clear or paint if you are judicious. Great for difficult places as it grips very quickly. Pacer formula 560 canopy glue. White glue, cleans up with water or alcohol and gets tacky very quickly. Both of these are radio control model products so you may have to find an R/C shop. Micro Scale Krystal Klear. Great stuff but it takes a little while to get tacky.

What irked me today! Nothing! That's What! and boy am I POed about that!!!! Go out there and have a good day!

Being an "imported" paint seems to be a issue for Tamiya. There are so many government agencies involved, I a surprised they put up with the nonsense, but glad that they do. Mostly it is a matter of labeling. I remember Tamiya America having to hire a bunch of temp workers to go to the warehouse and stick labels on thousands of cans of paint so they could sell the stock they had on hand. There are differences in labeling requirements for "hobby" paints because of how they are sold and to whom. Can't tell you the specifics but it is our government protecting children, even though they really don't participate in this hobby so much. Having said that, Tamiya paint is excellent quality. As to those who prefer it or not, it is like any other tool. There is a learning curve. Most modelers prefer the paint they use because they are familiar with application methods and know how to get the look they want. "Better" is in the eye of the beholder(I told you to use safety glasses ). I use Tamiya, DuPont Lucite, HOK and Alsa paints. Not because they are better than others, but because I know how to get a great finish using them. They give me consistent results and that is what I need. Trying them should involve testing them with your methods. Switching paints frequently, is a recipe for problems.

I would go along with the brass rod recommendation. If there is no visible indication that it is hollow then why put yourself through the hassle of trying to bend tubing? It is like using wire for gas or brake lines. You can't see the inside so don't worry about it.

With autos as with real estate there are three basic rules. Instead of "location, location, location" it is "history, history, history". By most accounts longevity/repair history goes to Honda and Toyota. Since both are built here in the US that negates any "country" bias. I have a high performance Toyota sports car that is 21 years old and it is still running strong. Nothing but required maintenance. I have owned 6 Toyotas, 5 Hondas,2 Fords a Chevy and a Porsche. The Fords and the Chevy both died premature deaths with major engine failures in less that 6 years. The Honda's had 3 transmission failures, all replaced by the factory under a recall, at no charge to me well beyond the warrantee period. The rest of the cars have just had required maintenance. My daughter had a Civic that she ran for 250,000 miles of in town driving in 8 years. The only non-maintenance item she had was a cracked exhaust header in the last year she owned it. GM use to build cars like that. They could now if they wanted to. Same with any other company. German cars are well built but the maintenance on them is just nuts! My son just got rid of an 7 year old 328i because it was coming due for routine maintenance, timing belt, brakes and tires and it was going to cost over $9,000. The car just wasn't worth it! Ultimate driving machine yes, but you had better have deep pockets going in. I understand the Mercedes is the same. My Porsche was the same story. It needed new heat exchangers back it 1978 after 4 years. The parts alone were $1,000. That is some serious change in 1977 considering I got a new Toyota pickup for $4,500(became married with a house to maintain so the Porsche had to go). For now I will stick with Toyota or Honda(Acura)until I find a better built and easier to afford car.

Andy, I grew up in Sidney and am old enough to remember when the Challengers were still the main engines for the UP. My Mother was from Vermont and I remember traveling on the train to go visit her parents. Nothing like the old passenger service. I can still remember the smell of the trains from the steam engines. Very unique and not at all unpleasant.

I don't know if you are aware of this or not but I thought I would add it to the discussion. Big Boy 4014 has been moved from the Pomona fairgrounds in LA to Cheyenne for a complete restoration. You will once again get a chance to see this beast in it's full glory running the rails of America. I remember it well. My uncle was a yard master in Cheyenne for many years when these ran over Sherman hill and I remember seeing them head out of town or coming into town. Here is a link to the restoration web site. http://www.up.com/aboutup/special_trains/steam/photos_videos/bigboy/2014_may.shtml Until you see people standing next to the behemoth you really have no concept of how huge this thing really is! It will be a fitting companion to the Challenger that the UP takes on tour from time to time. A real part of American history!

What he said. Mark is the Tamiya master!

My hands down favorite is Pacer Poly-zap. The main reason I like it is that it is much less inclined to fog other parts. It was designed to hold lexan radio controlled car bodies so it has a little flex. It is also a slower curing gap filler. If your plastic hobby section doesn't have it, try the Radio controlled shop.

Don't know what it is, but if you slap a coat of black paint on it, it would make a great hearse!

I am finishing up a model with almost 200 pieces of white metal and 300 photo etched pieces and have used almost an entire bottle of super glue! I have discovered some rules of super glue that I thought I would share: There are different types of super glue. Instant - The only time it sets instantly is when you have just glued a part in the wrong place or you have glued your fingers together. Medium - The more awkward of a position you have to hold the part in, the longer this glue will take to set. If you used instant, it would set at the very moment that you involuntarily moved it slightly. Gap filling- This will fill every gap in the vicinity except the one you want to fill. Accelerator or kicker- This stuff has two purposes. The first purpose is to instantly bond your fingers to that little drop of glue that dripped down the side of the bottle. The second is to get into some hidden crevasse and wait until you get near it with your applicator and then bond the end of the applicator to the model. Non fogging glue- won't fog the parts that are easy to clean up. It will fog some obscure corner that is highly visible and impossible to get at. Super glue as a single purpose. To bring you and your models together........permanently......... at the least opportune moment!

Mike, glad to hear someone else is going! We have gathered a gang of five coming from SoCal. We have an a couple of armor guys, a ship builder, a car man and me so we will be well represented and look forward to seeing some of our old friends and getting to know others. Luckily, I have not been asked to do a seminar this year, so I will have time to enjoy the show. See you there!

I'm partial toward big displacement. How about a Rolls Royce Merlin with supercharger. 1600 hp running of avgas. Just the ticket!