Pete J.

Nice build for the first try. One thing I have learned after years of building is that each mistake is a lesson. The lessons continue until they are learned so don't get frustrated by the mistakes, just look at as part of the education.

I'm blaming the whole thing on Willy Joe. He botched the coin flip. Denver was toast from then on!

Well not exactly true, the defense scored 7, special teams scored 7 and Denver scored 2 against themselves.

Did you guys not see the same game I did? Yes, the Seahawks defense shut down the Manning and the Broncos, but their offense scored 43 friggin points. That is amazing. Game was just horrible to watch. No fun to watch a blow out no matter who is winning.

After looking at all of the pictures of snow, I remembered an event of rare snow. This photo was taken in 1972 at Laughlin AFB Texas which is on the border of southwest Texas about 10 miles from the Rio Grande. It snowed for the first time in 30 years. They literally shut the world down. Nobody but us northern boys knew how to drive in this stuff. That is my brand new 72 yellow 240Z in the left corner. Yes, I remember snow!

I've got a bottle of Patron. You got the mix?

Time to circle the wagons boys! Them vigilantes is try'n to steal our warm! Get the flip flops 'n shorts out! We're headed for the beach to build a sandcastle to fend um off! Down right friged today. Only looking at the 60's.

Oh that brings back bad memories of the years I was at Wurtsmith AFB in Oscoda. I just loved pulling alert in that BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH!

I've had 5 airbrushes over my building carrier. Warranties have never been a problem and I doubt that it will be an issue for anyone who spends decent money on a brush from a reputable company. The only issue I have run into is the seals on the needle and then only once. I could not buy a replacement seal for my Badger crescendo. This is an issue only after years of use and if you are using hot solvents like lacquer thinners. Most companies have switched to Teflon seals to eliminate this. One person here suggested a $20 special from Harbor Freight and I suppose that is ok. You could buy 10 or 15 of them for the same price you would pay for an Iwata, paashe, or Badger and then toss them when you are done instead of trying to repair them, but that would be your choice. Again, I would suggest calling Coast Airbrush. They are a fairly small business but are staffed with knowledgeable people who can answer your questions for you. By the way, if your seal ever fails they replace them for free and if your new brush doesn't have a Teflon seal they will change it before they ship it. Good people in my experience.

Do you have any idea how many cars were made with three lug rims? I do! Fiats, Volvos, Subaru's, early Volvos(check out the ones in the background) not to mention the wacky French cars. I never knew there were so many. I figured that would be an easy thing to Google when I started. Wrong!

People ask me how I can stick with a build for three or more years. This is the only way a model can hold my interest for that long.

Ah grasshopper, enlightenment has now led you to the true path of modeling nirvana!

Yea, that was the clue I picked up on but never got to the South American connection. I saw the red centers on the rims and was looking at Fiat's. that was a tough one Harry.

Mark, I can't wait to see this done so I can spend a couple of hours checking it out. Your attention to detail is .......... Well, lets just say I don't have a word for it!

The shovel has been well used by me. I keep it in the back of the garage to remind myself of what I left behind. Moved here in '88 and that adds up to 35 years of shoveling and 26 years of no shoveling. I really don't miss it.

Just finished up shoveling and boy am I tired! I still up to my kester in this stuff. Ok, so much for the joke. If we don't get some rain in the next 8 days this will go down as the first January in history without rain. If this continues we are in for a really bad fire season and we will be shoveling ashes again and that is far worse that shoveling snow.

I said it earlier in one of my posts but I will say it again. This isn't about bagging on some poor modeler about the model he brought to a contest or this forum. It is about a vendor putting out shoddy merchandise and claiming it to be something it isn't. It makes every modeler who sells built models a little more suspect in their dealings with the public. Undoubtedly someone will chime in "Buyer Beware" but any one who is burned by a merchant, drives a little piece of the market away. My point is asking for money for a product changes the discussion here by a long shot. It is no different than a company selling model kits that don't measure up. If that is bullying, then so be it. It clears the market of those who would cheat the public with substandard product. There is a difference.

Before you buy, give these guys a call. http://www.coastairbrush.com/ They are the largest seller of airbrushes that I know of. If you were on the west coast, I would suggest you stop by the shop. They will take the time to go through what you want to do and can advise you. They sell every brand and will probably give you as close to an unbiased opinion as you will get. Anyone who makes a trip to SoCal and goes to Disneyland, you should make a little side trip to Coast Airbrush it is only a couple of miles away. It is a Disneyland for painters of all ilk.

I've done a couple of contract builds and certainly do not do this for a living. eBay is definitely not my market, but what bugs me about this is that any time someone puts shoddy workmanship in the market and portents to be a "Pro Builder" with 45 years of experience, they degrade the integrity of all who try to put honest product out there. I can think of a number of builders on this board who sell their work that would be embarrassed to put this level of work out for purchase. It taints the market for all. This rant isn't about people who would put their models on the board for critique. It is about a vendor not delivering quality product. There is a significant difference.

45 years of building experience can only mean one thing. Each year is spent relearning what he learned in the prior year. I don't remember the last time I saw someone use sewing thread for wires. Any of these models would get zip at any contest I have ever judged. He would get last in a one vehicle category! Those are really terrible! Are we sure this isn't a joke?

Gadzooks Harry, could you have picked a more generic car! It's a ToyNissanChevDodgeAMCeuroFordHolden 2 door hatchback from the 70's. Frankly I can only see one clue and it is driving me nuts !

There are other forums out there dedicated to Formula 1, open wheel racing and road racing model building and they are plenty busy. I know of many builders on this site that frequent them as well, so there is certainly and interest.

There are two things to consider when overcoating inkjet decals. First is the effect it has on the ink. If you use a water based top coat, it can make the ink run and smear. The second is what you are going to do after you place the decal on the model. If you plan on clear coating over the decal, your top coat on the decal must be compatible. That is why I use an automotive clear lacquer. You can put pretty much anything over it and you shouldn't have compatibility problems. I am not sure what Vallejo varnish is. The key is the solvent that is in it. If it is a true varnish then it is an oil based solvent such as turpentine or paint thinner. This really isn't compatible with any of the paints we use in modeling. If it is an acrylic and has an alcohol solvent, it may dissolve the ink. If you are not sure, try a bit on a piece you don't need and see what happens and then put your clear coat over it.

I have no idea what that is all about. You might give them a call. Mine runs through my HP ink jet without any issues. As I mentioned in the above post, I cut mine up to run through the photo paper tray and use a photo setting. Seems to work well for me. By the way, I made a mistake trying to do current military camo clothing. I ran it on clear paper and should have used white.

Ok, I understand. That is the full Monte kit with all the fixatives and other stuff you don't need. The best deal is 3 over, 10 sheets of clear for $11.90 and shipping would have been $2.99 shipping first class post office. Total of $14.89 for 10 sheets. A single sheet was $1.62 and shipping was $1.72. You don't need all the liquids. I just spray over it with a very light coat of clear auto lacquer. Works great. I also quarter the sheets and put it in the photo tray of my printer. Much less waste and I can do small projects.