Pete J.

I've had a couple of Tamiya cans let go also. Not that I am bashing Tamiya as I have hundreds of their cans, but that is another story all together.

The argument for a Mustang being a "muscle" car is not so difficult. It started life as a family sedan AKA the Ford Falcon that was rebodied. I remember a friend had 65 and was upset when the center cover on the steering wheel came unglued and there was a Falcon badge under it. The chassis and drive train were all Falcon as were a lot of other parts like the steering column and wheel. To further complicate matters, later on it was converted back to a family sedan in the form of the Maverick. Pony cars were in most peoples eyes a sub category of "Muscle cars".

The bottom seal is defective. Over time, this one has given up. All paint is made of four things. Pigment, binder, solvent and additives. If paint sits long enough it will settle out. What you see is the binder. I suspect you have a very tiny pinhole in the seal of the can. Over time the pressure in the can has cause the binder to leak out a very small amount at a time. It has harded as it came in contact with the air and created this glob. It did it very slowly. It is a manufacturing defect that took a long time to develop. The paint may still be good if the can remains pressurized, but it is missing some of the solvent and binder. You could possibly decant the paint and add more solvent to it(thinner) and blow it through an air brush but it is unlikely that the can will be usable.

Interesting fun to read all the opinions and the author has his opinion. The fault is that he is trying to equate performance of current car to those in the 60's and early 70's and say they are the same. Interestingly, my 1993 MR 2 Turbo is quicker both 0-60 and in the quarter mile than a 69 Boss 302. Is my MR2 a muscle car? Oh heck no! But frankly it is a lot more fun and a lot safer to drive, but it will never be a muscle car even if it can kick ones can! As I said in my prior post, a muscle car is about attitude, gut reaction and a certain look of a specific period and the period has passed. Are those cars up to today's standards for drivablity, safety, and durablity and gas economy. Heck no! They met old regulations and frankly were really dangerous cars. The killed a heck of a lot of kids who though they knew what they were doing. As a person of that era, I would like to have one as a collectors car, but would never want one as my daily driver and I surely would never buy one for my kid. By todays standard they were really not good cars.

I have to agree with Jesse on this one. "Muscle car" has been a generic term that really doesn't set down a specific definition. It is a broad term that covers a lot. In my opinion it was a feeling that one got from a car. A big V8 pumping out a sound that could make your knees buckle. The departure off the line was full of sound, fury and smoke. Lots of smoke. It was about a driver struggling to keep the stupid thing going straight. Brakes? Where we are going we don't need no brakes! It was about sitting at a stop light with your arm cocked out the window, feeling like you were the coolest kid on the block. It was about making your girl friend squeal with fear when you left the line. In other words it was about attitude and how the car made you feel. It was also about doing it on a work a day stiffs budget. No high end cars here. Grocery getters with lots of HP's. It was also about being able to tinker with the car yourself. Maybe buy some headers or and intake manifold. Put some cutouts on it. Make it cool. What is wasn't about was ET's or grip or 1/4 mile times. No, that was for the boys at the drag strip. It wasn't defined by the type of car or the engine. It was about cool. Trying to update that just doesn't work. That is an era that is gone and won't be back. Are the new cars, fast? Oh, hell yes. Some of the new stuff is scary fast, but it also handles and brakes better than those old cars ever did. Can you get cheap thrills, yes sir. You sure can. Can you tinker with the car? Maybe, but it requires a heck of a lot more than the old Muscle car guys could do. The new cars can still be fun and I am happy to see a new generation playing with them and making them cool after their own fashion but they just aren't muscle cars. They are something else and we need a new non derogatory term for them.

Tim, I've been making things to make things. I thought you might find these useful so here is a photo. I have been having issued with small parts being to small to level with parallels. I spoke with Pam over at Sherline and she suggested I make a set of step jaws. Basically, I made a pair of soft jaws with 7075 aluminum and the grooved two steps in them with an end mill that were parallel. This gives me a step to set the part on and it will be level with the bed. This way i don't have to mess around with parallels. I chose two steps but am considering making a single step about 1/32" across for tiny parts. Incidentally, I went to sherline to get the dimensions of the jaws for drilling the holes and would be happy to share a copy of the blueprints that I got if you would like them.

Well so much for anyone else ever winning at GSL! That is a real piece of jewelry. Tim, you set a very high bar!

I also use lacquers, but a three to one mix of water to alcohol is so dilute that it has no effect on the ones I use(DuPont and Tamiya).

I have been privy to Tamiya's process for many years now. They have a large room with racks of models. When someone calls with a request, if they don't have already have an opened kit with the part and it is still an active kit, they will get an unopened kit from the warehouse and open is and send the part on. The remainder of the kit goes on a shelf for future requests. They really have a bunch of parts kits both old and new. They also have file cabinets full of decals. Some times they can order decals from Japan, in which case they order multiples and keep them on hand. There parts room is really a model builders dream.

I've never had that problem with Micro Mesh and have been using it for 20 years. I wet sand everything and use a spray bottle of 3:1 water:Isopropyl alcohol. The alcohol acts as a surfactant to break the water tension and clean the surface as I sand.

Two of us working on the same model. I decided to scratch build the engines. Progress is slow.

Glad you found something you like. Good luck with the 69 Mustang coupe. Those are rare as hens teeth! I had a 69 coupe as my first car and wanted to build one. It literally took me years to find one and cost way more than I should have paid. I haven't built it because I am kind of intimidated with the old kit thing.

Absolutely! There is a proliferation of "Tipo" in many Italian vehicles. It is the Stradale that is the important designation often designating a street version of a race car. Ferrari still uses it to designate special versions and highlights it with a red, white and green stripe.

Wow, one search and bingo. Been a while since I have see one of these.

Scott, thanks again. Yes, back in August, Scotty Wilson was killed on the third flight of a recreation of the Bugatti. That was the only 100P that ever flew. The original never got off the ground because of the German invasion of France. The original is preserved at the Oshkosh Wisconsin EAA museum. I was lucky enough to have made contact with Scotty before the aircraft was flown. I has some questions about the original and he was kind enough to not only answer them for me, but he sent me some original drawings of the part I needed to make. He and I were both pilots in the Air Force at the same time, though we never met. I was really saddened when he crashed, though I have to say he died doing what he loved.

Thanks Scott. Randy and Tim are still the masters at this. It is fun to watch them work. It really ups my game to see how they do what they do. Two great friends. I hope to meet them at a show some day.

Thanks Tim. Next is holes for the spark plugs. The hole is a little over half the depth of the plug with a rounded bottom. I have a ball end end mill to do that. Then add the various nuts to the head. Next big pieces are the engine end plates with all the fittings for oil. Then the part that is really a challenge. The super charger. The real issue with the super charger is they are on different sides on each engine.

Ok, after some massaging, this is what the clips will look like when they are glued in place. I had to file them with a needle file to final shape and length. This is a test fit to make sure the holes in the valve covers are properly centers. It is really a small detail.

Ok, Tim. You got me again! How did you cut them off? I can't imagine you using a cutoff tool. A slitting saw maybe? You skill just stops me in my tracks!

There is no "right" or "wrong" answer. We have enough museums and high end collectors that although there are "rare" kits, they are not a national resource that if it is gone, it is gone for good. Don't be guided by others. What you have to decide is this. Are you a builder or a collector? If you are a builder, then build. If you are a collector, then collect. It is really that simple. There is a bit of crossover for builders. You may wind up with a collection because you may want to build it some day. That is why I have several hundred kits. I didn't buy any of them because they could be rare and valuable some day. I bought them because I want to build them some day and don't want to pay stupid expensive prices to pry one loose from a collector when I am ready to build them. So what are you? You decide and do that. Your friend, well he can do the same thing.

AMEN! not that I ever screw something up.

My preferred lens maker is either Microsol's Krystal Klear or Zap Formula 550 canopy glue. Both are water based and go on white and dry clear. You can also make them dome up just a little so they look like an old style lens.

He was a major force in the modeling community and a critical part of this forum. He will be sorely missed. Gods speed Harry!

I know it is monochromatic, but the design and the little touches just seemed to all come together on this one.