StevenGuthmiller

Here's mine. Been using the same one for probably 20 years. Time involved to create.....30 seconds. Cost....$0.00. Steve

Exactly! Here in west central Minnesota, snow is just another day as well. There is no contemplation about whether or not you're able to get out in it or not. Either you go about life as normal, or you lock yourself in your house starting in November, (or many times even earlier) and not leave again until sometime in April! It's snowing as I type this, and we're expecting anywhere from 2 to 6 inches, just for today, and around here that barely registers. The only question will be, "will I just shovel, or will there be enough where I need to fire up the snow blower". In my area, a much more important factor as a rule than how much snow falls, is how much wind we get. 4 or 5 inches of snow with light or no wind is barely a consideration. 4 or 5 inches of snow with a 30 mile an hour wind is an all out blizzard! But even with that said, I've still driven the 23 miles in to work on numerous occasions when I've gotten up in the morning and literally could not see my neighbor's house across the street. So far this year, the snow fall in our area has been pretty light, with probably around a foot or so currently on the ground, but that will undoubtedly change before it's all said and done. Where I live, while it certainly can be a nuisance, snow is generally welcomed as much needed moisture that will be highly valued by farmers as it melts in the spring. Snowing moderately right now. Just another day in paradise! Steve

Well, that would be a question for the OP. Should be extremely easy to tell the difference between plastic and resin. If I had it in front of me, I could tell you in 2 seconds, as I’m sure most of us could. Steve

Likely story. 😁 Steve

Some of these ‘70 Dodge kits were molded in that muddy tan color, which looks a lot like old resin. Steve

Great idea! I've been using something similar, but this appears to be much less labor intensive than the method that I had been using. Steve

I agree. I never want to put myself into a situation where I’m not certain what the outcome might be, especially if you’re dealing with a rare vintage kit. I’m not about to have my model, or any part of it, be a guinea pig. Steve

And make sure you order one of these! Steve

Yes. Like I said, takes some time, but hey......who's keeping track? The little extra efforts can make all the difference. Did the ribs on my '68 Coronet with foil too. But in this circumstance it worked better to use the "foil under paint" technique. Steve

Personally, I’d foil ‘em. Gonna take some time, but anything worth doing is worth doing to the best of your ability. Steve

Yup. I’ve heard this before. That’s why I don’t use it. Steve

Another thing that they all have in common is sub-par durability. I would gladly pay $50.00 or $60.00 for a product that looked reasonably close to chrome, and exhibited the same durability as a cured lacquer paint. Apparently, that’s not possible or somebody would have done it by now. Steve

Nothing more than the joy and excitement that I used to feel as a kid, seeing what I saw driving down the street! Never read any magazines or got into racing, or customs, or hot rods, or foreign exotics, because they weren’t anything that I saw just cruising up and down Main Street in my small upper midwestern town when I was young. Steve

Finally, our New Years meal. Shrimp Coctail, Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Chili-Soy dipping sauce, Buttered Rice with Golden Raisins, and Steamed, Buttered Vegetables. Steve

My very first attempt at making Tamales was a success! I've had at least a few tamales in my life, but never any this flavorful! Of course the masa was prepared with lard and stock, and the chicken was poached in stock as well. Then the chicken was shredded and folded with a sauce consisting of tomato sauce, garlic and onion powder, cumin, oregano, wine vinegar, and a little honey. The "serving sauce" is a blended combination of Ancho and Pasilla chilies, onion, garlic, cumin, Mexican oregano, chicken stock, and a little honey. Served with the sauce, a little chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Delicious!! Steve

Our Christmas meal this year consisted of Shrimp Cocktail, Garlic Shrimp Scampi, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with an Asian "Sticky Sauce", Lobster Tails, and Dungeness Crab. Steve

I'm sorry, but that last one can't be real, can it? Steve

It has become my observation that if you're an avid collector of McDonalds happy meal toys, antique stores and swap meets are the place for you! Steve

Sure, there are always possibilities, but luck is the main factor. I've had much more luck finding pretty good deals on eBay and in years past than I have had anywhere else in recent memory, but unfortunately, at least for me, those years have passed. The only chance that I can remember having in an antique store in the past 10 years of finding a true gem was when I happened upon a still sealed 1967 Barracuda in one of the many antique stores in Stillwater Minnesota for I believe around $150.00. I passed on it partially because I was somewhat strapped for cash at the time, and partially because it was sealed in cellophane, and I had no idea of what the contents really were. My suggestion if anyone wants to find that elusive gem in an antique store would be to check the small, lightly trafficked, out of the way places versus the large heavily trafficked places that encounter possibly hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. They of course will have much less inventory to look through, but they will probably be more likely to retain any of those hidden jewels for a longer time. Steve

A lot of people are suggesting to check out antique stores, model shows, etc, and yes they are certainly worth checking out. That said, what I've found in recent years is that in the circumstance of antique stores or flea markets and that sort of thing, is in general, those people are not idiots. They are accustomed to finding and knowing the value of things, and if anything, I often find antique store prices greatly inflated, or at least no better than what you'll find anywhere else. Not only that, but there is enough of a market out there for vintage kits, and enough people looking for them, that if anything does turn up on a antique store's shelves, it's not there long. I have had some very good luck 20 to 30 years ago or more, with finding truly rare models in antique establishments for actually bargain basement prices. Got an AMT 1958 Pontiac Bonneville convertible and a 1960 Lincoln Continental convertible for $8.50 each one time. Found a complete, AMT, in the box, 1962 Chevy Apache pickup for $25.00 at another place, and a derelict AMT 1964 Pontiac Lemans convertible at another for less than $20.00, but that's about the extent of my luck over the years. It's not like that anymore, unless you just get lucky enough to stumble upon someone who just really has no clue. Today, about the only thing I see in these types of places are either stuff that I suppose you could technically call vintage, but that you can still order from Model Roundup, The occasional 1964 Ford promo for $200.00, or things that I have no interest in and am loath to spend $50.00 on. Last time I visited the several large antique stores that we visit on a trip every year, the only thing I found was a couple of older kits of subjects that are either still currently available, or fairly recently out of production with a strong likelihood that they will return. That, and a Revell kit of a sand worm from the movie Dune. Now what the hell would I do with that?! Steve

Unfortunately for anybody who’s looking to branch out into vintage kits, your just a little too late. I bought most of the rare vintage kits that I have back in the 2000’s-2010’s, almost all of them on aBay. You could still find good deals back then, but the prices have gone completely crazy since. Most of the kits that I have in my collection were acquired for somewhere in the neighborhood of $50.00 to $120.00, some more, some less. That said, being a builder and not a collector, my kits were bought to be built, so a good number of them were built rebuilders, incomplete or junk yard finds. Just as an example, my last project, (my ‘64 Bonneville project) was bought in bits and pieces from 3 different models, and combined to create one model. A broken hardtop with missing parts for the bumpers and hubcaps, a customized convertible for the hood and interior. And a pristine convertible body. Pretty sure I didn’t pay more than $25.00 to $30.00 for each one, and what I didn’t use was traded off. But sadly, even that’s becoming more difficult to do as even vintage parts are becoming more difficult to find, as well as much more expensive. The market is what it is, and at the moment, pristine unbuilt kits are going for a premium, so if you want to find stuff cheap, you’re either going to have to get lucky, or find what might appear to be basket cases and restore them. You might have seen the lot of 17 vintage kits that I was trying to help move for someone a couple of weeks ago. In that circumstance, the seller was asking a price for the entire lot that I felt was fair, or at a minimum, close to fair, considering some of the subject matter. I had possibly a dozen inquiries, but no takers. I don’t know what the reason for that is, but I suspect that it has to do with the huge chasm regarding value that seems to exist between someone who is a collector and willing to pay top dollar, and the builder or flipper that hopes to get everything for almost nothing. There no longer seems to be much of a middle. Steve

Agreed. Nail polish remover is undoubtedly diluted. I used to use it for removing paint from kit bodies when I was a kid. Do that with straight acetone and you’ll end up with a plastic puddle. Steve

In all honesty, regardless of whether or not there are 2 extra bolts on the valve covers, I would go with whichever engine is the most detailed. I don't think most people are going to be counting valve cover bolts. Just what I would do anyway. If it is an issue for you, you can always do a little kit bashing and swap valve covers. That said, there's nothing wrong with the Lindberg '64 Plymouth/Dodge engines. If I remember correctly, that's the engine that I used in my '65 Fury build, with some modification of an intake from a Johan kit. Steve

The stuff in the blue can smells like acetone too. That’s what I use for thinning enamel. Steve

Pretty much any big block Mopar engine from whatever kit is going to be a fair representation. The overall appearance between a 440, 426, 413, 383, etc, doesn’t change a whole lot, with of course the exception of the Hemi, and the various intakes. Steve