StevenGuthmiller

Precisely. I'm fairly certain that I could build a NASCAR kit with reasonable proficiency, but with zero interest, I would probably enjoy it about as much as I would mowing my lawn. Steve

This is an excellent point that I failed to point out as well! Often we think of a model as nothing more than a collection of parts to create a whole, but if we follow this advice and think of each part, or at least each assembly, as a separate model in itself, the end result of the project will inevitably be better. If your engine is not executed well enough to be displayed by itself, it will not display well under the hood either. A very good bit of advice Noel! Steve

Thanks Ron! I think this would be another kit that would be fun to do a full chassis and engine swap with. The stumbling block will be a finding a chassis to fit. I suspect that it would require a chassis stretch from possibly a '65-'67 Impala? Not sure at this point. Steve

This is a very thought provoking thread. My perspective is that "modeling", first and foremost, has to be a passion in order for an individual to reach his or her own personal pinnacle. In this respect, I disagree with Pete. Passion promotes drive. I'm curious about space travel, but that doesn't mean that I want to do it. Regardless of the word we use, whether or not a "pinnacle" can ever be actually reached is probably a moot point. The hobby is a continual life long learning experience, as most things are. Every individual has lengths that they are willing or able to go to, and I guess in that respect, there are parameters that one will set for himself that will dictate the extent to which he will go. For example, I see individuals who will mill entire engines from aluminum, or build frames from brass stock. Very admirable skills, but I know that these are things that I will never do, so I put them out of my mind. But for most things, I try to open my mind and absorb techniques that I see as things that I might try to utilize at some point. There are almost no techniques that I use that I have "invented" myself. Virtually every advancement that I have made in this hobby has been learned from other individuals. It's for this reason that I always keep my eyes and my mind open to new ideas. All too often, we can get "stagnated" in our thinking and are not willing to try a new technique or material, and if we really want to advance, sometimes we have to take the time to learn, and refrain from taking the short cuts. I often see individuals looking for "easy" ways to do this, that or the other thing, and I really think that this is the wrong attitude for advancement. As an example, I increasingly see individuals looking for a solution to finishing chrome trim because "foil is too hard". As with anything in life, we do not emerge from the womb with the ability to complete complex tasks. It may take some time and practice. But if you are not willing to put forth the effort to learn advanced techniques, or use the best materials provided to us, you will not advance to where you wish to be, at least if you're really serious about reaching that pinnacle. I guess my only suggestion would be to watch, listen and learn. It's up to you how far you take it. In the end, you don't have to build the best model in the world, just the best model that you are capable of at the time. Steve

In my case, it has nothing to do with "how many cars are in my display case". I build model cars because I have a passion for cars. For me it's not about passing time. I can go fishing to pass the time. I suppose I could build a car in a week as well if I were just going to assemble what's in the box, but as you stated, a large part of the fun is scratch building and figuring out how to do it. I just feel that effort, and my limited modeling time, is better directed at what I really enjoy doing. As is often the case, modelers find themselves in slumps because they take on projects that they are not particularly interested in. I rarely find myself in a slump because I am always looking forward to the next four wheeled project. Making a background, at least for me, would be a task that I would only undertake for the end result. There would be little enjoyment of the journey for me. Steve

I hear you. The backgrounds depicted here so far are very nice, but as you say, not enough time in the day. It gives me heart palpitations to think that the weeks spent making a back drop could have been spent on working on one of my models. But hats off to the guys who will take the time. Steve

Painting has resumed. I thought that I would try using a darker base of Duplicolor garnet red to see if it would darken the finish a bit. Doesn't appear to have done much, but that's okay. I was perfectly happy with the color anyway. So, a couple of quick coats of dark red, followed by a couple of Sunfire Red is where I stand until my next order of Scale Finishes paint arrives. A couple more light coats should do the trick. With any luck I can avoid the paint issues that arose last time. Steve

I concur! My trade with Scott was as smooth as silk! Couldn't be happier!! Steve

Yeah, I wish that I would have snapped one up some time ago when Modelhaus was still in operation. But, as they say, "wish in one hand and poop in the other, and see which one fills up faster". Steve

I've thought about making some sort of background for photographing models, but I'm not worth a BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH taking photographs anyway. It's difficult for me to justify spending the time to make a back drop when I could be spending that time working on a build. Too many projects, not enough time. Like Tom, I use an area of my yard and a folding card table. Steve

And this is the one that I finagled from you! Thanks a million Scott! After less than an hour in the pond. Steve

Perfect! I too have restored a '60 Buick hardtop and a '63 Pontiac hard top. The Buick silver and white with a red and white interior, the Pontiac black with a blue interior. Steve

Thin sliced ribeye with bell peppers, onions and provolone cheese. Steve

Very nice stuff Rick! All three are becoming increasingly difficult to find. The '60 Buick in a hard top configuration is a particularly tough one to locate. Steve

Some of the very best available! Steve

Good idea. There are many pics of this car on line with the poverty caps. Another good option that might suite this car better than a spoked wheel is a set of chrome reverse wheels and moon caps. Steve

Out of the pond. A little filler sanding and it will be ready for attempt #2. Steve

Nice work Carl! The paint looks great! Steve

Or here's another interesting option. These came on a built 1963 Dodge Polara. Not correct for that car, but they are a pretty good looking hub cap. I believe they are 1961 Dodge caps. Steve

That looks pretty good! Seriously, I think nearly any "stockish" looking wheel might look pretty good. I have a set of the custom wheels from the AMT '62 Ford that I had re-plated a few years ago. Even these might give it a custom look without making it look like you're trying too hard. Steve

I assume that the kits had different decals. While I see no mention of the "Golden Commando" decals on the box art, it does feature the Petty #43 decals. Just in case anyone is interested, here are the answers to the other sheets in question. Generic 1961 AMT kit decals. This set came from a '61 Bonneville kit MPC 1966 Pontiac Bonneville AMT 1962 Chevrolet Apache Pickup. Steve

Honestly, I don't like any of them, even the ones that I suggested. Call me a purist, but I don't think that you can beat the look of the stock wheel covers on this particular car. Everything else just looks like an after thought to me. If I had to pick, I would without a doubt go with the chrome reverse wheels in the final photo. Just my opinion, but the Pegasus Dodge caps would look better on a larger tire as well. I used a set of these caps on different tires for a '60 Dodge Dart build and they look entirely different. Steve

You did well Bill! The first set is indeed from the Johan '64 Plymouth Fury, but as stated by others in this thread, I believe that the same decals were included in other kits. I have the same set in my Johan '65 Plymouth kit as well. The '68 Coronet one was pretty easy. The last one could have also been a generic set included in other models, but in this case, it was not a Johan 300, but an SMP 1960 Chrysler Imperial. Steve

Very reminiscent of the AMT 1960 Mercury Park Lane. Seems like the majority of the built examples that you see have those dopey "bubble" tail light lenses even if the model is bone stock otherwise. Steve

Nice work! I really wish that someone would have done styrene kits of the '60-'62 Cadillac coupes. I've always loved the look of the '61 especially. Steve