StevenGuthmiller

I'll buy that! Steve

I've been giving this some thought & it's been making my brain hurt! I think that I've come to the conclusion that I might use most of the parts from the Linberg '64 Belvedere kit. The upholstery pattern on the Johan '63 is correct for a "Sport Fury" but not a standard fury, yet I have not seen a Sport Fury with a bench seat. The pattern on the '64 Belvedere is not correct for a '63 Fury either, but it's closer than the Sport Fury pattern. Then there is the fact that the standard Fury did not have bucket seats! You see now why my brain hurts!!! So, in conclusion, I think I am going to use the interior floor, rear seat & buckets from the '64 Belvedere & then do some modifications on the door panels & use the '63 dash and steering wheel. While it will not be entirely correct, I think it will be the best option without diving into a cesspool of modifications that I will inevitably wish that I would have avoided! I would have just used the original '63 interior, but the engraving on the seats and door cards is pretty bad & removing the convertible top wells & widening the rear seat is more than I care to mess with. Steve

The "big deal" now would be getting the Modelhaus conversion set! Steve

Just wondering because the '69 body, while very close in over all dimensions to a '68, would require the addition of vent windows & filling of the tail light spaces on the rear of the car. I think that the interiors were pretty close, but the upholstery pattern was slightly different and the '68 had no head rests. Steve

Interesting. What did the conversion parts consist of? I realize that there is not a lot of difference between the '68 & '69, but there is enough that I would think that it would require a new body & interior? Steve

I believe "Jeckle" is from the AMT '57 Ford Fairlane kit. Steve

You do that too? With me, it's usually liver and onions! Steve

There is an individual that I found on ebay that is beginning to produce 3-d printed up tops for different cars. So far early '60s full sized Chevies. Maybe if you could find some contact info, you could ask if there are more coming. Steve

Today, I am a very happy camper! I just received this very nice example of an extremely rare Johan 1968 Oldsmobile 442 from my new best friend from Sweden, Claes Ericsson!! Everything is there & in terrific shape for a pretty easy resto. Body is in great shape with only a small warp to the front passengers side fender. The chrome will need re-plating, but that is to be expected. The interior & glass are in top notch shape! The grille backing plate is welded pretty hard to the radiator, but that won't be an issue. My plan is to use the guts from the MPC '69 442 for the engine, chassis & engine bay. I'm very excited about this trade & am really looking forward to jumping into this build. The 1968 muscle cars have been woefully under represented in recent years & this a biggie to find. Thank you Claes! I am eternally indebted to you for this little gem! Steve

Tonight's fare was very basic & nostalgic. I was raised on this dish that my mother called "Goulash". No, it's not goulash, and it's not really a casserole because it's made in a skillet. I suppose that the rest of the world might call it "macaroni & beef". My mother got the recipe from her mother & it was a quick supper for my siblings and I growing up. Then it became a staple in our household for our kids when they were young. Now my wife & I make it for ourselves on occasion for a week night meal just because it's fast & delicious. Now our daughter has started making it for her boyfriend & herself. Funny how these goofy little things seem to keep moving from generation to generation. This recipe is a little different than most "mac & beef" recipes as it has no tomato sauce. It uses ketchup instead. Other flavorings include onion, paprika, chili powder & brown sugar. Buy the way, it's the exact same recipe as sloppy joes in our household, minus the macaroni. And yes, the cold Sol is a perfect accompaniment. Steve

I still have this project in the back of my mind. The problem is that I can't find any time to work on it! Been spending far too much time on home renovations! Steve

Be sure to remove the mold lines. Steve

You can surely polish the plastic & it will look every bit as good as paint. Check the body over well though. These "molded in color" bodies are notorious for having all sorts of swirls in them. Especially the metallic ones. This '61 Plymouth was molded in yellow & just polished out. No clear coat. Steve

I've been there a few times. Spent some time in Red Lodge too. On your way to Yellowstone? I've covered that stretch of road with the kids in an SUV, in a convertible sports car & on a motorcycle. It's a little hairy on a bike! What route are using for your return? There is another gorgeous scenic highway going south east of Cook City to Cody called the Chief Joseph Highway. Every bit as beautiful as the Bear Tooth Highway. And then if you continue South East, you can go through the Big Horn Mountains along the Cloud Peak Skyway to Buffalo & then on to the Black Hills & the Badlands of South Dakota along Interstate 90. And don't forget to stop at Wall Drug in the Badlands! Steve

Which is generally the case with model cars. Granted, some of the kits that we have seen on this thread are not exactly main stream & therefore maybe not particularly valuable to a builder like most of us, but some of those odd kits like a model of JFK or "Sea Lab" might be extremely valuable to a collector. My guess is that they are quite rare. Anyway, the OP never really mentioned value anyway. It was all supposed to be about rarity. Steve

Tonight it was "Thai Steak Peanut Noodles". It was delicious! Steve

This was dinner last Thursday. I forgot to post it. Just a big ol' slab-o-beef & some roasted green beans with 'shrooms. Steve

I believe that I have at least a couple of bottles of Negra Modelo in my fridge right now. I was recently in a local burger/ craft beer joint that the wife & I have been enjoying lately. The last few times I was there I had ordered a bottle of Red Stripe. They carry few bottled beers, & of the ones that they do have, Red Stripe was the only one that I liked. The bartender told me that I had better enjoy it because they were about to eliminate it from their menu. I guess they needed to make room for another "Boar's Ass IPA" or something! Steve

I agree! The smoother the better! I can't remember ever getting a paint job so smooth that I could get away without at least some polishing. Not since I stopped using enamel anyway. Steve

Exceptionally well done! Steve

I like a crisp, refreshing beer with little or no after taste. Nothing is more refreshing. Most of the micro brews are bitter or have some sort of acrid after taste that I wind up toting around with me all night. Not for me. Keep it simple and light. Steve

Oh, so you're one of "those" guys! I pretty much drink nothing but Mexican beers now. I always have a 12 pack of Sol, Dos Equis or Pacifico in my fridge at home, and you can usually find at least one of them in most bars & restaurants. Steve

And in my experience, even if you do get a perfectly smooth shiny finish, it will still benefit from some polishing. In my opinion, polishing will give a more realistic looking finish than leaving it as is. To my eye, unpolished finishes look a little too "candy like". Steve

I can't even get a Miller High Life anymore in a restaurant. These days it's all of these dopey "micro brews". I guess beer drinkers today want to equate themselves with the wine crowd & drink their beer with one pinky in the air! Steve

My goal is to do my best to get as much of my vintage stuff built as possible before I have to give it up. Hopefully, in the end, I'll have enough time to either put the built kits on ebay for $1,000.00 apiece, or if not, I would prefer to give them to other appreciative builders who would either keep them as they are, or restore them to their own specifications. I don't want to leave them to someone who has absolutely no interest in them. The more modern-common stuff?.........I really could care less what happens to them. Steve