StevenGuthmiller

I actually had a deputy sheriff pull me over once just because he wanted to get a good look at my motorcycle! He literally told me that! ? Steve

We’ve had instances at our facility where someone has asked us to park a truck, such as a semi tractor. Of course, we are not allowed to park these vehicles for a number of reasons. Number one, licensing is generally an issue, but also just the incompatibility with our parking facilities. There are certain instances where we are not allowed to park a vehicle, such as pets, fire arms or ammunition, drugs or drug paraphernalia, and general cleanliness are some of the reasons why we must decline service. Cleanliness is up to our discretion. Steve

No question in my mind that our very own Yuri Andryushenko, (yura1961) consistently builds some of the best, most realistic looking models that I've ever seen! Unfortunately, many of his photo links appear to be broken, but what I have seen from him on a routine basis has been absolutely amazing!!! Steve

I used to kick start my '75 Honda 350 by choice, even though it also had an electric start. It always fired up on the first crank! So yeah, it is possible to cross the boundaries of automotive evolution. Steve

Not to mention the fact that you have to learn how to use your left foot!! ? Steve

I recently heard a story about a person who was the target of a carjacking. When the thief got behind the wheel and realized that the car was equipped with a manual transmission, he abandoned his theft and ran away. Even the thieves have become inept! ? Steve

I work as a valet at a local medical facility. the ability to drive a manual transmission is a requirement of employment here. No stick shift, no job. Steve

Thanks everyone! Never expected to see this 10 year old thread resurface! I appreciate it. Steve

I can guarantee you that they're not. The 2K craze has taken over the hobby, and all one has to do is spend a few moments on the Facebook groups to see that anyone who is not using it, is being encouraged to do so, with very little, to no discussion at all about the risks involved. It's a little scary! Personally, I'll stick with my clear lacquer and polishing regimen. Works just fine for me, and apparently the results speak for themselves. And I can do it without the potential for killing myself. Steve

Why not use a piece of foil? Cover the area, paint it with a thin coat of black, and then use whatever technique you prefer, (solvents or sanding) to remove the paint where you want it removed. Actual metal will always look more like metal than artificial metal paint. Another example of where BMF trumps Molotow. Steve

I've not built one myself, but then again, I'm not made out of money either! My personal opinion? I would much rather spend that money on a few old rare annuals that I can work some magic on rather than just assembling a very large and expensive jigsaw puzzle. Steve

I think I'm probably already half way to 25 by just responding to this pair of silly threads!! Steve

Yes, I've read that thread, but how is creating another going to help him reach his goal? If anybody really wants to reach a goal of 25 posts, (which is laughably easy, I might add) all that they have to do is spend a few minutes perusing the board, get in on a few conversations, and bingo!....full fledged member! If it's some sort of hardship for someone to reach 25 posts, they're not really serious about participating anyway. Steve

I really don’t understand the issue. seriously? 25 posts? That’s about a half an hour’s worth of posts if you put forth even a minimum of effort. Steve

I don’t get it. 25 posts to get off of moderation is something that you can do in a half an hour. It’s not hard. Steve

I routinely attend a larger IPMS sponsored show in the fall, and I have attended a fairly good sized one in the spring as well, and have always felt confident that the judges were competent. Of course, for both of these shows, a local model car club's members are employed to do the judging for the automotive categories, and I have complete confidence in them. This speaks to the integrity of the IPMS chapters that are organizing these shows, as it's clear to them that they are not experienced with model cars, so they're bringing in the "experts" to do the judging of those particular categories for them. Unfortunately, with a small local show such as this one, it becomes pretty obvious quite quickly that the judges have no expertise in anything per say and are just going off of pure emotion. I suppose that can probably only be expected for a small show in an area such as this, but it's become apparent to me that I no longer have any interest in participating in such endeavors. My suggestion to many of these small IPMS shows would be to drop the "contest" aspect, and operate it as something akin to an NNL type show where there are basically no judges. Create top 5 or 10 "people's choice" awards and allow the participants to make the decisions. I can't see how the adjudication would be any less reliable by having the people in attendance make the decisions rather than a few inadequate judges. Steve

Here are a few quick snaps as it sits in my garage today. As you can see, the paint did not fare as well as the interior after all of those years in a leaky out building, and there is some rust to repair, but I've seen worse. Steve

Brings back memories of a '73 Charger that my dad bought new in 1973. A triple black SE with the "opera windows" and a 318 auto. Kind of a funny story, but my parents went to a dealership one weekend in the summer of '73 with the intention of buying a new Dodge or Plymouth wagon for my mother. He saw the Charger sitting on the showroom floor and immediately fell in love with it, and to my absolute amazement, somehow talked my mother into going along with his delirium! Long story short, buy the spring of 1974, the Charger was gone, and my mother was driving a new Plymouth wagon! Steve

Me neither. My assumption is that Scale Finishes probably would rather not have to deal with that either, but there must be an issue with their formula if a separate hardener is necessary. Another reason why I stay away from enamels completely, for bodies at least. I can't think of any advantages when you have to be concerned with whether or not your paint is going to cure, and then have to deal with more steps and more products to ensure that it doesn't go south on you. Their lacquer base colors work perfectly. I can't think of a reason why anyone would need to use the enamels, especially if there is an unpredictability factor. Steve

I have heard of issues with drying with all of Scale Finishes spray enamel line. A few years ago, I had a well respected builder offer to give me all of his SF enamels because he had curing issues with it. Don't know if anything has changed since then, but it's something to consider. Steve

Okay. Well, I had thought about attending your show at some point in the future, as I'm not really all that far away, but it appears that there would be no point in it. I pretty much build nothing but factory stock, and almost none of my stuff would fit into any of the categories. C'est la vie. Steve

One week from today!! Get your s--- together! Steve

Apparently my mice were relatively courteous tenants. No apparent damage that I’ve been able to find in the wiring, and it appears as if the majority of the nest building material stuffed into the hood latch area of the hood, and behind the headliner has come from the headliner backing/insulation. The only real damage from the mice is the holes chewed in the headliner itself, giving it the appearance of a nice Swiss cheese, and the steady rain of chewed up headliner backing material and mouse turds falling from the roof! ? Steve

Pulled out the '69 Grand Prix this afternoon to clean a little of the dust off of it. It still amazes me how well the original interior on this car has survived after 12 years of use prior to me, 7 or 8 years of abuse by a hard living teenager, (that would be me ) and then 28 years of sitting in a dirty, damp, farm outbuilding, where it was subject to pillaging and damage after the meth heads moved into the farm house for the last few years of storage! This interior will be remaining original, except for a new headliner, (which the mice have eaten and turned into a condominium) new rear package shelf, (which the meth heads destroyed trying to get into the trunk through the interior) and probably sun visors, carpet, and possibly a few other little pieces here and there. I could never bring myself to re-upholster these "survivor" seats, even though there has been some discoloration. Steve

Dry is dry. doesn’t make a difference how, or how fast it gets there. Steve