StevenGuthmiller

That's basically how I do it. If it's something I really want, I place one bid. The absolute most that I'm willing to pay. I'll let everybody else fight it out. If somebody wants it more than I do, They'll out bid me, & I'll move on to the next thing. Steve

We have to take into consideration subject matter also. A rarer kit or a difficult to build,(nicely at least) resin, such as this wagon, will always bring more money than a more contemporary kit. I see people trying to sell very nicely built currently available kits all of the time that can barely recoup the price of the kit if that. So although we'd all like to fancy ourselves "artists", I believe it's more about how "unusual" the subject is rather than how skillfully it was done. Although skill is obviously part of the equation. Steve

Here here James!! I see some stuff on ebay advertised as "pro built" that just makes me want to bust out laughing! I also agree about not taking things so seriously. That's why I love this hobby. You do what ever you want & nobody dictates what you do. At least I don't worry about it. My builds aren't going to a show or contest or anywhere else except my shelf, so I build them for me. I'll let someone else sell them off & see if they can make a buck when I'm gone. Steve

I believe this may be the color you're looking for. Or at least very close. This is MCW (Model Car World) #6858 1969 Dodge "Avocado Green" His website says this was basically the same color from '68-'70. Looks very close to me. I'm using this on a future '69 Coronet build. Steve http://mcwautomotivefinishes.com

MCW will match it for you for $18.00 for 2 one ounce jars. Just another option. Steve

What do you use for window tint Roger? Looks nice! Steve

I nearly soiled myself when I saw that! There has to be a couple of screws loose or something! But, I guess as long as their happy........ Steve

I've had several kits that just made me roll my eyes as well. Got a glue bomb '61 Ford convertible where the builder had glued the fender ornaments to the top of the fender rather than from underneath like intended. For those of you who have built an AMT '61 Ford, you know what those fender ornaments look like! I would think it would be difficult to make that mistake & think it looked ok! More recently, I had a '65 Chrysler 300 where the builder had glued the tail light lenses to the outside of the bumper when they should have been glued in from the back side. You'd think they would realize their doing something wrong! Steve

Don't be shy about using Modelhaus glass Bill. I've used it several times & it works nice. As a matter of fact most times it looks better than the original kit glass just because of the thickness. A lot of the old kit glass is excessively thick. Steve

I've had the opposite problem with most of the vaccu-formed glass that I've used. It always seems to be a little too narrow. Steve

Ain't that the truth!! Steve

I did this one a while back Tim. Not real good pics but It's medium & charcoal gray. The body color is "Dusk Rose". Steve http://public.fotki.com/stevenguthmiller/1957-chevy/

I assumed you knew that. But hey, it was a pretty popular color all through the 50s, so........ steve

I'll agree with you to a point Christopher. I'll go along with the parts thing under certain circumstances. I know ebay can get crazy on occasion, you just have to be smart & not get caught up in the heat of the moment. Just as an example, I recently picked up a set of mint condition original '67 Plymouth Fury wheel covers on ebay for a "buy it now" price of $7.95. The resin set from Modelhaus goes for $8.50. So there are deals to be had. Where you run into real problems is with the "really" rare kits. Most of the old Johan Mopars from the mid 60s, for example, are not available as resin kits. Some of my holy grail kits, ie. the '63-'67 Chrysler 300s & the '65-'68 Plymouths aren't going to be found anywhere other than a swap meet or on ebay. I've seen some vintage kits on sites like "Model Roundup" going for well into the $200.00-$300.00 range! So, yes I agree, resin kits & parts do have their place & I'm extremely grateful for people like the Holthaus's for their products & I always keep price estimates in mind when I'm on ebay. I know it's fashionable to beat up on ebay, but I'll refrain. I've obtained a lot of great subject matter that I may have never even seen in my lifetime if it weren't for them. & like any other large business entity, there may be a lot of hucksters & crooks to wade through but I'm positive I'll be doing much business there in the future. steve

That's what you would think. But it seems that there are always those who would rather complain than just move on. Steve

I guess my thing is, if I'm going to spend $100.00 for a kit anyway, I'd just as soon have one in styrene vs. resin. If there were a wider difference in prices, (& some times there are) then I may feel differently. Most of my old buildups were purchased for less than the cost of a Modelhaus resin. Sometimes it just takes patience. & although there are extra expenses that may come up with restoring an original, It's still pretty close. & personally, I'd rather work with styrene. Just my personal bugaboo! Steve

Nothing wrong with Modelhaus parts at all Gary. I use them too from time to time. But I also buy parts on ebay if they can be found. Just my preference. I like to keep each kit as close to original with as many styrene parts as I can.

Well Michael, pink was not a factory color on these old Hudsons, but I gotta admit, it looks pretty cool!! Nice job!! Steve

Thanks John! Thought this thread was long dead so I appreciate the nice comment! Steve

I once picked up a 1960 Lincoln continental & a 1958 Pontiac Bonneville convertible, in the boxes & restorable, for $8.00 apiece at a little roadside antique shop! But that was a few years ago & a very unusual situation. Unless your okay with spending the next 50 years filling out your collection, either ebay or swap meets & clubs are the only answer, as you say. Steve

'58 is a tough year Bill. All of the AMT kits from '58 bring some pretty hefty cash. most are fairly rare. Steve

Yikes! You're a glutton for punishment aren't you Tom? Steve

It won't help you remove the glass from the body much Gary. Super Clean doesn't seem to do much to glues. But it will make your glass look like brand new! Not only will it not hurt your glass, but I recommend it for cleaning clear plastic parts. I've had some pretty gnarly looking glass that came out looking like brand new after a couple hours in Super Clean! So, I say "dive in"! Steve

A lot of times old kit glass will get tiny spider cracks all through it. If that's the case, there's no fix. But as a rule, most glass can just be polished out if it's just surface oxidation. Kind of like the plastic head light covers on your car. Steve

They are surely expensive aren't they Gary. I try not too think too much about the amount that can be spent on one of these old kits, but by the time you add up the cost of the kit itself, primer, paint, masking tape, foil, parts, chroming, etc, etc, etc, OUCH!! it can really add up in a hurry! of course when you figure in a lot of that same stuff for a new kit......well, let's just say the hobby is getting a little spendy! Steve