mikemodeler

Nice bunch of cars and what a varied group. The muscle cars look great, nicely detailed. I would struggle to get 18 snap kits done in one year, let alone 18 detailed glue kits! Welcome back to the hobby.

Nice and clean, I wouldn't change a thing!

I would be in for this as well, but I think they would do better financially if they were to do Dodge pickups or Chevy pickups, to continue the path they started with the 67-72 Fords.

You might have caught Norm during a busy time as I have always had prompt replies from him. His service and product is among the best and you will be happy with it.

Nice and shiny Jim! The color really popped once you took the outside pictures. Not crazy about those wheels, look out of place on that car to my eye. I like the interior, nice details.

Nice start, keep at it and the builds get better.

Jimmy Flintstone has the body only for $18 and a trans kit for $30. I saw an original sealed kit at a show for $100, which is probably $95 more than what it went for new in 1975. Not sure if the Flintstone kit is worth it, his stuff tends to be a bit on the crude side.

There is a resin body out there to do just that Mark and IIRC there was a kit to convert the AMT "Old Pro" Nova to a Ventura with the front clip and rear bumper/taillights.

I like your perspective of "letting him build" and I will, but he did say that he wanted to learn how to paint his 78 T/A black so it would look like the model on the box. I will set aside some time during their next visit to show him how to spray paint, use sprue cutters to remove parts from the trees, and how to use the glue without too much ending up on the model, but I won't do it for him!

Yes, there is some truth to your statement, but let's not forget that the breakdown of the family dynamic, a general lack of respect for everything, no longer being responsible for one's actions and a government eager to take over our lives and the recipe is ripe for our current situation. My biggest fear growing up was not the punishment from a teacher or police officer, it was from my father. I was also worried about disappointing him and my mother as they set reasonable standards for my behavior and scholastic achievement and I think today too many people are quick to blame others instead of the person in the mirror.

So my oldest brother called me a couple of weeks ago and said his 11 year old grandson wants to start building models. The kid (my grand-nephew) has seen my collection and is interested in building some kits. He has hinted a few times during their brief visits that he wished he could build models but for whatever reason, he hasn't. I suspect he doesn't have much support in this endeavor and having a 5 year old little brother who wants to do EVERYTHING his older brother does could be a part of it. I also think because he doesn't have a work area or a garage, he might be hesitant to do much. Fast forward to last night when they (him, his dad and little brother) stopped on their way back home from my oldest brother's house for the night. He wanted to show me his kits and was just about to tear the wrapping off of the boxes when I stopped him, as his little brother was right next to him at the table. I explained to him and his father that the models needed to be painted if they wanted them to look like the box art (Revell 78 Trans Am and Enzo Ferrari) and that spray painting them would be the best route. The grand nephew asked if we could paint them last night and I went into further explanation of the whole process of prepping and painting, correct place to do it and what type of paint would yield the best results. Needless to say, I think I burst his bubble regarding his kits. I mentioned that maybe a snap kit would be a great start as the kits he had were skill level 2 and 3 and would take time and patience to complete. I felt bad about not getting started on his kits with him last night, but I think I might have done him a bigger favor in the long run. I will be sending him and his dad a list of basic tools and paints to buy, along with some simple instructions on how to start spray painting the bodies. I will also mention to my nephew that next time they come through, we plan on some building time and I can show him how to start the process of assembling a kit without just slapping paint and glue on a body and hoping for the best. I am sure others have found them in this situation and I hope that he really does take to modelling like I did at that age, but I wonder with all of the distractions that kids today have, if he will? He enjoyed playing xBox and I hope model building has the same allure that video games do.

The Modelhaus probably has the wheels for the hauler, IIRC they have some wheels for older and newer conversions. If you do decide on an Opel Blitz frame, contact me via PM as I have one I would trade. Nice project, looking forward to more progress pictures. If you aren't hung up on a detailed model for the back of the hauler, I would suggest the Revell 57 Chevy snap kit, it is a nicely proportioned body and details nicely.

The answer is simple Harry- the same people who are responsible for the correctness in the movies also work in QC at the model companies, thus the search for the perfect kit continues! LOL ! I drive my wife nuts when watching movies and I point out the inconsistencies and errors, but it goes to my personality.

These wheels are available in resin from Danny at Scenes Unlimited.

Check out VCG Resins, he has some nice motors and I am guessing that from the outside, a 572 will look similar to a 715. Ross Gibson had some pro stock motors but unfortunately he has passed away and I am not sure if anyone has picked up his product line.

Thanks for the update Gregg, may your surgery prove to be the last and your recovery allows you to get back to the hobby in a much greater way. Best wishes with the magazine, sounds like you have a great start on fixing some problems from the past.

I think it is criminal that schools pass kids along without ensuring that they have basic skills to make it in the real world. I am talking about understanding how interest rates and loans work, why saving money is important, how to manage a checkbook and basic accounting. These are real world skills needed to survive college, let alone life after graduation, yet someone thinks its more important to teach a level of math that will be used by so few. The lack of physical education classes at ALL grade levels today is laughable. If I didn't know better (and I might not!) I'd swear that Big Pharma was behind the trend to eliminate any physical activity for our school kids only to sell them drugs for whatever ails them in later years, at taxpayer expense!

You have to remember that learning is different today in school. No more movies or film strips (makes me sound old), the teachers have smart boards and iPads or tablets for kids to learn on. Yes, there are still some textbooks but the kids of today are learning with different tools than most of us ever dreamed of! When I graduated high school in 1981, we had one PC in our business class and I would bet that most kids arrive at school today with smart phones that are thousands times better than that PC! There has been so much effort to make things politically correct and "teach to the test" that many kids can't do simple math (making change at a register, figure a percentage for a tip) or know current events/leaders or ancient history! And yes, I believe those people on "Watter's World" are real, all you have to do is look around when you are shopping and you will see them. Add in the fact that a lot of people would rather watch a show about some fictional "housewives" or supposedly famous family (Kartrashians) instead of news or documentaries, and it's no wonder the random person on the street can't identify world leaders.

Thanks for posting Bill! Even though I am not going to the show, it's nice to see a car company (Ford) realize the impact of handing out these models in an effort to attract buyers (parents!) to their displays. Also mentioned in the article is the fact that there will be a snap kit released in April for the masses, gonna have to be on the look out for that one!

Looking nice and like others, the 66 Chevelle is among my favorite body styles. I am sure this will be another great model when you are finished and those wheels look perfect on that model!

Another great start to what will be an awesome build. Looking forward to seeing this one finished.

Go for it! Always like to see something different.

No kits here- I have been thinning out my collection and trying to get my 30+ WIPs finished! I do have a birthday on Monday and there could be a surprise or two in there, but not really in need of any kits right now.(Can't believe I said that!) Congrats to all of you who got plastic for Christmas, enjoy!

A friend of mine who has collected Camaros since 1980 has had a least 2 with the bench seat. It definitely makes you look twice when you see it as seems so out of place.

In the 70s for a second day in a row here, the wife insisted on turning the A/C on last night as the house was too warm (her words). Gonna be in the 70's through Monday at least, and then a "cool down" into the 60's! Just might get some bodies painted if the rain moves out and the humidity drops! Definitely not normal weather for most of the US but I think we all have learned to enjoy it while we have it.