mikemodeler

Nice job and clean build Ron. I have several of those kits to start on soon!

Probably will pick up another one of these as I am a sucker for old GM truck kits. I noticed that Tower has their free shipping promotion going on again so it just might be time to get an order together.

Not sure if Hobby Lobby will be carrying this kit so you might be better off ordering from Tower or checking your local hobby shop.

They were all beautiful rods and I would be happy to own any of them. I think the right one was chosen as the winner.

Looks like an excuse to add some plastic body cladding and tack on another $8,000 to the sticker price! As P.T. Barnum said.....There's a sucker born every minute!

The wait is killing me but judging by Chuck's build, it will be worth it! Glad to see the corrections made and while I would have liked to have this kit last year, getting it right is more important.

Nice job on the conversion!

Nice looking convertible and the color combo is perfect.

Nice save and great job on converting it (pun intended!)

Thanks for sharing Chuck! I will be getting a few of these for sure.

Late model modern dump truck (either class 5-6 or class 8) Skid steer loader modern loader/backhoe pintle hitch style equipment trailer I like the idea of a Terramite or any other similar size equipment.

It's a shame someone could not take over the operation but it is understandable why. I am sure the overhead for someone who didn't own the building would be high and there seemed to be at least 5 employees there when I used to stop in there (10 years ago) and they need to earn a living too and that would add to the costs. I think the reason why GNH is closing is probably true for many hobby shops- owners want to retire and there is no succession plan. I remember a hobby store in my hometown closed over 20 years ago when the owner died of a heart attack; his wife was left to figure out what to do and had no clue as he was a small shop. There was a friend or two who would help him run the place when he was on vacation but they couldn't pony up the cash for the business. She sold off the inventory as she was grieving the loss of her husband and no doubt was taken advantage of by some vultures.

Very nice and realistic weathering! I am amazed at the accurate detailing of an American vehicle by our modeling friends overseas as they probably don't see these vehicles like we do in the US.

I will be watching this Chuck, should be interesting to see what you come up with! I have several of these to build and will be converting one to a shortbed.

All have been spot on and accurate! I took my wife with me a few years ago to a swap meet to unload a bunch of kits. She was thrilled to spend the day with me without kids as I travel with my job. Outside of me and a few others, she really doesn't know too many model builders so she didn't know what to expect but she found all of the above in one community center in South Carolina! She walked the table and looked at the models on display and very nicely said it was a shame I didn't bring any of mine to show, they were just as nice. She also commented on the lack of wives/girlfriends or women present and I explained that we tend to travel in packs of males only! She did talk about a few of the "characters" from that swap meet for a few days afterwards but was really more interested in what "we" were going to spend that new found fortune on! LOL!

Time and distractions. When I find time to sit at the bench I tend to get excited about finishing something and then I get distracted by other models.

I believe the same person who is working on the shortbed is doing a standard longbed version as well. One must be patient.

Sorry that the stress is getting to you Tony, hopefully the sale comes soon and you can get past this chapter. I helped my parents with several "junk reduction projects" and it is never easy but once you are done, it is a great feeling.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!

There is someone working on one as I write this but I cannot reveal who. Not sure if they will make them available for sale but they are doing a great job using factory specs to make it accurate.

I say model.

Wasn't there some copyright issues with the Shawn Carpenter items? I thought GM stepped in and had him stop his production?

Absolutely beautiful. Nice details and those little extras make all the difference.

Pursuing a patent can get expensive, especially if you enlist a patent attorney to help (I know from experience). Yes, drawings and a prototype help, but it should be something very clearly understood as someone else can come up with a similar product by having just some slight differences from yours. It can be an expensive journey with no payoff if there isn't any interest in your idea. Check and see if there is a local inventors network near you , they can help guide you and give you some feedback. Wish we had done that before spending $15,000 pursuing patents and attorney fees only to find no interest from companies in a product many friends and family said they loved and would buy. I recommend that you research this idea thoroughly and try to get a good idea of the market for it, the cost, and whether it has mass appeal. The majority of patents never see a store shelf or production lines. Just because you have a patent doesn't translate into riches, otherwise my wife would be rich 4 times over! If you haven't watched Shark Tank, you should. The things you would think make sense don't always and the people on that show are pretty savvy when it comes to investing in a product.

You are correct Danno, his work is outstanding and his pricing is incredible! Nice work on that Mustang, might have to do as you did and get the resin body to go with the kit. I like the wheel change and other details.