mikemodeler

There is no mystery to their pricing, the are in business to make money. Hobby Lobby and Michaels offer coupons and us frugal modelers shop there and use them to make our hobby dollars go a little farther. They buy directly from the manufacturers so they can afford to give 40% off. Hobbytown USA is a franchise setup and are owned by small business owners who have to price their products to be profitable. While the old-time LHS that most of us grew up on could be located on a side street, the HTU and chain stores are on main street, in the high rent district. My local Hobbytown has competitive prices and has things like Evergreen styrene, Tamiya paint, and other detailing items that HL or Michaels does not. Unless an online company is offering free shipping, I can usually buy a kit at my Hobbytown for the same price as online when it is all said and done.

WOW! That shore is purty! Nice save and beautiful job.

Bandit Resins offers a GMC conversion for the Blazer kit- the grille and hood, for those that are wanting to do a swap like Josh's. That is looking good Josh, black would look sinister on that truck!

Thanks Casey, those look great and for $6, they seem like a bargin! What paint are you going to use to paint those?

That came out very nice and it is good to see a different color than the usual red or blue. Wish I could make it to Cookeville but have some other obligations this weekend, have fun and take pictures.

Doesn't this kinda fly in the face of the current administration's recent policy about increasing gas mileage? I mean, afterall, isn't GM still owned in part by the government? Okay, I am not crazy about the design but at least they are trying to be a player in the game! I agree that $89K for a car that can't be street driven is kinda pricy but I bet that all 69 will be sold fast!

Harry, I never thought my wife would want to move from the northern Burbs of Illinois but when the opportunity to move to NC was presented to us 7 years ago, she was the one who said YES! before I did. Are there things and people we miss from back home? Sure! Do we regret the move? Heck NO! Going back to the old neighborhood and seeing the decline of the area due to the tough economic times make us glad we got out when we did. The house we sold for $200K+ in 2005 would barely fetch $150K today and the property taxes have gone up nearly $1,000 in the time since we left! Illinois is in trouble financially and I don't think it is going to get better any time soon. At some point things will have to change but thankfully there are options for you with the states you have selected. As far as the kids, they might surprise you and join you in your move! We moved to NC and within 4 years we had 4 more family members join us as they found the climate and area very inviting.

Check out VCG Resins, they have two different 750 carbs listed. The owner, Craig Hosfeld, is a member here (Mannyclub) and he has fast service and really nice product.

That is the problem Harry, some people wouldn't mind paying extra for a bagged copy while others would, so how do you handle that? I am sure GBP doesn't want to bag some and not all of the mags, right? Besides, for the handful that get their magazines so tattered that a replacement is necessary, what does it cost for GBP to send out replacements versus bagging all subscriptions? I hate getting a tattered magazine as much as the next guy but unless the magazine is unreadable, what is the point of getting a replacement, it is not likely that I will be able to sell these to fund my retirement in 20 years!

Oh no, not another Canadian on US roads in April! I must pass a thousand of them every January and April as they head back and forth from the Great White North! LOL Just kidding Nick, I hope you enjoy your trip and remember to bring your sunblock. If you know the route you are taking back from Florida, I would do a yellow pages search for hobby shops in the big cities along the way, especially if you have some time to stop and shop. While I am not aware of any shops in St. Pete, a Google or Yellow Page search should give you some information. Go to the Hobby Lobby page and see if there are any stores along your route, print off some 40% off coupons and load up the car! I wish you luck in your trip and make sure you have fun!

To Harry's point about online shopping and shipping, Tower Hobbies will often cover the shipping on orders, sometimes as low as $30, and it covers everything on their website (models, paints & accessories). I will use them when I place a larger order as their prices are inline with what I can buy locally. I have been hitting the local Hobbytown USA for supplies and the occasional kit as I have been scaling back the purchases and am running out of storage space! My theory has always been do what makes the most sense for you. LHS, online, swap meets, thrift stores, garage sales are all good places to find bargins.

When all else fails, follow Donn's advice as he has mastered the art of a shiny paint job. I have seen his paint jobs in person and quite honestly, they are much better than the pictures on here show them!

I was gonna crack on a few rivets missing but then realized this build is way beyond my skills so I decided to refrain from that comment! Nice project Tom, it is coming along nicely and should be beautiful when done.

I agree with David in that if the paint is free of orange peel and dust, it may not need to be polished. Black is very unforgiving so if it looks good as is, I would lightly polish it with Novus or The Treatment wax and be done with it. Very light pressure and be careful around ridges and body lines so that you don't burn through the paint. Before doing anything, post up some pictures here so we have a better idea of how the paint looks before. As far as Future goes, it can be applied by hand with a brush, dipped in a container and left to dry or sprayed with an airbrush, your choice. While not designed for models, it can be used on them without worrying about damaging them. If you need to remove the Future after it is applied, you can use Windex (or any other amonia based cleaner) to clean up.

My thoughts exactly Harry! I say build it, that is what your Mother bought it for! I would shy away from the box art version though, unless you like the raised "high rider" look!

it's only flat on the bottom Frank! LOL Keep trying, you are more brave than I !

one word- BEAUTIFUL! Black is such a perfect color for these old Chevies and yours looks perfect! While I am not a lowrider fan, this one has a great stance and those wheels are just right for that deep black paint. Clean details and nice color choices.

Nice start Gerry, I like the new door handles and can't wait to see the progress on this. I have several of the kits and pro-touring is one option I was looking at. What do you have in mind for colors?

That looks like the Bandit Resins body done up by Kenny Shores, I have one in the stash to build "someday" ! Nice start, can't wait to see this one done.

a/gass, The resin wheels from The Modelhaus that are plated are pretty much ready to install right from the package. The unplated ones will need the usual resin prep work. They offer them in standard and deep offset. They scale out to a 15 inch wheel. The ones in the 66 Revell Chevelle wagon scale out a bit larger-closer to an 17/18 inch wheel.

Luis, It seems like the best way to get ahold of Alan these days is via phone. I don't have his number but maybe someone else can post it for you and get in touch with him. Hope it gets worked out soon!

If you are referring to the American 200S mags, they are available from The Modelhaus in both plated and unplated versions. Extremely nice looking mags and perfect for muscle cars!

PM sent on the Pace Car

Sad to hear, becoming common as of late it seems. I, too watched the show and listened to the music growing up in the 60's. A bit of trivia that some may not know: David Bowie's real last name is Jones but he changed it to Bowie when he started performing so as not to be confused with The Davy Jones!

No, NAPA is a better place! ( I am biased as I work there!)