mikemodeler

Do you mean your 5th model this month or ever? That looks great and nice smooth finish on the paint, i sure wasn't getting them that smooth on my 5th try. Keep them coming!

Especially with the way the streets are in Chicagoland!!! Luckily with the nice weather here in the South, you can see nice cars almost year round. There is a very nice restuarant nearby that hosts Saturday AM car shows and recently it was full of Ferraris. It is not uncommon to see newer high end cars around here, few muscle cars except for late model 'Stangs, Camaros and Challengers.

There were some diecast versions of WWII era Power Wagons. I think there is a resin version of the Power Wagon too, check with Star Models as I believe he had a listing for them. To the best of my knowledge, there has not been a 1/24 or 1/25 models of the Power Wagons. There might be some 1/35 versions in the military section of a LHS or a Hobby Lobby.

Shrub is the nickname other drivers gave him because he is the younger brother of Kurt Busch. A shrub is a smaller bush...Get it? I agree that if Shrub had raced against Dale Sr., he might be a different person.

Matt, the only comparison that I made between Shrub and Dale Sr. is the ability to take an ill handling racecar and make it a winner. Personality-wise, they are worlds apart. Like I said, he can flat out drive a racecar and wins at all three levels of NASCAR racing. I am not a Shrub fan, I started following NASCAR in the '70's thanks to Richard Petty and really became a fan in the early 80's watching Dale Sr. I was at Daytona in '90 when Dale was half a lap away from winning when he ran over some debris and Derrick Cope won his only race. NASCAR racing isn't the same since Dale died, at least for me, and even though it is race weekend here in Charlotte, I will probably avoid watching the race because I don't find it as fun as I used too.

The vision of the music video of "Whip it" entered my head as I read that! Nice place you all have there, that is some basement Jeff, I guess the resin casting business is really paying off!

I will chime in here with a couple of comments. 1. I had tried to purchase most of my resin at shows as I felt that was the easiest way to see the product and ensure that I was going to like it and get it. All of the Dencon/Lookout product I have bought has been at shows, and like was mentioned earlier, his '69 Chevelle wagon had caught my eye. I think for now I will wait. I have recently bought more resin items from other online resin vendors and have been pleased overall. 2. While it was mentioned that a resin vendor should have sufficient on hand inventory before offering it up for sale, I think that is a stretch for most of them to undertake. If you are offering small resin detail pieces, it might be a viable idea but do you think that should hold true for a trans kit or resin body? It might take $20 (or more)of resin to cast a body and I do not think it is realistic for someone to cast 5 or 10 bodies in the hopes that they are ordered. Again, for most of the casters out there, it isn't about getting rich, it is about offering something not necessarily available. 3. Much like the "Good Trader" section, maybe a section on resin casters is needed. Obviously it would need to be policed so it doesn't result in bashing but some type of feedback could help us all. As was mentioned, all one has to do is ask a question here about a caster and usually the forum responds with answers (good and bad). 4. I never send off money to a new caster that I wouldn't be willing to lose otherwise. Sounds crazy but if I send $20 to someone that is new to the biz, I know that I have a 50/50 chance of seeing the product. I have been lucky in that I have yet to get burned but I think part of it stems from being cautious about whom I do business with. 5. I do hope that Dencon can get things turned around as I do like his product but like others before him, he may have done himself in with poor customer service. Sad if that happens, but not can't blame customers for avoiding a bad situation. 6. I am appreciative of the efforts of those casters I have done business with as most of them do it as a sideline. I can't say that I have any "bad" product, just some that may be better than others. I have ideas of some things "I think" would be appealing to others but until I could devote the time and resources to ensure their success, they will remain ideas. This thread has been great for many to express their thoughts without too much bashing, let's hope it will continue to be that way.

Thanks for starting this topic as it rings true for ALL of us modelers. As someone who resisted using BMF for years, I used Lady Trial and Error on a couple of cars before I tackled a 57 Chevy, something that I needed to build confidence in before trying. I find myself today frustrated with some of my builds even though I have been building on and off since 1972. There are days when gluing two engine blocks can take forever but that mirror like paint job is a snap! I do hope that anyone who is in this hobby takes this topic to heart, young or old, and realizes that we all had to learn how to do the many tasks involved in building a model.

it has been reported that here in NC that the penalities for "Shrub" could be hefty. Typically reckless driving at nearly three times the posted speed limit will result in a 30 day suspension of your license, regardless if you are a NASCAR driver. I am sure he will have a good lawyer help him plead his case but expect Joe Gibbs to weigh in on the matter and I would bet money that he does some public speaking about the dangers of driving reckless as a result. Like him or not, the kid can flat out drive a racecar. I think he is a bit pompous and quite arrogant and therefore not a huge fan of him but I do admire how he can take an ill handling car and run it. He does remind me of how Dale Sr. drove and maybe that is why some folks don't like him.

Marshall, I would contact the advertisers in the magazine and see if there is interest in casting your body. The cost can be expensive, and there might be some work needed to the master in order for it to be cast. I would contact the following: Bandit Resins Motor City Modelhaus I have bought stuff from these folks and they are all top notch!

somebody could be pinching the internet hose...that happened here the other day!

Me too!

If you are interested in selling or trading it, PM as I have a friend who has that car in 1:1 and would probably be interested in buying that from you. That looks like an original promo and like Harry said, it is worth a few bucks. Nice find, hope you find more!

Maybe that has something to do with how she gets her hair in the car! I will say it is real.....oh wait, that is next week!

Ok, so I haven't even received my April issue and Gregg is going to tease me with the May/June cover?????? Makes me want to beat up the mailman and have him cough up my MCM as that HAS to be the reason why I haven't seen #158 yet! I am liking the sounds of things, gonna have to ask for a raise in my allowance so I can renew my subscription this summer.

I am set to head out on the road for a few days and while it would have been nice to have something new to read, #158 is not here yet. It has always amazed me at the hit and miss pattern of the USPO in the way they deliver mail. How can someone get their magazine a week(or more) before others if they are mailed at the same time?

You are not alone in your thinking Mark as I am in the same boat. I am not a builder of big trucks but all the forum buzz about the new Lonestar kit and the various test shots and what not have me thinking about buying one. Same might be true for some other kits on the horizon. Hell, I bought the new Lindberg Charger police car kit for the dang lightbars! I am sure I will build the Charger or trade it but it was the thought of 8 lightbars for other projects that got me to part with $20 for it!

Tim, To Aaron's point, when you consider the cost of that blower motor and engineering it to fit your booth, it might be a good idea to compare costs to a ready built booth. Pace is one of several that advertise in the hobby mags and several members here have raved about them. Despite my handy skills and general frugality, I am seriously thinking about getting a Pace (or similar) booth just because I can literally plug it in and be painting in a matter of minutes as opposed to building one in hours or days! Best of luck and show us what you got!

I am sure that the pre-production announcements also help determine if a company should really spend the money on a tool and pour plastic into it. What is the reaction and forum talk say about a particular kit's potential? In the past the manufacturers relied on the LHS and distributors pre-orders as well as big box retailers. Now that there are fewer distribution points, the forums and chat rooms might be a better barometer. While we have all seen plenty of 32 Fords and 57 Chevies,and many of us have a lot in our stash, did that prevent some of us from buying more of the new variations that have come out? How many people bought the '72 Cutlass when it came out last year only to buy the new version this year????? The price of developing a new kit for a shrinking market is a huge factor in what we eventually see on the shelves at the store. How much would it cost to tool up a brand new '73 Chevy Vega kit versus modifying an existing '69 Camaro mold to create a COPO version of car many of us would love to build? Simple economics. The recent list of coming releases from Revell and Round 2 have me a little excited but then again I tend to start more than I finish so the last thing I need is another dozen kits-just ask my wife! I feel we need to have the announcements continue or else we run the risk of folks losing interest in the hobby. While I hate waiting like most, it should serve as a motivation to get my WIP done so I can build the new kits coming.

I second Jim's request and please ask that the only background music is the "lump lump" of that beautiful motor!

Looking good there Walt, I can relate with the honey-do list and model building! Nice calendar there too.......You must possess some "Know How"

To add to Lee's post, there has been much written/debated here about the type of motor needed to build a safe spray booth. The Grainger folks have the correct type of motor to keep you safe. They ain't cheap but being blown up or having a house fire isn't either! Show us your booth when you get it done!

congrats on your first issue. I have been a subscriber for a long time and have all the issues from nearly the beginning. Hopefully my copy will show up soon but I think my mailman reads it first as the pages are worn when it comes 2 weeks after everybody else gets theirs!

I was just in a Hobbytown USA and they had the Tamiya White putty but no primers. The owner said they should be getting the primers in some time this month, hopefully. He ranted a little about the CPSC label requirements as it didn't seem to affect the big cans of primers available at home centers or parts stores. It must be something about Tamiya as the ModelMaster wasn't affected. Whatever the case, I like Bob Downie's idea of primer as it seems to be an economical solution. Gotta find some and try it!

I will add a third and also state that Bob has a knack for combining some cars into great "Why don't they build that?" vehicles! That Mustang/Camaro/Challenger combo from awhile back is another one of those great builds. I have similar visions, I just can't make them happen like you do Bob and my hat is off to you! I can't wait to see what you cook up next.