mikemodeler

It is from 9-4 on the 21st. The location is: Village Inn 6205 Ramada Drive Clemmons, NC the club website is: www.carolinakustommodelers.com Should be a good time.

Johnny, The power of prayer is definitely at work with your wife as displayed by her recovery. I am sure she will continue to amaze the doctors and herself with her progress as she seems like a determined woman! Keep the Faith and we will all be here waiting for your updates. I am certain that you two will work hard in your therapies and be able to look back at this year as God's way of testing you in many ways.

As Bluesman Mark said, I am from Charlotte. Been here 5 years, not exactly digging this heat wave, makes spray painting very difficult! Make sure you get to CKM show on August 21. Should be tons of great models and from what I hear, the swap & vendor area is full of deals.

Marty, That is one nice looking ride and I wouldn't worry about the wiper arms. I think if you were to foil them it would change the look of the car. Nice color combo and I am sure once you get all moved in and the hobby room setup you will have some more builds for us to drool over!

Kenny, I will assume that you will be bringing these to the show next month, both the bodies and the chassis? If so, please let us know how much they will cost as I keep increasing my "stash" money and this will probably cause me to donate plasma twice this month! Nice stuff and can't wait to touch/see it in person.

Gary, The tale of A/FX N resin is one of many different stories over time. The sad part is that the product was very high quality but poor service and shady practices did them in. If you see their product at a show and want to buy it, you probably won't be disappointed and should buy it. There have been conflicting reports as to whether or not they are still in business under a different name or an assumed identity on Ebay. I would caution you to only buy it in person as that is the only sure way to get what you want without the headaches of waiting for someone to (maybe) ship you something. Buyer beware!

Art, Check with the Modelhaus, they list a resin kit for '67 Impala that uses an AMT Impala kit to finish it. Quality stuff from nice people !

Lyle, That is one great looking model and makes me want to buy that kit! That black paint looks very rich and I can tell you that you are very brave to paint a car that color as it can be a PITA to get it right. An old trick I learned years ago from a detailer at the Mercedes dealer I worked at was to wash a car after waxing it. It seems that waxing and polishing can lead to static electricity buildup on the surface and washing the car removes it. Sounds crazy but it does work and it can also help get any residue off that you may have missed. I think the dust you are attracting might be due to static buildup. (of course now that the car is assmebled it makes it harder but maybe next time!) Keep em coming, I always enjoy your builds and creativity.

Harry, Great question but I think you knew the answers you would get before you posed it! For me, it is because I have great intentions and really believe that I will build those kits. I was also drawn to the Big Lots & Wal-Marts when they were closing out kits and how could you not buy a kit that was only $5.00 ? My question to you: Why did you buy that Mustang last year when a Smart car would get you around town just the same? Let me guess the answer.............Because you can!

If I remember correctly, Michaels had their Saturday program "The Knack" where you could show up and do a make & take of a Revell snap tite kit. I don't know how successful it was but I have noticed that it was not a part of their plans for 2010. Not knowing whose decision it was to not continue it makes it difficult to determine whether Revell or Michaels would want to be a part of something similar in the future. I think a Hobby Lobby or Michaels could be swayed to join in on a contest as they are already selling kits and supplies. Not sure how far to take the contest idea at the stores but they do have meeting rooms and are great sources of supplies and it could be a family thing. Might be able to get cross-promotion with other companies/categories. Might be able to offer coupons for future purchases (Michaels already does this) but it does get some people to come back. I think a contest for ALL MODELS would be better received by the folks at Revell or AMT and could work, just need to get some folks involved from all angles (IPMS, model mags, model companies, large clubs etc).

Many good points made here, both pro and con, but I think Harry's idea is worth investigating. If nothing is done, then the hobby will continue to die. The days of the LHS holding a contest are over as the number of LHS are going fast. I know that HobbyTown USA has had contests in the past, maybe some type of partnership could be struck with them? I think the concept is great, the execution might be harder, not sure.

Looks good and nice rebuild! That truck should pull that boat with no problems. Is the hitch a kit item or scratchbuilt?

Just bought this kit today and will be watching the build up. I like the cab conversion and the 4WD set up as well. I have some ideas of what I want to do with my kit and it is similar to this, although I think I will go with more of a stock tire/wheel setup.

Yet another story of a great resin caster who has let bad customer service tarnish his product and cost him business! I know there are several things that they offer that I want but have not ordered for the reasons stated in this post. For what it is worth, Randy was scaling back his resin business as he has opened a brick & mortar hobby shop. That doesn't excuse him from not replying to messages or updating his website/online store, just gives you some insight. Sure hope he gets things worked out, I would love to drop over $100 on a few of his things.

Bill & Len, Your buildups and details are an inspiration to us all. I hope my version of this kit looks half as good as yours. Thank you for doing the reviews and showing us how these new kits can be built, it really helps and motivates me to get started on mine. I will probably have to pick up another one or two so I can build different versions like you did. The AMT '62 Bubbletop was the kit that got me back into the hobby some 17 years ago so any '62 Impala kit is a reminder of getting back to building for me. Thanks again but I gotta ask..............."What's next?"

Michael, Great name you have there, it has served me well for over 40 years! Welcome to the hobby and be sure to soak everything up that you can. Joining this forum is a great start to learning about this hobby because you will find all skill levels here and a great bunch of modelers who are willing to help you with just about anything. Not sure what the scene is like "down under" but I am sure some other countrymen will chime in and guide you to places locally that will have what you are looking for. In terms of American Muscle Cars, both AMT & Revell offer quite a few kits. It depends on whether you want a specific brand (Mopar, GM, Ford) or a certain era ( early 60's, mid 60's, etc) as to what kit or brand to buy. Both companies offer some great kits as well as some real klunkers so it is best to ask or surf the forum to see what others think or have built. It sounds like you have most of the basic skills and tools, I would say that you pick a kit and build it straight out of the box before you jump into foiling & flocking. Foiling and flocking take some practice and patience and I am sure you will pick it up quickly, it just might be easier to find some kits to practice on first. Keep us posted on your builds. Mike

In today's newspaper ad for Hobby Lobby there is a 40% off coupon. As most of us know, you can also go to their website and print off the coupon too. Stopped in a Michaels yesterday and they were registering folks for their website so they could send you the coupons electronically. They are trying to reduce costs of printing and distributing paper ads. Have found some great deals at both stores. Yesterday I got a '66 GTO from Michaels for $9.99 on clearance and the other day I got a '69 Yenko Camaro from HL for $10.49. I didn't need either kit but I hadto help the economy 'cuz thats what they say on the TV!

Marc, Glad to see a different color as your choice. I like the color you picked but as was posted above, that bright blue or a purple for the stripe might be a better choice. Whatever you decide, I am certain we will like it. Got it done yet?

Not another red Camaro! Marc, how about some other color? Black with a gray stripe? Blue with silver? I am liking this and can't wait to see what you do with it. Your builds always impress me and I know whatever color you choose it will be done right. Mike

That should look real nice with those wheels, I am thinking a Ross Gibson TPI motor with a 5 Speed. I will be following this one!

This is going to be a good one to watch. I wish they would re-issue this body instead of using the '68 Camaro body with some vent windows molded into the windshield. I have several of the recent '67 Camaro AMT kits and the wing windows just don't look as nice as the ones on this body. Is it safe to say this will get your usual pro-tour treatment with lowered suspension and custom wheels? I always like your builds!

Living in Charlotte, one gets a little more NASCAR news than in other parts of the country as NASCAR is a big part of the economy and history here. The news about Brian Vickers has been all over the local stations and I think one of them had an interview with a doctor trying to explain his condition and treatment. Brian said the other night "I can race, I am just not allowed to crash!", which I think is a great outlook on his situation. He will have to find a way to rid his body of the blood clots and get off the blood thinners if he ever wants to drive a race car again. In an article in the local paper it said that he is limited in what he can do for awhile as they treat him. I know when my dad was on blood thinners he had to be careful as to not cut himself. He used an electric razor, wore gloves and avoided situations where he might get hurt, not easy to do in the construction trade. I too hope he makes a full recovery and is back behind the wheel soon. He seems like a class guy and has talent.

Check out The Modelhaus, they have quite a selection of wheels and tires so I think you should be able to find what you are looking for. Set # T-802 is a copy of the wheels and tires from the AMT Chevy Dually pickup and is $13.00 unplated/$15.00 plated. Set # T-800 is a copy of 1950's Medium Duty wheels and tires (17.5 inch) and are $16.00 set. Their catalog doesn't have pictures but a quick phone call should get you the information you are looking for. web site- www.modelhaus.com phone- 217-864-4402 Don and Carol are great people to do business with and have outstanding products and service.

Geez, unless they are in a convertible, how would one see them? I have a hard enough time remembering some of the easy details, let alone some decal on a visor!

Considering I have a weakness for wagons, especially resin ones, I will take at least 1, and probably two. Keep the new stuff coming Matt, at this rate I will never save for retirement! Thanks