mikemodeler

David, You might be able to source your steelies from Modelhaus, they have a big variety of replacement wheels/tires/hubcaps available for tons of old kits. There might be someone who would be willing to swap the motor you need, just list your desire in the swap section and you might be surprised at the responses. Mike

Three words for you.........Rent-A-Wreck ! I remember working near there a few times about 7 or 8 years ago. Never felt safe despite the constant presence of police cars. I had a great boss who didn't mind us "packing heat" when working within the Chicago city limits. You might want to take a bus and not that nice blue Mustang.

Harry, you didn't say if it was for the Federal Court (U.S. Attorneys Office) or if it was the County Court (States Attorneys Office). Either way, claim hardship (sole provider for family, child care, loss of job, etc) and you can usually get out of it. Back when we lived in the Northern Burbs, my wife was selected to serve on a Federal Jury for some scumbag gang banging drug dealers. She claimed hardship as our daughter was about a year old and I travelled with my job every week and she didn't have anyone to watch the kids. I was called several years ago here in Charlotte for a Federal case involving an Illegal Alien that had gone on a crime spree after being deported for a previous crime spree. It took them 3 days and 100 jurors before they could find 12 to sit on the jury. After all that, the bum pled guilty and everyone was dismissed! We were not allowed to read ANYTHING while the jury selection process went on, nor were we allowed cell phones, pagers or laptops. Talk about time standing still! Good Luck and let us know how it goes. Mike

During these hectic holiday times it is easy to forget about our freedoms that guys like Clay (and the soldiers before him) provide us. Several others have posted my thoughts earlier in this post so I just wanted Clay and Ani to know that our family has them in our prayers along with all of the other soldiers serving our country this holiday season. May everyone make it home safe and sound. God Bless and thank you for your service. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Mike

Can ya wait until I get some glue out of that old horse???? Been running low on the Elmers' and not sure how I will get those headlight lenses to stay put. Lock it Danno!

Did I mention her cousin is Lorena Bobbitt? I shrink her sweater and I will suddenly want to start reading Better Homes & Gardens instead of MCM!!!!

George, ordinarily I would bring out the beatin' stick. But you see, my wife is 100% Norwegian, and I think we all have seen what an angry Norwegian wife can (and will) do when provoked! But don't take my word for it, ask Tiger Woods! I just want something to read!

Steve- To answer your question it looks like they used Plasti-kote black primer (t-236) with some Model Master semi-gloss. (I re-read the post from the beginning) It appears to give the correct "shine" like you mentioned. Mike

What is the latest on the November issue? Did my mailman steal it again or did my wife wrap it up for X-mas? Now that it is getting cooler here in the South, I need some reading material!

" Like grains of sand through an hourglass....these are the days of our lives" !!!! What a %@&^%?# soap opera !!!!! If he doesn't type fast, hire someone to do the job. If he has over 100 emails, then business must be pretty good........or maybe there are 20 emails from 5 ticked off customers???????? Again, I buy my resin in person at a show or from 3 trusted vendors already mentioned here. I will go pop some popcorn and wait for the next installment! Mike

My wife would be willing to sell you about 100 pounds of some model car back issues.........but I won't ! Harry is correct, if there is a certain back issue you want, contact the publisher and they will get them out to you. I bought some way back when after I discovered the magazine and am glad I did, great mag! Mike

have you checked with Scale Equipment LTD? They have a ton of diorama items and might have what you need. If not, maybe a picture from the internet will yield enough to scratch build one. Mike

Scale Equipment sells a resin copy of a lawn tractor that was once in an old MPC Indy car kit. They also sell a lawn mower deck, snow plow and trailer to tow behind it. Paint it in the color of your favorite lwan tractor and it makes for some excellent diorama material. Mike

I just got a Model Expo sales flyer and they show a NEW! spray booth for $119.99. It is metal and is easily transportable (so they say) as it weighs 8 pounds. Not sure who makes it but for just over a hundred bucks, it might be worth it to check it out. It would be nice if there was a review in a magazine (hint hint Gregg) to see how it performs. Mike

I know this doesn't help Jason's plight but these posts are a reminder to me that there are very few (2 or3) resin vendors that I KNOW I can send an order to and get prompt, RELIABLE service from. The rest I buy it when I can lay my hands on it, like at shows or swap meets. We all tire of the posts like these because we feel like we are being held hostage. Don admits to not wanting to hang out at "the box" answering emails-fine, get someone to do it for you then Don. I am sure there is someone you can rely on to respond to the inquiries while you are pouring rubber & resin. I hope that business is that busy for Don and he just can't keep up with the orders. I would hate to think that we have yet another vendor who produces a great product but with a ton of controversy that eventually it forces them to close shop. Mike

I went for real, the details seemed too real to overlook Harry's skills. This is a Land Rover and if it is a model, I want to see the whole thing as someone sure spent some time on details!

Check out the Modelhaus, I believe they have the correct wheels for this car. I think they are sold as a set, with or without tires. Nice folks and very high quality product. Mike

I voted real, something just seemed real about it. I will say Harry has been able to pull off some good ones lately but the paint job (or should I say "coloring"?) is a bit of a giveaway. Ol' Henry Ford didn't put color on these cars. Mike

It is real ugly for sure but something about it says real to me. Maybe the crisp details, the angular shapes, not sure but too nice to think it is a model. Mike

post some pictures or give more detailed information if you want true feedback. I would say given the lack of any new wrecker kits in quite some time, there should be some interest, if the price is in line. Of course there is that "quality" issue- if it is good it will sell, if it isn't, it won't. late model beds with wheel lifts would be great, so would some simple roll back bodies. Mike

A few years ago there was a company in Michigan advertising in Scale Auto that would sell a painted body of a current kit for around $30, IIRC. Must not have been that good as I haven't seen their ad in several years or else no one stepped up to buy them. This is a tough one for me as while my painting skills are no where near show winning capacity, I have been working on them and improving steadily. I build for me and not contests so the quality of the paint job is secondary to finishing the kit most of the time. I don't have a problem having someone painting a body for me, especially if it is not going to be entered in a show. That being said, how many 1:1 car owners paint their own cars that they enter in shows/contests? Granted, painting in 1:1 is harder than 1/25, but is there really a difference? If I wanted a car with flames on it, I wouldn't hesitate to call Brian and pay him accordingly as it might take me forever to master his abilities, just like I would with a 1:1. I wish you great luck in your venture and hope you are successful. Post some of your samples here and let us know how it goes. Maybe you can have fun AND make a few $$ in the process. Mike

The Modelhaus also has a grille available, $4.75, comes plated. It is a re-pop from the original kit. Mike

Clay, Thank you and your fellow soldiers for your service and dedication in keeping us safe and free. Take care, stay safe and hurry back here. Stay in touch with us as you can, as time allows. Be sure to let this community know if there is anything we can do for you, your family or your military families, there is a great bunch of people in this hobby that will help. God Bless & Semper Fi Mike

Wow, never noticed that one before. I agree, you would think someone would have caught that one. Almost as bad as those mysterious typographical errors that pop up in articles in magazines/newspapers!

While I share your sentiments regarding the same old same old when it comes to kits, there are probably several reasons why we keep seeing them. 1. Some of the old molds have been modified over the years into other variations so therefore they cannot "go further back into the warehouse" and dig them up. In some cases, given the ownership changes the hobby has seen, some molds and parts of them have been lost due to moves and improper storage. 2. An all new kit can run into $100,000 or more in development costs. Depending on subject matter, there can be licensing costs that run into thousands more. 3. Everyone has a wish list of what they think will be the next best seller. The '57 Chevy is a kit that has been around for ever and yet another version just came out. The immediate reaction has been great and it is selling well. Why, do you ask? Because it is an improvement over previous kits and is a version not seen. 4. The recent all new kit of the Chevy Nova from Revell has already spawned another version of the same kit, the Yenko Nova. While there are differences between the two, the majority of the kit is shared and subtle changes are made to come out with another kit. The model companies do listen and they try to give us what we want. If you look at the hobby from their perspective, you will see that they have to ensure that whatever kit gets the green light for production, it has to be a good seller, otherwise the money won't be there for the next kit. Add to that the fact that most of the consumers of the product are older, the model companies gear their offering to what those folks are looking for. A late model Maurader is a great idea as it could be derived from a Crown Vic kit. The Crown Vic kit would be a huge seller as there are many Cop Car builders out there, far more than those who desire a Maurader. How much would those two variations cost to develop and bring to market I don't know but maybe someone else here does. Don't lose the faith and please don't take my comments as criticism, just some observations from being around the hobby for a long time. There have been many threads like this one before and I am sure there will be more in the future. The best way for the hobby companies to know if we like their new kits is through the sales of them. If they don't sell, they get the hint! Mike.