Mark

It's too bad Hasegawa didn't put some effort into getting the inside surfaces smooth on the one-piece body in their kit.

Just like with bread, you have to skip the first couple of slices to get to the "good bread"...

Didn't think anyone would do a kit of my 1:1 car, but Aoshima stepped up. 1/32 scale, snap, right-hand drive, but it's the correct color (actually, four colors are offered). Modeler's does a 1/24 scale kit, in resin (but a manufactured, licensed item). On backorder, no word on when it will be back in stock.

With resin, you should be able to use any type of paint you want. Provided, of course, you take the correct measures to clean and prep the parts for primer and paint.

The auto parts stores and auto parts manufacturers tend to go with diecasts, not kits.

Is the hat a separate casting? Between the shape (or lack thereof) of the brim, and the fact that it sits too high, it's amazing how perfect the features are while the hat is so far off.

Only the customizing version (first issue, in the big flat box) had them.

Maybe it had whitewall tires on only one side?

I'd bet those factories work in shifts, 24/7/365.

And, on occasion, that's what happens...

I'm pretty certain the fender change was made after the '61 Buick wagon; the '62 and the Nova have the Chevy pickup style fenders if I remember right.

I've heard the cycle takes about one minute, but I'd bet "offshore" manufacturing might move a bit quicker.

2X, it was the Potvin style crank driven blower setup. No way would it fit the Boss Nova, with the driver just in front of the engine. The Nova wagon does use the trailer and Chrysler engine from the Buick Special wagon. Budd Anderson said so in his monthly column back then. The Nova version of the Chrysler engine has more plated parts; the Buick version didn't have a plated block or cylinder heads.

Rather than search out a hard-to-find part that you will be altering anyway, why not start with something like a '68 Roadrunner bench seat? Being a Mopar item, it will likely be closer in terms of overall shape, characteristics like cushion/seat back design should be close, and size should be close because both are intermediate cars. From there, it's a matter of sanding the detail off and scribing new detail to fit your needs.

In all but a rare few exceptions, there is only one mold/tool for each kit. With more modern kits, they are often designed from the start to produce two or more versions, by switching in different portions of the tool. Stock and street machine or racing versions, for example.

Don't think so...most of the exterior markings on the 1:1 car were decals, and the grille was plastic. Not much on the car that could be done other than interior hardware, and much of that might be the same as a '68 or '69 Dart.

Two Guys (originally Two Guys from Harrison) didn't go out of business...they just stopped operating department stores. They are still in business, as a property management company.

If you are willing to spend $80 on this unit, not sure if it has enough muscle for the stuff we are trying to do, may as well throw another $20 or $30 on the pile and get one of the "dental tray" machines which definitely has enough grunt to get the job done. The one I have takes 5" x 5" sheets with no perforations or other fancy details on the edges, making it easy to cut material from larger sheets that are easy to get. The pre-cut material for this unit will probably be way overpriced, and if Michael's decides to stop carrying them then you are down to cutting your own sheets anyway.

I'd bet that Michael's won't permit the use of 40% or 50% off coupons on this machine, similar to how they handle Cricut machines. Only 20% right now...I was hoping for 40% as there is a kit on the shelf that I want, but ain't paying $30 for.

You can get sheet styrene on eBay. I bought a couple of odd size .020" sheets from one vendor, to cut into 5" x 5" pieces for my machine. It worked out to around 190 sheets for about $35. The guy had sold out of the particular size sheet I asked for, but forgot to pull the listing. He sent two sheets of other sizes, I ended up getting over 300 sheets for around ten cents each.

I wonder if the plastic sheets (other than the clear ones) that are made to fit the unit are styrene, or (like the Mattel unit) are some other plastic that heats up at a lower temperature than styrene. You wouldn't use clear styrene in any case, but for parts other than windows you would want styrene.

I wouldn't consider a popcorn ball to be candy, or even edible for that matter. Then there's the unholy trinity of candy...candy corn, circus peanuts, and Mary Janes (Bit-O-Honey and Mary Janes are interchangeable as far as I'm concerned). The dregs of the candy universe...

That is a 1972 release, the first one without the Stylizing parts and with the drag version. I believe the Coulter/Shelton directory gives the incorrect 1968 release date for that issue, and that info gets repeated by anyone quoting that source.

Nope, that was the panel delivery. The depot hack is a passenger version, a precursor to the wood-bodied station wagons.

The bowtie is a separate part.