Mark

If you're spraying it from the can (as opposed to an airbrush), why not pick up a can of clear in the same brand?

First prize is a Chevy Cruze...second prize is TWO Chevy Cruzes! I'm here all week folks...try the veal, and don't forget to tip your waitress! I don't get the excitement over that car...checked it out at the local new car show that virtually coincided with its debut. Typical GM "this is the one that's going to drive the imports back to the shores" that we've heard so many times before...and the car was thoroughly underwhelming...

My '79 AMC Spirit GT had a Ford electronic ignition system, Ford starter, and Ford four-speed manual transmission. Never touched any of those items (except routine maintenance like tune-ups and lube changes) in 215,000 miles. The GM alternator was another matter. The GM power steering didn't give me any trouble, though. People still ask me about that car...it outlasted the company that put it together. If the "right" one came along, I'd buy another in a minute...

The last time I worked downtown, I drove to work by the shortest route. My brother used to manage a Midas muffler shop that I drove by on that route. When I told him how I was driving to work, he told me: "as you drive that way, count to three over and over...every third car you see probably won't have insurance". When my 2004 truck was about a year old, someone slammed into the back of it, bending the rear bumper. Guy gets out of the car (an '89 Probe, if I remember right) and, first thing, says "do we have to go through the insurance?". Uh-oh. We pull off to the side, and he says "I haven't got my insurance card with me". When I did payroll and HR at a roofing company, "I don't have my drivers' license with me" translated to "I haven't got a drivers' license", and that stuck with me. But this guy did have insurance, and the bumper did get replaced. I still think insurance companies are legalized thieves, though. If you have had a claim recently, your insurance goes up. If you haven't had a claim in a long time, then you are "more likely" to file one soon, so your insurance goes up. If you have a small car, you're more likely to get hurt in an accident, so your insurance is higher. If you have a truck or SUV, you're likely to cause more damage to another vehicle in an accident, so your insurance is higher. When isn't it higher?

I didn't see anything regarding financing...maybe the guy paid cash for it? That said, then as now, not having at least "fire and theft" insurance on a two-year-old car wouldn't be too bright. I can't stand giving money to insurance companies (you're basically buying something you hope you will never use, and if you do put in a claim it gets even more expensive afterwards). But, fire, theft, and liability insurance isn't as outrageous as collision coverage...it makes sense to have it on a 'Vette. I was going to dump the collision coverage on my ten year old truck, until I looked at the itemized bill. Not even ten bucks a month, that's less than the "uninsured motorist" coverage that you can't be without around here...

Correction...just pulled my builtup out of the box...the cylinder heads and spoiler parts on it are painted black, molded in white. Based on the Scrambler Vega that I have now, and the Dunn & Reath 'Cuda that I had some years back, I'd still bet that the spoilers and side spats in the kit as-issued weren't painted to match the body. The rear pan on my Firebird is definitely not painted. The chassis is a one-piece "1970" Logghe Stamping unit (side rails and interior floor "tin" molded as one piece). Other kits that used that same chassis were the Mercury Cyclones, '71 Blue Max Mustang (the first MPC version, the one with the stock body), the '73 "Warlord" Camaro (but not the '71 "USA-1"), and the "Jolly Roger" Maverick. The later kits had a different oil pan to replace the front-sump Ford unit, to try and make the engine look different.

Beswick was probably referring to a reissue of the 1/18 scale diecast version, not the kit. Most of MPC's funny car kits (including the Firebird) used bodies that were shared with the promotional models and annual kits. In most cases, the bodies were updated year by year for use in the annual kits, which took the funny cars and Pro Stockers out of the picture in terms of reissue possibilities. MPC updated their Firebird body through '81. The Boss Bird was based on the '72 kit. It has a stock body with the flat (no scoops) hood molded in; MPC never offered a kit with that hood as a separate piece. The chassis was shared with a number of other kits, and the engine is a Ford Boss 429 with different heads and valve covers to make it resemble a Pontiac. The body was pre-painted in pearl white, but the Trans-Am spoiler pieces were molded in black. The other pre-painted funny car kits had similar brainstorms; for example, the Dunn & Reath Barracuda had a nice metallic red paint job, but the rear pan wasn't painted. I've got a Malco Scrambler Vega with a nice paint job and unpainted spoilers.

Maybe they can start doing what they did with the Copper-Cooled Chevrolets in 1923. Most of those never left the factory; they went straight to the scrapper...

In the picture of the engine compartment, the main fuel line goes forward from the fuel tank (it's below the coil in the picture), into the cool can, then comes out where it splits off into the lines going to the carbs...

It's not 1/24 scale, it's 1/25. Those were produced by AMT, and share most parts with promotional models (and kits). Most of the radio promos you see now are Thunderbirds, but there were others. I don't know about now, but when I was heavily into collecting promos the radios weren't as desirable as the regular promos.

They're all great in the first three years. GM in particular often gets good grades for "initial quality". Then the cost-cutting rears its ugly head, the chronic problems rise to the surface, and the resale value gets steered into the ditch like everything else they've been building...

Ah, the substituted parts! Didn't the Buick GN have a 150 series TH? Basically a Chevette transmission. My mom had trouble getting keys made for her Chevette because it was built near the end of the model year, with whatever they swept up off of the assembly plant floor. Funny, isn't it, that they always ran out of Oldsmobile or Buick engines and subbed Chevy engines. They never ran out of Chevy engines and substituted Cadillacs...

GM has been peddling junk for the last forty years. It started with them not taking the subcompact segment seriously, writing it off as unprofitable. (Ford did the same initially too; one of HFII's famous comments was "minicars, miniprofits"). Rusty Vegas followed by perpetual clouds of blue smoke, Chevmobiles, X-cars with dead-last technology (beam rear axles, pushrod engines with carburetors, four-speed manual transmissions), overpriced J-cars that all looked alike, the "sticker shock" that accompanied them into the showrooms, Buick V6 installations that were overmatched by the weight of the cars in which they were installed, diesel engines that didn't last, Pontiac Fieros built out of the parts bin, Cadillacs, Oldsmobiles, and Buicks that were basically Chevrolets with a few added plastic trim parts and stand-up hood ornaments, and so on. Yes, a lot of these were a long time ago. But each major blunder creates a lost generation of customers, as most of those people didn't come back. As parents, most of them probably wouldn't co-sign on their childrens' car loans for GM products either, creating another lost generation. And in general, they probably poor-mouthed GM to anyone who listened. GM is running out of generations of customers to lose.

Notox was marketed by MPC. They had a massive ad campaign to launch the stuff, but it wasn't around long. Even today, I've heard people say that when they disassemble an old builtup that was assembled with Notox, they can detect a lemony smell from the parts...

I'm pretty certain the "original box art" Switchers kit(s) were a DTR deal (not Model King or Stevens International).

That's the corporate line that they like to throw around, but in my commute I see a bunch of basic vehicles like the Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris, and early Ford Escapes. Ford was selling Rangers up until the end; they realized people were buying them not necessarily wanting a truck, but rather a vehicle without a lot of expensive garbage on it. Say what you will about Chevy Cavaliers, but GM never had any trouble selling them either. The loaded cars sell because most people buy on impulse, want it NOW, and so they have to take what is on the lot. So the dealers put only loaded vehicles on the lot. "It's only ______ more per month anyway", is the rationale for dealers and most buyers. If you don't want power seats (who needs them when you are the only driver?) or a sunroof, you have to place an order and wait. I had to order my truck because I didn't want four-wheel drive or an extended cab, and all they had on the lot were high-end trucks. I've ordered the two trucks and one car that I bought new anyway...if you're spending the money, get exactly what you want, without paying for anything you don't want.

Parts content is pretty much the same. As a nostalgia exercise, they're pretty good, but the Revell Deuces have everything beat. If you are into '32 Fords, though, you'll probably want one of everything that's out there anyway. The '32 Ford kits (there were two, each with two body styles) are easier to assemble than the T-bucket Switchers kits.

I picked up one of those cheapo Dremel type tools when it was on sale, and I could use a coupon on top of the sale price. It's single-speed, so I can plug it into a Dremel speed control and slow it down to a crawl. Even on the lowest speed, the Dremel tools sometimes run faster than I'd like them to.

Around here, the only store that carried Advent kits was Woolworth's. They were already in decline then, and the couple of stores I knew about were sort of out of the way, so I wouldn't have gone there looking for kits. I was more into muscle car promos and kits at the time, so I wouldn't have given the Advent stuff a second glance anyway. I didn't realize how many different kits were sold in Advent packaging until I found the catalog years later. After finding it, I did notice more of the kits, but there are some I still haven't seen. Some may not have been produced.

Take the battery out of the calipers if you aren't going to use it for a while. Someone told me to do that when I got mine. At first I didn't take the advice seriously, but after going through the first battery without having used the thing too much, I now take the battery out. Safety goggles (or glasses) should go without saying, but then again we ought to be reminded every so often. The drill bits are okay for plastic, wood, and some metals. I've got a couple of the airbrushes (the cheapest one looks like a Badger knockoff); haven't tried them yet but they should be okay. The miniature files are okay for plastic. Lately I've been using the "diamond grit" ones; I've taken a liking to those. I've found super small ones on eBay. The dental picks and such are okay, but I can get those at automotive swap meets, cheaper and a wider selection. The sanding sponges come in handy once in a while. Not for fine work, but they are alright for knocking down excess filler. Not absolutely everything is offshore stuff. A while back, I saw Maglite flashlights there, and those were still made here (I checked the packaging). Some products will have "Made in USA" with an asterisk, and in fine print you'll find something along the lines of "refers to packaging only". Not the Maglites, at least the ones I've seen lately. I did buy one of those wooden tool chests (one with the lined drawers and the fussy little hardware all over it). I used a coupon, it was pretty cheap. Around here the flea market vendors want stupid money for beat-up old ones. But I did break my own rule about what to buy or not to buy at Snap-On East (Harbor Freight), and bought an air compressor there. Not a hobby type one, but a bigger one. Never again, the thing leaks oil. When I get my garage built, I'll buy a better one. But then again, half of the other stores out there are probably selling the same products, with a different brand name and a higher price.

Racing Champions (maker of diecast NASCAR items in different scales) bought Ertl, and with it AMT and MPC. They eventually moved away from NASCAR items and became RC2. In 2007, RC2 announced that, except for Johnny Lightning diecast cars, they were going to abandon "automotive" items (including shutting down AMT) and get more into educational toys, so they name-changed again to Learning Curve. The name change was made while AMT was still operating. Round 2 (not to be confused with RC2) stepped in and leased the rights to some of the "automotive collectible" brands (including AMT) in 2008. A couple years ago, Tomy bought out Learning Curve and sold to Round 2 the properties they had been leasing. So now Tomy owns Learning Curve (not sure if they still use the name) while Round 2 owns and operates AMT, MPC, and other car-related brands. Everyone has what they want now...

The sellers think the Advent kit is worth more because it's rarer than the Revell equivalent. To be fair, it is rarer, because the Advent version was only manufactured for one year (if that). The 914 kits seem to be tough to find in either package, so it's probably a matter of which one you find first at a price you are willing to pay. Years ago, I bought the Advent Thames and Anglia kits because I couldn't find Revell issues at reasonable prices. Early issue kits had those plastic-eating vinyl tires, later issues had iffy plating. The Advent issues of those two kits had no plating at all. The late Herb Jackson had started doing plating for model kit parts around that time, so I cleaned all the flashing off of the silver trees and had them plated. They came out great! I later sold those kits; the plating made them a lot easier to sell. A couple years after selling them, the Anglia was reissued again. Not long ago, I bought an Advent issue Porsche 911 because it didn't have the plating. Like the Thames and Anglia, I'll clean up the silver parts tree and have it plated.

I didn't mention the chassis...the main point was that this car was not part of the double kit. The Dream Rod frame started out under a less-known British sports car, the Jowett Jupiter. The Dream Rod front suspension is built around some VW Beetle parts, not sure about the rear.

The double kit included the King T (Tognotti's T) and Wild Dream (Wilhelm's Wonder). Two America's Most Beautiful Roadster winners in one box! AMT issued the double kit, MPC later issued the two kits separately. I haven't got the separate kits, but I believe the display bases for each car were plated in those. They weren't plated in the double kit. The King T chassis was used under the Carl Casper Paddy Wagon, and the Chuck Miller Fire Truck (currently available from Round 2). That chassis can be fitted under a stock-appearing fendered T; it hasn't got the kick-up at the rear. The Wild Dream chassis saw service in other MPC kits like the Barris Ice Cream Truck and the one-time only Street Beast '26(issued in the mid-Seventies). MPC tended to recycle a lot of their chassis. Another chassis to take a look at is the one in the MPC Vending Machine (soon to be reissued). It has a Corvette independent rear suspension and tubular front axle. Even if you don't want the 'Vette rear end, it could be switched out for something else without too much effort. The front end setup is more delicate than the ones in the T kits issued earlier, making it worth a look-see. The Car Craft Dream Rod was a stand-alone kit, later altered into the Tiger Shark that was reissued during the RC2 era. I didn't see any mention of this so far...but the frame in the Revell Tweedy Pie is an extremely cut-down '32 Ford unit, accurate to the 1:1 Tweedy but pretty unique in the T-bucket world.

Just picked up my copy earlier today. The 1998 issue kit I'm working on now was pretty decent compared to the half dozen or so issues prior to it, but this one seems a little better. The drivers' side FI script still looks a little weak like the '98 issue, but the body parts in the new issue have less flashing, and minimal sink marks. My '98 kit body had one prominent one, on the drivers' side quarter panel above the "washboard" trim. The new issue has no sink marks on the bumpers, and the wheel covers look a bit better than at any time in the last forty years or so. I haven't tried any of the separate panels for fit. My '98 kit doors seem to be pretty good except for a sink mark or two, the trunk lid needed material added along one side to tighten up the gap. Unfortunately, the plated tree in my new kit is contaminated with a lot of junk, so off goes an e-mail to customer service...