Mark

Paul Hettick does well, but then again he has had to build a reputation over a number of years to reach that point. Some of his builds are based on resin kits that are costly to start with, so sometimes he isn't doing as well on a build as it seems at first glance. Making money at it would require being both good and fast. I built two '60 Fords for Round 2 some years back (quite possibly the least seen two builtups they ever had at any trade show!). I learned a lesson...I can do good work but cannot do it fast. I won't attempt such a thing again.

Sprue, runner, or tree...it's the same plastic that the kit's parts are made of. When possible, I'll use a leftover part, like a custom pan or optional hood for testing.

Should print it on paper, then you'd have a bunch of "boo sheet"...

Testing the paint on sprues or unused parts from the kit being painted won't be good practice for doing the actual spraying, but it will help determine if the paint is compatible with the plastic or not.

Most of the '63 Corvette engine pack was incorporated into the Revell '57 Chevy kit (the old one, that Atlantis now has). With the Chrysler engine being in the Studebaker funny car now, the only "surprise" Revell parts pack engines Atlantis could bring back would be the Buick and custom/fictional turbine engines. The remaining four are the ones Revell reissued twenty years or so ago.

Mother Mopar led the way with stupid wheel bolt patterns...don't forget those Dakotas with 6 on-4-1/2" bolt circle! A lot of fullsize Dodge pickups still had five-lug wheels, I can't figure why they felt the smaller truck needed six lugs...

Where is everyone getting these clear red toothbrush handles? I haven't seen one in many years, have one set aside but I got it out of a very OLD parts box...

Some in the scale modelling community refer to the car guys as "the cheap guys", and I don't doubt that. How many times have we heard (or read) someone complaining about a paint problem...come to find out, they just grabbed the nearest spray can (mostly household or automotive paint) and just started blasting away...no testing for compatibility with whatever is already on the chosen part, no testing period. It still blows me away to hear about someone putting a bunch of work into a project, then trying to cheap out on paint. I can see someone looking for less costly alternatives...but only after thorough testing would they actually try it on something of value...

Don't worry...one day we all stop getting older...

As built out of the box, on the shelf the kit will look correct. There will be some inaccuracies that won't be readily seen (the Hydra-Matic transmission for one, and I'm not certain what rear axle was in the 1:1 car). But 99% of the builders interested in the 1:1 car will have a bunch of parts on hand to make the corrections if they wish to do so. The small-block Chevy engine in the AMT parts pack will have an in/out box to replace the transmission, and if the rear axle is incorrect it will be easy to scrounge the right one. Having to switch a couple of parts shouldn't dim any enthusiasm when you consider that the individual parts packs haven't been generally available since the mid/late Sixties.

Atlantis' representatives have already stated that they did not get the motorcycle packs in the deal with Revell, and at least one piece of info suggested that they no longer exist.

A low temp lacquer reducer will work on primed plastic (as always, test first!). Cheap lacquer thinners tend to be "hotter". The Wal-Mart stuff would be strictly "out" for anything but cleanup IMO.

The main killer of paint brushes IMO, is dipping them too far into the paint. No more than the first 1/3 of the bristle makes them much easier to keep clean.

I believe that roadster chassis is in there because one piece is needed for the dragster. What was originally a tow bar was reworked to create a radius rod for the dragster's front suspension. If that is the case, then between the rest of that pack and the leftover parts on the other trees, you should be able to build a complete roadster chassis, minus engine, tires, and body of course.

Strange that the unplated parts are bagged while the plated trees are not.

There are signs tacked onto the shelves.

Haven't had to try it lately, but I'd either press "0" at every opportunity, or not speak when a voice prompt occurs, and eventually I'd get an actual person. Not necessarily a sentient one, but at least someone to irritate until the desired result was achieved.

IF Round 2 were to do a new '71 Demon kit, it would likely involve new parts (body, etc) for the existing Duster kit. The original MPC kit was flawed; besides the incorrect front wheel openings, the hood is WAY too flat. It looks as though it is sagging in the center. That is owing to only the upper surface of the hood being unique tooling: it had to be made that way to fit with the underside of the (then) existing Duster hood tooling.

If I had paid for it with a credit card, I'd file a dispute. The item was claimed to be the correct replacement part, but was not. Worst case is that you might get dinged for a restock charge after opening the package. If the packaging did not give you a clear view of the part without having to crack it open, I wouldn't even tolerate that. If you had purchased a set of 18" tires for your car, and received 17" tires instead, they wouldn't fit, and you'd expect either the correct items or a refund. I don't see this as being any different.

Actually, what happened isn't how Sears usually operated. Their normal MO was to make service parts obsolete for a particular item (like a range), then just try to sell you a new range. Like with batteries for a battery powered drill or saw. They'd move the contacts to one side or another by 1/4" or 1/2" so new batteries wouldn't fit the old tools, then when you found that out they actually expected you to buy new tools from Sears. Or, they'd stop making pre-wound trimmer line spools and try to sell you a new trimmer. Sears? Good riddance...

Then they should not have taken his money....

I take it the buses are automatics nowadays. Back in the olden days, every missed shift or clashed gear met with a chorus of "grind me a pound"...

If the seller has told you that the part they sold you is the correct replacement part, then it should fit. Period, paragraph, exclamation point. If you have to cut off a plug and connect individual wires, then there should be instructions included that tell you what connects where. No excuses. No way should there be guesswork with a $200 part. I'd make it my life's mission to make someone there miserable until I either got correct information, or a full refund.

I'd contact their customer service. Whenever I have bought appliance parts, the seller always requires the serial number of the unit, and supplies a replacement part that will fit exactly, and without guesswork.

Pretty tough to find drivers without any sort of violations, as every area has at least one locality with a Barney that's got pen and ticket pad at the ready. When I did HR for a roofing company, more often than not the incoming employee didn't even have a drivers' license. Roofer-ese "Oh, I don't have it with me" usually translated to the English "I haven't got one". But they got hired anyway. The drug testing there was very short-lived...