Snake45

Absolutely fabulous! I didn't think it was possible to top your junior fueler, but it looks like you just might have done it! GOTTER DONE! I think you're our first completion this round, which reminds me, it's time for an update: ROUND 9: FINISH DATE DECEMBER 31, 2020 Tom Geiger: Jeepster MAKING GOOD PROGRESS! Straightliner59: Midget/Indy car FIRST COMPLETION! GOTTER DONE! Misha: Tall T coupe MAKING GREAT PROGRESS! Nzanglia: '65 Mustang modified MAKING GREAT PROGRESS! Dave Branson: '66 Barracuda MAKING GREAT PROGRESS! Spottedlaurel: '55 Chevy TimJ: Firebird funny car SuperbirdMcMonte: '70 Superbird Snake45: '59 Corvette I just saw that I never got around to adding my own entry this round, so here it is: AMT '59 Corvette. I started it back in 2018 or early 2019. Doesn't look in these pics like much is done, but there are MANY, MANY hours invested in scribing out all the body panels and door lines at that time, especially around the trunk, and then polishing the white plastic. The trunk lower edge is actually molded without a panel line, actually just more of a "step" due to the molding process, so I had to scribe that in manually and then work all the plastic down so it's even all around. What a mess! Also filled in some sink marks on the upper front fenders with superglue, which has the magical property of taking on the color underneath and just about vanishing. Amazing! I'd glued the engine together but nothing else when these pics were made. Also repaired the broken windshield frame with "fauxberglass." In the last week, I've sanded the engine joints, added and filled the heads/intake, and painted the basic assembly orange, and have painted the interior red. Next BIG task will be foiling all the chrome. I think I have enough time to GITTER DONE by the end of the year. Good thoughts!

That's not really for cleaning, which is your problem right now. That's for if you want to get a spectacular shine on some clean, colored plastic. It takes some skill and some work but the results can be spectacular--almost rivaling a really good paint job. That blue AMT '66 Mercury should clean up VERY nicely, if there's no damage or missing parts not seen in the pic. It should come apart fairly easily. Unfortunately it's not super-rare or super-valuable, as the full-detail kit is still in current production, but it would still make a great display piece and addition to any promo collection. If it were the '66 Comet Cyclone, THAT would be VERY desirable and valuable!

Thanks! This reminds me I have a glue bomb '63 that needs restored. It came with the box, instructions, and many of the original extra custom parts, but, sadly, no stock rear bumper. Fortunately I ordered the bumper from Modelhaus before they went down. Maybe 2021 is the year....

There ya go! Maybe Round 2 will include the decals in the full detail kit, or even come out with a dedicated boxing, which would further secure Nicholson's title of "Most Kitted Drag Racer of All Time." (I questioned that claim here a couple years ago, and it turns out that no one was able to come up with anyone else who had more kits--not Garlits, not Prudhomme, not anybody. Amazingly, it's true!)

I'd start with a mix of dishwashing liquid in warm water, applied/scrubbed with a toothbrush. I'd be surprised if that didn't take care of most if not all of it. If not, I'd move up to rubbing alcohol. Whatever you do, don't used ammonia or anything with ammonia in it, such as Windex or other window cleaner, as this can damage or strip the chrome. The interiors (including the insides of the glass) on closed cars will be your biggest problem, as there's no good way to clean them out without disassembling the model. Promo disassembly isn't easy in the case of some JoHans, where they used those one-way screws. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Inclusion of the Chrysler engine ensures that I'll buy at least one. I've been wanting to build one of these old Dragmaster-frame rails just to say I did, but don't have that much interest in the front-blown Mooneyes car.

I wish I could find a nice source of 1/24 "day two" wheels and tires. This would be among my first diecasts to get a set.

I'm hoping someone does decals for Don Nicholson's FX racer. If they do, I'll be buying three kits. Yah, I know, Dyno Don's was a '62. Close enough.

That sounds about right. I'll keep watching for a JL on eBay. It would look nice next to my JL '66 Nova and my New Ray '64 Nova.

Okay, I'll wait till next week/year to post the pics. I've taken several of the minefields I've had to crawl through on this body to get something Snakeworthy to build upon.

Thanks, that's not bad looking at all. I've seen someone else's 1/24 Nova and didn't think it looked accurate enough to buy. Looked for the JL Nova on eBay and didn't find many. The cheapest was $50, which is more than I'd want to pay for it.

What scale is that Nova, and who makes it?

And we''re not supposed to start posting build pics until Jan 1? This Superbird body was in such horrible shape I already started doing some remedial work, just to get it to where most of you will be starting....

My favorite part is around 59:50: "And a 12-year-old is reaching for the mic..." I could swear he was channeling the late great Sam Kinison at that point in the story.

I'm hoping to do several builds for this thing, but am starting with these two. First up, a glue bomb JoHan '70 Superbird. Although the kit is basically stock, Anthony specifically pre-approved it for me due to its race boxing (most of the boxes featured a Petty NASCAR, but this one just happened to come in a Sox & Martin Super Stock box). It came with the NASCAR dashboard and full roll cage, which I will be using. The other is an unstarted AMT '65 Chevelle dirt tracker. I'll probably be rebodying it with a Revell Z16 stock body, and I can see that there will be challenges working with the dirt-track frame. Oh well, we'll see what happens.

If I'm reading this correctly, the JoHan '70 Superbird would be legal, right? Also, is it okay to start with a glue bomb, or would it have to be a new kit?

I find I actually enjoy the human parts of these shows. I like everyone in the Memphis crew; they truly do seem to be a family, related by blood or not. They're interesting to me. There are several guys I like in the 405 crew but a few others I can't stand. In the Fastest in America races, it's hard for me to care about anyone I haven't seen before. I enjoyed watching Texas and NOLA and Detroit race, and will probably like at least some of SC and BSM next week. I had a hard time caring about the teams from Wyoming or Iowa or wherever they were from. That Street Race Night in America show they had for a while was boring--nearly unwatchable. I couldn't care less about two random Fox-body Mustangs going down some random street. The leftover "grudge race" footage from last year's No Prep races was also pretty boring, as is the third hour of the current shows (more "grudge races").

Yeah, I can't think of one to recommend. Wish I could.

Good job! I see you sanded the tire treads, too, which always helps. On the yellow one I saw at Walmart yesterday, the black trim was poorly done, even on the side scoops. I think all I had to do on mine was touch up the edges of the grille. Or maybe I took the shiny plastic grille out and painted it matte black, I don't remember now. I did the front side marker lights in amber, and painted just the rims of the wheels with Silver Sharpie for a completely different look. I have to get some pics of it up sometime soon.

Cool! Let us know what actual scale it is when you get it.

That's up to Chris. I'm not interested in being in the wheel cover bidness; I'm just possibly supplying an original for him to make a mold. Chris is a good guy to work with and open to trades, so maybe he'd be willing to trade for them, if any of this comes to pass.

Hey, a purple '63 Vette might look pretty cool! Happy Thanksgiving and drive on!

You're not a fan. We got it.

I've seen Sharpie migrate and bleed up through Future after a number of years. This was on model airplanes built by others, and the Sharpie was used to accent panel lines. When it happens, it's a mess.