Snake45

I recently spent some time rereading all my old Car Model and Model Car Science magazines from about 1965 to 1972. Articles on building factory stock models were few and far between. The model car scene was all about funny cars, gassers, and other drag cars, and customs, and hot rods, and "street freaks." Maybe that's why about 1969 AMT didn't even include factory stock parts (such as exhaust manifolds) in many of their annual kits.

See if the Hobby Lobby in Chambersburg (or Hagerstown) still has any Model Master Grabber Orange: https://www.google.com/search?q=Model+Master+Grabber+Orange&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib9sHBg_ziAhXnV98KHbrgC4MQ_AUIESgC&biw=1636&bih=857 If they don't, wander over to their Krylon section and see if there's anything close there. Doesn't look like it would be too hard to match from common rattlecan lines; like Krylon or Rustoleum. Also, did you know there's an excellent model railroad shop not too far from you? I'm always amazed how much stuff they have, out in the sticks: https://www.mainlinehobby.com/

I can assure you that it is--IF you own a hacksaw or a Dremel with cutoff wheel, anyway. I believe I own a diecast M2 '57 Chevy 210 hardtop with a separate plastic top.

Scored an unbuilt JoHan '69 SC/Rambler on ePay for $35--lowest price I've seen on any unbuilt JoHan kit for quite a while, and at least $10 less than the next cheapest copy of this kit on the Bay today, which was the later Testor "Pro Street" version. The one I bought is missing instructions, but has the original box and decals. (And it's molded in black, which I don't think I've seen before.)

Actually, my beverage of choice is Walmart's Dr. Thunder. Diet, no less.

I agree. If you're into slapping Coke stickers on things, that model is worth the Hobby Lobby Coupon price just for the decals alone! (Personally, I only drink Coke if there is no other beverage available. Can't offhand tell you the last time this happened.)

I do, if it's the same old retreaded MPC POS hiding under pretty box art. Shame on them!

So's mine. And I'm not even BMFing it, just Silver Sharpie....

You and I might hold both ends of the record for building speed on this kit. You got yours done in four days (!), while I'm just about to finish up one I started over 50 years ago.

There's some info on the "Pro Stock" (not really) Cougar in the Dyno Don book. It was a prototype for a proposed limited production run of Boss 429 Cougars that never happened. They gave it to Nicholson to play with on the 1969 match race circuit. He couldn't get the Boss 429 to run the way he wanted, so replaced the engine with a tried and true SOHC 427 (and not with Mercury's blessing). The car still wasn't a big winner for him, and he didn't like it much, and eventually went back to a '65 A/FX-builit Mustang which he campaigned in A/MP and on the match circuit. I don't think this Cougar was ever campaigned as a real Pro Stock (which debuted in early 1970). I'd still love to do a model of it, though, as it's hellacool looking, and it wouldn't be hard to do if anyone would make the Eliminator stripe decals in that yellow-orange.

The Revell '69 Shelby is a nice, accurate, troublefree build except for the front valence panel, which needs to be narrowed slightly. After that, it's smooth sailing. I've build two. Great kit. The AMT '69 Mach 1 is the old MPC annual tool. It's slightly undersized and has a few minor shape problems, but should produce a fairly acceptable model without too much trouble. The AMT '69 Cougar is based on the original annual tool. It was a pretty decent kit in its day and it still is. Not the highest level of detailing, but an easy build to a very acceptable result. The AMT '68 Shelby's roots go back to the original AMT annual '67 Mustang tool. It's not a bad kit at all and many fine models have been built from it over the years. The AMT '67 Shelby is a much newer tool. I've never built it so can't comment on it, but have seen many great models built from it. To sum up, there are no real turds here, though the '69 Mach 1 is definitely the weakest of the lot. I'm tempted to recommend starting with the '69 Cougar.

It's a '65, but VERY nice--I think it's your best effort yet. Well done and model on!

This is why I buy superglue in the 4-little-tubes-for-$1 pack at Walmart or the Dollar Store. When a tube starts to go bad, or glues its own cap on so tight it can't even be cut off anymore, on to the next one! I DO pay extra for the LocTite Super Glue Gel, though, and ask for it by name. It's worth it--clearly superior to the no-name stuff.

I've never seen a JADA that wasn't significantly oversized for 1/24, but you know what, this car is so huge that if it's normal JADA-sized, it might actually be 1/24, or even 1/25. This model also has the least goofy wheels and tires I've ever seen on any JADA. If I were you, I wouldn't worry about getting a second one. I think you can drive on with painting and detailing your first one. BTW, I've seen some of this series at my local Walmart. They don't look horrible, but so far I haven't seen one that's of a car I wanted.

Yes, and what a shame and travesty. But wouldn't it be a grand surprise if they actually restored the (now) Funny Hugger body and managed to reunite it with all the original stock parts?

Very, VERY nice! Well done and model on!

It doesn't qualify for a BOYD build, as I didn't start it over a year ago. But glad you asked, 'cause I've been wanting to talk to you about that thing. After I stripped the paint off, the body underneath was GORGEOUS, near mint, with all the emblems and so forth completely intact and very little if any glue or putty damage. I know I promised you I'd "restore" it but (lucky for me) you didn't specify "restore it as is." So here's what I did: I went on eBay and bought another one, with some missing parts and a boogered up (slightly) body, and I already have in the Snakestash a red 4-door promo I bought a couple years ago with a very warped body but most of the trim parts (headlights and such) present. So my plan at the moment is to try to get two complete 1G Corvair models out of the three--a stock-ish one, polished white plastic (though I might do something cool about the wheels/tires), and one with the high-zoot custom goodies off the one I got from you with early '60s custom-type paint. Sound good?

The rounds are 3 months/90 days, i.e., if there's enough interest for Round 4, it will close September 30. If you don't finish something, we either mock you mercilessly, or, more truthfully, just say nothing about it at all. Not a big deal. The idea is just to motivate us to GITTER DONE, in many cases after years of inactivity and neglect.

Agree. You can almost watch it come off. Ammonia will do it, too, on many platings.

And with that, you Win The Internet!

Here's the MSDS: http://sds.chemtel.net/webclients/safariland/raw_materials/AwesomeProductsIncorporated_LAsTotallyAwesomeAllPurposeCleanerandDegreasersandSpotRemover_01-10-2011.pdf Is "hydroxy sodium" the same thing as sodium hydroxide (lye)?

Don't think I've ever heard this mentioned here, but Back In The Day we would strip paint with model airplane fuel. I believe the active ingredient in that is nitromethane. It could leave bodies brittle, too. To this day I have a couple bodies around that I stripped with the stuff 50 years ago--I need to get those rebuilt sometime.

No problem, Eric. Which reminds me, new page, update time: Round 3: FINISH DATE JUNE 30 2019 RobertW: Hasegawa Lockheed Neptune Straightliner59: Junior Fueler Dragster MAKING STEADY PROGRESS! FINISH LINE IN SIGHT! BelugaWRX: Wolf WR1 Mod3lLover: Mustang Dave Branson: Fujimi BMW H5 FOURTH COMPLETION! GOTTER DONE! Moving on to Chaparral 2D FIFTH COMPLETION! GOTTER DONE Moving on to '70 Trans Am NAFAW9: HO scale Boss 302, HO scale Freightliner WITHDRAWN WITH HONOR Geemoney: ’34 Ford Disconovaman: Probably some kind of pickup—’55 Ford? Bobthehobbyguy: ’32 Ford 5-window Bandit1: Peterbilt 377 Prostreeter69: ’48 Ford Snake45: ’66 Chevelle, '65 Riviera MAKING STEADY PROGRESS ON BOTH! RIVIERA PAINTED! SuperbirdMcMonte: '70 Monte Carlo FIRST COMPLETION! GOTTER DONE! Moving on to Austin Gasser THIRD COMPLETION! GOTTER DONE! Moving on to '58 Impala Modlbldr: '65 Mustang Cdubya: '55 Chevy SECOND COMPLETION! GOTTER DONE! JunkyardJeff: '34 Ford truck RemingtonBox: Nissan GTR Tom Geiger: '50 Ford pickup MAKING GOOD PROGRESS! COMING RIGHT ALONG! We got a little less than two weeks to go, gang. Two full weekends, though. GITTER DONE!

Are you looking to GITTER DONE by the end of the month? If so, I'll put you down for Round 3. If you don't think you can have it done by then, I'll wait and hold you for Round 4 (assuming we have one).

Oh stop whining. It looks FABULOUS and you know it. Well done and model on!