Snake45

I too used it for years, and then discovered the convenience of the Purple Pond, which is the same chemical that works with no effort required, just a little time.

Ah, not the right generatioin at all. Thanks!

What year Elky is this supposed to be? Wondering if I can do Flip's/Kamikaze's Street Outlaws Elky out of the body....

You probably read my posts about oven cleaner NOT pulling dyes out of plastic, and challenging anyone to come up with a chemical that WOULD take any color out of plastic without also dissolving or crazing the plastic. I've had this challenge out there for years and no one has met it yet. There's no such thing as color "leaching out" of plastic, just primers and paints that aren't opaque enough.

Just watched Malignant on HBOMAX. One of the most original and HORRIFYING horror movies I've ever seen. Be warned: It's pretty gory. Better than I was expecting. (Not for everyone, I'll admit.)

Very sorry to hear this. He originated the term "fake news," or at least was the first person I ever heard use it, long ago when he was doing Weekend Update on SNL. Thanks for all the laughs, Norm. You will be missed.

Have now had a chance to inventory these four. The Aluma Coupe looks to be 100% complete and buildable. The Beretta is an AMT, not MPC. It's started and even painted but seems to be complete, or at least all the important stuff. Might even be able to save the paint (dark red), but if not, not a huge deal to strip. Might be fun to do this as a tribute to the dark red metallic Corsica I used to own. Might be fun to put it on a V8-powered RWD chassis, too. Not high on my build priority list. The '67 Comet is started, apparently as a pro touring. Chassis built, engine is in it with some kind of gonzo modern induction system. All stock body parts here including chrome and glass. Kit tires, but not the stock wheels (or any other kind). I bought it mainly to make a funny car out of the body, but it might actually deserve a better fate than that. Again, not high on my build list. Really hit the jackpot with the '56 Delray. Builder was apparently going for a Pro Street, and the box includes big slicks (and small front tires) mounted on shallow and deep American Torq-Thrusts (YAY!), most of a blown BBC from another kit, and a resin hood with a huge CI lump. All stock body parts and glass are here, and all interior pieces. It's got me thinking of replicating the "Ultimate Street Freak" I built on the old Revell kit back in 1969, possibly for the Replica group build now going on. VERY happy with this one!

Tom, a few years ago my folks started getting Christmas cards from an old friend with very old stamps on them. Turns out the story was, her husband died, and she took his stamp collection to a collector to cash out. He told her the collection had "nothing special" in it and he'd only give her face value for the whole thing. She said the hell with that, it would be a lot more fun to just USE the things. And from then on, she did!

The remote for my VCR (yes, I still use it daily) has been dying for about a month. Had to push the buttons multiple times to get it to work, with attendant delays. Over the weekend it died completely. Luckily last week I went on eBay and found the model I needed--cheap, too (@ $10). Just to be sure, ordered two from two different vendors. They both arrived today, and the first one I opened works fine. Happy Happy Joy Joy!

I like that one even better! It really works! (Now I might have to build one myself.) VERY well done and model on!

One thing that's getting cheaper is electronics. I've owned three computers now. Each one cost less than its predecessor and is much faster and has MUCH greater capabilities than the one before. In 1979 I bought a 19" color TV for $329, cheapest I could find. VHF/UHF, no remote, no frills. Last month at Walmart I bought, for about half that (in inflated dollars, remember), a 19" flat-screen color TV with remote and a mind-blowing array of features I'll never use.

Have now inventoried the box. Seems to be 100% complete including rub-on "decals." It's molded in a nice and opaque dark blue. I found pics of what looks like a dark blue one on the net. I did a quick polish test on the plastic and it looks like it'll polish up great, so I might just build it straight OOB in polished plastic. Kinda looking forward to getting around to it!

Congrats on the Cosma Ray--sweet!

Very nice, very clean! Well done and model on! I was going to guess Testor Mythic Maroon.

What a kind offer! I'll try to do a detailed inventory tomorrow and if I seem to be missing anything vital, I might take you up on it. Thanks so much! Cool! I had the chance to do a quick inventory and it looks like I do have everything but the chrome (found out there should have been two trees), including all the unique XR6 body panels, and its frame, and interior tub, and engine (less the chrome), and the rear axle. Shouldn't be too much trouble to fabricate missing rear suspension parts. For the front end, I could either pirate the VW front end out of a Tiger Shark or Manx, or come up with something more modern--maybe the Phantom Vicky, or the Revell Buterra T coupe (I have a glue bomb), or even a C2 Corvette (I have several Revell '67 parts cars). For an engine I can steal one from the Deora, or maybe a Pontiac OHC 6 will fit, or I could just drop a common V8 in there. I have no particular interest in trying to piece together an "authentic" XR6, but it might be fun to do a slightly updated version incorporating some of my own ideas (such as just going fenderless with it).

Toy show day! Some cool scores! *Lindberg D-Jag, opened but seems to be complete, or at least enough of it to build something: $10. (Don't see these much anymore.) *Diecast ERTL '69 Mustang Boss 302, Grabber Orange, 1/25 scale, perfect condition: $10. (Front end looks WAY better than the original Revell '69 Mustang, and probably as good as the new one if not better.) *Original AMT '27 T/XR-6 kit including box, instructions, decals, all tires. Definitely missing the chrome tree but I see the XR-6 main body, nosepiece, and glass are here, and the '27 tub. Many trees with the parts still on them, just not the chrome tree. Took a chance I can make SOMETHING out of the rare remains: $20. *Revell '56 Delray, AMT '67 Comet Cyclone, MPC Beretta, Testor Boyd Alumicoupe (quickbuild), all opened, some started (primed) but very possibly complete and definitely enough to make SOMETHING out of: $15 for all four. And two or three Snake-Fu-worthy, "rescuable" glue bombs--don't even remember what, gotta get them out of my trunk. First order of bidness will be to inventory the XR-6 parts and see if I have enough to build something with. Happy Happy Joy Joy! Oh, BTW, one vendor had an opened, started, seemed complete full-detail Testor Boyd Chezzoom for just $10, if anyone is looking for one. Another vendor had two JoHann S&M Superbirds, two JoHan S&M '71 Cudas, and at least one JoHan Torino, all brand new and still sealed. He said he checked "the internet" and thought he could get over $100 for each one of those. If he still has them next month, I could probably get him to budge a little on the price--he'll deal and he likes me. If you're looking for one of those, let me know what you're willing to pay and I'll try next month.

I wonder if the AMT body can be put on that chassis without too much trouble.

I checked on that. It's "based on a novel by..." the same guy who wrote the other two and I didn't research further. All fiction as far as I know.

And Michael Winslow got voted off America's Got Talent Island this week.

Would "It's a parts mine" apply?

That's easily enough fixed. Unbolt it and drag it behind the garage, or to the swap meet, or throw it in the parts box, depending on what scale you're working in.

That's not what this thread is about. This thread is about normal prices of commonly available "everyday" kits.

I use ordinary Duck masking tape from Walmart and always, ALWAYS cut a fresh edge with a straightedge and sharp blade. This has always worked for me.

I think the most likely explanation is that you have somehow displeased the Modeling Gods. Try to get right there and see if things don't go better for you.

Here's the posted rule: "choose a kit that you built at some point in the past, whether you still own it or not, and take another shot at it. Make it the same, or better, or whatever suits you."