Spex84

Pow! Bernard, you have very eloquently described a number of issues that have been bothering me for a while now. When I imagine that this might be the future, all I can think is...uugggggh. I'm moving to a third-world country where I can do what I want.

I should point out that if I mention 3 things that are "wrong", that means that everything else is RIGHT by default! This kit is going to be awesome, and I'm stoked for it. I would buy it just for parts even if I didn't want the body (which I do!).

Nailed it! Saving these photos to my reference folders...I'd been thinking of doing something similar with the '29 kit. I love that the color scheme and detailing are all period correct. It looks very convincing, and as a kitbash is more interesting and unique than just another Orange Crate build (as cool as the Orange Crate is). Great parts-sourcing to achieve that effect

I didn't mean to re-open the whole firewall thing. It's a pretty easy swap from another kit, IMHO, for those who want a stock piece. The visor will be trickier to fix, but as soon as I get the kit in my hands I'll be looking at how to achieve that.

"One last hint, the 29 sunvisor is a very basic folded flat steel unit, quite straight when looked at head on while the 30/31 sunvisor is a stamped panel with elaborate swage marks and a noticeable curve when viewed from straight ahead. " So far as I can tell, this curve might be a detail that needs correcting on the new '30 body for those builders who are extra nitpicky... Like me!

I agree, the paint looks fantastic! I'll remember that lacquer trick. Love the Pegasus Chrome T 5-spokes too. For engines, I'd agree that the 302 out of the Revell '32 kits would probably fit well and match the hi-tech exterior. There are probably tons of members on this board who would consider trading you (or even giving you!) a 302, as the engine came in every single Revell deuce and therefore many builders have piles of them just sitting around.

Cool! Love the fender braces, too. Might I suggest sweeping the drip molding over the doors down into the beltline, and perhaps rounding the upper rear corner of the window frame on the back doors?

*Checks Wikipedia* Huh, looks like despite the fancy features, those receptacles technically ARE bidets. Just...a little more advanced than they were in the 1700s.

I know meme posts aren't encouraged here, but this one definitely applies

And also, there are "autonomous" bum wipers, Ace...don't they use water jets in Japan? Skipped the whole robot arm thing altogether! lol

I think it's fair to blame the system, and not the driver. Sure, he may not have been paying attention, but in design terms, the Tesla auto-pilot has an affordance problem. In the same way a knob affords "twisting/pulling" and a button affords "pushing", the auto-pilot system affords (and almost celebrates) complete driver inattention without immediate consequences. In a 100% autonomous scenario, this would be fine; however in a semi-autonomous scenario it almost guarantees distracted, unprepared drivers. Imagine if you were a passenger in a car, but had an auxiliary steering wheel mounted in front of you. You are on a 5 hour road trip. At any point, the actual driver of the car may fall asleep and you must immediately take control. Now...don't lose focus! Feeling tired? Don't blink, because every moment could be that critical moment! In general, people aren't very good at sustaining that level of focus on an arbitrary task (ie, "watching nothing") for extended periods of time. For all we know, the driver could have been listening to audio books/running a DVD because he was trying to stay awake and alert.

I think autonomous cars are a great idea...in a fantasy world where the roads are perfect, it never snows, and people are rational, alert, and responsible. . . . It's gonna be carnage.

Very cool builds! I like them both. Lots of cool little touches (saggy seats?) on the weathered version. I think the undercarriage of the "old" version is pretty convincing actually...looks a lot like the uniform, lightly textured rust that a desert car develops, coated with a thin skim of gravel road dust. This is the kind of car that would be billed as "Desert car, superficial rust, great floors with only a couple small patches needed...very restorable!" Of course, all the rubber and weatherstripping would be totally shot, haha.

Really cool idea, must have been inspired by this one by Haus of Hotrods: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT9GgpeNFyk It's been around for a few years already. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NT9GgpeNFyk/maxresdefault.jpg

Awesome build Dennis. That engine is killer, and as stated before I love the dark grey primer! For the grille, you might find that a Pigma Micron 005 pen will do the trick. http://static2.jetpens.com/images/a/000/004/4734.jpg?s=a6cb927df9df25824bfc55692c772d14

A very cool Cat! If those pegasus sovereigns look good on anything, it's on cars like this. Has that whole proto-lowrider thing going on. In the 5th photo down, it almost looks like there's a bundle of red chili peppers hanging from the rearview mirror...but it's just my imagination

Awesome job! Looks mean as anything. The hooker headers window decal makes me laugh, it's perfect for the era. Ted--I think I saw front wheels like these in the Revell '57 corvette street machine. Not sure where the rears came from though.

It never would have occurred to me to fabricate tapered tubes by nesting sections of straight tube and then sanding it down...maybe because I don't have a lathe, but still, awesome idea!! Thanks for sharing all these WIP details with us.

Beautiful work, that color combo is incredibly classy and the whole build is so clean. I love the background dio, too, it almost looks like it's made from printed photographs...the water stains on the floor look real!

Maybe it's a semantic difference to most people, but to me, there is a difference between criticism and critique. Criticism tends to focus on the builder, and is easy to take personally ie "your painting skills could use some work". Critique focuses on the object at hand ie "A polishing kit could help remove some of that orange peel and help this paintjob to really shine". Maybe it's just the negative connotation that the word "criticism" bears, but I think it's worth thinking about alternate ways to praise/help other modelers without discouraging them. After all, it's just a hobby. So that said...sometimes I'll praise a model that is crudely constructed but built with honest optimism and a great central idea..you know, the "full of ideas, low skill" kind of build. I'll also make positive comments about subjects that impress me personally, even if I know nothing about the subject (ie replica stock, armor, ships, planes...I have no idea if those things are built accurately, but if I like what I see, then I'm going to say something). I try not to make blanket negative statements. I AM guilty of passing over builds that have so few redeeming qualities that I can't think of anything nice to say right now, but not many of those builds turn up on these forums! Nobody wants to be "that guy" and be a downer. But think: if a model is posted with garden-hose spark plug lines, maybe the builder doesn't have anything else on hand. I certainly didn't when I was 10 years old and enthusiastic but uninformed. This would be a perfect place to gently point out that the lines are out of scale, and that appropriately thin wires can be found in almost any cheap set of headphones, or other lightweight consumer electronics! As far as comments go, I don't think anyone needs to receive superior attaboys as their skill level rises. If I wanted that, I'd go play video games!! Praising mediocrity can definitely be seen as a modern-day ill. But we're all in this for different reasons, and have different expectations, and sometimes just being cordial to a person we feel has "low standards" can help make the world a less discouraging place.

Thanks for the review Tim! Looks pretty much like what I was expecting based on my intense scrutiny of all the leaked photos and so on

Interesting, thanks Kyle. In my online search for Canadian sources, Wheels and Wings didn't even come up!

Interesting to see so much pushback on this design/concept. I love it. It's retro, flamboyant, and sleek at the same time. The blender wheel cutouts and underslung headlights are ridiculous vestigial features, but think of them like landau bars--they're pure bling, a historical reference meant to imply luxury. I guess it's no surprise that I like this design; I liked the Chrysler Atlantic too. It should be immediately obvious that the thing is a concept, a fantasy, not intended to be functional in any way. It's so obviously a sculptural exercise that it's kind of funny to see people getting bent out of shape about it: "this ain't a car!!" Well...no kidding! It's almost reminiscent of Syd Mead's futuristic vehicles from the 60s and 70s, and some of the sci-fi vehicles from films like "Minority Report", as well as Phil Saunders' vehicle designs for the latest Tron films. When I imagine a future full of cars like that and the people who drive them, I realize I'll never be a part of it...I'll more likely be a member of the sewer-dwelling under-class who raids their dumpsters for leftovers and wears shoulder pads made of old bicycle tires.

I managed to get one '29 kit up here...about a year after it was released! Hoping to snag a couple of the '30s though. I'm not in a huge rush, have many other builds to finish first.

And it begins! Anyone know when these are going to make it to Canada?