TomZ

Nice plumage!

Where will this be held?

PLEASE post WIP pics! I built one of these years ago without really trying for accuracy, and I am dying to see what you do with the engine and linkages!

WIRED magazine had a great feature article about Facebook a while back that was very enlightening. Before the last election the initial attitude with FB staff was, "what can we do to help get Hillary elected?" It wasn't long before it occurred to someone that this behavior would make them a political organization in the eye of the Feds. Much head scratching and agonizing ensued. In the end they tried to be impartial, but it ain't easy when you look at how many ways FB can be used and manipulated among the many millions of daily posts.

If the seller says that the kit is complete, then under eBay's rules the seller is obligated to refund the purchase price and to pay for the return shipping, regardless of their return policy. And eBay no longer allows restocking charges. More often than not the seller will refund your money and just tell you to keep it. I've had them refund the shipping charge as well. But, like you, I often want to keep it for parts or whatever and make a fair offer, and so far it has always been accepted. If the description doesn't say it's complete, then I'll do a very careful examination of the pics before I'll buy. It can be a hoot. The other day I saw a "complete 1/8-scale Harley Davidson" for sale. The pics showed a partial 1/12 dirt bike, another 1/12 frame, some junk parts and sprues, and a single 1/8 Harley sprue that did not match the box pic. It sold!

No way. The gas stations are too far apart!

eBay charges 9% and PayPal charges 3%. Both charge the fee percentage for the price AND the shipping charge. It probably seems like more than 12% because of the shipping fees.

Charge shipping. eBay will lean on you for free shipping but it sucks if you have to pay for return shipping. It's a given that buyers add the shipping to the price when they decide whether to buy so it's a wash anyway. The best way to figure shipping is to acquire a cheap scale and weigh the actual box, packaging and model that you intend to ship. Don't forget any packing you'll put in the model box to eliminate breakage. My wife has sold a couple thousand items on eBay and she charges 25 cents more than actual cost and states so in the description. Personally I don't buy from people who try to stiff me with inflated shipping because it's just annoying. eBay charges the same 9% fee on the sale price AND the shipping charge so there is no benefit to charging anything but actual cost for shipping. Often the box will fit in a USPS flat rate box, which makes shipping easy to figure. You don't have to use PayPal, but most sellers require it, because it ensures guaranteed payment with no hassle. The fee is 30 cents plus 3% of the transaction. Well worth the peace of mind, IMHO. Think of all the little things that you like as a buyer. Do those things. Do it right and you will enjoy it more. The best way to approach selling on eBay is not to get hung up on getting every last cent out of the transaction. Does it really matter if you only received $26.24 for a $30 sale, or if shipping wound up costing 35 cents more than you estimated? Don't suck the fun out of it, selling on eBay can be a lot of fun.

It would also be nice if the contest and show postings listed their state at least in the title.

I'd like a peek at her job application.

I believe it was the prop tips that went supersonic. Not in the least a good thing.

I seem to remember reading in the Mickey Thompson biography Challenger that the incredible air resistance at those speeds could actually induce wheel spin. It was part of a discussion about how Mickey didn't believe that it was possible for a 2-wheel-drive vehicle to exceed 400 MPH. Maybe it was in Speed Duel. Wheel spin at 400 MPH sounds like a thrill!

I would suggest that you make every effort to establish your actual shipping cost before you make the listing and perhaps explain it in the description. My wife (2200 sales) adds 25 cents to the actual shipping cost (for incidentals) to her eBay shipping charge and says so in her listings, and she gets many very favorable comments for doing so. No buyer is fooled by a low asking price and a high shipping charge, and if you make a high estimate to CYA you are just hurting your marketability. Good luck! Selling is a hoot!

I'm lucky no cats were nearby when I dropped the car. They would have promptly buried it! As it turned out it wasn't too hard to sand out the rough spots and repaint. The paint's thicker than I would like but it's a fair trade for my own clumsiness.

My subscription was maybe 30 years ago. I just now did a little Googling around, and I believe it was Strictly I.C.. It looks like there are several of them Out There.

There is or used to be a magazine about building small engines. I was a subscriber for a few years but now I can't remember the title. Fascinating stuff. I had the impression that it was the journey and not the destination that drove most of these hobbyists. Think of each part of such an engine as a complex model in itself. Think of the planning that goes into it. Geez, if I mainly cared about the destination rather than the journey, I wouldn't build models, as my handiwork is hardly top-drawer. Those people love working with machine tools. Being a miniature machinist can be a hobby in itself.

Doesn't happen every time, but I just finished applying the final heavy coat on a car body and then promptly dropped it in the cats' litter box.

I am SO VERY pleased that this is back to work again! Definitely my favorite build to follow of all time! Thanks so much for the updates!

There's a time-tested method for staying ahead of the mess that is far more effective than periodically cleaning your work space. Once every six months, nail a fresh sheet of plywood down atop your work bench and everything on it. Problem solved!

It's often really hard to find a link to "See Seller's Other Items" now also. Sometimes the only way I can do that is by putting the first item in my watch list, sometimes not even then. The new format stinks also. Guess they're trying to make it large and simple for touch-screen users.

Don't think it is Japanese, but all Japanese cars have the forward fender mirrors. I spent two years in Japan, and those mirrors are wonderful! You have no blind spot and can see both mirrors thru the windshield. I wish they would mandate them here.

Huh. I just watched that episode and it appeared to me that they did a nut and bolt restoration from mildly modified back to 100% original. They did mention that the car had several very rare optional parts, such as the rear end. They also gave the guy a loaner engine while his was being rebuilt. Where did they go off track and "make it better?" I missed that.

I don't think I saw the 240Z episode, but two I did see featured Skylines and Bluebirds, and all the cars had right-hand drive. I'd never heard of a Nissan "SSS"; neat car. I am definitely a watcher now.

Jay Leno took the ZR-1 to 202 on that track on the latest "Jay Leno's Garage." It's just amazing what a great personality and a $100,000,000 car collection can do for a guy's opportunities . . .

I seem to remember reading that Ford's bean counters tried for years to kill the Mustang but they just kept right on selling so well . . .