iamsuperdan

Agreed. Excellent job on the rusting. Next time you do a Barn find junker, could you do a little "how to" on your technique? Love seeing the process others go through.

TOday? Weather has been warm enough over the past few days that I've been able to get into the garage and do some spray painting on some of the kits I started over the winter. Forward progress...yay!

So these would appeal to us older guys, but what about new blood? Does anyone really believe that a 30 year old sedan will have mass appeal to anyone under the age of 25? Would these generate enough interested to make it worthwhile and profitable to a kit manufacturer?

Exactly. My son is 12, and I've tried to get him into modelling. He just doesn't care about the current subject matter on the shelves. He couldn't care less about cars from the 50s or 60s. He's more interested in the Jeep JK, or Subarus and modern Volkswagens. To my knowledge, no one makes a kit of the Jeep, and there really aren't any kits of the cars he's into. So he chooses other hobbies, which is totally fine and understandable. Unless kit manufacturers can find some way to tap into that youth market (and let's not even get started on costs), the hobby will continue to wane in popularity.

I want to believe. The truth of the matter is that other than the enthusiasts like us, who is going to care about a kit of their mom's old boxy four door? i'd be all over an 80s Caprice. However, the goal of the hobby companies is to sell more kits. And to widen the appeal of model building to a larger market. What's going to attract new builders? A hot new Camaro SS? A new Porsche GT3? 1985 Chevrolet Caprice. I think Exotics_Builder hit the nail on the head a few posts above. Very few new kits, and of those new kits, they're going to go with a surefire hit, not an oddball with cult appeal.

They seem to be okay. Minimal flash, and they snap together well. VERY basic kit, but look okay when done. Haven't had any fit issues with them at all. The decals are just stickers, but she didn't want those anyway because "they're kind of ugly." She painted the Mustang dark purple, and the Camaro is a turquoise blue. Her 55 Chev is apparently going to be matte black, with multi-coloured polka dots. Yup, she's a girl. Just waiting for the weather to warm up so we can go do some spraying!

I don't see it happening, mainly because I don't think they would sell in large enough quantities. Release yet another version of a Chevelle, or a Mustang, or a Charger, or some other 50s-60s muscle car and it will sell like crazy. Something different and never done before? The majority of people will pass. Personally, I'd like to see more station wagons from the 70s and 80s, but that will never happen. In the meantime, I'll keep supporting the Japanese brands, who do make kits of sedans and other oddball stuff. Just wish they would make more domestic or European cars as well.

Very nicely done!

My daughter is nine and has been very interested in building models with me. I've had her building som 1/32 Revell snap kits. These have so far all been part of the Night Crawler series from a few years ago. Probably before she was born! First kit was a 1970-ish Mustang, then a 1969-ish Camaro. Currently working on a 1955 Chev. SHe has expressed interested in glue and building a "real" model, so we went and picked up the new Camaro kit from I believe AMT. At least one of my kids has an interest in this hobby!

My local store brought this in for me. Will be built mostly stock.

For me, it involves a lot of standing and staring at the stash. Lots of muttering to myself, "What do I feel like building now?" There's no rhyme or reason to how I pick them. It's just whatever grabs me at that moment. And then once I have made a selection, it's off to the internet to find as many reference pics as I can, then I figure out paint and make sure I have what I'll need. Then it's go time.

Snowed in? What does that mean? lolz. <-------Canadian Anyway, if I'm choosing to have a lazy day of movies, it will usually be a "classic" horror movie or an older comedy of some kind. For horrors, stuff like Shock Em Dead, Trick Or Treat, Creepshow, Christine; or anything with zombies. For comedies, stuff like Strange Brew, Spaceballs, Monty Python, Wayne's World, etc. I also love any kind of sci fi from any decade; Alien, Soylent Green, Blade Runner.

Would be nice to see modern auto designers and engineers get wacky again.

My Italeri Ford Transit arrived yesterday. I've been wanting this one since I first heard about the reissue last summer. Back in the late 80s while at a car boot sale at Beaulieu Motor Museum in England, I found an original red bodied ESCI version, the one that came in the Ford branded box. Bought it and built it and thought it was awesome. Over the years, it rolled off the shelf one too many times and eventually got scrapped. I picked up an original white-bodied ESCI version a couple of years ago, and now I have this one.

I have an original ESCI version, and my new Italeri version arrived today. Not sure what direction I'll be taking for my builds, but I like the one you took.

As much as I dig the subject matter here and want to see more pics, I think I'm more intrigued by the fact that you have a cassette tape on the work bench. Going old school while modelling? Awesome!

Shh, don't talk about Tofino or Ucluelet! That's where we go when we head out to the island. As much as I love hiking and camping in the Canadian Rockies, only a couple of hour's drive from home, the Tofino/Ucluelet area is my absolute favourite place to be.

You're talking about Victoria, BC. An absolutely beautiful city. Actually, Vancouver Island in general is gorgeous. We vacation out there on the west coast every summer.

I had an amusing discussion on a business trip I did in Birmingham a couple of years ago. Sitting around in the hotel lounge, trying to find a hockey game on tv. Yes, I was living up to the stereotype. Some guy came up, obviously hammered, and started complaining about my accent. Why wasn't I saying "aboot" and using "eh" all the time. And then when I started asking about his accent, he got confused and angry. "What ch'all talkin' 'bout. I ain't got no accent," he said in his thick southern drawl. And I laughed. Oh, a tip for Canadians travelling to the southern states: do NOT attempt to find hockey on a tv in a bar during college basketball season. It doesn't work well.

As a huge fan of water cooled VWs, I'm loving this one. I have this one, and started in last year a s a dual build with the Rabbit hardtop. But that idea stalled, so I'm only working on the hardtop right now. Much like you, lowered height, new wheels are a must. Really like your idea of scraping up the chassis. That idea hadn't even dawned on me. And having owned several lowered VWs and having replaced many oilpans, I should have noticed that right away! Looking forward to seeing yours done!

I have this one on the bench too. Been pretty happy with it so far. Going in a totally different direction than you though. I like the silver and the "base model" hubcap/steel wheel setup. I've always preferred that look.

I have a few that I miss. 1993 Volkswagen Passat wagon. Had the VR6 engine, 5-speed manual, and black leather. Already kind o f a rare car. I then removed the AC, added a large turbo and intercooler, full Borla exhaust, C2 programming, coilovers dialed down, Porsche D90 wheels, and Porsche brakes. Car was the brutally fast, and a crazy amount of fun. All in a station wagon body. 1985 Volkswagen Transporter. Did an engine swap in this one. Added the TDI from an '05 Jetta, bigger turbo, intercooler, regeared manual transmission, lowered springs, Mercedes wheels, South African front end. Got tired of the nickel and diming, always putting money into it. Should have stuck with it a little longer and really dialed it in. 1978 Ford Thunderbird. My first car. Should have kept it just to have it. Brown on brown, vinyl roof, spoke hubcaps, 400ci V8 with a 4-barrel. Sucked fuel, didn't care...because I was 16 and who cares about that kind of stuff when you're 16 and gas is 34 cents a litre? No pics on the computer though. 2002 Porsche 996. My first track car. So many good times with this thing. 6-speed manual, upgraded to Euro spec 030 suspension. Sold it once kids arrived on the scene, bought wifey a Volvo XC90. Sigh.

Ones that stand out for me... Dodge Power wagon - Simon & Simon KITT Jaguar XJ6 - The Saint Austin Mini - Mr Bean Porsche 356 Speedster - Beverly Hills 90210 Ferrari Testarossa - Miami Vice GMC van - A-Team Dodge Charger - Dukes of Hazzard GMC K1500 - The Fall Guy Austin 1100 - Fawlty Towers

Beautiful job.

Had another great trade with Steve (Intmd8r) and no complaints. Fast shipper, packaged well. Would trade again.