Phil Patterson

One sleeper of a kit you may have overlooked is the Airfix or MPC 1904 Darracq. A simple kit, and marketed as 1/32nd when it's really 1/24th. However, it's very accurate from all indications and only suffers from some flash and simplicity issues mainly due to the fact it was originally tooled in the 1950s. Still reasonably priced though, either in the Airfix bagged versions or the 70s MPC kits. Terry Jessee built one some time ago for SAE, if you've got the back issue. You'll have to do the brass plating yourself with either Al-Clad or brass colored paint, but you'll have a hard time finding a 1/24th-25th scale kit of a car older than this one!

I saw it tonight, it was sweet! Foose always seems to do a tasteful job on any vehicle he fixes up.

I'm very good at doubling my kit expense mainly due to having to buy a 2nd kit to replace what I either lost, broke or mal-modified in fit of misplaced inspiration. I do have a pretty good parts box though!

Not Moparkid, but I've noticed the woodgrain decal shrinking along the bottoms on the one cream colored T&C I took out of the box. I did go around the door lines, hood vents, etc with a fine tip black permanent marker and it helped its looks a lot. But it appears that the decal for the woodgrain may go bad with time, in fact, mine has degraded some already in the short period I've had it. I expect I'll have to get ready to do some wood trim painting like I did on my Revell 48 Woody or maybe with some luck, Keith Marks or someone will produce some woodgrain decals for this. Eventually I expect it'll need something done over time if these decals get looking worse, and I've got a bad feeling they will.

The JoHan 68 Chrysler 300 came with a set of optional cross rams. I believe they were also in several older Chrysler JoHan kits as well, though those would be more expensive and harder to find. I swapped a set out of that kit onto a JoHan 62 300 kit sometime ago, looked pretty good but you have to be careful of fenderwell and hood clearance.

Looking forward to this one as well. The 79 Chrysler wagons flew off the shelves here while the Pintos and Gremlins are languishing slightly, though quite a few of those went out the door as well. Like you guys say, the police equipment fans are going to be tickled pink, hope they do a Volare 4 door of some kind as well. I'm not complaining though!

You got it wrong, the new Challenger is much better looking than the Transformer angry shaver Camaro. I even prefer the 4 door Charger to that thing. I find it funny the Camaro fans are defending it, it looks like a 69 Camaro that caught a bad infection and is swollen all over. They ought to be upset they stuck the "lil pal" nameplate to that monstrosity. For what it's worth though, it's better looking than the Chrysler "Imperial" prototype, that blob trashed the Imperial name even more so..... I think Pokey has it right, if they tone it down some, it would help....a lot!

Ahh, come on now! You can't tell me that a 56 Chevy doesn't look right at home lifted with a pair of leafs springs and a tube axle on the front with the rear quarters opened up for a pair of pie crust slicks! Whitewalls, preferably!

I think your best option may be to wet sand it down to the original plastic carefully using very fine sandpapers then polish it out. You could try Castrol Super Clean, but I'd be afraid it'd make that old plastic, whatever it is, brittle and faded looking. I only hope that someone cast a good straight original in resin of that and/or several others like it I can think of like the PMC 54 Plymouths and anything similar.

I'd prefer a stocker as well. My brother had an Astre coupe that I drove for awhile, decent little car for what it was.

Keep looking and don't forget to dig through the shelf! Our local Walmart had them, but someone stuck them behind all the Pintos and Gremlins. I asked the lady in the toy department and she had no idea what I was talking about and said, they don't have them, even though she was standing less than a foot from where they were at! I've still got mine in the box, don't want to tear into it until I'm really ready, I've got enough uncompleted projects as it is....

I most certainly hope that is the case, I've been looking forward to the 87 Cutlass. I've got some cars of friends I hope to duplicate one day.

I've always wanted one too, but it seems to elude me. I'd happily take Ann Hathaway as a consolation prize, however!

Where did you find this at? Is it at the big "W" or elsewhere?

I plan to be there as well. The NNL East would be nice, but it's just too far for me at this time. Looking forward to the new show at the Armory, the old hall was nice, but parking was a hassle.

Well, except for that whole flammability thing! I use alcohol too, but only when it's something especially tough, it does do a good job on the prepaints as well though. I just like being able to throw the body in the vat and forget it for awhile. The alcohol can work quicker, but has to be monitored, and if it evaporates, you have to start over. More of a preference thing , really.

One caution with brake fluid is if you leave the plastic in there long enough, we're talking months or longer, it will rubberize the part. However, if you soak with water, it'll bring the fluid back out of the part. I've done this with scrapers I've left in the fluid for extended periods of time. Also, NEVER put resin in brake fluid, it'll turn it into goo. However, I keep my brake fluid vat for extra special tough jobs like AMT prepaints and unknown old paint that won't strip by any other method and use CSC for everything else.

I have to agree with Rob. If I've bought a diecast, it's because it was a subject matter that I thought would never be done in plastic. Some that I have that I know there'll likely never be kits of include the 41 Plymouth by Maisto.. I think. 1916 Studebaker Panel truck by Liberty Classics, 1917 Maxwell touring by Ertl and anything else along that line. I also like the Wild Cherries Gremlins and Pintos. I'm really looking forward to their 79? Chrysler Town and Country wagon. I've got no problem with diecast, it's just easier for me to work with styrene, though it's hardly a deal killer by any means. Oh, can't forget the Johnny Lightning 38 Bantam and 57 Ford Courier, those are sweet as well! All in my preferred scales of 1/24th or 1/25th.

It always bothered me that there were so many diecast Corvettes...

I hear you on that, the old AMT Econoline as well as if they'd fix the grille in the AMT/MPC Dodge kit. The abomination in there now doesn't represent any particular year. In fact, if they took the time, there's a couple of grilles that would be accurate with that body thus making the kit multi-year and more desirable IF they'd take the time to do it. If they can replace the chrome bits for the 59 Imperial, they certainly should do something to correct that van kit. Of course, Mr. Burket deserves the majority of credit for fixing the 59 Imp.

Not sure, maybe Okey Spalding has them now. Also, the Comet was reissue but don't think the Maverick has been out for some time. I would like to see some of the last few reissues like the Comet, S&M Cuda, etc, etc hit the market again. While reissued and quite common in the 80s and early 90s, the supply has dried up and I bet would sell well in Lindberg boxes.

That is odd, considering examples of the ones you mention, plus the MG-TD that Revell had on the market recently were all converted from styrene. I'm definitely looking forward to the Cutlass, though I think it'll be hard for the new Regal to surpass the classic Monogram Turbo Regal kit that has been out for some time.

Is this the one with the two tone red truck on the cover? You made me curious because I've had several of these since 1988 since my eldest daughter was born, and just went and looked and couldn't find anything about Ford on them? Was it something they corrected at some point?

That is cool, now if only they'd do a truck in similar styling on a 1-ton chassis or less. Always had a weakness for International Harvesters.

How's that Micro Metal Foil Adhesive work? Do you brush it on the foil first, then let it dry? Or do you have to coat the part as well?