Danno

Very nice!

Dittos!! That was a great kit!

Ain't that the truth! Absolutely killer build, and even better looking in the flesh (so to speak) than images portray! Gonna be somethin' next year at DSC9 when this baby is done!!

They just do that to annoy you, Harry!

Exactly, exactly, and exactly!

I've been in auto theft (on the right side) for longer than I can remember. Okay, longer than I want to remember! Let's just say I've been investigating auto thefts since PacMan came out, John Lennon was shot, and Reagan was elected the first time. Slim Jims are generally only available to law enforcement, bona fide (certified) locksmiths, licensed/bonded towing services, and legitimate rescue services. However, many of the newest cars have locking/latching systems that negate Slim Jims and similar devices. Rescue services generally don't bother trying to unlock doors in emergency situations ... its much easier and faster to break windows.

Correct. And, unless one is a manufacturer (GM, Ford, Chrysler, etc.) it is illegal to possess, manufacture or attempt to replicate the special rosette rivets used to attach VIN plates, etc. Other than select certified, licensed and bonded restorers, it is illegal to possess the unique stamps used for VINs; that's why the characters in VIN numbers are typically unusual fonts ~ it helps to easily distinguish between numbers (3,6,8,9,0) as well as rendering comonly available stamp sets useless. And if some idiot uses a common stamp set to "create" his own VIN plate, it is immediately obvious as a forgery. There is usually no prohibition against ordinary letter/number stamps - it just isn't necessary, since manufacturers don't use the common fonts. Some of my favorite forged VIN cases involved (1) a total idiot who covered the true VIN plate with a phoney plastc Dymo label ... like THAT wasn't obvious! (2) the fools who try to replicate federal labels but misspell the manufacturer's name {"This vehicle manufactured by the Cryshler Moter Compny"} or (3) the bozos who put a GM VIN on a Lexus and don't understand how we knew the car was bogus!

Thanks for the kind words, Johnathan! You deserve kudos, too. You worked your tail off ... and ... still gave it all by being our "surprise" at the barbeque! For those who were unable to attend, Johnathan operates a DJ/music service ... he brought his gear to Casa Baker and entertained the gathered troops with all the proper period car songs and beach music and oldies. It was a GREAT TIME!!! Thanks fo all who contributed and thanks to all who attended. What a super wrap-up to the 8th Desert Scale Classic!! Having 75-80 good friends, old friends, and new friends enjoy the barbeque in the desert evening, with the roaring pinon fire, and Jonathan's music machine ... It just doesn't get any better!!!! CANNOT WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR!

So, which is it? Do you board in Michigan or do you board in Ohio?

Desert Scale Classic 8 kicks off in just under 24 hours, and it's shaping up to be the best yet. Online registrations are on a record-setting pace! Modelhaus, Scalefinishes, SLIXX, just to name a few of the 40 on site vendor tables. 25 Adult classes and 4 Junior/Senior Kids classes, and Master Awards. Peoples Choice balloting for club members' builds (not eligible for judging in the competition). Beautiful awards. Make-N-Take for the kids. Concession kitchen on site. Raffles all day long. Model building video seminars. Video-interactive awards presentation. Complimentary Beach Party Barbeque and Moonlight Modelers club meeting open to all DSC participants following the event. BIG TIME MAGAZINE COVERAGE by Model Cars Magazine and none other than the world-famous Darryl "Father D" Gassaway! Beautiful weather. What more could you want!?! Join us tomorrow.

Don't get me started about car chases and so-called police cars. First of all, I just can't count the number of times the police car changes year/brand/configuration during a chase in innumerable movies and TV shows. Chase starts when bad guy drives past '88 Caprice squad car, chase scenes show same cops in '88 Caprice then '90 LTD then '88 Caprice then '85 Diplomat then '88 Caprice and ends when the same cops in the '92 Crown Vic get the bad guy stopped. Same stuff, different movies/TV shows ALL THE DANG TIME! Have they NO continuity people???? Or, is it just that continuity people have no clue that different cars are different? Or, are they saying all cop cars look alike? AND ANOTHER THING! I extremely dislike how they always portray the cops sliding around and crashing around every time they take off in pursuit or on an emergency call! The 360's everytime they go around a corner while the bad guy (usually depicted as an inexperienced kid or druggy) motors through with a perfect line and little difficulty. It's disgusting! (It's even worse than the burnouts on sand and squealing tires on dirt roads.) Makes it look like all cops can't drive, when in fact most cops are extremely proficient and highly-trained drivers. However, I find ongoing amusement in the fact that most TV/movie cops use their emergency lights and sirens more than their turn signals. Seems like they run Code to everything they do. Especially funny how much noise they make when several squad cars and detectives (and Feds, who usually don't even own sirens or emergency lights) converge on the suspect's location where he's holding hostages, or when they race in to make the big arrest or execute a search warrant. Then, after they bag the bad guy, they don't search him but throw him in the back seat (window down) and drive away with lights blazing and siren blaring. HINT: Don't happen in the real world. Oh, well, I guess it's all proof that movies and TV shows are USUALLY just cheap, mindless, escapist entertainment.

Know how that goes ... been there, done that, bought the T-shirt, wore it, wore it out, bought another, brother!

WOW!! My Dad's hometown! He was born and raised there, CGHS football star. My Grandfather was the town marshal of a nearby "suburb" ~ that reads, really, really small nearby town; even smaller than Council Grove! I've seen that rig ... way back in the day ... when it was in service! Great looking piece, Dave!!! Thanks for sharing it. I'll have to visit your website ... I assume there are more pics ...

Happens all the time, usually on a smaller scale and with a less obvious "target" than a Z-16. I've worked similar cases, and the cloner usually makes huge mistakes, just as the linked article highlights. There are other, even more sophisticated ways to spot cloned cars, old or new. It is highly unusual for a cloner to argue so much and so publicly with real experts, however. That's what really tripped up this guy. The real experts do, indeed, know what they're talking about ... and the cloners seldom do. They make the superficial, cosmetic changes and hope to find a real idiot buyer. It's surprising, however, that this guy was so stupid as to try to fake VIN and trim plates by stamping them instead of properly embossing/debossing them. He made it easy to get himself caught ... like some kind of felony deathwish. And one more point ~ the "I bought it that way" excuse is the most common; also usually and easily disproved. Greed and larceny are the motivators, and they are job security for us auto theft investigators. Fortunately, this one was caught before some naive and innocent purchaser was taken to the cleaners by his dream car and the "deal too good to be true!"

Kelly told us you've ALWAYS had a lay-flat seat. What's that got to do with Newark?

?

Well, I didn't know to check it out. It had that "M" word in the subject line, so I didn't bother to stop in ... Little did I know there was copshop stuff goin' on. I'd a been here earlier!

Roger that, G. We're gonna miss you ... and especially Mrs. Agent! Rain check ~ we gotta get together one day ... I have a couple of things for you, and I don't think they can be mailed or shipped without undue attention ...

Hey, Gregg, we're closer!

I was gonna go to NNL-E, but since they don't have a barbeque afterwards and since I can't get a DESERT SCALE CLASSIC BURGER there , I'm gonna go to Phoenix for the Desert Scale Classic instead!! :) Take that, Tom! LOL. Seriously, best wishes to you guys for a great show. We're having a GREAT SHOW and a PLASTIC PARTY here. NNLE and DSC8 ... bookends for the great American Continental United States. Next weekend can't get any better than that!

Look who's talking! Man, G, you're on my ... coal list! Letting a little job get in the way of hangin' and chillin' wit yo frents! What up wid dat?

Boy! That was fast!! Do you have a bug in my computer that tells you everytime I post something about you? Seriously, you're on. Bring 'em Saturday. I may have something to trade ...

I'm getting a virus warning (from McAfee), too.

Looks just right, G! "... with some radio faces graciously provided by Mr Stephens." Oh, he did, did he? I can't seem to find any around here ... He's in soooo much trouble now! He might find a lump of coal in his Desert Scale Classic Burger ...

Chris, It's 5 o'clock somewhere!