Danno

Uh oh! Mickley has some serious competition! Looks like a worthy recruit to the Snowbird Patrol ranks!! Great job!

142 (certified) in a '74 Plymouth Gran Fury 440 Magnum. The Corvette I was chasing was not going quite as fast. He could not believe I caught him. I have to say that Gran Fury, my Nova 9c1 and a '78 Fury II (could never get the Fury IIs over 130) were the best police cars I ever had the privilege of piloting. (I missed out on the Camaro police Z's; dangit.) You guys that have run that fast on 2 wheels; well, that's just nuts! Way too many variables even with four wheels on the ground. Glad you made it to the brink and back.

We're looking forward to seeing you, Simon!

Here's the flyer:

Box art, Harry?

Jeff, Best shop in the Valley for plastic-carholics is right at the Gilbert/Mesa border: HobbyTown USA located at Gilbert Road and Baseline Road (SE corner) at the far west end of a Fry's Grocery Store shopping center. If you go in on Saturday, ask for our good friend Bob ... a fellow car modeler and club member (Moonlight Modelers), he will take great care of you! Especially if you are a Cobra fan. They have a great selection and Bob stays on top of the hobby! Marty mentioned Hobby Depot, which is the second-best (IMHO) shop for car builders in the Valley. It is on the NW corner of Mill Ave. and Southern in Tempe, again part of a Fry's Grocery Store shopping center. Neither shop is very far from the heart of Mesa, so you should be good. Good luck and enjoy!

Mahalo nui loa, Jon.

It turned out great, Marty! You done good!

Very nice, Chris, very nice! I love those uncommon emergency vehicles!

HmmHmmmmm ... so I tried to try the chat room, but all I ever got was the message, "Please wait while we load the chatroom...." It never loaded. Is it just me, or is there something I missed,or whaaaat? And, why can't I see what I'm typing? Arrrrrrgggggggggggggh! (It could be dangerous for me to type without knowing what I've typed!) LOL

John,Beautiful build, man! Killer!

Steve, Gabe's got it right, too. The Bench at PV Mall is gone. The Bench at 43rd Ave & Bell is still there, but car models are not their emphasis and the stock generally lags as a result. You might check out Hobby Depot in Tempe (Southern Ave just west of Mill Ave). They have a fairly full car/truck line of kits and supplies, good stock of paint, etc., but they're still a little more military-oriented and IPMS-geared. The really, really good shops are gone. The best action seems to be a blend of grazing between the afore-mentioned Gilbert/Baseline Hobbytown USA, the Hobby Depot, and the 40% discount coupons from Michael's and Hobby Lobby craft stores. Having said that, the real "mecca" in the Valley is in the periodic swap meets at the Postal Workers Social Hall at 3720 W. Greenway in Glendale; three times per year + in conjunction with the Desert Scale Classic show/contest. Tons of contemporary kits at good prices and lots of old, vintage stuff as well as aftermarket goodies and cheap built-ups, etc. Also, check out MoonlightModelers.com and its link to the Phoenix/Arizona Model Car Builders Bulletin Board for announcements and calendars. And, come check out the Moonlight Modelers and Cactus Car Modelers clubs. Don't forget the contests: GoodGuys twice a year - March & November, and Desert Scale Classic in April. In 2010, the local IPMS is hosting the IPMS Nationals in August. Lots of stuff going on ...

Steve, Without doubt, the best choice for kits, supplies, magazines, paints, etc., in the valley is the Hobbytown USA on the SW corner of Baseline Road and Gilbert Road. Go in on a Saturday and introduce yourself to Bob Peeples. He'll see to it you get dialled in to anything you need! They've got the best selection and cater to car guys!

This amazing airbrush paint job flew in from Honolulu, HI for last weekend's 12th Annual Southwest Nationals (GoodGuys Rod & Custom Assocn) Model Car Contest. It's Stan Pinho's '51 Mercury took "Best Paint" and was runner-up for the People's Choice Award. Congratulations, Stan! And, it was great to meet you and visit with you. Mahalo nui loa ~ come back and see us any time! PS: I've posted some more contest coverage pix under the Model Car Contests category, but that doesn't seem to get as much traffic as the "General" category.

Here's the winner of the coveted People's Choice Award, by Lanny Haas, Phoenix: Here's the Best of Show, by Stan Seel, Scottsdale: Here's the Best Adult Award, by Harold Oswald, Surprise, AZ: Here's the Best Paint Award, by Stan Pinho of Honolulu, HI:

Very nice! Very! Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

What Gabe said! He got it right. Come check us out, Steve.

Very nice, Steve!! Bring it around when you get a chance!

The longest running and nearly biggest* model car contest in Arizona! * Maybe this year, right? No entry fees - No limit to number of entries - Category awards and Master Awards - Free Make-N-Take for kids - Free Sunday Admission for pick-up return (for each entrant) - Magazine coverage Extra added attraction of 2500-3000 full scale hot rods, customs, and specialty cars for your enjoyment in between model car / pedal car happenings! Friday thru Sunday, November 20, 21, and 22, 2009 Presented by GoodGuys Rod & Custom Association Make-N-Take sponsored by Revell Staffed by Moonlight Modelers Club of Phoenix Attended by thousands! INFORMATION LINK - Courtesy of Moonlight Modelers

Hey, Gabe! That guy doing all the work looks just like you! Where'd you find him?? LOL. Looking good. Can't wait to see it moved-in and operational!

Very nicely done! That's a good-looking model!!

Beautiful!!

That's VERY nice!

Sad to hear. God bless him, his family and his many friends.

WoW! That's nice!