Dr.Paul

Greetings! After 8 years, and receiving warm compliments on my lighted 1/8-scale Turbo Trans Am model in another post, I think it's a great time to introduce myself. As a motivational speaker and author, I share uplifting stories that have enabled me to triumph over cerebral palsy and hearing loss, reaching my dream of walking and achieving other milestones once believed impossible. I have been fortunate to be able to drive, earn a doctorate, and even write a book! I show students that self-love and loving others encourages us to find the courage to accept and navigate our own challenges. I've always been fascinated by cars and scale models, and that's why I asked my friend Randy to create these custom builds in 1/8-scale and 1/12-scale. My favorites of his builds is the lighted and carpeted 1/8-scale Monogram Turbo TA model. Here are some models in my collection, all built by Randy (below). Most are 1/12-scale, but the 1978 Corvette is 1/8-scale. He took these pics at his Illinois home before shipping them to me in NJ. The 1/12-scale convertible 450SL and silver Gullwing are in Randy's collection. As I sadly lost touch with him years ago, I hope he recognizes his builds and is inspired to reconnect with me! Enjoy!

Thank you! Amazing to still get compliments on an 8-year-old forum post!

Agreed Skip! I'll try to get some higher-resolution pics (and a video) and post here after the weekend. Thanks again!

Thank you for your fabulous comments everyone! Yes, I am certainly proud to own this scale model replica of the real thing. I laughed at Phil's comment about the engine. haha The photo indeed shows the engine of the Monogram model! When Steve was reconditioning this model for me last year, he added a custom brass rod, painted black, to keep the hood propped open in its glass display case. I do not think the original model came with a hood prop. But I agree that the engine compartment is too nice to be kept hidden beneath a closed hood, so I agreed with Steve to insert the custom hood prop ... which can be quickly and easily removed as needed in the future. Indeed the model and its base takes up a lot of shelf space. But it is a definite conversation piece for everyone who spots it! Oh, I forgot, the wiring inside the wooden base plugs into a standard 120-volt outlet that provides the power for the lighting. Not batteries. There is either a transformer/resistor in the base that reduces this 120-volt current to 5-volts sufficient to activate the tiny lights.

I have read all the posts in this thread and surprised that no one has yet brought up this detail. Takes a sharp eye to spot this! On the very first pic uploaded that shows a front 3/4 driver's side view (the first post), the rear wheel/tire appears to be at a different angle compared to the front wheel/tire. It's almost like the rear wheel/tire has positive camber! If this build is a prototype, the modeler should ensure the rear suspension has been correctly assembled so that this positive camber does not appear on the mass-produced model. In Bill's post on Page 2 of this thread where the eyebrow arches over the wheel wells are discussed, and he shares a pic of the front 3/4 passenger side view with the gull wing doors open, you can spot the positive camber of the rear wheel/tire. Any suggestions? Please let the company and modeler know about this issue!

The color of those body shells reminds me of the silver 77 Ford LTD that was used in the Michael Landon series, "Highway to Heaven." Now we need a dent on the passenger side door, like that tv show has! Great job on the build!

Thank you! Yes, the IP gauges indeed have backlighting. The backlit IP bulbs are activated by an individual switch on the wooden base that also turns on the parking and side marker lights. A Trans Am aficionado looked at these pics years ago and told me that the speedo and tach are in the wrong spots! lol I don't care myself, Randy's effort is phenomenal!

I am sharing the finished photos of this build. This Turbo Trans Am model has working headlights, high beams, and taillights, parking and side marker lights, and interior gauges. All lights can be individually activated by switches located on the front panel of a finished wooden (and glass-enclosed) base upon which the model sits. The wooden base is hollowed out to hide the electrical wiring that the model needs, and covered on top by simulated asphalt. During the build, I had inquired with Randy whether we could have opening doors on this model. Unfortunately, the interior door molds (of the interior tub) do not line up precisely with the exterior door edges on these models, and furthermore, the structural integrity would be noticeably weakened because the model has T-Tops rather than a solid roof. Interior carpet and rear deck are covered in black felt to simulate carpeting with individual carpeted floor mats (thin rubber edges around each mat too). Randy even used thin gold modeling tape around the bumpers, T-tops, and wheel wells to create the custom exterior stripes of the Bandit edition of the car! Engine is wired and fully detailed also with rubber bands (for belts), miniature rubber hoses, and the coolant in the "reservoir" is visible! The only thing I can't do with this model is turn the key and drive off! The Testors glue started losing its adhesive properties after 10 years, causing the suspension to eventually collapse. The model was reconditioned last year and brought back to perfection by a local modeler (Steve) who works at a popular hobby shop. I have a disability but Randy and Steve worked their magic to create and maintain this model for me! Enjoy! Comments welcomed. I'll try to upload a video of the finished model after this weekend.

I wanted to have a large scale model which would hopefully breathe some new excitement into the scale car modeling profession. As a kid in the 1970s and 1980s, scale modeling was quite popular. Video games on a regular television was even a new concept (i.e., Pong, Atari 2600). There were also no iPods or X-Boxes, and both the Apple home computer and cable television industries were then in their infancies. So the kids of the day, myself included, were quite interested in building scale models and slot car racing, and I wanted to bring some of that excitement back into today's interconnected world. I found this forum yesterday, and I think it will become among my favorites to visit! Behold is my partially assembled Monogram Turbo Trans Am model in 1/8 scale. I cannot take credit for this build. My friend Randy is a scale modeler whom I met with on eBay about 14 years ago! I was so impressed with his builds that I had asked him to create this custom build for me. He generously agreed. These are the original photos which Randy emailed me years ago as he was building the model! I'll upload photos of the finished model in a subsequent post!

New member here, first post! I love this forum! If it has to be one photo for this thread, this one is my fave. A Monogram Turbo Trans Am model in giant 1/8-scale with working head and taillights, parking and side marker lights, and interior gauges. Interior carpet and rear deck are covered in black felt to simulate carpeting with individual carpeted floor mats (thin rubber edges around each mat too). Engine wired and fully detailed also with rubber bands (for belts) and miniature rubber hoses. The only thing I can't do with this model is turn the key and drive off! Credit for the build goes to my friend Randy. The Testors glue started losing its adhesive properties after 10 years, so the model was recently reconditioned and brought back to perfection by a local modeler (Steve) who works at a popular hobby shop. I have a disability but Randy and Steve worked their magic to create and maintain this model for me!