W Humble

Well, I scanned the pages; hope they're readable. Contributor Paul Michulsky (just because I never heard of him...!) is a good craftsman, and his text is mostly very good, esp. on Roberts. Glen 'Fireball' Roberts was always my favorite big-stocker driver, and it was sad GM abandoned racing and left him to Brand F -- where he died. Paul takes his engine -- why, I don't know -- from an MPC '69 Firebird kit, and thus it is a400, not a 389 as it would have been in '61. He liked the detail, etc. but it's wrong looking. Builing a NASCAR frame from plastic and balsa seems strange now. Doing hand-lettered 'decals' would challenge me, and I have an MA in Art. Well, the scans are the best I could get; not too tech-savvy at 79! Hope all four upload for you all! Sorry about cropping effect; you're prob used to better! Wick (Owner of a '61 Pontiac, but it's a Tempest coupe -- with the rare Buick aluminum 215 V-8, currently under restoration!_

Mark, Going to scan it today and hope to post it asap. It was SAE, #35, Jan/Feb 1985, for the record; has a Corvair rampside and fox Moostang on the cover. Good, pretty accurate inclusion of Fireball Roberts story, too. Should never had accepted a ride with Ford! Wick

Thanks; prob do the same! I found the Fireball Roberts race #22 build in a SAE of 1985; I'll scan it tomorrow and hopefully get it attached for this forum asap. Pretty detailed; a bit different than might be built now, with the new-issue '61 Catalina kit, but if one wants to do the annual Bonne conversion it shows how. Wick

If I can find the mag (very old- like 1980's) and copy the article (2-3 pages with good photos) I may be able to post it here, if there is interest? Wish I'd found it before I sectioned my annual '61 kit. I have the repop '61 Catalina kit, which is very nice, but haven't gotten to it yet ! [I'm not great at posting pics!] I was wondering what gold was used for Smokey's Chevelle: brand, shade, etc. Suggestions? I have a signed poster of said Chevy -- not inscribed to me darnit! I did get a good interview with him back in the 'seventies, but it was about the Chevy W Motor and Impalas -- which he refused to run, sticking with his '57! Wick

I mistakenly shortened my annual '61 Bonne in the roof/cabin area, and tho it looks racy, it is wrong! An article in a very old SAE mag showed how one race car modeler shortened the deck/rear fenders (don't recall how much, but maybe 1/4-in.?) to make the Catalina proportions correct. He did a staggered cut; pretty complex! It looked very good! If you want, I'll dig the issue out but it'll take a week, I imagine. Good luck! Wick

Very professional; very engaging poses! Congrats! I was never prolific enough to make art my career, tho I trained in it. Only two years I got paid for being an artist were in the US Army; I was assigned a Civilian Acquired Skill Military Occupation Specialty of 81E29 -- Graphic Artist, assigned to Brooke Army Medical Center/Medical Field Service School in their training aids studio. My peak salary as SP5 was about $285/mo, plus three squares and a bunk. My BA apparently kept me out of VietNam, anyway, tho some of my cohort were 'levied out' for CamRanh Bay Replacement Depot anyway. Later, I emulated my talented wife, and became a Kindergarten teacher! Also wrote for various car magazines, and did the book How to Restore Your Datsun Z-Car, now out in a revised edition with CarTech Books. It has a few of my drawing, anyhow!

I knew I could count on MC Forums for help; and I got a nice package of stock/comp exhausts from 'larrymoo', for which I am very grateful! Thx to you other stalwarts who offered; think I'm okay on my PMD kits now! Wick

I'm almost embarrassed to ask, but does anyone have any early '60s Pontiac V-8 exhaust manifolds or headers to spare? I'm finishing up some old kits (annual '63 GP, '64 Goat, '63 LeMans, etc). and find myself with several for one side but not the other... Cadillac or Olds would pass, I guess; all three had (for kit purposes) siamesed-center ports. Upside is: if you can contribute some, they would probably travel okay in a first-class envelope. Oh, or 4-bbl. carbs -- need not be accurate or detailed to go under air-cleaners. Wick

Lots of practice with GM "A-bodies" including the LeMans/GTO. My best Army buddy and home town friend basically 'restored' a very pretty used '65 before he got drafted with me in 1969. Dean was really a fan, and was hoping to buy a new Firebird when he ETS'ed, but was killed in 'Nam two-weeks after he was deployed (as they say now) by a chopper load of ammo that had been booby-trapped. Great hot-rodder, all-round athlete, and 'shy, polite, fun, and a great guy' according to my wife of 54 years, who was in his class of 1968. Miss the guy! And, nowadays, I can't afford any A-body cars; have to make do with my '61 'Y-body" Tempest coupe with rare Buick alloy V-8, which I'm half-way toward cherrying-out. I have three 1961-63 Tempest/LeMans models, and a replica of my '65 Tempest Custom 2dr HT, 326/3-speed that I had to sell when the draft got me! Since PMD didn't make the OHC-6 Banshee sports car, I bought a new 1970 240Z Datsun before I left the Army (later restored it and wrote a book on it-- still in print), a move I never regretted. NISSAN USA bought it back for a display car in 1995! I now have a '71, resto-modified that I did myself, all but the engine rebuild. Whew! Still like the Pontiacs, tho -- our family drove a number of them. Sad the marque is gone, too! Ole' Wick

Bob, In all fairness, the custom 1/1 builds that you refer to are indeed starting with 50s-60s bodies -- that have put in three-times the amount of life experiences than they were ever designed to endure. Even a pristine garaged relic (I've had several) can have issues without having endured rust and rust repairs, fender benders that require new panels*, and just traffic abuse, but mostly those cars came from the dealer in very nice condition (also personal experience) and looking very nice for the money asked. I spent a lot of high-school time as a 'lot-bot' for a Pontiac/Buick/GMC (and Rambler) dealership, and generally even the cheaper cars were delivered in admirable fit and finish. Yes, the higher-zoot models had a level of both that was a notch above, but the Y-body Tempests were extremely good for their cost in '61. Today: a modern professional resto or restomod-build costs somewhere in the six-figure range -- on a car that even adjusted for inflation might only go $30K. You, hopefully, still get what you pay for... *Panels, and repop replacement tin -- mostly Asian: 'approximate' aptly describes the fit of these parts, but needs must when the devil drives, huh? So-o-o... I do question the premise that all were crappy or semi-crappy builds. My '65 Tempest Custom 2-dr HT (326, three pedals!) was super nice (until it was rear-ended by drunk teens in a Jeep -- with a winch on the front!) in '68, and Motor Trend cited PMD for new tech that produced "body panels whose accuracy and alignment were the envy of the industry." Even the neighbor-grandma who bought a new '60 Ford Falcon (144-in. stripper) got value for her money, and my aunties '67 Chevy II sedan (which the dealer charged her Malibu money for!) was a very decent product, other than a smeared thumbprint in the anti-glare paint of the dash, and some quick sealer work in the trunk) which she enjoyed until 94, and sold to me with 18K miles on it. I delivered a new '65 Bonneville HT that was gorgeously built, inside and out, and a quiet as Tut's tomb at speed -- when Ford was advertising R-R like silence. Forgive the rant: Talk about killing an ant with a sledge! RE Smokey: yep, he was into winning, and also into doing it all Smokey's way. His roots were to a degree scofflaw, and he'd shoot the works for a win. Don't think he ever lost any money on his style! Old Wick

"No man is an island -- he's a peninsula!" Jefferson Airplane

The metal axles and screws -- actually a great boon for a very young beginning modeler -- were of course just ancillary to our 3-in-1 kits being descended from promotional models. I had done a lot of early car kits, plus aircraft, ships, and military, before being attracted to the AMT car kits in 1959, when I was 14. With metal axles, I never again had the problem of securing wheels OR having them glue themselves solid to the chassis! Plus, the ugly screws did assure that the bottom parts stayed with the top, without a tablespoon of Duco Cement being applied! I even developed dropping a mini-dab of Vaseline or aptly-named 3-in-1 Oil onto the axles to keep 'em moving! Remember the 'lowering kit's with optional axle holes? OC, the first of those had no engine, so the wire-through-the-block problem didn't occur! I still convert my car kits to metal axles, for the above reasons, tho now I use a steel brad with a similar diameter, trimmed and placed in short lengths of tubing, for front wheels. OC, at almost age 79, I don't attempt show-winning models -- my goal is to get all those old kits (most bought and begun before 1965!) finished before my small-motor and eyesight fail completely. Dave, hope you appreciate those faculties, as they diminish a lot! I also make a priority of creative 'customizing' over trendy stuff -- or is it I just stick with very old trends? Imagination is the key; I never build a model kit 'as boxed' in my checkered career. Thanks for a good mag, and a vital forum!! Wick

Model Tires 1/25 or 1/24 scale: Evan; working on it! & Thx! Wick

Chuck, exactly! I saved a bag of sprue material for a year or so hoping some mfr would ask for it back to recycle. Oh well... Wick

Bob, funny you should mention the old Mono tires; I had the Green Hornet, Model A tub, Sizler, and some other of their kits, and all the tires are gone from my parts box -- which is unusual 'cause I don't toss things away. The funny Moon discs, yes. I never liked the Mono axle/wheel mounting, and it broke easily. (I had three younger brothers!) In rebuilding these old models, I have been stuck with 1/25 sizes. I did the repop 'Slingshot' this year, and was able to swap some Sizler slicks and 5-spokers onto it, which are a bit too modern (intro in '63) for the late-50's style kit. Finding tires nowadays that look like the old Firestone Super-Sport (Indy or road racing) skins is difficult, and I need some. Most are 1/24, also; my Strombecker Scarab and Comet Panther kits had them, but only one now is in my stash. I wonder if anyone has a source for this profile tire? Resin or 3-D would be okay. I want to finish builds of two vintage Bonneville-racers, but need the tires. I tried Indycals resins, but they seem undersized for my kits, even tho 1/25. If I were really adept at casting, I'd make some of the Comet tire that I still have, at least. I get too many rejects when I attempt tires! The old 'Stones were really tall profiles, as one can see in photos of old skool racers, and many cars ran big 'n littles, requiring two sizes. I tried 'Wanted' but not much luck. Oh well... Wick

Even in CA, c. 1962, we ordered a lot of 'junque' from Honest Hisself. The prices were good, lot's of advice tucked into the text, and Charlie was a very funny guy; never took hisself too seriously! Still have a vew of his catalogs; fun! Wick

Funky Cyclops is, as I recall, a spoof car spawned by Road & Track magazine, and former GM stylist, Stan Mott. A gifted cartoonist, Mott was a regular contributor. He was one of the stylists on the 1958-59 Impala models who gave a big illustrated interview to Motor Trend, and probably lost his job there. Don't know who built the novelty car, etc. Wick

Might have been a six-banger. like my sis's '67. About ten years later, it needed a valve job (?) and she let it go for $750! I begged for first refusal, too! Oh well... Flatheads have their place, but not where more sophisticated, more powerful engines lived! I considered putting an OCH Datsun L-28 (290Z engine) I had into our old '51 Chevy Syline, though; smaller but much higher hp, and still good torque. Got 197, then 250, then 350 instead! Wick

Curt, More info on wh\ere to find your build, pls? I got into Smokey back when Fireball Roberts drove Pontiacs -- and before GM stabbed thier fans in the back and conceded NASCAR to the 'other two'. Got sick of them crowing about 'side-oiler 427's" and o,c 'hemis' -- GM had the biggest engineering plant on Earth, literally and could easily have stayed competitive, but the gummint was after them on anti-monopoly issues, and wanted to split Chevy away from the other four, so they bailed. Fooey. He wanted to WIN, but at least was innovative/subtle about it all. We're all partisan, and I prefer Chevy's and Pontiacs -- and the under-dog independents. Saying that: I have a '71 240Z restomod (ground up job; never driven through standing water, so no fun), a #3 condition '51 Ford Crestliner (flatheads forever,) and a project '61 Tempest with the Buick alloy V-8, only 200+/- built. Also, almost done Dad's '51 Chevy Styline Deluxe 2-dr sedan (350/T-5, etc.) for my son. At age almost 79! Wonder if anyone built a model of Smokey's 'side-car' Indy effort? Good to hear from you! Wick We both have 'oldie' pics, huh?!

Apparently started NASCAR using the body-profile templates? I have a signed poster of the Smoke and his Chevelle, pretty cool. I stuck a 'Smokey Belongs' sticker on it (it was inscribed to someone else, darn!) ref. to his being excluded from their hall of fame for his 'fudging' the rules, etc. I got to interview him once, for SPECIAL INTEREST AUTOS Magazine, and always good for vivid/outrageous quotes, when he asked what mag it was for again, and I answered, he snapped: "Never heard of it!" Put me in my place, but the session yielded some great copy on the Chevy W-motor (348-409-427) for us! Article was republished in 3-parts in the VCCA magazine GENERATOR & DISTRIBUTOR a bit over a year ago. Wick

Andy: so make a mold and resin-copy them for posterity? :-<) Delivering PPG paint to a local body shop five years ago. I saw a 'barn' custom '57 Ford with Edsel lenses AND a '57 DeSoto grille -- classic! Completely dechromed, otherwise, in white. Wick

Very pretty! I'd settle for either, as I have a complete '53 kit, minus body/hood, but I see about $200 for that kit with shipping. Not in my range! Still looking for a '54 Conestoga wagon, just because I think they're cute. I built my YOM AMT '53 as a ragtop (Stude built two, and customizers have done a number of 'em) but frankly the look is not fantastic sans nice coupe roof. I did the trunk lid Hawk-style. I put the Avanti R-2 from my Aurora kit with 4-speed in it. The Avanti kit was a fussy, warped mess to assemble (also YOM) but it got a BBC -- oops, "Hamilton" engine. In '65 we had a Lark Daytona HT racing locally with a 396 which he swore was factory, so they let him race A/FX. Racing the local dealer's first 396 Corvette, it broke a rear axle first shot out of the box -- not too surprising. But I'm rambling.... again! Wick

I'm rebuilding my YOM '61 Bonneville into a Catalina (sorta') and wonder what gold paint you used? It looks great! I interviewed Smokey for SPECIAL INTEREST AUTOS Magazine in 1979; he was always good for a vivid quote. I was doing a research article on the old Chevy W-motor, which he refused to run, preferring to stay with his '57 small block. He also hated the new Chevy body, because 1. it was too heavy, 2. the engine was too far forward, v. the front spindle, and 3. the 348-in. mill and it's lack of high-rpm potential. Chevy was proud of the compact size (not that much different than the 283-in., and even slightly less tall -- but that was the perceived problem: the W's had a 'low-rise' intake manifold, and it didn't flow well at the top. That was the first issue that the aftermarket/later-model intakes addressed, of course. Always a good torque engine. W tied the Corviar flat six for the shortest produced Chevy engine, pre Vega. When I asked him what kind of engine the W-348 was, he barked "JUNK!" Waiting for the Mk.IV 'Mystery' or 'Porcupine' I guess! Wick

Nice ride, Andy! The kids are going very subtle with steel rims and Audi Nardo Gray paint (maybe by me!). They're putting on a '58 hood, and using 4-dr seats as the car had none; the front bench back can be tilted forward. It's a budget build! It has I think a GM 609 power steering, and Grenada front discs. The business coupes were pretty rare; about 6K built in '57, I believe. Very popular model/body right now! Does someone make a kit of the 2-dr sedan? I'm working on a '62 LeMans ragtop kit (rare find, in both cases!) of a car we sold last year, and converting a '63 rag to coupe. The Tempest/LeMans coupe roof (there were two!) is very hard to find, and I may have to section a GM big-car roof -- if I can find one. In '63 I built a SD 421 representation which I still have, but ragtop, which they didn't do back then. Though the Tempest Y-body came topless in '62 and '63, PMD never made a hard-top (pillarless) though Olds and Buick did! However, Pontiac raced their little cars, and I don't believe the others did. My current project is a '61 Tempest coupe, with the rare (2,006) Buick alloy V-8; not well supported by the aftermarket or hobby!

Andy, I picked up a new Revell Ranchero kit in the mid-eighties at a discount store, and eventually built it as an '80s pastel turqouise surf rig, almost chrom-eless (Meteor grille), with a basket handle roll-bar, Targa style. It reminded me how glad I am that they don't still make glue-together kits like that; it fit pretty well, but sticking the body sides to a central tub and then having to fill the glue seams, etc. was a pain. I put a SBF from a '62 Comet kit AMT in it, with the old COBRA valve covers, etc. Did you notice that the thing has '59 front bumper? Turn sigs on it, etc. Looks okay, but not stock at all. My daughter and hubby are building a '57 Custom '6B' business coupe 1/1 currently, T-BIrd 5.0, like that. Can't afford '55 Chevys any more! Wick