robertw

There is a small scale diecast of the Caliber out. While we'll probably see the Nitro out in diecast, in my mind I can see it with giant wheels, I really doubt that we'll see either in plastic. Personally I'd love to see the Caliber in 1/25th since I bought one. Needed a vehicle with the versatility of my Jeep Cherokee but better gas mileage. Boy did I make that decision just in time. rob wheeler

This is more in the nature of some general comments then a full review. I currently have the 355 Spider kit on the bench and while the fit of this kit is good I've had to do a huge amount of work to make it more accurate looking including the cutting out of the cooling slots on the engine compartment and a near total rebuild of the interior. For one thing the inner doors skins are as flat as an old mpc kit and with little resemblence to the real doors. I ordered the GTS (coupe) version as much out of curiosity as a desire to build it. Unfortunately it suffers all the same failings of the conv kit. In fact cutting out the cooling slots will be even more difficult on the GTS due to the roof line and small amount of plastic support around some of the slots. This one I'm afraid will be sitting in the closet for a long time. Rob W

No photos but my current daily driver is a 2007 Dodge Caliber SXT Sport. For the last 18 years I've driven Jeep Cherokees, living in a rural area and travelling to meetings in all weather conditions meant the Jeep's 4x4 & rugged construction was a requirement. Now that I'm retired (last June) life is simpler. My special toy for summer use is an '88 Corvette coupe with only 50,000 miles on it. What all these vehicles have in common............they've all been red, by choice. Rob Wheeler

That is a very attractive color scheme and a nicely built model. rob wheeler

Love the colour combination and a really nice job of building as well. rob w

Get covered storage as quickly as possible even if it's just a piece of clear vinyl drapped over your shelf. I had open shelving at one time but boxed it in using the acrylic sheets of clear plastic (the type you can buy at lumber yards to make storm windows etc). I attach the sheets to the front using a few small screws which can be easily removed when I want to add or remove a model. I went from constantly dusting models to nearly dust free. Now a model can be cleaned up using just a soft but fairly large artists paint brush. In the past I've even resorted to repolishing with Novus 2 to clean up thick dust coatings. rob w

Nice build. I like how you did the wheels. Considering the many variations that I've seen built using this kit it's going to be one of the most popular kits of the year. rob w

Well done Ismael. Now let's get the dash in so we can see what the whole interior will look like. rob w

What you want is The Directory of Model Car Kits by Bill Coulter & Bob Shelton. I believe they are up to their 4th Edition now. The truth is that an unbuilt model as well as a built one are worth what someone is willing to pay for them. Unopened kits as well as ones that were seldom reissued are usually worth more but sometimes there is no rhyme or reason for a kits high or low value. Ebay is a good place to check out what people are currently willing to pay for kits . If you want the directory which also gives a value estimate for every 25/24 scale kit made in the US check out the ModelRoundup web site. I believe they carry it for sale. rob w

That is a beautiful exterior/interior color combo, not to mention a flawless build. rob w

Very nice build and the color looks perfect for the car. rob w

Nice color. I did one in a similar color, duplicolor Orange Mist with a beige interior. I think it looks a lot better in metallic orange then it did in the concept car silver. rob w

As another one of those Canadians. If you are sending anything across the border do it via the US post office. There is an agreement between our two post offices, ie to send items between two people as opposed to groups such as UPS who see it as an opportunity to gouge people on both sides of the border. And it has been my experience that items arrive just about as quick via the P.O. A lot of mail order firms in the US have lost my business because they will send only via the courier style outfits. rob w

The blue & cream colors alone are going to create a beautiful model. The conversion work is merely icing on the cake. rob w

I took a look at the site a couple days ago and found that a lot of what was available wasn't available for those of us outside the US but I'll also admit that increasing sellers on ebay won't sell to Canada. Quite discouraging. rob w

While you don't have every detail right you've certainly captured the overall look of this unusual and some might say downright ugly Corvette. I'm sure this must have been a challenging project to do and I'd be proud to have it on my display shelf. Good work !!! rob w

Quite likely the best idea would be to get a copy of "The Directory of Model Car Kits" by Bill Coulter & Bob Shelton. It lists all 1/25 & 1/24 scale plastic kits produced by American manufacturers. I read somewhere that the online shop Model Round Up sells it. rob w

This kit has inspired more interesting variations then any kit in recent memories but this one has the potential of being among the very best. I for one will be watching closely for updates. Well done. rob w

I've used solder to do a couple of exhausts and creating hangers is an absolute must unless you want to drag your exhaust pipes on the ground. I have used acid core one one project when I couldn't find a solid core in the right size. I plugged up the end with the end of a straight pin sealed it with some epoxy and 15 years later haven't seen any damage to the plastic that the solder is mated to. Radio Shack (now called the Source here in Canada) also have a .6 mm solder that is ideal for valve stems, fuel lines that need a lot of kinks and bends and other wiring. rob w

The excellence of your builds have made both of these must have kits. Well done. Rob W

I do, but only Corvettes. Have them all since 1977. Unfortunately getting ones earlier then that are just too pricey for my pocket book. rob w

I really look forward to following this build. Bought one of these when they were first issued and started but never finished it. rob w

Beautiful paint job Bill. One of my favorite colors on my favorite car. rob w

Not Izzy but I should be able to help a bit. There were 61 '83 Vettes built but I believe that only one has survived. The surviving car is white although I recall reading that several red and gold cars were also produced and probably other colors as well. The body, engine and interior is identical to that of the '84 so the best kit to start with would be the mpc '84 kit or the Monogram one although the latter is a curbside kit. The only difficulty would be the wheels which would be changed by the time 'the available to the public' '84's rolled off the production line. If you're serious about building this car let me know. I believe I have some references including pics of the wheels. rob w

Nice build. I've always wanted to build some of those Revell AG F1 kits but never realized that they would turn out so nicely. robw