Claude Thibodeau

HI! My experience with AMT kits goes back to early 60's... and many of the same kits are still with us, as you know all too well. Obviously, what was "state of the art" back in those days looks a bit dated. Back then, a big part of the thrill was to build exciting NEW cars. I guess the current owner of those old molds figure that nostalgia will carry the day 60 years later. If they sell, who's to argue? Retro-deluxe anyone? At least, the packaging is exciting... Besides, many NEW TOOL subjects are excellent kit, as Revell as shown us often times. I won a couple of MPC kits as door prizes last year, and I was sadly disappointed at what was in the box. Nostalgia would not save the day, alas. Finally, in my experience, many AMT kits bought between 2005 and 2015 were defective (bent, short molded, etc.). I do a lot of kitbash, so I made do with most of them... but a novice modeler probably would have found it discouraging. A simplistic kit, maybe. A faulty product? No so much... Just my two cents, for what it's worth. CT

Hi! They are fairly big as car tires go... In scale, I would guess they are 17 inches wheels, and the tires are almost as big as sport-truck tires. I'll try to measure then tomorrow on my Pizza-Truck, and post the results here. CT

Hi Kerry! Well, we can't wait to see your Magnum Opus... CT

Hi! I was mistaken in my post above... The Cord is a MONOGRAM kit, not Linberg's. Sorry. CT

Hi! Interesting project. You may want to look at the rollingstock of the Mickey Thompson's Challenger kit. The wheels are sculptural, and the OD of the tires may fit your bigger project. (see picture). Lindberg's Cord 812 also has fairly big tires, and slotted wheels with smoothie caps (see second picture). You may also research a custom speedster that Edsel Ford had designed by Bob Gregorie in the 30's. It was long and low, and kept fenders to make it it more streamlined to the eye. I concur with Mr. Woodruff on this point: no fenders would make it very "massive", for lack of a better term. Great project, keep on! CT

Hi Marcos! Unusual and impressive. Keep on! CT

Hi Jean-Philippe! Wow, stunning, as usual. I'm particularly impressed by the interior... Al the brightwork looks 1/1. Bravo! CT

Hi Steve! This thing is ready to compete in any GoodGuys event... and win! Slick, and I like the even keel stance, akin to an air-ride suspended car when dropped looooooow. great! The idea to use the extremely narrow (almost a caricature) seat back section for a scoop is clever. I have the kit, and I will emulate your idea on a future build! Bravo! CT

Hi Sir! I was browsing trough clippings from old issues of SAE (kept for reference), and I saw a picture of your car atop a painting stand. You were using the car as a "demo" for a painting feature article, and described the source of the parts. I was impressed, and still am! CT

Hi Sir! That engine is a work of art... but we saw it coming for a while. Now the engine stand... WOW! This thing looks sturdy, and is of olympic precision. Impressive. Bravo! CT

Hi Francis! Wow, this thing is impressive on the four wheels. Bravo! It looks strangely like a 1/1 1970 Mustang Pro-Touring that I was building a frame for in my garage last spring... Goes to say how realistic your work is! CT

Hi Tom! Great stance, and the flame job is impressive, even more so in the extreme close-ups. Bravo! Just curious: did-you have any after-toughts about leaving the side-molding on it? The flame masking must have been complicated? CT

Hi Josh! Thanks, I'll check it out tomorrow. I could use this wire for many applications! CT

Hi Sir! Welcome back to styreneland! You'll be able to observe that many among us are old enought to get free refills at McDo. Isn't life great at this point? Enjoy your projects, and share them with us. We learn from the group! CT

Hi Francis! Well, since we are both getting older by the day, I guess we will ultimately be vaccinated, and break free of that mess. In the meantime, happy holidays to you and your loved ones. Joyeuses Fêtes mon ami! CT

Hi Tim! Thank you so much. It seems the panel of three ACME Presidents (current and former) were favorably impressed. Lucky me! CT

Hi Francis! I'll try, but it will test my photographer's talent... It is a curved and beveled slab of glass, with the markings etched or glass-beaded from the back. Stunning, but hard to photograph the semi-transparent markings. I'll try soon! CT

Hi Greg! Lately, I've been chroming many fairly big parts with the Molotow ink... but NOT with the pen. I bought a Molotow REFILL at an art supply store (about 25$), and I just put a drop or two in a shallow paint palette, and use a fine brush to apply a liberal heavy coat over my parts. The trick is to NOT try any recoat before it is dry, otherwise, the finish will not be as smooth. It works incredibly well, is not too sensible to handling (reasonnably, of course), and remains very lustrous and shiny. You could "fill" your chip very wet in one application, and let it dry flat for a day. My guess is nobody would be able to tell... CT

Hi Chuck! Great idea, and superb execution. Bravo! And the wind farm in the background is "in the theme" to say the least... CT

HI! Today, my postman delivered a beautifull crystal sculpted award from ACME. It is proudly displayed on my chimney mantle. Many thanks to all involved, quite an honour! CT

Hi Sir! The stance is absolutely perfect for the salt flats. Bravo! CT

Hi Uelder! Very neat weathering. And what happened to the passenger-side rear stoplight reflector? You may get pulled over by a patrol car... CT

Hi Mike! Well, all those smaller parts amount to a great engine compartment. Everything looks "in scale". Bravo! CT

Hi John! The blower scoop on this 36 was shot with a Krylon spray-can finish, that gave a sheen that is less bright than regular chrome, but lighter in hue than the usual Alclad on a black enamel base. So is the counter top on the food truck. Speakin of Alclad, I tried it on a white enamel base, and it then mimicks more polished aluminium than the darker chrome on black enamel. (see Duster scoop below) For what it's worth, just my two cents... CT

Hi Francis! Wow, impressive as always. I'm curious about the starter ring gear around the flywheel... You made it, or is-it some kind of watch or clock gear that you fitted there? It looks the part! CT