dmthamade

Me too. Being in the 1/32 aircraft world, there are times where the seam is 8-10 inches sometimes longer. Liquid cement+sprue/plastic stock=a seam literally welded together. I have tried using CA for long seams, but have had them crack when sanded. Now this wasn't with the nail wrap reinforcement, success experiences you guys give say it's something to look at. Question, is the wrap porous? Don

Are the joints noisey or are the boots leaking? If quiet, you can just reboot the joints. 109000 miles on a Camry is not a big deal if it's not from the rust belt, seen them and other toyotas go 250/300000kms regularly. Close to 200000 miles. Aftermarket axles can be hit or miss, we source from non franchise parts house, brand new axles, can't remember country of origin. We also source from Worldpac, they sometimes list OE parts. We've got stuff from Rockauto, Summit, name brand stuff. Finding a shop... word of mouth seems to be the best way to find a shop, though with old age attrition of techs, lack of new talent... Don

Flying Wrenches guy is really knowledgeable with fords, one of the few on Youtube worth listening to. Pine Hollow Diagnostics is another fine one great case studies. Fords not alone in doing this, Grand cherokees had the fuel pump relay built into the TIPM/aka fuse box. Had issues meaning TIPM replacement, Chrysler had fix with new relay and harness to mount relay outside of bx, came as a kit. Cheap relays supplied had to replace 2.5-3 years. have lots of shiny new relay harnesses, just replaced relays. Nissans had similar faults, relays built in, IIRC sentras. There were other manufacturers with melted fuse boxes on relays, older vehicles we did bypass and external relays. GM trucks had faults with the fuse boxes, weird faults, we used to keep a few in stock. Buick Lucernes IIRC Melted rear fuse boxes along with sister GM products. Some car/trucks we could bypass circuits. On a selfish note, it is job security.... Don

Popular Hotrodding Project X, in move Hollywood Knights. Not a great movie.

California kid, Movie car with the steelies, could do without the side pipes. Don

Fun times. There are LS oil pickup tube supports or braces available. Simple add-on, gives great peace of mind. Don

LS? Don

Yup!! Another example of sketchy engineering. Have to say, ALL manufacurers have done these kinds of misguided engineering "breakthroughs". Not much really suprises me anymore, last one was the 3 cylinder variable compression Nissan engine, in the Rogue, Dumbassery at its finest. Don

Yup!! Any time i've had a big gap to fill, i've used stretched sprue or rod stock with thin cement. Gives a much stronger weld than filler putty or CA. Gouging or "V" ing out the joint then filling is like MIG or ARC welding, gives better penetration=stronger weld. Don

Have had a few dented cans, used them up fine... Don

I would like to see new tool Fuel dragsters, funny cars, F1 and Indy cars, old and new. 1/16 scale preferred due to old age limitations. Don

I bought this kit last month instead of the Rommel's Rod. First ICM kit i've ever bought, can in the box review . The parts all look very well moulded, with almost no flash seen anywhere. Moulded in detail looks crisp, well detailed. Clear parts are well moulded and thin. windows are all flat, so easy to look good. Chrome parts are very well done, the plating is nicely thin, not like some parts where they look like shiny blobs. They remind me of Tamiya plated parts. Tires look agricultural, with no manufacturers name, though from what i've seen with limited research is normal. This is a closed top model, but there seems to be parts for a top down version as well. There are decals supplied for specific cars, haven't looked into peculiars. The fender flags/pennants have no swastikas, you'll have to supply your own. Instructions are a little vague how some things go together, color suggestions given. Instructions are a mix of Ukraine and English. There pretty good coverage on line of the real car including Hitlers car and more war-like versions. Youtube does have build of this kit as well as different scale kits, along with videos of the real versions. HTH Don

Have to say, a module going down and taking out the network isn't a new thing, been happening ever since cars went with the CAN Bus network. Diagnosing these faults can be a daunting task, some of the guys i work with have a pretty good handle on these problems. An excellent knowledge of electronics and basic electrical theory along with a multimeter and scanner along with a boatload of experience will get you there. Odd and weird problems happen, here a lot of them are enviroment related, rotten green wiring, sockets, connectors....body shop errors... Don

These were done with Tamiya AS-12 overall with panels picked out with Vallejo Metal color. Weathering was mild.

Lots of ways to do a BMF finish out there. I've used Tamiya AS-12 on most of them with different panels airbrushed with different shades of Vallejo Metal Color. Doesn't do a factory fresh finish, but a good base for a weathered finish. If you want super shiny factory fresh , Alclad is a great choice. Don

Well this is a reminder!! I've primed and painted car parts with Tamiya spray bombs as well. This was over plastic, aluminum, sheet metal, parts used in the interior, engine bay... parts have all stood the test of time. Wheel center caps, assorted covers, brackets...i used the Tamiya colors due to variety, wasn't just black. Tamiya primers as well. Don

I've used the Tamiya primer/color spray bomb combo on photoetch, brass, aluminum, white metal landing gear and steel detail pieces. Never had any problem with it not sticking or cracking or any other problem. I would treat like any other part, clean and dry, then paint as usual. I believe you are good to go. Don

I went on Youtube because I had to see what HPI guy was like, have to say, i think his builds are presentable. Matter of fact, i think mine are comparable to his, but his are probably better. I get how it's like a review, i guess i can see how some would think he's just slapping stuff together, i think the aim is "this is what the kit looks like, this is a workmanlike build. Others can do better, here's my build, hope it helps". So many level of kits available to us, from snap togethers to hundreds of parts, and all levels of skill, experience and desire to "go up a level" if you want. Don't think any of them are the only right way to build, to say so is pretty arrogant. You might not like it or agree, but it's how "i" build. Don

Found car pics.

Pics show wash applied in first, cleaned in second.

I use an old Tamiya acrylic paint bottle(small size) half full of water. I add 3-4 drops of paint, and two drops of liquid dishwasher soap. Mix thoroughly and use. This works best on a gloss surface, if you use on flat, it will create a hard to clean/impossible to clean mess. Allow to dry, then remove excess with a damp paper towel, qtips in confined areas. This isn't like the Tamiya panel line stuff, you can be sloppy with it. The soap allows easy removal and breaks the surface tension of water allowing it to flow. If you dont like the results, it can be wiped/washed away with water. The darkness of the wash can be adjusted with the amount of paint used. Will try and post pics, they'll be of aircraft but the basics apply. Don

I make my own washes using Tamiya acrylic paint, water and liquid dishwasher soap. Doing it with paint gives me the flexibility to get almost any color i need(almost always black), the soap means i can clean up and wipe away excess. I've used this for decades, never had it affect the paint or plastic beneath. Ingredients are at hand so no added costs. Have to say, the deeper door lines do look nice, #11 blade, sewing needle, panel line scriber or? Don

First instinct is to add white to give a faded shade, but i've used yellow, tan, khaki, light grey and other colors that are at the lightest shade. White to red makes pink, but using yellow or light tan gives a lighter red. Have faded a limited number of colors, but experimenting gave me results that i was happy with. IIRC when i faded greys, this was a color that did look right with white added, most of the stuff i did was aircraft, but basics apply. Don

Once a man, twice a child