FASTBACK340

I could go with a `68 Charger Blk/Blk w/ a Red Bumble Bee stripe….

While waiting for the weather to co-operate so I can paint my `68, I'm going to start my `70 Barracuda. Since no one has grabbed this one yet, I'm going to paint mine FM3, or Moulin Rouge (pink….) with a White interior. Pure eye candy….. Details to follow…….

Wow… First Mr. Geary and now Mr. Hamilton. Thank you for the compliments guys! As mentioned, one of my favorite cars i'm trying to do a better than average job on. Those grilles were the bane, but now I'm just waiting to paint the body. When I do the full-detail version in the future, i know what NOT to do from this build. And it has been fun! At the moment it's 9 degrees outside. I doubt I'll be painting today….. As for your project, let me know if there's any `68-specific parts you need. I have a few parts-bombs. And as for your color choice, Turbine bronze was the rarest color in `68. Followed only by my color, Surf Turquoise Metallic, which was a one-year only color. Good luck on your project Ron, and thanks again for the kind words!

I know the wheelbase is 3" longer on the Dart, but in scale it's a bit more. The Barracuda is definitely under-scale…… But I'll slice up what ever looks better for the detailed version. The original has everything but the bumpers cast in!

LOL! That's what I tell my Wife. Everyone in the house is a little ^%$#-ed up…..

Yeah, and if we get hit hard enough I can't justify driving 20-odd miles to sit in my shop for a half day on Saturday either.

In my Barracuda build thread Billy Geary had asked about test-fitting the Revell 68 Hemi Dart chassis under the old MPC Barracuda. The verdict? You'll need a saw, knife, sandpaper, putty, clamps, epoxy, etc….. It appears the resin copy of the old MPC 68 Barracuda is nicely cast. It's just that the Barracuda is probably 1/27th. scale (to fit in the box….) and it's a bit smaller in every dimension compared to the new Revell Dart tool. The Dart & Barracuda are both A bodies, but the Dart is visibly larger. The wheelbase is longer too on the Dart And the width! I might use it when I decide to tackle the full-tilt build, but it's going to take some slicing & dicing. I still have to try the AMT Duster kit next. Maybe it requires less surgery…. But the level of detail is not even in the same realm compared to the original!

Thats a positive spin on this! I personally think it's amusing from both sides of the fence the whole 7 cylinder thing. Didn't intend to insult anyone.

Except for….. We rescued him when he was approx. 10 months old from a shelter in the bowels of Brooklyn. He was abandoned in front of the shelter, tied to a parking meter. No note…. no explanation…. I was the first to call when he was listed on PetFinder.com and it was love at first site. He even pee'd on my Wife as he was so happy with us. Then we find out his dark side: Children. He bit my friends Daughter (unprovoked, I saw it happen….) and he almost swallowed my God daughter when she was a baby. If the person is under 5' and 12 yrs. of age it's dicey…. But otherwise he's absolutely wonderful. He must have been roughed-up by children as a puppy, reacted badly, and was thrown out. He's gotten better as he's grown up, but we still don't trust him. We have no idea why, but that's his kink. He's good at dog parks with other dogs, people, noises, activity. Just kids…. We've spent a small fortune with personal trainers, annoying and scaring friends, and taking chances; not encouraging. My family & friends with children understand why they can't visit in the winter. In the summer we put him outside in his kennel. But he's an incredible watchdog. I have no worries about my Wife or property when I'm not home. And we can always use that. But he's such a lovable hound…..

Hmmm….. we have Green, Red, Blue being built….. I love what everyone is doing with theirs….. That Hemi is begging for some loving…….I think I may be getting ready to start mine: I'm going with FM3

I go in after the Holiday and see this months schedule. I'm working only one Saturday this month, and it's this weekend. I get a day off in exchange for the Saturday so I'm taking tomorrow. They are forecasting a blizzard for tonight into tomorrow. Hobby room heaven…. I love watching it snow while I build. Select my Jazz channel on Pandora and go away…. ?

Funny you should call him a good buddy. We named him Buddy and he lives up to the name. I'm in the hobby room: he's laying outside the doorway. I'm under a car in the yard or garage: he's laying down watching me work nearby. I take out the garbage: he wants to come with me. I sit on the couch: he lays against my leg. And I love every minute of it.

I'll get back to you on that…. I have that kit on my bench right now. I'll test-fit it tomorrow night. And as for the weight loss, congratulations Bill! It took me about 10 years to properly lose around 150 lbs. without going to extremes. It didn't go on overnight, it wasn't coming off overnight either. Re-programming the way you eat is the ONLY way to lose weight. Just a few weeks before being hospitalized back in the mid-90's…. Me today. I definitely feel 20 yrs. younger!

<sigh…> People get touchy about pointing out the obvious, regardless if it's emotion speaking…. Seven posts on the distributor is something that shouldn't have happened. Is it the end of the world? No... Does it show that the details were sweated? No…. It's a mistake. Remember the riot over the upside down Hemi valve covers this past spring? That was a mistake also, but people got emotional about it too. This is a forum to discuss Model Cars. We're discussing it…. It just seems odd that something like that got through. Kinda like the 429 Corvette kits years ago. How does THAT happen? Or the wrong year Hemi under Glass picture of the recent first-generation re-issue? Good grief, like no one would notice.

I agree, the Mustang's engine is nicely done! Beautiful builds!

Yeah, he likes doing this. We didn't train him, he just started doing it on his own. He'll reach out and place his paw in my hand. ?

Wheels are not the same, but close. Thanks for posting the link as they offer some neat stuff. Shapeways….. hmm. Now there's an idea! Thanks Jeff!

OK, to be 100% truthful…. I hate the interior. The seat was difficult as it was my first attempt at a seat pattern change. The paint looks horrible, and the dash photographed like %$#@…… BUT, the upside is the NEXT TIME I build this, I now know what NOT to do!!! Good, bad, or indifferent, here's the fruits of todays efforts: Wheels and tires look killer. Thanks again to Chief Joseph for his drag radials! While it represents my interior, I know how to do it better on the full detail build The dash really does look terrible in photo. It's not nearly as horrific as in the pictures….. That's a Parts by Parks steering column with a parts-box steering wheel very similar to mine. While I'm not happy with the interior details, for my intended purpose of a "quick-build" I'm OK with it. I still have to mount the Tach to the dash and have the third brake light ready for the back window when we get to that point. Now we wash the body and get some primer on it. BUT…. they are predicting a snow-storm tomorrow. While I may end up with a snow-day Friday, I can't paint. Hmmm…. maybe we dig out that Lancer next.

Thank you for your compliments Bill. Coming from you that means a lot to me. Remember how I would study your in-progress builds at the CPMCC meetings? Know it or not, you were one of my teachers….. As for the food-binge, once in a while I "go off" and enjoy a taste (or more….) of all the stuff I enjoyed too much of in the past. See, like Bill I too lost a huge amount of weight. Back in the mid-90's when I lived in Lancaster County, Pa. I was up to 338 lbs. After some health scares, a reality check, and many years of correcting bad habits I'm down to 188 lbs. and feel amazing for an old dog. I was 182 during the summer when I was dying in the heat and couldn't hydrate fast enough at work, but I've been maintaining for about 5 yrs. now. But last night….. wow. I ate everything but the pattern off the dish. BTW: I have up-date pix to load. BRB…..⏳

Urrgh…. Too much food last night. Groggy from my caloric intake and a stuffed gastronomic system. Good time to sit at the workbench and let it all go to my hips…... Today will hopefully see the interior get real close to done and get some primer on there body. I'm shooting for this weekend for the final assembly. Updates to follow during the day.

Isn't it nice to see so many different suggestions because we have so many NICE new kits out? Not too long ago we would be measuring how much the flashing has grown since the last 15 re-issues of Revells horrible `55 Chevy or Henry J. Or we would be championing the new addition of a set of crummy wheels on the latest version of an old Camaro kit. Not this year. We have Mobius and Revell and Monogram and all the import manufactures giving us Hemi Cuda's, Vintage rail dragsters, contemporary popular imports, and neat old Fifties iron. I think every kit is a winner and are living in the best times in our silly little hobby. Look around you and smile…….

I walked away from my workbench about 6:30 last night. I just retrieved my painted interior & chassis parts and will be at the bench all day today. Nursing a food-induced hangover…..

X2…. Nice work space!

I have one of those Hemi Dart kits. I'll probably use that chassis when I do my full detail build as it's identical to the Barracuda. But for your build you get to leave the Hemi in it though…..

All your builds are well done, but I must say your Willys reminds me of a George Trosley cartoon (Cartoons, Krauss & Bernie, etc…)