Wickersham Humble

Hoping to get a 'fifteis comic book look, I did all these but 'The Flood' and 'The Wildfire' which were done by two high school girls, my grandaughter Layla Humble, and a classmate Lily Funkhauser. I really had hoped to have the whole series covers done by young artists, but no takers, and these two wouldn't repeat. Now, as a fine-arts teacher (MA Art/Education 1974) I would have thought that their teachers -- at a arts/music/science high school, no less -- would have encouraged them or classmates to take on the jobs, espeically as I paid both eighty bucks per artwork! I was hoping Layla would do hers in ink, of course, and Lily used digital stuff, but left out several details I wanted... so I muddled on with my own pen and brush. Like my novels could use a professional editor, these need more polish -- but publishing with Kindle (Amazon, really) there isn't much hope of big bucks to pay for such refinements! I'm partial to 'The Deadly Derby' as an illustration of the climax of the story, a Demo Derby with lots of skulduggery, and with devious and wicked outsiders versus hard-working and forthright teenagers from the small town setting. I write of what I know (despite what you might think,) and to some degree all books are a bit auto-biographical; or at least based on some real experiences in the mid-fifties. I never expect to make any real dough at writing for Kindle, but would like to have some readers, especially who will give my stuff some reviews or ratings -- even two stars would help me, tho more would be nice! -- because Kindle lets a title slip into near oblivion without some reader feedback! Well, I hope you like these; to me they really look 'high-school' and not fine-artsy! Otherwise, look up my non-fiction book, How to Restore Your Datsun Z-Car, (California Bill's Automotive Handbooks/Car Tech Publishing) with it's new, revised ediiton -- also available on Amazon. In print for 35 years now! Wick

Alan : music to an author's ears! Thanks! Of course: Kindle, either ebook or paperback now. I'm going to post some more book covers mostly by me, two by my high school grandaughter and her friend of 'young adult' novels. Naturally, they're about my cohort, as 'young -- hoho-- adults, back in the early 'sixties. They're fun reads, and I had a lot of enjoyment writing them: called the "A Place on Mars" series, but about a small western town, back in the day, and all the trouble five teens could get into. More to come! Wick

Sean, don't know what you use for 'tubs' but I've found that cutting sections out of rattle-can caps works very well; just a bit if filing and fitting. The small ones, like on some aerosol olive oil cans are just about the right size for 1/25-1/24 scale. I get the outer splash circumference, plus the inner wall too. Just an idea. Wick

Don't think I'd ever bought from them before. Nice wheels, but no prices; poss not available now? Wick

This is my '61 Pontiac Tempest coupe with stock Buick 215 cu.in. V-8, one of 2006 ever built. There were even less in '62, then the engine was folded, and later sold to Rover in GB. This car was a real mess, but has gotten this far in about 18-months work, and I'm just turning eighty...! Yep, the 'Dawn Firemist' hue is too red, but when more copper powder was added, it kept turning pinkish; not too appealing. The ivory top isn't quite stock, either, but a Pontiac option mostly seen on full-sized Ponchos through '64. Alas, it's a PowerGlide... Obviously, not quite done yet! It just won 2nd in Best '61 overall, and also interior from the "Little Indians" chapter of POCI, plus 3rd in engine compartment in their virtual car show. I have dual exhausts on it now, and soon a 4-bbl carburetor, but it will keep the original 8.6:1 c.r., etc. Also an anti-sway bar adapted from an MB SUV on the rear. If it runs as well as I hope, it will probably be the last 'collector car' I dispose of... This is my partner in 1/1 restoration, the upholstery expert; Benita. Pretty cute for age 77, huh? Wick

I have a StromBecker 'Scarab' (early battery-powered slot car; sorta) racer I bought in 1959 or '60, and it had very nice two-piece Halibrand pin-drive/knock-off 'mag' wheels, and I'd like to find a source for something as good: one of mine (never used) has a broken outer rim, and my efforts at casting a replica have not been worth using, thus far. I need one (they were originally cast in blue styrene, using a plastic spindle on the front (steerable) end, and metal axle on the rear, that could be splined to a gear for motorization. From photos, the original proto Scarabs had wider (perhaps taller) rear rims, but the kit came with four identical parts. Actually, they are so nice that I wish I had a stash of them, to enhance a number ot other builds that I am progressing on slowly. Also, the tires on the kit were real rubber, being that it was a table-top racer, and mimicked the Firestone Super-Sports racing tires that were prototypically on so many comp cars; Indy, GP, and Bonneville -- by appearances. Comet made some nice no-name rubber racing tires too, and I found one example in my parts boxes. These 1/24 size rims are nice and big; not underscale for 1/25 builds, also. Any help at all on where these might be sourced, or on the outside chance, on anyone who might have one or more to deal for -- please communicate! Even resin or printed tires would be fine for shelf models like mine, of course. I still have a modest supply of really old kit parts to swap... ! Wick

TJ, color is almost wasted on this build -- so monochrome! Wheels are to my taste. Q: anybody know a source for 1/24 scale trad pin-drive/knock-off Halibrands? I have three from my 1059 StromBecker Scarab (slot-type battery powered racer) kit, but one has a broken rim. I tried casting them, but not skilled enough (at age 80) to get good repros. It, of course, had real rubber tries, old Firestone Super-Sports type, which would be great to have, even in resin replicas (or, okay, printed) for the authentic look. I have two WWII era Bonneville-type cars abuilding that could use a set! Wick

Apparently the rims and tires (17-in.) from the Revell 2006-08 Mustang kits: does anyone have a set they'd trade for? Thx!! Wick

Don't have, but could you use a clear plastic Firebird hood with scoops? No use to me. Wick

Walter Chrysler had the inclination to rationalize both bodies and drive trains as early as the first consolidation of his companies; once he homogenized Dodge Bros. into the line-up, it was a done deal. It saved MoPar a lot of money over the years in manufacturing tooling and inventories; something GM and even FoMoCo resisted more or less until the 'seventies! No wonder once it was total, they axed Plymouth; only the franchised dealers cared much. l The '61 Plymouth/Dodge offerings were meant to be a big switch in visual interest; dropping the huge fins Virgil Exner hoped to create the image, if not substance, of a new styling phase, but they were so poorly received that he was bounced and Engel brought in. His '62 Ply-Dodge wasn't a big hit either, style-wise, but if a person is being objective, they certainly presaged the long hood-short deck revival that was supposed to be the province of the first Mustangs! Strangely, the '62 Plymouth wasn't a bad looking ride -- IF you didn't choose the two-door hardtop (or sedan); the ragtop and interestingly the station wagon were quite attractive. The Dodge; it was just weird looking, and the '63 not much better; but they were fast and strong! Even in '62, I thought the Plymouth would look better with the 1960-61 semi-bubble-top roof, so I built this one from a Revell kit. I know JoHan made the same cars, promo-style, but the Revell iterations were really quirky inasmuch as they had funny wheels/tires (brake drums cast with black tire backs?), 'working torsion bars,' and severely under-scale B-blocks! I used the roof (a bit too wide, oc) from my '60 Dodge hardtop, one of the homeliest cars ever built (IIM Humble O)) and forced it to fit the downsized '62 body. Later, when all my kits, built and unbuilt, came out of storage after my Army stint (1969-70) in crushed condition, it got restored for nostalgia's sake. I put in a slant-six (Hyper-Pak, of course, 225) and called it the Plymouth 'S-6' which featured asymmetrical hood scoop and trunk finlet, as Exner was supposed to have designed onto it, in the original. It was a real salvage job, and I'm afraid it shows... The Dodge 'Dragon' 413/ram two-seater, as well. Wick Old enough to know better!

The '54 Studebaker 'Conestoga' 2-door wagon; I know they were done in resin, but I can't find one now. And spendy! Actually, I'd love to have the 1/1 version! Open-wheel 'fifties sports racers, like Tom Castens HWM-Chevy, Allard J2X, and that genre. Or, similar ventage closed fender cars, like the Echidna, BoCar, Ole' Yeller (any version), Devin 'Caballo Hierro', or Euro types. Cummins Diesel Indy car, Kurtis or Watson variations, any NOVI car, and their ilk. How about any Harry A. Miller racer: one of the flathed FWD Indy cars, or the Gulf mid-engined 'Cars from Mars' or one of his street roadsters? Any racers that ran the old Firestone big-profile tires on wire or Hali rims! Yeah, I know about the Monogram kits. Wick (In his dotage)

JoHan redux: One of my 'grail' builds was to combine the '61 Dodge front clip (fenders, hood, bumper/grille) with the '61 Plymouth, and a MCM traded gifted me both kits for the experiment! (See below) I never could get to like, even for pure funkiness, the '61 Plymouth grille treatment; it was even more bizarre than the '59 Chevy 'butterfly' rear end! Likewise the Dodge rear 'reverse fin' design; either the low ones on the Dart/Pheonix, or the extravagant ones with the big tail-lite on the Polaras; neither looked good and were so far outside the mainstream to seem freaky! So, I decided to create a 'Plodge' mashup, which I think showed that the Exner style could be tasty, if not mis-mated! However, we discovered that the '61 body was actually a modified '60 -- fins cut off, and more-or-less bizarre Exner front grille fabbed -- that needed a lot of work; almost a complete rebuild! OC, the Dodge front group mated up perfectly, and made a very decent result. I had to fake/fab the entire interior, however, but had a JoHan generic frame to convert for an engine, which was a simulated 'B'-block. I had a JoHan promo/curbside Dodge kit back in '61, and liked the front style very much (also =, as seen on Leave It To Beaver!) but it was brush painted and disappeared in the dark past. Seemed like the F-86 'Sabre Jet' snout to me! The Dodge body and Plymouth front end weren't wasted; a talented 15-year-old at the 2023 IPMS Yuba City show accepted it as a challenge build! Also, still have a radical custom JoHan '60 Plymouth that was inspired (front treatment, mostly) by the early experimental turbine test car of that era; first built by 15-year old me; much repaired over the last 60 years or so, but... Wick [Modeling since 1953]

All the JoHan I have is stuff I bought for 88-cents, as noted, and among the first I 'restored' after taking all my kits out of storage after the Army in 1970. Unique, if rather fra-geel-ay, in my opinion. And those generic chassis, with the funny 'torsion bars' and fat axles! True promo roots! Wick, at 80

Looks like they're 17's. Hope these help! Wick

I never knew SMP to make wheels/axles like these, but I think Hubley did. Yes, having bought four in the fall of '59, I knew they weren't customizing kits. I never saw an SMP 3-in-1 kit of the 'Vair. I still have the '62 (?) AMT version, Monza. I have a few parts from one of the '60s; headlites, etc. Durn four-doors, anyway. Wick