tim boyd

Tom....I can't recall the exact date of the ORS diorama...it was either 1963, 64 or 65. So it's just possible your memory is correct and mine is wrong! I do vaguely recall a T-shirt booth somewhere in the diorama, and there's even a 1/25th scale (let's see, 25 x 25 = 1/625th scale in real life!) slot car racing track along the back wall. The detail is just astounding....and that's not even mentioning all the precise model replicas of the real cars at the show. Truly a great model car building team effort. TIM

A Visit to the International Model Car Builder's Museum There's only one place like it in the entire world. The International Model Car Builder's Museum is located in Sandy, Utah (a suburb of Salt Lake City), and features a spectacular collection of the best historic model cars created by such world famous builders as Augie Hiscano, Dave Shuklis, Jim Keeler, Don Emmons, Phil Jensen, and many, many others. Special attention has been paid to collecting the winners from the national model car contests of the 1960's. More recently, winners from the Greater Salt Lake Model Car Contest, considered today to be the world's most difficult and presitigious model car competiion, are also displayed. In addition, there is a priceless collection of artifacts from the world of model cars, including one-off manufacturer castings of tool masters for kits that were never produced. Finally, the Museum houses the 1/25th scale Oakland Roadster Show diorama, the most ambitious group modeling project ever undertaken my members of our hobby, which replicates in precise detail the Oakland, California Roadster Show circa 1963, including replicas of the cars in the show. Even replicas of the T-shirt booths and signs hanging from the rafters of the old Oakland Coliseum building can be seen in the diorama. Quite a few of these pictures were taken looking through the glass of the display cases, so sometimes the focus and depth of field is compromised. But for sake of completeness, I've posted all the photos from my visit. In all, I can't recommend highly enough that all model car builders make the pilgrimmage to Sandy, Utah, at least once during your model building career. For more details on the International Model Car Builder's Museum, see http://www.themodelcarmuseum.org/ (This is the source file from which I drew the photography for my article on the International Model Car Builder's Museum that appeared in Model Cars Magazine a couple of years ago.) Thanks for looking....TIM Here's the link: http://public.fotki....national-model/

Gus...the entire chassis frame suspension engine come from the AMT Tommy Ivo front engine dragster. TIM

This was a kit idea I recommended to AMT way back in 1975 when I was doing contract work for them. I never, ever thought I would see this one in the shelves. It was also on my list of recommendations for Revell that was submitted five years ago now. So like the rest of us, I am overjoyed with this new kit....TB

http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/tim-boyds-124th--12/boyd-rail-dragsters/boyd-rail-dragsters/... and here are a few of the detail shots....again..full details at the link, and remember, some of these models are over 40 years old so they don't fully represent today's build quality!

Guys....just got done photographing my entire 1/25th scale rail dragster collection...16 cars in all...and they are all posted at this link with four to five shots of each (overall, engine detail, interior detail, cowling removed where applicable): http://public.fotki....rail-dragsters/ You'll find everything from the earliest front engine dragsters to the final and incredibly graceful LWB front engine rails, to several tandem engine dragsters, and finally to the rear engine (really, mid engine) format that evolved quickly into today's rail dragsters. These builds date from completion dates of 1974-2011, and represent dragsters from about 1961 to the year 2000. Here are a few teaser pics - again, see the link for a total of 87 pictures. And thanks for looking! TIM

....of course, mine were both started circa 1968 or 1969, and they both remain uncompleted some 43 years later....here they are, and thanks for looking. TIM *******************: 1. This is the Revell Big Deal body paired w/ a totally scratchbuilt rear engine dragster frame incorporating two 289 Stude V8's mounted side by side using the setup from the AMT Double Dragster kit. Hmmm....'53 Stude Miss Deal body...tandem side by side v8's using the Double Dragster parts....Hmmm (see Cobraman's post below). Still not finished...maybe someday. . 2. ....this was a project I started after I got a letter from Car Model Magazine way back in 1969 offering the opportunity to submit "how to articles". Never mind that I had no way of photographing said articles, I started three projects, only one of which was finished (many years later, around 1988). This one is an AMT '53 Stude, chopped per the kit, paired with the chassis from the Revell Big Deal Stude and the SOHC Ford engine from the AMT '33 Willys. The frame lightening holes were drilled with a Dremel without a speed control (really bad idea but I didn't know it at the time), the rear axle is from the Big Deal with scratchbuilt coils, and the front crossmember and upper frame tubing were also scratchbuilt. .

Wow...now that is sharp! TIM

Very cool!!! TIM

Guys...really interesting contributions on this topic. If youi go back to the link to my Fotki file, on the first post in this thread, and go to page three of the Fotki folder, you'll see a bunch of photos of 1.1 scale Triumphs. At least a couple of the photos (close to the end), show the ignition wires running to a component that seems to be replicated on the scale Triumphs, and was the basis for my wiring approach. Another interesting point, the AMT Triumph appears to me (based on reference data) to be a duplicate of the 1962 Triumph 650 Bonneville motorcycle, and the Revell unit seems relatively similar. This would support my guess that these are pre-starter unit bikes based on the information in the posts above. . Another interesting followup would be for someone with the Revell 1/8 scale Triumph Custom Motorcycle kit, dating from 1963/4, to scan a copy of the instruction sheet as these kits featured full wiring detail and wiring charts. Again, thanks all for your interest and comments. TIM

http://public.fotki....concours-deleg/ Link to 330 pictures from the 2012 Concours d'elegance of America at St. Johns (formerly Meadowbrook Concours). A fantastic event this year. Thanks for looking....TIM

One more comment....I wondered why I had nearly 50 visitors to this particular article in my Fotki file....now I know (that you posted the link). Thanks for that! TIM

JB and the team - I'll be the first to admit that I don't build 1/1 scale motorcycles. What I did do on these was base the wiring of my models on 1.1 scale Triumphs I saw at the indoor car shows during the year I built the first two models. I do recall it appearing to me that the ignition wires terminated in what appeared to me to be a magneto. They did not go up under the tank, at least in the bikes I looked at, which were all vintage Triumphs. Anyway, if you are more knowledgeable about this than I am, or have reference materials that suggest your route (and I'm guessing you do), then you should follow in that manner. Thanks for the feedback.....TIM

First, Manuel, great picture of the R5 engine - best one I've seen. Second, (I'm doing this from memory insteead of having the kit in front of me, so take this with a grain of salt), most recent reissues had all the Bonneville parts except for the Halibrand wheels, the original decal sheet, and one very small radiator filler that replaces the coolant overflow container when building the Bonneville version. We can guess that the first two are covered in the new kit, but if they get the filler tube back, I'll be really impressed. Best regards...TIM

Mike, that sounds really familar....Best regards...TIM

YES PLEASE! On the Berlinetta Lusso....TIM

Chris, Micheal, Monty....glad to hear you enjoyed my rumblings on this subject....Best Regards...TIM

Mike....when both Chuck Helppie and I worked at the Renaissance Center, Detroit, on the Detroit River, one day we took a lunch break (back when I actually had time to do that sort of thing), took the Windsor tunnel and went to a department store in the shopping area east of downtown Windsor. Came back with cans of all three of those colors, White Pearl, Orbitron Blue, and Pearl Yellow - all wearing the same labeling designs as Testors in the states, other than the colors and the equal visual weight of english and french lettering fonts. This would have been either 1981-82, '84-'87, or '88-'90, periods when I lived and worked in the Detroit area. For what it's worth....(smile). Best regards....TIM

Ditto on this end for the Model Cave - a must see. Rider's as we knew it no longer exists in Ann Arbor. The Grand Rapids and Flint stores are all that exist in their original form. Riders closed up in Ann Arbor a year or two ago, and one of their staff continued it on a small scale in a different location shared with another business. I knew the original two original co-owners of the Rider's chain and Chuck Helppie (mostly) and I (in the early years) helped them conduct many contests over the years as their chain grew across Michigan. They had a really good, 40 year run but the only stores that capture the magic of the originals are the two left in GR and Flint. Just my view... Best regards...TIM

I'm doing this from memory (which is always dangerous, and I'm sure you guys will correct me if I get it wrong), but from the 1960's to the 1990's I recall three colors = Transparent Red, Hot Rod Red, and Candy Apple Red. The Transparent Red was part of their main lineup, while the Hot Rod and Candy Apple Reds were leftovers (I think) from the original Roth licensed Testors colors that wore Roth nomenclature in the mid 1960's and quickly switched over to non-Roth names such as those in the late 1960's. I recall doing test chips back then and the Candy Apple was a darker, more intense transparent red, while the Transparent Red and Hot Rod Red were very close to each other - less intense with a slightly more pink transparent red color. All but four colors (White Pearl, Mysterion Yellow, a light blue pearl, and one other color that escapes me right now) made the Roth-Testors labeling switch - those four colors were discontinued in the States circa late 1960's. Those four (or three) discontinued Roth colors did remain available in the Testors lineup in Canada well into the 1980's. I know, I know, more than you ever wanted to know about the subject.....Best Regards...TIM

...I used to post my 1/1 scale auto events coverage here in the "General" Forum but more recently, I was told to put it in the 1/1 scale reference photos section below. I've posted coverage of several events there in the last few weeks, as have a number of other contributors to this board. If you're looking for fresh modeing ideas, or just like looking at cool cars, you should go check out that folder. Helps if you have plenty of time to spare! Best regards...TIM

http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/11-scale-automotive/2012-rolling-sculpt/ I always find the annual Rolling Sculpture Car Show in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to be more than a bit ironic. I grew up in Ann Arbor in the 1960's and early 1970/s and watched a town that had very progressive traffic and road planning, slowly transiition into one of the most anti-car towns in the country. (Of course, this was doubly ironic as many of the tuition payments that funded the University of Michigan (located in Ann Arbor) came from automotive industry jobs.) The town still suffers today from the rejection of some of the planned 1960's traffic and new road construction projects at the hands of the local anti-car crowd. Moving forward to the current century, on a Friday afternoon each July, Ann Arbor turns over its Main Street and nearby side streets to the car culture for the Rolling Sculpture Car Show. What I like about this show is that it features (for the most part) real world drivers, not meticulously restored showcars. Even so, you'll often see a few very rare and collectible cars there. Given the setting, the local citizenry turn out in droves (so, it's difficult to shoot car pictures without spectators in the frame), but the overall vibe is way cool, particularly for those that appreciate cars and automotive design. So let's take a look at an engaging cool local car show and a vibrant downtown Ann Arbor during a beautiful sunny Friday July, 2012 afternoon...(Mofe at the link above....and thanks for looking! - TIM)

http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/11-scale-automotive/2012-goodguy-columb/ Pictures are just about finished being posted here...time to share the link with everyone. Cool stuff from Longroofs, Woodies, Deuces galore, and yes, even an MGB-GT, and Sunbeam Tiger, and a number of cool VW's! Thanks for looking....TIM

Last weekend I did fresh photography of all my woody models. Detail shots include engines, interiors, chassis, etc. Here are a few excerpts, and thanks for looking....TIM PS - Don't forget the surfboards! http://public.fotki....oards--woodies/