Casey

Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic

Baby Blue - Badfinger

What was that debate we had about art one time? Yes, back to the lyrics: You're so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need

Please continue this discussion via PM.

Chevy Van - Sammy Johns

I would pick up one of the original issue of the 1/24 Monogram kit, molded in Metal Glow plastic, Monty. The second issue was molded in bright red plastic, and the post-'Cuda AAR release kits all have the incorrect interior, too: An original issue will cost you less than a newer (maybe still current) release anyway, and the things which need correcting on the Monogram kit aren't too difficult. It's the least incorrect of the three IMHO, and looks the best when completed and sitting upon the shelf.You can separate the front valence panel from the grille, attach the valence to the body, then scribe in correctly located valence-to-fender extension lines. One good thing about the newer reissues is the expanded decal sheet, which also includes the coolant sticker, fender tag, etc.

I can't tell for sure, either. Maybe someone who has both the Polyglas parts pack tires and this kit could take a close-up, side-by-side comparison shot, pretty please?

It'll be interesting to see how the injector stacks are molded on this one. The Revell Tommy Ivo Showboat's stacks tended to twist off themselves, leaving a nice little chunk missing from the bell end of many of them-- not good. Even if you did manage to remove them cleanly and keep the flared end nice and uniform, you ended up with the little bit of red plastic still showing, and a Testor's Gloss Silver paint marker ain't cutting it this time, sorry. Maybe someone tipped off Round2 a while back and that was the real reason why they released their injector stack parts pack...well played, Round2.

I'm Your Boogie Man - KC & The Sunshine Band

Yup.

Not my brand, you understand Sometimes the girl forgets Smoking guns, hot to the touch Would cool down if we didn't use 'em so much

You lost me when I saw the hinges. This one looks a bit too smooth all over to me, too. Might be a good starting point, though.

Maybe this indicates the "Special Edition" sub-labeling of kits is officially dead? That'd be fine by me, as Revell, Inc. has been rather scatterbrained when it comes to branding their kits over the last few years. Now we have the '57 Del Ray in Monogram packaging and the previous '57 300 Sedan in Revell packaging.

Are they the same as AMT's L60-15 Goodyear Polyglas GT tires, only with different sidewall printing? The zig-zag tread, and how it spills over the shoulder a bit looks very similar, but I haven't seen a direct comparison of the two tires yet:

What's the suggested base kit? Revell's '68, or AMT's '67 or '68 Shelby??

I don't recall ever hearing that in the rec.models.scale Usenet newsgroup back in 1992, but I agree with your second sentence. Now video games, those were supposed to end every previously existing hobby and pastime, and while there's no denying video games have captured a huge piece of the entertainment market, it wasn't quite the death knell some predicted.

AMT included the slightly larger 11.00x22 tires in a few of its big truck kits, the Diamond REO for one:

Maybe a cut-up or heavily damaged 1/24 scale Huey chopper? That crane really should be put to use, or at least made to look like it was based on whatever's on the bed.

Previous info here, too: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=81089&page=1#entry1056108

Looks That Kill - Motley Crue

Yep. Maybe too soon, but it popped into my head.

It costs less to run (i.e. inject plastic into a mold) a kit which you already know is in good nick and will produce clean parts right out of the molding machine than to break out the forklift and look over a dusty, cosmoline covered piece of tooling which hasn't been moved since the Carter administration. This is why we see Round2 reissuing so many of the same kits which were reissued during the RC2 era. The molds are already in China, at or near their molding facility, so creating new box art and decals is something which can be done half a world away at very little cost, yet still provide a seemingly "new" kit to consumers. IMHO, the Dark Era ended in the early-mid '80s ('82 or so) when Monogram started producing its musclecar and truck kits. If you've never looked closely at the contents of a '70's era Revell kit with no chrome plated parts (saves $$$!!), crummy two-piece vinyl tires, and a chassis and interior shared between Ford Mustang IIs and GM H-bodies, you owe it to yourself to do so. Let's not forget the exciting new Dodge Omni 024 from MPC in 1980, either! Ugh, the late '70s/very early '80s were awful, with model vehicles sporting awful stripes, snowplow like front spoilers (I'm looking at you MPC "Red Light Bandit" El Camino!), and very few exciting new vehicles from the Big Three to even base new kits upon. We've had it pretty good since the very late '80s IMHO, with some very good periods in the '90s, and as long as we have places to buy both old and new kits, there's always going to be something available to brighten anyone's day.

The kit I love to hate...got another one.

Here come those hungry sharks Up from the bottom for another bite

Steal Away - Robbie Dupree