Casey

Of course I'm aware of those manufacturers, but does that mean I and others who don't follow the series religiously know they compete in ALMS? Nope. My point is this- ALMS is not very popular with the general public, so it gets little time devoted to it on live TV, even on a more racing/auto-themed channel such as SPEED TV. You may not like that, but there's a reason millions more people like and watch NASCAR, and why many channels carry NASCAR, Indy, and NHRA racing, and not ALMS. Popularity means viewers, which means advertising dollars, and eventually, money. Hate on NASCAR all you want, but they're #1 in recognition in the U.S., and even people living under rocks know who Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tony Stewart, and Jeff Gordon are.

I had no clue what "ALMS" even stood for until four posts in, so there's part of the problem- recognition. I couldn't name a single driver in ALMS, nor name any cars/teams/sponsors. SPEED Channel used to appeal to a wide variety of race fans, but no longer it seems. I used to love watching WRC coverage on Sunday nights, but that ended years ago. Maybe Indy/open wheel racing/whatever they are calling it now will win back some of the fans they lost in the CART/IRL battle of a few years ago, but other than that series and NHRA and NASCAR, the recognition just isn't strong enough for anything beyond hardcore fans to demand more coverage.

I think it would look better on a full-fendered car, instead of a highboy. The way the vents decrease in length as your eye goes lower make me think of how the stock fender visually flows. What does the backside of the hood side look like?

That shows you how recently I've played video games. Now, if you'd've said, "I need an Atari 5200 series paddle controller" I would've known exactly what you wanted.

Yes, but nothing great. The flash pretty much makes it hard to see the closest wheel, but take a look: http://s916.photobucket.com/albums/ad9/tramhl/Plastic%20Models/Built%20Models/1%2016%20Wonderwagon%20Vega/

Model Empire on 72nd & Greenfield Ave. in West Allis is a must stop, and IMHO, the best hobby shop, as they are more plastic model oriented- no R/C, trains, etc. There are three Happy Hobby stores, too. One at Good Hope Rd. & 76th St., a second at 81st & Burliegh St. (both in Milwaukee), and a third almost straight west of Model Empire on 80th & National Ave. (in West Allis). These three are hit and miss, but they do each carry OOP kits. Some kits are very much overpriced, and some are typical of what they'd sell for on eBay, but most fall in between the two extremes. Greenfield News & Hobby ( http://www.greenfieldnewsandhobby.com/index.html ) also has a good selection, lots of tools and supplies (Plastruct, hobby files, sanding sticks, paint, adhesives, etc.), and is a great place to shop. They have a few older kits and lots of die-cast stuff, too.

Krylon #1403 Dull Aluminum. Pic isn't great, but it has enough gloss to look convincing, yet not too much that the surface looks shiny:

Van-ups or vrucks, I've heard them called both. The above-pictured Ford is a Centurion, which they made with Ford, GM, and Dodge van cabs. I actually think the separate pickup style bed looks better, but it would look great as a whole if you could use the van's lower quarter panels and rear door (the single rear door) and use the pickup's bed to make it flow together evenly.

Since Juha Airio did the master, you know it's going to be spot on in every way. Excellent work comes at a price. If you want the best, you have to be willing to pay for it, and I suspect quite a few people will be willing to pay. It looks beautiful.

How 'bout this one?: I got it from a 1/24 die-cast Subaru WRX, but all I recall was a 10" screen on the console- I don't think there was an actual XBOX unit.

Looks like Model Roundup got some in, and pics are up: http://www.modelroundup.com/category-s/41.htm

Where in WI are you? If you're near Milwaukee there are four hobby shops which stock OOP kits. If not, www.modelroundup.com or www.ebay.com

Amen to that. Just keep posting your stuff, Phil.

I don't know if Revell announced a 'street date' for the kit when they showed the built up model, but here are some pics from Tim Boyd: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=36872

How 'bout some more info on and pics of this one. I think I see '50 Studebaker fender edges grafted on, but I love what I see.

Honk, honk-honk-honk... I guess they didn't have spike strips back then? Cool project.

I suggest you use a polishing kit from Detail Master or Micro Mark, as you need to keep the sanding media in scale. 1000 grit paper is a good place to start sanding down the run, but most polishing kits start with 1200 or 1600 grit paper (well more of a grit-faced fabric) and go up to 12000 grit.

That thing is beefy, and I like that it's a GMC, too.

Thanks, that's what I needed to see.

'70 Olds Rallye 350: '70-'73 (though I like the unique '71 best) Pontiac Fireird Formula 350 or 400:

I'm not a member, but the AMG club 'site has almost no traffic and little to no info. IIRC, they meet on the first Friday of every month, but I forget where. You could call Model Empire in West Allis and ask them, as the AMG has a display cabinet there with info about the club.

Be aware that when you permanently attach the front valence to the body shell, it will not be easy to get the finished chassis and interior unit into the body. Ditto for the rear valance, which really should be attached to the body before painting, because the rear valence has nothing for positive location. You'll need a gap-filling CA to get it in place securely...and permanently. Now, you could glue the front valence in place, and cut (instead of scribe) the valence edges, making the valence a removable panel, but now you're making even more work. How far do you want to go with this kit? I never had the type of body-to-chassis fit issue as shown in your pic when I built this kit, so I wouldn't worry about it. It won't sit that low in the rear when properly built.

That'd be much appreciated, Matthew.

Does anyone have the AMT F&F kit and be willing to take and post a pics of the wheels? The wheels appear to be American Torque Thrust Ds with rounded spokes, instead of the peaked variety. For reference, these are the peaked TTDs which come in the Revell Yenko 427 '69 Camaro kit:

FWIW, if there's a Tuesday Morning store in your area you can pick up this kit and the Lil Yeller kit for $9.99 each. Those are four-spoke rear wheels I see, right?