Spooker

I thought this was just me, or a new setting that I missed. Yeah, e-Bay's constant tinkering is annoying, very little of it seems to be an improvement. My wife and I have a running joke about "new & improved" in advertising. Whenever we see or hear those words, we look at each other and say "Well, guess we gotta buy something else now!"

It might already be there!

I heard an interview with an AI "expert" (forget his name) who said the "learning" that AI does is it basically gathers all available info about a subject and then averages it. Doesn't sound like something we should rely on for anything important. Just a fancy algorithm bot.

I have the Trickle Mustang, it's the worst one in that series. Body doesn't fit the chassis, sits really high unless you do a TON of modifications to cage, suspension, exhaust and interior tin work. All the others look good OOB. It fills out my collection but will probably never get built.

This one: Bandai/AHM 1/12 scale STP Turbine I have owned two of them, mint in the box, over the years. Sold them because I didn't have the confidence in my skills to dare to build them. Now that I am "ready" they are stupid expensive (like $1000 or so) so I may never get another. Indycals decals are available now, too!

Also over confidence and ego.

Very nice set-up there, Mothersworry! Some gorgeous cars. I only dabble in 1/32 scale, don't really have room for a decent-sized layout. HO with the grandkids and a few friends in the area, nothing organized. We all use some form of large tackle box as our pit boxes, the work well in our scale. Hey Old Buckaroo, suggest a table-topper to set on the pool table with a permanent or semi-permanent layout on it. If there's nothing too high on the layout, it can just lean against a wall when not in use. Best of both worlds. I have a 6x12 foot flat top that goes over my permanent, soon to be scenicked layout for when I want to set up something different, usually for the grandkids. It's in 2 pieces that lock together for easier handling.

I've successfully used Micro-Scale Liquid Decal Film to "glue down" thick stubborn decals. Not its intended purpose, and you need to monitor things during its drying time, but it does work. I did some 1/43 scale Heller decals, like cereal box cardboard, and they look pretty good and have stayed put. Edit: Oh yeah, almost forgot, Future can be used as well, same criteria, keep an eye on things while drying.

Classic Racing Resins sells an upgrade kit for this: https://classicracingresins.com/collections/indycar/products/1-24-1955-john-zink-special-kurtis-kraft-upgrade-conversion-kit-for-the-monogram-plastic-kit Makes a huge difference in the finished model. As mentioned above, Indycals has several decal sheets for this also.

Hey Rich, I have no idea who made it. A lucky e-Bay purchase probably 20 years ago. On a Slimline T-Jet chassis. As you can see by the fin, the black resin is pretty translucent. Is there any aspect of our hobbies that you DON'T have a huge collection of?

Mark - Since you asked, I say yes to the duct tape! Some silver decal should work nicely. This is going to be one accurate Chaparral model!

Amen, brother! 1 or 2 a year seems to be my current rate.

I try to limit myself to 3 or so, but usually end up with 7 or 8 going at once. If I get frustrated or stymied on one, it goes away for "thinking" or "ordering" time and I'll get out another to replace it. Bench gets a little crowded at times, but that's ok. Been trying lately to finish up older, started projects rather than new ones. I've collected a LOT of kits that were butchered in my youth that I would like to do a good job on this time around. Many of these were started but put aside while I regained or acquired the skills to do them justice.

Mark, the real screening is such an improvement! I no longer have an extra IMC/Union kit to rob the interior from, but that looks like it will work out well. Might have to look for one! The body shape for the Arii kit is so good, I wish someone had done a trans-kit for it. Yours will be one of the best, I'm sure!

Back to the seat question, in the Falconer book there is a color pic of the 2D coupe with the brown, bare fiberglass tub, neither seat has any upholstery in it. Other pics of the open cockpit 2 series cars show some sort of very light looking upholstery in black. I suspect each driver had a seat set up (insert) that suited his size and weight. It looks like it just laid in the fiberglass, I don't see any snaps, altho there could be some somewhere.

The reason, IMO, would be weight. Paint is heavy.

Find someone that does aluminum TIG welding, TIG wire comes in a size very close to 1/32".

Grandad's name would help as well.

I just did a small local show near me April 5th. Had the same feeling, but decided to go because it occurred to me that people might want to "stock up", even on common kits, before the hammer falls. I also decided to "deal" a little more than usual, knock a few bucks off multiple purchases. Even NASCAR stuff was selling decently. It worked out well, my best show in years. Better than e-Bay, too, and more fun. I'm sure different economic areas will respond differently, I live in a pretty depressed area, so your mileage may vary!

I ran into this to the extreme with their asphalt modified kit that I am working on. Plus the clearances between things on the real cars are very small, so on the model, there is practically none. Many parts need to be altered in some way to get everything together and looking right. I'll finish this one but no more, not worth my time to do another. I can build (and detail) several Tamiya kits in the time it takes to do a Salvino's kit OOB! By the way, you're whipping that Monte into shape! Looks good so far!

I guess that's good to know, but between my hobbies, everyday life and 1:1 race car, I am exposed to enough dangerous materials as it is. I'm not going to have hydrochloric acid in my house or garage just because a hobby company can't make a product that is decently user friendly, like every model company before them.

Here are four of my favorite HO cars (well, 3 cars and an unfinished body): Group pic, L to R - Aurora T-Jet Batmobile; RRR 1989 resin Batmobile body w/roof logo sticker, fits 4-gear AFX chassis; unknown resin 1940's Batmobile on T-Jet Slimline chassis; early issue Johnny Lightning mid-1960's comic book Batmobile on J/L clone T-Jet chassis.

1. Buy all the kits you might ever want as soon as they come out, multiples if you can. 2. Keep them forever. 3. Get old and have more kits than 10 people could build in several lifetimes each. These are the simple rules I have followed since about 1965. (Treat this as an early April Fool's post, even if it's mostly true!)

A question for the ages....Salvino's won't answer.

The Salvino's chrome is REAL METAL chrome, impossible to strip and just plain unnecessary. The copper undercoat is real metal, too, just part of the process used to plate 1:1 METAL bumpers!