Spooker

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!

Can't we all just get along? This tire size discussion was hashed over in depth on the old Randy Ayers Forum. Tire size is REGIONAL. What looks good to you is what you are used to. In our area (the northeast, upstate NY, NJ and PA) large tires were the rule rather than the exception. Mainly because the modifieds, the top class, used them and they were handed down to the lower classes, including the full-bodied cars. The tires in the AMT Modified Stocker kits scale out EXACTLY in the middle of the range of sizes we used back in the day. Rims scale at 15" diameter as well. Look up some Reading, PA victory lane modified pics from 1975-1980 and see how big the Firestone Drag 500 tires were (like mid-thigh on Kenny Brightbill at over 6' tall). Way bigger than the AMT tires. I'd never pick on you guys 'cause your tires were SMALLER than mine! My car from 1979: There, rant over. You guys have ALL built some great looking cars, and they prove that size doesn't matter.

I think the prevailing opinion on this era Monte Carlo is that the best route to a good looking replica is to sand the vinyl off the roof of the Revell "Wheels of Fire" kit + a Monogram GM chassis. Salvino's intentions are good but.... I would add that some of us got lucky years ago and bought several sets of race-prepped resin bumpers for the Revell kit, too.

Hi Mel, they came thru just fine! Thanks for the quick help - Brian

As the title says, I am in need of the instructions for a Salvino's Petty Roadrunner, version not important. Scan or paper copy. PM if you need my e-mail. TIA - Brian

Too cheap for my blood!

Yes, that's been my Holley go-to for 50+ years. Other brands/eras of carbs get different treatments.

Nicely done! I recently started doing figures again after a gap of about 50 years, lots of fun. I picked up all six of these, I'm losing hope we'll ever see the seventh one.

I'm pretty new here, so I hesitate to chime in, but since I'm NOT new to modeling, here goes. The main point I see missing in this "discussion" is the huge variance in personal standards. I see and talk to many modelers each year, both in person at swap meets and shows, and over the 'net. I've seen (and produced) gorgeous paint jobs with all types of paint, including all that have been scorned here, but I've also seen some pretty bad ones (in my eyes) done with my personal paint favorites that the modeler was totally proud of. Dust, runs, dull, crazed, you name it. But the owner was proud of his work and wanted people to see it. We all have different standards for what we finish and display so maybe that's the most important factor in what methods & materials you use. The old saying "I'm my own worst critic" could have been invented for many modelers (including me), sometimes I envy the ones that don't criticize themselves so much. If I could adopt a more forgiving attitude towards my own work, I'd definitely get more stuff built!

Released at the same time as the original 1/16 clear body Petty Charger. Decent price for an unbuilt one, congrats.

Here are some pics of the Etzel Speed Classics resin and white metal midget kit: A simple curb-side kit, but everything you see is superbly cast and very accurate. The grille is a nickel silver casting that can be polished, one of Chris' "trademarks". The decal sheet in mine has been cut but originals are still available. A 12 page instruction sheet, too!