Junkman

It was epic, especially the feeling of achievement when we hooned it around up there. The ESCI is a Series III as well, or at least a very similar IIA. It's a very simple curbside, but builds into an attractive model nonetheless. But with the release of the Revell, it's had it IMO. What could you possibly do with it you can't do better with the Revell?

One would think the 3D printing technology could solve a lot of the problems created by the demise of The Modelhaus. Another pressing questions is who is going to fill the gap left by Bob Shebilske's retirement?

The Series III Land Rover is the most common Series type, with over half a million units built from 1971 to 1985, and this figure only includes the ones built by Rover themselves. They were made by numerous companies under licence or from CKD kits, most of them probably by Santana in Spain, all of which are LHD without exception. They were immensely popular all over the World and a realistic RHD-LHD proportion estimate would be around 60-40. It shouldn't be too difficult to backdate the model to a Series IIA, even a Series II, but backdating it to a Series I would be so involved that it borders scratchbuilding. I'd be tempted to make mine into the Series II Maltese police one from the 1970 film 'Eyewitness'. And then an LHD as used by the German mountain rescue. Some of those were brought to areas in the Alps inaccessible for vehicles by disassembling, carrying the components up, and reassembling them up there. When I was a young lad, I volunteered in one of those endeavours, having been an avid skier at the time. There is thus hardly a Series III piece I haven't held in my hands. Nowadays they simply helicopter them up, but where is the romance in that? The kit will open so many possibilities, including shortening it to an 88"er, but making it into a Series I is way beyond the scope of my abilities.

I'm not too sure whether I appreciate the reinstatement of people who have a proven track record of ruining my hobby for forty years.

I love Hubleys. For me, they are the Märklin of model kits. I have a few of them, mainly from the subsequent reissuers though. I shall dig them out and delight you with pictures one of these days.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Germans tooled up some American cars, but don't forget that the German, and in fact European, taste in American cars differs vastly from the American one. Like with Round2, I'd expect a lot of reissues of stuff we haven't seen in a decade or three before anything is tooled up, though. Interestingly, Heller is now also in German hands. Since Germany isn't a traditional car modelling stronghold, I assume their motivation is mainly to capitalise on that military rubbish.

Coca Cola Red.

Aurora also made the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, even in the correct scale. Sadly only once and at a time when my parents still failed to understand that I want to ruin model kits for the rest of my life.

They also did the highly successful Barnabas Vampire Van, the non existing prototype of which never appeared in Dark Shadows. But the '32 Chevy van kit had to die for that rubbish.

Be fair. Revell released a S&H Torino only 35 years after the show was ditched. In model company terms that was lightning quick. So even if R2 releases the SN Impala in 2054, they'll have still beaten Revell.

Imagine the load index those two tyres must have to carry the weight of a trailer and a car at highway speed.

I got it too, and a Taisan to make an RWB.

Yeah, but the cigarette lighters are rubbish.

We have a starting grid: https://assets.lemans.org/explorer/pdf/courses/2019/24-heures-du-mans/classification/24-heures-du-mans-2019-starting-grid.pdf

You lost that bet. Not only have I heard of all of them and seen their work, I think I posted the passing of Manuel Olive Sans on this forum a few years back. I also think it's safe to add Tom Kirn and Roger Zimmermann to the list. The Wingrove/Kirn anecdote I know (no idea whether it's true) is that they met the curator of the ACD Museum when doing research on real cars. The man asked them how many people in the world build models to the standard they do and Wingrove replied: Two. And they are standing right in front of you. However, I think they've meanwhile all been topped by Louis Chenot from Missouri, who built a 1/6 scale SJ Duesenberg that's fully functional, including its dual overhead cam 32 valve 2.0 CI supercharged straight eight that actually runs.

D'Ieteren 3.8 RSR. It started life as a GT2 Club Sport. The first owner slammed it into a wall when it was two weeks old. D'Ieteren (Belgium's largest VAG dealer) then rebuilt it starting with a new replacement shell they acid dipped and seam welded. In the reconstruction process, they beefed up everything. Engine upped to 3.8 litres, bigger turbos, bigger intercooler, freeflow exhaust, no cats, lightened flywheel, bigger Brembos, stripped interior, no radio, the lot. It has a manual wastegate adjuster on the dash, so short blasts of 1,100 bhp are possible on Euro 98. Porsche approved none of this, thus it was titled as a D'Ieteren and treated as a newly built car in the eyes of that law there. The car was my b'day gift to myself for my 30th by means of selling most of my posessions, maxing out every credit card, maximum overdraft and financing the rest. I never managed to get it road registered, so I ran it on temporary tags. It could exceed the speed limit on Belgian motorways in first gear. Then there were five more. I sold it three months later because I knew I get killed eventually if I keep it any longer. It also was too big of a financial burden. It's now in Japan.

Not for that, M8. Everett Westphal was a real graphic designer and illustrator. Few people know that he made the 'fake' box art mainly to teach himself the back then new technology of graphics software. It's amazing that only one model he came up with ever became a reality, albeit with a quarter century delay. In model kit industry standards this is considered instantly, though, so hope dies last.

The fantasy box art was made by Everett Westphal. http://www.bonediggers.com/2-2/boxman/ewgal.html

Based on which base kit, Ron? Please count me in!

Does that '70 more door still have the '67 roof stamping? Jayzuz, I'm preaching that 4 door thing for forty years now. Until very recently, I was ridiculed for it.

In true British banger racing fashion, it also goes around the track clockwise.

FTFY

I do care what decals they use if they cost me licence fees.

Will those terrible sink marks still be in the front fenders? I'd miss them...