Junkman

Go to a banger race instead. They don't smash up the cars in museums which I find slightly tiresome after a while...

I think your parents are very smart people. I second the 'shelf life' tip. Do not stock up on it.

I can top it. Win a Trip to London! 1st Prize: 3 days in London 2nd Prize: 6 days in London 3rd Prize: 9 days in London

Do they sell model kits in the the Louvre, the Coliseum, St. Peter's Square, Notre Dame, Statue of Liberty, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, House of Parliament, Broadway, Eiffel Tower? Nope. They charge me model kit prices just to see them, but I leave empty handed. I am the author of a travel guide called roughly translated into English '1000 places you can skip'. Currently, I'm working on the true English translation. Here is my take on London (as a preview): The last school trip isn't too long ago. Nonetheless, meanwhile London became still more congested, dirtier and dowdier. Cheaper too, since inflation is passionately pushed in Britain at all cost. "This city will never be like it was back in the Fifties", Queen Elisabeth sighed recently. She did not only refer to her coronation, but also to the economical collapse, which started with the loss of the colonies and is making rapid progress ever since. London only grew in size: Since Margaret Thatcher's abdication, half a million immigrants from Commonwealth countries moved there. Meanwhile the majority of London's population belongs to some ethnic minority. Globetrotters, who are starved for cash and time, take a ride on the London Tube. It is the quickest and most colourful journey around the globe. In contrast, the historic places of the city seem like rotting dinosaurs. Most visited flops: The Tower This massive fortress is nicely centrally located on the banks of the river Thames. And that's about it. For a thousand years, it was used to hold ransom, torture, and murder by the order of the Royal Family. Now, the proceeds of these efforts are on display there - the Crown Jewels. After queuing for an eternity, visitors are transported past the bullet-proof glass display cabinets on conveyor belts. "The most tedious trip of my life" noted author Frank McCourt. Westminster Westminster Abbey is a Gothic cathedral, in which English kings were crowned, before they were beheaded by their successors in the Tower. Most of them were subsequently returned to Westminster Abbey and buried there. This is why the floor consists mainly of tomb slabs. Around the building, the City of Westminster, drowned out by Big Ben, and the City of London are ailing. The latter is an economical crash-test-centre, filing more bankruptcies in any given period than the rest of Europe combined. Piccadilly Circus A common crossing, which was considered the centre of the world during the British colonial imperialism. Nowadays groups of tourists meet there, asking each other covertly, why they are here. Nobody knows. Anyhow, a huge Coca Cola advertisement can be seen (illuminated evenings). Buckingham Palace The palace, in which the Queen deposits her handbag, where her husband is fed three times daily, and where Queen Mom became an alcoholic. Visitors have to make do with the ritual of the changing of the guard. Mounted soldiers ride along the so-called Mall, scream something, and ride back, which goes on for roughly three quarters of an hour. St. Paul's Cathedral This domed church is considered a disreputable place, because Charles and Diana had their wedding there. On Walpurgisnacht it is ever since the meeting point of English wicca-witches. For a brazen admission fee, visitors can schlep themselves up the stairs to the Whispering Gallery, where whispered words can be heard across the dome. Some even make it to the Stone Gallery, from where one best jumps down. St. Paul's' architect, Christopher Wren, is hyped as London's last true master-builder. He died in 1723. British Museum America, Africa, Asia, and Southern Europe: Wherever British troops were able to conquer a country; they crated up the art treasures and shipped them to London. The accumulated proceeds are displayed in the British Museum. UNESCO-officials thus libel it the fence-cave of colonialism, although, the stolen goods are excellently preserved there. In their countries of origin, the goods would not have stood a chance to survive, according to the museum's management. Even nowadays, these precious objects would promptly be blown up for religious reasons in their home countries, according to the British Secretary of State for Culture, the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt. The Empire hands back nothing. Annual Fair and Shopping For the Millennium, a ferries wheel was erected on the bank of the river Thames, the London-Eye. Countless travellers relinquish further sightseeing after they saw the city from above. The newer London Bridge Experience is a scream-laden ghost ride through history, approximately as exciting as the somniferous wax figures at Madame Toussaud. House dust allergists better avoid both buildings. Travel guides love to send their hoards for some rip-off shopping to the congested Oxford Street, or even Harrods. Whoever manages to transverse the latter's ground floor without being soaked with perfume, gets the Golden Pin of the travel agency. Notting Hill and Portobello Road Gabbling travel companions, who actually wanted to see the Queen, are best sent to Notting Hill. "Hugh Grant lives there and Julia Roberts owns a house. He really aged severely lately and she is always wearing sun-glasses". This is not entirely incorrect. "And should you not run into them, you can still visit the famous flea market at Portobello Road". Nowhere else in London tat is more expensive. London Underground "You get there quickest with the Tube! We walk". Infamous trick, since one is faster on foot in the city centre. The world's oldest underground, called 'Tube', has at the same time the most convoluted route layout in the world. The straight lines on the maps hanging around everywhere have nothing to do with its actual subterranean curliness. The traveller is supposed to find this out for himself. "Just switch at King's Cross". This is the most chaotic of all stations. Many travellers, who intended to switch there years ago, still live in the corridors, if they haven't been blown to shreds by bombs recently. London Pass This tourist pass for dummies comprises travel fees for buses and the Tube, as well as admission to the museums, which are free anyway. “You got to have it! We had it last year! You really get to know London with itâ€. Yeah right, but only such abdicable anomalies like the Battersea Park Children’s Zoo or the London Canal Museum, both of which would remain entirely unvisited if this ruddy pass didn’t exist. London Weather It is not true, that it permanently rains in London. It only rains, when you have no umbrella. The weather is more unsettled than elsewhere. The fog, which billowed around the backdrops in the old Sherlock Holmes movies, definitely doesn’t exist anymore. It was smoke from the factories, which, mixed with damp air, polluted the streets. London Filth Since there is no more fog in London, one can now see that the public cleansing service is permanently on strike. Londoners, like all other Britons, have a very straightforward view of waste separation. If they want to separate themselves from their rubbish, they throw it in the streets. The immigrants also only very begrudgingly give up their home country habit of dumping their waste in front of their homes. The hotels have long since assimilated. Cockroaches in the breakfast room, silverfish clans in the bathroom, chips from the last ten occupants underneath the bed, this is all part of the Five-Star Standard. The Londoner The picturesque picture of the gentleman, who drinks tea and chats about the weather, is hundred years old. Back then, slaves in faraway colonies mined valuable mineral resources and exported them into the country of their oppressors. Those acted distinguished. “From 1850 to 1950 we managed to appear courteous†explains theatre author Mark Ravenhill. “Before that, we were savage, and now we are savage again. A weekend in London: People are lying in the gutters, fight and pukeâ€. Insiders call this an ‘understatement’. London Food Nowadays, only prisoners are forced to eat traditional London Cuisine. Everywhere else in town, the recipes of the immigrants have taken over. The fish-and-chippers have been replaced with Indian takeaways. They offer dishes like a lentil-glue named ‘Dal’, or ‘Chicken Tikka Masala’, which is shredded chicken with curry sauce. These have a creepiness all of their own. Coffee is traditionally terrible; Starbucks is considered a gourmet restaurant. Since India became independent, tea consists of water and milk only. Bread exists in the form of soft white crumbs, or as ‘Plum Pudding’: Lard and syrup formed to a ball, which is non-perishable for twelve months and also useable as a weapon. Apart from breakfast bacon, mint sauce and fully synthetic Cheddar cheese, I must mention the delicious salmonellae, which lack in no self-respected London kitchen. Useful Facts for Conversations The foreigner first wonders, why rubbish bins are non-existent, second why there aren’t Bobbies anymore, and third that cars indeed approach from the right. The latter often occurs to him too late. In no other European city more tourists are killed in traffic accidents. Apart from this rather funny anecdote, one can mention that one’s grandmother had a grandfather clock with a Big Ben chime. The sound was considered fashionable during the founder’s days. Kaiser Wilhelm II was a grandson of Queen Victoria after all. The conversation will be elevated onto a scientific niveau if one mentions the zero meridian, which goes through a quarter called Greenwich. A British astronomer decided that everything is zero there in London. The time zones, the meridians, the existence of civilized life as such. What does this mean for the sunrise? Is the date line located exactly opposite? Evening saved! Experts on London “Since the bus drivers stop to pray, I’m confident that London is under Islamic right.†(Stanley Kubrick) “If you don’t live here, and never visit, it’s almost bearable.†(Judy Dench) “Never tell anybody you are German. Say you are from Austria or Switzerland, especially in places where beer is served. Otherwise you don’t get any and you’ll never make it out of them alive.†(Anthony Burgess)

It is a crying shame. My job back then was to assess the buildings for structural integrity and poisonous materials, asbestos and pollution in general. The structure was basicaly sound. The guy you see sitting on the floor is not a homeless inhabitating the ruins, he is a demolishion worker having his lunch. Behind him you can see the charges he already had installed and wired.

Very true. Rome, Paris, London, New York, yawn... Well, actually I don't travel to those places anymore, since they do bore the life out of me. Seen one, seen them all. Which can absolutely not be said about model shops, especially when they are in the middle of nowhere.

Hmmm... Wherever I go, the first thing on my list to visit are model shops. And in overwhelmingly many cases, they turn out to be the most interesting thing there is to visit.

I could not possibly agree more. Takes me right back to the good old days when this: was my ride for the 24h Nürburgring and Spa.

My top ten list is published on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/list/QLCVXvEMO1k/ Please note that neither Bullitt, nor that Quentin Tarrantino chase made it on the list.

If I look at the official timing sheet, they seem to have pretty much succeeded. Without shockwaves going through their cars doing potential damage to bearings, seals, and what have you.

Rumor has it that the rumor that Peugeot qualified with their race setup is true.

What I find so -well- weird is, that all the things the kit manufacturers claim to be so hard to overcome, the diecast guys handle with total ease. Yes, I mention the 'D' word in here. I just bought a Auto Art Mercedes 300 SEL 6.3 that has none of the issues whatsoever the kit manufacturers claim to be unable to master, is fully painted and assembled to boot, with a detail level that must be seen to be believed, for 70 quid. You think that's expensive? Fill up your real car's tank at the petrol station and you know what is expensive. Heck, the kit guys so far even failed to kit that car. And if they would have, it would have sink marks, separation lines all over the place, wrong tyres, and on, and on, and on. A zillion faults this diecast just doesn't have. I can't speak for other model kit companies, but I have connections into the kit department of Revell AG. The sheer incompetence I encouter there on all levels when it comes to car kits is unbelievable. It seems that all modern technology and engineering has been invested into diecast car production and car kit manufacturing is a total stepchild. However, you should hear those same guys when they go on about that military rubbish. Hot dog, those bloody wars sure don't last long enough. The only major thing wrong with that Auto Art Benz is the scale. It's not 1:24.

What I would like to see is a properly tooled kit of one of the most overlooked milestone factory super stocks, albeit with a normal wheelbase. The 1962 Dodge 330 with the 413 Max Wedge. It was the first of the light bodied 'intermediate' (<-if you want to call it that, since there wasn't a full size Dodge at the beginning of the model year) based factory drag cars offered to the public. It was this car that brought Mopar into the muscle car big league, and none other. Historically, it is more significant than any other Mopar muscle car, yet it is totally ignored by the kit industry, the diecast industry, and most modellers. It is, however, recognized as a milestone car by the Milestone Car Association of America. And by me, if that counts for anything. And no, I don't want to craft it from a Jo-Jo or Revell Dart. I want a proper kit to modern standards.

Six cars qualifying within half a second. They could have rolled the dice, it wouldn't have made a difference. What makes things interesting is that they smashed up two Audis in the process, which certainly didn't make them better, whereas the Peugeot guys didn't as much as break a fingernail. IIRC never before were two competitors this close together.

They tried the same with the beautiful Renault plant on the ÃŽle Seguin, which was constructed between 1929 and 1934 in Art Deco style. The last car which was built there was the Renault 5 (Supercinq) in 1992. The factory then remained dormant until 2005 when it was finally decided to demolish all the buildings and only leave the entrance gate. Jean Nouvel, an architect, is supposed to be leading a project to turn the island into a cultural centre. I wonder, how many more cultural centres - in times where there is no culture at all - and how many less factories we need to fend for ourselves in future? Obviously the project isn't forthcoming either (crisis, you know) so currently the island is wasteland.

I have the MPC kit in 1:25. Unfortunately, a Buster Keaton figure is not included.

The Fiat 'Lignotto' factory in Turin had/has a test track on the roof: Built from 1916 and opened in 1923, the design (by young architect Matté Trucco) was unusual in that it had five floors, with raw materials going in at the ground floor, and cars built on a line that went up through the building. Finished cars emerged at rooftop level, where there is a rooftop test track. It was the largest car factory in the world at that time. For its time, the Lingotto building was avante-garde, influential and impressive — Le Corbusier called it "one of the most impressive sights in industry", and "a guideline for town planning". 80 different models of car were produced there in its lifetime, including the famous Fiat Topolino of 1936. The factory became outmoded in the 1970s and the decision was made to finally close it in 1982. The closure of the plant led to much public debate about its future, and how to recover from industrial decline in general. An architectural competition was held, which was eventually awarded to Renzo Piano, who envisioned an exciting public space for the city. The old factory was rebuilt into a modern complex, with concert halls, theatre, a convention centre, shopping arcades and a prestigious hotel. The work was completed in 1989. The track was however retained and can still be visited today on the top floor of the shopping mall and hotel.

That explains what? The relocation of 30.000 jobs to Romania? Anyway, here are a few pics from the Auto-Union DKW (now Audi) factory:

Pics or it didn't happen. This is the one I had:

When I visited in 1994: And now: 30.000 jobs gone. You know what? Even the future was better in the good old times.

Yeah, you got it the right way around, I screwed it up. Revell's multipiece 60 is a 59 wheras AMT's 59 is a 60 and they most probably called it a 59 just because Revell called their's a 60. I used the front clip of the multipiece Revell for my AMT 62. It's easier, since the front clip is already separate.

I once grafted the front clip of a Revell '59 (which is really a '60) to the AMT '62, door to door. Improved it by miles. Basically the AMT '62 looks so odd because the front is too stubby.

That thing is not from hell. It's from AMT's darkest dungeons. It was atrocious from teh beginning and didn't get better during the umpteen reissues since then.

Audi AG announced a full FREE(!) livestream of the race on it's website: http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/car-tech/1285222/audi-to-stream-le-mans-footage-online-for-free