Junkman

Thanks guys! I know that the model is not entirely faithful to the car used for the film, but it does a fairly good job resembling what you could see on the screen. For me, that's good enough.

The model came with the stock exhaust tips, which bend downward. However, the ones on the film car exited straight. So do the ones on my model now: Some pointless detail painting: When I first put it together, it looked like this: I was dead unhappy, because it sat way too high up front. If you saw the film, you may recall, that the car had a quite pronounced rake. Ertl did supply a jacked up rear axle alright, but the front needs to be lowered, too. Unfortunately, I didn't make any photos of the process, but essentially, I cut the uprights, drilled them hollow, and insterted a piece of a wire coathanger, so they are still steerable. If you build the model and come to this point, you will understand what I did. The fruits of my tinkerage: Strictly speaking, it is still a WIP. The real car had no external rear view mirrors, which is something I still want to rectify on the model. However, this will involve putty to close the holes in the doors, then repainting the upper portion above the red pinstripe. The scary bit is what if the white paint I'll use is not a perfect match? Hence procrastination ensued.

Believe it or not... I CAN HAZ BILT A KIT! Something I haven't done for 15 odd years. And back then, it was a plastic kit. Which was made from plastic. By the devil... Anyway, here goes: That thing was expensive! So let's devalue it. Behold the grimness, which is an overwhelming one: A no-go, clear as a whistle. Hence primer was applied: While it dried, I assembled and installed the engine: I actually painted the engine and gearbox, which is rather futile, because you can't really see anything of it once the model is assembled. However, those who have seen the film will recall, that Toad mentions that the car has a 327. Which is a small block. The engine in this kit is not. It's a W-Series big block. So let's pretend Toad had no idea what he was talking about and be done with it, OK? I then flocked the floor: And painted the rubber heel pad to look like a rubber heel pad: This was followed by a lot of tongue in cheek modelling. Which is done with your tongue in your cheek. The interior:

Hey, thanks a zee! Well, I think a lot of people in Europe have all but forgotten about Panhards, too, despite it was the third biggest French car maker in its heyday. They ceased car production in 1967, and very few people know, that despite this, the company is still alive and well - building military vehicles.

Hence: I carefully brush painted the interior parts semi gloss: And used some gloss paint on the instrument panel: So that it looks like the plastic used in the real car. The historically savvy among you will now point out to me, that this model depicts a late production PL17, and that they had switched to dark grey materials for the instrument panel, and my answer is, that whoever wants to paint something dark grey, should take up military modelling. My Pan-Pan has the early style instrument panel, because I want it to. Et voila:

Well, actually I do, but let's pretend I don't. Case in point is Solido's 1/18 scale Panhard PL 17. Two cylinders for OMGPOWAH unleashage: Which will remain untouched. Yep. Sorry to disappoint you, but there will be no modification to the powertrain. What I couldn't live with, is the interior: It's basically all there, but the black plastic grimness just doesn't cut it with a loony like me. It is also IMO out of touch with the era the model represents. Furthermore, the plastic material chosen was apparently carefully selected for looking as cheap as possible. I imagine a Solido Board Room meeting like this: Ooh, oui, Jaques, le plastique for le interior still looks trop expensive. OK, OK, Jean-Pierre, je will come up avec something qui looks comme rubbish... Then there is my pet hate of headlight lenses attached with a central stalk:

Looks like the Craftsman kit was made using the promo tool. How difficult is it to obtain one of those?

I had a dream that Round 2 reissued the entire Jr. Craftsman Series in 2015, with original box art, and we were knocking each other over the heads forming an orderly queue to get them. In another dream, I dreamt that Revell followed up the S&H Torino with the Bluesmobile, and pimped the '49 Mercury Wagon into a '50 Mod Squad, with surf boards, figures, and mismatched tyres/hubcaps, then announced Kojak's Buick and Phoebe Buffay’s Checker for 2016. You don't want to have my dreams, trust me on that.

I hope ICM do realise that releasing their 1/35 Packard V12 in 1/24 would make them seriously rich.

Oh no. That's a Nissan F30 Leopard TR-X. Rare as hen's teeth, at least the Fujimi kit. The Tamiya is a bit more common, though.

This is a Z10: Compare with the Farcon: What makes me think Soarer is the front turn signals, slope of the front panel, side window arrangement and lack of ribs in the B-pillar. Those things ultimately got me to doubt Silvia and favour Soarer. I hope someone having the kit will chime in to clarify this.

I think it is a Z10 Toyota Soarer. I own the Destroyer kit, while a friend of mine owns the Destroyer as well as the Interceptor. Since it is impossible (unless one is rich, what we aren't) to get all those kits together, let alone devalue them by building them, we have plans to clone them. As I said, we believe the Farcon is based on a Toyota Soarer Z10. All the base models have been reissued by Fujimi several times, however, at the moment, only the Celica XX (or Supra) is current. The others aren't that difficult to obtain, though, and we mean in base form. So altogether four Fujimi kits are required: - Pontiac Trans Am - this may be relatively difficult, but it could be substituted with the current Revell 78 3in1 kit if need be, since that's in reality a reissue of the 1/24 Monogram tool. But the Fujimi is actually very nicely proportioned and shaped, so well worth searching for (and consequently spending more than you intended). - Nissan Cedric 430 - if everything fails, the same car is available as an Aoshima kit at the moment. It could even be made from the same tool, since mutual tool leasing is common practice in Japan. - Toyota Celica XX (or Supra) - this is not at all challenging to get, almost boring. - Toyota Soarer Z10 - this is a tad more difficult, but they do pop up fairly regularly on Ebay. Please correct me if I'm wrong! We would then try to resin-cast the extra bits from the Mad Police kits, or convince a resin caster to do it for us. Maybe you could help us 'lobbying' the owner of The Parts Box in Australia? Since between my friend and myself, we only have the same set of extra parts, we are looking for someone who has the 'other' set, which was included in the Venus and Farcon kits and indeed comprises wheels in reverse Swastika design. We would appreciate if he could lend us a set of those parts for casting. We can guarantee that the parts will not be harmed in any way during the process, and will be returned in the same condition we got them. Suitable lightbars are currently available from Fujimi and Aoshima as parts packs, and the rest could be kitbashed and scratchbuilt as you like. Whatcha think?

Are you sure the Farcon is not a Toyota Soarer?

What about Plein Air? I guess it'll be time again.

Possibly only feasible for the European market, where the Hasegawa cop bug is a stronger seller. OK, one could butcher the police parts from a Hasegawa for the Revell. In essence it's only the dome light and loudspeaker anyway. Standard beetles will also make fine German, Austrian, or Swiss postman cars, if you're starved for ideas. Now, where did you say they sell Hasegawa beetles for 12.50?

- The 'Limousine' (German for sedan, or saloon) is the 'Standard' version, as opposed to the 'Export' version and hence lacks the US spec bumpers and taillights. The 'Export' was available in Europe as well though, at extra cost of course, but the 'Standard' wasn't available in the US. - The seats in the convertible kit are the 'integral' ones, i.e. the ones with the integrated headrests. Those weren't available for this car. They only became optional in the 1302 the following year. I hope they are going to follow up with an Export Limousine, including a few EMPI goodies. Maybe Inch Pincher decals as well? And/or parts and decals to do a Salzburg rally version? A Polizei version of the Standard wouldn't hurt either.

Click: http://www.heller.fr/en/maquettes/trucks/157-autobus-parisien-tn6-c2.html There seem to be quite a few other reissues. I'm still researching.

There was at least one 1/24 scale resin, and one 1/20 scale vacuformed kit of the 1960 Donald Campbell Proteus Bluebird. Then there is a resin kit of the stillborn Mercedes T80 in 1/24.

OK, since this is settled now, we need Ulrike the Mini-woman.

Tbh, the only questions I have are which engine Peter Cochran had in his splinter box, when someone is going to offer resin repops of the Aurora Mod Squad figures and how much he wants for those including postage to England, please.

That looks expensive.

I won't deny that for a second. The work I've seen at the Telford Scale Model World is outstanding.

I read up on the artist and this is the rundown. His name is Martin Heukeshoven, and what you see is art, not modelling. He does not use any weathering techniques, he is making these works of art from rubbish and scrap metal that he has accumulated since his days at art school back in the 80s. The rust and weathering you see is real. Harry once used Mr. Heukeshoven's Lancia (IIRC) in his real or model contest. Mr. Heukeshoven does work on commission and you can reach him here: Martin Otto Lambert Heukeshoven Im Gollenhof 1 71397 Leutenbach - Weiler zum Stein Tel: +49 (0)7195 5836921 Cell: +49 (0)171 / 6079934 mail@martin-heukeshoven.de OK, my turn now. WOW!

OK, I didn't google anything (I swear), saw this thread too late, but I could have told instantly that it is a Ford. That's Elwood Engel second from left standing next to Edsel Ford.