Bill Coulter

Basement Boy is so good these days his work borders on being dangerous. BC

Thanks Steve G and Raisin... If I can find more information on Hendrix products and prices I just may have to pick me up a 55 Victoria. At this point in my building I prefer to keep projects pretty simple. If it can be built with hood shut and a bit of chassis detailing (I call it Curbside Plus) I'm a happy camper. If either or both of you can point me in the right direction it would be appreciated. BC

Hi Bill... Lyle always sends me pictures from the club's monthly meetings. A while back, I spotted what was obviously somebody's early attempts at making a 55 Ford h/t. I quickly wrote back and asked Lyle which resin caster would soon be offering a 55 Ford for sale. He replied, "nobody" to my chagrin. Then he said it was one of your efforts and there was a chance between zero and nada that I'd ever see it in resin. I'm happy in one way to see you back on this project and disappointed on the other that I will likely not be joining you in building a 55 Ford model in this lifetime. I too am waiting with great anticipation to see your final results. I would sure like to see you make that long trip back to Beavercreek for COMA and the whole October Toledo weekend. It's been far to long since we've seen you Bill. BC

Hi Dave... Just a quick note to let you know how much I enjoyed looking at your Pirates Pontiac at Atlanta. It's always a toss-up between your stuff and Clay's when it comes to be attention getters. I found myself making many trips past the corner of the table at the ACME show to get just one more look at your most excellent piece of work. Oh, if I could only paint like you guys and if I only had the dedication, determination and talent to build like you guys do. At my age there are so many project and so little time. The big Petty Charger is certainly a worthy project for a builder like yourself. I'm sure the finished model will be something we'd all be more than happy to display. I've often wondered if the "creative brains" at Fun Dimensions hadn't made the decision to turn that tool into a street machine, what it would be like today if every serious stock car builder could purchase a reissue of this landmark race car kit again. I often wonder at your relatively young age, what you guys will come up with next. I mean...what else is possible in a stock car model? Trust me, I am willing to wait to see what the answer might be to those musings. Keep pushing the envelop. I can't wait to see what you come up with next. Bill Coulter

Were you able to get in touch with Tom C.? I hadn't heard back from you and was just wondering. BC

Hi Ron... Since Gregg has changed the format on the Forum I'm pretty much lost. I tried answering you question about TC last week. I had no way of knowing if you received it or not. I checked with Tom and he okayed giving you his unlisted phone number. Please contact me by phone (I'm listed in the Xenia phone book under R. William) and I will give you the number for Tom. BC

Hi Ron... Since Gregg has changed the format on the Forum I'm pretty much lost. I tried answering you question about TC last week. I had no way of knowing if you received it or not. I checked with Tom and he okayed giving you his unlisted phone number. Please contact me by phone (I'm listed in the Xenia phone book under R. William) and I will give you the number for Tom. BC

Hi Ron... Since Gregg has changed the format on the Forum I'm pretty much lost. I tried answering you question about TC last week. I had no way of knowing if you received it or not. I checked with Tom and he okayed giving you his unlisted phone number. Please contact me by phone (I'm listed in the Xenia phone book under R. William) and I will give you the number for Tom. BC

Sure would like to know how to obtain a couple sets of those gorgeous lake pipes. Any chance you might provide the name and address, email/website or a phone number for this gentleman? Thanks... BC

Hi Mike... I too have the R-M 69 Charger on the list of near-term building projects. I will be interested in any problem areas you might find in the construction of this excellent looking kit. Some folks have told me it's not possible to attach the front and rear gravel panels before the body is primed and painted. They tell me there is so little clearance when putting the chassis inside the body shell that these components must be attached as part of the final assembly. Your input on these issues would be appreciated. Thanks... BC

It never fails when I decide to use something on a model project the stuff might as well be made from that unique material...unobtainium. I have a couple planned building projects where those MRC/Model Rectifier wheel/tire sets would look pretty nice. I believe there were two sets. One had Cragar SS mags with Firestone Wide Ovals. The second set had Keystone Classics with Micky Thompson tires. Any chance anybody out there has seen these sets lately? I used the one Cragar SS/Firestone WOs I had on a 57 Chevy convertible build recently. They really set the car off. If you find anything let me know. I'd be happy to reimburse any purchase and, of course, pay the postage/handling for shipping. Thanks... Bill Coulter

Hi Mike... I agree. There are some amazing things being done in many non-traditional venues in this hobby of ours. Though like many of us, most all of my building happens with plastic or resin, I don't get the rage against anything that isn't either of these. Being creative and using one's imagination I thought was the backbone of this hobby. I for one have never liked the cookie-cutter approach. Don't we all like to set something out on the show table that's just a bit different than everything else there? I remember one year at the NNL in Toledo a fella brought in the most eye-appealing Lincoln custom on a flat bed truck. I'm not sure what the scale was but the concept and execution was absolutely first rate. He told me he had been less than welcome at some model car shows. It seems some folks didn't consider his work modeling. Yes, he had started with what had originally been old stamped metal toys. Bu, what do we all consider to be "real" modeling? BC

Hi Bob... My first exposure to model building was when I was maybe 7-8. The older guys on the other side of my aunt's family were trying to carve Packards and XK-120 Jags out of blocks of balsa wood. If you had a good eye for shapes and contours and were handy with a pocket knife it turned out acceptable. Most of the time all the finished models seemed to me to look like 49-50 Kaiser-Frasers. When heated conversations focus on diecast stuff, I remember the reactions of the older guys when the first plactic kits came out. It goes something like this..."Pastic? They make kids toys outa plastic. I'll never build anything made outa plastic". Does this sound a bit like..."Diecast? They make diecast toys for kids. I'm never building anything diecast". I've always said the first person to document the cutting, chopping etc. of a Zamac body (and the putting of the pieces back together again) will change the thinking about diecast forever. BC

Thanks Marc... I checked it out and I'll be ordering one next week. I'm always hearing folks talking about the "Golden Era" for this hobby as the 1960s etc. Even though this hobby isn't enjoying the popularity it once did, for me this is the Golden Era and I don't mean because I've been envolved with models for over 50 years. When I reflect on the things I take for granted in my modeling today, I shutter to think what things would be like if I had to do without resin parts, photo-etch, custom decals, dozens of wheels and tires to choose from, custom mixed paints, not to overlook complete resin kits of subjects never seen in plastic and BareMetal Foil plus chrome replating and Alclad. Add to that, Forums like this one and I just can't imagine how it could get any better...at least for me. What do you think? Are there two Golden Ages? One era better than another and for what reasons? BC

Speaking of resin parts...I'm looking for a teardrop hood for a 65-66 Mustang. Can anybody point me in the right direction? I know I could convert a flat Mustang hood with a couple different resin teardrop castings I know of but at my age I'm getting really lazy... BC

I'm not taking that as a valid excuse. There's plenty of time between now and the Toledo show to get that Caddy into the system.

Hi Bob... The old Shel said he was going in November with or without me. So much for nearly 50 years of friendship and do you think he needs to work on his diplomacy? Without coming across as to warm and fuzzy, you are one of the builders who I envy and I know you've had an influence on my building. I always judge people's work by the "would I like to say that's my model" factor. Downie, Willits, Arter, Jessee, Handmore, Anderson, Farhne, Derr and a few others I've forgotten to mention have profoundlly affected my building subjects and skill levels. I'll never build to the level many of you do. I'll never have time to build some of the neat things you all do so well. But, I can't avoid being influenced by your constant striving to raise the bar by creating unique works of art. Thanks for keeping me motivated...(and that's saying a lot when you've been in this hobby for nearly 60 years)

Sorry Billy for being tardy in replying to your post. I guess you called me out on that one. I'll admit there is a limit to my generosity when it comes to volunteering to BMF somebody's model. If we lived closer I might be tempted to take up your offer. Since we have so little time when we're in Maumee, I'm afraid I'll have to pass this time. Certainly your skilsl have improved considerably since you first started posting on the various discussion boards. In the early years of my hobby career, I lived on a farm and though some of my friends were builders we were not in a position to have much influence on each other. Once I started attending model related shows etc. a few years later, I saw my skills begin to improve rapidlly. I think today electronic interaction like this Forum allows for the same kind of synergy that helped my building skills. If you keep growing skill wise, it won't be long before you'll be teaching us old dogs a lesson or two.

Hi Tom...(aka ice cold Bullwinkle) I see you're at it again... As Randy Derr is famous for saying, "have you ever seen paint on a car you just wanted to lick?" BC

Hi Bob... Haven't heard much from you since we saw you in Atlanta last November. Looks like the short bald-headed guy is going to talk me into coming back this year. He puts this guilt trip thing on me, getting a bit teary-eyed in the process. Something about being forced to make that long trip alone. I've always been a sucker for a heart-wrenching sob story. On the BMF topic...I may be the one guy you know who loves to BMF. I take every chance I can to keep my BMF skills up including volunteering to BMF other people's stuff. It's not an impossible task learning to use BMF but as you said you do have to get comfortable with the material. (I call it getting in the zone) You need to be willing to stick with it and on ocassion repeat the process until you get it right. I'm not saying I don't ocassionally utter an expletive under my breath...okay, maybe I shout it. How you keep BMF stored and being aware of its condition have a lot to do with how it performs. I always keep mine in the frig. Once the material begins to get those little fissures in it, you're already on borrowed time or better put...it's time to get a fresh sheet. Never...and I emphasis this very strongly, buy a sheet of BMF without eye-balling it for a smooth surface. It's a rare retailer who keeps the stuff in a cool dry place. Sorry to get preachy but all these things make the BMF job easier and head-off anymore frustration than is necessary. BC

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I thought we had thoroughly discussed that issue before the incident happened. Didn't we all agree we'd jump out the second story window that was just behind our table? BC

Mike...mike...Adams...Adams? I'm thinking I used to know a guy by that name...maybe. Fun guy...sometimes. Used to laugh my hind parts off when we'd get together...most of the time. Since I hadn't heard from him for a few years I just figured he'd been abducted by one of those Kool-aid drinking moon-beam cults. Maybe he's escaped? Could this be the same guy who used to attend the annual COMA dinner/show in Dayton in October before Toledo? If it is...he'd better have a really good excuse why he's be AWOL the last few years. Thanks Mike for the heads-up on the Alvey's... BC

I'm trying to find some folks I did business with many years ago. The company name was Scale Model Speedway. The propiertors were Joe and Tamara Alvey. They used to live in Owneboro, Kentucky. SMS was probably best know for making a cloth-like line of NASCAR stock car window nets in 1/25th and 1/24th scales. Each kit came with two sets of parts which included the netting as well as photo-etch and fine wire to replicate all the hardware. I continue to use their products on occasion and just wondered if they are still in business or what had happened to the product line. In future magazine articles I'd like to be able to make reference to SMS if I use one of their products unless their out of business. Thanks... Bill Coulter