Terry Sumner

Ain't it the truth! My son is a Ct. Trooper (he has my old Trooper badge!...very proud of him) and I sat in his cruiser the other day. I felt like I was at the controls of a 747! In Ct. we don't have cages for prisoners...we put 'em right in the front seat. But with all the electronics...man that prisoner is pretty squished in there! In '74 all I had was a little bitty radio head mounted on the floor! Didn't even have an electronic siren...had one of those manual units like on old fire trucks! The horn button activated the siren motor and started it winding up when you held the horn button down. When it got up to max noise you'd let go of the horn button so the siren would wind down. There was a switch under the dash that toggled the horn button between the regular horn and the siren. So you got to imagine how it was in a pursuit...one hand on the wheel steering and operating the siren, the other hand with the microphone in it...driving at whatever speed trying to keep it all together! Add to that the 73 Plymouth Furies had lousy brakes and it was a helluva adventure to be in a chase back then!

As it should be among adults!

"kvetch endlessly"??? Ken you have an acerbic way of stating things.

Ken...who said anything like that? I sure didn't.

Well guys, this one man's,opinion certainly isn't going to change how anyone else thinks and that's ok...I just felt like expressing how I felt about it. I don't look DOWN on diecast collectors....but it's like you said Harry...apples and oranges! Guys who purchase diecasts are collectors not modelers (if all they do is buy one). It's all in the process of how you get to have any model in your collection. I prefer to build them...some guys don't. No problem. As for the woodworking/table analogy..well the difference there is similar to here. The guy who makes the table is a woodworker...the guy who buys one is not. Doesn't make him inferior at all...just different. The simple buyer probably cares not for the process of woodworking....he simply wants a table. And Chuck, of course the guy who buys a house is a homeowner...but he's not a carpenter! Same with diecast collectors...the guy who builds a model is a modeler and the guy who buys a diecast is not...at least in that particular purchase. No one said the guy who bought the table, the house or the diecast was INFERIOR. No, just different. Traditionally the car model magazines have been all about the process of going from a kit to a finished model. IMHO, simply collecting diecasts does not fit that tradition. I will however concede that taking a diecast apart and rebuilding it or weathering it as in the case of the tractor, is modeling...the fact that it's made of metal is irrelevant. However, there is a difference in this case...the rebuilder has an easier job because he isn't starting with a kit...he's taking something apart and reassembling it after repainting or weathering it. Small difference but nevertheless a difference. I just feel that the magazine should be all about the process of building, not collecting. There are diecast magazines out there that cover the diecast cars.

You and Jairus are quite wrong on this particular point...the magazines that are dedicated to just airplanes are doing quite well. And I much prefer them to Finescale when it comes to airplane modeling. They don't get cluttered up with articles on tanks or cars or anything else. As a result, the magazines garner a lot of respect and have the best articles! You're not wrong...or right...on your other points because as Harry said...they are opinions and you surely do have your right to them...and I respect that.

You know...I've been retired now for as long as some guys 3/4 of the way through their careers! 15 years now since I had the uniform on and I feel like I could walk right back in and pick up where I left off! Well maybe with an update on the new in-car computers...

I think if one's opinion is voiced with respect then the replies can be made with respect. After all, we're only talking about models here...a hobby, not a cure for cancer or the solution to world peace right?!

Ya gotta admit my friend, I've started a couple of threads that got fellow modelers thinking! Hopefully good things come of them.

No problem...back at'cha Brother!

And I not only think it can survive that way but it will even prosper and be better for it! Don't forget about the other mags I mentioned that are all prospering quite nicely by concentrating on the particular subject...

I hear ya Bud. When I say diecast I mean the ones that come already assembled and painted. To me those aren't models in the traditional sense...they are more like collectibles I guess...

Well since you didn't resort to calling me one of those names that we aren't supposed to use here on the forum...no I don't take it personal! We all have opinions and I just felt I wanted to get that little tidbit off my chest!

Harry...you are of course correct. A diecast is a model but not the traditional kind. I should have been more specific. What I mean when I say model is a kit that comes out of a box that we have to build. And yes, I know that there are some kits that are made of metal. Those would be okay if you had to actually build and paint them.

I'm probably going to get flamed bigtime for this but here goes. And before y'all bust my stones...this is just an opinion. I'm not yelling or complaining vehemently or anything like that..just expressing my opinion on what I prefer to see as far as content goes in the magazine.... I prefer to see model CARS...not tractors or diecasts or trucks or motorcycles or boats. The title of the magazine is "Model Cars." And that's what I personally want to see in the magazine. Now Chuck Doan's article, while maybe good for some info on extreme weathering, was not a car. And even further, it was a diecast. Yes I know..some guys like diecasts and some even repaint them or modify them. But they aren't model cars...they are still diecasts. Now if I wanted to see articles like this I could turn to Finescale Modeler. That is a magazine that tries and pretty much succeeds at trying to bring all kinds of modeling to the readership. And that is perfectly fine with me. It is also the reason I no longer subscribe to Finescale....it tries to satisfy everyone with a little bit for all modeling genres. There are a bunch of magazines on the market dedicated solely to aircraft modeling. There are others dedicated to science fiction, figures, ships, etc etc. But only 2 good magazines dedicated to CAR modeling. Scale Auto also tries to be a magazine with a little in it for wheeled modelers....like trucks and tractors and bikes and boats ect. And that is a reason I don't subscribe to that magazine. I finally subscribed to Model Cars magazine and in almost every issue there is stuff other than model CARS in it. I just wish that Model Cars would stick to one thing and one thing only...Model CARS! The magazine is very well done...the photography is great, the car articles are great, etc. It's just my personal opinion that the magazine doesn't stay true to it's expressed purpose as indicated by the title. For instance, #158 dedicated 8 beautiful full color pages to the reworking of a diecast tractor! That's almost 8% of the magazine! Maybe we could have had 2 other 4 page articles on some kind of model car. Now I know that at model car contests there are always these miscellanoeus models entered in the various miscellaneous classes. But that's my point...they are miscellaneous, not model cars. Why can't we let Finescale handle the miscellaneous stuff like they do now and let's dedicate Model Cars magazine to exactly what the title says: Model Cars?

4th grade and buildin' models!

2nd model??? Ya'd never know it! Nice! Good luck.

Very nice...great paint. Good luck in the contest.

Nicely done! Love the top end detail on the flattie. Good luck in the contest!

Ummmm....I hate you!

Looks good...my favorite rod. But man, that engine looks bare without plug wires. Ya just GOTTA at least add them in there????

Is this a diecast?

What ARE those 2 shadows on the hood? Photo of the underside???

Looking real good. With all that PE, this sucker's gonna cost a small mint!

You guys who scratchbuild those intricate frames amaze me!