Bainford

Sweet little Uncertain T. Nice work Dave, and congrats on getting another one on the shelf.

That's looking good. The foil looks nice and tidy.

It's an interesting conversion. I had not heard of the Olds head swap, and had only heard a passing mention of the Chevy head swap in the past. It would be fun equipment to play with.

Yup, deep hole.

Still nothing in Nova Scotia yet, either.

For many years I wanted a gravity feed airbrush. When Model Master pulled the plug on the Metalizers, I finally sprung for a gravity feed airbrush so that I can use my stash of paint one drop at a time. With my old Badger 200 siphon feed, painting a set of wheels with Metalizer, I would waste as much paint as I applied to the wheels.

I hope you're right. The example of the big steam equipment is a good one. Always interesting as a spectacle of antiquity, and it's reasonable to assume an old Model A will carry a similar degree of awe. I do expect the demographic will be rather small and truly niche. Generally speaking, the pendulum of interest is swinging away from mechanical interests, but then, that only means that it will swing back some day, and there will be enthusiast groups playing with old mechanical things again. I do think, though, that by then they will be primarily museum pieces. My comments about EVs were actually tongue-in-cheek, as I really don't think they will be around as the transport of choice in 50 years. However, if they are, an obsolete battery pack won't be an issue. In 50 years time, if EVs are still relevant, there will be a lot of potential solutions to enthusiasts for such obsolescence. They will come up with something.

I would say that 50 years from now nobody is going to get excited to find a Model A in a barn. There will be no shortage of people excited to see a vintage EV in a barn. Fifty years from now the EV may still be relevant, and people who like vintage things (most of us here can sympathize, I'm sure) will be searching for and collecting them. An old ICE powered hulk won't mean anything to them.

Good to hear. Been wanting to pick one up.

It is my understanding that residue from Tamiya polish can be removed with a thorough wash in warm soapy water (be sure soap has no silicone or lanolin) and a soft brush, and a thorough rinse under warm running water. However, I'm not sure of the logic in incorporating this as a technique. Also, be aware that Tamiya course compound can rip through paint on creases just as easily as a MicroMesh polishing pad.

Yes! This was exactly my experience as well. I was struggling to lay down great paint, but inspired by the work I had seen on the forums, I kept trying. I was experimenting with cutting & polishing too, and as I improved my technique, the light turned on; I don't have to be able to paint, I just have to be able to polish. From that moment on, my outlook changed. Now when I paint, I do so not with the aim to lay down great paint, but to lay down a paint job that facilitates cutting & polishing. My paint has continued to improve over the years, which makes cutting & polishing easier, but the secret to great paint does lie in the work done after the paint has cured. As Steve says, the epiphany was freeing (great words). These days, I am very happy with my paint.

That is a seriously good looking fire truck. Great details and excellent craftsmanship. Beautiful model.

Nice Landy. Great job on the weathering. Very convincing.

Very impressive build, with a very high degree of realism. Excellent work.

Sweet short-tracker. Love the look of this one.

Absolutely gorgeous Vette, Joe. A high degree of realism. All round top notch work.

MM Metalizers are pretty hard to beat, especially the buffing Metalizers. They are ridiculously easy to apply, and the Aluminum Plate Buffing Metailzer is pure magic. And tough as nails, too. I have experimented with very aggressive buffing of the paint, and it just gets better looking. All the Metalizers were great for dry brushing details, too. I have a small stash, but it won't last forever, so I have been curious about alternatives, too. I use the Alclad metal paints quite a bit now. Like the Metalizers, they are airbrush-ready lacquer and are easy to apply. The results are generally pleasing, though nothing like the buffing Metalizers. https://alclad2.com/finishes/regular/ I am curious about the AK Interactive Xtreme Metal paints, but haven't tried them yet. https://ak-interactive.com/product-category/paints/xtreme-metal-paints/ These are also airbrush-ready. I am told they are enamels, but have been unable to confirm and not sure I believe it. There are also some acrylic options that I see on the forum that look quite impressive, but I have no knowledge or experience with them at all.

I think you could have pretty much any engine you wanted in a Grande, including the 429 CJ. If you want a 302, the AMT '67 Mustang would be a good bet. If you want a 351 Cleveland, the Boss 351 version of this kit would be a good place to start, though the engine will need to be de-Bossed.

Cheers Ken! Very much appreciated. The boat I am considering is 10.5 inches long. I was trying to get an idea of how big that will be next to the tow vehicle. 10.5 inches (21' in scale) will be pretty big. I am thinking of the Revell '49 Merc Woodie for the tow car, but my boat choice might be a bit large for that.

Welcome to the forum William. Nice builds.

Welcome to the forum, Len.

This is a cool project. I always liked the "55 El Camino. Nice work on the boat. Will the El Camino be painted to match? I am planning a mid-50s boat & tow vehicle project myself. When you get a moment, could I trouble you to take a measurement of the total length of the boat? Cheers

That 442 is a beauty for sure. Crazy clean engine is a top notch resource for detail reference. This sounds like a fun project.

Googling more photos of the wagon in the OP, I found this...

That is one sweet Super Bee. Cool tough look. Very nice.