Howard Cohen

I guess you guys in the US are lucky. In Canada we have been paying close to $10 for a can of spray, either Tamiya or Testors, for a couple of years. Remember that many paints are oil based and the price of oil determines the price of the paint. The tragedy in Japan should not affect prices. That sounds like a very poor excuse to me. Toyota hasn't raised their car prices because of the problems in Japan, why should Tamiya? Check the Tamiya US website and send them an inquiry and a complaint.

We have a new website as of today, as well as a new webmaster with some fresh ideas. First up is the flyer for our newish event. There will be lots more added in the future as time allows. Please drop by for a visit and if you have any comments, please send me a personal email, Thanks... http://www.group25.org/

Try all of the tips here and then when you paint, do not use the dehydrator. I know a few people who have trouble with paint drying flat when using the dehydrator. Let it air dry. It will take longer but it may solve your problem.

This is the body supplied by Peter for NNL East. I am building it as a modern classic using the molded body as air dams. It is painted House of Kolor Cobalt Blue. The chassis is from a new Corvette, interior from a Duesenberg.

Self image?

Are you insane? Those are amazing!!!!!

Tom - the food is not that good and the service is terrible. Go down the street to the golden arches and eat. Hey guys, do you think he fell for it? Do you think he'll believe the best burgers and service are really the worst? Did I fool him? Okay Tom, if you believe the food story, then I guess I can tell you that NNL East is really boring I don't think I was very convincing...I think Tom is going to show up and have the time of his life!!!!! I know everyone else does

Copious amounts of alcohol...how many is that in American beer? 27? 82? 101? Good thing you guys aren't drinking Canadian beer or you might be passed out until Sunday Just don't get staggering fall down drunk or we will all laugh at you Then we will help you to your room and take your models and hide them on the tables at NNL

Funny, they don't look Jewish FYI...minion is a Jewish word referring to a gathering of men who pray together.

'That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard!" And remember...after my Sam Adams, I may do a BMF demo...hic...oops... Well it wasn't my car anyways... FYI...the eyebrows and 'stach were only greasepaint. Only a Kriner would grow a 'stach like that

I'll be there wearing my usual red flamed shirt. If you can't see my shirt, get a job as a baseball umpire I am planning on arriving Friday afternoon and being in the lobby until suppertime or until I get thirsty & hungry...which should be about 5 minutes after I hit the lobby Shall I make some name tags for you unknowns?

I am thinking of leaving some to friends, museums, charity and model clubs I know. I have a friend who has over 10,000 kits and still insists he will build all of them. If he finishes 1 a day, he has 27 years of building ahead, providing he doesn't buy any more. As he is in his mid 60s now, I doubt he will finish them...I doubt he will finish 1% of them as it takes him about 2 years to finish 1! But he keeps buying...as do most of us.

Here are a few photos I took yesterday at the Toronto Intl. Auto Show, mostly new cars but some classics as well. http://public.fotki.com/howardcohen/toronto-intl-auto-s-1/ For more photos, check out my photo page at WWW.FOTKI.COM/HOWARDCOHEN

I was told that Hamilton Heritagecon has been moved to the following weekend, the 13th.

This is my 3rd year participating online and each year it is more fun. I also do a couple of 12 hour builds with some friends in the area. This idea started about 10 years ago with a model club in Guelph, Ontario. They do it on Le Mans weekend and it must be a Le Mans car, decals and all! Some guys will even scratch build a car in that time, now that takes planning! For these builds, I plan ahead, check the kit and see what I want to do, then make sure I have all the parts. You can't plan for Murphy's Law but it always occurs This year I built the MPC Tiger Shark show car and converted it from a hardtop to a bubble top. I realize now that I needed a better plan for the seal for the bubble top but it does fit. I take photos from start to finish and post them online, sometimes with a description, and I always get comments. It's a lot of fun to build a model and share it with the modelling world and to get it done in a short period is a rewarding challenge. Next week I may have to repair a bit or two but for today I feel very good about finishing the kit. If you are unsure, pick an easy kit, one you know will go together easily. Pick a quick drying paint like Testors or Tamiya lacquer. If you have a modelling buddy or two in the area, ask them to join in. If not, have your camera ready and share your build online. You will enjoy yourself. http://public.fotki.com/howardcohen/24-hour-build-janua/

It will be interesting to find out if you need any special spray equipment to use it. Can it be used with the standard Paasche or Badger or Testors air brush? Do you need special tips? What pressure will it need? These are some of the things we are waiting to find out. Thanks for being the guinea pig

FYI...in the past I have listed several kits, magazines and photos for a month or more and I have never had a sale. In several cases I put the same items on Ebay and sold them in a week. The site needs a huge increase in traffic to work. The last item I sold (a set of Ed Roth photos) using Paypal cost me %15 for what Paypal told me was 'a non-Ebay purchase', far too high a cost.

Revell also produced promos in plastic the past decade or so and they are very good. I have several in my stash.

That is really neat! Now I am going to search for an old typewriter and keyboard and see if I can make one of those first, even if it doesn't work I watched the model car get built over a period of time via the internet and it is one of the most creative and well done pieces I have ever seen! Thanks for the link and the ideas.

The IMC/Union was the only full detail Chaparral 2E kit made I have ever seen. The others are all curbsides. Aurora did a 2C full detail kit as well. When the car was racing in the late 60s, slot car racing was very big and most of the Chaparral models were made as slot car bodies, then adapted to static models, hence no engine detail. Over the years I have built 3 IMC/Union 2E cars and they go together well, with a little work on the hinges and steering. I have also raced, built and collected over 2 dozen different Chaparral models from 1/32nd to 1/10th. The attached photo is a Monogram 1/24th 2D coupe in front of a very rare 2F coupe radio...not radio controlled, a radio, non-working, now being restored.

Our club (Group 25 Model Car Builders Club) hosts a model car contest every September in the Scarborough area. We will have more information shortly as we are waiting for a confirmation for our date. We have an open house coming up soon as well that you may want to attend...see notice elsewhere.

GROUP 25 MODEL CAR BUILDERS CLUB presents it’s first OPEN HOUSE Come join us for a casual afternoon of model cars, building tips, demos and camaraderie and talk to us about our hobby and related hobby events on: Saturday, April 9, 2011, 3PM – 7PM Armour Heights Recreation Center 2140 Avenue Road Toronto, Ontario The center is located on the southwest corner of Avenue Road and Wilson Avenue, just 100 meters south of Highway 401, the first driveway south of the intersection. For more information, please contact: Howardcohen24@gmail.com

For the guys in the Kingston area, there is a model car club in Kingston. They have their own show the first Sunday in May and participate in other shows in Canada and the U.S. Hey Ninja, your profile says you are in Fort McMurray, Alta...that's a little far to go to a meeting in Whitby, On., about a 4 hour plane ride, a little longer by car

I am surprised none of you mentioned the 'Ala Kart'. IIRC, it was the first model kit of a 1:1 showcar (I think Roth kits were a month later) and the first model kit to sell 1.000,000 kits! It has been reissued many times and even re-issued from a completely new mold. Until Hot Wheels makes 1/24/25th kits, I don't count them in my model kit discussions, but that's just me. I do have a few Hot Wheels in my collection of stuff The L'il Coffin was not originally built by Darryl, it was built by Dave Stuckey. (Dave has his own website if you want to know more) There are magazines photos back to 1958 when it first surfaced. When Monogram bought the car, they asked Darryl to change it for them. By the end of the 60s, the L'il Coffin was no longer a popular car on the ISCA circuit. ISCA had a sponsorship agreement with Montgomery-Ward, the big department store, and they requested a show car be made to travel the circuit and advertise their store, thus came the 'Monkey Ward'. After that contract, it was changed too many times before finally finding it's way back to Darryl for a rebuild...phew... According to a friend who works at Round2, production numbers may only be in the 10-20,000 range for a run. Take a look at the private runs done in the last decade, only 5,000.

Our model club is thinking of putting on an NNL event in Toronto in the spring. This would be in addition to our fall contest, not a replacement. If you live in the area, would you please let me know what you think about this idea? Thanks...