Steve H.

Cool stuff, Andy. Very groovy graphics on the sand shark! I'd love to find a Meyers Manx kit, but no luck so far. The Sand Shark dune buggy would be another good choice, but those are probably more rare than the Manx!

Very nicely done! There is something good about "Instant Gratification", isn't there?

That does give it a much more pleasing profile! Nice work.

You know you do it too... you get that perfect stance on a model and sit it on your bench and check it out for a day or two! Finished up (mostly) the chassis on my Merc... Got the stance I was after! I'm not quite sure how I acheived the taildragger rake, but I'm not gonna question it! All 4 corners lowered by 3/32 styrene shims, modified exhaust (rearend, exhaust and pan can't all occupy the same space!) I still need to start polishing the paint... Here's an example of how finicky this Ultraviolet pearl paint is. First pic is available light, no flash (looks this way normally). Second pic is with flash...

Looks good! What I see missing is Bare Metal Foil. Thats something you need to try out, it'll really bring your models to life.

Beautiful work! All of your sub-assemblies look great, I'm sure it will look fantastic when it all comes together. I use a similiar technique for gauges... but I start with black bare metal. Same idea, the black film rubs off the high points. Just saves me the paint step.

Yeah, it works well. I've done this mod before and always had a hard time keeping things aligned. Definitely worth a few minutes to save a lot later!

Did a few suspension mods also... With a nod to Ajay for his quickie tutorial... Of course, the kit suspension is a little too tall for my taste! Before cutting the pieces, I drilled them to accept a wire for alignment purposes later. After cutting, I glued in a 3/32 piece of styrene. That distance puts the diff right on the pan and is about as low as you can get!

I finished up the bodywork and got some paint laid down this weekend. ModelMaster Lacquer Ultraviolet pearl, ModelMaster Lacquer clear. I can already tell this is one of those colors thats impossible to photograph well! (Why is purple such a problem?!?!) Kit pinstripe decals... Kdog Graphics pinstripe decals. This is the 3rd project I've used them on, so I guess I like 'em! Just in case you thought the paint process was easy, heres the first attempt. Alclad flipflop Green/Gold over black. The flake in this was just TOO big and quite honestly, the gold tone sucked! I really, really didn't want to get into the paint, strip, paint routine. Since it was cleared with MM, I smoothed the surface and shot the Ultraviolet right over it. Came out pretty good and I expect it will hold up well. Enjoy... Comments always welcome!

Nice build, the wheel choice works well and makes it uniquely "Yours"! I've seen a number of these built and they look like they go together well, but I'm always reminded of a "Transformers" robot!

Both nice, But the "Grasshopper" really turns my crank! I love the before and after pics, it makes such an impact when shown that way.

Great Looking Firebird! You have a nice touch on small detail, as the fender closeup shows.

Very nice build, great color combination!

Thats a stunning build! You must have taken a vacation from work for all that CF decal work!

I've already said it elsewhere... Awesome lookin' Merc! The satin finish really sets it apart!!

Sweet and Simple... Looks great! Of course, I have to steal some of your ideas... I was reminded I have a caddy air cleaner and the suspension mods were a handy tip.

Thats a good lookin' project! Glad to help inspire you...

I've always wanted to visit Johnstown... My mom was born (1925) and raised there, so I've heard about the flood, seen postcards of the incline train, etc...

Thats why I enjoy Billetprrof so much... reference material! Love 'em ar hate 'em, there are some pretty origonal ideas out there! C'mon Bill, you know you want to build the Tempest... I'll even donate a body for the cause!

Billetproof Just a few (hundred) pics from yesterdays Billetproof show Some new, some old, some just over the top... Enjoy...

I got turned down from a job interview last week, but got a call today for another opportunity... Ohhhh... You're talking about model related stuff... Got the new Merc... Started it already. Got a note that I'll be getting another resin go kart in the mail soon. My wife ask why I needed a new kit, when I have all those in the garage...

Nice stuff! Welcome to the Forum! I like the 53 (I've built one as a custom and it is a great kit) but I just love Gray's 32! Neat replica of a seldom seen icon!

I built this about 15 yrs ago. Back then, I was still working on basics, so the idea of doing a full on convertible conversion was daunting (Which is why its a Roadster!). I also didn't know what to do with the winshield header, so I just left some glass and foiled it. Regardless of all that, when it was finished, a buddy of mine, Rex Barden (He's a model car guy) went ga ga over it. After taking it to several shows, I gave it to him as an Xmas gift. He always told me its the nicest model in his collection! Its had some wear and tear over the years, so he asked me to refurbish it. Simple wheel repair, glueing a few parts back on... A wax and polish... (don't let the pics fool you, that paint job is pretty bad!) Hand painted graphics, cleaned up and the engine glued back in place... Cleaned and dusted the interior... Now its time to send it back home where it belongs!

Great Build! Theres a lot of great detail everywhere you look! Your bodywork skills, such as opening the ducts, look great as well! Too bad that well built interior I remember from other post got somewhat hidden!

Hey Gang, The board membership has grown by leaps and bounds... I'm not even sure who's on here anymore. This idea seems to work well on the other board, so lets take a moment to re-introduce ourselves! I'll go first... Steve Hinson, San Jose, CA. I've been building models since the late 60's, took a break for most of the 80's. I got back into it in 89 and haven't looked back since! Along with building, I help run the NNL West show (Its good to be the president! ). I started (and finished) a local model club, with monthly meetings, but no real purpose other than to hang out and swap ideas. As locals moved away the club went extinct. I've been involved in numerous make and takes and a few "classroom" stints, teaching local boy scouts and such about models. I've always felt we should give back to the hobby while we enjoy its benefits! Recently, I've had the opportunity to travel to several shows across the US, and have found model builders across the nation to be a great group of people! I think I've made a few friends along the way... I used to chase the trophies, now I just listen to the voices in my head and build whatever turns my crank! I'm a CAD draftsman, doing layout work for computer chips, for the last 25 (or so) years. Married, two beautiful daughters ages 14 and 17 and more projects on my bench than I know what to do with!