Ron Hamilton

Marcos, It seems to me that the Ross Gibson engines are 1/24 scale in most cases. Every one I've had has been larger than the comparable engine in the kit, but thay have very nice detail, and will build up beautifully. I like the direction you are taking with the Vega. Which ever color you choose, the result should be georgeous. I have a two Vegas, one I intend to do as a Cosworth, and one which will be done as "Grumpy's Toy", as soon as I finish the research on them.

You know that you are your harshest critic.

Didn't you do that one already????

That is definitely a "Harry Car". Beautiful.

All you have to do is ask.

A quick story about the Citroen DS. In the winter of 1964, my dad took my two sisters and myself to the Auto show. At that show was the Chrysler Turbine, which was running in the building to show off the fact that the exhaust fumes wouldn't kill you. Maybe not, but the heat generated by that car heated a big area of the armory. Never the less, my dad went over to the Citroen display, and told us that he was considering trading in his 1962 Oldsmoble Starfire Convertible for a DS. He was intrigued with the car's silky smooth ride. Of course my sisters and me gagged over the proposition that my dad would be driving a car that looked like a toad. Of course he was kidding, but he did see the car he wanted at the show, a Navy Blue 1965 Oldsmobile 98 Luxury Sedan with a Black Vinyl Roof and Blue Cloth Interior. He told me that the salesperson was very rude towards him (probably a racist) when he asked if the car was for sale. On Easter Monday, 1965, we saw the Starfire for the last time, as Dad came home with a Navy Blue 1965 Oldsmobile 98 Luxury Sedan with a Black Vinyl Roof, "with all of the buttons", the "Starfire" Engine (425 Cu. In./370 H. P.) and the coolest sounding radio you have ever heard, as it had a reverberator on it. I know it was not the same car at the auto show, because it had the top of the line wheelcovers on it, where the car at the show had the one step up wheelcovers. He got his way after all. Those cars of the '60's were so cool, but I missed the '62 Starfire.

What do you mean Factory Stock???? I started to do it Factory Stock, but I just had to change it up ever so slightly. I do like pin whites and Dayton Wires, trick paint (Metallic Orange Lacquer wiith a blue to orange flip flop). Ok it has a Factory Stock body with no mods. 396/325 V8 with a Turbo 400 Trans, and a Sport Steering Wheel. I love yours too, Nick.

Now I turned it into a Chevy!!!!

Bob, It looks like you have a nice one there. I have an old '69 Bonneville Hardtop builtup too, in similar condition to yours except that mine was never painted. It will be a while before I do mine. My car will probably be Verdoro Green with a White Cordova Roof and Interior. I am going to put Rally II's on mine too. These restorations are becoming sore satisfying than either a resin or new kit build to me lately. Good luck on your build. It may make me start on mine. By the way, the '69 Impala I have will be turned into a convertible per your suggestion. Ron

and if you want a set of Rally Wheels without the trim rings or center caps, you can't beat the MPC '73 Corvette.

I see that you used my suggestion, Cruz. I use Dawn Power Dissolver to remove all of the old enamel paint jobs from my old restorables. It works better than anything else I tried on enamel. The stuff will rip your skin off if you don't use gloves. I'm waiting to see what color you go with now. Ron

Because it's a much better kit, that's why. I had one of the original MPC flip nosed '57's and I was thoroughly disgusted with it. The roof was too low (It's profile was closer to a 2 door hardtop than a 2 door post sedan). It's obvious that Revell has sweated the details in this kit. While it is not perfect, it is an excellent source of raw material for the subject matter.

I bought mine, and I am not disappointed. Bill and Len did a masterful job with their builds. Mine will probably be Traopical Turquoise and White, with American Torque Thrusts, and a subtle rake.

Beautiful build, Bob. I recently picked up a '63 Z06 full detail transkit. Historic Racing Miiniatures (Harold Bradford) has a '63 Corvette Z06 Transkit which is based off the Revell '63 Fastback, which adds a full detail body with opening hood, and the parts to do either a replica stock or race car. It has an accurate 327/360 Fuel Injected engine, a detailed interior, Finned Aluminum wheels with 2 and 3 ear knockoffs, Steelies, a tank cover for the 36 gal tank. It is designed to be a transkit for the Revell '67 kit, using either the Vintage Racing Miniatures Corvette decals, or the Model Car Garage Photoetch Set. For the work it will save, it is worth every penny.

I got my "widow" today, and it is fantastic.

The Modelhaus '64 Wildcat windshield frame is correct for the JoHan Cadillac, and it has sun visors moulded in Use the vacuumformed glass from the 1963 Buick Electra from the Modelhaus. I used it on a '63 Olds Starfire I'm working on.

I have a few unbuilt '63 Olds Starfires in my stash (including 2 original convertibles) as well as an evergreen '63 Convertible project. I was going to use the '62 Chevy Impala SS chassis and guts for it, making a mild custom out of it, but I was never satisfied with it, but I never tossed it out. Didn't the Revell 41 Willys have a Olds engine in it? That may be a basis for the engine you want to do. I know the original kit had a simple rendition of a 394 Olds engine. The air cleaner and valve covers were accurate, but the rest left a little to be desired.I may try it again, using the amt '62 Pontiac Catalina as the basis, and adapting it to the Olds body, and scratchbuilding the rest. By the way, I would love to see a '62 Olds Starfire Convertible in scale.

Yes they did. the American Dreams kit has a correct 1968 standard interior (door panels and seats), with the exception of the rear seat.

It builds into a beautiful model. Model Car Garage still carries the photo-etch set for it, and I'm sure that you know who can set you up with some nice wires. I prefer the replica stock look myself.

This thread brings back memories of that era. The happiness, and the tragedies, we will never get back that time, but the memories will linger forever. Did your Dad build model cars? I have been on a kick, building models of cars of significant people in my life, if memory serves me, as my dad built very few models. I only remember two, a 1963 Buick Electra 225 Hardtop (unpainted plastic), and a 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 XL Convertible (brush painted black body, everything else unpainted). It's funny, he gave me the cars after he built them, and threw away the rest. I would have loved to have the parts. I have unbuilt kits of the two cars, but I have to build them my way, with at least full body detail and full paint.

It seems to me like Revell is the only domestic model car manufacturer developing several new tools, as well as modifying and adding parts to other tools to produce new subject matter, and re-issuing former Die-cast Metal kits to Styrene plastic. Like it or not, this is an expensive undertaking that the other domestic model manufacturers are not doing on a large scale. Sure, the re-constituted AMT is a major player in the game, but it seems to me, with the exception of the 2008 Dodge Challenger, they are doing re-issues of old, and not so old kits from their vast tooling, with some additional build variations ('60 Ford), and some beautiful box art (everything they have done so far), which collectors will buy, as well as the modeler who missed the kit(s) on the first run. I feel that if it was not for brilliant marketing efforts of Model King(Dave Burkett), Stevens International, and Hobby Heaven(Tom Carter), the limited runs of the older, significant, out of production tools would not have happened, and AMT/RC2/Polar Lights may have not been seen as a viable investment by Tom Lowe et .al.(Auto World). I applaud the company for the work they are currently doing with the old tools, and I hope they see fit to order up some new and exciting kits, as well as un-earthing, and restoring some prime, vintage old tools, as well as modifying the current tools into a new variant. Lindberg had a resurgence several years ago with some decent new tools ('06 Charger variants,'53 Ford, '66 Chevelle SS 396, '64 Dodge 330, '61 Chevy Impala SS, Ford Crown Victoria, to name a few), and the re-issues of the old IMC tools, but I would venture to say that the old Pyro and Palmer tools were not too successful sales wise, as the subject matter appealed to the fringe element at best, and frankly those kits were not that satisfying to build. However, Lindberg seems to be hanging on too. I applaud them too on their efforts. Everyone's kits are now priced higher, as the cost of petroleum products was said to be the major reason for the price increases earlier this year. Higher kit prices goes with the added costs of investing in the development of new tools, raw materials, labor, distribution and shipping costs, as well as licensing fees, so it was not just the spike in raw petroleum. If you noticed, I did not mention the resurrected (or not) Jo Han(Okey Spaulding), or the various Resin kit and aftermarket detail part and paint manufacturers and suppliers. I have a different opinion of these companies, which I will not dwell on in this writing, however, I have supported them in the past by purchasing their wares, and will continue to purchase from them, as the subject matter, execution of said subject matter, and my wallet dictates. In the past few years, the distribution channels of all of the manufacturing entities has been shrinking, as well as the available retailers(storefront and mail-order) in this business. Demand has also shrunk, as we(the modeling community)do not have the available disposable income to purchase as many model kits and supplies as we once did, even a couple of years ago. Of course there are several factors influencing these occurrences, most of them being beyond any single faction's control. We are in the midst of a serious recession folks, plain and simple. Some of us have been hit harder than others, but we are all affected. I have been building and collecting model cars for over 45 years, and I am proud to say that I never stopped building, or collecting during that time period. I tend to be very critical of my own work, but not so much of other people's skill level, as I enjoy looking at, and getting inspiration for my builds from other builder's work on this site, no matter what their skill level is, and on the other modeling message boards, model magazines, shows, and the monthly model club meetings (M.A.M.A. and its affiliates). The comradery in our community is great, and we all have our opinions. Even though I am not directly connected to the model business as a retailer or wholesaler of kits or supplies, I am a consumer. I relish the release of the new kits, in the subject matter that I follow by the major model manufacturers, foreign and domestic. I buy most of the new releases, and give you my honest opinion of the said kit in the form of a written review, which is my opinion, and no one else's. Sure, some kits are pretty good executions of great subject matter, and some are less than good execution(but workable into a decent replica of the subject matter). Some modelers here will lambaste a kit(either in writing or verbally), without actually seeing the kit, but relying on the written opinion of someone they trust, whether or not the opinion is valid, so I take their opinion with a grain of salt. If you notice, unless the kit is an absolute abomination(and there are some pretty bad kits out there), I tend to stay positive in my reviews, as I try to look at the positive attributes of every kit I buy, and/or review. I look at each kit as raw material for a potential masterpiece. If the kit is terrible, I will write(or state)in my opinion as to why it is so. I let the marketplaces decide whether the kit is worthy of my money, which I have less of each and every day. Ron Hamilton

Bill, Norm has cast the more accurate '60 Ford wheel cover from the Hubley '60 in unplated resin. You will have to ask him to cast a set, as they are not listed in his line, as well as the Foxcraft skirts, which I used on my convertible. Ron P.S. That is one goergeous '60 Starliner.