The Junkman

Saw the cutest little fire truck: no photos by me but here's a sales listing-I'm certain it is the same one. Even the mis-matched paint on the doors was the same. US101 just south of Ukiah CA https://www.vansfromjapan.com/inventory/nissan/atlas/100165/

The SF Bay Area also had a electronics/bike giveaway store. Matthew's TV and Stereo "Top of the Hill, Daly City". At one time it was the largest distributor of bicycles in the entire Bay Area. Maybe they should have switched product-they've been LONG out of business.

Lamborghini roadster (Aventador?) in Giallo Fides. Yellow to the rest of us peons. Naturally, on the freeway-opposite direction-just a momentary glance.

So, in other words, you saw a unicorn.

I need to run a constant video feed because I SEE interesting cars but I don't have time to get the cell phone up and photo them before they've passed. Sunday in the Russian River area, Sonoma County CA there was a BRG TR-6 with a camel colored interior and followed very shortly by a pumpkin orange 71 Ply 'Cuda with black hockey stick graphics and black interior. Both of them were very well maintained.

It didn't help that those AMT NA$CAR kits came out at the same time/in response to Monogram's initial efforts. A direct comparison found AMT's effort to be....unworthy.

I'm ready to buy it (or 3-4) right now.

(Double post)

Not a kit but some inspiration. Hit an estate sale without enough time to get detailed in searching. But I found a June 1964 issue of Road and Track. It had everything I grew up loving R&T for: race reports from the Daytona 2000 and Sebring races, cover shot with Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe/NART and David Piper Ferrari 250GTO's, road test of the new "AC Cobra" (with accompanying history of AC cars) and Sunbeam Imp, another race report by Stan Mott covering the Cyclops and the East Africa Safari Rally, ad featuring Ed "Big Daddy" Roth and announcing Revell's 2nd Annual National Open Custom Car Contest, initial reporting on the new Ford GT which "looks suspiciously like last year's Lola". Then the classified ads: Jaguar XK/SS ($6000), '61 Ferrari 250 California cabriolet 12K original miles ($7000), '47 MG-TC ($899-$1350). I want to build one of each. Was the Cyclops ever done in 1/25?

August 1976, I-10 outside of Deming, NM. Heading back to base (Holloman AFB) in my '73 VW and proudly equipped with a CB radio (important later). NM State Police going in the opposite direction radar tags me for 68mph in a 55mph zone. I repeat I-10 and in the desert. The only time I ever heard truckers referring to my car "Ooh, the Bear's going after a white 4 wheeler". Two weeks later, El Paso PD gave me a ticket for misuse of a traffic lane. Went straight in a turn lane/in a rough construction zone with incomplete lane markings/in the rain/and after dark. And that's all I've ever gotten. Good thing it was in the days before computerized cross referencing of traffic violations between states. Just paid the fines.

Well, either a somewhat notorious character in the Star Wars universe OR an obscure rum-based drink you can only get at a walk-away bar in the Florida Keys. I forget which.

First time behind the wheel: '68 Chevy Impala wagon. I say first time because it was a high school driver's ed class and because my parents were divorced and living 40 miles apart I LITERALLY HAD NEVER DRIVEN A VEHICLE. It was a short stint. I got to drive his vehicles ('65 Ford Econoline van-170ci straight six/auto/manual choke) and an early '60s VW van) on the weekend visitation/holidays. And finally built up enough experience to pass a driver test after a year on a learner permit instead of the nominal 6 months.

No Fennec Shand for the (re-named) Boba Fett space craft. I'm out then. (Star Wars new Imperial overlords-Darth Disney-thought "Slave 1" wasn't in keeping with the current canon.) Wallet also safe for another month.

Wonder how much their detour into 1/20th scale may have thrown them off.

Mustang markings look like a tape kit. If it was a Mach 1 it would proudly say that. This just says "Mustang". Like the color though.

Got out of the house and went to Point Reyes Station, on the Pacific Coast about 35 miles north of San Francisco. Frou-frou weekend tourists and entitled bicyclists (oh, so many). Nonetheless while looking for parking I came across this beauty. The thing I liked best: this piece of rolling art was USED! A small bit of rock pitting on the front, there was minor denting above the driver's door latch, the dashboard was weatherchecked and the seats needed to be reupholstered. It looked just like what you'd think a 65 year old car would look like if you used it as designed. As we were leaving the town my wife said there was an old car coming around the corner in front of us but before I could get the cell phone camera into action, it was past. A Citroen Traction Avant in near cherry condition, all black with grey interior. Now for more pedestrian vehicles, this one from in front of the Home Depot in my town.

Not that it makes any difference except for whomever dropped $4 (followed by so many zeros) for this car but was it 5R002 (as described) or 5R003 as written along the top of the firewall? Knowing the issues with restored, or more correctly-overrestored cars, I like these photo layouts for giving an idea of how the car should have looked and not the final word.

With my limited experience with film productions (repeated support, road closures, smoothing over sharp edges with local residents) I will guarantee there was at least 2 and likely more Squad 51 rigs available for use during filming. A "hero" car the main car in use and a backup. The backup often gets used for 2nd unit filming so different aspects of the filming can be shot at different locations and at the same time. Which makes sense if you realize that a lot of bucks get lost if the filming schedule get interrupted-highly paid people sitting around doing nothing because a car/truck won't start etc. To say nothing of the insurance that won't pay off if the film company doesn't do everything in its power to keep going. I was on a film shoot years ago for "Pontiac Moon", unremarkable except that Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen got married after starring in it. The company had two (2!) 1951 Pontiac Chieftain convertibles on scene and at least 2 Amphicar 770s. Neither of those are/were common. And naturally one of the Pontiacs broke but production didn't stop.

The Porsche 934 the old Heller kit? BMW 320 Group 5 the old ESCI kit? And with the classic Ferrari kits in their possession (275GTB, Daytona, California, etc) why not shake those loose?

Let me add (again). ANY up to date-as in any year model of the past 10 years-American made full size pickup. Ford, Chevy/GM, Dodge; any of them. The larger ones like the F-250, 2500 etc would be a bonus. With the exception of the Revell Raptor snap kit and the Meng F-350 I can't think of any recent kits.

I understand that at one time there were three Porsche 917s, all of which had won the 1971 Lemans 24 Hours.

Its not just a custom car but an icon for an entire branch of the automotive world and lifestyle. No, I'm not exaggerating. Its a touchstone and a car against with most all others of that ilk are measured. Easy for me to say, I can't shake loose of the pieces to make a model of one but I don't begrudge whoever took it home.

No, 1995 was the year they switched to the Monte Carlo. Monogram was "johnny-on-the-spot" with a new body. https://www.scalemates.com/kits/monogram-2447-3-goodwrench-monte-carlo--133261

I must be the only person in the world who is completely unmoved by "Eleanor". Just a cartoon car as far as I'm concerned. Otherwise I'm a sucker for Mustangs having owned 3 and having driven one "at work".