The Junkman

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".

Not exactly thick on the ground over here either.

I am so ready for the Boss 351 and variants. The floodgates are open for E-vehicles although they don't fit in my current life reality situation so we may as well go along with it-model kit wise.

Why do vinyl tires in any case? Offering tires in the same styrene as the rest of the kit would completely eliminate the problem along with being painted/trimmed with the same techniques.

Kinda made my point re: "regular" Mustangs and Chargers as opposed to electric versions.

Look at the advertising. You didn't see magazine ads in the '60s touting the Mustang's and the Charger's ability to transport kids teams to the game. You saw sleek women and manly men offering entry to a lifestyle to aspire to. The implication of performance and sophistication (even with a 200ci straight six). This is completely off that track. I can see in a while we'll see window stickers on Mustangs like I've seen on a certain Toyota hybrid car-"Nice Prius: said nobody"

Very few people thought "Falcon" when the Mustang was first introduced but then again Ford didn't call it a "Falcon" either. Same with the Mustang II and the Pinto. There is a certain understanding of what a Mustang represents and it has remained true for the past 47 years. Calling the Mustang E a Mustang just dilutes the meaning of the definition and fuzzes up the brand identity. Recall they did the reverse of this by dropping the Taurus nameplate (and identity) and calling it the "500" for a couple of years. The E might be a perfectly acceptable EV (don't know-I'm not in the market as I live in a "tech thin" area with few charging stations) but in no way is it a Mustang. (old guy rant off now)

I drove one "professionally" on and off from 1982 until 1994. All 5.0's with manual transmission. Straight line-nothing kept up with it. Turn at the end of the road....well that's when the Prairie Schooner era suspension came into play. Get in a chase and you need one hand for the wheel, one hand for the tranny, one hand for the radio. Bad (stock) seats, don't ever let one side be on the wet and the other on the dry and then accelerate beyond briskly-it would swap ends faster than you could say "OH, S**T". You can tell by my avatar that I haven't sworn off of them, though.

Aston Martin DB5-not just the James Bond connection but a sensuous body style with a proper amount of performance. And any 68-69 Ford Torino Fastback with a 390 or 428 c.i engine. Same with a 67-68 Mustang. Beauty and power.

I showed a Vega a couple of weeks ago. Last week, outside of a Trader Joe's in Santa Rosa CA I saw a second but this was a Cosworth Twin Cam in black with gold trim and black interior just like this No picture because the driver had the gall to be sitting in it at the time. Seemed presumptive of me.

The 6 series BMW coupe has always been my favorite BMW body style since it first came out in the late 70's. Never driven one or even sat in one but admired it from afar.

Years ago, a friend of mine who was a CHP officer went to back up the city police on an incident along with a number of other officers. This was during the early '90's when all the cops were driving Ford Crown Victorias. The incident was done and he went to leave, hopped in the car, fired it up and as he was driving away he found that the radio wasn't where he left it. His car keys were a match for the city police car and that's what he had driven off in. Embarrassment was general. We had understood that the key codes were classified but OTOH the world of police vehicles is a small one.

I'm not 100% certain but I think he was referring the generally loose tolerances for key slots in '60s ignition switches. I recall leaving the car running and being able to physically remove the key while the ignition was still positioned in place. May have well just used a toggle switch.

1964 GTO convertible in Yorktown Blue and an owner with a sense of history. He had plates reading "1ST MSCL". Top was down, the tires had redlines, and the driver was smiling. No photos as I was crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in traffic and the usual 10 foot lanes. Thought it important to keep my hands on the wheel.

Can I help a brother out? Also, did those wheels come in the kit? Trying to source something that passes for Stirling mags is very hard. I've only seen one set that came with a Studio 27 or MFH kit and I didn't have $150-200 for one of them.

I bought 2 aircraft models at an antique collective. Went there on Saturday and they had a sealed Revell Porsche Exotics set for $49. Thought about it but the only kit I didn't have that was in the pack was the 914. Passed

Ah, an Iron Duke engine swap would explain it. But you have to admit that Vega's of any sort aren't exactly thick on the ground. The 1970's-what a terrible time for autos-with the possible exception of Porsche Turbos so there's that.

I didn't see any but I was more amazed that the engine hadn't dissolved into GM tainted aluminum dust puddled under the car. I see it about once every 6 months or so, I'll look closer next time.

Back in the days that we drove chariots, California issued new plates every 2 years. Then they decided permanent plate and yearly stickers. The plate on the Vega was issued about 1974-75, so its original.

Here's one I've not seen in nigh on to 20 years. Ladies and gentlemen: a Chevy Vega with original plates. A true survivor

Thanks, you give me hope. I know I've got a set of wheels/tires and a collection of Brumos markings that can be made to work.

What's the consensus on the Porsche Carrera RSR? Can it be made into an accurate/acceptable RSR? I've got a couple of random kits back in the stash and am wondering if I should just unload them.

While the idea of EV's is great, I just can't get past the real world experiences I would expect. If I drive to San Francisco-110 miles each way-I'd expect that would use up a great portion of available range. Do I have to plan an extended recharge session on the way back home? Cooling my heels for an hour or 2 would have to be figured into a regular 4 hour trip. AND among other pleasures of living in California we have an idiotic and non-responsive utility company, one that siphoned off maintenance funds for executive pay and shareholder dividends. 2 years ago we had no power for 5 days because they couldn't guarantee that strong winds wouldn't cause their lines to fall down and start fires so they shut large sections of their service area down. How does one recharge a car at home even at 220 volts when you don't have power for extended periods of time? Great idea/iffy execution