Art Anderson

Tony, as I stated in a thread some months ago on this very car, I have on DVD the Firestone-produced film coverage of the 1946 Indianapolis 500. The first 15 or so minutes of the film (all of which is in technicolor, BTW) are a conversation between Ray Harroun (1911 winner), Ralph DePalma (1915 winner), and Wilbur Shaw (winner in 1937, 1939, and 1940, and President of IMS from 1946 until his death in 1954). Through the entire interview, Harroun was seated in the Wasp, which was still owned by Howard Marmon (founder and President of Marmon Automobile Company, and in 1946, President of Marmon-Herrington). The car was then, clearly in it's original paintjob, albeit worn, chipped and somewhat weather-checked, and it WAS YELLOW, with black and red trim, just as the restoration. Joe Henning, who wrote that article, apparently put in print the canard about the car being orange. That he justified by the very dark shade of grey the car shows up as in the black and white pics and film shot on May 30, 1911. However, that early black and white film didn't do well with yellow, and other colors of similar intensity. In addition, people from that era often called a darker shade of yellow "Orange" or "Orange Yellow", certainly here in Indiana (I grew up about relatives, parents, and neighbors who grew up in the very early years of the 20th Century--perhaps it was a Hoosier colloquialism, but that's what they called even School Bus Yellow. Art

Sent ya a couple of pics of one, Harry! Art

Not to mention that a slide in camper with as low a roof as is on that Elky would have been very much a waste of money, without any headroom, or bumped out sidewalls to make space for a countertop, stove, icebox, and storage cabinets. Even the cabover bunk wouldn't have accommodated anyone much over the age of 12 or 13, given the very narrow structure. I've seen a few camper shells for El Camino's and Ranchero's very similar to this one. They were merely hollow shells, unfinished on the inside, just like the much more common pickup truck topper shells. Reasonably decent for 2 adults and a couple of small children, for sleeping out in warm weather--colder than a you-know-what in the winter though (from very chilled experience!). Art

I don't think that's a slide in camper, but rather an oversized camper shell (in other words, a topper). In the 60's, there were any number of small companies trying to capitalize on the success of Winnebago, whose first products were camper shells (toppers) for pickup trucks. Actually, the unit as depicted on the AMT '65 El Camino would have been fairly light, perhaps weighing 3-4 hundred pounds (likely built from 1x1 wood framing, with rolled aluminum siding and roof. Art

Actually, by the time Burger Chef Systems was sold to Hardee's, they had been on the skids for perhaps 12-13 years. Here in Lafayette, by the mid-1960's, we had 5 Burger Chef's (Lafayette and West Lafayette, by the 60's, had a combined population of perhaps 60,000). By the time the last Burger Chef here closed down (I was the First Assistant Mgr at a McDonald's, and saw the neighboring Burger Chef store's road sign go by us, on the bed of a sign company truck!) it was the last one in operation here. it wasn't a matter of anyone figuring that fast foods had "had their day" (McDonald's added some 1500 stores in the US in 1983, when our last Burger Chef unit closed), but rather that McDonald's had the business figured out to a "T", and outfits such as Burger Chef (and even Hardees!) didn't much have a clue as to how to survive, let alone survive (Hardee's here lasted only abut 7-8 yrs after BC closed up--the last Hardee's facility is now a very successful Taco Bell!). Art

Tippecanoe County IN would be most happy if you Floridians could send some of that stuff our way! We've had perhaps an inch of rain (scattered at that!) since the first week in May--BONE DRY outside! Art

In 1968, Burger Chef Systems was bigger than McDonald's, but by 1983, they were completely gone, their last few stores in the midwest and southeast taken over by Hardee's. Art

I've been told by a couple of people "in the know" that Galaxie is close to releasing a '48 Chevy Coupe. If so, a '41 Coupe Conversion could very easily be done. Hmmmm! Art

You certainly can simply spray directly from rattle can to a jar--been doing exactly that for as long as I've had an airbrush, and that's a couple of months more than 50 years. Just do it carefully, only depress the nozzle of the spray can just enough to get some paint, not the full force, or you can get paint all over your hands (you still will get some paint on your fingers, but a pair of nitrile exam gloves prevents that becoming a mess. Art

It's done from a 1954 Plymouth Belvedere HT I believe, which was a longer car than the low-end Savoy that year. Art

Two things: For starters, that clear clock cover is a blow-molded or vacuum-formed plastic part, and given how clear it still is, it's likely acrylic plastic, more commonly known as plexiglas (those weren't high-production items, BTW, unlike clocks you would have bought for your own kitchen wall back in the day). As such, it's very likely that the face and clear cover are glued together with liquid cement, such as Weld-On #3, which BTW is still used in plexiglas fabrication. Once glued in that manner, it's virtually impossible to get the two pieces apart from each other without some breakage around the mating edges. Second, electric clock motors in those days were what was called "synchronous motors", which means that the motor turns at a constant speed, it's rpm's figured in multiples of 60 cycles per second, or the frequency of US Alternating Current. That's what made them so reliable for keeping time. When new, they were virtually silent, but as the hours/days/years of use add up, they begin to get noisy, due to wear internally, and there really isn't any way to repair them that I have ever seen--typically, they are sealed against contamination, so more than likely it's not dust or dirt inside the mechanism that's causing the noise--those motors and their gear train are of such low power output that any significant dirt contamination will just stop them cold. Probably the only way to get rid of the noise would be to replace the movement with a modern quartz crystal unit, which you can find at almost any Michael's, Hobby Lobby, or similar craft supply store, even online with a bit of Googling. Art

Now, on the other hand, vinyl almost disappeared from the scene about 1974-75, when it was discovered that vinyl monomer gas, which was being released during the heating process for injection molding, was a carcinogen. That is exactly why vinyl tires virtually disappeared from model kits for awhile back in the mid-late 1970's. It was also the presence of vinyl monomer in excessive quantities which caused the deadly "Revell Tire Disease" that is widely remembered by modelers who were active in model cars in the 60's and 70's. Fortunately, vinyl monomer can be recaptured during the manufacturing process of vinyl feedstocks used in molding etc., and such vinyl monomer gas as is released in the heating to molten state of vinyl pellets for injection molding can be exhausted away from mold press operators and the surrounding air, which allowed vinyl's continued use. How do I know all this? From late 1975 to midsummer 1978, I was the Personnel Director for an Essex Group Wire Assembly Division factory here in Lafayette, where the HUGE dashboard wiring harnesses for Lincoln Continental MkIV and MkV and 75-77 Thunderbird dash harnesses were built. Those harnesses (huge they were, with nearly 700 circuits, weighing in about 70lbs) had perhaps a hundred molded-on-wire vinyl plugs which were molded right there in the plant. I stepped in, had to conduct safety seminars regarding vinyl monomer gas, and what DuPont and other chemical companies had done to virtually eliminate all dangers from the release of vinyl monomer into the air around the press operators. US chemical companies making vinyl feedstocks quickly figured out how to recapture excess monomer, and eliminate virtually all the release of vinyl monomer gas in injection molding, the rest was effective exhaust duct installation above each and every injection molder we used--pretty much the end of the problem. And, by about 1978 or so, PVC (vinyl) tires made their return to our model car kits. Today, about the only "tire disease" we see in newly produced model car kits is when someone falls asleep at the switch, neglects to specify the proper grade of vinyl to be used in model car kit tires. Art

Interesting to note from the Wikipedia article is that styrene is not only a manufactured chemical feedstock, but that it ALSO occurs naturally in some trees, even common fruits and vegetables we eat. Art

Because that's what we modelers tend to call polystyrene plastic. I believe it's styrene monomer, which is a liquid, that is considered toxic--there have been a number of occasions where a railroad tank car full of the stuff has been involved in a derailment, and when that happens, it's a very serious HazMat situation. But, solid polystyrene resins, which is what our model kits are made from, is actually quite benign--if it wasn't, the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) would have been on the stuff in a heartbeat, and they are noticeably silent about polystyrene. Now, burn polystyrene, and all manner of toxic gases are released, and if inhaled in sufficient quantities, they can cause illness, even fatalities. Fortunately, very few modelers set fire to any large quantities of polystyrene, but in the case of a house fire, the sheet volume of polystyrene, along with polyvinyl, polyester plastics (anywhere from that fiberglas tub and shower enclosure to your cotton/polyester blend clothes and household fabrics (curtains, draperies, carpeting, upholstery coverings), and even polyurethane are what turn into real killers (smoke inhalation). Art

OK, now is it your camera, or your monitor that is causing the problem. Don't assume that your puter's monitor is giving you the correct colors, because it may very well not be! Art

It's been a decades long fight for me (and others!) to get model companies in the US to tool the lettering, even badges "taller" to allow for painting, but with spotty success. Come on, Revell, AMT (and even Moebius--where I do have some limited influence!), the vast majority of today's model car builders PAINT their cars, and if you do scripts and badges exactly in scale depth, they vanish under even airbrushed paint! So, how about it, folks? Art

OK, so my bad; but the principle of what I wrote stays the same. Art

The one exception to the "flat dries quicker than gloss" would be Humbrol enamels. In my experience, Humbrol flat finish paints take fully overnight to dry, just as with their gloss enamels. Art

There are two basic techniques used for applying the "non-penetrating" lacquer base coatings for vacuum metalizing (the process by which microthin aluminum is deposited on plastic for that "chrome look": Spraying and flow-coating. Years ago, when the Chevy Rallye wheels pictured above were plated, the base coat was most likely applied with a production spray gun. Flow coating is done by running chrome parts trees under a literal "waterfall" of very thinned lacquer, the parts trees being allowed to drain uniformly (not possible with the older spray gun technique (it's pretty much what all model companies use today, BTW). Either way, that clear basecoat is what makes model car chrome really shiny. Art

And I do virtually all my airbrushing at 10-11psi, with the paint very thinned down (to the consistency of 2% milk!), be it lacquer or enamel. Art

Chuck, considering the time frame from which most all JoHan "annual series" kits came from (1959-circa 1976), they were right in there with AMT and MPC--both of which had issues similar to, or exactly the same as what you are describing. It was sort of "the tenor of the times" in US made model car kits. Art

Check me if I'm wrong, but it does seem to me that high-end digital cameras had all manner of peripherals, a wide variety of lenses (digital technology can do a lot, but IMO, it takes lenses to work the optical side of the equation. That said, I'm about ready for a telephoto lens and one for close ups for my Olympus PEN. Art

Excuse me, but are you looking for a turbojet (or turbofan) engine, such as is used on jet airliners, military combat aircraft? Or, are you looking a gas turbine engine, which uses the torque from the turbine to drive a shaft, geared to a reduction transmission, for driving say, an aircraft propeller, helicopter rotor, or a transmission for use in a wheeled or tracked land vehicle? There are some differences: Jet engines use the thrust from the combustion chamber combined with turbine blades moving clear air around the outside of the engine to push an airplane along--those are what get used in so-called "jet dragsters" for example. Gas turbines on the other hand, use turbine engine technology to do the same thing as a gasoline or diesel piston engine, provide the power for a mechanical drive system. Art

Actually, I suspect it was Testors parent company, RPM who ordered the discontinuing of Polyscale. Why? Polyscale, itself an outgrowth of :Poly S, was almost always the stepchild of the hobby paint field. It was Poly S who adapted latex acrylic paint (you know the stuff, probably you've painted the walls inside your house with the stuff--smells a bit like slightly sour cheese?) to scale model paint. Poly S came on the hobby market in the late 1960's, with a broad line of military colors, Allied, Axis, US, even Soviet colors, but the trouble was, modelers used to working in enamels (both flat and gloss) had an awful time learning how to use the stuff. Brushed on, it showed brush marks, by both "thick and thin" areas--not easy to get it to flow out; and when thinned for airbrushing, tended to "bead up" on bare styrene plastic. Still though, Poly S had its diehard fans, but no matter, that line was almost always the "3rd man on a match" with modelers. Enter Floquil. Floquil originated as a line of Alkyd Enamel paints, formulated for scale modeling, in the late 1940's, aimed exclusively at the model railroad trade, in the day when model railroad locomotives and rolling stock came in kits only. Until the mid-late 1950's, model railroad kits came pretty much only as "multi-media" kits, with parts made from diecast metal, sheet brass, bits of wire, basswood and printed card stock--plastic need not have applied for the job with those adult modelers in that era. Floquil's paint became the gold standard of model railroading because of their accurate colors, the wide range of colors, and the fact that the paint dried literally micro-thin. However, Floquil paints, once styrene plastic locomotive and rolling stock carbodies came onto the market, were a terrible disadvantage, as alkyd enamels are very slow drying, but with the very strong penetrating solvents used (think HOT lacquer thinner type stuff) Floquil was literally impossible to brush on styrene without crazing, and even shooting it on plastic with an airbrush was problematic at best. Now for the Testors side of things: Nils Testor started his company in the late 1940's, first producing a line of fuel-proof model airplane dope, having a butyl compound added to it which made their dope secure against the methyl alcohol (methanol, which is still used in most paint strippers to this day). Pactra, Testors' principal competitor in the hobby field, virtually owned the market for aircraft dope used on 1:1 light aircraft still using fabric covering (think Piper Aircraft's Cub, Super Cub, Pacer and Tri-Pacer of the 40's and 50's here), and modified their nitrate dope formula with a fuel proofer to stay in the model aircraft market. But, by the late 1970's, the handwriting was on the wall for both companies--Testors dropped their line of butyrate model airplane dope in that time frame, while Pactra AeroGloss dope still is out there in hobby shops, albeit in a very short selection of colors. Pactra brought out their line of 'Namel hobby enamels in the mid-1950's, and very shortly thereafter, Testors introduced PLA Enamels. Both brands were head-head from then on, well into the 1980's, when Pactra, even after introducing their excellent line of acrylic water-borne gloss and flat enamels. By about 1990 or so, Testors bought out Pactra's hobby paint line with the exception of AeroGloss, and folded some of the enamel colors into their line, Took over the Pactra Metalizers and bottled them as Modelmaster Metalizers, and created their Modelmaster Acryl line using the Pactra formula, which was far better than their own Testors Acrylic paint. In this time frame as well, Testors was acquired by the Rockford Illinois company, Rockford Paper Mills which adopted the brand name RPM for their paint lines. (RPM is now the largest producer of consumer paints in the country, with even automobile touchup colors in their basket, most notably Duplicolor). Shortly after acquiring Testors, RPM also bought up Floquil-Polly S, which then brought out Poly-Scale acrylic enamels. However, Poly-Scale never did achieve much sales success--relatively few hobby shops ever stocked the stuff (strange folks most hobby retailers--many seem to think that one or two paint racks is sufficient for us mere plastic model car builders, huh?). So, I would believe that RPM management saw Poly-Scale to be a drag on profitability, and thus, particularly in the face of rather stiff competition from Tamiya (no thanks to the bureaucratic gnomes of the Kalifornia Air Resources Board with their ever-shifting regulations regarding labeling!), a decision was made to kill off a slow selling brand of paints. Would that it were otherwise, even though I must confess I never used a single bottle of Poly Scale; but that is more than likely the reason. Art

Given that the paint in question is a candy color, sanding out any imperfections without changing the shade of color could be problematic. Candy colors get their depth of color by using more, or less candy paint, due to this sort of paint's transparency. The more color laid down with candies, the darker the color, less color sprayed on, the lighter the shade. Any sanding, wet or dry, will alter the thickness of the paint used. On solid colors that won't be a problem, However, alter the thickness of a candy color significantly, the shade of color will be lighter in that area than the surrounding surfaces. It's going to take a pretty delicate, careful touch to wet sand out those specks of dirt. Art