Art Anderson

Ahh, but GMC DUKW's (Ducks)ARE driven on public streets and roads! In downtown Boston, they are everywhere! Art

Some of your cans show "dents" rather than a smooth bulging bottom, which leads me to wonder just how you are shaking up the paint before spraying? I've shaken literally HUNDREDS of rattle cans over the past 50+ years, and have NEVER seen that happen. Art

As for 1950's Indy Cars in styrene kit form--there was but one kit that was ever worth building, and that is the Monogram Kurtis-Kraft KK500C--and that has been reissued many times over the years. Art

Multiple colors on cars pretty much went out of fashion by the late 1960's, with changes in styling leaving no chrome spears to make logical color dividing lines, roofs that faded smoothly into the lower body making two-tone paint jobs impractical to do. Also, the rather loud colors of the 1950's had gone by the wayside for just about everything by the late 1960's as well. This wasn't limited to personal automobiles either--houses began to be painted in subdued colors (remember "Moss Green" everything, followed by all those "earth tones"?). Art

An interesting side to the $5 day is that other automakers in Detroit had to either try and match it (at least to some extent), or face the same turnover expenses that Ford was trying to cut.

Actually, it was Henry Ford's desire to reduce the simply awful turnover rate at Ford. The $5 day did do that--pretty well documented BTW. It did have the additional benefit of being the start of the movement of factory workers into the middle class, income-wise as well.

The vast majority of Subaru's sold in the US are built in my hometown, Lafayette IN (and the plant was just doubled in size too--4,000 workers there). Chevrolet & GMC pickups are built near Ft Wayne IN, Honda & Toyota both have assembly plants in Southern IN, and they are building CARS in St Joseph County IN--Mercedes Benz' crossover SUV's are built in Mishawaka IN, which is literally across the street from South Bend. Art

AMT Corporation also did a little-remembered, small series of Can-Am cars in 1/25 scale as well--the one I remember most is the McLaren-Elva, which was a very simple, almost snap-tite styrene kit--about 1965-66. There was but one run of that set, IIRC, they didn't sell at all well, and I've never seen them since (I have the McLaren Elva, buried someplace in my storage locker). Art

A thought here: The bottom of the rumble seat interior is what appears to be holding the rear of the body too high, some file work there should cure that so that the body shell sits down evenly from front to rear. As for mating the rear fenders to the body--some Evergreen sheet styrene ought to do that for you. Art

Yes, uncoated (unprotected) it does rub off quite easily. It can be coated with a special clear coat, but all the reviews point out that this actually dulls the lustre badly. I'll not even bother trying the stuff, after reading that. Art

Harry, you beat me to it! Model airplane flyers have used RIT Dye for decades, to tint clear plastic canopies--works like a charm, and no problem with little nits of dust or lint either! Art

Those Round2 1/64 scale Authentics involve an awful lot of manufacturing steps--from the diecasting operation, to multicolor spray painting operations--while the entire production run might have its main body color done with a production spray gun on racks of a hundred or so body shells, each added color is one operation, one worker who has to be paid. Then there are all those "Tampo" or "pad-printed details--each one of those details is at minimum one operation, one operator--and where multi-color badges or emblems are added-EACH INDIVIDUAL COLOR is--you got it! One operation, one operator. By contrast, final assembly is just that, an assembly line. It can take a hundred or more people just to make a production run of just one subject. Add also, the cost of tooling (some 1/64 scale diecast tooling is probably $20,000 or more just to get tooling to cast the model. Then add in licensing, shipping, import duties, transportation to wherever Round2's distribution center might be--THEN plug in the transportation costs to each individual store (or online/mail order vendor), plus a profit margin both for Round2 (otherwise, why make the things in the first place?), and a profit margin for the final seller. And, I haven't even mentioned licensing fees! Art

Actually, 1:43 scale (which is a rather odd scale, BTW) has its roots in the diecast toys made by the likes of Dinky and Corgi, right after WW-II. Many of the very early 1:43 scale "cottage industry" models and kits were (just as with 1/25 scale resin transkits here in the US) spun off those ready-made Corgi and Dinky toys (which were actually pretty nicely done scale models, just made as toys, for kids). Add to this the wide-spread "VAT" (Value Added Tax) in the UK and Europe (sort of like a "sales tax" that is collected from EACH stage of production, from raw materials to the finished product) which adds greatly to the costs associated with producing any product over there. And, as others have mentioned, the very high level of scale and detail accuracy of most 43rd scale model kits from overseas--that also runs up the cost. And last--just as with resin kits in this country, not only is there virtually NO mass-production--rather a ton of hand-work involved in each part of each kit, combined with actually quite small production numbers (think in anywhere from a few dozen to perhaps a few hundred in many cases --see the picture a bit more clearly now? Art

Well, the Atlantic could be a major project, for sure! Art

But if you were a wealthy prospect, living in Paris, and you wanted that styling for the Model J you are negotiating to buy--I'm pretty sure the coachbuider would put any style body on it that your heart desires! Art

If you decide on the Bugati body--that would make a really neat looking Duesenber--I'd suggest you consider shortening the Duesenberg frame. running boards and splash aprons--as that would be quite realistic--Monogram's Duesenberg kits are all of cars built on the long, 153 1/2 inch wheelbase, but Duesenberg also offered the Model J with a shorter, 442 1/2 inch wheelbase. The Henley body might not be as difficult to adapt as you might think. You'd need to adapt the Town Car cowling to the Henley Roadster, as the Model J's firewall is coordinated with the hood shape, as a standard feature. Some sheet styrene will fill in those rear fender opennings in the body quite well! Art

That Duesenberg Town Car would make a great sedan version! (The Walter Murphy Company, which built the real prototype of that Town Car, also made a few sedan-type bodies using very much the same lines and shapes. Art

I airbrush virtually everything, save for small detailing. Art

I just read a product review on this stuff--it's not all that great, apparently! The base coat is a black UV cured paint (if you will), that once it's cured with ultravioet light, has to be cleaned of a leftover residue on the surface. After this, metallic powder is to be sprinkled on it, then polished to a high shine--the"mirror finish" that the pic above shows. However, and here's the "rub": The polished, mirror-like finish is NOT at all durable, can be rubbed away very easily. The manufacturer offers a clear top coat for it to protect against it's "rubbing away" but in the bargain (and a bad bargain at that!),the clear top coat dulls the stuff to a "sheen" only slightly better than, say, Testors #1146 Chrome Silver. I suggest saving your money, folks--I know I have no further interest in the stuff for model car applications. Art

Our first model car contest since 2000! LMCC Contest Flyer.htm

For some, but not all, Scale Finishes Paints. Art

Traditionally, the"glue" used on decal paper (over which the decal film and graphics are printed) has been plain old ordinary gelatin--think Jell-O without the food coloring and flavor. Water will eventually loosen most decals, but it can take a while soaking the affected part/body shell, whatever. That said, masking tape may or may not have an adhesive sticky enough to break this bond between decals and the surface they've been applied to--try something stronger, such as Scotch Brand Magic Tape. Also, the Micro-Scale Micro Sol can soften decals to the point that the glue beneath is also softened, as can 70% rubbing alcohol. (I've used all three at various times). Art

Scale Finishes has a clear acrylic enamel--use that. Art

Wanna know what's both sad and funny? The very first AMT Corporation "Sell Sheet" to show a '27 T, announced a '27 T Roadster 3 in 1 kit! Art

Uh, to do a Bonneville would mean an awful lot of new tooling--a '61 Bonneville has a trunk that is a full 10" longer than the Catalina or Ventura--meaning also a new chassis--not to mention some new chrome parts as well, Oh, and new taillights.