whale392

The best looking Volare I have ever seen, model OR real. Great work, Sean!

Call it an intuitive lack of forethought!

Nothing ever goes according to plan.....that's why I never make plans!

My dad quit building models in about 1964. He was amazed at how far they have come when he looked at one of my more modern kits, and he was shocked to find the price was a slight bit higher than he paid! However, he agreed that they are still a great value considering what comes in the box these days. He won't build again, but he does look in on what I have going every now and then. Welcome back, and unlike my dad, don't let the technology scare you off. Questions are the best way to learn.......ask away.

So, did you get the house to yourself and some work done today?

Jason, it will be quite some time before I can get back to the salvage yard, but I know he as 7-10 LXs in various stages of death sitting in the yard. i'll have to see about getting there before the weather turns sour.

I look at the overall goal of what I am trying to build, and wheels/tires/stance is the FIRST consideration I deal with. I will look for overall appeal with what I have, or will look for the 'right' set before I even start a build. it even trumps color choice as most important. Attitude of the build will eventually choose the color.

Very nice! My favorite exotic by far.

Rob, I don't know for sure. I can tell you it is running slightly behind where Ed wanted it to be development-wise. I will talk to him next week-end (Toledo NNL) and see about where they are at with it.

If you want complete honesty............. 1). Take the rear wheel wells and reshape them closer to their original height/contour. They just seem way too small for the flank they grace. Once that is completed, slip the rear wheels into some Pegasus 23" sleeves to help fill up the well and add some balance to the rear quarters. 2). As to the rear end, I like the tail lights and bumper, they flow well with the lines. However, that lower valance just hangs below WAY too far. It makes the rear look like 300 pounds of chewed bubble gum shoved into a 20lb box! Again, personal opinion here, but maybe create a diffuser-style lower valance with center-exit exhaust to help balance the tail light panel above the bumper with the lower bumper. 3). The front valance could use the Fog Lights brought out to the same area as the headlights, and maybe a lower opening added to mimic the grill. Personally, I think it would add some balance up front and take some of the 'heavy' feel away. I like the overall idea and think you are on the right track with it. I REALLY like the T-Top idea; gives the roof an open and airy look while showing off the interior.

Walthers Big-Scale catalog.

Very nice rendition of the 'Fox Bird! I have always loved the sexy, smooth, flowing lines of the 83-88 TurboCoupes (87-88 in particular) and this one does them justice!

I will be there for the NNL, Oct 8th.

As far as I know, the 48 Ford 'vert HAS been discontinued.

That paint is sweet!

Also, with any hotter type of paint, lay down a layer of Future before hitting it with the color. Future acts as a barrier to help protect the underlying plastic. As a side note, I was also told (by someone who most certainly knows far better than I do, that Future can be used as a barrier if you have done any body work that involved body-filler. most paints like Dupli-color will 'Ghost' your body work lines when shot, even if you can't see it in your primer coats. Do your body work, shoot a thin layer of Future, then apply your primers once the Future is dry (this is how it was explained to me).

That's why I asked, Jason. not calling it out, but just asking. It would be a little bit of plastic-cut-and-weld surgery in 1:1, but it can be done with enough time and the proper tools. The biggest hurdle would be flipping the inner bucket fixtures to put the reflector up top and the powered socket cups below. It looks cool, all pro-Touring style. Reminds me of Thomas Clarks' 79 Indy Pace Car; that thing is AWESOME with all the work he has done to it. Check it out sometime!

So, would this be a Boss-Bird?

No need to hurry. Remember, both have no timeline!

Interesting build. I like the paint and the wheels/stance. Can I mention the tail lights are upside-down without getting jumped?

OK, I just talked to Ed Sexton at Revell, and they ARE doing the all-new tool 1/25th 1990-93 Mustang Coupe as a 2-n-1 (stock and drag). They are quite far into the kit development stages, but he didn't say how far or when it will be revealed to the public! This is extremely exciting news (for me anyway); and I hope to know more after Toledo NNL (if he is coming to the show).

Chuck, if you are really wanting to do that, your best bet is to get the 83GT that MPC kitted and kitbash it with MADs Coupe. Use the basic body from the 83GT and graft the roof/trunk section of the MAD kit in. The entire nose is different between 1979-82 and 83-86. The cowl vent width changed (got wider on the 83-86), the hood got the corresponding wider 'cowl' look to it, plus got an overhang for the grill (which the 79-82s didn't have). IF you are doing a late 84, the front fender extensions are different, same with the lower nose. Honestly Chuck, just take the entire 83GT kit forward of the doors/windshield glass trim and graft it to the MAD Coupe. Then, play with the lower nose to better mimic your particular year. Also of note, ALL of the MPC kits that I have still have the 1979-specific inner door panels regardless of the year they are trying to represent (I will either confirm or dispell this thought of mine when I get home this morning and dig through my MPCs. The later AMT/MPC 87+ GT got revised inner door panels.

Worth a look Stephen. Even if you can't use much or it doesn't have much, you will at least know what you do have. Wheels/tires is an easy malady to fix. Stock or aftermarket, options are out there.

Having seen some of Toms other work, I now can say he did the best he could with the body, and I believe it shows. If he were to build one of these, I think he would amaze us FOX guys!

Tom, as to your mastering of the MAD 1979-82 Coupe....I would say you have done the BEST job at capturing the lines of the coupe so far. Better even than others claiming to be 'Correct'. I talked with Kris at length about this particular kit before I bought one, as the pics he sent to me showed some areas of concern. Once I received it and got to do a good up-close hands-on look, most of those concerns went away. Being as it was based on one of the most externally accurate kits available for its' day (don't get me started on the rest of the kit though....looks like MPC concentrated solely on the body and just sort of 'oh well'-ed the rest) it came out looking good. Don't be ashamed or feel bad about it, you did good (this coming from a guy who couldn't master a sheet of flat stock). I own 4 of the 1:1 FOXes, so I can be pretty critical.