Brett Barrow

I did make a little modification to the front suspension last night. There are 2 spots where the front axle rides on the frame, there's a small indention there, I had to carve a slot so that the axle could ride up higher. then I glued a piece of strip stock (I actually used one of the number tags from the kit's sprues) so that it holds the axle in this new position. The separate front suspension is flexible enough (all it really does is hold the brakes and keep the wheels centered in the opening, it doesn't bear the weight of the model) that it didn't need to be modified. This little drawing probably makes more sense, and it probably took me more time to write this post and make the drawing than it did to do the work. I think it looks much better. I think I'll leave the back alone, I'm digging the rake - Old School!

Due to the design of the chassis, this one's a little more involved than that. There are 2 spots where the front axle rides on the frame, there's a small indention there, I had to carve a slot so that the axle could ride up higher. then I glued a piece of strip stock (I actually used one of the number tags from the kit's sprues) so that it holds the axle in this new position. The separate front suspension is flexible enough (all it really does is hold the brakes and keep the wheels centered in the opening, it doesn't bear the weight of the model) that it didn't need to be modified. This little drawing probably makes more sense, and it probably took me more time to write this post and make the drawing than it did to do the work. I think it looks much better. I think I'll leave the back alone, I'm digging the rake - Old School!

Yup. "Camaro" scripts on the fender and "ZL1" on the hood bulge and trunk, all molded in. The kit has a very old-school promo feel to it. I wonder if Revell might be making a case to take the promo contracts away from AMT and these are the "proof of concept" to show the companies what they could do? They'll have at least one from each of the Big 3 soon...

Useless to whom? The members of this board - or beginning modelers who might actually WANT a snap together General Lee? Lets not overlook who actually pays the freight in this business. Sorry, but beginning and not-so-advanced modelers ("kitchen table modelers" as I call them affectionately) are the core of this business, they're the ones who support the hobby through just sheer numbers. The companies made a push toward the more advanced, more discriminating customer in the late 90's (remember Monogram ProModeler, the line which spawned the 68-69 Charger you mention?) and that market never materialized in a significant percentage of total sales. Maybe that's who you think they *should* be selling to, but like I said, it didn't pan out then and nothing's changed to indicate it would pan out now. This kit is as close to a no-brainer as there is in this business. Snap kits sell well. General Lee sells well (best selling model car kit of all-time) . Snap General Lee? Why the @#% not? While I may criticize the execution, I do not for one second criticize the concept.

That's how Round2 describes it - "1 kit per master carton". It might be possible that it's just a random 1 in 12 off the production line and some cases contain 2 and some 0. We don't open kit boxes, so I don't know for sure, and I haven't heard of anyone opening all 12 kits in a case just to look for one.

It might be in metallic orange. 1 kit per case, you don't know what you've got until you open it, you've got a 1 in 12 chance of getting the orange one. Regular kits are white. Ace beat me to it!!

Distributors are showing these, not on Round2's site yet: 1/25 Warren Tope Mustang: 1/20 Ford Van:

Well, I gave it a shot!

Trying to not get into politics with this response - The USPS isn't allowed by law to turn a profit (they can make a surplus, and they have in the past). The biggest reason they're hurting i because they have to pre-fund the next 50 years of retirees' health care benefits in just 10 years(something like $75 Billion total, $7.5 Billion per year) No other company, public or private, anywhere in the world has to do anything like that, everybody else pays as they go. Factor out those pre-fund payments and they're actually in the black. And the first person to say the USPS gets taxpayer money* gets one of these across the chops: *Yes they get $100 Million so blind people can mail letters for free and overseas voters can mail in their absentee ballots. And they have borrowed money from the Treasury to use to pay the health care pre-fund, but they will have to pay that back.

Yeah, it's molded in a red-orange very similar to the color it's painted. It's not the bright red that it looks in the picture, must be something with my camera setting or lights causing it to do that. Right now I'm leaning towards doing mine in a flat version of the 1:1's Ashen Gray color, with the carbon fiber accents high-gloss.

So, I moved into a new apartment a few days ago after the wife and I separated (don't feel sorry for me, we didn't have kids, didn't own a house, and it has been an amicable separation). I've probably gotten more modeling done in the last 5 days than I have in the last 5 years! I built a Gundam, have a tank model almost rady to paint, and have been #$@ing around with the new Revell pre-painted 2013 Camaro ZL1 that is just now starting to hit store shelves. You can read my review thread here: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=92994&hl= I stripped the paint (came off easy with 91% alcohol) and the chrome wheels (came off easy with yellow-cap oven cleaner) and did a quick mockup for the camera (I apologize for the front wheel not being centered, the body had shifted on the frame): My intention is to do it as the ZL1 Carbon concept, with black wheels and raw carbon fiber accents on the hood and spoiler. I used to be quite good at carbon fiber decaling, I hope I haven't lost my touch! Here's the real thing: Yeah, I know it's one of those typical "mockup-with-wheels-and-tires" posts on MCM, but stay tuned - I plan on actually doing something with this one!

Not confined to the parcel carriers, you should see the shipment from Round2 we just got in, shipped LTL on a tractor trailer. 20 cartons - cartons, not model boxes... FULL CARTONS! were pierced by forklift forks. It's not about the USPS, UPS, FedEx, or whoever, it's about people. And many people just have no respect for what's not theirs... And I have to say, we use USPS for a majority of what we send (hundreds of packages a day), unless it's too big, too much to insure, or the customer requests (and pays for) a different carrier, and we get far less complaints and issues with the USPS than the others. I'm rather pleased with them on our end.

Well, guess what? I stripped the chrome off the wheels and now the front axle fits fine! I guess it was a buildup of undercoating that was keeping the axle from seating all the way to the bottom of the hole. Quick mockup to gauge ride height. A bit high, but it'll come down some by just gluing the body to the chassis during final assembly. There's no positive tab or anything to lock the body down, it just sits on the front valence. *edit* -actually, there is, just glue the valence/grille to the chassis and use the pegs in the front bumper to hold the body down. Putting a little pressure on it to simulate how it'll look glued up: I'll probably still tweak it a little, but the real deal isn't really a ground hugger. I just think it'll look better with less space between fender and tire.

Let me take a look in my office, I think I might have a couple of those you're missing that I brought over from the old job. They gave them to us at Stevens whether we wanted them or not! I don't think I've ever cracked open a paper catalog on the job, so much quicker to look it up online! PDF versions are on Revell's website: http://www.revell.com/community/catalog-archives.html

I can't imagine how bad people were abusing the old parts service. Sending in UPC codes is a smart move on their part. I had to do it last time I needed parts, a 70 cuda body (a-pillar was broken in the box). They re-did their whole replacement parts system, now you actually get a tracking number. I'll gladly sacrifice a 1" square of kit box for that! It still opens and closes - it doesn't fall apart, catch on fire, or rip a hole in the space-time continuum...

Dual Rochesters:

New Revell kit is beautiful, BTW. Funny how you don't hear much about the ones they do nice, just the ones they eff-up.... Any chance you'd be willing to part with one of the decal sheets from yours?

That's neat, I've thought about getting one of those. Did the decals for the other shippers come in the kit? I seem to remember it only having Hapag-Lloyd decals, or maybe that's just how it's shown on the box. I actually saw the name "Colombo Express" on the manifest for a container of model kits once at my old job. i thought "Hey, there's a kit of that!"

Holy Hi-res, Batman! Be sure to zoom in! Check out the brushstrokes on the number painted onto this Cobra: Or have you ever wondered if they used a washer under the nut on the jack brackets.... Yeah, this oughta keep me busy for a while...

"driving up and down" being the key phrase. Drag strip would only be one direction. In my backwater hometown in BFE, Virginia we even called our cruising spot on US Hwy 220 "The Drag Strip" or just "The Drag", even though no one ever went above 20mph.

HO slot cars aren't really HO (1/87) scale, they're closer to 1/64, but who really knows? "HO scale" is a nominal description as it pertains to slot cars.

Simple. The manufacturers sell to distributors, who then sell to retailers, who then sell to you. The manufacturers and distributors will have already gotten paid for it by the time you see it on a store shelf, or on eBay. They've already sold it to the people they need to sell it to, who then need to sell it to you. Granted, the better something sells to consumers the more re-orders will be placed for that item, so it's in everybody's best interest to do subjects that are in demand and not total dogs.

That Albert Hammond's full of $%@, man.

USAirfix was a short-lived brand around from 79-81, I think Airfix's US distributor at the time was making a push to buy them and move production to the US with more US-oriented products but it ended up falling through and Airfix declared bankruptcy in 1981. Airfix went though several hands over the years (including being owned by for a short time by General Mills at the same time it owned MPC, leading to many MPC-Airfix cross boxings - see below), winding up being bought by Hornby in 2007 and I think they've done an outstanding job saving and resurrecting the iconic Airfix brand.

We need to teach them about the legendary Farley Fruitbat! You could tell me I couldn't build anything but 57 Chevys, 32 Fords, and 69 Camaros and I'd be fine with that. There are several 57 Chevys I wish they'd do - a 150 Handyman wagon, sedan delivery, 210 2 door sedan, any of the tri fives that were popular as Junior Stockers, really. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think any of Revell's new-tool Tri Fives were ever done before - 55 Bel Air hardtop & convertible, 56 Nomad & 210 Del Ray, 57 150, Bel Air 2 door sedan & convertible.