Ramcharger

I enter lots of contests and I have taken home awards at many of them. This last year has been a little dry, so I need to build better. I enjoy the competition and I think it is the absolute best way to improve your skills. I noticed how many of you mentioned you thought your skills didn't "measure up" to the competition. I also noticed how many of you enjoy the NNL shows and have done the "contest thing" and then stopped and started to display only. It is a little tough to lay your hard work out there to be judged and critiqued against others. I can tell you there is a tinge of disappointment when you walk away empty handed, and there is always the car that wasn't as well built but the judges liked it better. It's all part of the game. I will say this, when you put your stuff on the table beside some of the best in the area (or the country) you either pack up your stuff and go home, or you build better. I always like to see guys build better, I think contests promote this.

I started a blog about models, my first blogging experience. If you have some time check it out (there isn't much there yet) and tell me what you think, even if you think I should quit blogging. Here's the address: http://modelfink.blogspot.com/ Feel free to add comments, the idea is to generate discussion.

It's a current release. I'm slowly working my way through all of them. Thanks for the complements!

For some goofy reason I just love these things! Here's my latest, built box stock, chrome redone with Alclad and custom candy paint. Thanks for looking! Comments welcome!

A hush falls over the crowd as a man walks up to the microphone. The man reaches into the pocket of his tux jacket and pulls out an envelope, then neatly tears it open. An electric feeling of anticipation envelopes the crowd. The man clears his throat, the crowd leans forward as if being closer to the sound will make the announcement happen sooner. The man speaks. The crowd gasps. The announcement has been made. The auditorium erupts! It is the return of the monthly BSAC meeting announcement announcement! We are pleased to announce that we will again be announcing the monthly meetings of the locally world famous extraordinarily simple frivolously serious Buckeye Scale Auto Club's November Meeting! Models will be built and shown, stories will be swapped, skills will be traded, B.S. will be shot, and officers will be elected. To be a part of the action, be at the Westerville Panera Bread store in the Northgate Plaza on State St and Maxtown Rd at 7:30 in the PM. We will be throwing this hootenanny bordering on a brouhaha in the Columbus, Ohio area with the consent of the local authorities. Be there even if you are square!

We have a new website!! There is a little info about the contest with more to come. Don't forget about the Ohio Challenge, this year the kit is the Revell 1957 Ford Custom 300. This is an open challenge to all the model clubs in the state of Ohio to build this kit any way you want, and there is a special trophy to the winner and the winning club. Rob Smorey won it last year, let's see who can win it this year! Here's the link to the website: https://sites.google.com/site/bsacohio82/

Stand 25 ft away from a racecar and then 1 ft away from your model. the finish should look the same. BTW, racecars were lettered by hand with one shot back in the day, so the finish should be as shiny as the car. `At 25 ft away you can't tell the difference (IMHO) anyway. I clear over them and I don't worry about it. If my cars lose a contest because the decals were cleared over, I'm OK with that.

Great turnout! Some new faces and some returning faces, and of course, great models!

Tomorrow night at Panera Bread on the corner of State St and Maxtown Rd behind Max & Erma's in lovely Westerville (Columbus suburb) at 7:30 in the PM the world famous Buckeye Scale auto Club is having its monthly meeting. Bring a model or two and come hang out, we hope to see you there!

Here's the results, sorry for the misstep on these at the show: Name Model Class Name Place Special Awards Chris "Digger" Curtis 1959 Skyliner Box Stock 1 Richard Gray 1967 Shelby GT 350 Box Stock 2 John Francis 70 Boss 302 Mustang Box Stock 3 Kevin Wallenhorst 68 Charger R/T 1:25 Scale Replica Stock 1 James Tester Mercedes SLS Replica Stock 2 Gregory Taylor 1970 Buick GSX Replica Stock 3 Tom Kren Amt 58 Edsel Pro Street/Street Machine 1 BEST THEME John Francis 69 Camero Pro Street/Street Machine 2 Dave Johnson 63 Chevy II Alt.Wheelbase Pro Street/Street Machine 3 Bob Curtis 1949 Ford Street Rods & Customs 1 James Ries 50 Olds Street Rods & Customs 2 Ray Blassee 53 Ford Victoria Street Rods & Customs 3 Tony Dean Dragster Cory Mac Comp. - Drag & Straight Line 1 BEST ENGINE Todd Wingerter 32 Word A/A Coupe Comp. - Drag & Straight Line 2 Tony Dean Nova Pro Street Comp. - Drag & Straight Line 3 Mark Erlanger 65 Ford Fairlaine Comp. - Open & Closed Wheel 1 Bill Borgen 1931 Miller Special Comp. - Open & Closed Wheel 2 James Ries 39 Chevy Modified Comp. - Open & Closed Wheel 3 Tony Franklin 58 Impala Lowrider/Tuners 1 Bob Curtis 1948 Chevy Lowrider/Tuners 2 Tony Franklin 64 Impala Lowrider/Tuners 3 BEST PAINT John Francis 40 Ford Pick up Pick-ups & Light Trucks 1 Tom Kren Revelle 37 Ford P/U Pick-ups & Light Trucks 2 Sean Svendsen Buick Grand Camino Pick-up Pick-ups & Light Trucks 3 Steve Goldman Police Charger Commercial, Police, Fire & Rescue 1 Jason Burdette 1964 Dodge Ohio Highway Patrol Commercial, Police, Fire & Rescue 2 Tony Gollaway 70 Ford Maverick Commercial, Police, Fire & Rescue 3 Jerome Andrews Kenworth W92SL Big Rigs 1 Jack & Steve Mason 1950 Peterbuilt Big Rigs 2 Thomas Ellifritt Ford H Series Truck/Branch Big Rigs 3 Sean Svendsen 77 Dodge Monaco R/T Curbside/Slammer 1 Sean Svendsen 67 Plymouth Curbside/Slammer 2 Gregory Taylor 1937 Duesenberg St Roadster Curbside/Slammer 3 Jay Christy Amt John Deere 310 Miscellaneous 1 Donald Hansel 33 Willy Miscellaneous 2 Donald Hansel 55 Chevy Car Hauler Miscellaneous 3 Bill Borgen Boilerplate Garage Diorama Automotive Diorama 1 Jack & Steve Mason Truck Stop Watering the dog Automotive Diorama 2 Richard Benintendi 32 Vicky Jalopy Racer Automotive Diorama 3 Jack & Steve Mason Kenworth Youth 1 Dylan Ries Edmunds Youth 2 Aaron Taylor 1967 SS Jag Chevette Youth 3 Todd Wingerter 36 Ford A/Fuel Coupe Comp. - Drag & Straight Line BEST OF SHOW Rob Smorey Gremlin Ohio Challenge Ohio Challenge

The Gremlin Challenge whiner, oops, winner was Rob "Da Bomb" Smorey with his pro stock Gremmi. I think it was the Ford Cammer under the hood that sealed the deal for him. Thanks to all who entered. Next year's challenge is the 1957 Ford Custom 300, although we're not that picky as long as its a '57 Ford. I'd like to see some Cinci, Dayton, and Z-ville guys get in on this.

Photos of a great show! Thanks to all who came! More: http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Ramcharger/library/Model%20Car%20Shows/Buckeye%20Classic%2013?page=1

Door open at 9, judging starts at noon, awards immediately after judging is done. By the way, the news is hyping the weather again. The show will go on as planned! The snow will not effect the Columbus area (maybe an inch or two) until late in the day, i.e., after the contest. The weather they are calling for is to the west of the area, and they are probably wrong! Almost every time they predict a massive storm around here we get almost nothing. It's Ohio in the spring, you can never be sure what is going to happen. See you there!

The Beast from the East (side of Columbus, that is) is ready to take on all comers! I used plenty of eyeball engineering and precision guesswork to make sure it is exactly close enough to have the proper level of hillbilly for the win. BSAC will have 5 maybe 6 Gremmis on the table. We will see you on Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

One week from tomorrow the best of the best will be in Columbus at the Ramada hotel. Will you be among them?

I finished the interior, glued the interior tub to the chassis and added some details. I added a chute lever to the roll cage, throttle linkage, gas and brake pedals, shifter, steering wheel, and seat. I also primered the body, so she is ready for some paint!

It's March, I thought I bump this one up to the top.

More progress! I've been working on the interior, I've got the pedals and shifter in place, I have to paint the bottom of the interior bucket before I can glue in the roll cage & seat. I made some headers out of some junk box Revell funny car headers. I added a little artwork to the engine cover, to promote the triple X idea. I Gremlined up a Hey Baby! to give the car some visual interest. She's almost done, it'll be ready to rock at the Buckeye Classic!

I hooked up the fuel system last night, a moon tank with a vent tube and a line to the fuel pump. I hope to paint the interior tomorrow.

More

The suspension is done, the motor is mounted, the driveshaft is in, and I'm working on the interior. I found an aluminum Moon tank in my parts box, she's coming along nicely!

More.

Okayy! Here's an update on the Gremlin from; uh, well, you know where. I worked on the suspension, tie rod, drag link, shocks (in shocking pink!), wheels and tires, and worked on the motors fuel system and corrected the lean of the motor (she was listing to the port side). I used some junk box rod ends from an old Revell funny car kit, whacked them off the rods and cleaned them up a bit, filed down the ends and stick then in stainless steel tubes for my tie rod and drag link. Shocks are from the kit swapped front to rear, and the truck arms are from a junker stock car kit, AMT flavored, I think. The photos tell the story, only a crazy person files down junk plastic rod ends and drills out the other for a plastic "bolt" to hook things up. A couple of more details and I'll mount up the tires, no wheelie bars though, isn't that what a back bumper is for?

Thanks for your tips on the body.

Bring 'em! We have all kinds of cool awards, not just this one. This is just our latest for one part of the show, we have a whole category for just trucks. I hope to see you there!