ZTony8

The Testor / Italeri F-40 isn't wrong.There were different combinations of the number of window and 1/4 panel vents on the real prototypes, examples of which can be seen in period pictures of the real cars.

My motivation to build waxes and wanes too, just like the moon.Best thing I can think of to bust a slump is to get a simple snap kit and spend a weekend just detail painting it,practice your foiling on it,and maybe throw on a coat of pearl clear if it's already molded in color. I did that a few years ago with a Revell '57 Chevy snapper and it came out looking great.I still admire it every time I pull it from it's storage box.

Greg-there was also a '58 Edsel and a '64 Cutlass(that one sans roof) in the original series with that same crude chassis.

If it fails to come out looking enough like a 917/10 you could always lose the rear wing and call it a dirt modified-it's that close.

There's a book out that has all the Grump's cars in it.I don't know the title offhand and would have to lay my hands on my copy to get it (I'm writing this from work).Perhaps someone else here has readier access to it.

I've had better luck finding bargain models at the AACA show in Hershey,Pa.,the Kalamazoo,Mi street rod show,and the Sins of Steel show in Davisburg,Michigan than at most toy shows.I (and a buddy)scored well buying a guys collection once.But no luck at local garage or estate sales.

The gods haven't been appeased.I still can't see the pictures.

Upon further thought-Old Car aroma.The combination of old cloth upholstery and old oil and grease is instantly familiar and pleasing.

The sugary sweet smell of Testor transparent red paint.Oddly appealing even if the paint is a patience tester to apply.

The colors on that Monte are VERY close to two factory colors that year.

The Nissan/Camaro from Dr.Kerry.That thing is just so cool.

Um,I know it's worth more than $10.I started out a bit high because it's easier to bargain down that up.I've lowered the price twice even after having checked the market price on the kit (where I was right on the money).I've had it on the table for $75 which,I was told was at market level.I realize that the value shrank when AMT hit the market years ago with their '71 Charger but not down to the $10 level.

There are two kits in my stash that I've avoided building.One is a Gunze Sangyo 250 GTO.This multi media kit intimidates me whenever I open the box.The other kit is an MPC '71 Charger.It's got that fogged paint job on it that MPC did on a few kits.This body on this thing is a horrid tan color with black fogging and an orange(!) interior.(MPC also made the reverse combination.Anyone out there have that and would like to swap parts?)This kit was hit so hard with the ugly stick that it would have to be painted to hide that hideous color combination.But doing that would conceal the "unique" original color combination.I've been trying to sell this thing at toy shows for going on 3 years now and still no takers.People look at it and just walk away.

I've visited the collection about four times.It's available for scheduled group tours.The cars on display change periodically with the rest of the collection which is stored in other out of the way warehouses that are definitely NOT open to the public.And,yes,some of the vehicles have been sold off.A big chunk went at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale event a couple of years ago-stuff like some old concept vehicles and some production serial #1 vehicles like the first Saturn and some Oldsmobiles.

Drive shafts! I don't know how many cars I've looked at while judging contests that don't have the drive shafts installed.Beats me why the builders thought that leaving it off would make a better model.

Last weekend was another trip to the Model Cave in Ypsilanti.I picked up my special ordered carbon fiber set for the Tamiya LaFerrari(thanks John & Melissa) (& Beni the store dog too ) along with a Mini photoetch set,the new Revell '57 Chevy convertible,and a Revell snap '63 Corvette coupe.The plan right now is to try fitting the Revell '67 Corvette full detail frame under it and opening the hood.

That blue would be Tamiya TS-44.

In a similar vein,my lady friend's one son is making lamps out of old small fire extinguishers.

Kinda like Gene Winfield's Strip Star if he had designed it while on an LSD trip.

Maybe a basic airbrush like a Badger 250.Good enough to learn painting bodies with an airbrush.Get one at Michael's with the 40% off coupon.

For me it's the 1/8 scale Testor/Pocher Ferrari Testarossa.As soon as I read the first page of the instruction booklet and it said that "design economies" were taken I knew I was in trouble.And I was correct-the screws holding the suspension parts stripped the plastic threads in the parts without any over torquing,the doors were a different shade of red than the rest of the body,and the gauges and "carpeting" are cheap stickers. Recently,a Tamiya Tyrrell 020 Formula 1 car opened my eyes to what Tamiya leaves out of their kits.I was mounting the radiators and was looking for what piping mated to them.I couldn't find any in the kit and didn't see any in the directions.I even opened another kit to make sure my swap meet bargain kit hadn't been pilfered.Tamiya just left out a very obvious part.Since then I've looked at other Tamiya kits and noticed similar exclusions.Oh, shattered illusion!

I almost forgot the built up semi glue bombs I picked up at the Downriver club meeting last Friday- a Resin '57 Imperial hardtop(complete with front to rear smile in the hood-just like a promo!),a resin '63 Olds 88,and a slightly warped Johan Superbird. Some background on these-On the non modeling topics section of the forum I had mentioned earlier this year about one of club members being murdered.His family had been in contact with a couple of our members about disposing of his collection. The first batch of his extensive stash was what came to the meeting last Friday.I'm told we'll have several more batches and then the leftovers will be at the D.A.A.M. show in November.

It's not what I got but what I'll get.Saturday is my birthday(another decade shot in the rump!) and I'm taking the following week as vacation so it's gonna warrant a trip out to the Model Cave in Ypsilanti sometime during the next 10 days.I think I might get the Datsun 510 re-release(I already have the earlier street version re-issue) and whatever else might tickle me the right way.

Since you're into the tuner type of cars go for Tamiya,Aoshima,and Hasegawa kits.Not only are they the subject you like they're easier to assemble than an AMT, Revell,or Monogram kit.Ninety percent of the work in the foreign kits is the painting of them.

Well,it was last Saturday but I bought a Revell Sox and Martin 'Cuda,the Revell Mustang LX drag car,a Tamiya Spriner Trueno,and an Aoshima Datsun low rider pickup.How's that for an eclectic mix?