charlie8575

Nice to know I'm not alone... I should elaborate though. She collected religious stuff- rosary/prayer beads, statues, Buddhas, Bibles and other religious books. An interesting pastime. She was also somewhat religious herself, as she planned on joining the Episcopal diaconate. I also dated a Jewish girl with similar tendencies. It really does take all kinds. Charlie

This is a very nice build, and I really like the scene set up. Wonder if those girls are single....? Ben- this is a fairly nice kit- just remember, it was new-for-1969, so might need a little massaging to make it really shine, but even with minimal effort, it builds up well. Charlie Larkin

Interesting idea; stretching the semi-unit body on those vans would've been an exercise in hair-pulling; actually, come to to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen a stretch van like this. Not a bad idea for something of a super luxury limo type thing... I agree with Carl, nice job on the frame and the rest of it. I'll be interested to see how it all works out. Charlie Larkin

Re: the grille stripes- are you sure you need eye surgery? That came out nicely. Regarding the darker argent, I wonder if Testors Steel might do a good job for that? It's a bit darker than silver, followed by a coat of gloss? Alternately, a drop or two of black added to silver might do the trick. Charlie Larkin

Nice, Art. To clarify, the clear yellow was applied over the decals as well? Charlie Larkin

I've never heard of black as a sealer? Most people I know use gray primer-light coat of silver paint-primer-finish coat. I'll be interested to see how this works for you. The only thing I'd do different is a dark blue or burgundy interior- I think they'd look great with the dark gray. Charlie Larkin

Oooh....Packard Wagon. *DROOL* A PINK Packard from the '30s??? Say, Brian, did you make it down to MassCar? Our show's not that far from you. Charlie Larkin

If I do in fact end up doing my post-grad assistantship/fellowship/MBA at Isenberg next year, Mike, we're going! If you don't mind meeting me somewhere around Amherst or Greenfield (I might be bunking in with some friends of mine,) I don't mind driving. I also need to get out your way. I might go to Wings 'n Wheels in Chicopee on the 30th- car and other stuff pending. Charlie Larkin

I have no wife, but some of the girls I've dated over the years have had as hobbies and interests... -Music (listening and performance.) -Scrap-booking. -Painting -Drawing with charcoals -Cooking -Reading -Watching movies -Star Trek -Star Wars -Muppets -Traveling -Religion (yes, one of them actually made a hobby of it!) -Collecting tea pots/tea sets -Games and puzzles There's all kinds of things you do if you put your mind to it. Charlie Larkin

110 hours? That little? Great job! Charlie Larkin

Short driveshaft? Oops. Nice patch job on that. You'll never know once it's painted and sanded. Charlie Larkin

Definitely something that needs to be in plastic at a reasonable price for us plebs. Beautiful, well-designed car. Perhaps someday. Charlie Larkin

Cool, Mike. Will we see you tomorrow at MassCar or NNL? I was toying with going tonight for the dinner and trivia contest, but money ran unexpectedly tight and my leg isn't behaving well today, but I'll be there tomorrow, even if it's mostly sitting. Charlie Larkin

Gee, I missed this before. I love K-Cars. I have many very fond memories of my dad's '83 Aries wagon- Charcoal Grey with the crimson velour buckets/console, 5-speed, and the P195/70R-14 whitewalls with the wire wheel covers. Great little car that lasted nine years and over 200,000 miles until a girl rushing to Good Friday services in 1992 didn't pay attention to pulling out of her driveway and broad-sided us. I'd love a K now, simple, easy cars to work on and really quite reliable overall The only problem they have, at least around here, is rust. I hope you get back to this, Mike. Charlie Larkin

Nice dio, and very nice conversion to make an Edsel 4-door. Charlie Larkin

Looking really good, Mike, but we know to expect nothing else from you. I'll look forward to more updates once you're completely post-op. Get well soon from myself and all of us at MassCar. Charlie Larkin

Very nice. That granite provides a nice, level work area. Charlie Larkin

Nice to see some larger pictures of that. Nice job, Mark. It's so nice to see something different. Charlie Larkin

Very nice job, Rich. Charlie Larkin

I know people like that...and about that age. Charlie Larkin

Kept sealed, paint will keep for a very long time. I have jars from the 1990s that are still good. Humidity and temperature does indeed affect the life of paint. Keep them in a dry, dark place, not too hot or cold, and stored with the cap on tight, upside down to help keep air out. While it's good to order some basic, commonly-needed colors up front, I agree that you're smarter to buy paint as you need it. For the exterior colors, I would recommend either Scale Finishes or MCW. They have real automotive paint in enamel (Scale Finishes) or lacquer (MCW) and you might find they're actually less than having paints shipped from Japan. If you have a hobby shop near you, check them out. If not, may I suggest Model Roundup for Testors paints? He has good service and very reasonable prices. Charlie Larkin

Looks like a Ford Romeo- or at least based on that? Cool! There's also a 4-cylinder if that's your preference. http://www.amazon.com/Haynes-Build-Internal-Combustion-Engine/dp/B006H4JEQO/ref=pd_sim_t_1/189-8515608-5956524?ie=UTF8&refRID=14RSHPCPPD4V8FZQGB0W Charlie Larkin

Branded tires? This may bode well, unless Ferrari absolutely insisted on the branded tires as a condition of licensure...and it might still be good. Charlie Larkin

A bunch started, and 2-5 I'm actively working on at any one time usually. If I really want to push, I'll concentrate on one project. I switch back as I wish to different items. Charlie Larkin

Not a big custom fan, but that's very nicely done, Erik. Charlie Larkin