charlie8575

I agree with Bill. NNL-East is very cool, and I'm looking forward to going next year. All goes well, I'll also be going to NNL-West. I'm looking forward to escaping the cold for a couple of days. Charlie Larkin

With some degree of luck, I'll have an answer within the next day or two. In the interim, I'll continue to do some digging and see what I can find on my own. Researching cars....all the research techniques I learned in my paralegal class are paying off! Now if I just had a paying job with it right now..... Soon, very soon... Charlie Larkin

I haven't seen Barrier in years, Chuck. I think when Flo-Quil changed their paint formula in the mid-1990s to respond to the growing number of plastic model railroad products, Barrier was discontinued. Charlie Larkin

Hi, Matt. Frequently, many parts inside a car were painted flat or semi-gloss black, regardless of the interior color. Things like the inside of the cowl, certain interior mechanical fittings and the like. I have one other place I can ask for some guidance on the interior colors. I'll post the question now and as soon as I have an answer, I'll let you know. Charlie Larkin

Kind of reminds me of the factory dark bronze (Autmn Bronze, I think it was called?) As always, Jim, a nicely-executed build. Charlie Larkin

Memphis Beat is indeed a great show, Mike. A nice balance of light comedy and a little drama. And I'm sure that GTO will be credibly replicated in your capable hands. Charlie Larkin

Ron, I must say, that came out beautifully. Great job on this. Charlie Larkin

I'll go look for it in "Under Glass." Charlie Larkin

Matt, From the research I've done, black wasn't a factory option. Your basic choices were blue, red, green, aqua and fawn, which was a light golden-beige color. Here are some basic samples of the various interiors. Remember that the kit uses the vinyl trim, but this will give you the basic idea. The blue/blue/white interior in one of these links, as well as the red/maroon/black interior should be your baic painting guide. http://www.highperformancepontiac.com/features/hppp_0810_1962_pontiac_catalina_super_duty/photo_12.html (blue interior) http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/pontiac/catalina/1234799.html (red) http://bringatrailer.com/2007/03/28/1962-pontiac-catalina-421-super-duty-clone/ (fawn/white) http://www.carcraft.com/featuredvehicles/ccrp_0806_1962_pontiac_catalina/photo_12.html (another blue interior, good close-ups.) http://www.carsforsale.com/used_cars_for_sale/1962_Pontiac_Catalina_139345128 (fawn cloth; good close-ups of door panels.) http://www.lemonfree.com/5721dca47ca5dcea2fa57c2929d54fb3.html-1 (green) http://www.oldride.com/classic_cars/531030.html (red cloth.) Good luck. Charlie Larkin

It really is amazing battery science hasn't progressed that much in the last 100 years in terms of actual usable capcity. Perhaps someday. What I don't understand is, apart from cost, why these electric cars just don't line the roof with a photo-voltaic cell and use that as a quasi-charger, with the plug-in for full charge. I would think that even if it were at reduced power, that would at least get you were you need to go. Charlie Larkin

Lay down a coat of gray primer. Follow with a VERY thin coat of silver paint. Just enough to leave no primer visible. Sand with 600-grit sandpaper, then 1000-grit to make it smooth. One more thin coat of primer. Just enough to cover all traces of silver paint. Re-sand with 600-grit. Paint. Charlie Larkin

Nice early '60s custom you have going here. Those colors work well together, too. Charlie Larkin

Very nice, especially the intake. Charlie Larkin

Nice job on this. The Transcontinental is one of those great forgotten cars. I'd love to see one in plastic, or even a standard '57 Pontiac wagon with the extra parts. Of course, a 2-door '55-57 Safari is on most people's wishlist- mine included. Charlie Larkin

Nice job, Rob. The details especially look very convincing. Charlie Larkin

Given the economy- perhaps not such a bad choice. Wayne- I thought you retired already or did you take a police job in Vegas, too? Charlie Larkin

A mix of Doc and Dan's! Charlie Larkin

Nice job cutting those doors out. Charlie Larkin

Noted, Mike. I don't know about this weekend (or, sadly, next,) but hopefully we can pull one of the two off. I will, however, definitely let you know when I'm in the neighborhood. I did see about Florida in the North Adams Transcript when I decided to do a quick apartment/job search in the area. Hopefully that'll be done before the snow flies or Monroe is going to get all but cut off. Charlie Larkin

1. I get to see my friends. 2. I get to see things that inspire me. 3. Watching the awards can be very interesting to see what the judges liked. 4. If I have money, the flea market can be a lot of fun (or cause a lot of frustration if I don't.) 5. It gets me out of the house for a day (or two if I have to travel a lot.) Charlie Larkin

.....to be continued at MassCar in March, 2012! Charlie Larkin

What a neat concept and nicely executed, too. Charlie Larkin

For a mild rod, that purple works nicely; as usual, Brian, a nice, clean execution. Charlie Larkin

I was just thinking the same thing. Hell, my two-year builds usually don't come out this nice! Great color choice, and very nice undercarriage. Charlie Larkin

If you're going to go after the original tooling, Steve, it would be nice to see the AMX and Rambler back, too. Is the possibility of cutting new molds on the table? One thing I would like to see (I think a lot of us,) is some of the big cars that had to be scaled down, done as proper 1/25 models. I would suggest looking into paperless prototyping and computer modeling as a way to really cut down on the costs, while maintaining quality. These people are a great resource and can probably help you explore that possibility. http://www.paperlessparts.com/ Charlie Larkin