charlie8575

Superb. Charlie Larkin

Nice work. What did you use for the brick wall? Charlie Larkin

I don't believe I saw your other project. I'll have to go looking for it. Charlie Larkin

And for us Americans... https://oneminuteenglish.org/en/quid-to-dollar/ So....running, rotted lemons (after all, that's what "Citroen" roughly translates to) for nominally around $100 (about $2=1GBP as a general rule of thumb).... Sure, why not. Doesn't surprise me you only needed one wrench and one screwdriver, either. These were designed for poor people and to be sold in countries where resources could be very lacking. Charlie Larkin

I was going to say what Brian said. Hopefully, they'll see the wisdom of a lot of what Round 2 has done, and re-create the missing parts so they can have proper versions again. Charlie Larkin

^All of this. Charlie Larkin

Firebird, Blazer, CJ, Del Rio, might grab a '71 Mustang, and the '57 Bel Air 2-Door sedan....I'm not sure where the one I was building went to. Definitely a good year. Charlie Larkin

Does anyone make a Pentastar/matching transmission in the resin or 3-D print world? Worcester PD has a bunch of the Pentastar V-6 cars. Charlie Larkin

Based on what I'm seeing, the Pledge doesn't seem to bother it too terribly much. The more I'm seeing, the more I'm thinking this is the answer, especially for resin, which can be a royal PITA to plate and get it to stick for whatever reason. Charlie Larkin

I lucked out at NNL-East this year, and snagged a clean, unpainted built-up '61 Starliner. Thinking Chesapeake Blue. Where the 1960 interior is almost identical, I might also grab an extra '60, and stuff the underpinnings, under the body. But, a re-created 1961 Starliner would be nice. The '61 kit is actually pretty nice, I grabbed an extra '57 Thunderbird engine off eBay for a Y-Block with a single intake instead of the tri-power that was on my built kit; I'll probably make a display with the original engine to keep with the kit. I have to get a good look at the interior of the Starliner to see if it's the same 4-door interior in the Victoria. If it is, I might see about modifying the '60 interior side-panels to fit the rest of the tub. On the subject of re-created or additional tooling options, I would honestly welcome the 1962, 1967 and 1968 models, and would most likely buy one of each, possibly more, depending on what catches my fancy, and what the resin folks come up with for different body styles. Charlie Larkin

I'm curious, what makes modifications to the Mueller-era kits difficult? I was under the impression that they're on the newer modular-style tooling that, at least in theory talking to a few mould engineers, should make adding/subtracting cavities an easier job than the older-style tools. Charlie Larkin

Nice project. I'm looking forward to seeing what the lighting looks like. Charlie Larkin

For the engine, I would suggest using the 383 from the Lindberg 1964 Dodge/Plymouth, and mating that to the 300's correct A-488 (I think is the number) cast iron TorqueFlite. The aluminum 727 is a bit smaller. The Fireflite shares the Chrysler undercarriage, as I remember, so all the greasy bits and floor will be good fits. Imperial boot. I have a spare, and will be happy to send it to you if you'd like, as I built a couple of coupes, one convertible, and will be doing a Paul Hettick LeBaron. I love that kit, and have one more Southampton in the pipeline, to be converted to an Imperial Custom instead of the Crown (most of the differences are interior). The Dash is going to be a but of a pain. It looks a bit like a Dodge dash. If you call MCW, who is making a '57 Coronet 2-door sedan, you might be able to wrangle a dash from him. I seem to remember at least one caster also offering a '57 Custom Royal Lancer, and you might be able to arrange a similar purchase if Michael doesn't want to do it. Charlie Larkin

Very nice. What did you use for the body colors? Charlie Larkin

Evergreen half-round or possibly a narrow "corrugated" look sheet would give you pleated upholstery. Those floor-mats with the raised ribbing will be a challenge. This is what I would do..and yes, it'll be a pain, but it's the only way I can think of. Take VERY thin Evergreen sheet, and cut it to final size and shape. Then, using the smallest or second-smallest (whichever looks better to you) square rod, cut the perimeter edging. I suspect, given how small it it, you'll be able to run a solid piece around the edge, cutting it off at the start. I would tack a small spot at the start to hold things in place. The internal ribbing can be formed by taking that same rod, and simply cutting it to size, gluing it in place, in the pattern desired. Given the glacial speed I tend to work at, I figure you'll need 30-45 minutes per mat. Your time will vary. Charlie Larkin

Interesting. I always thought they shared the underpinnings, at least that's what I remember reading someplace. Guess not. If that's the case, then it's (new) tool time. Charlie Larkin

From what I've read, it would be very, very difficult, if not altogether impossible. The cloned/upgraded tooling would be the better choice if a replica of the old kit is desired. Easiest solution: the 1970 Monte Carlo is the same chassis as the Grand Prix. Use the underpinnings, with a new body/interior/chrome/engine. And the Monte is a very nice kit. Charlie Larkin

I'd love to see a Solstice. I think that's one of the best-looking modern-era cars GM made. Supposed to be a real treat to drive, too, from everyone I've talked to that has one. A G8 would be cool, too, and it would offer the basic tooling for a Chevy SS and a Caprice. Charlie Larkin

Blast, you just made me buy another book! Looked at it on Barnes and Noble's website, sounds like a great book. I don't think I've ever even heard of it before, kind of too bad, as it's local-ish set to me, too. Charlie Larkin

I personally favor the idea of the newer Charger underpinnings with new body/chrome/interior moulds. The modular nature of modern kits makes this pretty easy to do, and I would think a good bit less expensive because you don't have to cut everything all over again. Charlie Larkin

I see a lot of good ideas here. The idea of a dual project '66 Wildcat revamp/new '65 parts, while utilizing virtually all existing tooling seems like a very smart idea. It would cut costs substantially and probably add more than a few sales. A clone/upgrade of MPC's 1966 Bonneville (how about the full-size 1965-'66 Dodges, too?) seems like a no-brainer. I rather like the idea of adding a Catalina Enforcer, with parts to build a civilian car, as well. The 1957 Fury is a natural. And yes, adding seat pattern decals (in different, correct colors, or as a transparent overlay) for the '58 is a great idea. I would also like to see the trim fixed, along with others. First-generation Corvairs would be cool, too. The 1961-'62 Buick Special wagon would be nice. How about this time around with an opening hood and the Fireball aluminum V-8 for the '61, or do something completely out of left field, and make the '62 with the new-for-'62 V-6? Charlie Larkin

This was indeed an interesting development. Charlie Larkin

I've toyed somewhat seriously with an LS 400/430/460 after driving an LS 460 while doing some portering for used cars. What has your experience been with it overall? Charlie Larkin

What an upcoming selection! Basically, just about one of each. The '64 Malibu looks really good, and I'll have some paint from other projects ready to use on it. Charger Pursuit...definitely. Might build a New Hampshire State Police cruiser. Worcester (Mass.) bought a bunch of them last year, and I think they're pretty sharp with their graphics package. Pending reconstruction, I'm seriously toying with an ex-police Charger with Hemi, and preferably Hemi AWD. My poor Crown Vic is on its last legs at 327k miles, and is in need of a major overhaul and reconstruction, especially after an accident earlier this fall where I got side-swiped pretty badly, and it did some serious sheet metal damage. The Demon, Warlock and both Ford trucks are on the radar. For ideas....a new '64 Chevelle wagon would be nice. The 2-door wagon would be cool. A 1964-'65 convertible would be fun, as well. The '66 Skylark just needs to happen now. And it would serve as a basis for a 1967 GS 340, which would be pretty awesome, and finally give us a small-block Buick. How about an all-new, not-messed up 1967 GTO, or fixing the missing parts issues? Other idea: A Tempest/LeMans Sprint with the OHC-6 would be really cool. The Tempest/LeMans in either 1966 or '67, maybe both, had different taillights than the GTO (sort of like a squished "D" instead of the louvered linear design), and scratch-building those would be nightmarish. I would still like to see some of the early annuals cloned with notable upgrades, for example, the clear lenses and more accurate chassis. I'm fine with curbside. Charlie Larkin

The basic display is very nice. I would suggest mounting it on a base. Perhaps a small piece of plywood painted grey to look like concrete if you're aiming for the appearance of an indoor show, like World of Wheels, or adding some white or yellow striping to look like a parking lot. Alternately, paint the plywood an earth color, and sprinkle Woodland Scenics or another brand of grass on it if you want it to look like an outdoor show. Charlie Larkin