charlie8575

Actually, a lot of states did that. Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine did, too. I think Massachusetts did for a few years, as well. Considering they're produced in the prisons, yes, some of the not-so-good gangesters were running the plate business, I'm quite sure. Charlie Larkin

Glad to help! Charlie Larkin

Hmmm...did not know of this. I'll go take a look. Charlie Larkin

There's CAMS (Ct. Auto Modeler's Society.) I'm not sure where they meet, I think it's somewhere in the Lower Valley- like Monroe or someplace in that area. Charlie Larkin

Where exactly is the flyer? I try to take a trip during the summer, might swing down. Charlie Larkin

"Slight" modifications? Converting that to a post 4-door is not slight! Looks very good. Charlie Larkin

Looks good. I think Pontiac had the most consistently-good styling on its big cars in the 1960s. Charlie Larkin

I just got an Aurora Mercer Raceabout MIB. Looks like a great kit, and I can't wait to do something with it. The problem is the chrome. It isn't- it's supposed to be brass. I'm thinking of two possible solutions. 1. Airbrush some Tamiya clear yellow on it, perhaps with a little bit of Gold Leaf or Titanium Gold mixed in to make it a little more "brass" looking. 2. Strip the chrome (almost a crime- it's perfect) and airbrush a coat of Testors Brass enamel over, again, perhaps follwed by a coat of clear yellow to add a bit of depth and reduce the metallic appearance (the real cars I've seen pictures of all have a pretty high degree of polish on their brass.) Thoughts? Charlie Larkin

I just got a n Aurora Mercer Raceabout MIB. Looks like a great kit, and I can't wait to do something with it. The problem is the chrome. It isn't- it's supposed to be brass. I'm thinking of two possible solutions. 1. Airbrush some Tamiya clear yellow on it, perhaps with a little bit of Gold Leaf or Titanium Gold mixed in to make it a little more "brass" looking. 2. Strip the chrome (almost a crime- it's perfect) and airbrush a coat of Testors Brass enamel over, again, perhaps follwed by a coat of clear yellow to add a bit of depth and reduce the metallic appearance (the real cars I've seen pictures of all have a pretty high degree of polish on their brass.) Thoughts? Charlie Larkin

Looks good. Good luck with the move. Charlie Larkin

Presently, the only other 1957-58 Plymouths I can think of are The Moelhaus' Savoy and Sport Suburban; I plan to try and get one of those. I think they have a Belvedere sport coupe, too. There are a lot of detail changes between 1957 and '58, and even mid-year '57, when the front ducting under the bumper was re-designed slightly to make 10 or 12 small holes instead of the six big ones because customers didn't like the look. If you decide to do the caster master, Bill, I have a spare body you're welcome too. I couldn't think of a better use than to allow one of the pre-eminent builders of our time to correct it. Charlie Larkin

I've found Whestley's Blech-Wite is the overall safest product to use for resin. I have been able to use Easy-Off for paint removal with no trouble, but I haven't tried it on the newer materials. Last time I had to strip paint on resin was on a Modelhaus kit cast in the older tan resin from the 1990s. I've read that Smooth-On can be a bit sensitive to almost everything. Art and a couple of other people have also advised against long soaks for these reasons, too. Al Meske did a nice resin body (look for his '71 Mercury Cylcone) with a 1-hour soak, rinse with soap and water and air-dry, if I remember his steps right. Charlie Larkin

Awesome, Scott! Just as an idea- bring in a few of your builds, too. The kids like seeing what you're up to, too. Charlie Larkin

Baklava, as John pointed out, is common to the region. Every once in a while, my mother makes boorma (I think that's spelled right,) which is Armenian-style. It's round and made with shredded Phyllo dough. It's not as sweet as baklava, either. It means "bird's nest." Although a different shape, this is the basic ingredient list. http://www.thebaklavaguy.com/pistachio.htm Charlie Larkin

If you or Jon ever get one of yours done, please consider submitting it to one of the good casters for replication. I don't do plastic surgery well, and I'm not the only one, and I'd like what could've been a stellar kit to be the best it can with the corrections. Charlie Larkin

I like Novus. If you're going to tint the windows, make sure to wash the glass thoroughly in soap and water, rinse and dry by air. Toothpaste also works well, but as noted, be sure to get toothpaste, not the gel kind, as it has no abrasive in it. Charlie Larkin

It is possible to have had one or two as an unmarked. I know the first marked Fury was the '69- that was also the first 4-door used by the MSP in livery. The State Police was mostly a Ford outfit- I remember seeing pictures of a 1946 or '47 Chevy that was marked, but practically all the rest were Ford Tudors. The State Police also was very slow to adopt automatic transmissions- most, if not all the marked cars, anyway (and possibly the others) were 3-speeds through 1966. Charlie Larkin

Foiling is definitely an acquired skill. Don't rush, like Harry said- take your time, do it to the best of your ability, and learn something from each build. Charlie Larkin

Oh brother. On the other hand, it's refreshing to see Americans aren't the only ones with short attention spans. Charlie Larkin

Very nice work. Charlie Larkin

I would tend to agree. Although, driven right, it would perform okay- decent low-speed torque. Charlie Larkin

Nice builds. That early Z-24 is gorgeous. Welcome. Charlie Larkin

Fantastic. I got a few kits to do a build day with Squires (sort of like Cub Scouts for DeMolay,) from MassCar, and the kids really enjoyed themselves. We want to do another one. Charlie Larkin

I'm glad you like baklava, Harry. If I ever get out to Chicago, I'll have to introduce you to some of the Armenian desserts. Baklava and some variants are included. To me, all liquor tastes like gum turps, especially Crown Royal XR. My friend bought a bottle to celebrate a messy workman's comp win, and I tried a sip. I almost vomited. Absolutely disgusting. Dad like Glenfiddich 18. He's found the 25 a bit strong for his liking. Charlie Larkin

It's disturbing how true that is. And no, you're not out of date. A bunch of stuff I've seen recently still says essentially the same thing. Charlie Larkin