Force

Dave: I was talking about the drag racing kits I know it's a bit off topic but they were mentioned earlier in this thread. The NASCAR kits is another thing and I know the generations are quite different. John: I agree with you, it's not easy to keep up with the changes if they are done often...but with the TF and FC kits (except bodies for FC) it hasn't been many major changes since the early 2000's and that's why they would have still worked pretty well today if the necessary updates had been done when they were out last. But as this is about NASCAR kits we can leave it with that.

Yes of course updates takes time but the few updates Revell did to the kits over the years they were issued couldn't have taken that long as it wasn't that much, most of it were already done to the real cars several years before the kits came out and some needed things were never updated. Revell just missed out on the timing with some years...if they had done the needed updates with the last issues of these kits they would still have been quite accurate today.

Well we haven't had a for the time up to date Top Fuel Dragster since 1989-90, Funny Car since the mid 80's and Pro Stock cars since 1984-85 with the Camaro and Thunderbirds, and the Olds Cutlass from 93-94, everything released after that didn't keep up with the development of the sport as the race cars went through a lot of changes and developments under the time Revell/Monogram did these kits. Revell did too little too late to the kits and never kept up with the progress, so the later reissues of the kits were never up to date for the time they came out, the funny thing is IF Revell had done the necessary updates to the last issues of the Top Fuel Dragsters from early 2000's and Funny Cars from late 1990's to make them current for the time they would still have been close to up to date today 12-14 years later as except for the FC bodys the current race cars haven't gone through any major developements since then and looks pretty much the same. The Pro Stock cars are another story, they still changes a lot and are harder to keep up with. As for the NASCAR kits, I don't have high hopes for any new kits but if they did the Generation 6 cars I would buy, they look more like the cars they are supposed to be and a lot better than the previous generations.

Many racers use a belt driven vacuum pump on race engines today and that's what's shown here, the "crankcase evac pump" is infact this vacuum pump wich draws the crankcase gases out through the valve covers and creates a vacuum in the crankcase, the gases are released into the breather tank and vented out. There are many advantages with this system, the engine runs easier with vacuum in the crankcase, the piston rings seals better so it'll get you more horsepower, some racers even have two vacuum pumps where one pump is used just under the race and are battery powered, the other is belt driven, an engine with crankcase vacuum also seals better and woun't leak.

Very nice model. This is one of my absolute favourite kits and I have several of them...but just one built so far http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=93339&hl= I found out as you did that you have to modify the roll bar to get the side windows to fit...I found out this too late as I had allready put in the photo etched belts and didn't want to do it all over again...so I left the side windows off.

It looks like it belongs there.

I agree on the motivation bit. But work...well I was unimployed for a couple of months each year from 1990 until 2009 but I didn't get more done then than when I work full time, so if you don't have the motivation it doesn't matter how much time you have.

Looks great Chris...a jem by itself.

There are not many pictures of this pulling tractor or related rigs, as I have found out it was owned by Bud Jaske from New Berlin Wisconsin and was driven by Bud and son Steve and had 3-5 Arias engines, they also campained a couple of 4WD and 2WD pullers called Blue Ox/Golden Ox and The Miller Express. The Blazing Bison changed colors in the 90's from the Meister Bräu colors to Miller High Life gold, white and red livery and seems to have disappeared after 1995. I haven't found much else and as I said, pictures are almost as scarse as hen's teeth.

Yes Competition Resins has casted the Firestone Drag 500 / Good Year front tires from the Jo-Han Sox & Martin 71 Barracuda, they look a lot better and more period correct than the Revell tire.

It was as I suspected then...my guess wasn't that bad.

No hurry Chris, your own build comes first,

That blower looks great Chris, I can't barely wait until I see the printed version.

I've got a set of Competition Resins CRT-501 Current FC or TF Drag Slicks and they look good...they have a slightly smaller outer diameter than the So-Real/Pegasus tires but not much. The inside is tapered and the hole is slightly different on each side so most kit rims will probably fit...the ones I have tried does, some triming inside the tire might be necessary for larger diameter rims.

The frame itself can sometimes be fidly and takes time and patience to get straight and squared, at least old AMT and some Italeri kits where you have to sand the ends of the cross members to get them to fit right. As everything else such as the suspension, cab, hood and other things are mounted on the frame it's important to get it right and the chance to get the truck model to sit level on all wheels and get the cab to hood fitting good is a lot better than if the frame is croked and out of line.

Cool!

Looks nice Chris.

As far as I know the 4-speed Thunderbolts had either Borg-Warner T-10 Aluminum Case or Top Loader for the later cars, and the T-10 will work for a 62 Galaxie but the Top Loader woun't as it came too late (1964). The Top Loader is easy to recognize as it has the access panel for the inner hardware on top of the case and most others had it on the side. I just looked in one of my Thunderbolt kits and it looks to be a Top Loader, but you can use the transmission from the AMT 60 Starliner kit as it should be correct...while you're at it, why not use the complete engine as it's in my opinion is the best model FE engine out there and the Custom or 2 'n 1 kits has many FE hop up options such as 3X2 bbl and 2X4 bbl intake manifolds with oval air cleaner, cast iron headers both long and short, a couple of different valve covers and some other useful things.

I never judge the proportions of a car or model from a photograph as pictures more often than not lie abouth these things due to the reasons already given earlier in this thread...I can't give an opinion about this body until I have the thing in my hand see it with my own eyes. So if Dave Metzner says it has close to correct proportions I take his word for it, after all, he has the kit to measure and compare to others. But obvious things like the missing Pontiac Motor Division script on the hub caps and the missing kick up for the rear post I can see, and hopefully they can do something about it before it goes to production, otherwise I'm excited to see this model kit on the hobby shop shelfs and I will for sure get one...or two...or three...

Very nice.

Yes it's the seller who gets the discount as he buys this service from lets say USPS, but he buys it for me as a buyer as I pay for everything including shipping, so I think in all fairness the buyer is kind of intitled to that discount, and it is possible for the seller to give a refund for the difference through Paypal after the item is shipped...so I can understand if some buyers feels they got ripped off if they don't get a refund. I have got refunds several times when the shipping was cheaper than stated when I paid for the things, but not allways. Another problem is when something is gone missing, it's the seller/sender who has to file the claim against the shipping company if a parcel is lost as he has bought the service, not the buyer/reciever...why would the seller care, he has got paid and done his part of the deal when he has shipped the item, but I as a buyer has paid the seller for the item including shipping and has not recieved my item...so why couldn't I as a buyer file the claim...it's not the sellers stuff that's missing, it's mine as I have paid for it...weird.

The drag Pirana was out last less than 10 years ago.

I bought a set of the 1969 Mk I BRM wheels and a set of the Mk IV wheels from LeMans Miniatures a while ago and they look great. But I don't know the difference between the 124002 and 124005 sets...maybe the width and the tires are different...otherwise I don't have a clue as they used BRM wheels both years. But you can shoot them an email and ask.

I just sent a message to you.

I don't know what this bus is but the grille looks to be a 42-47 Ford COE truck grille turned upside down.