impcon

I found it - Dencon has the front clip and bumper.. Sorry for the needless post.

Regarding Chevy 235 and Pontiac 261 engines - most of the kits that have Chevy six cylinders have the older style rounded valve covers or the ones with the hold down bolts go through the top of the valve cover. Does anyone make the flat top valve covers and the proper air cleaner for the '58-62 engines in resin? Thanks.

I seem to recall seeing somewhere that someone was offering a conversion to convert the current 50 Ford pickup to an F8? I seem to recall that it was just the widened front fenders - any suggestions will be appreciated.

Sure lookin' good! Nice colours although I don't think they had a white interior until '66 in the Dodges but I could be wrong. I have seen a lot of those cars and I have never seen one with a white interior. But again, I could be wrong. I have a few of the real 1:1 '65's here if you need any reference pictures. Most of my cars are Canadian built which means they have the Plymouth Fury interior and dash board whereas the U.S. built cars were the same inside as what your model depicts. I also have a Canadian only '65 Monaco convertible that I would love to replicate if only those kits were not so darned expensive! It woule mean combining a Polara convertible lit with a Monaco hardtop kit as the body trim is all different between the models. It may be easier to just whack a hardtop and instal a Modelhaus windshield frame and convertible boot. My one U.S. built Monaco is a white car with a black roof and a saddle interior. The car originally had a white vinyl roof but it was so ragged that I stripped it off and painted the roof black. If and when I ever get to restore that car, it will definitely get a white vinyl roof again.. It is a FULL load car with factory 4 speed, A/c, tilt wheel, power bucket seats, AM/Fm radio, reverb, power windows and every factory option avaiable aside from power vent windows and power antennae and the bigger 413 engine. Those old C body cars sure did drive nice and I have a real soft spot for them.

I don't know if it my imagination or not but I see the starting prices rising on many models and that is I would submit, a result of Ebay's greed and gouging on listing fees and commissions. When I started selling on Ebay, I believe that it cost .05 cents to list an item with a starting price of under $10.00. I do not recall what the comission fees were but they were A LOT LESS than they are now and sellers had a lot more freedom to move on prices and listing was really a very simple procedure. Today, it is cumbersome and complicated with this stupid having to post a shipping cost on each auction unless you are selling just one type and size of merchandise. They say that they did that to stop people shafting others with shipping charges but as usual, Ebay's policys do little to curb dishonest sellers. We quit listing anything when our sales success rate ( percentage of items that were listed that sold - ALMOST ALL with multipole bids by the way ) fell from between 80% and 90% to 30% on a good night. So do the math - you list 100 items for $9.99 and it costs you $50.00 in listing fees. If 30 of those items sell with just one bid, you have $300.00. Now take the listing fees plus the comissions off and you are spending an awful lot of time for the sake of making a few dollars. Selling the same sort of items such as models is not too bad because you can gauge what the box size will be but we were selling used auto parts and so each item would have to be boxed, measured and weighed and a cost calculated. Now try packaging 100 items of varying sizes, shapes and weights and doing the work on each one to figure shipping costs - it just is NOT worth it. The problem with this weight calculation is it can frighten potential buyers off. Why? Because - how do you give a blanket shipping quote that in my case, will not overcharge a potentil customer in Spokane, WA. and yet will cover the costs to Tampa Bay? I can go and pick grapes in a vineyard and make a much better living than I can on Ebay with my car parts now - without the grief of hassling with a corporatrion who is indifferent to my concerns, needs and feelings. Ebay has been quite the succesful venture - in driving private, part time sellers away. I don't have any love for the corporatrion and their mindset of changing Ebay from a flea market image to one of an online store, nor do I have any respect for them as a member of the business community. They got 'wayyyyyyy too big too fast and in the process, they became arrogant and controlling. Forcing sellers to use Pay Pal as the only means of payment should never have been allowed - in fact, I think that it was Australia or New Zealand whop told them that such a practice was illegal. Could it possibly be that maybe too many politicians here in North America have Ebay shares and that's why it is OK here? So for me, it is just a sort of convenient venue through which I can obtain some things that I want. I will never use that site to try to sell anything again - because of their stupid rules and their attitude towards their sellers. That is just my opinion. And by the way - as for the "amateur sellers" - THEY were the people who ogave Ebay their start - not the commercial, "professionals". For many of us. it was a novel and good way to suppliment our income - a means of turning stuff that was laying around into a few dollars and having fun while doing so. Without getting political - this is just a personal observation, but it's pretty scarey to see meg Whitman running for political office - if she does her job if she is elected like she did when she was running Ebay - then heaven help those who live in her state. And the guy who is now running Ebay isn't a bit better IMHO. Sorry for the rant and it is not meant to be Ebay bashing - just telling it as I see it.. hope I didn't spit in anyone's cornflakes with what I have said - it's just my opinion.

Looks pretty dull to me with the exception of a couple of kits. For the most part, they seem to just keep feeding us the same old, same old. *yawns* If the do a complete, fresh casting of a previous release and improve on it,, that's one thing. But for example, the '59 Ford coule be redone as a normal hardtop or convertible - IMHO, that retracble hardtop kit is pretty sad with it's multiple piece body shell. Hopefully the other guys will have a better, more inspiring selection of new stuff.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you. The Cooks

Those Lincolns are gorgeous.. it would be nice to see one in 1/24 or 1/25 scale all right. I always thought that the design of thoise cars was ahead of it's time and you sure don't see many of them around. In fact, I can only recall ever seeing one car and that was in Seattle many years ago now. Sure was pretty!!!

This is probably going to upset some people and if it does - please understand that it is not meant to do so. But it is something that I think needs to be said... With all due respect to everyone and in all fairness to the resin casting people - it's easy to be an armchair quarterback when it comes to criticizing resin cast models but IMHO, I think that some of you guys are way too hard on the casters. We should be grateful that someone is even attempting to produce models of cars and trucks that otherwise would be forgotten and only be wished for. If we see a product that could use some tweaking ( like the bumpers on this Pontiac ) then we can mention it to the caster and if he chooses to improve upon the model or not, then that is his business. As was done here, some friendly suggestions resulted in a fix - probably a much more difficult project than most of us realize. I would like to believe that these people do their best to produce a product that is as good as they can make it and the huge majority of these people are pretty honest and they work hard to give us what we want. When this kit was announced, the posts were all gaga about it - now that it's here - it seems to me like some of you guys are being pretty hard on Steve, especially given the fact that he seems to be trying to fix what you see as wrong. It's a resin kit for crying out loud and they ALL need some work - some more so than others. I suggest that maybe some encouraging words may go a long ways towards fixing any issues that you see in the kit as well as perhaps having people like him Steve step out and give us some more unusual, neat stuff. My hat is off to these people for doing their best - and thank you to every caster for your efforts. As builders, we should recognize where our limits are as builders - what our skill levels are - and while we should always strive to do better, we shouldn't bite off more than we can chew when it comes to buying projects. It's OK to buy a product and then if it is too daunting at that time, set it on the shelf until you feel that you are able to tackle the job and do so with some degree of success. I've seen some miracles performed with resin kits that people said were garbage and I know that the people who do take and make a silk purse out of a sow's ear are way beyond anything that I could do. It's a lot easier to criticize and point fingers than it is to produce something like this Pontiac. I figure that if I don't like it, then I'm best to keep my opinions to myself and say nothing. Thanks Steve - your efforts are appreciated.

Yes I did Greg - I had to register and I received the email - and then I was able to sign into the site. Not sure what is going on but when I enter my country and state and then click on the shipping calculater, the page flickers and it is like I have reloaded it but nothing comes up. Also, as said, I can see no place where I can contact the seller. When the shipping calculater would not work, I figured I would just touch base with the seller and get a quote but I could find no place where I could do that. Any help will be really appreciated.

My heartfelt, sincere condolances to you and your family. God bless.

I have learned to never be too bummed out when I don't get an item on Ebay. First of all, I agree about higher starting prices but I now make it a point that unless it is something REALLY special, I try to limit what I pay for a model to $20.00 or less. If a seller charges more than $10.00 to ship one lit, I walk away no matter what the starting price is. There are still a lot of sellers whoo will ship one lit for $7.00 - $8.00. There are still some good deals though - I bought a factory sealed Thunderbird recently for under a dollar and the shipping was $6.75. SO stuff does slip through the caracks but you really have to watch for it. Also, I watch for sellers who have more than one auction that interests me and I ALWAYS email and ask if this question - " Will you combine shipping costs on multiple purchases and if so, how will you be calculating those costs to ----- ( my zip code)" If he says he charges for example $8.00 for the first kit and $6.00 for each additional kit, I walk away. If ther is reasonable and charges for example, $1-3.00 per extra kit, I will consider buying from him. I have considered sellers who want $15.00 for shipping one model but I figure that it's sort of pointless since there are fools out there who will pay that kind of shipping. I watched one model just last night - it sold for the opening bid of $1.99 which was a good deal but the shipping was just under $20.00!!! So either the buyer failed to realize what the shipping was going to be or else he's just not that bright because that particular model can be bought for under $15.00 lots of times with shipping added in. Sometimes, sellers will ship for less than what the item description says because Ebay's all wise, all knowing and so user friendly listing program tells tham ( as was discussed above ) thatthey have to charge a certain amount to ship the item - and it wont let them list it if they try to enter a realistic amount. Read the item description or email and ask and sometimes, you'll find thatthe listined shipping fees were forced on them and they will actually ship for actual costs. The way I look at it if I do not get the item is simple - "That wasn't the only one on the planet - there will be another one and at my price sooner or later".

I just registered at emodelcars.com and I see some items that interest me. However - when I try to do a shipping calculation, I don't get anything. I want toi contact the seller for a shipping quote but either I am going blind or I am just plain schtoopid - 'cause I can't figure out how to get in touch with the seller. Any suggestions? All are appreciated..

I just watched what was left of a '59 Ford convertible body sell for $18.00 ( http://cgi.ebay.com/AMT-1959-Ford-Galaxie-Conv-Model-Car-Kit-Body-/380273408786?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588a0fbb12 ) including shipping. *sighs* Broken windshield frame with half of it missing, a scoop glued onto the hood *yummy!*, and one cruiser shirt which means that the "washboard" behind the rear wheel is destroyed. It did have the boot and interior but no chassis or tail lights and the "Fairlane 500" script on the deck lid and some of the trim has been morphed into a shapeless, meaningless, ugly blob by an over zealous person who seems to have had a surlus of glue that he had to use up. AIn't it a good thing that us guys never built stuff like that? I mean, our builds were all show quality - right? Granted, the boot, steering wheel and interior are worth something but the body was pretty far gone unless you wanted to build a custom of some kind.. and even then... I wanted the body to experiment with on putting a Modelhaus Fairlane roof on to replicate my own '59, but maybe I am too cheap - just didn't want it bad enough I guess. Oh hwell - there will be another one. On Ebay, you have to lose the mindset that the one that you are looking at is the last one available on the planet. Most things come around again and again and again. It's just a matter opf waiting. I recently bought a nice built up original issue '64 Mercury hardtop for dirt cheap. I have wanted one for a long time as I prefer the old annuals to the reissues - just because they come from the years of my youth I guess and I just like old stuff- even old people - they're wise and wonderful even when they can be ornery and upset. Hmmmm.. *looking around atthe world today* - maybe they have a right to be that way.. . But as for buying stuff offof Ebay or anywhere else - I have learned that if you just wait and watch.. you'll get what you want at your price.

We sold used auto parts for over 10 years on Ebay until their rules started getting stupid and they staerted getting greedy. We actually did very well and we had many, many repeat customers with whom we developed relationships. When answering emails, my wife and I both spent a few extra seconds to put some of our personality into our emails and it really helped a lot I believe. I buy quite o bit of stuff off Ebay and most sellers are simply cut and dried - no personal touch at all and while I realize that everyone has time constraints in their life, it's always nice to know that it is a human being and not a machine with whom you are talking. We hosted our own pictures on our ISP who gives us free space for personal web pages and my pictures were a good size, clear and I took the time with every picture to run it through a little photo program - Adobe Photoshop. We used the first several versions and then it became bloated and confudsing. But the old program worked just fine for us. I also often posted two or more pictures of an article, depending on what it was and again, I believe that those pictures were worth while. As for shipping -= that was where we really built some loyalty with repeat customers. We would package the items that sold the night that our auctions ended ( Sunday night always worked best for us ) and I would measuer and weigh each box and then give the stats to my wife who would go to the USPS site and calculate the shipping costs on their calculator. She would then email each buyer with their total amount opwed including shipping and then we'd wait for payment.We ALWAYS charged actual shipping costs and people liked that. If for exam0ple, I sold a dash pad for a Ford truck and the shipping came to $32.78 on the USPS site, Tina would quote the customer that amount. Many times when we shipped, thge shipping was actually less than what we quoted so she would ALWAYS issue them a refund - even if it was thirty five cents. I never figured on costs for boxes or packing material - if you have any ambition, there are lots of stores and business's that will happily give you all the boxes and cardboard that you want for free. The same goes with foam chips, packing paper and foam. We never bought any of that stuff - our only real packaging expense was the clear tape that we used to put the boxes together. As for fuel - we got to write it all off on our income tax as with ANY supplies that we had to buy, so we got most of that money back anyhow. People were often shocked with the shipping refunds and the fact that we did not gouge on shipping. I always figured that if I had to cover some expenses, then I just started each item a bit higher but trust me - treat people fairly and honestly in this day and age and they'll walk over broken glass for you. I say that not in the sense that you be nice and decent to people for your own gain - but what goes ;round comes around. I have learned that. When I see a seller charging 12.00 to ship a model, I walk away. Plain and simple. If he is in the $8 - 9.00 range, I'll buy from him and I'll even pay a bit more just to support someone who is trying to be fair. I could go on but this post is already too long but in closing, we did very well on Ebay and I firmly believe it was because we treated people fairly and never gouged or refused a refund if they were unhappy - and there were VERY few of those. Hope this helped..

I buy a lot of old builds for part and I also buy some old parts for annuals. Yes, there is definitely a market and I see some guys actually parting kits out which irks me when it's stuff like a '59 Pontiac or '58 Ford. Both kits were annuals that to the best of my knowledge were never released again. One guy chopped up a '61 Chevy pickup - I bought the chassis because the cab and box were not getting any bids and then they shot up out of sight in the last hour - so now I have a chassis and nothing to put it on. He got more out of that poor little truck in opieces than he would have gotten for it whole. Sad....really sad...

Prayers and best wishes for your little Princess and for all of your family. Things like this are very stressful and being so young makes it all that much more difficult. We in this home all wish for her best and for you and your wife to have that poeace that surpasses all understanding - that peace that can come only from One who is greater than you or I.

I am posting this in hopes that some Ebay sellers who sell models will be led to it and hopefully learn a thing or two from it. Please feel free to add your comments as to what experiences you have had buying models off of Ebay. Please do not get into attacks on individuals or mention names - this is a general discussion and the purpose is not to inflame anyone or have the thread used to slam particular sellers. For myself, the vast majority of my experiences buying models on Ebay have been positive. My biggest beef is that there seems to be a growing trend among sellers to be vague with descriptions and with posting poor photographs. It is buyer beware out there but I have passed on more then a few auctions where the seller has one or two fuzzy or distant photos of a model and I will email with questions and asking for more pictures and I never receive a reply. Most sellers are good people but there are those who don't seem to care as long as they make a sale. So what are your worst and best experiences?

That is a VERY nice build! Very realistic and I admire the detail! I think that you forgot something though - there's no rust showing on the fender peaks over top of the headlights.. at least a bit of brown staining to show that the rust is starting to poke it's ugly head out. Those cars were notorious for rusting in that area. If I may suggest that you may want to consider some rust treatment along the bottom edges of the car - especially along the underside of the wheel well lips on the front and rear wheel openings and along the bottoms of the rockers. Just a suggestion..

That is a VERY nice build! Very realistic and I admire the detail! I think thatyou forgot something though - there's no rust showing on the feder peaks over top of the headlights.. at least some brown staining to show that the rust is starting to poke it's ugly head out. Those cars were notorious for rusting in that area. If I may suggest that you may want to consider some rest treatment along the bottom edges of the car - especially along the underside of the wheel well lips on the front and rear wheel openings and along the bottoms of the rockers. Just a suggestion..

Sure is pretty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nice colors and detail.. The fender skirts really make those cars although they are really such a pretty car with or without the skirts. Sweet build for sure!!!!!!

Nice build for sure!!!!!!!!! But I have to agree with the majority here about the wheels. They may look OK on an exotic newer car but IMHO, they are out of place on a car like the Plymouth. I amnot knocking your choice of wheels.. you did a bangt up job on the build and I do not mean to criticize - I appologize if my post came across as being critical. Just an observation and personal opinion. But build on McDuff! You are doing a fine job!

Nice build for sure.. I like what you have done with the paint.. Hey George - not trying to hijack the thread but I just want to pass on many thanks to you and all who have served to keep us ALL free. Thank you!

To start off with - my first car - my dad's '59 Chevy Brookwood 4 door wagon that he bought brand new from Kenora Motor Products in Kenora, Ontario. My second car - a 1960 Monarch Scepter 2 door hardtop - white with a black and white interior - 430 cu. in., dual range automatic and power everything.. I looked for years for another one only to find out that it ain't likely to happen as they only built 65 Scepter Cruiser 2 door hardtops in 1960. Boy, was I ever stupid to have ever parted with that car! No use pouting - what;s done is done - here is the identical twin to my car except this one in the photo is the lower line Lucerne and my car had a black and white interior as said.. And my most fovoritist tv car of all time - the '68 Park Lane from Hawaii Five-O. The worlds most classy police car!! Man some ladies look sooooo good in black!!! *sighs* I used to wwatch that show just to drool over that car and today, looking at a photof that car just makes my heart skip a beat... I REALLY wish someone would cast this one in resin............ I mean REALLY wish....

Thank you Wayne.. I'll check that site out. Everett is a steady 6 hours drive from where I live - Portland is a bit farher. Thanks again - I'll look and see what I can find.