Dragline

Looks to me like his Columbian connection came through finally.

I have built a few as bonus' for customer cars. The look on their faces when they see them is pretty cool. They think I went through a lot of trouble when the reality is about 10 mins with scissors, white glue and tape. I have a few on the shelf as well.

THAT is a welcomed sight indeed. With Snake licencing conquered I've no doubt we'll see both in Hot Wheels livery sooner than later.

I have one in the works and hope it comes out 1/2 as nice. Well done..

My favorite year bird done to a standard that makes me glad to have clicked this thread. Outstanding sir!

Holy Moly that was a lot of work! That is a statement model right there.

What he said....................LOL

December maybe..

I don't personally feel like Bernard was calling out the "piling on" so much as these guys have taken a fairly good beating around here. And while they don't seem to be rebutting here i think Bernard makes a case for them. If you "threw up" [sic] something on eBay and it got bids and was what we would call either junk or at best "shelf fodder" I think I might privately commend you. I know that I have. Privately I have thought 'If you can get that much for that hunka Carp so be it". The rest of us [I mean builders of our ilk] can piss up a rope. Help yourself to the crying while I kinda cash in. There was a saying years ago. it went something like "No one has ever gone broke underestimating the American public".. I find that it rings true.. The current state of affairs in this country is such that a match might seem overkill to set things off. While personal politics are out of place let's all remind ourselves we have our personal tastes, and that for the most part there are those who don't agree. "One man's junk" applies...... Just playing devil's advocate a bit.

Outstanding decal work and overall finish. Very impressive sir.

So I'll present this car to Joe at the party and I hope he'll be thrilled. His office has 2 large cabinets full of large scale diecast cars and it's my wish this finds a place among them. I hope I can make the December deadline!

I do a LOT of one off and commission work and I'm here to tell you that if I tried to pass this stuff off to clients I'd be out of them in short order. Now, what I do is very different from slapping something together and putting it on eBay. I sit with people and get expectations, time tables and specifics. Some folks want their first car warts and all. Some want em as they envisioned them had they the wherewithal back when they owned the vehicle. Some want a fantasy car they wish they could own but cannot either find it or swing it in 1:1. I've built replica's of race cars, motorcycles, scooters, trucks.... You name it. I thought about trying eBay last year. I did some research when this type of thing was posted here as long as two years ago. Paul H and another guy were getting good money for their pretty resin one offs and I thought that what they were getting was fair and in some cases a bargain. They both started blowing up and getting a fanbase and it really took off. I looked at finished auctions and the prices were really on the rise. Thing is, these guys [the other guy disappeared at least a year ago] are building resin as we know. Unusual subjects just not available in styrene. So it goes that interest is higher in subjects that are just not common. Couple that with very clean building styles and excellent photography and it follows that folks with deeper pockets than most are in. Lots of what those guys present is not available in diecast either. It's been stated that the lack of a drive train rankles a few here. I see that point as well. I have to represent drive trains in nearly every build I tackle and while I get fairly compensated I'd certainly love to eschew the motor and just concentrate on paint and accuracy. That would cut my turnaround times in half i wager. As for the amateur stuff I see on eBay I usually end up chuckling a bit when I see it. When I see some of the stuff people are trying to pass of as "Pro Built" I wonder who is on the other end of the Internet that apparently agrees and then buys the usually blotchy poorly done replica. But there is an overwhelming percentage of people that are simply not informed about what can be done with glue, paint and plastic when properly applied with patience and persistence. In the end it comes down to ignorance, willful or otherwise. Here is a project I've been working on. My ultimate boss is a guy named Joe Wheelock. He loves racing and owns 11 NAPA store in RI and Mass. He sponsors local guys and even had Ron Capps at the Middleboro store grand opening. That must have cost quite a bit and is a testament to his commitment to racing. Joe is also a great guy so I took it upon myself to honor him with a phantom funny car in Wheelock's livery. I designed the paint scheme and had Chuck Naylor [ratnasty] do the decals. Chuck was very talented and his passing last year was something I felt very personally. I talked to Chuck for hours on the phone about models and real cars as well as life in general. Chuck made me scores of decals and as you can see [and some can testify to] his were WELL above average. So I'm building this 1/16 Phantom AA/FC as a way of saying thanks to Joe. Not just for his hiring me or paying me right, but for his enthusiasm for racing. Joe holds a large Christmas party every year and he spares no expense. There is an open bar all night and a large dinner. All he asks is that we enjoy each others company and celebrate the special time of year that it is. We may have to endure the odd speech which generally degenerates as the night wears on, but it's a small price to pay and no one complains. Here are a few pics of the progress I've made in between what I do during the day and what I do when commissions call me to the bench. The true flames were done using a handmade stencil. The decals are Chuck's. The proof is what he sent you to approve his art so he can go to print. Thanks for staying this far. Bob

It still needs something. To be put into a box and sent to my address. Gorgeous. I'm NOT a customs or anything 50's guy but that is superb.

Really nice together Curt. I have both of these and was thinking along these lines. Now, if I can find the time to do it...

Low parts doesn't always mean low detail. That should build up into a very nice shelf model. I always enjoy your reviews.

That held up remarkably well. And think of when it was built and that wiring is over the top. Glad you came across it and then shared.

Wow, what a collection of accomplishment. All of them are excellent and I'd be proud to call any of them my own.

Great trade with mrindy77 for some decals I needed. I sent him some rims he needed. Win, Win Bob

I know this one. I pulled the decals and clear coat off my Rambunctious funny car. It sits in the box a shameful mess and lesson.

That is VERY cool. Great idea and the execution is sublime. Watching.

THAT is one of the coolest things I have ever seen! OH, extremely well built as well.

Fantastic transformation.

The work totally speaks for itself. Super nice.

Outfrigginstanding!

The Fonz says "Perfectomundo" and I agree. WOW!