Daniel Peterson

A Cobra always gets my attention, CAL...and especially a nicely executed example like this one! Lookin' mighty fine!

Geez, David...wouldn't it be great if everybody just adopted your last sentence as a realistic (yet hopeful) summation of the situation and stood back to watch what transpires? Heaven knows I'm in. I know that a sometimes myopic passion for the hobby is de rigeur for many of us. There's nothing wrong with that, really. It's kind of fun, and goodness knows it's an escape for darn near all of us. It's just how many of us are wired. There's just little need for blood pressure to get all elevated over it. I might not build much anymore, but that is a direct result of passion for the hobby. Lemme 'splain...instead of sitting at my model bench on Saturday's when I'm not working, I go to club meetings. That eats up half a day easily, and when I get back, single parenting duties take over. Sundays when I'm not working, I burn between 6 and 8 hours publishing our club's newsletter. Other weekends, especially over the next few months, I'll be drawn like a moth to a flame to the East Coast Nats and US30 Reunion, both of which are events where we not only attend as a club, but are invited participants, in large part to the efforts of our club's leadership. Then there's all the preparation for our Super September Showdown, which is entering its 9th year. On top of all that, we're involved (again, as a club) in a couple other contests and shows, and somewhere between all that, I squeeze 50 to 60 hour work weeks. So, I can comfortably say I'm passionate about the hobby, but worked up over this latest news I cannot be. Let's leave this project to the professionals, have a little bit of faith, a smidge of skepticism, and take full advantage of the fruits of these gents' labor when the boxes hit the shelves...

It's simple, fellas. If we read the press release closely, we can anticipate seeing good things if everything goes to plan. That would also mean new tools potentially, if not definitely. I have way too much on my plate to worry about too much about the ultimate success or failure of this arrangement. All I see for now is that it's is the equivelent of CPR, breathing some much needed life back into the availability of some desireable AMT and MPC kits. Would you rather the tools end up lost forever? Abandoned and left in complete disrepair, damaged, or flat out misplaced? We've been down that road before, haven't we? Hmmmmmm? I'm just pleased somebody who understands the hobby is coming to the rescue.

Happy 22nd Birthday to the CPMCC! Today was our annual banquet, and it was a great afternoon. Attendance was great, the food was good, and the models were outstanding! This is a bittersweet meeting, because we also honor members who have passed away. This club display features a small sampling if the models built by those guys, and the rest of the event centers around member builds of the types of models these honorees loved best, whether it was hot rods, race cars, lead sleds and customs, muscle cars, drag cars or vintage stockers. The Sox and Martin Barracuda was built by Ricky Lorah, who has a batch of similar era drag cars underway at home. Over the recent monhts, we have had a number of members join who really love building the dirt track racers that are still popular in the east today. I grew up seeing rigs like this head out to Grandview Speedway and other tracks in the region every weekend Lots more pictures from today's meeting right here...

Since my hopefully soon-to-be ex started selling kits (for which she had no sense of value) to support her out of workedness (prime example: Diamond In The Rough, sealed, 5 bucks) at flea markets, I moved everything but a couple loose kits to a family member's house. I have about 330 catalogued (I use an excel spreadsheet) kits, in numbered cardboard boxes. If I ever get back to building, I'm going to have plenty to keep me busy. I have a little bit of everything from the stray, relatively rare or obscure kit, to the "buy the by the armfull" WalMart kits in subjects I happened to favor.

Wow! This is another example of somebody just flat out nailing the right amount of detail, and executing it cleanly on a great subject. Nice work, as always, from the house of Wyatt! I've seen a bunch of outstanding models by CPMCC members getting wrapped up in time for the club's Banquet in March, which for a change I'll be able to attend. Something tells me I better clear the memory card and charge the batteries! I'm just blown away!

You nailed the classic look, Cruz! Speaking of classic...expect to see this in the March issue of Classic Plastic. Great job!

I might as well 'splain what I do since it is what keeps me from actually building anything anymore. Officially, I am the Senior Product Manager for Lockers at the largest locker and shelving manufacturer in the US, and possibly the world, depending on which of our executives you ask on any given day... I set prices on custom lockers and accessories, so part of the day I'm an estimator. I watchdog QC issues for the products I'm responsible for, so part of the day I'm an inspector. I attend trade shows throughout the US, and proudly call myself a booth rat. I help design new products and recommend revisions to improve product, so like everyone, I'm a critic. I manage the occasional large installation, especially for our electronic locker system. I am project manager for new locker products, of which there are three we're developing and preparing to launch shortly. As a result of last item, I spend a lot of time interacting with engineering, manufacturing, vendors, field sales, and customers. And as a result of some recent changes at work, I now report directly to the president of our company, which means I can't hide behind a VP and avoid getting "invited" to various mnagement meetings, like the one I'm heading to in Utah tomorrow...through Thursday. This will be the 3rd time in three months I've been to Salt Lake. I've been there almost 20 years, so either I'm not bright enough to leave, or they think I'm too good to let go. Or both. Whatever. Other than that I'm busy trying to be a decent dad, and I think most of us know the list that requires is too long to print here!

Dang it! I was all packed up to go to the meeting and the car started acting up! Looks like I missed a great one! I don't know what's in the water round these here parts, but some of the stuff hitting the tables of late is more stunning than ever! You guys are something else!! WOW!

Like it or not, Randy, you just made the "Off The Bench" feature in the February issue of Classic Plastic...go ahead...try and stop me! Bwahahahahahahahahahah!

For the photos, go here. Here's a taste of what went on today...

Albert Wallace welcome here? Hmmm....(foot tapping)....(scratching forehead)....(mulling thoughtfully, nose wrinkled)...I dunno. Would you really want to hang out in a place where somebody like me is more or less welcome? Aw, what the heck. Kick back, relax and enjoy!!

By the way, you're highness, did you get to see any of the Lindberg SRT8 Super Bees get opened up at the meeting? Looks like something you could have a field day with if you were inclined to take a crack at another late Dodge to park along side that gorgeous Magnum. About the only thing it doesn't have is opening doors.

I really, REALLY, REALLY like it! Nice job!!! It's got an old skool flair, but a modern feel. Killer, absolutely killer. I can't wait to see number 3!

My younger (yeah, but he's still 43) brother has been racing bicycles since high school on and off...just got back into it AGAIN after deciding it'll never get out of his blood. He's been looking for a bicycle kit, but opportunity always seems to knock while he's in the loo.... He'll flip when I show him!!! It's very cool Cruz!!! And (as usual) extremely well done!

I didn't notice THAT on Saturday...was it behind the pizza boxes? The pile of Toys for Tots? The look is dead cool! Pearl white paint...can't go wrong. American Mags....can't go wrong. Low, long and tastefully done...can't go wrong. Looks like you kinda got it right!!!

Seeing this today was a real treat, but you'd have been my last guess as the builder because of the subject. I must say this was very nicely done, and a refreshing/suprising change from coupes and roadsters, not that there's anything wrong with them. And it sure looks like you mastered the art of making plastic look like old metal. Bravo! Great job, Mr Lutz!!

This is what it may have looked like in a 1962 Car Craft magazine.

I could not agree more. THIS, my friends, is what the club is all about. That pain in your side on the drive home was either from eating or laughing too much, or more likely both. We also had 2 new members sign on, bringing our total to about 70 active. Good stuff!!!

Youse got it all wrong...I was supposed to be a guy!! Billy Ray Styrene! You know..."Don't lose my parts, my itty-bitty parts..." Man, it was on the charts forever...almost as long as it's taking me to start my T-Bolt project again.

For those of you who may be interested. If anyone needs a pdf of the form, go here but be patient, it's 1.56 MB and takes a moment to load.

Auction & Election month in Mount Wolf, and what a day it was. Current Officers Mike Cole, Randy Kern and Tony Shanko are now officially President, Vice President and Treasurer-elect, respectively. Congrats to the guys for a great 2007, and we're glad you'll be back to take another crack at it in 2008! The auction featured everything from kitchen items to top notch resin "mystery kits" in plain brown wrappers. Sure, a couple guys "wigged out" (you'll see photos of that I'm sure) a little but the club raised some essential operating funds. And then there was the barbecue and hot dogs...and cake...feeding the members was the least we could do considering several power bidders sure couldn't afford to buy dinner on the way home!! And more photos, should you follow this link

This displeases me. A look at the box art raised a red flag for me, but I hoped it was just perspective making it look goofy. Hearing various sources confirm the disproportionate proportions, I'll probably pass on these and save my money for the Mach I Mustangs. I'm not a rivet counter by any means, but the real car is so damned beautiful, it would drive me nuts for even a shelf model to be out of whack in critical areas like the rear quarters. My eye would be drawn to it every time. I pictured stunning factory stock builds of this model when I heard it was coming...now it looks like it's in the hands of the resin aftermarket or Revell to sort this out for us. I'm not skilled, or at least not patient enough to rebuild a body just to make it look like the vehicle it represents. I had a really bad day (1600 bucks to get both cars inspected...ouch!) and this didn't do anything to make me feel better.

This one's typical Dube...neat concept, dead-on execution, old skool flavor. And for those who don't know, his build-ups look even better in person! We even grabbed one of them for the photo on the main page of our club web site.

Glad you posted it again...I've seen it several times before and only just now noticed the blood seeping from inside the body onto the frame. Brilliant.