Daniel Peterson

I have to agree with you. It's like having a kid who was getting D's in school study hard and begin getting C's and B's and then ripping them for not getting A's. The manufacturing picture is in such a state of flux, there's bound to be some good and bad mixed together. I'm not taking a position of complacency and accepting anything they do as a sign of improvement, but I'm happy with some of what I'm seeing. It can get better, but in some ways it already is. Orders and sales are going to keep momentum headed in the right direction, and impact what gets re-issued or new-tooled. The Merc, and other Revell issues are looking good to me. The Nova, flathead Tudor, and 57 are not exactly bad news, now are they? Negativity is a part of life, but so is encouragement and positive thinking. Let's try to balance the mix a little, huh guys?

Okay...I am now officially a happy camper. Thank you. I'll just wait impatiently from here on out.

That's beautiful Lyle! I'd heard you were doing this, and as usual, you nailed it! However, the logo car is two dimensional, but this appears to be three dimensional. Not entirely accurate, but you tried.) Any thoughts on building a logo car from, oh, I don't know...a certain Model Car Club from Central Pennsylvania?

I see a couple members here who seem to know this is going to happen...but not having seen anything on the Nova yet, I'm a little behind the curve. Where did the news come from? Are there any more details to be had? A correctly proportioned new tool 69 Nova would break sales records for Revell. If it does come out, my 15-year-old can pretty much forget getting a car at 16. And eatiing, for that matter...the grocery budget will merely be collateral damage. I can stand to lose a few pounds anyway. Oh, to have a 30" waist again... I had a 69 Nova when I was single the last time...light jade metallic, Corvette rally wheels...gentle rake. Pretty car. I miss it, and a scale model of it would be job #1. Then every version of Nova I ever saw and fell in love with would be jobs #2 through about #999!!

Like Bill and Andy, I'm somewhat spoiled by Ron Bradley (Bradleys Car Collectibles) and the other guys at the CPMCC club meetings. Ron has pretty much everything I could ever want except Tamiya kits, which I seldom pine for anyway. When I'm looking for something a little less mainstream, I hunt down Len Feinberg at Fantastic Plastics in Easton, PA at a show or on line. Then there's my fellow Silent Traffic member Lynne Marra (Model Man) who I see at Silent Traffic meetings. He has the same depth of selection as Ron B, which is great. All these guys occasionally throw specially priced kits out there for purchase, and it's hard to pass anything up for 5 bucks. When WalMart has something attractive that I know I can't get from the other guys for a better price (which as rare, by the way) I might pick it up Otherwise--and I hate myself for saying this--I generally don't go to the local hobby shop because of the prices. There's one in nearby Gilbertsville that charges full retail for car kits, and they have the sun-bleached boxes to show how well they turn inventory at those prices. But, their thing is trains, and I understand they do alright with that stuff. There's another in the city of Reading, but to be honest, even though his prices are great and he has a selection of everything from current to 30-year-old kits, his place is in a relatively dangerous part of town. If we're talking a chain like Hobby Town, I will go there for accessories and paints, but kits come from the aforementioned sources simply due to raw economics. There are lots of options for me in my area, but it'd be really nice if I actually got around to building something for a change.

Thanks Barbo...I have it in our links section now.

Picky, picky, picky... I fixed it. Not much else to do here in the airport while waiting for my flight out of Philadelphia.

I was hoping to accumulate a number of model club web site addresses from throughout the US (and/or beyond) for inclusion in our site's links section. If you are interested in sharing, please message me with the link, and include anything you might want said about your site. I'd done this ages ago for our old site, which went down and out a year or so ago with a lot of the content going with it. I already have the LIARS, Town of Newburg, PACM and MAMA info, but anybody else is more than welcome to jump in! As an aside, if you had the CPMCC in YOUR links section, make sure we're in there as http://www.freewebs.com/cpmcc/index.htm. The ...cpmcc.org site is the one that took a powder. Thanks!

I don't have photos, since I was banished to the registration table all day, but here are the results from yesterday's September Showdown. Factory Stock 1900-1949 - John White, 47 Chevy Factory Stock 1950-1965 - John Goshke, 56 DeSoto Factory Stock 1966-2008 - Chris Coller, 69 Yenko Camaro Custom - Darryl Peters, 49 Ford Street Rods - John Goshke, 32 Ford Street Machine (Non-tubbed) - Michael Klick, 68 Dodge Pro Street (Tubbed only) - Marcos Cruz, 57 Chevy Competition Road & Track - Joe Sander, Sprint Car Competition Drag - Frank Ramos, 41 Willys Tuners & Low Riders - Richard Jellison, 03 Nissan Curbside & Slammer - Randy Kern, 58 Bonneville Light Commercial - Charlie Glass, 59 Caddy Heavy Commercial - Richard Jellison, 02 Peterbilt w/lo-boy Juniors (Under 16) - Johnathan McCollum, 34 Ford Dioramas & Miscellaneous Subjects - Blair Pletcher, 55 Chevy Small Scale - Ray Carey, 62 Cobra Large Scale - George Whalley, Pocher Fiat Motorcycle - Lyle Willits, Revell Chopper Muscle Car - Ben Snyder, 71 Dodge Resin Bodied Kits - Lyle Willits, 33 Speedster Contest Theme - Ray Carey, 67 Ford Best of Show - Larry Court, Rat Fink

Thank you for posting the link Lyle! There was a Showdown best of 371 registered models, plus a few on the primer table. Vendors reported having a decent day, and nobody was waiting for CPMCC members in the parking lot with torches and pointy farm tools afterward! Oh, and congrats to you for the Best Resin and Best Motorcycle honors!! Mark your calendar for September 14th 2008 and see us at Super September Showdown IX

Uncle Bobby! You linked to one photo, not your album.... For those who were not in attendance, I'll have ya know there were several more models on the tables than this picture might lead you to beleive. I think this is the link you wanted: http://public.fotki.com/BobD/september-showdown/

Bring as many models for the show as you can carry! You build good stuff!! (Leave enough room in the trunk for the aforementioned goodies you'll be trading all your cash for)

Looking great, Bill! I'm hoping to see it at the show this weekend, but if not, at least Git-r-Done in time for the next issue of Classic Plastic!

He most certainly will, as will Wheel to Wheel hobbies, who can drain whatever you have left to spend on detailing accessories. Oh, and Bradley's Car Collectibles, Model Man and Fantastic Plastics will have you running next door to the Turkey Hill store...they have a MAC machine. Nobody will turn your cash away!

I must say I agree with everyone. This is a benchmark build. It's not the details so much as the execution of the details...and believe me there's a difference. You can never go wrong with a glass-like black paint job, and you pretty much nailed all the other elements. It is simply stunning. One thing...I hope the tires are in good condition, because that spare looks like it went flat.

It appears I'm the minority, but I am mad happy with my FujiFilm S602. In the auto mode and in macro, I am able to get above-average tight close ups of models, even in lousy light, as is pretty much consistent from one model show to the next. The optical zoom is a must, and at about 5 megapixels, I get great crisp shots that I can resize easily without losing resolution. Anymore, you'll have a hard time not finding a decent digital camera, but just make sure you have an optical zoom and macro feature on whatever you get.

Thankyaverymuch.

I concur with Mr. Geary on this one.

I thought I read somewhere he did...but what with getting old and everything, I can't recall where.

Thanks Lyle. I really appreciate you selflessly baring (virtually, of course) your naughty bits for the cause, but MAN what a visual I'm saddled with now! Please change the channel! Any of you hobbyists out there who are within a couple hours' drive of Gilbertsville, PA owe it to yourselves to make the trip on the 16th and witness this snappy banter first hand! We'd love to have ya!

Hey Cruz! The red x's make it hard to fully appreciate your work but when I went to your album I was blown away. This is easily one of the most beautifull build-ups I've seen in ages! The color, stance, wheel and tire combination and overall craftsmanship are all dead nuts on!!! Take a bow, sir!! So...I'm guessing this might just get entered in the Street Machine class next week?

Here ya be...starting with a plumber's nightmare! Moving on to a (just barely) survivor... And your Sunday-go-to-meetin' then swing by Home Depot vee-hickle... It was a great meeting, especially considering it was a holiday weekend. And the link...More fotos

We'll alert security as usual. Uh, as far as Boyd goes...I've shaved my beard and have a little more of a Foose thing goin' on...except for the hair, which he actually has. And the money. And the fame. And the talent. Actually, pretty much the only similarity is gender. I'm just going as myself.

That never stopped me, amigo! You have to be there! Who else will keep an eye on Lyle for us?

You and "Da Boyz" are always welcome guests!! You can even bring uncle Bobby!