VW Dave

Love it! How'd you do the license plate-covered floor?

I had a similar thing happen a few years ago when painting my VolksRod; Rustoleum satin paint stayed kinda tacky for a few days, and I was afraid to strip it for fear of having to re-do all the body work....a dose of Testors DullCote cleared that drying problem up pretty quick.

LOL, I was thinking 'Barret-Jackson red.'

Great tutorial, thanks for posting it.

I'm another fan of keeping older builds intact, and using them as a watermark; if you think of re-doing it, simply get another kit and compare them after the 2nd build. Historically, I've got a very bad record of 'restoring' older builds....like only one out of several attempts. I've noticed that the inspiration to build that model may not be as strong the second time around, and the former model becomes little more than fodder for the parts box.

Not far off from the list that popped into my head after reading the original post, although the Tucker would be #1. Instead of the Caddy I thought of a '70-72 Dodge Dart, and instead of the Spyder I saw a '70-72 Olds VistaCruiser

For the price, his stuff is really nice. I've only bought frm him in person at the NNL east, so I can't comment on his shipping.

I see no comments under the image; it says I need to sign in to start making comments. Serves me right, trying to help out.

My LHS got 4 in this week, and one came home with me today. It's a white one, although the plastic color didn't matter, I was hoping to see one of the red ones when I opened it up.

In pic 65, the tonneau covers and inner fenderwells are from the AMT(former MPC) 1/16 427 Cobra

If you make the initial coats smooth enough, you can often get away without sanding or polishing the top coat(s). I shot this Beetle in Testors rattle can enamel back in the summer of 1996; 2 misty coats, wet sanded with 800 grit, followed by one wet coat. No clear, no polish, and I've had folks tell me they were sure it was airbrushed. Pardon the dust in the pic....I didn't see it, but my camera did.

I don't airbrush, but I might be able to offer some advice as well; the silicone contamination did cross my mind as well. When I shoot a similar series of coats with rattle cans, I wet sand each the initial misty coats with at least 700 grit paper(maybe even 1000 if I can put my hand to it at the time). Like a previous post stated, all the wet coats in the world won't smooth out the coat beneath.

It wasn't today, but I still had to share: I got a Tim Flock Hudson from our 'reborn' LHS on Wednesday, and it's very-very-very nice!

I've experimented with acrylic craft paints applied(read 'splattered') with an old toothbrush, and had decent results...although I have yet to use it on a whole model.

For the 'best' kit engine out there, IMO you can't beat the Tamiya '66 Beetle and Ghia....the Fujimi 356 is beyond nice, but seeing a Porsche mill like that in a buggy is plenty rare in the 1:1 world. As you can see below, I'm pretty happy with my 1600cc VW mill

Even as a curved-windshield Super, it was a disappointment all around....and I have 2 of them. Luckily, the one I paid for only ran me 10 bucks at a train show. The other came as part of a trade.

My favorite bit of Ebay crazy is a seller that goes by the ID of pj-toys......he had a gluebomb Manx up there a while back that he relisted a few times, and his listings were anywhere between $70 and $100. He no longer accepts questions(at least from me). Here's one of his spendy model parts listings: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Firestone-PRO-STREET-Moroso-Frt-TIRES-Centerline-Convo-WHEELS-Revell-1-25-Parts-/250952135465?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a6de9b329

1) Wait for it........IT'S AN AUCTION! If more than one person wants the item, the bidding goes up - it's just that simple. If you're not willing to go as high as another bidder, don't bid - it's even simpler. 2) If you got a better deal elsewhere a month ago, why are you shopping Ebay for it now(and griping about it)? Ebay, like any other auction, can be 'feast or famine.' A couple years ago, I sold a small VW dealer toy for the opening bid of $3.99....two weeks later, after a pretty heated bidding war between two collectors, I sold an identical item for $17.

Darin - I don't pray very often, but you can count on me to say a few words to the 'head office.' This month marks 3 years since we lost my mother to cancer, so I know exactly where you are coming from.

I agree 110%, Chuck; I looked at my remaining Vanagon kit, and those late type 2 suspension parts look more like GM lower control arms than Beetle IRS parts. I also looked at my Imai Super Beetle, and it was an even bigger disappointment - the chassis is set up for batteries and a motor, so there's no discernable rear suspension detail.

I couldn't agree more, everyone is entitled to their own opinions; it's good to know you've decided to stay on, and I'm looking forward to seeing the kind of stuff you build.

Wow! Those wood ones look fantastic, you guys! I got lucky and took the cheap way out...at last years NNL East I scored a baggie of 5 kit-supplied boards for $2.50

It certainly isn't too much to ask, and I wouldn't call it an 'unnecessary request,' as it was part of the board rules before you signed up. Gregg makes the rules, as it's his sandbox, and those of us who choose to participate agree to abide. If we're just talking model cars, then it shouldn't be a big deal.

I've got 2 of those kits, and both are slated to become replicas of the same car...a junker one for my friend Tom's railroad layout, and a nicer one for Mark(the real car's owner): (....yeah, it's got a Hemi )

Seeing as it's a repop of a 42 year old kit, you can't expect the level of detail that today's kits offer. The series 1 Manx bodies would not clear the inboard arms of the IRS rear without a body lift; that's why the Manx 2's had a flat rear floor(no battery or spare tire wells like in the 1s)