VW Dave

That was Darin Bastedo, and here's the thread he started: Barracuda fillets, anyone?

There's not much you can do about the smell, unfortunately....epoxy is epoxy, no matter the brand. I actually prefer the 'syringe' style of epoxy tube, as there's a lot less fussing with making sure the two parts are equal. To help avoid seepage, I pull the plunger back in after dispensing what I need; I also make sure it stays upright at all times by storing it in an empty soup can.

That's not always the case. When the last AAR was released by Revell in '95 or so, I had planned the 'easy' swap of those bits onto one of the '71s.....the two kits couldn't have been more different, and the parts didn't swap over.

Kurt - I corrected my previous posts, aafter slapping myself on the forehead, because I misread the measurement on the one package....the material I used on the Bucket is just about 2.4mm in diameter, and it comes in a package of six 30cm lengths. Email me your address if you have no luck finding anything locally.

I'm sure it does depend on the individual store, but they can likely order any of the other sizes available within the chain. The smallest I got from my local store is just about 2.4mm, in 30cm straight lengths of aluminum, under the brand name of 'Coiling Rods' by Metal Works. A quick correction: the primary pipes on my V-Bucket were actually made with the 2.4mm stuff

I haven't installed the louvers on my Bus yet, but the other guy told me he trimmed & rounded them before adding them(he owns a real Barndoor, so he had the right measurements); I'm pretty sure he just laid them down by eye, starting with the top one and using the body's beltline as a guide. He says he glued each one with liquid cement, then he lightly brushed a little more cement over the top once the full set was in place.

Ron - Those intakes look the business! Mike - If you have trouble locating that very wire, and if you have a Michaels or A.C. Moore craft store locally, look for 'armature wire' there; I believe it's used in sculpting, and it too comes in several sizes....it's probably the very same stuff Ron used. It's a very malleable aluminum that lends itself well to exhaust work, and it polishes up nicely with very little effort. It comes in three different sizes, on a roll or in straight lengths, and I believe this one is the largest: I used a smaller size of the above wire(2.4mm diameter) for the primary tubes on my V-Bucket, and the collectors were aluminum tubing squashed slightly to fit. I was short on time and didn't think to polish the pipes after gluing, but they still look good IMO. Regardless of which material you use, I highly recommend epoxy for gluing all the pieces together; I got a little 'fogging' from CA on my bucket's pipes, but I was pulling an all-nighter to get it wrapped up and took a chance.

That's the famous Chrysler Turbine Car. Here's one of the real ones, which I photographed at the Petersen Museum in February '05:

Indeed it is hers, Randy, and she says thanks. Ever since her trip to England in '03, she's had a real jones for an original Mini. I taught her to use flocking, BMF and the (then) brandy-new Tamiya sprays on that build; she proved a very apt pupil, and we're looking forward to her next microcar build(she's got a Fiat 500, Citroen 2CV and an Isetta waiting in the bull pen).

Can't say why, and I'm sure it's a cool machine either way, but this time I say 'model.'

Took the words right out of my mouse, mate.

My wife is an avid scrapbooker, so neither of us can throw any stones when it comes to how much time and/or money we spend on our hobbies....we do, however, spend time together at home when engaged in our individual pursuits. Trips to craft stores, garage sales and car shows are beneficial to both of us; neither one claims to have been 'dragged' there . She has built two models so far, and she has a stash of 3 or 4 more that are on the 'to do someday' list. Ever since she accompanied me to the NNL East and her Mini Cooper wound up in SA's Contest Annual, she really agrees it's a cool hobby.

Although not really practical here in the northeast, slammed VWs can be driven regularly in lots of locales:

As it is a great parts donor, I'm a teeny bit reluctant to call it the worst kit ever(although it was the first one that came to mind).....however, if anyone ever questions which kit was the 'biggest letdown,' that AAR is a shoo-in.

I saw him levitate in order to get the shot he was after....David Blaine's got nothin' on our man Gregg.

The wheels on my rusty '56 are BRM's, made in the 60's by Speedwell in England; the originals are highly sought after in the 1:1 world, and a few replicas are made today. I bought a set of them in white metal a few years back from the guy who mastered them, and cast a couple of spare sets myself. If you're referring to the inner fender/trunk tub assembly, I'd say you need it if the trunklid will be functional....if the car is a slammed 'shelf model, it might not be necessary. Personally, I'd use it because the inner fenders are visible even on a lowered car. Chop the tops off the shock towers to afford the clearance you need, and glue the spindles in place because the tie rod assembly might interfere(and it's pretty flimsy anyway).

I'm converting a '67 VW Bus model into a pre-'55, and(among other differences) the side engine vent louvers are different on the earlier one; I'm using .040" quarter-round to make them, and I sent a bunch to another scale Bus nut in CA for his conversion....he got his on first, and I'd say they look the business: I measured the louvers on the new Revell Merc's hood, and they seem to be about .030" if that helps anyone.

Nope, she's worth more than that :

MNRenegade - I've built 2 of the Tamiya '66 Beetles so far, but both are stock-spec. IMO You made a great choice in buying that kit. If you've already assembled the trans, I say you can still lower the rear end by adding 'squat' to it like I did on my Revell-based VolksRod: I cut a small notch on top of the axle, at the outer edge of the axle boot, and slightly tweaked the axle upwards; hog out the square hole where the spring plate mounts onto the torsion tube, and glue the plate in place where you need it to be....not 100% accurate, but it should do the trick. I'd recommend adding a strip of styrene or even thin metal wire(like a paper clip) to the top of the axle to keep it from breaking later on. To lower the front, I agree that relocating the entire axle assembly upwards is the easiest method. You may need to shorten(or chop right off) the shock towers to clear the trunk, but many 1:1 slammed Type 1 show cars are set up without shock towers - I wouldn't recomend it on a real one, but have at it in scale; I dropped the nose of my Gunze '56 this way. Depending on what size tires you're planning to stuff under the front fenders, narrowing the beam might be a good thing as well. Most 1:1 custom beams are narrowed between 3" and 6." In scale, I figure the front beam on my RustoRod '56 is about 3.5" narrower than it was. I also lowered it by raising the beam like on the pink one. (I've got a 4" narrowed beam with dropped spindles ready for my 1:1 '68 come springtime)

Fill the vessel of your choosing with CSC(I use an upside-down AMT showcase, and the base becomes the lid), and submerge the offending parts....leave them overnight or as long as you like**, then scrub them with an old toothbrush uner running water. Depending on what paint you're stripping off, odds are you will be impressed with it. Major warning: WEAR GLOVES when working with CSC. **I left an AMT Scirocco body sealed in a jar of CSC for about 8 months as a test, and the plastic suffered no ill effects - the 3 layers of paint, however, were history.

I was about 6 or 7 when I built my first model.....that was around 1977, to help pin an age group on me.

When we bought our house, we repainted nearly every room. The baseboard heat register vents had been painted several times over the years, and needed a little freshening.....I stripped them with CSC, shot them with rattle-can Rustoleum, and they look very nice now. As I'm pretty handy with a rattle can, I get the nod to shoot the non-stick cooking spray on any pans at our house. My wife has a large collection of ceramic elephants, and she now knows that 5-minute epoxy works great to repair any damaged ones.

Can't say exactly why, but I'm going with 'real' this time.

I usually say either 'bass boat' or 'dune buggy' as a flake description, for obvious reasons.... Needless to say, I'm looking forward to seeing if the Testors 'De Ja Blue' will work on my Manx model.

....so you're saying he should have used Testors rather than the Tamiya? I personally think it came out great.