Chuck Most

And... that same basic stake body was used by Ford from 1932 or therabouts into the early 1970's, with a few modifications.

I'm thinking of doing a Detroit Lions kit, but I need to find a car that fits that team. So... can anyone suggest a car that seems okay on paper, but always turns out to be a huge disappointment in the end? Note- I'm only half joking, anyone know of such a car that's available in kit form?

Constant inventory shuffling- remember? Can't buy the kit if I don't know where in the store they're keeping them this month, and if the employees don't know and I don't feel like scouring the whole building.... And it's nice to have somebody actually at the register when I'm ready to check out. Unless, you know, I'm planning to shoplift.

Thanks! Didn't know White Motors owned Autocar.

I suppose I am fortunate (and a bit spoiled) to live within a 40 minute drive of what have to be two of the best hobby shops in the Great Lakes reigion- Hulings Hobby House and Dean's Hobby Stop. The 'mom and pop' type places seem a bit more willing to listen to what their customers want and keep that stuff in stock, rather than whatever the toy department manager things might sell. And of course there's the internet, though Hulings and Deans are still my main pushers. I'd like to amend my statement about mostly straight reissues and restored kits- I also have no problem with 'special edition' kits commanding a premium price. The Dirty Donny version of the AMT Chevy Van being one example. But even then, there are limits. Take the Chevrolet 100th anniversary tin box version of the new-tool '57 Chevy. Sorry, I just can't justify spending almost fifty bucks on that when I can get a sealed Pro Shop issue (same kit aside from the decals pretty much) for twenty. But on the other hand, I can see something like that as more of a collectible than something meant to actually be built.

Love the Force 440 kits. I've heard from a couple of people the 2-door specific tooling still exists-, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Round 2 will reissue it one of these days.

Accurate, like something you'd actually see being raced. Not even close. Cool looking, and looks like something there needs to be a class for, so you could see something like it being raced? Absolutely! I have to say I'm not much into E-Body Mopars, but I really do like the way this one looks.

Wouldn't your existing LoneStar daycab work? I mean, after you removed the "LoneStar" scripts from the doors.

Yep...

First and foremost- none in my general area. And from what I've been told by friends and family members who are regulars there tell me, their selection normally sucks. Kind of like the old Walmart days- ten each of the same five kits I didn't want the last time I was there and still don't want now. That and they're a retail chain- that usually means clueless employees and constant inventory shuffling. Combine them all and I see no reason to set foot in that particular establishment. Ditto Michaels, Jo-Ann, etc. ...

I don't care how detailed a kit is- I think the kit manufacturers are missing something by not doing more Skill 1 kits (dare I say even snap kits), if the body and interior look good I could easily do without an engine and full chassis detail. As far as paying what I was paying 15 years ago for a newly-tooled kit of comparable quality? I'm too much of a realist to even entertain that thought. The price of EVERYTHING has gone up from where it was 15 years ago. And I personally don't care what country the parts are molded in- the American kit manufacturer, the good old American hobby shop I bought the kit from, and all the people in between made their money off of it. I've never set foot in a Hobby Lobby and doubt I ever will, so that 40%-off coupon I hear about at annoyingly-frequent intervals is meaningless to me. $25 is reasonable for a reasonably detailed, relatively recent (say, tooling for it dates from 1985, 1990 or later) kit. BUT... I'm sorry, I just saw the reissued AMT '66 Mustang kit for sale at that price, and I don't see the value. Other than the new decal sheet and printed tires, it's 99.9/10ths the same kit as the last 20 or so RC2 reissues, which I can buy online or at one of my local OOP kit vendors for ten bucks or less? Sorry, not even interested in the new tires, and I'm sure Round 2 will offer something similar as a parts pack, like they did with the M&H slicks. A kit like that shouldn't sell for $25, maybe not even $20. The Gremlin I can see, as it's a special edition and hasn't been reissued in 30 years (not to mention the fact it had to be restored back to a stock configuration), but $25 for a tired reissue just isn't worth it. I'm not going to pay $125 for an original AMT screw-bottom kit. Why? Because Modelhaus probably sells a repro of it for about 30 or 40 bucks less. I can't believe people get worked up over some minor detail being off. And I don't buy into this 'why don't we get kits as accurate as the military guys'? Just check out any military modeler's online forum. Or just read through any kit review in Fine Scale Modeler, and you'll see that most of the military kits they review DO have accuracy problems. Some are minor, while some kits seem to be just as riddled with errors as any car kit you can name. As far as the old 'metal wire' kits being 'better' than newer kits of the same or similar subject? I have to wonder how much of that is just nostalgia talking. Yes, some car kits are almost tragically flawed (cough, cough... anything by Trumpeter...), but the majority of them build into great replicas if you don't make nit-picking into your main hobby. The kit manufacturers DO produce what modelers want. Well, the vast majority of modelers, anyway. If they didn't they'd be out of business by now. Just because they don't make a kit of that Volkswagen K70 or 1985 Pontiac Grand Prix you lust for doesn't mean they are turning a deaf ear to their customer base.

Nice! I looks like I picked a great time to seriously start getting into heavy truck models.

Not to be Mr. Negative here, but not all Meijer stores will be carrying them. It's a lot like Walmart's policy the last few years- seasonal inventory in select markets. Still never hurts to check, though!

Automotive TV shows seem to fall into two categories these days- shows about guys yelling at each other and they just happen to be building a vehicle of some sort off in the background, and shows about some guy bolting some sponsor's part onto some random vehicle. I stopped watching American Chopper when I realized "Hey... this episode is exactly like the last one, except the bike they're building in the background isn't as good as the last one." I'm kind of wondering how this season will work out. Seeing as how the two Pauls are trying to patch things up, the good old yelling, screaming, and throwing things likely won't be happening. Maybe the network's counting on the percieved 'uneasy tension' between them to carry the show?

Thanks! I've got a few things in mind for the ProStar once it's out, so I'll definitely be calling on you eventually. Even if I don't use them on the ProStar I'm sure I can come up with something else to use 'em on.

It's from the MPC (and AMT/Ertl reissue) '53 Ford Flip Nose truck. Judging from the light grey plastic it's most likely a relatively recent AMT/Ertl reissue part.

Actually did some more work on the Cadillac! I lowered it and used the big-diameter Americans from a Revell '65 Chevy C10. I also added some polished aluminum exhaust tips, cut from 5/32" K&S tubing. And yes, I decided to take the easy way out and run a bed cover, rather than make up a floor and walls for an open bed. I'd like for this thing to have at least some fighting chance of getting done one day!

Do they come with the center hubs? (I ask because they appear to be separate in the photo).

The suspension is dialed in- I modified the spindles, springs and control arms up front, and added some blocks to the back to lower the car. Keep in mind that the chassis is a bit further forward in the body than it's supposed to be in the photo! I also added the wing vent posts, but the car still needs quite a bit more bodywork.

I don't know- I think AMT's Coddington kits were right on the ball as far as timing. The downside was that, well, the features they added to the kits just plain sucked for the most part. In this case I'm not too worried, when Revell adds new parts to an existing kit they tend not to 'half heart' it the way RC2 did.

Burgers made from glue and dirt? Sounds EXACTLY like the stuff the vendors at the local shows serve.

Good, solid technique! My only gripe is a personal taste thing- if I were upgrading to power brakes, I'd have swapped in a dual-chamber cylinder. That being said, the original fruit jar looks pretty nice with the metal cap and line in place.

Noticed that- first time I saw a 1:1 ProStar with the hood open, I thought it had run into something- no way could the bumper be hanging on at that angle naturally! Then I saw the guy close the hood and the bumper flipped back up.

I like these ideas... but could anyone tell me how I could curb my problem of constantly losing parts when I'm working in one room of the house before I take my hobby on the road with me?

Thanks, guys! Note- original post 'fixed' so that ALL the photos actually show up.