Chuck Most

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.

Like Greg says- cut out the package tray... THEN add the top. That's how I did both mine, neither of which are still anywhere close to finished by the way. Some absolutely gorgeous models built from the kit being shown here, too!

Nice! Love these Citroens, and it's always a treat to see one done in racing livery.

I'm still not sure what to think about these Foose kits... didn't his popularity ship sail off about a half decade ago? It would be interesting to see why people intend to buy these kits- for the new parts or the Foose name on the box. That being said- any one of the subjects Felix suggested would eventually be welcomed onto my workbench. I'm a bit leery of Revell tackling an E-Body Mopar, though, given their track recent track record with that particular subject. But Revell does seem to have an uncanny knack for making some pretty good hot rod and street rod kits. If the upcoming Rat Roaster is any indication of their intents (not to mention their recent reissues of several street rod kits), I wonder if Revell plans to bring out more hot rod kits in the future. If those are successful, and given the fact that Revell has established a working relationship with Foose and his marketing people, who knows? Maybe they'll put out a few new-tool kits based on Foose designs. I think it would be a very good thing, though keep in mind I'm hoping more for his high-end street rods than the 'Overhauled' muscle car stuff.

Some parts are 'sort of' interchangable between the AMT '41 and Revell's '48's. I say 'sort of' because a bit of modification is needed, but that is mostly due to the fact that Revell and AMT/Ertl engineered the way that the parts fit together differently on their respective kits. Once in place, though, the Revell parts look good in AMT surroundings, and vice-versa. I'd have to give a slight edge to the Revell kit parts as far as accuracy goes, especially in the engines and chassis.

For me, it really depends. If I like the 1:1 subject well enough, I'll buy and build the kit even if it is noticably flawed. Of course, there are exceptions- for instance, I refuse to buy any Revell or Monogram '69 or '70 Mustang until they fix that freakin' pig-nose grille, even though I love the 1:1 cars. And don't get me started on the MPC/AMT '69 kit, which does have a proper looking grille, but the whole kit is significantly underscale... Now that I think of it, something about that grille must be tough to duplicate, even the high-end diecast '69/70 Mustangs I've seen have grilles that range from 'almost there' to 'way off' in terms of appearance. Since I mostly build hot rods and customs inspired by (but not directly based on) 1:1 cars I see, most of the time such inaccuracies don't bother me. They'll be dealt with during the modification process, they'll be offset or mitigated by some other modification, or perhaps the problem is something that would be a minor thing (to me) and not something that would bother me. I've never replicated an existing car in scale, so usually any weird stuff going on with the base kit doesn't matter, so take what I'm saying with a grain of salt. As to how three different teams get three different sets of measurements, and no system of checks and balances seeming to be in place to compensate? That's a question for the ages.

Uh.... whoops...

This is the factory-built prototype- A few were also built by private individuals, and a few Hudson dealers built or had them built as parts runners.

It should- the R&R pickup has a decent A/B/C series cab, which is what the Sighliner cab was based on. Trouble is R&R castings usually aren't the greatest.

Interior is mostly dialed in on the abandoned Hornet droptop. I cut off the front of the dash and replicated the framework behind it. I also made up new side panels. And then I filled out the interior with some assorted debris, the kind of stuff you'd find in a junkard car with no seats. I've noticed such vehicles tend to become makeshift storage sheds of sorts under those kinds of circumstances.

Like it? No. Love it? Yes! Really like that grille treatment.

I've toyed with the idea of cobbling up a Sightliner using the cab from an R&R '57 A-series. I've seen at least one scale model built of a Sightliner, and if I remember, that's what the builder used as the basis.

Nice! Love seeing a '67 Comet done to modern street machine standards.