Chuck Most

John, I don't care how old the models you post are, as long as they're still cool. And they always are!

Abandoned vehicle... rust... International... next time you see your neighbor, ask him how much he wants for it! (Sure would make building a model of it much easier! )

If it means anything Harry, I'd gladly run as your Drain Commissioner!

Well stated, Dave! Aoshima's new stuff is great. This? Not so great. I'm still going to make a Volksrod out of it- toyish, crude kits like this are perfect for such things!

Very, very cool! That turbo piping almost looks like some kind of sci-fi torture device!

Thanks guys! Oh- Mark- try viewing it from alternate angles... THAT will really mess with your head! Harry- Ignored? No. Color matched? Yes!

Uh... dude? You DO know there's a separate section for 1:1 photos! Wow- all I can say is that's impressive! The DBS really looks good in white, and you did a phenomenal job on the build. Just fantastic!

Every car is dangerous in some way, but Don's right- driving a deathtrap is never a good idea. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to duct tape and solder the front subframe back onto my '98 Tracer. (Sure is embarassing when you're cruising over an expansion joint and your engine and transaxle just come a tumblin' out from under the car! )

Almost looks like the wheel cover from a '76 Caprice kit could be made to work for the turbo charger center piece- it's flat and fluted around the edges as in the photo (the thought actually crossed my mind when I saw the Sketchpad write up). A cover from an AMT '56 T-Bird might work, too.

I'm going to post some pictures, mine will rotate WAY faster than that!

Kind of what I had in mind- the body is pretty much what sold me on the kit. Far from perfect, but usable regardless. I was fiddling with the kit last night, and about 90% seems as if it will go toghether without glue. I'm half-tempted to put a motor in it, just so I can watch it drive around in circles when I'm bored!

Very cool! I've built one of these JF Nash bodies, and made it into a full detail model. I'd like to get another one and update it to the '60 style. That yellow really pops on the Nash, and the stance is killer!

That's it! This one's just been bumped to my 'must build' list.

Who'd have thunk a Chevette could look this cool? Sure is a far cry from my neighbor's old 'Vette, which was hand painited with an Argyle pattern!

Last of the Olds stock cars- awesome!

Ah... remember those whimsical motorized Japanese kits? Neither do I - they kind of fell out of favor before I was born. More of a novelty than a true replica, they're more or less shunned by 'serious' modelers, even though they pop up from time to time as reissues. But if you're willing to sort through the chaff, there usually is a thing or two they have going for them, even if it's only the fact the 1:1 subject car is cool. Aoshima's Beetle falls into that category. It falls well short of Tamiya's '66 in terms of detail and parts breakdown... heck, it falls short of Gunze Sangyo's '56 in those areas, as well! If the GS '56 is a 'curbside', this one is a 'sunk a foot into soft soil side'. What little engine and suspension detail there is a tad less than adequate. The engine bottom detail is decent, but seems a tick or two underscale. The real car is depicted on the box art (usually a red flag for me with an older kit or reissue), and the disclaimer that the product contained within may not match the photo. That's the case here- you'll get no stock wheels or tires, only aftermarket style mags (not sure if they're Empi products, but I'm pretty sure they aren't a Porsche item), and the inexplicable presence of what appears to be a set of four "Lancer" style wheel covers, which would look more at home on a lead sled than a bug! The tires look more like the mud & snow tires Uncle Dave ran on the back of his old diesel Chevette than anything I've ever seen on a Beetle. Since this was a motorized kit, the chassis and interior are, shall we say, heavily compromised. You do get a choice of left or right hand drive, and both dashes feature pretty good engraved detail. Shame there are no inner door panels! The body is 'acceptable' overall- to me the fenders look a bit too chunky, especially the rears. The lamp reflectors aren't great, and the glass unit is not only all one piece, it's not great as far as clarity is concerned. Then, there's the price. I paid just under $40 for mine- quite a bit for a crude old curbside kit. Granted, I've paid a lot more money for much worse kits (usually resin), and this will build into nothing more than a nice shelf model unless you're into some big-time plastic surgery. I guess I'll leave the answer of the 'is it worth it' question up to you. Kind of depends on what you want as a finished product. Could I reccomend the kit? Truthfully, I don't think I could. I think it has more than enough issues to keep most modelers far, far away from it. You don't need to be a rivet counter to see it has its faults! The price is a big factor, if I could find one for less, then I might be a bit more inclinded to reccomend it to someone. But if you are like me, and have absolutely no intention of building it box stock but more as a source of building parts, it might make a bit more sense. There's plenty here to make a decent Volksrod (wink-wink), so overall I'm pretty happy, even though I wish I'd paid just a bit less!

Thanks guys! Oh, and Mike... wait until you see the Taurus' competitors in the derby...

Somebody speaks my language...

Good to see Chevrolet come to it's senses and use the grille from a Mopar model inspired by a '33/'34 Ford!

Only the cool ones!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!! It's spreading!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ha! Know what's funny, Harold? The '69 kit engine is a better looking MEL than the one in the '65 kit!

I thought it was just from me mixing Nyquil and Dayquil!

I use Permatex syringes exclusively, and I like them. Sometimes you just need to push just a little bit harder on one side or another to get equal amounts, though.

I still think it's great I'm not the only guy who brings car parts into his living room on occasion!