Chuck Most

I am never, EVER, 100% happy with ANY of my builds, but I've grown to accept that at this point! They all have some flaw or glaring gaffe that I could, and probably should, have nipped long before the kit was ever completed. My mentality is this- I've never owned a perfect 1:1 car (if there even is such a thing), so I'm not gonna loose too much sleep if the little plastic ones leave a little to be desired, as well.

Compared to, say, an AMT '66 Mustang, they're rare! And since it's pretty obvious we'll never see them reissued ever again in THIS lifetime, they'll probably be rare in pretty short order! Rest assured, none of mine will ever stay in 'collector's condition'. I don't know... I think they look so much better built up than they do boxed, bagged, and sprued, don't you guys? What's with these kit-collector types, huh? It's like buying a 4x8" DIY toolshed kit, and leaving it in the package with no intention of ever building it. What's the use?

I must've missed him the first time around- he sure sounds like good people, though!

That, and you'd have to open the driver's door and find a resin figure of a balding, paunchy middle aged dude and pose him to look like he was pushing it

Love it, love it, love it! Man, why is it metallic green and gold look so good together?

Looks like I got a screamin' deal on the Firefighter Ambulance kit I got yesterday- $35 sealed. It's your fault I bought the kit, Morrison! I've located a few for others and traded off some of the other ambulance and hearse kit's I've gotten, but this one will be a keeper. Also... I ripped away the shrink wrap the second I got my hands on it... worth nothing as a collectible now !

Amen, Bob! Oldman, I was going to say something along those lines, but Bob kinda did it for me. So...uh... would you settle for a hug?

Way to put those pesky leftover bits to good use!

D'oh! Yep, it would require a bit more work than I realized to turn the '33/'34 Ford pickup into a '32! I've tried the '34 Pickup/Phantom Vicky kitbash- it turned out okay, but it wasn't quite as cool as I'd imagined it- even with a Lincoln 340 in place of the Mod motor! And not only would a pickup be a nice Revell kit, so would a panel... but then, you could fill in the quarter windows and cut a back door into the new Tudor kit to create the rare "Town Delivery" model, like I'm doing. (I've only gotten as far as blocking off the quarter widows... wish I had one of those 'attention spans' I hear so much about .)

So far so good. I love seeing this kit built up RIGHT!!!! Pleeeze tell me you're keeping the 345, or at least not replacing it with a yawner "383 Stroker" SBC!

I've heard much ballyhoo over the Alclad stuff, but really, I don't think it looks a whole heck of a lot better than that "Instant Chrome" rattle can stuff you get at the auto parts store.

Where's the '69 Dart it was built to haul? Looks like a '62-'63 on it in the photo. Not complaining, or anything- I do like those oddball early '60's Mopes!

I say get some bacon- why bother with the badge? I think most people with at least a room-temp IQ will know it's a 'Vette!

Customcreator... lighten up, dude! I have seen your dios, and you know what you're talking about! And yes, I know you were helping out. You like to see realism, and so do I. I guess my CGI comment was out of line, as you are an OLD SCHOOL Transformers fan (anyone who isn't is a Commie). I'm probably the third to last guy you want to take seriously when I 'attack'- I'm more a cocker spaniel latching onto your leg than a Doberman going for the jugular -and I wish guys who fit that last group would quit building models and take up basket weaving or ballet as a hobby to calm them the heck down! And no- you aren't one of those guys. I can't imagine you pointing out the inaccuracies of, say, the Revell Deal's Wheels Trans Um Tirebird kit. Don't laugh... I've seen guys get good and IRATE over kits like this! On the other hand, Picasso's paintings aren't realistic at all, yet the guy is a legendary artist. Maybe by giving a guy tips on making something more realistic, wanting nothing more than to help the guy out, you are inadvertently depriving the world of the next Picasso! Then again, maybe you would also be preventing the next Van Gough... THAT would be a good thing. And, when you think about it, isn't model building- particularly diorama building- an art form? Only we're using cast styrene instead of oil paint or putty or dog turds or whatever medium 'real' artists use nowadays. Some guys shoot for ultimate realism, some guys just go nuts and stuff 1/8 scale drag engines into 1/25 scale car bodies. Which do I like better? Personally, it's all about which one of those two builds 'speaks' to me. Maybe it's one or the other, or neither, or both. All I really want to tell you is keep the CONSTRUCTIVE criticism coming! Duke will be armed with your input for his next dio attack, whether or not he chooses to use it, and we'll all go on wishing terrible things would happen to Steven Speilberg! Look on the bright side, Jamie... at least Lucas didn't do the Transformers flicks. Can you imagine Optimus Prime transforming into an Ewok...

Awesome! I've always wanted to do a replica of Al Bundy's car using this kit. Maybe I'll need to do it one of these days!

Heck, Rob... even a closed cab Deuce pickup would be a nice thing to have. (Not saying the ancient AMT/Lindberg kit doesn't stack up anymore, though, not by a long shot! I can't believe how well that old girl has held up!) Fletch- you never disappoint (well, not me anyway)! Can't wait to see how this one turns out...

It's gonna be awesome- those wheels look sick!

Look on the bright side, Steve... at least the 'body issues' on this one aren't as bad as the AAR 'Cuda kit! Man, who was smoking what when THAT kit got the green light...

Gorgeous... just gorgeous!

Here's something not nice: TRANFORMERS SUCKED!!!! YOU LOVE CGI SO MUCH YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT REALITY SHOULD LOOK LIKE! (Of course I mean the Spelbergian ###### of late, not the original Japanimation we all loved growing up.) Yes, that was childish and immature, but so am I. My favorite part of the build? The sign that says "We don't bring eggs to restaraunts, so don't bring car parts to us." It's missing possibly the most popular gag sign in most shops: the Labor rates post, which usually reads something like- Labor Rates: $50 an hour $60 an hour if you help $70 an hour if you watch $150 an hour if you were the last guy to work on it Or the placard on the front desk: "If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you." Well, some shops actually DO that! (Ever had an extra $10 fee on you car repair bill you couldn't explain, Customcreator? ) Keep them coming, Duke- I'm really loving this! Hey customcreator? Where's YOUR repair shop dio...?

Jeez, man, you're just like me! Unflinchingly critical of your own builds, ready, willing, and able to point out the most microscopic of gaffes. No need to apoligize- this is a beautiful build! One of AMT's best ever, and you made it even better. Man, wish I'd hung onto my 1:1 '71 Charger...

Wow- we have the next Billy Mays! Seriously, though, I use Krylon almost exclusively as a primer, and have never had anything but good luck with it thus far. Torinobradley- I once had the exact opposite problem with Krylon on a resin body- it scraped right off wet, but now that it's dry it's just fine! That's the only serious adhesion problem I ever had with Krylon, and I think it happened because I did not prep the body properly beforehand. And the Krylon Fusion stuff that's formulated specifically for plastic? Really doesn't seem to work much better than the standard Krylon. The 'Rust Tough' flats are what I use for priming duties. I've had problems with the standard Krylon flats being too 'watery' at times, but the Rust Tough products seem better quality than the standard Krylon... and the standard stuff is pretty good to begin with! Try to avoid the gloss Rust Tough colors- they take forever to dry, nearly as long as Rustoleum. So, long story short, hellonwheels, no- don't worry about it eating the plastic. You'll be fine!

What we have here appears to be yet another plastic rendition of a die cast Revell product (the Vanishing Point die cast release, perhaps). That means you get those fat metal axles fore and aft, thick, clunky molded-in hood hinges, thick body castings, and a few self-tapping screws in strategic places. Now, most of this stuff is well hidden once the model is built up, but many guys out there (and possibly many girls as well, I suppose) really hate these ex-diecast styrene kits. I don't have that mindset- I try to focus on what the kit is, not what it WAS. The kit is listed as 1:25 scale. I don't have the measurements or anything to the 1:1 Challenger, but comparing the Revell body to the AMT '70 Challenger and to the Lindberg (ex Palmer) '72, the Revell part is significantly larger, looking more like a 1:24 kit by comparison. So Revell, AMT, or Palmer/Lindberg was lying or being lazy when they did their drafts, it would appear! The body also is a bit slab-like along it's flanks, another die-cast tooling hallmark, although here it's not as bad as it could have been. All in all, even if the scale is a bit off, and she's a bit slab-sided, what is there looks good and in proprotion. My favorite feature is the non-shaker hood, a first in plastic kit form, if I recall. After years of nothing but shaker-equipped Challenger models, this one feature is a breath of fresh air. Oddly, the taillamps are molded clear, but sprayed in transparent red at the factory- first time I've ever seen THAT! Other than the minor concessions to it's former life as a die cast unit (axles, screws, etc.), the engraving is really nice, and the level if detail is acceptable, if not quite up to the level of, say, the Black Widow or Nova kits of late. I've seen this one built up, and know it can be a nice replica stocker. The fact that it once was a die-cast is actually a boon in that it pretty much ensures an easy, logical build. I think mine will end up as a Resto Mod, though- late model Viper drivetrain, or possibly the 6.1 Hemi from the '09 Challenger. Maybe it's not a detail freak's cup of tea, but I think it would be perfect for somebody who is a modeling novice, or for a more experienced modeler after a quick weekend project that still builds into a satisfying result.

Anybody remember the Wilshire Shaker '63 Nova match-bash funny from Hot Rod mag about a decade ago? Well, it's creator, Steve Magnante, is at it again with his latest venture, The Funny Car Farm, and this DVD- How to build Your Own Altered Wheelbase Funny Car! What your twenty bucks gets you(well, it's $19.99 which includes S&H), is a blow-by-blow of taking a hapless, frumpy little '63 Dart and turning it from Granny's Grocery Getter inot an altered wheelbase, straight-axle, streetable funny car clone. The main bulk of the DVD contains this car's transformation, but by no means is that the only thing going on! We also see a recap of the Wilshire Shaker, wherein Steve points out some of the key features of the build. And you true weirdos out there will surely dig the AWB '81 Fairmont. It now runs a Ford Mod V-8, but still had the stock I-sixer when the DVD was produced. Ah, yes... I mentioned model cars, didn't I? Mr.Magnante, in additon to being a journalist, TV personality (Barrett-Jackson 'finger cam' guy), and, of course, latter-day funny car fabricator extraordinare, is also a modeler. While his assistant is chopping the Dart into beautiful oblivion, Steve 'plays hooky' with us for a few minutes and shows off some of his model car builds. Many of them are the unpainted, straight from the box builds that anyone who's cracked open a Hot Rod or Hot Rod Deluxe will recognize as his review builds. But when Steve gets the urge to do a full detail job... I won't spill too much here, but my favorite one of the models is the 'Half and Half' Mopar- built to show those model car contest judges just how all-knowing they weren't! And yes, many of Steve's 1:1 build procedures translate just fine in to 1/25 scale, thank you very much! I used his article in Hot Rod on altering a '64 Fairlane a few years back as a guide to chop up at least a couple of Revell T-Bolts. After seeing this DVD, I'm just itching to get my hands on a scale '63 Dart. Or maybe scratch build myself a Fairmont body... My only gripe is this- the DVD is one big chapter, it is not divided into separate parts. If you want to go to a specific scene, you'll have to fast forward, as in the good old VHS days. And don't get too excited about bonus footage, special features, and deleted scenes- they ain't there. But for $20, I can't complain too much, and it's a fun DVD to watch at any rate. I say go you now- pick up a copy! Order it at the website, or just check out: www.thefunnycarfarm.com

Well... the new HRD is here, and the 'model madness' mentioned in the last issue turned out to be little more than a review of the Model King '69 Camaro flip-top funny car. Not even a full pager! I can't fault the rest of the issue, though- if you don't wanna buy it, at least steal your co-worker's copy- this one is a keeper! It's given me a few project ideas already. On the other hand, the latest issue of Amusin' Cruisin' has a couple pages of model car builds... including a few by a fellow who goes by the handle of ###### Cranky.