Chuck Most

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.

Bah... if they'd have buried a '57 Ford 300 instead, she'd have fired right up with some fresh gas. I've seen Mopars of this era that weren't buried for half a century in far worse shape than this one!

Yeah- I have that effect on people!

Since you are building a frame, I would have to say avoid superglue altogether and go with Tenax or Testors. All the so-called 'instant' superglue I have ever used is junk- as far as being 'instant' it ranges from almost there to way off. I've even had lousy luck using 'kickers'. I do use gel-type, gap filling superglue quite a bit in my builds, but mostly for small stuff. When it comes to a frame, body, or other large assembly, I go with solvent glue. It's just plain never let me down.

I'm not so sure about the taillamp treatment on the '10, but overall I like the car's design. Not as much as I liked the '05-'08s, but it's still way less ugly and cheap looking than a '70 El Camino! (Sorry, couldn't resist...) Hey, at least they didn't style the '10 to look like the '71-'73 style- THAT car deserved the Mustang name even less than the Mustang II, which is STILL not even considered a 'true Mustang' (whatever that's supposed to mean) by the hardcore 'stang bangers. Think about it- the II was a lightweight, sporty car based on a cheapo econobox, just like the original 'Stang, and the '71-'73 was a fat, bloated barge that looked okay from the sides or back, but had that stupid brick of a nose on it. I have seen the '10 models out and about, but I think I'll still wait around and buy a used '08 Bullitt. Dammit, I wish Ford would stop bogarting Dark Highland Green and make it available on the 'lesser' Mustangs!

Never has one little sentence summed up GMs straits so well! Come on, they are American British Leyland! Although- Top Gear did prove that BL did build A good car... a brown '78 Austin Princess piloted by James 'Captain Slow' May!

Man- I'd lose that flippin' thing in the disaster area that passes for my model room so quickly...

Oh, yes... like the LaSalle unit, and the Ford pickup unit! Now THERE'S a pair of trannys that belong behind a Flatmotor! I have nothing against modern rods, or automatic trannys. I'd have just prefered a three-pedal Flattie for the '32! Maybe it's 'Left Foot Envy'... the last two vehicles I've owned have both been automatics, and I hate it! Tim- thanks for the info, and for proving, once again, indisputably, that you are the Gray Baskerville of the model car magazine world! (Now we just need to find the John Phillips, Jeff Koch, and Tom McCahill of the model mag world and all will be perfect.) And to Cdansie- awesome builds. My R.M.co.M. chassis (not if but when I finally buy one) may well end up under an AMT '29 A Roadster body... or possibly a Revell '29 Pickup. Or, wait, maybe a Lindberg '34 Ford pickup, done up as a '50's trad rod... oh, sheesh. Looks like I'll have to buy a pallet load of 'em!

Even though I am now, technically, a part-owner in GM, I will never buy one. You'd think I'd actually LIKE a product line that I own, but I sure don't! I'll stick with my FoMoCo's and Mopes, thankyouverymuch!

If I'm not mistaken- Replicas and Miniatures Co. Of Maryland makes a chassis for the Revell '32 kits that accepts the transverse spring front and rear suspensions from the '29 Model A pickup. I haven't seen one myself, but if past experience with Mr. Veber's product tells me anything, it should be a very nice piece indeed! Sure, you'll be down quite a bit of Model A pickup... what a great excuse to use the Revell '32 hot rod chassis under the leftover '29 Pickup parts and have yourself an up-to-date A-V8 pickup rod! I've often wondered why Revell did not include a stock-style 'buggy spring' setup with the new Tudor kit- it would have gone great with the flathead and wire wheels! And, man, a replica stocker version of any one of the Revell '32s (okay... Speedwagon exluded!) would be a real honey!! It also confounds me why they went with an automatic for the flattie- that was kind of a bummer for me, although I think this would only be the second auto lashed to a flathead that I can think of- the first being the Lindberg '53 Ford Hardtop/Droptop.

Uh... well? Does knowing (sort of) how to play the first few riffs of "Let's get it Up" by AC-DC count? If yes, I guess I could be considered a musician!

I can't wait to see what happens once they crack open the deepest, darkest corners of the old tooling vaults... how many once long-lost kits and widgets you guys think are lurking around in there? My mind races...

James... that was beautiful! Strolling through the forest, searching for wildberries, wrapped from head to toe in ace bandages over all those nasty claw wounds... the mental picture is priceless! Michigans' much the same way! Fun fact: Michigan is called the Wolverine State, yet there's never been any documented evidence of any large populations of wolverines ever being here! Plenty of bears, though.

Thats' what they called James Dean! Congrats, Nick- guess I'll need to investigate your product line!

... and along comes Captain Buzzkill, to eclipse the sun and rain on our parade! Yeah, Chucky, even I don't think there will ever be a bi-scale styrene kit of the Lone Star (just as there will never be a styrene kit of the D-series pickup upon which the Lonestar's styling was based, or a late '60's Travelall, or a first-gen A/B series Scout, or...), but I do feel pretty confident we'll at least see some resin transkits, or at lest some builder-adapted conversions. Then again, maybe it's time for a new semi tractor kit. Why not start with this one?