Chuck Most

Noted race car modeler Clay Kemp did exactly that on one of his recent builds, I think it was a Grand Am pro stock car. And THAT model wins some shows!

I recently unearthed a half-finished AMT '62 Fairlane kit. Everything is there except the tires, and there are some broken parts, but I think it should be salvagable. Here's the problem- the body (and windows) were "painted" with a permanent marker. I've tried all the old standbys (Purple Power, brake fluid, oven cleaner, ect.) and nothing is doing the trick. I know sanding will remove it, but I'm afraid of losing the trim and script detail. If I can't remove it, would using a sealer work? I know for a fact that permanent ink will bleed into the paint, which would be a HUGE problem if I chose to paint the model a light color!

For me, I think it's become a compulsion, no, an outright obsession! Even if I don't WANT to work on a model on a particular day, I feel like I NEED to! I build them because I can't afford the 1:1 stuff. Some of them are detailed, some are not, some look great and others look like polished turds, but I enjoyed every one of 'em!

Just a warning here- If you want to slap one of those AMT or MPC stickers included with recent Round 2 releases on your car, be advised they don't hold up too well against rain. Mine has been on my back window less than a week and the red is nearly gone! Looks like I'll be protecting the next one from the elements when this one peels off!

YesyesyesohsweetGAWDyes! I've yearned for a scale model kit of the '99-up Super Duty since it was launched!!!! I'd like a choice between the Triton V10 or the Power Stroke with either an auto or a 6-speed. Maisto made a die-cast kit, which I have, but I'd love a full detail styrene version! I'd be happy with just a parts-pack Power Stroke engine. We've got at least three Escalade kits... methinks it's about time for a Navigator or Mark LT kit (the latter of which could share 95% or more of it's tooling with any F-150 "Super Crew" kit that would theoretically sell well.) Also, I'd like to see a couple more hearse kits- something- anything! Don't care if it's 1930's or 1990's. And I may be alone on these next two- but I'm suprised no kit was ever made of the '99-02 Mercury Cougar, I think it would be the base to a nice tuner build. The other is the '93-'98 Lincoln MKVIII. Yeah, not the most common car on the road, but it did have a look all it's own, and it was the last "traditional luxury" American V8/RWD 2-door. How's 'bout these- am I the only guy who wants to build a scale Bugatti Veyron? Or Aston Martin Vanquish? Or any TVR model you could possibly think of? I'd even be happy with a Jensen Interceptor. I'd like to see some "mainstream" foreign-car kits too. I'd love to build a 1/24 early '60's Opel Cadett (like Oliver of Top Gear fame), or a VW Eurovan, hey... I could even think of a use or two for a Mercedes/Dodge/Freightliner Sprinter! Those are just the ones I think others besides me would also buy and build. Don't even get me started on the more "offbeat" stuff!!!!

I'm really diggin' the chromed steelies. Looks like your little girl has a pretty good eye for hot rod colors, too!

It IS just as much effort to build a "junker" as it is a "nice" car. All the time you DON'T spend polishing, ect., on the nice one, you spend weathering the junk one! Now, in 1:1, NO QUESTION the shiny one is more work... with the junker all you had to do was wait a while. Personally, I love junkers. I've driven junkers most of my life, I frankly can't relate to a beautiful, flawless, jaw-dropping car, and I really don't know if I ever want to own one- my models kind of reflect this.

please tell me you don't listen to 'Slipknot' while you're modeling...somehow the idea of holding an exacto knife with 'Slipknot' blaring away in the background doesn't doesn't bode well for one's fingers...

Here's a method I've tried for ghost flames that might work. I would paint the body black (or whatever you want the "main" body color to be) first, then mask out the flame design. I'd build up some thinned metalic silver, or mix some in with clear, then clear over everything. You may want to try this out on a spare body or something to see if the "ghost" effect this process will give you is what you have in mind. I've used this method with clear metallic paint (instead of the metallic silver you plan to use) and I've liked the results.

Is there an aftermarket source yet for those new cat-eye headlamps some of the '08 and newer Peterbilts? Or, has anybody scratched up a pair and wants to show them off?

Monoped and Mr.Obsessive- Wow... was NOT expecting that quick of an anwer! Thanks for the info and help, let's see if I can get it to work this time!

This is the stuff I come to this site for... beautiful builds of cars that are NOT another bunch of red '69 Camaros! Maybe when I find a decent "bullet nose" Stude body or a trans-kit, and figure out how to post pics on the goshdang forum thread, I'll show it off here! Sheesh, who among us would NOT want a bullet-nose in kit form? Meantime, guess I'll just go back to the beginning and check out THESE Studes again... where's my drool napkin, now?

Sweet build! Makes me want to dig out one of the six or seven untouched Revell choppers in my stash! Just, not TODAY...

Is there some special trick to posting builds in "under glass"? Why can't you just load it off a disc or a camera, like you can on the photo-sharing sites?

Uh... WHOA!!!! Wish I had that kind of patience... not to mention, I don't know, skill!

Guys... What about the 1980's T-Bird Turbo Coupes? They were pretty big cars (for the time), but with a 2.3 Turbo and a five speed stick, they were quicker than most V-8 cars of the time. Not only that- they came loaded- power everything, adjustable suspension, upgraded sound system... the works. It's not really a muscle car per se, I feel the lack of a V-8 rules it out for that title, but I'm not sure it would realy fit with what we've come to know as a tuner, either. I'd just call it a 'high performance personal luxury coupe", kind of like Ford did. I'm actually suprised that we have the FWD Charger as a 1:25 kit, but do you know what FWD performance car I would LOVE to have in kit form? The four door Omni GLH. I love the idea of a high-powered car that resembles a roller skate with windows, and that's exactly what the GLH was!

My... some of us sure are fussy! "I wouldn't waste my money on that kit because the body is .040" too long!"- or whatever. Yeah, consitency does seem to be a bit lacking as far as scale fidelity goes, still... does the finished product LOOK like a '57 Chevy? Even with the junky old MPC flip nose the answer is yes! I stopped caring about such things years ago... I found that if I spent less time worrying if the grille opening was the "correct" shape, or if the track was three scale inches too wide, I would have MORE time to, I don't know- enjoy BUILDING the thing! Now, I only worry about the stuff that is grossly, painfully, obvious-even-to-a-non-modeler wrong or misproportioned. THAT kind of stuff still bugs the ###### out of me! My main problem with the Black Widow is this... yeah, it's a "rare" body style, but it's still a common-as-dirt '57 Chevy. Frankly, the world needs another 1:24/1:25 '57 Chevy about as badly as Seattle needs more rain.

Check your local Walgreen's store (or is it Walgreene's, or Wallgreene's... anyway, it's the drug store chain, and some are open 24/7) for W.O.R.- that's where I got my copy. My local grocery chain used to carry it but, of course, when Tim Boyd publishes a story in it, they magically shuffle the mag selection! K Mart won't carry it, nor will Mall-Wart, and NONE of the parts stores in my area had it- incidentally, Walgreen's was the LAST place I looked! (Typical.) As far as the content, Tim, dead-on again! As a 1:1 and small-scale rod guy, I've built many of these kits, and the story shed light on some kits I'll probably only dream of buying, much less building, such as the MPC '33 Chev panel, the King T/Wild Dream kits, and the AMT '28 Model A Tudor! I can think of only one kit that was not really covered... the MPC/AMT Beverly Hillbillies 1920-ish Olds "Economy Truck"! Yeah, most modelers would not consider this kit as the basis to a rod, but all four of the "Hillbillies" Olds kits I've purchased have become rods of some sort... except the one that became a beat up wrecker. Hey, Tim... you used one of these kits yourself to build a Judson-blown, '60's style "bucket" rod a few years back! And I can still live with the Revell '32 Fords being the "Best Ever". I love these kits, but I'm really beginning to wonder if they're just a tad overrated. Won't stop me from buying one or ten of those upcoming three-window variants, though! Guys- this article is more than worth checking out! As LDO said, it is wise to call ahead, regardless of where you're checking out, to see if they actually HAVE the thing before you drive the old F-250 seventy miles to go and get it!

Nope... Actually, I'm was waiting for some crappy, slow-cure resin to set up. Close, but no cigar, sir!

Dude- there's nothing modern at all about the "Panther" platform... the Crown Vic/ Gr. Marquis/ Town Car were "retro" before that was cool! Still, yeah, it sucks that Ford is finally killing of the last troika of 'true' American full size cars... but it's been coming, David. What kind of Ford will I have to drive when I'm a 55 year old Florida transplant, now that I won't be able to buy a new RWD, body on frame, V8 FoMercLinc? Another chapter in American automotive history is closed... Anyway- the '08 Galaxie may be feasible, after all, those Monte Carlo buyers are gonna need SOMETHING to drive when GM keels over dead !!!!

Here's something about nothing, but I'm curious: Would you rather build a lousy and expensive kit of a car you love, or a nicely-done, cheap kit of a car you hate? Would paying $50 for that poorly-done '51 Nash and the subsequent struggle to wrestle it together be more enjoyable than a quick, easy, detailed build of yet another red '69 Camaro from a $10 "bargain bin"? And, just so we all know where I stand, yes, I'd rather have the crappy kit of the car I like than a beautiful kit of a car I don't like!

You may also want to try your local Car Quest- the local CQ in my area (Halls Auto Parts) is LEGENDARY for paint and body supplies. Dupli-Color is but one of the colors he carries. If you can bring in a paint code, or at least a name/application, he can usually set you up.

Jah- I live in a toilet called Ithaca, about 20 miles southeast of the middle of the "mitten". It's only claims to fame are being the hometown of E.J. Potter, and the world's first cow race. Jeez, no wonder ol' E.J. fled to Florida...

Too late to chime in on this one? I've wanted a '78-'88 RWD Cutlass in styrene as long as I've been building models (1988 or so). I can live with a promo style chassis/engine... the chassis from the reissued MPC Monte or the Trumpeter '78 Monte, combined with a parts box stand in for the Olds 307 (externally similar to the engine in the '69 442 kits aside from smog equipment, ect.) would should net a pretty nice Cutty! Or, I'd be just as happy with a promo- style buildup. I never look under them when I finish them, anyway!