Chuck Most

Exceptionally nice, but... does it float?

It does say Ranger on it, but it looks more like a seventh-gen F-Series to me.

Hmmmmmmmm..... did somebody say taxi cab?

I'm a huge fan of acrylics. How huge? I've gained 30 pounds in the last month and a half. Wait... never mind that. I am a big fan of Tamiya and Polly Scale. Model Master acrylics are pretty good as well, though I've had mixed results with the Testors stuff. It did take some getting used to and a little research and plain old trial and error as far as airbrushing goes, but like anything else, once you get the hang of it it's no big deal. Clean-up is most definitely a plus compared to solvent-based paints, but beware- you will still want to wear the proper protective gear when spraying acrylics. Yes, they're "non-toxic", but you still don't need any solid paint particles clogging up your lungs!

I believe someone was, until GMC's copyright lawyers put the brakes on it.

I'm going to take a wild guess you've already stumbled across the builder's blog, but for the benefit of everyone... https://pacertruck.wordpress.com/category/pacer-pickup/

*takes a bow*

Well, I was half-joking when I posted that, seeing as how yet another "how old is everybody" type thread recently sprung up, and all of a sudden I find it remarkable that I'm not being carded to buy smokes. I didn't see anything that stood out with the video editing, though THAT is of pretty good quality. But that's possible with standard-issue video editing software. I'm dead serious- anyone could make a video of equal or superior quality to this. Point I'm trying to make is this... you ask why he can't tell it's a poorly done model. Well... think about accessories row at Autozone and all the tacky stuff there. The guy who drives a Silverado with a clip-on billet grille and fake beadlocks on the wheels. Or the kid with an erector set wing on his stock Camry. Or... the guy who thinks his Rustoleum-and-roller paint job should take best in show. Everybody knows at least one guy who thinks that everything you need to repair a dent or a rust hole can be found in a can of Bondo. You or I would look at that and say "Wow, that's the bad kind of ridiculous." But apparently it looks pretty good to the owner, otherwise they'd not have done those things. Simply put, I can't see what they're seeing through their eyes. I can only see what they're seeing through mine. You're asking the impossible. I have no idea what he's seeing. Who knows, maybe this guy is so wrapped up in the pride and the "HOLY JEEZ I MADE THIS WITH MY OWN HANDS" aspect he either doesn't see the flaws or downplays them in his mind's eye. Perhaps in his mind it's exactly the way he wanted it to be. Rather than just parroting different forms of "That sucks", let the guy know WHY it sucks. And don't him know why it sucks, but give him some pointers on how to do it better on the next one. Yes, sometimes a little tough love is needed. But it has to go further than pointing out the flaw and going on your merry way. But... if it is a joke, I'd have to say he played his hand pretty well.

If you wanted to you could make a really nice Pacer model with a little kitbashing between the two. The MPC's engine is the better of the two, while the AMT has the superior chassis. You can even swap out the hood and grille from one to the other with a little bit of work- I found out it's not a direct part-for-part swap, but it is workable.

Love it! Opened the thread expecting to see the Revell kit, so the fact that it's the old AMT hardtop was a pleasant surprise, too.

Decent production values? Now I think you're joking. For God's sake... it was made with Windows Movie Maker. They even used that "Ninja Tuna" song that comes standard on every Windows-equipped laptop, right along with Movie Maker. That's it. You could make a video and run it through Movie Maker and have the same result, even if it was your first time using it. Sorry if I'm being too technical for you old timers, but that's how it is.

Very nice looking little Bug. This is one of the few kits I think ISN'T reissued frequently enough! Yes, the Gunze kits are odd with their vinyl interior parts, but there really isn't much to fear. A little superglue to hold them in place, and some Duplicolor primer over the parts if you need to paint them- most hobby lacquers and acrylics work well on them too. But yes, that windshield gasket can be a bigger pain than it really needs to be. If you think adding the vinyl windshield trim to this is a chore, try adding all the canopy gaskets to their Messerschmidt one of these days.

Well, if the types of comments I'm reading here are the kind of "encouragement" they're getting , can't say that I really blame them. "That's bad." "That's sloppy." "I could build better than that back when I was still a fetus." Yes, all of that may be true, but let's not give them any advice or anything... let's just go all Simon Cowell from the warm glow of our computer screens and bask in our own magnificence! Yes, constructive criticism really is a fantastic thing, and is usually appreciated by the recipient. Maybe not at the time it is administered, but later on when the builder tries to improve based on input from others. But the old frat-boy hazing technique BS that many modelers seem to default to when seeing a less-than-presentable model by a novice is just that... BS.

Trouble is, the wagon is a Hasegawa, and they're typically just a tad smaller than the listed 1:24 scale.

Just sucks there's no kit of a Bugeye Impreza wagon....

Questions... questions my brain refuses to ponder...

Wheels for winter....

The earlier Mattracks were done by Frank Rizzo- he posts here as lownslow. I can't remember if he sold them through ODD (Outer Dimension Design) or Daft Wheels. I don't recall exactly when he had them on the market but it seems like it was a couple of years ago.

I wonder why Revell didn't include any decals for the rotors? Sand the detail off completely and use the decals. If it works decently enough on the California Wheels type kits, it could work here. I'm sure somebody out there could render some. Hell, I'd bet you (or me, or whoever might be reading this) may already have something that might work with a little trimming. YES, I know that completely side-steps the mistake made with the inverted slot engraving, but still. I'm not gonna crack open that particular can right now.

Cool! There was a set of Mattracks available some time ago but they were discontinued. Any plans on making them available?

That Rapid Transit poster, tho...

I'll be trying the tires on something besides the source kit, I've already made that decision.

Nailed it, especially the acres and acres of brown vinyl in the interior.

You must not work around the tool and die industry, because it's pretty easy for me to imagine that. One kit, one set of molds (not counting molds or inserts for separate versions of the same base kit). Even a fairly simple injection mold can cost a quarter million dollars to cut. Pair that up with the fact that Revell isn't a huge wealthy company and kit sales ain't what they used to be, repairing a heavily damaged mold might not be feasible, or even possible. Fortunately in this case it appears that things are under control.