Chuck Most

Yeah. I mean, how DARE Revell produce a kit of a car you don't like, right?

I'd tell you to lay off on one particular subject... but then I remember the 10 Hudson Hornets, 4 Ford C-600s, and all the other kits I've built multiples of and then I sort of come to the conclusion that I should just keep my mouth shut about that.

I think fine scripts (like the Oldsmobile and Twin H Power markings mentioned) would be great candidates for metallic dry-transfer graphics. They'd be a lot easier to deal with than photoetch. Well, for me anyway.

One step forward, five or six back... I wasn't going to add hydraulic lines to the crane, but I figured it would look silly without any, so I made some from lengths of vinyl tubing from an AMT semi trailer kit. I also did the first stage of weathering on the crane, basically an oily wash here and there, in areas where hydraulic fluid might leak or be spilled. Step back? I elbowed the cab off the edge of the workbench, and there were a few casualties in that encounter. Fortunately, the damage should be easy to fix... or I could save that cab for something else and do something totally different with this one. EDIT- Also- I had to pry off the hard lines you see on the boom, as I managed to install it upside-down (the shorter lines were facing up, and on the right) the first time. But that was just a minor setback.

Aston Martin Vulcan.

^This. If my survivors want to toss it all out in the driveway and run over it repeatedly with a bulldozer... hey, if that'll make them happy, it's all good.

Earlier someone asked about opening the doors. I remembered Ken Hamilton built an amazing weathered C-Series for his Playland Penny Arcade diorama. There are quite a few pics of the truck in progress and in the diorama, but I must warn you... set aside an hour or two to soak it all in! http://public.fotki.com/khamilton/models/playland_penny_arcade/

If you can't settle on a color, you could always do it in "as-delivered" form... grey primer on the steel parts, and black gelcoat on the fiberglass.

I like where this one's going.

There most certainly is such a thing as a dumb question. But the fact is that the overwhelming majority are NOT. If you learned something by asking a question, then it wasn't a dumb question at all. That's the way I see it, anyway. Never be afraid to ask, even if you think you'll look stupid for asking your question. What's that old saying... "It's better to ask a question and look like a fool for a moment, than to not ask a question and remain a fool forever".

I'll second this.

You could save yourself a big chunk of change by getting the hardtop (which was reissued about ten years ago), cutting the roof off, and using a resin convertible boot.

Best way to handle that script is to foil the bare plastic, then sand (or scrape or polish) between coats of primer and paint. Sounds tedious (and I suppose it is), but I'd think it would be less of a hassle than dealing with PE lettering that size.

Thanks, guys! The mirrors are from a Revell (Revell of Germany now) Pete 359- specifically from an incomplete Black Magic version I got for parts awhile ago. I think the rear tires are from an RC2-era reissue of the Ford C-600 stake bed.

Finally... Bruiser is complete! Long story short- I began with an incomplete AMT kit. A California Hauler coughed up it's Detroit V8, and a Paystar 5000 donated the front tires and rear wheels. Some scratch building and a few copious dips into the spares box and here we are.

This one should be "under glass" sometime today or tomorrow....

Cool! I've entertained the thought of turning one of these into a stretch limo.

My OLD winter toy.

Who casts that REO V-63? I've seen it on eBay a few times but I still don't know who casts it.

Looks like 2015's off to a great start.

I'll agree with Chuck K on the AMT having the accuracy edge over the Revell/Monogram kits. I will add that it also seems to be a bit more detailed- not by much, but it does have a slight leg up. In addition to the stance issues, it also requires a bit more patience during assembly than the R/M kits. But that's kind of how all the '90's kits were- generally speaking, if Revell/Monogram and AMT/Ertl both offered a kit of the same (or similar) subject, the AMT was almost always more detailed, but the R/M offering was easier to build.

In addition... the style of truck depicted by the kit was not built in Tennessee. Tennessee production did not begin until the revised 1983.5 model arrived. You could rework the kit into a 1983.5 model if you wanted to, no doubt, but the kit doesn't represent a Tennessee-built Datsun.