iBorg

Now that the McEwen reissue is out, when might we see the Chi-Town Hustler and the Hawaiian? I'm interested in the McEwen kit only if the decals are significantly better than the last release. The other two, will be going home with me. Might not even get home before the plastic is off. Mike

Time for my two cents.... There's a difference between buying and modeling. I see J.'s work and I know its the result of a skilled craftsman. I see others post their work and I see the result of someone buying this and adding it to that. I have a lot of the "high tech" tools and I'm not sure they're a help or a hindrance. Having them is great. Knowing how to use them is a skill I lack. I spent the summer moving them and if I ever get my tools settled, I might actually model. And get off of this computer.... Mike

The Jo Han chassis is smaller than just about anything out there. The AMT Challenger requires a fair amount of surgery. The 1/24 Monogram Challenger is HUGE. I haven't tried it but I wonder about the Revell 1/25 Challenger. Anything else such as the AMT Duster are longer wheelbases and require a great deal of surgery. Mike

HEY GREG...... Ever thought of doing an article on building some of those pieces? Those are really nice. Mike

Sadly no it doesn't. The chassis is the old Garlits Wynnscharger which is the MPC front engined dragster. Others that used it were the Young American. Many drag builders would like to see it reissued but I wouldn't be looking for it. You might want to consider the Ivo/Too Much chassis or scratch building one. Mike

Is this the kit that was reboxed by Revell? If so I've got to find that in my stash and start building. Your's is one tremendous model. Mike

A really cool motor for this is the baby Hemi in the Miss Deal or the Olds in the original Beatnik Bandit. Mike

Steve: Good job! Mark: Great comment! Mike

I like it. I'm not familiar with that set of Slixx decals, I'll have to look. Mike

Based upon your numerous errors, are you going to build a replacement? If so, I'll clear a spot for it. Truly an excellent build! Mike

I second the STUNNING verdict. Other words seem to fall short. Mike

Nice build. The problem with that kit as well as the Willys Pick Up and the Henry J is the frame. This is designated a gasser. NHRA rules required a stock type frame which meant rectangular frame. These all share a round tube frame which would automatically make this an altered. Mike

The top one may be from a Deora. The third one is from Palmer. A very generic chrome that was used in most of their kits. The only change would be the year on the license plate. Its amazing to see one with that nice of chrome. Mike

For inspiration try this site: http://picasaweb.google.com/montywolf/FavoriteRaceCarsDriversAndRacePeople# I might try my hand at this. My choice is in that assortment. More info if I can get the body right. Mike

The only way PayPal would allow you to transfer to a credit card is to get the PayPal credit card. Then you're supposed to be able to transfer money to the credit card balance. I think Marc's suggestion of a Paypal debit card makes more sense. Of course the problem is before you get to that point, you have to have money in the account which would require someone to pay you or transfer money from a bank account. You could always sell something on eBay but before you do, you need a credit card on file to pay for the listing fees. I think you're a victim of eBay/PayPal's trying to squeeze every penny out of you possible. Wish I could be more encouraging. Mike

Only one word.....SWEET! Mike

Tis the season to buy school supplies. I've used these for four or five years. Every August I look at them and decide whether or not to replace them. I get about two years use out of them. I put sanding tools in one and cutting tools in another. They pack very easily. Mike

I'm trying to reproduce this car or something similar. http://streetrodder.automotive.com/118269/0910sr-brian-vanzant-1950-chevy-woody/photos0-0.html I have a AMT 1951 Chevy and a Wagon Rod. I've tried to merge them but I'm just not able to figure out where to cut. The 1:1 used a four door 1950 Chevy. The AMT is a 1951 Fleetline. It seems like it ought to work. Any suggestions? Mike

Shane: I haven't tried this yet, but I hope to soon. Take a look at: http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Cold-Heat-soldering-iron/ This is a resistance unit. I like this design as several I've seen use a car battery charger which I'm leery to try. Mike

Shane: I'll admit your building is getting better all the time. This build is inspiring in so many ways. I do look forward to see this one finished. Hat's off to you! Mike

This is the same chassis as the Bug-a-boo VW and the Infiniti-Model T. Overall a reasonably clean build of one of AMT's less stellar efforts. I stand by my question of shelf or contest model. Obviously for a contest model there's a lot wrong with it. Many of these have been mentioned. My first suggestion is dump the kit and start over. It's not a good base to start from. If its a shelf model and you're happy with it and your building experience, enjoy it. Remember there are those who build for contests and those who build for fun. Hopefully you can have fun doing both. Mike

First a question for you, is this a shelf model or a contest model? That answer determines a lot about my answer. This is a bit of an unfair question. You see the problem is if you apply the standards of a drag race car, the beginning kit lacks. The frame would weigh a ton and there is no class where such a car could realistically compete. Its too long for a funny car or an altered and would weigh significantly too much for a dragster. For a show car, it's obviously missing the angel hair. Back to the original question..... You could argue it needs more detail but did you enjoy building it? If so, then the model served its purpose. Remember its a hobby. Mike

The McEwen kit is a replica of Tom's '57 exhibition car on the late Monogram funny car chassis. The Plum Crazy dates back to the 70's. It has a variation of the Snake/Mongoose chassis (I think) and the body looks more stock (still far from stock) than the McEwen body. I think you could make a pretty good body from the Plum Crazy but it requires some modification to reduce its bulk for example around the blower. Mike

This is one of those cars that I keep on hoping that either Round 2 or Revell re-issues. Maybe they could take the best of the Jo-han kit (body and engine) and scan it for reproduction and create a new interior and chassis. I do know that Oakey Spaulding, the current caretaker of the Jo-han brand will never reissue the Maverick. This is due to a combination of mold damage and/or missing molds as well as licensing fees. Now if I could only find a grill for the Maverick, I have one I could restore. Mike

I highly recommend modelexpress.net. There's also modelroundup.com Mike