sjordan2

Another issue relating to all this is the question of "don't buy it if you don't like it." The way kits are packaged today, how are you supposed to like it until you get it home after you've bought it, unwrap it and study all the parts? Take it from there.

This thread doesn't have to be like a train wreck. We have learned from some of our members that the kit makers follow what's going on here. This sort of conversation can be helpful for encouraging them to raise their standards. Moebius, for example, has been quite attentive to the needs expressed here and has become one of the best model companies out there.

Another example of why Big Boyz should not be a separate category because people don't look and learn here. Everything that is discussed here, including Harry's outstanding build journals, is transferrable to smaller scales.

Search for Harry's build on this forum. Ask Harry P. for the link - I can't find it.

Did you download from this source? All of the manuals I've downloaded from them are very good. http://www.modelmotorcars.com/html/useful_info/manuals/MB_K74.pdf PS: Here's my limited photo folder on Photobucket of the 500-540K. I have a ton more material on my hard drive, so ask me about anything you want. http://s827.photobucket.com/user/sjordan47/library/Mercedes%20500-540K?sort=3&page=1&_suid=139318730089605936422385275364 In fact, PM me with your mailing address and I'll send you my research files on CD. You will also find a number of build journals at scalemotorcars.com, and Harryp here on this forum has built it and will answer questions about it.

Beautiful work! Does it have an engine?

Why call out Harry, who doesn't need to be reminded, "You are a modeler"? There were a few better kits in days past, such as the Jo-Han Gold Cup series, many worse, and much better technology available today to make kits that shouldn't have glaring flaws. Considering the amount of time, enthusiasm and investment that modelers (especially those who are interested enough to frequent this forum) put into the hobby, shouldn't the kit makers be held to certain standards? And, as has been mentioned multiple times here, criticisms should be aired or we'll all get the lower-quality kits we would deserve. Criticism is necessary to progress.

Agreed. But in a larger sense, isn't this a website for people who have more than a slight interest in the hobby and see it as more than messing around with toys? I think most of our members are concerned with a high level of craftsmanship that is more than a passing fancy, and look to raise their work to a level of art. Lots of different people here, with different aims, but they wouldn't be here if the subject didn't have an important place in their lives. So the quality of the kits - raw material of the work - is extremely important to us.

I missed the part in the general rules where we all need to go through you to get approval for our credentials and what certain people are permitted to post on what subject, or why you should be allowed to show such disrespect to people who have been valuable contributors to this forum. Have I shown disrespect? Emphatically yes, but only to people who make comments like this.

HEY!! I've got my reply box tools back!! THANK YOU!!

Has anyone who's frequented this forum ever heard of a "floating alternator?"

I just got my Lindberg kit today, which is enhanced from the original Pyro kit by having chrome. I'm determined to see if I can come anywhere close to your build. But this is another example of box art that shows a real car and not the model, with no indication on the labeling, and I think that's just wrong.

I think a lot of our members miss stuff like this because they don't check out the Big Boyz section, which is where most of Harry's builds appear. Not finish things? You can't believe how fast he is at finishing things, with lots of scratch building and a museum-quality finish. This is why I think the Big Boyz section should go away. Cato has piped in for a long time with help on Cobras and is always ready to do so.

Which one has all the inaccuracies?

Casadio-Revival made a series of extremely nice 1/20 antique racers, like this smaller version of the Pocher Fiat -- another superb piece of work from Jurgen. http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234952276-1907-fiat-f-2-130hp-grand-prix-racer-120/ This rare 1/12 Fiat Mefistofele kit by Protar looks like a real winner... http://www.bigscalemodels.com/cars/fiat_mefistofele/mephistopheles.html

Just a note for those who haven't seen Cato's work -- it's superb, mostly in larger scale. And you should see the 1:1 Cobra kit car he built himself.

No problem. Just a couple of suggestions that have alleviated any prior problems I've had: Regularly empty the cache in your browser, and unplug then reconnect the cables along the line to and from your modem. One of the biggest problems I had was with my coaxial cable splitter, which was fixed by getting a higher-grade splitter (if you have a single connection coming into your home to feed multiple devices like Internet and cable TV).

Thanks, but it doesn't work with my old OS, nor do others. Just Safari.

I used to love Firefox, but they updated themselves to a version that doesn't work with my system anymore and they have discontinued support of older versions (can't even download them). So I use Safari, which works just fine everywhere else. To update my OS requires doubling my memory and updating my OS, which is a $200 job that I can't afford.

I'm on Mac 10.4. Why can't I have access to any of the tools or smilies in the post boxes? Everything's grayed back and not usable. If this is not the right topic for this question, please tell me where it should go.

No compromises here. The seats are totally authentic to many of the 1:1 Bearcats I've seen, with diamond tufts on the seat bottoms only.

Hey, Frank –– I didn't see you link your article on the Peter Helck Mercer. Just outstanding... http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2009/06/18/mini-mercer-maximus/

Bear in mind that if the ITC kit is 16 inches long and the Mercer's original dimensions are 162", that's really 1/10 scale. The most accurate measurements might be found in wheelbase.

D'oh!

Not my project, just my suggestion. And Frank has pointed out something no one else mentioned, which is the steering box. As everything comes together, this is an absolute tour de force. I had no idea how much detail would be involved, and it's just stunning. EDIT: To clarify, this was more than a suggestion, I was asking for a very big favor -- to see how Harry would approach something I wanted to do with the Aurora kit, so I could learn from his approach. He graciously has tackled the challenge. I hope there was no misunderstanding, and that it's clear how much I appreciate this.