sjordan2

Wow, that is a very fine piece of modeling, and an excellent example of how larger-scale kits accept such a high level of detail. Did the engine decals come with the kit or did you make them?

Great job. Nice paint, which has just the right amount of shininess for that car – not overdone.

VERY nice, Bernie. Excellent detail work inside and out. Good thing you keep it garaged - you wouldn't want snow on it.

So many members on this forum do absolutely beautiful jobs on their builds, but several of the models are marred by the fact that opening hoods and trunks don't seem to fit very well. Has there been a tutorial on this subject on this forum? (And please don't ask me to do a search, because it doesn't work here.) I could use some info on this topic, especially regarding my 1/25 Maserati 3500 GTi.

Well, this site has its breaking points, too with several threads laid to rest by the management. All I can say is that Barrett-Jackson turned my well-meaning post into something I never said and that some might call slanderous. But never mind. I'm done with this thread.

My umbrage is based on the fact that the B-J site edited my mere mention of a name into a negative slur on Russo and Steele – "that lesser auction company."

I made the same post at the website for the Antique Automobile Club of America, and the moderator just pulled the thread and said it was slanderous. Well, all I can say is that someone who modifies my post to say something I never said is a slanderer.

In all my years on the Internet, I've never seen this kind of junk (euphemism for any variety of unpleasant, censorable words) for a supposedly reputable company.

You won't believe this one. I promise you, you won't believe it. I just registered at the Barrett-Jackson website with the following original comment: "I think Barrett-Jackson and SPEEDTV do themselves a disservice by concentrating so heavily on American muscle during primetime hours. There are so many other interesting cars, which have been beautifully displayed on the Russo and Steele telecasts – classic sports cars, vintage stunners, etc. To me, this means that B-J doesn't even come close to the giants of the business – Gooding, Coy's, Sotheby's, Bonham's, etc. B-J needs to step up to the plate and showcase the great cars of history." THEN, the website automatically edited my post to say the following and delete any reference to Russo and Steele: "I think Barrett-Jackson and SPEEDTV do themselves a disservice by concentrating so heavily on American muscle during primetime hours. There are so many other interesting cars, which have been beautifully displayed on the that lesser auction company telecasts – classic sports cars, vintage stunners, etc. To me, this means that Barrett-Jackson doesn't even come close to the giants of the business – Gooding, Coy's, Sotheby's, Bonham's, etc. Barrett-Jackson needs to step up to the plate and showcase the great cars of history." I added the following response: "Are you people TOTAL IDIOTS???? I never said "lesser auction company telecast???" I said "Russo and Steele!!" you people are morons!!!" As you can imagine, even this response changed "Russo and Steele" to "the lesser auction company." I have no respect at all left for the morons at B-J.

At the moment (Jan 22, 2pm EST), I'm watching the Russo and Steele auction on ESPN Classic. In my opinion, a better presentation with more interesting cars in the spotlight than B-J.

Yeah. Did you remove them from your Photobucket album? If so, they're gone from anywhere you posted them.

Your graphics are certainly far more accurate than the decal set I posted. It's attention to detail like the small serifs on the 1 and the 3, plus the proper slant to the O that recreate the original.

Did you make the decals or are they aftermarket? They're outstanding.

Is this the GrandtLine part you're using for the chain drive (O scale)? If so, do you have the dimensions on it (horizontal outside diameter would be all I need)? I need to rig up a chain apparatus for the brake system on my 1/16 Bugatti 59. BUGATTI (One assembly on each side):

Art – I forgot: What scale is this? How did you make the bicycle chain?

I just took a look at it on ultimatecarpage. com. That has the most aggressive nose treatment I've ever seen. http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/4708/Ferrari-FF.html

Lots of pictures here of the original and replicas. Shouldn't be too hard to make your own decals. http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&source=imghp&biw=1347&bih=720&q=james+dean+porsche+550+spyder&gbv=2&aq=1&aqi=g3&aql=&oq=james+dean+porsche A few years ago, I looked into getting a fiberglass replica from Thunder Ranch, but it was so impractical I dropped the idea. Nobody has aftermarket systems for adding either heat or air (Vintage Air doesn't do air-cooled engines; the car, however, can be ordered with a Mitsubishi water-cooled engine instead of the standard VW Super Beetle engine). The fact that the gas tank is essentially suspended over your lap is also a little off-putting. By, the way, here's a sticker set made for the Maisto diecast. The source says it's out of stock, but you could probably make decals from it.

When I was in the Canadian Rockies at 40 below, I did the same thing with a cup of hot coffee; turned into ice crystals almost as soon as it left the cup. People there who don't have access to a plug for their block heater at any given time just leave their cars running. Many parking lots have plugs for each space.

Just spectacular. Can't wait to see the next version with improvements, and it would be nice to see some interior shots.

I'm really looking forward to your build of the Mercedes SLS AMG.

Ed – what would those be?

I'd love to see Bob Downie's response to this.

Many years ago when I was in college, I had a summer internship to work at Warner Bros. to study film production. I was assigned to the short-lived "Banyon" series set, which was a film noir production about a 1930s Sam Spade-style private eye, played by Robert Forster. They had quite an array of cars from Hollywood Motors, including a Bugatti T50 that would seldom be coaxed into running. The hero's car was a gray Packard roadster. There were many scenes that involved machine guns peppering the car; this was accomplished by taping "squibs" of wired explosive dots of gunpowder along the side of the car, which could not be seen on film. Nonetheless, as benign as that might have been, it made me cringe for the car when they shot the scenes. At the same time, I was involved in the shooting of "The FBI" TV series. Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. would often show up on the lot with his exquisite, beige-colored Packard dual cowl phaeton with a crystal Lalique hawk's-head hood ornament. This is supposedly the same car, though the hood ornament seems to have been replaced (not surprising since, by itself, it is worth several thousands of dollars). Of course, Hollywood is a car-stalker's paradise. Many more stories to tell. Unfortunately, there is nothing to be learned from this other than classic cars are cool and it's good to be rich. Since then, as an ad agency creative director, I've had the fun of shooting commercials for Exxon and Food City at the Atlanta and Bristol tracks with Geoff Bodine, Dale Earnhardt, Michael Waltrip, Darrell Waltrip, Rusty Wallace (not a fun guy) and others.

Beautiful work. What scale is the kit?

An out-of-focus background almost always makes a car look like a model. Based on certain details (though the wood grain on the flatbed looks very model-like), I'll guess real.