Jason Rothgeb

Thanks Greg. Andy, it will be great to see you too. Unless there is ANOTHER vendor who does the upper midwest shows and the NNL East, you may be the only person who's not a family member and comes in contact with BOTH Rothgeb brothers. Lucky you

Was I excommunicated while I wasn't looking? Funny nobody said anything last Friday at the meeting about this. I guess the rational is "he's only on the MCM board once in a blue moon so he won't see this". This is what I get for not going to shows in the prison van: EXCLUSION Just so everyone knows this is all in good fun (I hope) the Philly Guys are a professional harrassment (not THAT kind; there are other kinds you know) society who just happen to build car models as well. So Greg, this lower tier member of PACM would also like a nametag to wear as well, Thanks, Jason

Any idea on a tentative release date so I know how long I have to save up my pennies and dimes? This is a great idea! A backdrop to photograph my models has always been a "one of these days" project for me for years, but it has not really jumped to the forefront because I'm not really interested in building a diorama, I would just like to have a nice backdrop to photograph my models in. To have a turnkey or partially assembled alternative that looks this cool is wonderful! Your excellent musclecar book, the idea to sell a 1/24 lift, individual diecast muscle car components for modelers to kitbash, and now this. This may sound corny and make me look like a fanboy, but the car model hobby has certainly benefitted from your efforts over the years. I'm looking forward to your latest.

I must have been thinking of one of the many 56s done by John White then. Either that, or you did your 55 Chevy in the same color scheme. Maybe we can get a Tri-5 building project going in the club. I guess I should get my movie car done first though huh?

My avatar is a sample of my work. Here is my big three of photography tips: 1. Steady camera. This does not necessarily mean a tripod though. For a lot of my low angle shots, the camera is directly on the table. For higher angle shots, if you can do it without crushing someone's model at a show, use your elbows as a makeshift tripod. This will steady your shot. I got that one from Bob Seagraves. 2. Lots of indirect light and a sweep. My set-up is the overhead lights in my kitchen and two floor lamps for 540 watts of illumination! A lot of folks just take their stuff outside. The sweep will help with light diffusion and brightness as well as aiding the auto focus lens on keeping the subject/car in focus. 3. Camera settings: Flash off, Macro on, and using the highest quality setting (especially if you are thinking about having prints made like you mention in the thread.) As Ron L. said this is "most of the way there" for a basic primer

Maybe it's all of the metallics in the Testor's lacquer line, because I've used the Hemi Orange and the metal flake in that was also too big. What's everyone's experiences with the other metallics in the line?

The only one I ever saw (in print) was the one Drew Hierwater build for his Bench Racer column in that "other" model magazine so years back (1999 if I had to guess). I don't remember him listing any building difficulties but it has been years since I read it. I have one of the reissues with the resin hood, but I still haven't broken the seal on it. I'll let you know how it builds 30 years from now. Maybe

And without further ado here is my rendition of that kit. A guy in our club (the board's own Ariel) listed some kits for sale and this was one of them. I assumed that a 69 Camaro was going to be Revell's world beating 69 Camaro and not this kit. Imagine my disappointment when I saw the Monogram kit. Thing is...I had this kit as a kid. In fact it was one of the first I built. With that, I decided to hop in the time machine and give the kit another try with my improved skills. So is it an ugly purse and half deaf pig? I'll let you decide.

Here is an engine shot and one of the things I don't like about building Fords: the upfront and very conspicuous distributor that begs to be wired. As you can see I was remiss and did not wire it. The air cleaner decals were from the Keith Marks set as well since there were none provided with those that came in the kit.

That looks great. Even though I'm a sucker for "lipstick red" the color you chose still adds a touch of European class versus American Flash to the build. I really had a thing for Porsches as a preteen, the 930, the 944, the 928. Your model really sparked those memories. Thanks for a trip down memory autobahn.

Wow! Thanks for all the nice comments guys. I will try to get some more pictures of this build tonight when I can access Fotki. Also I will be bringing both of these builds to the "East Coast Model Car sitdown" on Feb. 23. To those not aware, this is a small model get together in East Norriton, PA (Suburban Philadelphia just off exit 25 of the PA turnpike) two weeks from last saturday. A bunch of the MAMAS boys make it, as do the Central PA model club, some Tri-State guys, and of course, the host club, PACM (the Philly guys). This is a great time, crowded yes, with a fun and talented bunch of builders. Please think about attending if you can make it. If anyone needs more details, I will be happy to provide a link to details.

This is the Revell kit. Box stock except for Keith Marks Decals. Paint is Tamiya Racing white under Tamiya clear. Although not a commonly known fact, of the 1000 Shelbys sold to Hertz Rent-a-car, about 200 were colors besides black including the white seen here, red, blue and green.

This is the Revell Re-release of this kit, California Wheels 2 n' 1. It is box stock with the addition of Fred Cady Trans Am emblems thanks to the licensing situation. The paint is Tamiya Pure white under Tamiya clear. The shaker is Tamiya light blue.

Thanks everybody! I can't wait to get home and try this. Pictures of my three most recent builds will be forthcoming this evening.

I was able to do this back in May of last year, but since then either things have changed or I've forgotten how to do it. I pasted in the address from the "Share on other websites" option in the window that popped up when I clicked on the insert image icon. What I got was a message saying "No dynamic images allowed" or something like that if that isn't the exact language. What did I do wrong? Thanks in advance, Jason

Man do I hear that! I did not have anything going on this past Sunday and the huge block of time plus a little time Monday morning since it was a holiday was enough for me to get my first completion of 2008. I will provide pics of this and a couple of other recent builds this weekend. Finished models is about the only thing for me to look forward to in Post-Christmas wintertime.

Am I writing to the right company? Well, the plot thickens. This past weekend I picked up Model King's Challenger Funny car from a vendor at a club meeting. Yay me and THANK YOU Model King. I am trying to finish some other stuff on my bench first, but this kit is begging to go first. Anyway, this kit actually contains licensed Goodyear tires and the label on the bottom of the box told me so. The tires were the old MPC slicks that came in every Pro street kit for about ten years running. The price of the kit? $20. I know this is a can of worms, but I still think it's one we need to explore as modeling consumers. What are we willing to pay for licensed kits? For me, $20 bucks is a figure I can live with. I'm buying so few these days and it takes me so long to finish them, that that's a figure I can live with. Instead of Goodyear, should I write to Revell and say I want a licensed product and I'm willing to pay the extra couple of bucks to make that happen? From one of the other posters, it appears that Goodyear is just going to send me a "Thanks but no" form letter like he received, but I still think it's worth it. I think it's worth it because I too think the display of their logo is free advertising unlike the millions they spend on Nascar and that dirigible that hovers over just about every sporting event for advertising. I just wonder if I would get farther with Revell, and are other modelers willing to pay a little more to get the most exact replica possible? If you could just respond to this post and say "Yes, I'm good for a buck or two more for a licensed model", or "No, enough is enough and I'm not paying a penny more" I get the feeling Revell is banking on car modelers answering no, since any increase in price is going to hurt their sales and that is why they told Goodyear to take a walk. Thanks in advance for your responses, Jason

In every new release I have seen, I would have to say yes. One exception is the Goodyear decal that is seen above the tire on the front fenders of Nascar racers. The story I've heard (from either that same MC article I mentioned before or from the Randy Ayer's board) )for that is that the contingency decals on the car are licensed through Nascar rather than Goodyear.

One answer to this question comes from the pages of a back issue of Model Cars magazine. I think it was the article Darryl Hutala (my apologies if I misspelled your name) in which he compared the current AMT and Revell NASCAR kits not too long ago. If I recall correctly, the figure mentioned was the Goodyear license would add the dollar or more to the cost of each kit. If someone has this article/figure at hand, it would enrich the discussion.

Frank, I enjoyed reading your post and agree with the points it made except for the passage I cite above. So many times a particular course of action is pursued and maintained simply because there is no feedback to the contrary. How many of us have actually written to Goodyear and expressed our displeasure with their licensing policies? Me personally it has been on the to do list for a number of years but have not gotten around to it. This post has served as the tipping point for me to not wait another day and to write that letter today. I disagree with the statement about the original manufacturers. Many times in this country, multi-million dollar companies and their decisions are influenced by the "mouse that roared", in other words a vocal dissenter who voices their opinion against what is seen as what the majority wants. Want an example? The taste of Coke. Does anyone think that Coke made the decision to change the formula arbitrarily? No sir. There was loads of research that demonstrated people preferred the sweeter, higher corn content taste of Pepsi. Pepsi realized this when they launched their "Pepsi Challenge" campaign some years before the Coke formula change. Based on that information that Coke had, they made the change. The unanticipated negative feedback and nostalgia for the hundred year-old formula for this decision brought about a swift and drastic course correction. Another good example is those who object to the content and language of some TV shows. (I really don't want to get into the politics of obscenity and network TV, I cite it only because a small group made their opinion know and affected a change in a multi-million dollar corporation.) This was not a big group, but the voicing of their opinions got a lot of media attention and affected what and how the network's broadcast. Another factor I think has been overlooked in this thread is the MILLIONS of dollars Goodyear spends promoting their products and attempting to generate goodwill. You think Goodyear MAKES money on their association with Nascar? The money they spend is all about getting their name in front of race fans and generating goodwill. Did Pixar pay Goodyear for their association with the movie Cars or did Goodyear pay them? The reason these two examples come to mind is a visit to my tire store a couple of years ago yielded me going home with a bunch of Nascar posters and "Cars" goodyear tie-in stickers for kids. Goodyear has spent all these millions for people to think positively about their product and then ostracizes a number of potential customers for the sake of a few thousand. It does not make sense and if just a few of us bring this to their attention, I believe we CAN change their mind. It can't just be me though, my letter alone will be written off as a lone nutter. To this end I would ask those involved in consumer relations (a big company would make my point a little better but small companies are welcome too) to relate their own stories about how a rational and articulate complaint or suggestion brought about a change in the dealings with that one consumer or company policy. To make things easier, here is the contact information for Goodyear: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company 1144 East Market Street Akron, Ohio 44316-0001 Tel. (330) 796-2121 Fax (330) 796-2222 I'll update this thread with the text of my own letter and any response I receive. As a final point, I'd like to address the barb directed at attornies in this thread. The decision to charge model companies a substantial royality fee for the right to use their name is a BUSINESS decision made one or many business people. It was not a verdict rendered in a court case or some other legal document. It was a decision based on the principles of Capitalism. Namely a given company has decided that it is going to charge a certain amount for the use of its copyrights. If society has decided that a certain element of Capitalism is undesirable, like say the sale of one's organs or tissue, they expressly forbid it. The answer in this case, IMHO, is to convince that company that such a high fee is a poor business decision that will generate negative feelings and impact their profits. A primary purpose that attornies serve is the gathering and analysis of information and providing that information and their analysis to the client who requested it. Here's mine: write to Goodyear, tell them you do not agree with their licensing policy, and tell them exactly how much you spend on tires and how their policy has affected your purchasing decisions. Consider this post a little Pro Bono work on my part

That's too wierd. I got the same CD for my wife with the thinking she's a big Crosby, Stills, and Nash fan, she should like America's greatest hits. She didn't. You would think I would better at this after 13 years, but there you go. So I ended up with the CD and I like it. To keep this from being Off Topic for models, I also received MPC's 1/20 McLaren Mk8d from my brother. The fact that I had this one as a kid, it's such a cool subject, and I have to finally get something my brother gave me built will allow me to overcome my scale bigotry and get this one built in 2008. Has anyone built this one? Things to look out for? Preliminary research has the injector stacks black, the rear airfoil also appears to be black, as do the small fins over the front wheeels. The wheel centers also seem to be a cast aluminum color while the outer wheel is a polished aluminum. I'd love to see images of people's finished models or the 1:1 if they have them. Thanks in advance, Jason

Bob you are the ying to my yang (the other half for those not familiar with eastern philosophy). The cut, sand, fill, and sand some more phase, is the one I like the least. It is the motivation that caused me to start the project in the first place and the completion of subassemblies that keeps me going through that low cycle of the build process. A finished engine, wheel assemblies, or a polished body ready for BMF are the things that get me amped. Next up on the Thrill-O-Meter is slipping that body over a completed chassis. It's only the close proximity of my neighbors that keeps me from fits of delirious laughter like those uttered by Dr. Frankenstein in the original movie. "Alive" I tell you. The ultimate is the "photo session" with the completed model. In other words my enjoyment seems to run in direct contravention to yours. Different strokes huh?

Short answer? Too long! I'm one of the folks like Harry, Ismael, and Bill who steals time for modeling in the wee hours of the night and in the morning before the rest of the family is awake. To make matters worse, I'm a Kitchen table modeler who has to completely knock down my set up at the end of most sessions. Getting out, putting away and looking for parts takes up a good chunk of already precious time. As a result of these factors and my somewhat improved and more meticulous building skills, I can count the number of models I finish in a given year on one hand. And that's IF I stay focused. 2005 was not such a year and I only had one completion to show at year's end. Thankfully, I've doubled that total this year and the year is only half finished. Staying focused does come at a price though. Seeing the same project on the bench month in month out can get monotonous and lead to a feeling of drudgery. But seeing the finished project in your mind's eye and remembering how good it felt when you got the last one finished is what keeps you going. In light of all this some would wonder why I bother. Because when I do finally finish a project to my satisfaction, it's a great feeling. Then add to that feeling the joy of having to share my work online and at my local club and shows with other builders whose work I admire, it's even better. Here's a picture of 2005's sole completion:

Thanks Daryl. I'm off to Randy's board to see if this will work for me. It worked like a charm. Thanks again, Daryl