styromaniac

Met Bill one Saturday years ago at a M.A.M.A. meeting...he had brought some of his work...he started out as I recall doing classic lead sleds with beautiful finishes...soon branched out to even more original concepts tapping classic 50s styling...even with touches of art deco or futuristic cues.Besides the club meetings ( which unfortunately I haven't been able to attend frequently ) Ive seen his work at some of the local contests...and his work pops up in the modeling magazines and online now and then. I always found him to be quite helpful and informative when asked about his modeling techniques. He is a true master of the craft.

I've seen his basement casting operation & model collection as well, and it is impressive. He is pretty much a one man operation....so when he decides to hang it up and retire it will be a tremendous loss to the hobby. Thats why I have stocked up on as much of his stuff as I can....for my own retirement days.

Amy did a great job packaging Harry's delicate Revell Orange Crate chassis and Olds motor, which I hope to finish one day....doing justice to his standards.Those of you who tackled this kit as both a kid and an adult know how challenging it can be.

Outstanding work there Dad. Thanks for all the info and pics.

Back in the day...and I mean waaaay back...working features were popular in scale automotive modeling. Started with opening up doors and trunks, then progressed to poseable steering...working shocks in the suspensions. Somebody somewhere got the idea of borrowing from the scale railroad hobby to put working lights in their model cars. If memory serves I think it may have started with "grain of wheat" bulbs placed in headlights & taillights, powered by concealed battery packs. Not sure if the heat given off by those bulbs caused problems with the paint and plastic from extended use. With today's advancements in technology I've been wondering what success anybody out there has been having illuminating automotive subjects...or is that something that's just not as popular as it once was. I've talked to a few sci-fi modelers at IPMS events about what they've used...would like to hear from anyone who has had good results and what they have used.

Absolutely fantastic look on both builds....scale artistry.

I've been living in the Northern Virginia area just outside of DC for decades and its pretty sad whats been happening to this hobby since I rediscovered scale modeling as an adult. We had a good shop called Granddads just outside the beltway that catered mainly to the model train crowd but they were sufficiently diversified to satisfy the average modeler, unfortunately they closed when the owner retired and moved away in the early 2000's. We also had Pipers Hobby in Fairfax that catered mainly to the aviation and armor enthusiasts but they just closed last March cuz the owners widow decided to hang it up and retire to Pennsylvania. There used to be a Hobbytown USA in Manassas but they disappeared years ago. There's a shop called Hobby Hanger in Chantilly not far from where Piper used to be but they are almost exclusively a radio control hobby shop, but at least I can get paints and modeling tools there. I discovered there is a Hobby Lobby to the south of us in Woodbridge but that's a bit of a trek in heavy traffic ( I-95 south is the pits no matter what day or time anymore ). It baffles me...I live in a major metropolitan area with a lot of high income neighborhoods not to mention a heavy dose of both active and retired military ( who you think would help support this hobby ) but there are so few choices. The only saving grace is a strong IPMS membership in Fairfax and a first rate model car club with MAMA ( Maryland Automotive Modelers Association ). Brick and mortar shops are a dying breed....as are scale modelers.

I just happened to pop into the Hobby Lobby in Woodbridge VA on Saturday and saw one 29 Roadster on the shelf , so I brought up the 40% coupon on the cell phone and bought it for $17.80...now it will sit in my mancave for a few months....I have other "wanna do" projects ahead of it. FYI...due to the controversy surrounding the 30 coupe I have scoured the Michael's and AC Moore stores all around N Va just to see and have seen no 30 coupes anywhere so the word of mouth along with the Internet buzz about that kit must've cleaned them all out. I myself own two or three of the original Monogram stock version of the 30 coupe so if I really absolutely had to build one as a rod version I'd have a starting point ...my aftermarket supply would do the rest. Can't see forking over the absurd prices I've seen them going for on Ebay...even if it was discontinued...which they say it won't be.

As long as you're not doing a factory stock replica you can make that motor whatever you want....as long as it fits. Why not start with the 4 Banger with period correct hop up equipment? If a small block Chevy will fit, why not that? The venerable 283 with multiple carbs. Both mills can be sourced from numerous Revell kits.

So...will you be going for the weathered wood? Or the just like new finish?

Have been seeing it more frequently at the B & N near the Springfield Town Center Mall in N. Virginia . Bought #'s 199,200, 201 there. With the loss of hobby shops it's good to have some place it can be found.

Looks like a good start. Always loved the Cobras. Don't know why the big one does not have the opening the little one has.

Any tips youd like to share on getting this kit actually finished? Like a lot of Revell's Speed & Show kits back in the day, the detailing is good but the builds are frustrating.

Thanks for the info. . I'll give it a try.

What's the best remedy for salvaging decals? A clear coat spray? A liquid solution? Can anyone name a product they've used with success? I have a few nostalgic decals I'm sure will require some kind of treatment as a precaution if they are to hold together.

Rolls Royce Merlins in P-51 Mustangs. Hopped up flatties in period perfect hot rods. They just sound so right.

Norm Veber of Replicas & Miniatures of Maryland is a master of his craft & as nice a person as you will ever meet in this hobby. I've been buying his products for years..his nostalgic rodding & custom products are varied ( especially his flathead hop up items ) and his collaborations with other skilled builders like Rik Hoving know no equal.

At Last! I started this thread back in mid April. Thanks for all the photos & write-ups guys. Sounds like a Nostagic Rodder's dream come true. Gotta get me a couple...or three.

Cool. I've been wanting a new classic Olds mill for rodding projects for some time now. It was a popular engine back in the day.

This '30 Model A coupe by Monogram is the first kit I built when I got back into modeling back in the mid-90's. I turned it into dry lakes racer w/ a nifty weathered paint job. I liked it so much I picked up a couple of more for my stash. It's an old tool but a goody...not too clunky being a Monogram kit

Common complaint for the newer AMT issue was the incorrect look of the cowl/nose piece & the too small looking engine. Many suggested the older version of the kit mixed w/ some parts of the new version would yield an acceptable rendition.

Walter - I agree. What's cooler than those jet interceptor pilots admiring the graceful lines of that XKE ? ( reminds me of that Hot Rod magazine cover from the same era of LeRoi "Tex" Smith's XR6 parked next to the F-104 Starfighter ) The companion box of the yellow Jag convertible w/ the racing boats in the background was also very cool. I have managed to re-acquire a lot of these works of art from the 60's in the past few years...often the artwork on the box cover exceeded the execution of the contents inside. Like all those Aurora 1/32nd kits...The Wolf Wagon, The Ramrod, etc. My favorites have always been the Monogram hot rod kits of the early 60's..The Green Hornet, the Black Widow, the Yellow Jacket, the Blue Beetle, the Red Chariot. Those and the early Revell "Speed & Show" kits...the Stone- Woods- Cooke Willys, the Mickey Thompson "Attempt 1" & "Challenger", the Tri-Five Chevies.