Jairus

Here is another design that will be available. Should be printed today... Since the show is just local, we changed the "American" to "NorthWest".

Some of you might already know and some of you might be interested to learn. The rest can move on to the plastic... For the last couple of months I have been designing Hot Rod t-shirts. The company is "Rat Hole Customs.com" and the theme is vintage and cool Hot Rod t-shirts. The company is getting set up with two multicolor turntable printers, a conveyor UV dryer, etc. All the trappings of a real print shop. Eventually we will be printing and selling our own shirts, but for the moment two other shops in town are hired to do the printing and we have been keeping them busy! The web site went up last week and our first hot rod show will be in Albany Jan 18th 2011! On the table will be available over 12 NEW designs! Whoo hoo! Take a moment and check out the site. We are also on Facebook! Last few days I have been down at the shop folding, bagging and tagging shirts. But while down there just an hour ago....we just got this one in! It's my favorite! The colors came out perfect and is printed on either grey or tan shirts. Tomorrow I'll bag them up for Saturday. I predict it will be our best seller. Those of you in the Willamette Valley and the surrounding area... come on in and check us out! The show will be great, the booth features a real Rat Rod as the center attraction and the local Salem model car club is hosting what will be the biggest mid-valley model car show yet! Saturday only, Jan 18th Albany Oregon Fairgrounds. See you there!

And very little common sense!

Makes sense... I had kit on the shelf when I did the illustration. ;~}

Dan, Good to know! Already sent Alan a part request! Thanks

Joe, The International I know nothing about but the Ford I am building myself. The problem exists that most of it will need to be kit bashed or outright scratch-built. All my research is in storage but what I have managed to find picture wise can be found in one of my fotki folders. Most of the pictures are of '35 - '37 trucks for frame and interior modifications. The windshield, hood sides and grill are the most difficult body mods but not impossible. Windshield on the '37 truck is of-course split and will require modifications to the cowl, vent and header. The grill is fairly easy to replicate if you have some skill. (click on the pic to go to Fotki) The tires from one of the Monogram Dusenberg kits are closest to the correct diameter but there is nothing out there in the aftermarket even remotely like those cool 5-hole wheels. Some have suggested using the very rare Revell of Germany Opel Blitz chassis and wheels for the build but upon acquiring one from a very generous Model Cars member I found out that nothing but the flat bed came even close! Wheels, tires, frame and rear axle were completely off. However, in a pinch and if you don't care, it is passable to the man on the street. Additional research can be found in the pages of this pamphlet, 1932 - 1937 Commerical truck specifications., from Bob Drake. Good Luck! Jairus

That kit may be a bit out of proportion and lack the necessary chrome details but after 40 some years it still wow's me! Probably one of my favorite Tom Daniel designs. Simple with just the right amount of modifications to make it work without being cartoon like. (well, maybe just a little) Very clean build up, you did the design justice. (hmmmmm good subject matter for a community build-off)

Looking forward to it Harold. You never fail to impress me!

Hey Harold! Long time no see. NNL in March, better get busy....

That's very good Harry! I was going to suggest spacers and whatever but that actually makes sense.

Yeah I have seen that episode too. Doesn't paint modelers in a very "adult" light does it? Incidentally, the 1953 movie "Nigara" clearly displays one of the characters at least twice, assembling a Highway Pioneers model car. At one point during a heated and angry fight with his wife (Marilyn Monroe), Joseph Cotten throws the nearly completed model against the wall smashing it. Good movie and holds up well even today as a thriller.

I just want to add that Roger is correct! Use acrylic paint whenever painting vinyl tires. For some reason oil based paints do not dry when painted on vinyl and rub off if touched. Just one of those interesting tidbits that bare repeating....

Here here!

There is a new addition to the Bellytank and streamliners reference site. This one is the Burke & Francisco Streamliner.

Jim/Tom, Evergreen makes their stuff in various sizes of tubing. Why not simply glue a length of tube in that hole at a very sharp angle and putty around it. Then simply block sand flat after all is dry and solid?

Talked to my friend Stan Ulrich last night and he asked me a simple question. Where to get those cool Speed boat curved carburetor scoops? Well... here: Available through Replicas & Miniatures Co of Maryland 317 Roosevelt Avenue S.W, Glen Burnie, MD 21061 410-768-3648 Give Norm a call and say: "I want #FH - 40, 1/25th Carburetor Stacks for $4.95 please!" Tell'm Jairus sent you.

Right... but you have to add to that the million kit production of the Dukes of Hazzard MPC model kit, plus the tons of 1/18th Chinese knock off Dollar-Store junk General Lee's (Ertl) and I think the '69 Charger is way more popular and produced in much greater numbers than any other single vehicle. If it were up to a popularity vote among just modelers regarding only kits, I might side with the Lil' Coffin however.

Tom Z., production manager at Johnny Lightning responded to me with the following post over at JLTalk.com. While he did not suggest that this was the most popular casting for JL, it is one that has had at least 3 - 4 releases during the last two decades. Coupled with the million model car kits of the General Lee, as posted by Modelmartin,.... one has to wonder. Respectfully submitted.

Well said Art! (He's my friend!)

In my humble opinion, the Yeoman had none of the style graced upon the prior Nomad series. It seems little more than a utilitarian sedan delivery with windows that someone forgot to bless with a second set of doors!

Tom Z. is the current production manager of Johnny Lightning. I sent him a note requesting the production numbers for the Dukes of Hazard model. J.L. had two releases of this beautiful casting. Hopefully he will get back to me soon, but due to the holidays... it might not be until after New Years.

I want one!

I see what the O.P. is getting at. Not the most produced "model kit" but the most reproduced image of a specific vehicle in scale! If you are going to include diecast and toys and Hot Wheels/Johnny Lightning... then the field is way open. That would take a lot of research to varify and cannot be based on just what you or I have on our shelves. I think the actual subject might be something more pedestrian. What it is... I don't know for sure. However, that said I will mention that Johnny Lightning did produce a very popular 1/64th diecast of the General Lee which has been released a number of times! (Regarding model car kit production numbers... back in the 60's a production run would have been about 40,000 up to 100,000 kits of a subject the first time out. A re-release might only be 10,000 depending on how well the first run sold. Today that number is quite a bit less as the market is a LOT smaller now.)

Hey, check this site out:

I believe George is right! Those caps are Kustom aftermarket items styled to have the same traits as the "Olds Fiesta" and "Dodge Lancer" caps so popular with the 50's custom rodders. Question is.... who made it? J.C. Whitney would be my guess....