chepp

My 3-wheel yellow Ford entry is coming along, although it's a semi-serious design. Transforming the floor/frame/suspension of a 4-wheeled car into a 3 is much more time consuming than I had counted on. However, it's a really good artistic/engineering challenge. I've sent in my GSL competitor registration. How many others here (that we haven't heard from yet) are planning to be there?

Harry still needs our help with his medical expenses. I've just made another donation. Perhaps you could, too.

traditional, your improved models look really good. The wheels on the highway patrol version are supposed to be black. One thing to consider when making civilian versions of this die-cast is that body was only available to, as far as I know, the California Highway Patrol. It is a Special 2-door sedan body with a Century engine and front clip.

It doesn't matter to me. If I spend 40 hours on a $40 kit, that's a buck an hour (for the kit, not including paint glue, etc.). If it was a $30 kit, the hourly cost would be 75 cents. But then, I don't spend as much as many others do on other things. Zero on video games, smart phones, tablets, laptops, etc. My 10-year-old desk style computer works fine and so does my 15-year-old van. I could afford better but I don't. It's not really a miser thing — I just buy good to excellent quality stuff and keep it until it becomes unreliable.

AMT '69 Corvair. It was available at a bargain price because it was missing a few parts (stock tires and stock exhaust). The car itself didn't attract me but I bought in case I want to build an entry for the 2017 GSL Group class. Here are the rules: This Class is intended to revive and celebrate vintage kits and building styles, and to celebrate the way models were built in the “good old days” by creating a low-key, fun and challenging forum for creative and enthusiastic building. For GSL-XXVI, the “Group” kit is the 1969 Chevy Corvair. Entries may be built from any original or reissue release of the Round 2/AMT kit, in any style, with the skills and craftsmanship you have today, but using only parts, materials and supplies (except current putties, adhesives and paints) available 35 years ago (1982 or earlier). Entrants may use the newly re-issued Round 2 Corvair engine kit (AMTPP010) if desired. There are just three additional limitations: no one-off machined or photo-etched parts not fabricated entirely by the entrant; no aftermarket products not available in 1982 or earlier; and no resin bodies or resin body parts (regardless of who made these resin parts). Bare Metal Foil may be used. Fourth through First Place Awards are selected by popular-vote ballot, and announced during the Awards Presentation on Sunday morning. No entry in this Class is eligible for any Master Award. A model entered here may not also be entered in another Class, but a builder may enter any number of 1956 Ford Victoria models in this Class. http://www.gslchampionship.org/competition-principles/ - - - What to do, what to do?

I'll be at the GSL for my first time. I've been thinking about building/entering a yellow 3-wheel Ford as a tribute to your tradition. It could be funny if there were a bunch of yellow 3-wheel Ford models there from a variety of builders.

And for those who were in the greater Los Angeles area at the time (like I was) there were also the famous Helms Bakery trucks using the panel truck version of this Suburban.

Mine arrived today in my distant suburb of Los Angeles. It's the first issue received for my sub. It's great to see so many different kinds of model vehicle building. It's especially fascinating to see new custom car styling and even new combinations of things such as the rat rod hauler. I'm looking forward to more issues and to more appearing on the updated Custom Clinic website when it's revamped.

Thanks, Harry, for the update. Have any greater-Los Angeles subscribers received #201? I'm still waiting.

I'm looking forward to receiving #201 at home and/or work. Has anyone received theirs in the 91XXX or 92XXX ZIP codes? One thing I'm looking for is photos of the winners in the http://www.customclinic.com/ online custom car contest. One of them is mine but I don't know if pix of all will be published.

Here's a whole web page of them: http://www.zazzle.com/dragstrip+stickers

Yes, beauty is subjective. Here are some photos from magazines showing real customs. I have no comment but just show these for their entertainment value.

Here's my AMT '55 Nomad built in/about 1969. It has reverse-hinged doors from a Revell '57 Nomad and a front clip/engine from the MPC Mako Shark II concept car. Charley

A clue that confirms the '80s production date may be the "Boss Man" name -- it's clearly a reference to the Boss Hogg character from the Dukes of Hazzard television show who drove a white Cadillac.

Here's something to consider when shooting a model with a real background. For the real part of the scene (presuming the ground is fairly level with whatever is in the distance), measure the height of the camera from the ground. Then position the model so the camera is the same SCALE height from the ground the model is sitting on. For example, if the camera is four feet above the real life ground, adjust the height of the model and its base so the centerline of the camera's lens is four SCALE feet above the model's base.

Thanks! The link works fine -- I've just submitted my entry. There's still time left (but not much) before the May 1 entry deadline.

I'm in. The link problem from a few days ago has been resolved and my submission has gone through OK. I, too, had to resize a couple of pix. FYI, the deadline is May 1 -- there's still time (well, not much) to enter.

There's only about a day left: deadline is May 1, 2015. The entry upload link on the contest page: http://www.customcli...com/?page_id=37 (about 3/4 down the page in the "Upload your entry using the form on this website." text) does not work. It leads to a 404 message here: http://bentonworld.c...cwp/?page_id=71 How should online entries be handled?

The entry upload link on this page: http://www.customclinic.com/?page_id=37 (about 3/4 down the page in the "Upload your entry using the form on this website." text) does not work. It leads to a 404 message here: http://bentonworld.com/cclinicwp/?page_id=71 How should online entries be handled?

There's no time like the present. If you still have them get started by repairing damage, if any, to the models then put them on display. That could be a good way to get the "bug" to build some more!

Since the cost of materials and molding apparently is a tiny part of the equation, perhaps a solution would be for the manufacturer to sell a typical model kit box filled with as many tires as could fit. It could be priced the same as a typical model kit.

Hi, Bob. It's not obvious to me. Could you tell me why?

Thanks for the various opinions, facts and other comments on this subject. I am (as usual) especially impressed with the rational posts by Tom Geiger, Art Anderson and charlie8575. It's a complex problem. One thing I might add is that market research done by individual companies is not likely to become publicly available. It is expensive and is usually considered a trade secret -- there would be nothing to gain from giving it away, especially when competitors might be able to use it to aid in competing against the company that paid for it. On the other hand, many of Harry P's posts, especially the ones stating that building a model not being educational, don't seem worthy of one who is a moderator. I'll side with the trio mentioned above. I've built plastic models, mostly of cars, since I was a little kid in the late '50s. I've had "how to" articles on them published since the '70s. My career since 1982 has been with die-cast toy and model manufacturers in the new products departments -- and often being involved with people formerly with the model kit manufacturers. I know, at work I'm part of the "dark side" since the majority of die-casts are already assembled, sometimes have fad trends in styling that traditionalists abhor, and on and on. Still, my hobby is building models. I can't predict the future of the hobby but it sure is interesting. I have the luxury of living two miles from a huge brick-and-mortar full line hobby shop -- I hadn't even realized it existed when I moved here (east of Los Angeles) fifteen years ago. It seems to be going great. It stocks the common kits and items that one would expect, plus it carries all sorts of obscure items (weathering powder, for example), has a big RC track out back and is staffed with knowledgeable people. The store manufactures (or, at least, store brands them) hobby items, too. So between this store and the internet, just about anything I could want can be purchased -- and then re-shaped by me into my own vision in scale. I can't imagine how things could be any better.

Me neither. Great job on it! Maybe that rear body section could be the start of an interesting full-bodied custom with the rest of the body from a mid-'60s Buick (maybe even the AMT '66 Riviera).

Here's how to stretch your hobby dollar: take more time to build each model. Not only will the model be better, you won't spend so much. A $40 kit plus $20 in paint/glue/etc. = $60 If you put in 60 hours to build it, it only costs a dollar an hour. You can't find much entertainment for that amount AND have something great to look at after you're done. Spend 120 hours on it and the cost is only fifty cents an hour.