David G.

Superb group, all! I especially love the added detail on the buggy and color and finish on the Olds. David G.

Quality over quantity, they both look great! There were some years when I barely got one done. David G.

Excellent work on all- great variety! David G.

Wow! A very productive year, your paintwork on all the cars is fantastic. David G.

Wonderful variety, all very well done! David G.

Hello Everybody! 2017 was the most productive model building year I've experienced so far. Not only did complete a record number of projects, but I was very pleased with the way they all turned out. Sure, none of them are perfect and there'll always be something that I'll wish I could have done better, but I see the improvement in my skills. I see improvement from when I started back into the hobby in 2009 and just over the course of this year. Certainly, much of that improvement comes from practice. But that practice has its foundation in the knowledge and support I gained from the many talented members of this community. Thank you MCM Forum members for a great 2017 and I wish you all the best in 2018! I completed AMT's 41 Plymouth Coupe on January 10th, it took me about 63 hours. The biggest challenge with this kit was blending the front panel into the rest of the body. I completed the 58 Chevy Proton on January 29th, it took an estimated 171 hours. This was the project that, in 2009 inspired my return to building model cars. The amount of kit-bashing and fabrication that was required to achieve my vision exceeded my skills at the time. As my skills improved over the years, I was able to return and periodically and apply what I had learned, ultimately completing it this year. I completed The Polar Lights DeLorean Time Machine on February 2nd with about 48 hours invested. I added a bit of extra detail to the interior, but other than that, it's a very good snap together kit that captures the feel of the movie car quite nicely. AMT's 32 Ford Victoria is a nostalgia build. I had one of these kits when I was 12 or 13 years old. I don't recall that I finished building it but I do remember that I enjoyed working on it. I completed this one on May 11th with about 48 hours invested. AMT's 52 Studebaker is another nostalgia build from my childhood. I completed this one on September 4th with about 50 hour's worth of work. The Moebius 1971 Ford Ranger is my last entry for 2017, completed on November 21st with 67 hours invested. All-in-all, a nice kit with a few minor issues. As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment. David G.

Thank you Dave, I'm glad to know you like it. Knowing your level of work, I value your comment, thanks Mark.

Nicely Done! David G.

Excellent work! David G.

Thanks Tom, I do try to be reasonably accurate in most cases, but I try not to be a slave to it. I've owned a number of Volksies over the years and have always wanted to convert one from LHD to RHD but never did. When I learned that this one allowed the option, the choice was obvious. I've decided to make it an Aussie Bug and have been researching 1968 NSW number plates. Thanks Eric. I'd like to build a Tamiya kit one day too. I believe that they are a little closer in design (chassis structure, etc.) to the prototype than this one is, correct? The Revell kit is a nice kit but having worked on many Bugs first-hand, the kit's chassis seems kind of weird to me. David G.

I'm going to see if I can finish this one this year. If I don't get it done, at least I'll have an early start on 2018. I used gasket material to make some tar-board insulation for the engine compartment. It's probably not factory correct for 1968 but I had a '72 Super Beetle very close to this color and it just feels right to me. The dashboard is finished and ready to install. As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment. David G.

Thank you Gary, it's very kind of you to say so. David G.

Excellent work! David G.

Nicely Done! David G.

Excellent work! Well worth the effort. David G.

Nicely done! Everything looks very solid. David G.

Time for a little update To bring out the relief detail of the seats and door panels I lightly traced over the pleats and seams with a mechanical pencil then washed most of it off with dish detergent and a toothbrush. Revell thoughtfully provides a decal of the Wolfsburg crest for the horn button. It's probably not factory correct for 1968 but I had a '72 Super very close to this color and it just feels right to me. As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment. David G.

Thank you Carl, I'm glad you like it. David G.

Impressive as always G! David G.

Thanks Ron! Thank you Túlio. I agree with you on the wipers, they're clunky and tricky to mount. One of the thin, delicate locating pins on them had broken off in transit and the one that remained didn't provide didn't provide a strong indication of proper position in relation to the windshield. I ended drilling them both out and pin-mounting them with wire. But that's all a part of building them, eh? David G.

Thanks Bill! David G.

Thanks for the tip David, I'll look into that.

It's an uncommon kit but it was not one of the more popular kits of the day. It took a couple of years of keeping my eyes open before one turned up at a swap meet for $50- not too expensive for a forty year old kit. If it were up to me, I'd surprise him with the kit and give him the option of building it. Most craft stores should have suitable paints and supplies, of you're lucky you may have an old fashioned hobby shop nearby. There are also a lot of online vendors of paints and supplies. I have a couple of great hobby shops close by I don't buy very much online but a google search should turn up a number of options. Good Luck, David G.

Time for a little bit of an update: Wheels on the ground. I always consider getting the wheels mounted the unofficial half-way point. Chassis- complete with frame horns and lightly seasoned with weathering pastels. Started detail painting of the interior. I painted seats and most of the interior in Tamiya white primer with the intention of using that as the Flat White in the color call-out. It looks like I'm going to have to use a wash or some kind of weathering to bring out the relief detail. Test fit the bits. As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment. David G.

Very cool, nice photos too! David G.