David G.

I've been using a polishing kit that I purchased at my LHS. It contains six sheets that are similar in size and weight to dryer sheets. They are color coded and range from 30 micron down to 1 micron. I've been using these for some time now and I'm pleased with the results I've obtained with them. My question is: How do "microns" compare to "grit"? The sheets are rated at 30, 15, 9, 3, 2, and 1 microns. What would be an equivalent grit rating for each of those sheets? Thanks, David G.

Thanks for the tip. I'm not sure if I'll use it or not, but it's a good thing to know. If you get the chance, please post some pics of of what you've done with your Starliner. I always like to see what different folks do with the same kit. Thanks for the kind comment.

Thanks, I'm really enjoying this kit. It's got a few issues. The frame was a bit warped, pulling the left rear wheel off the ground, but I managed to get it mostly straight by applying pressure in the right direction while holding it under running hot tap water. Gluing the frame to the chassis plate pulled the rest of it in line. I still have the second engine to build too! Is the '61 Starliner much different from the '60? Is it too different to convert from a '60?

Thanks for the comment! On the seat belt matter, I had a '71 Pontiac Ventura that only had lap belts. Also, in the '71 Delta 88 I currently have, the shoulder belts are a seperate piece each with its own buckle on the seat. Given that they're bolted right to the B pillar with no retractors or tensioners, I refuse to use them. That also makes me think that they're a dealer add-on. Maybe there was a "phase-in" period? Anyway, I didn't want to bother to put them in, and in 1960, it's possible that they may not have been there... though in all likelyhood they were. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it! ...I think I just hijacked my own thread...

First, I have to tell how tremendously impressed I am by the work you've done up to this point. I can't wait to see the finished projects. Second, I have a fondness for old Chevelles. The first muscle car that I owned was a '71 or '72 Chevelle that I had put a dual-quad 427 Corvette engine in. With the stock rear suspension, I had to ease it up to about 40 mph before I could really put my foot in it, otherwise, I would just sit there spinning the wheels. I envy the fun you'll be having with yours! What are your plans for your 1:1, daily driver, weekend warrior at the local track? Of course, there's always just cruising around basking in the coolness! Keep up the good work! David G.

Very cool! As a parts box build, it's like a "Buy a couple dozen, get one free!" sale.

Looks really good, solid detail! Are those scripts on the PE, foil or painted? They're really sharp and crisp.

I saw that one too, sometime around 1977, I think. I remember feeling dissappointed because I thought it wasn't the real one. I distinctly remembered the one on TV being shiney and not fuzzy. I read recently that it was covered with "Bat Fur" beacuse the fiberglass body work had become riddeled with cracks in the ten years between the end of the TV series and the time it was making the circuit. It has since been restored. ******* Batzilla, What you've got done so far looks good. What scale is that one in? I heard that there are plans to release it in 1/32 (I think) and 1/25.

Over the past couple of months, I've had various questions relating to Ford's 1960 Starliner. Thanks to all of you who provided me with answers and information. Here's what I've been able to do so far. I've got the car to the point where I'm waiting a few days for the paint to cure for final polish and assembly. I figured that this would be a good time to post some of the pics that I've taken along the way. Frame, nearly complete. The kit supplied a fuel line that looked like a scale garden hose. I replaced it with a bit of wire that looks closer to the right size. I thought about adding seat belts and PE door & window handles, but decided to keep it simple. Besides, seat belts weren't required until 1968. My first attempt in more than a decade in wiring an engine bay. Maybe next time wired and plumbed. Dash detail. The instrument details actually use three different colors, Silver, Aluminum and White. I'm still trying to figure out why I bothered. The obligatory mock-up with the first coat of paint. Color sanded, re-sprayed, and ready to polish! As always, honest critiques and comments are welcome and appreciated. Thanks all for taking the time to look. David G.

Poor fellows. They have yet to realize that many women who'd date you because of the car you drive, will be gone as soon as your money is.

No Way! What did they do to the Smart Car, put a 1776cc dual Webber VW engine in it? I've seen cops riding bicycles pull these things over!

Well worth the time spent!

Are there even that many real ones left out there? An impressive collection of beautiful cars.

amen

Wow

You pose a very good point. It's not just donks, though. I've seen comments along similar lines referring to paint color, body mods, decal applications, etc. There may be more of these "conditional" comments about donks, but chariot-sized wheels aren't the only feature singled out on this forum. To me low riders, donks and hoppers are not a part of any culture I understand. In my opinion they make about as much sense as solid gold toilet seats or diamond doorknobs, But as a car enthusiast, I can appreciate the ammount of work and affection invested in the 1:1 cars these guys build. Aesthetically, I don't think these cars will ever appeal to me. Maybe I associate these styles too closely with the rap gangstah, kopp killah culture that I find somewhat offensive. But at the last model car show-contest I was at, it seemed that there was a whole section devoted to these custom builds. I eventually found myself in a conversation with a rather nice guy who built one of them. I had questions about the how the hydraulics operated, the wiring of the batteries, drivetrain stress, etc. I admitted to him that I really did not find that style of customizatoin appealing and probably never would, but I could see that there was a lot of time and effort invested in these kits, and I could certainly identify with that. One thing about this community, if you post a picture, most members will give you their honest opinion. Most of them will even do it tactfully! If your paint is a bit rough, somebody'll tell you. If your wheels are crooked or don't all touch the ground, someboby'll mention it. If you paint a stock Model-T Ford bright electric chartreuse, there'll be a few comments about it. I value that much more than any kind of syrupy pandering where everybody does a great job regardless of whether it's true or not. If you want to be a maverick and ride the cutting edge of style, be prepared to take some heat about it, it takes courage to go against the flow. Otherwise, play it safe and do things the way others do. Voltaire: "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."

Yup, you're absolutely correct. It takes more skill to powerslide with an old Detroit monster than most of the Japanese speedsters. An unskilled driver is much more likely to make a fatal error in judging the limitations of those old vehicles. And they had some serious limitations. That's why the insurance companies and the feds brought an end to the true "muscle cars." The cars were just too much for most average drivers to properly control, let alone the inexperienced kids that craved them. I've driven many different types of cars from VW Beetles to an '84 Jaguar XJS V-12, and the only car that truely frightened me, the only car I couldn't push to its limits was a '68 Firebird with a supercharged 350 in it. I could tell within the first few minutes of driving it that it was beyond the skills I had at the time. So I agree with you 100%. If you just want to go fast and have fun doing it, stay away from the Detroit Supercars from the 60's and 70's, and get a Honda or Mazda, they're much safer and easier to drive.

Maybe this thread isn't appropriate for this forum?

They just don't know how to powerslide. I can take my '71 Delta 88 town sedan through some fairly sharp curves without losing too much momentum. You just have to have the stones to break the rear wheels loose as you sling into the curve and use the vehicle's centripetal force to more or less sling-shot you through the remainder of the turn. You know you're doing it right if you're cornering to the left and you have the front wheels pointed a bit to the right. It's rather difficult to do and takes practice. It's also extremely hard on the car. You're trying to push the car sideways while it wants to go straight and that loads the suspension and frame in ways that the designers never intended. One of the advantages of this cornering method is that, if done properly, at the end of the curve your car is pointed straight down the road and you're already accelerating. That and it can be rather intimidating to be near a car, espesially a 5,000 lb sedan, when it breaks into one of these slides. Think of "Drifting" at 80mph in a tank. They're only "Straight-Line-Only Junk" if you don't know how to make them dance.

The detail items really add to the overall effect of the models. Excellent work!

Back when NASCARs used to be cars and not purpose-built race vehicles with car stylized car bodies grafted on. Excellent work.

That looks mega cool. I picked one of those up in glue-bomb form at the last swap meet and was wondering what I was going to do with it. Now I have some ideas! Thanks! Tail Fins Rock!

Lately I've been using the inner wire from the twist-ties that come with the boxes of kitchen garbage bags. I just heat the plastic coating with a butane lighter to soften it up a bit then strip it off with my thumbnail. The wire inside is steel, so it has the right color for fuel and brake lines and seems to me, to be about the right size. It's also esy to work with and best of all it's free!

Great job! Excellent paint work and color choice.

Very sharp! The color combo, and the overall look are spot-on. I'm old enough that I can remember seeing those when they were still new and driving around everywhere.