seeker589

I just HAVE to give my 2 cents on this. Morgan Motorcars did not (as far as i know) have a Wooden frame like early Fords had a steel channel ladder style frame - although the Brits did have some rather extraordinary engineering ideas. They DID have wooden floor-boards up until recently. As far as I know they reinforced parts of their bodies with wood like many early production coaches and autos. There was a hillclimb special in England pre-war with 4x4 ash-wood frame rails powered by a dicarded motorcycle motor called The Bloody Mary. Built by two brothers on school break. Held many hill records up through the mid 50s.

I love this board! Three replies from three different countries! I really like the build. You are right - Tamiya makes some great kits with outstanding ingraving and perfect proportions. Great color choices. Your detail is quite precise. Thanks for sharing!

I agree that the tires are quite out of place. The size and tread depth and pattern are not exactly 288GTO stuff. The effect could have been lessened if the wheels were brought in and up into the wheel-wells. I.E. lowering and tucking. Just my 2 cents I love the 288 GTO. A 308 on steroids. I saw one at the last USGP. Parked next to a mid 80s Testarossa - with a crowd around both. Quite a sight!

I just happened to be doing a search for something totally unrelated and I found this web site having to do with traditional Rods and Kustoms. Traditional - like from actually back-in-the-day. Back issues of magazines, current Kustoms and Rod and Kustom gatherings. Outstanding material for the Kustom builder! http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Main_Page Enjoy!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOh! That sits just right! I'll be watching this build!

I am really lovin' the flares so far. Your fabrication tolerances are outstanding! SO tight! Are you still using the "ForSale" sign plastic?

I got boxes for shipping some Die-casts I sold on eBay. I received Photoshop Elements 6 that I got off eBay. Really cheap - $12. It might not be the newest Photoshop - but it'll do what I need it to do - I think.

Has anyone ever heard of this contest? http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-32-Ford-Jalopy-Stock-Car-30-model-kit-/400161944568?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d2b82b3f8 $500 for the winner. Or something like that. December 31 deadline. I just happened across this on eBay while browsing. Kind of a odd way to promote a contest. I haven't read about it in any magazines yet. Have any of you?

You are right - A single kit can be shipped for around 8 dollars to some places. I won't ship that way. The reason is this. A few years ago I thought I would save some pennies and I shipped a kit that sold for $75 with no insurance and no tracking. The kit was lost somewhere around Philadelphia. I had to refund the $75. I was out a kit. I like to ship using UPS Ground because by the time you add insurance and tracking to USPS shipping the cost is almost the same. It comes out to about $10 - give or take the location being shipped to. The only way I would ship using the cheapest USPS service would be if the buyer insisted and took all responsibility.

I LOVE it! The Carbon trunk is nice. I'm assuming it was a decal? Keep posting progress. I love the Japanese car culture! JDM stuff is pretty cool.

I have tried to create graphics to print on decal film on my computer but I can't seem to get rid of the pixel effect (stepping - bad definition) when I print them. 8-bit graphics are cool - but not on a - 90s street machine. Is there a graphics program that can do smooth curves and arks as well as lettering? Or how do I get rid of the pixel effect? I could draw the graphic - scan it - then print it. But I'm not sure where my french curve is. That and I wanna learn a new skill. Would Adobe Paint Shop Elements do it?

I am an amateur seller and shipper on eBay. I take some offense to your anti-endorsement of those who casually sell on eBay. Especially the line -"Try not to buy from amateur shippers". I know I am a rarity. I don't put high asking prices on my auctions - I put a complete kit(opened but not built) on for $6.00 to $9.00. No reserve. There are two charges on my auctions - the item and shipping - fair shipping. I thought about set rate shipping and making money on those who don't read far enough to figure out the "fine print", But that is unethical and just not how I do things. The only future changes I may make to ship my models is a $1.00 charge for my gas, boxes, tape, and time. I try to charge fair shipping, but the last two kits I shipped - both Monogram 1/8 kits - I ate the shipping differences of about $1.50 per kit. I'm not looking to scalp anyone. I'm just trying to thin my collection and offer kits to other hobbyists for a reasonable price so everyone can get what they want. Amateur doesn't mean inept. I understand everyone's complaints. I have the same issues with eBay - the final selling charges are nuts! But eBay has the greatest exposure to everyone on the planet. Other sites - while truly awesome - just don't get the traffic. Ebay is big enough for all of us. I urge everyone to read the ENTIRE auction. Really find out what you are being charged for. Then make an informed, intelligent buying decision. Peace!

I'm assuming you are the first bidder? The seller sets the starting price. For example - I have some kits on eBay for a $6.00 starting price with no reserve. To buy the kit from me all you have to do is bid $6.00 and if no-one bids on it - it is yours. If you get into a bidding war - that is a different story. You just have to bid more than the last guy at the end of the auction. Or are you talking about when you want to enter a bid (example - the current high bid is $15.00 )and there is a caption that says "enter a bid of $15.50 or more"? I am unsure how eBay sets how much higher the next bid needs to be than the last. I would think that it has to do with the amount of the auction and interest in the item. Even after typing all this I'm not sure I addressed your question.

The Jag is sweet! The first REAL sports car I ever rode in was my cousin's XKE 2+2. I was about 10. I can still smell the wonderful mix of hot oil and English leather. I love the weathering detail behind the exhaust and below the Fuel door. The exhaust wrap is pretty cool, too. This is the coolest forum. The magazine is pretty top-notch, too. Welcome! Really, you don't need another forum - especially one that denies you membership.

Just a few images for inspiration -

Nice clean build! Great paint and color choices. Thanks for sharing.

The link to the photos and drawings is worth a visit! I had to save some of the drawings to hard drive. Great reference material! I remember these kits. They were out of my price range and my skill set at the time they came out. Good thing, too. I most likely would have made a royal, hot mess of them. I was eight years old and figured I needed to use a whole tube of Testors glue per model. One tube - One model. It just balanced out in my mind!

The Truck is sweet! I really love the vintage Asian stuff, also. It is truly great to see how the Japanese viewed American and European design and interpreted/incorporated/adopted it into designs of their own.

Yup - Nick - We'll meet someday. If you see a brownish, four-door Acura Integra with a DC, a Monster, and a SCCA sticker in the back window - flag me down! I'm just amazed at how distracted and busy I get and totally forget to try and make it to a CPMCC meeting. One of these days!

Terry! Thank You - Thank You - Thank You!!!!! For posting an old rule book an your Fotki account! I've been looking for one of those off and on for years! Oddly enough - I'm fastenated by the lesser Gas classes - Like G or H Gas. Absolutely valuable info - I just HAD to save a link to your Fotki account.

Thanks for sharing, Skip. I am always amazed at how far some people take their detail and realism levels to levels that are so amazing it almost takes your breath away. I just had a thought - how long do you think he dreamed/thought/planned for this build? Even before he grabbed a piece of wood or string. I am envious of his focus and his ability to stay with a project for as long as it took to build. Just amazing.

The "For Sale" sign Idea is GENIUS! I can't wait to try it!

Yea! A 'Rocco! I had a 1:1 Mk2. Loved it - beautiful car. AMT made a kit that is still affordable on eBay. The phone dial wheels were very nice - I would try them in a gun metal or bronze color. I wanted to replace the BMW bottle cap rims I had on my 'Rocco with phone dials but the adapters cost more than the wheels I found. I have to agree with a previous poster - you can't go wrong with BBS wheels on a 'Dub.

Thanks for the encouragement, Harry. Spoken like a true entrepreneur! That is not a bad thing. I like the free market economy - A-LOT!

I know what you mean. A friend had a pair of Gran Torinos. One was a Cobra - the other a Sport. He took the parts he needed off the Cobra then parted the rest out and sold the carcass with a title. He then bastardized the Sport into a Cobra copy. Yes, he is quite psychopathic - He is the kind of person that is right ALL the time - but even when he is wrong - he's more right then you are. Worse yet - he lost interest and never finished the project. We don't talk much. I'm not looking to sell off any annual kits - my collection is kits available from the late 80s on. I'm just thinking about the builder that may want the engine out of a kit that has already donated it's chassis to another build or its body to be cut up for another build. Things like that. I don't have many rare kits. Those kits that are semi-rare will be sold as whole kits. I don't wanna be "that guy".