redscampi

I have an early AMT 49 Ford kit in this situation. The box is pretty hammered but the seal is more or less intact. I’m also tempted to open it to straighten the box, but I have other 49s and there is a price tag of 2.99 on the kit which would be lost. It’s part of the kit’s provenance if you follow me. First world problems, right?

lol! I was just telling my wife last night that we had just missed the van craze by a whisker. I’m almost 64. I was old enough to appreciate the concept but not to indulge.

Thanks Mike. You're right, they do! I've been on a vintage van kick lately. I've grabbed some old 70s Fords and a couple of Chevys but the Dodges seem to all be crazily priced glue bombs or partial kits. I was just casually poking around and stumbled upon this with a "reasonable" BIN. I just hit the button! I like that the previous owner retained the shrink wrap top to help protect the box.

I just snagged this off Feebay this morning. It was not cheap but not as bad as you'd think. I figured it was a much more interesting alternative to a couple of trips to Walmart or Ollie's for run of the mill kits. I had to have it. Needful Things, you know. I mean, when's the last time you've seen one for sale in this condition?

That is by far one of the most realistic builds I've ever seen. Brilliant!

Or more. I've bought several inexpensive kits in recent months to fill in my collection (which does not need filling). it seems like there's a conspiracy that requires any kit you buy, say you win an auction for $5, to have shipping rounded up so it'll be $30 minimum. Kit costs $10? Shipping nearly twenty. Kit costs $20? Shipping is magically twenty-five. Kit costs $300? They'll still gouge you for thirty bucks.

Nice build. Beautiful paint. I loved this kit when I was young and it holds up very well.

Congrats, you found some good ones!

Great design exercise! It's obvious quite a bit of thought went into this custom. Colors are spot on too.

Ollies is a store where merchandise that doesn’t sell at normal retail locations can be purchased at a pretty steep discount. They buy big lots from major retailers. The downside is that there is usually no continuity of products. You have to check back frequently to find the gems.

For anyone interested, there is an absolute feast of paper models on the internet covering any subject imaginable. (People, places, things, buildings, cars, planes, etc.) Hundreds are free, some with amazing detail. There are even more relatively inexpensive pay-and-download kits. Many good kits are from foreign countries' creators and hosts, so it really pays to learn a few foreign language search terms. You can even find a lot of great props for dioramas. I used to do paper modeling as a really inexpensive alternative to this hobby. You really only need a decent printer, card stock, a good straight edge and some good paper glue. Elmer's will work, just go easy. Start small and learn some techniques and you can turn out some really neat stuff for cheap. Paper model sites tend to come and go, so if you're interested in a particular kit, download and save it, it may not be there tomorrow.

Love this! Nice clean work and attention to detail. I'm a sucker for C cabs.

I'm right in the path in central Texas. They're expecting local populations to double. A friend of mine from the northwest invited himself and his extended family to stay with us and camp in our yard...without even a pretty please. Cousin Eddy...

Well... I bought another project. FYI - This is my first El Camino. Maybe my last based on old age and disposition. I realize 4th generation cars are not everyone's cup of tea. Not my favorite years either. However, prices for these are still reasonable compared to other gens. Also, this one has a lot going for it mechanically speaking. Relatively rust free too. Those wheels are being repainted for the time being and will be replaced with something more to my taste later. Also an altitude adjustment and a few handling mods are already on the table. One thing I found out fast is there is not much aftermarket support for these years (73-77), so I'll need to be a bit creative for some things. But I wanted a light project and driver rather than a garage queen.

Time for a small block V8 swap! Nice looking Pinto. I had a 1980 for awhile. It leaked fluids from every system. I swear that car would run with no oil or water in it. I tried my best to kill it...

Stupendous! I love this model.

To go down a slightly different path...some kits I built (or wanted to build) when I was young that were iconic for me.

There was an urban legend at work that a guy walked out of the front gate with an entire roll of heavy gauge copper wire wrapped around his torso under his coveralls. Supposedly he fainted from the weight and stress and they found it when they undid his zipper to give him some air. I hired in while they were doing mandatory lunch box checks at the gate. Guys had to prove there were no tools or fasteners in their boxes. Still, a lot of local hot rods were put together with airplane grade hardware.

The stuff that used to show up in the aircraft surplus store was truly crazy. Used to be that employees could buy things like drill bits by the pound for cheap. New mismanagement culture put an end to that.

The whole football culture makes me yawn. I gave up trying to make sense of it years ago. Even if I'm taking a nap my time is better spent than watching that drivel.

Go big or go home!

No argument from me at all. I suspect Mr. Calhoun's job is on the line. As it should be. The apparent systemic lack of care is appalling.

Not that I disagree, but humans happen. In any aircraft incident there is always a chain of failure points which almost always can be traced back to human mistakes at some point, and it's never just one point or one issue. It could be lack of education, lack of oversight, bad planning, bad engineering, a bad day, an unfortunate coincidence of lazy and complacent employees or any number of other factors. In our search for accountability we always want to pin it on one person and make them pay, no matter what the issue is, but there's always much more to the story.

Stunning work from a truly gifted craftsman!

This made me go look and I found this on Ebay for $33, so apparently it has been reissued. That being said there are several of the earlier issues still floating around that can be had for similar money. I have the Lindberg and IMC variants. Lots of parts and pieces!