Nitrozilla

Most impressive Niko. I was never that good at your age. I'm going to go check out that Firebird build right now !!

I still get blown away with EVERY update John.

Building models led to my first job, in a roundabout way. A friend down the street introduced me to them when I was 11 in 1964. At age 15 my mom refused to give me an advance on my allowance to buy the newly released Charlie Allen F/C. So I stormed out of the house and went for a walk to cool off. Long story short, a half an hour later I've got a job busting tires at Golden State Tire Distributors in El Monte, CA. Ergo my love of nostalgia funny's and the avatar in my signature line. OMG, in 2014 it'll be 50 years of building. OMG !!!!!!

Roy, thank you soooo much for sharing that. I bookmarked the page in my 1:1 reference file. There are some incredible pics for nostalgia drag builders like myself. I hope that Chris "Mooneyzs" sees this, as it might help him with details for his Army Vega build. To be on the safe side, you might even want to pm him with the link. Thanx again.

Sure thing Niko. Those would be metal tubes / hoses. One aimed at the pilot by routing it along the steering column support, the other for the engine. Each will have a nozzle on the end and don't ya' wanna know how I'm going to make the nozzles? Of course you do! Using a flat faced pair of pliers (why do we call it a pair when it's only one tool?), I'll flatten the end, then split it with an X-Acto blade. There will also be a bead fitting on each one. That's going to happen pretty soon, so I'll be sure to detail the process with pics when I do it. There will also be a surprise detail using a straight pin. That oughta keep you scratching your head until you see it.

Ya' know what Rob? Somebody just made me aware that sometimes people don't post comments on my builds because they are simply in awe of what they are seeing. I'm guilty of that on this build. So firstly, SORRY !!! Secondly, this car ROCKS and I'm in awe of the mods you've made that others would have given up on. Keep on keepin' on Brother. Having said that, would you see what you can do about brightening up your pics a bit, please? You're cheating us out of some of the awesomenous.

Michaelangelo said his sculpting technique was to chip away all of the stone that wasn't part of the statue. In the case of model building, you have to chip away and add what the final body style will be. You do whatever you need to do to complete your vision too.

Okay, now I feel like I was just fishing for compliments. Anybody know a good Bait & Tackle shop in Las Vegas? Awwwwwww, (sticks toe in ground, puts finger in mouth and looks down in embarassment), Thanx Niko.

I only like everything about it. Please feel free to build something we can criticize.

I think I got passed by that car on the freeway yesterday...........Sure made it back across the pond fast. Great build and detail and scratch works and, well, everything !!

The story goes, this guy was driving through the Ugly Tree Forest. First, he ran over an ugly stick. Then there was an earthquake and it bounced off of every tree in the forest before he could escape. While still dazed, he posted the result on the internet........

A special thanks for the kind words and for not making me feel like I was whining or screaming "Look at me or I'm taking my toys and never coming back!" That certainly was not my intention. I was genuinely concerned it might have been something I said or did or didn't do. Without feedback, I was only guessing the worst. That being that people actually had no interest in the build, not whether they had no more interest in me 'cuz I was gonna' keep posting anyway. lol You guyz are The Best, even the Furry Footed ones.

Thank you for that John. Especially since I aspire to your level of detail. I'll never match it, but I'm aspiring like crazy.

I like this sooooo much. Maybe Darryl will let you borrow his "Mr. Twister" handle while your working on this?

How do I say this delicately? I am surprised at the lack of responses to my last few posts. I guess this build isn't everybody's "cup of nitro"? Or is it my writing style that's putting people off? I know it's not because of the holiday because people are commenting on other posts. At any rate, here's an update: Detailing continues on the pilot with belts, gas pedal with linkage and the final detail on the helmet. I know the "Big Stuff" sponsor may not seem appropriate because they are an EFI system supplier. I just like the logo. Brake lines and handmade tees are installed and ready for hookup to the master cylinder. Sorry, but the camera focused on the frame and not the brakes lines. Stroud safety decals applied to blower restaints and tranny blanket. To get the decals to stick to fabric and paper, I put down some Elmer's white glue before applying the decals. The tranny decal needs more attention to get it to finish "clearing out" and laying down. Still working on the fire bottles. They've been wrapped with Pactra pin stripes and I'm working to get the Simpson decals to lay down using multiple applications of decal solvent. They are stubborn little critters.

Very Nice Joe !! Almost all have pilots too.

David, you can use any number of methods to groove the tires. Use the edge of a square or triangular mini file, a hand saw, a panel scriber or when all else fails, raze them with the back side of an X-Acto blade. I can't tell by the pictures, but it looks like the tire warpage has the outside of the tire slightly behind the inside, which is a good thing. However, if that's what you have in mind, you might want to scribe the tread at a slight angle to give that impression, instead of going straight across the face. Does that make sense?

There's always a solution to every challenge. I wish I could see simple fixes like the Taco Bell cover. Great idea and tasty too !! Have a Merry Modeling Christmas John.

I'm liking the idea of making the tail lights part of the engine. Just make sure you French them, encase them in a metal tube, or if they are exposed explain to people that the lenses are made from Transparent Red Unobtainium so they can withstand the heat of the exhaust !!!

Just gonna throw this out there. Outboard motors and center motors are fine where they are. If you leave out the 2 next to the big ones, that might give you room for a couple of bullet tail lights. Food for thought. Love the addition of the smaller fins.

Great stuff Peter. I'm a big fan of canards and yours look spot on for that type of rail. Relax and get your health back in balance, we can wait for more stuff, but not too long.

Darryl, thanx for the back slap on the belt guard. I always like to sneak in at least one feature that might make the difference in a judge's decision, even if it means 3rd place instead of no place. The chassis is very close to getting buttoned (beaded?) up. Almost ready to finish hooking up the lines and I've done a LOT of work on the pilot, but he still needs some finishing touches. I would like some opinions on the fire bottle placement. I tried them outside the cage, but the tinwork will hit them. I also tried one on the steering column and it's too long. Finally I tried them up front on the outside of the frame and they would interfere with the stabilizer links. Is it okay to sandwich the driver between them like I have, or is that impractical for some reason? I've never heard of one exploding, but on the other tentacle it might be rough on the pilot's shoulders if he got bounced around. Any opinions are welcome and as always, thanx for looking.

I'd start by going to this forum's Model Car Clubs forum and doing a "Any Interest" topic. Next I'd make up flyers and drop them off at every Hobby Shop, Michael's, and Hobby Lobby within a reasonable distance from where you plan your meetings. Also put a listing on CraigsList too. Don't forget to find a meeting place. Anything from your place to a pizza joint or even McDonalds. A local IPMS meets at a car dealership. That's the best place to start and see what happens. This is not what I've done, it's what I'd do.

Having been a Starship Modeler for years before going back to cars, I recognize those X-Wing engine parts. Can't think of a better use for them now Ira. Nice set up. Good idea for the base / display as well.

I can't believe I'm going to buy a kit exclusively for the decals !!