Nitrozilla

I think you just found John's next bike build. There's even a rotating 3D GIF on their site. Research done Buddy. You're welcome

I think it needs Bat Wings over the rear quarters, then red pinstripes like the '66 Batmobile. Don't forget the roof light.

Vince, thanks again. There has been tail busting and there will continue to be until it's done. Ray, I'm sorry I missed you. I remembered a couple of times to look for your Cobra hat, then John distracted me, then Chris distracted me, then something shiny distracted me. Hey Bob. I'm probably going to sand it all down on the outside surfaces, then shoot red again and allow PLENTY of time for the paint to cure before masking again. It might be time to invest in a dehumidifier. My only problem that still needs sorting out is the pinstriping. Also, I saw Chris has the magnet installed on the parachute mount. I'll be doing the same thing. What a genius idea that was. Sometimes the simplest things get overthought and overengineered. I'm usually not like this after a show, but my legs ache and I can't seem to focus. I think it's all more mental (surprise) than anything else. I'll be back on it in a day or so.

Hi Vince. I had a great time and I took it. It sat right next to Chris Sobak's in progress Vega. It was an honor and Chris is great people to boot. I got a ton of advice on how to address the current problems and now I have to go into Mad Scientist mode to sort it all out. I'll have another update in a couple of days. In the meantime, here's some pics that Raoul / Sport Suburban took from his PhotoBucket page. My phone was giving me grief all weekend, so Thanx Raoul. Glad you liked it enough to take 5 pics.

I think I've recovered enough to comment now. What a great show !!!! Organized, efficient, well run and it seems everybody had fun doing it. Thank you Bernie and Danno and the other men and women who made my visit so memorable. The raised table height was genius. The level of competition was incredible and awesome. I'm stepping up my game for next year. Congratulations to the winners, if you took home some black & gold it was truly deserved. A shout out to all of my new Styrene Addict type friends, and the really really old ones. (There's something about a kettle and a pot that might apply here............) See y'all next year, but be prepared 'cause I'm coming with a plan.

I agree Danno. Chris could easily have this done by the end of 2016. Or did you mean by next years contest? I dunno' 'bout dat. I'm pretty sure there's a missing rivet in the hatch, but I didn't have an hour to stand there and count them !!!! Chris, my new friend, now that I know you, you're fair game Buddy. Seriously it was Total Joy to meet you and see that magnificent beast in real life. And the Vega. Sorry, I just got home and I'm a little road weary. I'm responsible for the genocide of every flying bug from Phoenix to Vegas. Next year can't come soon enough.

And you got the color right too !! Thanks Bruce. I'm off to Phoenix. Going to be a long weekend, so probably no updates until Monday or Tuesday. I'll dunk the hauler bed in the Purple Pond on Sunday when I get home and take it from there. Everybody have a great weekend.

Is it just me, or does this build scream "Driver Figure"? Nice mock up shots Bob.

Thank you John. I'm going to have to dip into the "Passion Pool" on this one for sure. The Deora paint was dry enough, so I'll only have to strip the hauler after this weekend. For display purposes, I'll put a bandaid on the damaged area. See ya' Saturday.

Too much stuff to do tomorrow to possibly allow for completion of the car or hauler for DSC. I'll probably need security clearance to get it within 5 feet of Chris' Vega on the "In Progress" table. Started pinstriping the Dart today and it's looking good. I'm not thoroughly pleased with the turns and corners. It looks great overall, but doesn't stand up to close scrutiny. Since I can't get some Line O Tape to try before the weekend, I won't decal it until I give that a shot. Does that mean I'm willing to pull all of the tape and start over? Yupper. This is already attempt # 2. As far as the paint damage from the tape, I started with a dry chamois, then alcohol, then enamel thinner. That was enough to tell me it wasn't tape residue. Using all of the caution of a Minion Explosives Techniciian, I lightly started sanding. I only stopped when I finally went through silver into red. Time for a lesson concerning instincts. I was originally going to only go half height at the front of the hauler sides, leaving a large silver area similar to the rear pillar on the Dart. I realized my boo-boo just before paint, but said to heck with it. Not that that has anything to do with me taping it too early, but now I have a second shot to get it right. Can't wait to switch to HOK.

Bob, giving it more drying time before I start working it. I'll be on that today. Chris, I have the airbrush and I've contacted a local parts store for HOK stuff, but I have to wait a couple of months before I move out of my apartment into a house. On the upside of that, I've already given notice and will soon start looking. I can hardly wait.

Check the flyer vs. your posts. Sat & Sun are the 25th & 26th. Wish I could be there. I have a daughter in Auburndale.

Well, you know me. I have been known to come up with some whacko ideas, so I might as well put one more out there. You don't need a body cradle, you need a Rotisserie. You could either motorize it or we could all take turns cranking a handle. What fun. Interactive model displays !!! And now we return for a brief encounter with sanity as we ponder the insane level of detail that continues to batter our skulls until we are senseless. Now do we understand where the insanity comes from?

My friend Bob, you are both smart and wise. I've rethought my goals and realized that, while having it ready for Phoenix would be Uber Sweet, big picture is that I have to focus on the GSL. I've got other goodies to put on the table. Good news is that the homemade pinstriping is working perfectly. Now I can unlax and unclench a little.

.....and now a new problem has reared it's ugly head. I started pinstriping the body using Chartpak 1/64 Gold. News flash. It's not tape, it's foil and it refuses to turn a corner or even hug a curve without buckling. It also has minimal adhesive. Unfortunately there's no time to get some Line O Tape so, I'm making my own. I've painted several strips of Tamiya masking tape gold. When that's dry, I'll cut my own striping. One more setback and this will be on the "In Progress" table.

I don't think something bad was destined for this build, however, my inexperience coupled with a lack of patience has resulted in a (hopefully) minor paint problem. There is either residue from the tape or I have marred the surface of the paint from it not being completely dry. Question is, how do I tackle this? Will a cleaner be sufficient? If so, which one? If the surface of the paint is "imprinted" with the tape pattern, will polishing fix it? There are 3 coats of red and 2 coats of silver. The red was shot yesterday morning and the silver at noon today, so it had 12 hours before tape.. You can see a tape line in the hauler air dam and mottling / stippling on the side. Any advice is welcome.

"The swan is on....now I'm looking for a miniature bottle of champagne to christen it with." So Paul, we've got a damaged case, missing parts and now you want to hit it with a bottle. Man, you build some TOUGH models. This has gone way beyond my expectations of what can be done with a ship. A tip o' me pirates hat to ye matey. Hey, everybody else got to talk pirate talk..........

Thank you Bob and John for your continued words of encouragement and support. Tim, I often talk to myself when i'm working. As I started to pick up the body to remove the tape, my exact words to myself were, "Let's pull the lid off this box of chocolates." Un-FREEKING-believable!!!!!!!! There was a smile as I pulled it, and then the sudden realization that once I lay down that "Brushed Gold" pinstripe, it's gonna' POP !! BTW, thank you for your continued words of encouragement and support. I'm doing a Hobbytown run this morning to wipe out their stock on Tamiya tape and a new polishing kit. If anybody needs me to pick up anything for you, speak now or forever hold your.........

John my friend, your wish for my good luck was granted. Weekend goal accomplished !!!! I finally got the Tamiya TS-76 Mica Silver shot today. I have to give a shout out to my recent discovery of a product others have used for a while. Tamiya tapes perform EXACTLY as I needed it to. It laid down and STAYED down, it handled smooth corners and left sharp clean separation lines that will only require minor touch-up. It also gives me the confidence I need doing the same thing to the hauler. That is priceless. Now if I can have the same success with the pin striping and the decals, I'll be groovy man. Tomorrow will find me masking the hauler, buffing out the body and working on more detailing fiddly bits. The only issue I still need to concern myself with is matching the lines on the roof of the Deora with the hauler bed. Should be a "No-Brainer" which makes me the perfect candidate. Desert Scale Classic, here I come.

Okay John. You'll never guess which one is my fave this time. Give up? The Allred & Clarke D/D. Only because it reminded me of Kay Sissell's twin "Six Session." Kay ran a very successfull head shop in El Monte, CA where I grew up. Give that one a go if you can get the decals made for it.

This time you're making it hard to pick a fave. I'm gonna go with the Keeling & Clayton car. No, wait, the Howard Cams Rattler. Oh Man, sorry, gotta go with the Dunn & Reath ride. That's the one for sure. Oh Heck with it. Beebe & Mulligan.

Always an impressive body of work John. I love your phantom builds. This time around, my fave is the Hazen & Velebil Panic rail. I worked for Gary Hazen briefly as a volunteer pit dude in the last days if the AA Altered. Took that motor out to put in the Vega F/C. First run, oil pump seized. Unhappy motor, unhappy Gary.

Why did I just get a visual of Minions dressed as pirates running around the deck creating chaos?

And yet another gorgeous Teresimobile. I love everything about it, but the uncluttered interior is my favorite highlight. I'll have my shades on for the "In Person" viewing.

SURPRISE !!!!!!!! ( Insert screaming goat here.) I made a body cradle and got 80% of the masking done. I'm proud to say the cradle is 100% Eyeball Engineering. The only time I used a ruler was to be sure the corners were true. (DISCLAIMER: No measurements were injured during the construction of the cradle.) I found some casters that will work. They are a little small, but I don't have time to run to Hobbytown for aftermarket airplane tires. The casters are from Chi-Town Hustler wheelie bars. As far as the masking went, I am using Tamiya tape for the first time, instead of blue tape. Cross your fingers but I love the way it laid down. So here ya go, Eyeball Kandy. Enjoy