Longbox55

If you use the right primer, paint for real cars can be used with little trouble. Duplicolor is the popular brand, and can be found at any car parts store. Some department stores also carry it. Duplicolor also makes a primer that is very model plastic friendly.

Pre merger, it really wasn't as much of a problem, even though the P.O.S. (Point of Sale) system wasn't perfect. But post merger, it wasn't unusual to have to go and reset the on hand amounts to 0 to force an order for items that sold well, but were not being replenished by corporate.

Same here, Harry. I had several family members that worked for them over the years, and I have many friends that I met that worked there as well.

Mark, I'm going to have to disagree with you to some degree. While you are 100% correct on them pitting suppliers against each other, they also have developed a bad habit of ordering and stocking wrong merchandise in the stores as well. For example, in the automotive department. They would grossly overstock the automotive with low profile sport compact size tires in areas where light trucks are far more common. I lost track of how many times we had to special order tires due not having them in stock. There were plenty on hand, usually around 2200-2500, just not the ones we needed. Another automotive example, batteries. The most common group sizes we sold were the 34, 75, and 78. We actually had times where we couldn't sell batteries to customers with cars that took that size because corporate would not order them for us. In other areas, such as soft lines, instead of stocking clothing that was popular in the area (in my case, a central Illinois farming community), they stocked 3 year out of date clothing that would be more popular in the larger cities.

Very true, Harry. I was unfortunate enough to get to see first hand what is happening to Sears, especially after the merger. The sad part about it is that they were attempting to try to compete head on with Walmart with the Sears Grand concept, but it was poorly executed due to corporate trying to be cheap acquiring properties to put them in (mostly closed K-Marts, go figure). Now, since the merger, the COE declared the Grand concept a total failure, even though it had only just started, and is now more interested in selling off the properties than actually operating the business. Just for the record, I worked for Sears in their Automotive for just over 22 years, Started out as a tire/battery installer, and worked my way up to being the lead mechanic/shop supervisor.

If you can find one, this kit has the body and a fairly close chassis in it.

Funny that you would use Sears in an example of not being savvy about good/basic business practices. Considering how fast they are closing stores and heading towards going out of business for doing exactly what you mention the mom and pop stores are making mistakes on.

Which RC car are you using as your base? 1/16 would be an unusual scale for an RC car. 1/18 and 1/10 are more common with RC, but are uncommon with static models.

Multiply the measurement of the part(s) in question by the second number of the scale listed. For example, with 1/25 scale, you would multiply the given dimension by 25 to get full scale. depending on the accuracy of the kit, you will be pretty close to the actual full scale dimension. One thing to consider, since you are working with an RC car, it's not unusual for RC car parts to be way out of scale from what the 1/1 part would be. In some cases, especially bodies, they can also be somewhat caricaturized or cartoonish, depending on what it is and who made it.

Signal 30. Warning, this one is a little graphic.

Hey! Anyone else notice that's Sgt. "Mac" MacDonald from Adam-12?

To be honest, the aftermarket wheels and tires will be better than the kit parts. I found the wheels to be undersized for a 1 ton truck.

Signal 30 is another one from the Ohio State Police.

In my area, we've had patina cars/hot rods at least since the '70s, some of which are still on the road in the same condition today. In some of the cases, it was a case of get what you can find and use it, or finding something unusual and keeping it that way. Some were originally intended to get restored completely, but time/money was an issue and it never got done. Other it was a case of making it mechanically sound and not worrying about the body. We do have a few fauxtnina cars and truck here, too, but not too many.

It wasn't unusual for racers (circle track and drag) to swap the rear end out for the heavier duty 1/2 ton truck rear, and in the case of circle track cars, the front hubs as well, to get more durable parts and better brakes. So it really isn't "incorrect" from a certain point of view. I like it, makes the car look intimidating.

You're right. Cars were 5 lug (5 v 4.75 pattern) starting in 1949. Those look to be from the Galaxy kits.

Unfortunately, I don't get Velocity or MAV. Really sucks because I like Gearz, used to be very active on their site and even got mentioned on an episode.

That one does have the Nova specific oil pan that would need changed for other applications, but otherwise, it is one of the best rendered small blocks I've seen. It even has the "Double Hump" casting marks on the heads.

Sounds like he was trying to sell you an adhesion promotor, such as Bulldog. You do not really need that for the plastic that model kits are made from, that is really more for hard to paint and flexible plastics that are found on 1:1 cars.

I haven't really seen what them MCW engine looks like, but from what I understand, it's cast from the AMT Nova kits. If it is, that one would be correct for a 230/250, and could be modified to be a 292.

http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk203/Longbox55/100_0666.jpg

The 261 is a Chevrolet, not a GMC.

1962, when the all new 7 main bearing 6 cylinder came out. That engine, along with the larger 230 version and the 4 cylinder based on the same design, was only available in the Chevy II/Nova. It became the standard engine in all other Chevrolets (except Corvair and some models of Chevrolet Truck) in 1963. It shares virtually no parts with the earlier engine.

No search needed, I'm very familiar with these engines. My point was more that the only real difference between a '53 full pressure and a '54 is the rocker cover. They are identical otherwise. The '55, however, is different enough if many other ways to truly be considered a "new" engine. The main difference, which required a new block casting, is the water pump, which mounts lower on the block than the earlier engines. The link I posted shows the differences in the block castings.

1/25. It's the new tool '55 Chevy, rather than the old 1/24 scale Monogram kit.