Darin Bastedo

The Game I'm hooked on is Gran Turismo 4, I have a lot of favorites but here are some of the ones I find myself driving most. Here is my Corvette Z06 airborne at Nurburgring. here's my Aston Martin Vanquish. Sometimes I like to take out the Jay Leno's Blastoline Special The Buick GNX is a surprisingly fast car especially on rough courses. When I like to go really fast in style nothing beats a jag... What's the pint of having a RUF "yellowbird" if ya can't make it fly...

I'm so conflicted that my I am my own alter ego.

Here is a few I've collected over the years... hope this helps.

I don't agree. I believe that any skill can be taught to anyone with the motivation to learn. what can't be taught is the artistic side to it. I'm certain I can take any modeler who wants to learn scratch-building and give him a set of plans the correct tools and a little guidance and teach him how to build something from scratch. will that make him Gerald Wingrove? no but the difference between wingrove and most modelers is his skill at designing his own models and drawing up the plans. on the same level I can teach someone to paint a picture, but it is the imagination and creativity and eye for proportion and design that will seperate him from DaVinci. Scratchbuilding is not a higher skill level. having the eye for design and the ability to create your own plans is. it is the difference between art and skill.

Is that truly a greater skill or just a different set of skills? I've had very talented builders say they couldn't do what I do, yet they consistently build better models than I. In my estimation there isn't greater skills required simply different ones. when you speak of scratchbuilding an entire model the skill most lack is design. Desin has little to do with actual building skill, but it allows you to build the parts so they all fit in relation to each other. If the design is good, and the tools are available then all you need is the skill sets needed to form each part. these skills aren't magic it is a learnable skill. what seperates most model builders fronm the "top tier" builders is that ability to coceptualise the finished product, and determine what needs to be done and in what order to bring it to fruition. once you achive that it is only a matter of accurately making the parts and putting them together. the better you are at design the easier the scratchbuilding will be.

I don't think a scratchbuilder is more skilled, he is simply better at that than possibly other things. I'm pretty good at scratch building but only so so at paint so in the average I feel I'm about equal with someone who is an awesome painter but couldn't scratch build a box.

My favorite build is always the next one. the new project.

I have to agree. I do a lot of scratchbuilding on my builds, but many times it's because it is far easier than making the kit part acceptable. On this build I scratch-built the side pipe covers. it took me one evening and was far easieier than trying to make the kit pieces look this good. The reason there is so much clout from being a scratch builder is that not many modelers have practiced it enough to get good at it. but it is no more difficult than learning to build clean, or doing a glass smooth paint job. they are all skills that need to be practiced to be mastered.

I think all of us know that taking raw material and turning it into a model part is scratchbuilding. I thing we also all know that taking a valve cover from one kit and using it on another is Kit Bashing. where the line blurs is when you use some thing from another kit for it's shape alone but not in the same way it was intended. We have all accepted that using already formed tube stock and specialised shapes from a company like evergreen as scratch-building. Then why wouldn't say, using a small piece of an inner fender of a 69 camaro engine compartment to complete an otherwise scratch built 40 for roof be scratch-building? in my scratch building I use ping pong balls, Platic easter eggs, and bits and pieces of just about anything that has the shape I need whether its from a blister pack, or a peice of an old remote. do I scratch build or not? My definition is thus: If you created something that didn't exist before out of something your are scratchbuilding if you are swaping parts whether its a roof transplant or an engine, and you are using the parts for their original purpose you are kit bashing. My conclusion is that in the end it doesn't really matter. in it's most extreme examples the both take skill.

I was hoping for better wheels. Just kidding it looks awesome, and what I'm most impressed with is the fact that while well detailed, they didn't see the need to over complicate the kit the way Accurate miniatures and Trumpeter did. The hudson along with the 300c appear to compare favorably with the Galaxie limited 48 Chevy kit, which in my estimation is a high water mark in model design.

Let me say first WOW!. second yes I see a couple of small detail flaws in it but as Art said they are working to corrct them. I have confidence that with Art, Bill, and Dave watching over this project it will come out right.

So how long before these pattern makers wise up and make the trip to Utah and clean up at the GSL?

I've been wanting to do a 427 Cobra with a 6-71 blown 427 SOHC motor in it for a while. In real life this car would be nearly undrivable besides idling around a parking lot but it would be cool. So I say build what you like and if it's too far from the mainstream simply enjoy it on your own. Some times you just have to let the voices in your head be your guide...

here's a few real ones for inspiration...

From what I understand this is a done deal. Unless there are severe economic problems with minicraft that would delay production, it has passed initial licencing and they had already measured and photographed the 1:1 over two years ago. I had first heard of this project as a rumor back then when a friend of mine witnessed the photo shoot.

I have given up dispensing advice in the public forum and have started simply sending a PM to the builder. It seems these days there are certain modelers on this site who have decided that they need to debate evrerything whether they know what they are talking about or not, so now I don't give them the chance. this keeps things from going from a simple one post tip about paint from becoming a 6 page debate on who's right and whose wrong. I also try to reserve my comments to the in progress stuff where it can still be fixed.

A picture is worth 1,000 words and the engine in the picture looks good to me. I would rather have a review with pictures and no words than a review with words and no pictures. I guess technically this would fall under new kit annoucements. we really don't have a dedicated section for that unless it should go under general. Personally I think it best fits here.

I used black and coloered sharpies on mine.

Yeah I love them it really made the difference in th elook of the car.

Sounds good to me I'll even edit the topic title. I have a few more coach built special I'd like to post also.

I know Kenny personally and have bought from him before his stuff is top notch and his service is excellent. I would recomend his stuff without reservations. I rank him right up there with Modelhaus

I like it in concept but not execution. They got the details of the 63-67 vette right but it's laking the core shape that made those cars look right. the central body line needs to be flat all around the body. If they want a wedge shape they can tilt it foward, but bending it spoils the over all look. What made these cars look so good was the way the shapes interacted with each other. you have to do some refinig of this body's shape to replicate that interaction on these proportion. The designers of this bdy would do well to study the shape of the original Bill Mitchell Stingray.

Thanks, I had fun building this one. As for Cobra colors I'm afraid that Leon Closed up shop a few years ago. Hopefully he'll come back as his stuff was top notch. If you want to replicate this color though, I didn't realise until I took this picture that ford has almost the same color available as you can see on my brother's 2009 Ford Ranger. I bet you can get the touch up paint from the parts dept.

I have returned from the show, and the Corvette came in Second in automotive. I was quite surprise as there were several cars there that I thought were much better.