MrObsessive

BTW, I wouldn't necessarily call the trucks I'm seeing "ugly"...............just too much of the same. Where's the "specialness" when all come dressed to the party in pretty much the same outfit?

Sadly, I have to agree with you. I made my opinion about trucks before in this thread and I hear you. Like society, vehicles IMO have also become too PC and that's part of the reason we see what we see. Some may disagree, but you can thank the safety nazi's for the disappearance of certain styling architecture. True two and four door hardtops come to mind. They stopped making four door hardtops in what, the late '70's??

Oh ok..........the full sizers were separate frame and body as that never changed. If I had to use that I guess that would work, but I simply hate all that molded in detail. I'd have to cut that chassis up and fabricate things to make it more appealing to me. Of course, if I could find a junker '68 chassis that would save me some work, but they can be as scarce as hens teeth.

I can't promise I'll ultimately make it out there, but the Shelby I'm still working on is being built with the GSL in mind. It'll all depend on how the money goes between now and then. I'll be having a change in hours soon (not as much OT as before) and I was considering moving not long ago.............we'll have to see how things play out. Just the same, I'd LOVE to get out there again! Hard to believe the last time I was there was 2007!

Ron, the more I look at that Marauder, the more I'm interested. As far as a chassis, would the Revell '70 Torino work for that with some tweaking? I have two of those '70's, but the first one I'll probably never build as I also have the "corrected" one that they redid a couple years ago. Also, doesn't that kit have the 429? I don't have it in front of me as it's buried somewhere on my third floor.

I like those big boats too of the '70's, and had to get VERY familiar with them as I had to learn to drive 'em in Driver's Ed as that's all there was. Nothing like these little rinky-dink cars I see on the roads now for Driver's Ed! I sure wish I had something THAT small when it came to parallel parking for my driver's test!

Stude did make Avantis for '64. One way to spot a '64 is the square headlight bezels as opposed to the '63's round ones like that box art shows. I thought I heard once that those bezels were optional so there might be a number of '64's without 'em, but they were made. That was the end of the line though as Studebaker production had ceased in South Bend, Indiana (late '63?) and moved to Canada, so the '64 model year was a very short one-----at least for Studebaker. Of course, Avanti's would live on for many years after, but as its own marque and not under Stude.

Yup! I know all about that. Hardtop roofs are shorter thus a longer tulip panel----likewise the rear deck is probably a tad longer. Doors would need a steeper "dip" on the hardtop's beltline. Side trim on the '56 Bel Air would just be a matter of using proper Evergreen strip and crafting those. Quarters I think are the same between the two 'cept for the upper part of the beltline----I'd have to take a closer look at those in scale.

Thanks David! I don't think I'll attempt that one again...........at least on a '59! If you ever decide to do a Nomad conversion, I'd think Revell's '57 Bel Air convertible would be your best bet. There's no roof to whack off, the side trim's already there, just some minor body work on the beltline (no dip) and take the roof off the '56. At least that's what I had in mind!

Why the '56 Chevy hardtop has been ignored as a modern glue kit is beyond me. Doing a correct one based on the '56 Del Ray and the '55 Bel Air hardtop is a dream project of mine since I don't expect Revell to ever kit this car now. Another one that's conspicuous by its absence is a REALLY GOOD '57 Nomad. We've got the '56, but for whatever reason they ignored the '57. Revell's newer tool '57 Black Widow (and Bel Air) just seem off to me particularly in the rear quarter windows. I've compared those to the Del Ray I have, and it just doesn't look right to me. Looks like another fix job is in order for that one if I ever decide to build it or like my '59 Impala, just swap the entire roof!

Oh I'd fix all that before it's said and done. Windshield shapes and rooflines are MAJOR sticking points with me when it comes to body shapes. To me that's the "signature" of the car, and when those aren't right it changes the whole character of it.

Not so much with the original FWD cars of the '60's (Eldorado and Toronado), but certainly true of the cars they foisted on us starting with the 1980 "X" body cars of GM. IMO, that was the dark days of the industry fully upon us as they way too quickly adopted that form of car architecture, and they've never truly gotten away from it. The cars are MUCH better today though than those dark days of the early '80's, but I can see why folks have gravitated towards trucks. They ARE the the full size "cars" they no longer make, which is a form of rejection I think of what the public DOESN'T want.......namely the small, cramped econoboxes which I don't want myself anytime.

Yeah, I've never quite warmed up to that car..........wasn't that crazy about it when it was new compared to the previous Torino. I have to give Revell credit though for attempting to come out with that even though it's a esoteric subject matter. Now I have a crazy thought about that kit......since Revell will NEVER come out now as I see it with a car that's related to that----the 1977-79 T-Bird. I've got a crazy idea to take that body and turn it into just that. Wheelbases are the same, overall length, same frame, same windshield frame (true on the 1:1's), just a matter of re-engineering the car basically from bumper to bumper and I'd have one of my favorites from the '70's. Long project, but in the end worth it when I get the ambition to attempt it. On the subject of the Superbird............one detail that Johan did flub on and Monogram got right was the nose. For some reason, the Johan nose has indentations around the headlight areas that shouldn't be there. Almost like it was there as a decal placement. This area should be smooth from side to side per the 1:1, and the only fix I see for that if I were building it would be to cut that section out, and then "raise it" to be flush with the rest of the nose.

No doubt! Whenever I see a good Johan up for grabs at a good price, I snatch it up! They're getting harder and harder to find, and we won't see the likes of 'em again!

That looks fantastic! Not my type of build, but I LOVE what's being done with 3D printing these days! Very excellent detail on that engine! This type of tech and building I can only see getting bigger in the years to come!

Wow, what luck! Was it the Johan kit?? The Monogram ones to my eyes are not quite the same. Each time I see Johan whole kits on the 'Bay, they seem to be a small fortune! I do see parts cars from time to time, so if the wing is all you need, you can get those mighty cheap.

I've ever only owned two front wheel drive cars in my over 40 years of driving, and if/when the time comes I want to get rid of my Challenger and get something else, I'll do my darndest to avoid another FWD car if at all possible! I don't totally hate them as obviously they serve a need and purpose----I just don't like the way many of them are styled. Wheels too close to the front of the door, the windshield rake that has the base of it hanging over the cowl, inside because of the wheel placement----it's cramped in the footwell area and as someone who wears a size 15 shoe, that's a no go. Some of you know how I feel about trucks. Yes, they have their place, but it's just sad to see the public at large give up on cars and the carmakers pretty much saying in so many words..........you NEED to have this! I know tastes change just like tailfins were once all the rage in the '50's/early '60's, then you had the "opera window" fad in the '70's. Then minivans were once so popular. I guess I'm bummed about seeing waaaay too many two-box designs going down the road, and would once again like to see more variety. The big question I have and no one is talking about is this...........what about the 13-15 year olds that are still living at home obviously and will be buying cars in the next 7-10 years which puts us in the mid to late '20's. Will they WANT to buy and drive what their parents are driving?? Hmmm....................food for thought.

The childhood memory this evoked was a Nomad like wagon that Opel made during the late '50's/early '60's. I used to see one parked at a neighbors house all the time, but it would be years till I figured out what it was. The front end on that was similar to the one pictured, and that's what made me think Opel. Just one of the really oddball cars I used to see in my neighborhood in the late '60's...........stuff you NEVER see on the roads today unless you go to a show.

No, I was referring to just the white ones as far as "brightening" them up. I can't even remember where I first saw that talked about. Might have been on the former "Hobby Heaven" board (now Spotlight) as I didn't have a real computer back in those days (early '00's)...........just a WebTv (remember those??). I also think I've seen that tip talked about years ago in SA(E).

Excellent! Come to think of it, I'll have to try that very trick again to some other decals I have that are no longer as bright as they should be.

OK, I had to think for a minute as the shape is VERY familiar to me (childhood memory) but I believe I zeroed on exactly what it is. Yes, I wouldn't mind having one too! You certainly won't see yourself coming and going!

John, I don't discount the wacky stories I hear people tell much at all anymore as I can remember as a kid seeing some VERY STRANGE THINGS that to me are still unexplainable to this day. Examples?? Well.....books flying out of shelves without any assistance on occasion. Items that you know for a fact were just in the room a second ago, and all of a sudden disappeared without a trace only to show up again later on. Neighborhood kids that were a bit younger than me at the time later on that swear they saw something creepy in the house when no one else did.........I could go on. I've had strange occurrences with my cats that I know they'd know about if they could speak. So yeah paranormal things are out there, and not all that experience them I'd consider "crazy". I used to listen a LOT to Art Bell during the '90's in my cab driving on overnights and I was FASCINATED about some of the things I used to hear. George Noory took over sometime in the early '00's IIRC, and the show changed direction a bit, but when I'm able to listen to him, he gets some hair curling subjects on there from time to time.

I don't get too crazed over small kit differences, but I can see Ben's point. One very classic example was when AMT reissued the '57 Chevy (new tool) in different box art. Now on the box sides was the model built up as the 2 door hardtop we all know and love. However, on the main box top what did they show?? A two door sedan which to the unsuspecting (like a lot of casual buyers), they'd be woefully disappointed because what they thought they were getting turned out to be anything but. Another example was MPC's (or AMT at this point) reissue of the '69 Charger 500. The box art car showed the model with what looked to be separate headlight lenses. When you got the kit home.................SURPRISE!! You got a kit with molded in headlights which I'm sure ticked more than a few modelers off. Obviously, the builder of the box art car thought the model looked much better with separate lenses-------guess they didn't get the memo letting them know they should build the kit AS IS with the parts provided them.

I hear ya Tom! You know that old saying----"You snooze, you lose"! Well, I wavered back and forth about getting a room to be there the night before. For awhile I had settled on just leaving PA here very early Saturday morning, but in the last couple weeks I decided that might not be a good idea these days with my eyesight the way it is and lengthy night driving. Sooooo.............I decided to go online to the LaQuinta website, and sure enough like you said, all sold out! I was able to get a room at the nearby Days Inn, so it's no biggy. I want to leave here no later than 11AM tomorrow, and hope to be there at Hoolihan's at around 1:30 -2:00 or so. Probably a bit early, but from what you described, you folks will be bursting at the seams for showtime! BTW, I got the room at the Days Inn for $80.00 for the night. I don't remember what the room rate was at the LaQuinta, but that's not a bad price considering NJ, and the day of the week.

Hold Ctrl Button-----move mouse wheel to make print larger. I have to do that as well as change the font color and put print in bold so I can see what's going on. The eyesight ain't what it used to be!