MrObsessive

Anyone wanting to do a good Johan AMX/Javelin with the proper V8, this would be a very good start. The engines in the Johan kits are all wrong as they represent the earlier AMC V8, and not the correct 290 version (which would swell to 401 C.I. eventually). Change the oil pan, headers, and air cleaner and you're good to go.

Sad, but very true! I have friends that own Hyundai's and they SWEAR by them! Never a big issue with them and IIRC. they offer a TEN year warranty?? Can't beat that!

Just a couple curious questions as I'm not that crazy about the racing livery. Can this be built as a 'regular' street car? Are the differences that major from the street version other than the graphics among other things?

Scott, unfortunately I have to agree. While I don't hate trucks and SUV's, I just wish when I go onto car sites, every other article isn't about something trucky. That's the car guy in me I guess, but I've never been a big fan of vehicles that sit up too high. I like things that can corner quickly and get out of their own way. While there are some mighty swift trucks out there, the law of physics can't be changed. That high center of gravity can be a sure fire way to see yourself roof down and wheels up! Interestingly, it's the American car makers that are giving up on cars. You don't see the European or Asian market cars doing the same. There's something to be said about that.

Great start Steve! I've got a '68 rebuilder that's been sitting for years...........just need the motivation to strip the paint (enamel) and refinish 'er. I've always liked 'em with the 'Factory Mag Hubcaps', and I have a TON of pics to use. Lime Gold.........that'll be sharp! Keep us posted!

Nice redo Snake! Wasn't this car the one (along with its other siblings) that you had to jack the car up to get to the spark plugs (V6)? I wasn't that crazy about 'em when they were new, but 40+ years later they look sharp now. I'd say that they were a bit ahead of their time as they sported the 'aero' look that wouldn't catch on till the early '80's.

Oooh! Very nice Dominick! And your mods are correct as the 1:1 was based on a '55 Chevy regular car chassis, not the shorter Corvette one. Hope to see more! I've got nearly two weeks off starting on the 21st of this month (job shut down for Christmas) and I hope to do EXACTLY THAT for that '74 Corvette............get it done! Might even start another resto along the way before jumping back on the Green Hornet.

Looks absolutely excellent Steve! Beautiful paint and I like the tint band on your windshield.........that's something I can never get to turn out right.

Ahhh very nice! I love Corvairs as I was literally surrounded by them as a kid, so I'm familiar with all their quirks and peculiarities. Could close my eyes and hear one start up from a block away!

Thanks for the link David! Those chassis pics show the 'first style' routing of the brake and fuel lines. Those are a very good reference! Sometime during the '67 model year, Ford changed the routing so that it would run along the chassis sides along the rocker panel. No doubt due to a possible hazard if the car under hard running scenario decides to break free its driveshaft! Not good! I've not decided which way I'd run those lines if I do them at all, but when I did the chassis detail on my 1/25 scale '67 Mustang I did run them in the first style. That's a very interesting history about that Shelby..........I never knew that car existed till you sent the link for it.

Tom, I couldn't agree more! It's the "Safety Sam's and Sally's" that have killed good design. Not that there aren't any nice looking cars out there, but there's a "sameness" that too many cars share. Must all of the windshields have the same rake? I like a more upright windshield as it makes it easier to get in and out of. Must all of the C pillars on most coupes and sedans have that same dumb kickup at the base? BMW started that years ago and now everyone and their brother wants to copy it. All of the hoods need not slope at the same angle, but I see that trend disappearing. Now front ends are taller, but once again it's for 'pedestrian safety' and not for accommodating a stylist's fancy. I tell you what.......you get hit by ANY car no matter how tall or short the front end is, you're gonna be a hurtin' or flat out dead! Not that we need tailfins back on cars, but it would be nice if we once again had distinct styling cues so we can tell even from blocks away what's coming at us.

Absolutely LOVE the interior! I was thinking that if you ever wanted a 'vinyl' look to those seats......perhaps covering them with wide tape (clear) would do the trick? I was thinking about trying something like this on an interior someday.

Excellent! I've got a couple of these too Snake! A pristine never touched kit and a built one I took apart years ago and it's been calling my name to redo it. Both in their original boxes. Yours turned out very nice and yes, this is one I'd like to see make its way back. It's been reissued under different names so is it possible the tooling still exists? Dunno, but it would make more than a few modelers happy if we saw it again.

YIKES!!

I'm building (albeit VERY slowly) a DeAgostini 1/8 '67 Shelby right now. If you're comparing it to the newest Pocher kits, I'd say they're about the same. The old Pocher (think 1935 Mercedes 500K-AK), kits there is no comparison. They can have literally hundreds if not thousands of parts including the nuts and bolts. While DeAgostini's parts count may not be as high, they build into quite impressive models from the examples I've seen.

Scott, I was at a local car show a couple years ago and among all the nice and shiny '50's and '60's cars what had a crowd around it?? A 1978 Ford Fairmont! I kid you not! One of the plainest (read boring) cars of the '70's had a crowd of people around it admiring it. More than likely, probably because you just don't see them anymore and this car was clean as a whistle. Not a spot of rust on it and I don't remember the mileage, it was obviously well taken care of by its owner. As far as the K car.............well, ya just never know! I can betcha those K car convertibles are definitely collectible now. Rattles, squeaks and all!

Gotta agree with you there Richard. Type in any year in a search.........say 1960 Street Scenes. Most of the cars shown are not going to be flashy two door hardtops or convertibles with WWW's. They're going to be your average family sedan or station wagon which sold the most in those days. Now the CUV has replaced the station wagon (and even the family sedan some would argue), but 30 years from now, who's to say they won't be collectible? In 1960, no one would have ever thought a '55-'57 Chevy would be so desirable because back then they were 'just another car'. Not the case today simply because they're all but extinct. Let's go forward a couple decades and what's the up and coming next wave of collectible cars?? The 1970's.

Scott, I have to agree with you about the changing of the hobby. I'm 57, so I remember VERY WELL those cars of the '50's and early '60's as cars with big fins and lots of chrome would have been the first cars I would have seen when I first knew what a car was. Lets fast forward 20-30 years when many of us in reality will be in our 70's and 80's. First, we'd be very fortunate if we still have the ability to build anything at that point and then I've made this statement before-------how many of people will be around that will remember a '55-'57 Chevy, or '69 Camaro? Time marches on, and there will come a point that the hobby will change drastically-------that's a big reality. Like you mentioned kids are building, just not the cars and trucks that most of us here are familiar with. I wouldn't say that today's subject matter is particularly boring. Look no further than the Asian market and how they have quite modern subjects of their cars seemingly all the time. They're still in business so is it a matter of the domestic kit makers not wanting to take a chance on the 'average' car? I can kind of get that, but how would they know if they never try? While I'm not a big fan of CUV's or SUV's, I can see there being a market for some up to date stuff such as a Chevy Traverse, new Silverado, Cadillac Escalade, Ford Escape, etc. And yes, 3D printing will be a game changer in the years to come. Will we get to a point where the kit makers will become obsolete because we'll get to a point where even a novice can 'make their own kits'?? Will .stl files simply be bought and your hobbyist take it from there to make their own model with their 3D printer? Time will tell....................

I'm seriously thinking about running brake and fuel lines (early style) since I have a ton of pics showing the underside of the car. I'll have to 'think big' though as obviously I wouldn't be using the same size diameter lines as I would for something 1/24-25th scale. That's waaaaay down the road though as the chassis gets built in 'stages' too.

Thanks for reminding me Tom! Right after I read your post, I went digging for my tap and die set I had bought years ago. Looks like I'm missing the size I need for these particular screws. Either that, or I misplaced it as I literally have not thought about using 'em since I bought the set in the early '00's when I was building my '57 Corvette. So this weekend, it's off to the hardware store I go and pick up those sizes. I'll probably have to buy a set of them------I don't remember seeing them sold individually.

Testors enamel spray paints are what drove to me learn airbrushing with a vengeance back in 1985! I had not one, but two cans ruin a model paint job the cans were so bad. Haven't used 'em since 'cept to decant them in to a jar and then airbrush them. Model Master is a different story..........I used their cans a time or two out of curiousity (their clear) and it wasn't bad at all. How can two different brands from the same company be so markedly different?? Another downside to Testors is their woefully slow drying time which is why something will instantly go in the dehydrator once it's painted.

Got it!

Simply Gorgeous! Love the added details in the engine bay.........really adds some life to it!

Little bit of trivia.........the guy who did the voice for the Lost in Space robot is the same fellow who did the voiceover for Tony the Tiger, "They'rrrrrre GREAT! " Darn if I can remember his name right now though........... EDIT: Whoops! I stand corrected......it was actually this guy.

X2!! I'd definitely love one of these if you're going to cast it Paul! I'd even just take the body------I can come up with the rest! This is looking so goodl! I'm glad to see yet another overlooked car of the '70's finally see some love! Those of us who can remember when these cars were new can certainly appreciate this. While not a fast car by any means, it certainly turned heads back in its day and is just starting to become collectible. Keep up the great work!