DanielG

Nice Job, good luck! (Bruno, I think that you should have put plates from la Belle Province on it but that is probably not allowed)

A wizard with the styrene!

Hey Mark, great looking car but (as has been intimated) you better put oil in the engine before you turn it over.

That wheel looks like it came out of a sand mould. I thought that these printers did a better job than that.

It would be the pumper based on the 1/16 scale HWY 61 truck. It was the most work that I have put into one of my conversions. It required shortening the wheel-base and lengthening the front bumper attachment and scratch building the rear body and the pump and piping, hoses and ladder mount etc. It is a replica of a truck used by the local department and not just something that I dreamt up so it had to be authentic looking. It now has pride of place in the Chief's office.

Nice looking but my grandpa liked AMC products!

OK, I will come clean, I actually OWN a hobby shop (say what you will, I have a pretty thick skin!). Cars are mostly bought by older teens and men. Younger modelers are into everything from sci-fi to military (thank God for the history channel!). I look at the hobby as all modeling not just cars and trucks (model railroading is also 'modeling' and some of the RC guys are going to 'scale') Some times vehicles will be very popular and then it will switch to some other type. Some kids just like to use their hands more than others do. Not all offspring of modelers will want to take up the hobby either, mine being a prime example. When I was young just about all my friends built models but most did not stick with it, one of the best car modelers moved on to the real thing and now collects die-cast instead of building anything. I think the same is true today, most kids might try it but not find it to their liking and go to something else. I find the biggest block to selling kits to kids are their parents, junior will want to give it a try but dad or mom will say ' You're too young, you will wreck it, wait 'til you're older.' There is no learning curve, it has to be 'perfect' first time, as though someone will die if not so! As for young girls, forget it, there is still a gender bias amongst WOMEN towards their daughters believe it or not! Anyhow, I am a dinsaur running a dinosaur shop but I think the miniatures hobby will be around for a while longer.

The Nova wipers and door handles don't look too bad.

Wowzers! I thought that the jeep was big.

I don't know how things work south of the border but if Revenue Canada decides they want to look into your affairs you had better get professional help!

Some 'engines':

That is why some builds sit for a while before continuing, as for torching a model with perfectly drinkable Scotch, well, that is just barbaric!

A fairly recent pic, with my little buddy Nolan, rechecking the instructions or more likely, taking a look at them for the first time!

Great work, John. I love just about everything you have done with this car (and what I am not sure about is just a matter of taste). I may have to pirate a couple of your ideas!

Like it but I am also more old-schoolish when it comes to wheels and tires, not a criticism just a matter of taste.

I second that! It is a great build, as for posting problems, what am I missing?

I also like the colour choice.

Some people have to get it built! Now! And building seems to be what it is about. I was talking yesterday to a fellow who told me he only builds level 3 and higher rated kits. I offered the opinion that you get out of a kit what you put into it and the only difference was more parts and maybe a big decal sheet (a la NASCAR). He would not have any of that, level 3 was more demanding. I have not seen any of his stuff but it seemed to me that he was happy to get it built and the building was the important part not how 'finished' it looked when he was done building. I know that there are guys on here that could take a snap kit and make it a contest winner and that is not done over-night and is a different 'process' than just building. Sorry for the ramble, it just seemed to surface while reading these posts.

Best wishes to your missus. My son has it, since about ten, bowel resection at about eighteen but still has the odd flare-up.

This was not a preserved warbird but a heavily modified racing machine. It did not even look like a P-51 any more, with a new cooling system and a 3600 HP rated engine. I am wondering if this airframe was just pushed beyond its capabilities.

Beautiful kit and construction. Back in the day I thought that I would try to scratch build one and went on a hunt for plans. I got the loan of the blue-prints from the museum at Wright-Patterson for three months just for the cost of postage! What can I say, it was a simpler time, I traced the plans but never did try to build the beast and have since lost the copies.

Lost the right landing gear on a P-51 once, I was only 16 and was a bit choked at the time but got over it after talking with the hosts. It was just one of those things that happen, so much water off a duck's back!

My sympathies, sorry to hear that.

Not to pry... but, funerals?

Tres bonne!