highway

That is where I said asking questions before bidding is very helpful. I don't know if the auction pic is the same size as it was in the auction posting, but even at the size it is in your post, I could see just from the gap on the passenger side, there was possibly an issue with the frame, so I zoomed in on the pic to 400%, and even though it looks no where near as bad as it does in your pic, I, at least, can see there is an issue. After that, I would have asked the seller about it and for better pics before bidding, and if they didn't want to do that, I would have told them I pass. At least you admit you learned from the experience, and my advise, zoom in on all the pics as close as you can. There have been things I either seen like issues like yours or sometimes even in parts lots, a part that makes the rest of it worth getting that I may have missed by not zooming the pic.

It's not plastic, but what about some thin but stiff metal wire? I'm sure you could probably find something like that around the house or even cheap at a craft store.

Brian, I doubt there's any way to bleach the smoked clear, but don't hold me to that. I figure you must have an older issue of that kit, because in the case of the sister kit 78 Trans Am, the last issue of it Revell did away with the smoke tint and made the parts clear. You might want to check the latest issue of the Z, they probably did the same with it, and you can use the clear for the stock and build a custom with the other kit.

Romell, here's what I have done in trades and have no issues in doing trades this way. First, since you brought up the issue of junkers, say that I read your thread requesting a Revell Lincoln LSC or Matt & Debbie Hayes T-bird, which I did, by the way! Ok, I have one of the Lincolns that I got off a friend of mine as a built up junker to restore a build from many years ago that I lost in a fire in 1997. He gave me it because he knew I was having trouble finding a fresh kit, but back to the example. If I did want to work a trade out with you for it, I would have let you know via PM, and also sent a PM to you with pictures of my junker. That way you see exactly what your getting before we even make the trade, and then I let you decide what you want to trade. If you decide it's worth a new kit to you, fine by me. If you have a junker you want to trade, say a built tractor trailer truck or something, ok, I built trucks, that sounds good! The only thing I would ask of you was to send me pics to see if I want it or if it would be more work than I want to handle. I would bet, no matter how junky or even if it was missing nothing major, I'd say "Heck yeah, I'll take it!" The old saying "Pictures are worth a thousand words" is so true, you know what to expect and I also know what to expect when we get our trades in the mail! I've done quite a bit of trading the short time I've been a member here, and have traded kit for kit, junk for kit, and even a new kit I bought just to send to one of my trading partners I traded with before just for some truck parts! There was even one I sent a junker that someone wanted, sent the pics of what condition it was in, and I got the fresh kit that he just wanted to get rid of! Now there have been a few execptions, just like the trailer kit I sent for truck parts, no pics were exchanged either way, but that was because we had already had one nice trade beforehand. In the way of trading built ups or parts cars, the pics are so helpful to avoid any issues! You've already seen what you're getting!

Brian, you are right, that appears to be a 1/16 scale. By your pictures, I would guess it is the 1/16 scale AMT 1978 Corvette. I can't wait to see you save this one.

Mark, these examples do make our modern day to day life easier, and I think there is probably no one who would give up their cable tv for rabbit ears again, I know I sure wouldn't, but the items I've put in bold in your quote I must agree and disagree with. First, the cell phone is both the best and the worst invention on the planet right now, in my opinion! Yes, as a former truck driver who spent many hours alone in the cab of my truck thanklessly delivering the countries needs, it was useful so I could get directions for pick ups and deliveries, as well as make the hours beating the country's highways pass more quickly by calling family or friends, many of who are also brother truckers. My issue is the idiots who do not use them responsibly! I always used a wired mic or Bluetooth when I was talking and driving, and kept my attention on the road so I didn't roll over a family in a mini van, and my firends that are drivers do the same. I could not tell you how many near misses I've had with in either commercial or my personal vehicles with the previously mentioned idiots holding a stupid phone to their ear or now even texting while driving completely oblivious to that fact they just almost killed themselves because they pulled right out in front of my 80,000 pound tractor trailer or even my personal 6,000 pound dually pickup! Pay phones were much safer! Next issue I have is computer technology, especially the MapQuest. This is another area where my trucking career comes into play, I used to and still do prefer good old fashioned paper maps over anything else. MapQuest and even GPS are both, again, useful tools, but I feel the younger generation feel they need these machines to tell them what to do. I'm 34 years old, so I'm in what I feel is the "Old school/Tech" age, meaning I grew up with the old ways but have picked up on the tech age. I have ran into many situations in the truck where younger "Techy" drivers follow their GPS like it knows everything, IT DOESN'T! A couple of examples are one driver that had his GPS telling him to go over a bridge with a weight limit of 5 tons and a height restriction of 11 feet in an 80,000 pound 13 feet 6 inch tall semi. Do the math, it wasn't happening! He had many drivers, including me, trying to tell him on the CB radio directions to get him where he needed to go safely, and all we got was the reply of "My GPS says to go this way." A nice Motor Carriers Atlas would have shown where he was is not even a truck route. When I drove heavy duty wrecker, there were also many of these GPS dependent drivers I had to rescue because of the same reason, the atlas would have shown them the road was not a truck route. Lastly, I would love to see less computerized equipment in cars today. The myth that fuel injection is more fuel efficient is BULL, in my opinion. Yes, it may be more fuel efficient because you don't have to warm it up in the winter, and it does give a better fuel ratio to burn, but there are cars on the market bragging about getting 25-30 miles to the gallon! Yippe! I had a 1978 Chevy El Camino that had a 350 CID 2BBL carburetor that got about 25 mpg all day long! That is as good as the 1990 Ford Thunderbird with a 3.8 Liter V6 with fuel injection I have now! I also prefer older cars with less electronics because, while I'm sure many here have 100K a year incomes and can afford to take their Lexus to the dealer and get ripped off on a regular basis, I don't have that luxury, as I'm sure others here don't, either. My daily driver now is a 1990 Ford F350 dually with a mechanical diesel, no electronics even control the fuel injection. It costs a little more in maintenance because it is a diesel, but at least I don't need special computer equipment just to work on it, just basic Craftsman hand tools. Oh, and that reminds me of another case that all the electronics are not really needed on todays cars. My 20 year old 7.3 Liter diesel has no electronics, as I said it is mechanically injected, and also has no turbocharger, and has (at least) 180,000 miles on the odometer. My neighbor has a computerized 2008 Ford F250 with either the 6.0 Liter or 6.8 Liter, I can't remmeber which, but irregardless, it is a smaller engine than mine, with twin turbochargers, with about 35,000 miles on it. Both engines are just like they left the factory, no modifications on either, and take a wild guess which truck gets better fuel mileage. Give up? MINE!!! My truck, at last fill up, has an average of a little over 14.5 mpg, while the neighbors little in dash computer shows he only gets about 11 mpg! Where is the benefit of the added computer controls and electronics? In conclusion, I do feel the technology we enjoy today does make life easier, but there has been major downfalls in that technology that has actually made life harder on some and dangerous in other cases. I think many techies nowadays need to remember K.I.S.S.! Keep It Simple Stupid

Romell, thanks so much for showing the step by step on the Optima (hope I spelled that right ) battery!! I knew they were supposed to be simple to make from tubing, but it is sometimes much easier to see it take shape! I might just have to get brave enough to try it now!

Gary, I hate to say this, but you bought what was pictured. The only thing I see different between your pics and the auction pic is the lack of the dashboard in your pics. Did you get that? If you look closely at your first pic, even though yours is at a slightly different angle, the auction pic has the same ill fitting gap at the top of the passenger side of the windshield as your pic does. Also, I don't know if part of your anger is that it seems, especially since you took the pic of the rear end with only one taillight, you were assuming it was complete. I can tell by the original pic it was not complete! I see no front bumper or grille, and no indication of the rear bumper, either. When there is any doubt like that, especially since NO WHERE in the description that it was complete, you can email the seller BEFORE YOU BID and ask more questions. If there is any doubt in my mind, that is what I ALWAYS DO, and if I either still have doubt or the seller doesn't answer my question to my satisfaction, no matter how badly I think I need the item, I PASS! I'm sorry if I'm seeming harsh and kicking you while you're down, because I'm not trying to do that, but I honestly don't see why you have an issue with the seller. The only way I could see an issue is if you did not receive the dashboard, since it was pictured, but other than that, you got what you (over)paid for. By the way, that is why I prefer to buy sealed kits. Yes, I might pay more, but if it is a subject I really want to build, I have the 99.9% piece of mind that I'll be able to build the model. Yeah, there is that 0.1% chance there may be a factory defect, warpage problem, or other issue, but that is a risk I'm more than willing to take!

Yeah, but what about this? I don't remember the 60s, but yet I wasn't really there. What is the reason for this? I wasn't BORN YET!!!!

Yeah, but it is a nice change of pace!! Anyway, a beautiful woman ALWAYS makes a car look even better!!

I don't think so, Jim. I've not really used Alclad yet, but a friend of mine has, and I think he used just regular old run of the mill gloss black for his, and it came out great. I think the only thing that really matters is that it's gloss black.

Aw, but that takes the fun out of it!! What's the fun of a warbird if you can't shoot something! I'm just kidding, of course, and on the serious side, this is looking interesting. I have about four other Community Builds going on right now, but I think I just might see what I have on the shelves. I'm not much of an aircraft modeler, but the major modifications I have going on with the others, this just might be a nice break.

The kit decals look like Revell had them in mind just for you, Romell! So, now are you going to take the pics to the body man and give him a last minute revision for the 1:1? Also, a big two thumbs up for the wife, the pics are great!

And sometimes it won't even do that!!! I used to work in a warehouse that sold that junk, and saved some from the dumpster during a cleanup on time. I should have let it go to the dumpster, because that's where it went anyway. I'm not sure who makes the Frogtape, but I've found Intertape and 3M brands to be the best, well from what I brought home from the warehouse when they were throwing out old stock, anyway.

Yes, and Doc is also shocked and appalled! He was in a good mood. Then he seen the horrible pics of the wicked machines! FURBALLS ARE PEOPLE TOO!!!!

Even though you found the one you were looking for, here is another helpful site, too. http://www.oldride.com/library/index.html

Actually, George, thanks to a handy cureency converter I found online, here's what the loader would cost. 195.00 GBP = 295.423 USD I still think that's not bad, though, because that would be one big hunk of resin!

WOW a two year old thread back from the dead!! That is one cool rat rod!

George, I'm not sure, but I would take a pretty good guess he got the loader from KFS. Here's a link to theie page that has one: http://www.kitformservices.com/tq.html It's about halfway down the page, and then click the camera to see their pic. All of those are beautiful. I'm sorry to here about the bucket wheel, too, that looked impressive! What scale was it? It looks huge! By the way, where did you guys get your overpriced Payhaulers? I bought the 2006 reissue from my LHS for 30 bucks! Was I just lucky getting mine so cheap?

Wow, Romell, those brakes look great! There you go using that super secret shrink ray of yours again!

That's good Mark, but I'll see your one model building related cat pic and raise three more!! I think my cat Libby was a model builder in another life, I just can't seem to keep her out of the model room!! Even though she usually isn't allowed at the model desk, this was so cute I couldn't resist! Oh, and this is one of my other babies tell everyone what she thinks of thread hijackers!

Beautiful job, Marcos!! Even though you said the blue didn't quite turn out the way you wanted, it still suits that car well. What color is it? Also, is that the AMT 62 Catalina? I've not ever really been too much of a fan of the bigger Ponchos, I've always been a Trans Am sort of guy myself, but seeing this one just might change my mind!

OOPS!!! I see you have already gotten some good suggestions from making/getting new glass, trying to strip the glass, or polishing the clear with polishing cloths, but I have another possible solution. I would say either get some Tamiya Clear Smoke paint (X-19 in the bottles, I think) or go to the local auto parts store and pick up some window tint film and tint the side windows and headlights.

I didn't even see any place for resin kits or anything there, Chucky. All I seen was their built stuff and an order form for them to build a truck, no resin. Where is it?

Yeah, and they'll say "Marc who?" or "OH, you know THAT guy, we'll have to charge you double!" I'm just kidding, Marc! I love the look of their sign, and already saved to my favorites. Please let everyone up to date when they get the web store up and running.