Matt Bacon

Well, it's good to get back to the bench. After five weeks enforced absence caused by a hospital stay to have a dodgy heart valve replaced with a stainless steel one with a 25-year warranty followed by some down-time for recovery and rehab, I've got my mojo back. Since i need to rebuild strength and fitness before going back to work in December, I should be able to get in some serious building! Triggered by the discovery of an "Owner's Workshop Manual" for the T-70, with many helpful diagrams, I pulled this kit that I found cheap at a model show back in February out of the stash. Although boxed by "Union", it's the old IMC kit with new instructions telling you how to deal with the various issues with the aging plastic... Since the vast majority of the chassis and components are bare aluminium or silver, I've decided to assemble it before painting, and then do some detail painting afterwards The suspension is pretty reasonably detailed and quite accurate. One of the less satisfying details is this pair of vents to let hot air from the rear brakes out from the wheel well. A lumpy depression on the clamshell as moulded, I think they look a lot better cut out and opened up. I've heard lots about the fit issues with the body clamshells and doors, so I thought the sooner I can get it mocked up and start fine-tuning the shape of the doors with some plastic card shims, the better. I'd really like to get the whole thing fitting properly while it's still a "body in white", before I go near it with primer and paint. That's it for now! best, M.

I've been out of action, modelling-wise, for a while, but I have been able to spend time on a well-known auction site, where I went down a bit of a small-scale rabbit hole... Very reasonable price for this... I'm not sure many people in the UK know much about them... And these four: Some British and European classics, and for sure the only way to get a mainstream injection-moulded Rover SD1 and Alfasud... The sharpness and detail of the mouldings is really pretty impressive. You can't really get a sense of size in the pictures, but they are reet petite: the Alfasud (the white one) is a little under 3.5" long... I'll be getting on with these in fairly short order. best, M.

You can count me in for one of these: .... maybe if I ask nicely he’ll do the sign as an accessory! best, M.

... just inherited one of these: is it redeemable, or should I take it to a charity shop? best, M.

Fair enough... I’ve never seen any “announcement” at the booth at SMW, though, and our CBK SIG display table has been about 3m away on the opposite side of the walkway/aisle from the Revell booth for at least the last five years, so we would have noticed a crowd gathering or a “big reveal”... The latest newsletter is dominated by Star Wars kits, ready for the Rise of Skywalker... best, M.

I'm not there this year, but Revell has never announced anything at SMW in all the years I have been previously. They tend to to keep their powder dry and announce their next year's range at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in mid-January. Telford is more about having real built-ups of their current year's Q3 and Q4 offerings that they are trying to get out before Christmas... Airfix gets the visibility of a "big shout", but even their announcement is just one "headline" item, and the rest is announced in January... best M.

I don’t think it’ll take that long... best, M.

If you’re interested in auto concept art, this looks great: https://www.daltonwatson.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=IMAGINE best, M.

Is there a Portofino yet? I think it’s significantly better looking than the Cali.... best, M.

Lovely pair! Now if they’d only do a Lamborghini Lamborghinetta to go with them... best, M.

Very cool... a great looking pair. best, M.

+1 for the slow, gentle and steady with a scriber. I’d do the windshield cut right through first, upside down with the roof taped firmly onto a tile or bench so the only stress on the A-pillars is the (slight) drag of the scriber. Then do the back, and once you’re nearly through, snap the roof up and away... best, M.

I picked up the regular Aoshima box in a charity shop for £5 a couple of years ago. Crack in the main glazing across the passenger side window, but easy to cut out and replace with a “wound down” piece of acetate.... best, M.

Instructions available now: https://stage.revell.de/fileadmin/import/images/bau/07047_%23BAU_LAND_ROVER.PDF And there's excellent news -- Revell has provided a full set of alternative parts to build LHD and RHD engine bays as well as dashboard and interior controls. Top job, Revell! best, M.

I've read that "Pontiac Engine Blue" is a good match for Mecom Blue as used on the Lola T70 spider that's on the bench. The Testors version looks way too pale to me... were there several versions of the colour? Is there a better match to the darker metallic blue seen here: which looks a lot more like one of the Cobra metallic blues I already have... best, M.

There are more parts in the box than are used, and a bit of scratch building goes a long way... Best, M.

That looks great! Whose decals are they? I have an UT Model 911 GT1 missing its decals, hence the bargain price I paid for it... best, M.

I think given what Bill posted about being locked out for a period it must also have some kind of user “risk assessment” model, which makes it more sensitive after it’s “caught you” once. Maybe after the first “attack” is detected it thinks “we might have a wrong’un here” and ups the sensitivity, hence you either get locked out like Bill, or have to tiptoe past like you did, David. The question it would be good to hear an answer to from our hosts is whether this is a big or a feature? Is it doing what it’s meant to, but rather too enthusiastically, or is it actually malfunctioning? If the “404 not found” turns into “Sorry, Dave, I can’t do that.” we’d better start worrying.... best, M.

Thanks, Pete... it was your answer that triggered the the thought: s e l e c t f r o m xxx w h e r e something is classic SQL which means choose the entries from the data table called xxx the ones that have the feature something eg s from addresses w state is Michigan... best, M.

What it’s trying to protect us from is what they call “SQL injection” where the text entered by a user is interpreted as commands in the database language that sits behind the site pages. There’s a full list of SQL code terms here: https://docs.snowflake.net/manuals/sql-reference/sql-all.html As you can see, lots of common words, and a good number we might use, like a l t e r and j o I n. Combine this with the way SQL uses punctuation marks and an innocuous word and an old school smiley can look like an attempted hack... best, M.

Yep... I thought it had got better, but now I’ve got the “window blind” thingy at the top covering the navigation and coming down again at random after I’ve closed it, ads amongst the run of posts, AND occasional full page “takeovers”. As others have said, most of them aren’t even relevant, so whatever it is that makes Google-powered advertising so scarily knowledgeable on other sites doesn’t seem to be working here... best, M.

If it's any help, Evo magazine's video comparisions are: 959 and F40 F50 and Carrera GT 918, La Ferrari (and McLaren P1) 928 and 550 Maranello Porsche 997 Carrera S and F430 best, M.

Now why would you do that? It’s like trading a Stradivarius for a Stratocaster... best, M.

Thanks, Dave... it seems a lot better now... best M.

So, since the poll is closed... yes I find the advertising on the site intrusive and annoying. bestz, M.