Jim Gibbons

I'm a sucker for big scale, but display is an issue. I build paper models, too, and the Alan Rose ones can be 4' or larger. At least the Empire State Building is vertical! I also have the Hindenburg and Titanic. All three are 1/200, and around the 4' mark. I haven't tackled the Hindenburg yet, but can hang that from the ceiling. The huge one is the front half of a DC-3. It ends about mid wing, so height isn't too bad. It has a 6'-4" wingspan, and is designed to be hung from the wall. I do have a spot between two windows up near the ceiling where it will fit. That scales to about 1/14 or so. Should be interesting to build.

I'd like to build the 1/32 B-17, but don't have the display room, even with the vertical wall mount provided. The P-38 has a 19.5" wingspan at that scale. I built it for a WW2 vet friend, who sadly passed this past November. A B_7 has almost exactly double the wingspan, so about 39". Big.

REALLY nice! I have the 1/43 version, but have to think about building it in this scale. The wheels were worth the effort.

Well, got the flyer for the '35 Ford today, and they are indeed ending the diecast car program. Too bad.

I saw that same statement on the '35 Ford, yet they claim the Mustang is all new. I guess because of the websites I visit, and cookies, etc., I keep seeing Danbury Mint ads on sites (including here,) that picture the '35 Ford and the new '65 Mustang. I see that the Mustang has already sold out, so DM might consider them again. We shall see.

Thanks, folks. Spring is almost here, and I can paint soon. I will be doing a trade to get a rechromed grille/bumper part, as there's some wear on the chrome on this. This was a builder that was stripped, etc., but all the parts are there, including the wheelcovers. I had a love/hate relationship with the 1:1, but it was a fun car. There was nothing like crusing with the top down on a summer's evening in the Hudson Valley and Catskills. I took it to see "More American Grafitti" at a drive in with a friend, and everyone already parked flashed their lights and beeped horns when I pulled in with it.

I also love civilian aircraft of this era. I've used cheap dollar type store aluminum foil and Microscale Foil Adhesive as a much cheaper alternative to BMF. This is a 1/32 Revell P-38J I built for a friend that way.

Wow, this one is a blast from the past. I built this back in the late '60s. I even painted the hunter and dead puma. Very cool.

Those are wonderful!

One of the other projects ready for paint, is an original AMT '59 Buick convertible. This one is going to eat up a lot of Bare Metal Foil. Fortunately, it's an Invicta, and not an Electra 225, which would need even more foil. I still haven't finalized the color, but leaning towards black with a red interior. That was the scheme of my aunt's '48 Buick Roadmaster convertible.

Now you have to find one of the 1/24 resin transporter models. I have the CMC in 1/18 scale that I display my #722 300SLR on. Superb model, by the way.

I'll finally have a model to match my avatar. I'm building this to match the 1:1 version I had over 30 years ago, in the same color scheme. The parting lines, etc., are sanded, and it's about ready for paint. It's an original kit, so painting the three tone black/red/white interior will be a bit tricky with the original tub design. It'll be fun, though, and hope to have it done this spring.

Looking forward to following this when you come back to it.

Very nice! I had a 1:1 '69 Camaro in the late '70s; Daytona Yellow with a black vinyl roof, 327. I wish the model manufacturers would make a more basic coupe with a standard hood someday.

Very nice!

Very cool; I love seeing these different cars being built. I have the very simple Heller 1/43 version. A friend of my brother's drove one of these in college in the early '80s.

I also believe it is new, so I'm thinking that the death knell news of Danbury Mint's car series demise might be premature. The sad part, is that some of the newer dies were awesome. I was fortunate to have gotten the '36 Packard and the '56 Buick Roadmaster.

Wonderful! I like the color choice; ideal for this era woodie, in my opinion.

Amazing. I'd like to see some in progress photos. I've worked timing and scoring at vintage racing events at Lime Rock. I love this era of racing.

I had heard of issues some time ago, but I just received a flyer for a '65 Mustang fastback about two weeks ago. Is this an old casting re-released, or did DM find a new vendor?

I'm a bit late to this thread, but that is one magnificent model, Túlio! I love the color.

Magnificent!

Sorry I'm not a bit better prepared to quote the Tamiya color numbers, but I'm going to try to replicate the RAL 6011 with a RAF or Japanese aircraft underside light green/blue color, mixed with a bit of their regular green. I've seen enough machinery painted in a similar color, that I think I can match it fairly well. If I get the right "feel" to it, I'll post my results and formula.

The new issue of Hemmings Classic Car has a great article (a reprint from Special Interest Auto mag from '76) on the history of supercharging. The main difference was that MB originally put the charged air through a pressure carburetor. This is clearly seen on the 500K engine pic Skip provided; the large tubing runs from the supercharger unit to the air intake. In 1937 (the 540K was first introduced in '36), MB changed the plumbing to compress the mixture after the carb into the intake manifold, which was a more common (and likely less expensive and more efficient) way of doing it.

Here's the original issue, box art, and instructions for the Mercedes 540K. I was able to score this for $9.95 on Ebay this spring. I was also able to get an original issue Bugatti T35 with the diorama accessories for an excellent price this summer. I've started work on the MB 540K to replicate the one I received for my 10th birthday. I'm still debating whether or not to finish the interior more accurately, or simply leave it as I built it all those decades ago.