Dave Metzner

Latest news is that third test shot parts will be on the way by end of this week - I should have them by middle of next week ( just in time for Thanksgiving!) If everything that needed to be corrected has been handled - we will need to get box art, and instruction sheets done - beiong as realistic as I can - I'm going to say early 2013. I'm hoping for shipment from the factory before the end of January and kits in stores not later than mid February. this is IF everything goes smoothly. Dave

As i promised I'll try to keep everyone up-to date regarding our new ProStar kit. I received second test shots last week. There are still issues that require tooling revisions. No sense in posting a bunch of new photos as the second test shot build-up looks just like the first one - without paint - Hopefully the revisions we needed will get made correctly and quickly. I'll post new photos as soon as I have a final version just as soon as I have one built and painted.. Dave

Yeah, Let's hear it for pack racing - Four wide and twenty deep all at 200 miles per hour. NASCAR's mouth pieces on TV tell us "the fans want pack racing and big wrecks"! That's the stupidest idea to ever invade the empty noggins of the NASCAR Brass. 25 car wrecks have nothing to do with good RACING! All four plate races in 2012 had big wrecks. Two or three had green - white - checkers endings - Daytona and Talledaga aren't races, they're 195 mile per hour demolition derbies. The dummies at NASCAR will stay with this rules package until they get somebody killed in one of these 25 car pile -ups, because they apparently think that the fans love the big wrecks. Talledaga drew only 88000 fans - this at a facility built for 308000! That ought to tell you something about the popularity of plate race wreckfests Junior has it right it IS blood thirsty! Shame on Brian France, Mike Helton, Robin Pemberton and all of NASCAR corporate - are you guys waiting for somebody to die in a Daytona / Talladega "BIG ONE"? You people ought to know better! NASCAR doesn't have sold out races any longer ( except , maybe at Bristol) - A real testament to the guys who run the sport these days! I think that they have enforced a ban on TV coverage showing the grandstands during races because they don't want the TV audience to see all the empty seats!

We have announced the first of Our Ford Pick-up truck releases at Toledo over the week end. That truck will be a 1971 8 ft bed Ranger XLT - Big Block automatic 2 wheel drive. What we didn't show at Toledo is the second kit. This will be a Model King Exclusive. it will be a 1969 Custom Cab short Bed six cylinder stick 2 wheel drive. Mock-ups for both kits are being done now. I hope to have them in my hands before Thanksgiving. Once we have reviewed mock-ups and made any corrections needed I'd like to hope that tooling will be under way by Christmas. If all goes well we could have first test shots by mid February next year. Our hopes are to have kits on store shelves before the end of the second quarter of 2013 Wish I had a pile of great photos, but these kits are only 3d computer files at this time. As soon as the Mock-ups get here I promise that I'll put photos up.. Thanks, Dave

Here are a few shots of the finished 1st test shot ProStar. This test shot does not have ProStar logos engraved on the cab and has several parts which are not quite right or missing all together. However after some fixing of a few issues it does build up as a presentable ProStar. I can't say for sure how quickly we'll have the second test shot - there are a couple issues that will take some tooling work in order to resolve them. Stay tuned, I'll try to keep information comming. Thanks, Dave

Decals not determined yet.. I suppose that I ought to figure that out pretty soon...Have a couple things in mind though.. Dave

Here are a few more shots of the unpainted test shot

Here are some shots of ProStar test shots - Unpainted one is a quickie to see if everything fits - the painted one is a work in progress its for display Thanks for looking, Dave

Box art and art on instruction sheet. Dave

Moebius Has planned a special limited edition Tim Flock 1952 Hudson kit for the IPMS Nationals (August 8-110 at Disney World. Shipment has been delayed so we will only have 18 kits available at the show. Since we goofed we'll offer discounted USPS shipping ($5.00) For details please go to http://www.clubmoebi...?ProductCode=91 Thanks, Dave

Moebius Models has planned to offer a limited edition Tim Flock Hudson kit at the IPMS Nationals (Aug 8 - 10) at Disney World . Unfortunately the main shipment of those kits was delayed so we will only have 18 of those kits in hand for the show. If you were planning to pick the kit up at the show and aren't lucky enough to get one of the 18 the rest of the run will be available by mail order - since we goofed we will offer discounted USPS shipping (5.00) Kits should arrive in our hands between 8/15 and 8/25 you can place an order at http://www.clubmoebi...?productcode=91

Dave Carey does offer a daycab for LoneStar. I can't shed any light on price. I do have one here and it looks like an injection molded part! very nicely done! Dave

Did some checking, Navistar does show a 113"bbc ProStar - My understanding is that cab dimensions from firewall to back of cab are the same for all ProStars and LoneStar too for that matter. So the hood of the 113"BBC truck is probably about 9 inches shorter than the hood of the 122"bbc truck... I looked at some photos of 113bbc trucks and the hood certainly does look shorter than the 122" bbc truck. Dave

To my knowledge there are only two variations on the ProStar nose - the122"BBC version - powered by smaller engines and the 125"BBc version - the MaxxForce15 powered version. The 122" BBC truck has a hood that is only slightly shorter - it has a narrower grille and contour differences vs the new hood on the MaxxForce 15 truck - If you look at the new truck you can see that the added 3 inches is made up by a filler panel between the front edges of the doors and rear edges of the hood..Not so much by a longer hood... I am unaware of a short hood ProStar. At this time we don't have any plans to do a 122" BBC ProStar as we don't have the drive train for that truck. The TranStar looks like a short hood version of ProStar - that's a whole different truck - again we don't have one of those planned right now.. After we get ProStar done we'll start looking around to see if we can do another big truck.. I've been told that the ProStar test shots will be coming in the next few days - I'll know alot more regarding that project once I get one of the test shots whacked together.

Trailers should ship by end of this month - in stores maybe by middle of August. Expecting ProStar 1st test shots in my hands around 1st of next month. After I have the test shot I'll have a better notion as to possible release date for ProStar.. Dave

Guido writes for one of the German modeling magazines, Tim Ahlborn writes for MCM, they get test shots as do some other folks like Bill Coulter and Len Carsner. That's done so that our kits can be reviewed and magazine / internet exposure can be had before kits are actually finished and shipped. This is because the lead time for something to be published can be 60 days or more. We'd like for our customers to see our kits in their favorite magazine around the same time as they find them on the store shelves. BTW - the LoneStar in Guido;s photos of the trailer is a test shot too. Hope this answers the question. Dave

Guido does some of the nicest work I've seen. The Walmart livery on that test shot of our trailer is all done with masks and paint! NO decals! His LoneStar wrecker is going to be spectacular when he gets it done. Guido found us when we announced LoneStar - I believe that the LoneStar shown with the WalMart Trailer is a 1st or 2nd test shot -I know that it was built without the benefit of an instruction sheet - just some exploded drawings and a few photos. One of the enjoyable parts of my job is getting to see what builders can do with our kits.. Dave

I've made no changes on my Smug Mug galleries, you should be able to see all the photos that have been posted t them. The photos of the WalMart trailer and LoneStar are the work of Guido Kehder in Germany. Guido does super work! The trailer is ready for production now. ProStar is in tooling. I'm away from my office for a few days so I can't give you anything more specific. Dave

Great Dane - in stores August / Sept ProStar just started tooling - I'm going to Guess that we may have it out early in the 4th quarter if everything goes to plan..

Thermo King did not refuse to license their logos for our kit, it's simply a case that we overlooked contacting them - and do not have time to go thru with Thermo King licensing at this late date. Yes the sides, floor, and roof, of the trailer are one piece moldings. Release date - current schedule looks like shipping in August - arrival late August - possibly early - mid September. ProStar is just staring tooling now - I don't expect to see a first test shot before late July - early August - If everything goes well, Kits may be available Early 4th quarter this year.. Dave

Yep I've been told that LoneStars being built now will have MaxxForce 13 power - I found out last month while at Navistar's headquarters for their approval of the ProStar mock-up. The MaxxForce 15 can't be cooled adequately in LoneStar. I don't have any idea how many LoneStars were actually built with MaxxForce 15s - I do have photos of one that I took in December of 2009 - it was one of first 6 that were built with that engine. The first truck we photographed in July of 09 had a Cummins This is a really interesting turn of events. ProStar will continue to be offered with the 15 L engine

Regarding separate door handles - Please look at the door handles of a real 55 C300 - the door handles on those cars are not typical of 1950's autos. They do not stand out from the body rather they are set into the sheet metal - making them as separate parts doesn't make much sense - Dave

Fender skirts have been corrected on the Convertible and will be corrected on future production of the coupe. Dave

Great looking truck! The most enjoyable part of my job is seeing what you guys do with the kits!

I just received photos of the revised mock-up - only one small item to still be revised - Hopefully that'll get done within the next week or so - then tooling can start! Hope to have first test shot by mid June or so.. Dave