Dave Metzner

Thank you unclescott58, Daren Bastedo & Brett Barrow! Yes, Bob, the white body on the bottom in my photos is an AMT 62 Catalina - which happens to have the correct dimensions for the 1962 body and chassis. Guess that a bit of calm has been restored here for now.. Started working on revisions to the test shot today - mostly stuff like locator pins and holes that need to be revised - a couple of missing parts to be added - like the starter that somehow, got overlooked... Will try to get 8 Lugs fixed as well as details of C pillar and kick up in body line behind door opening.. Hope to have all the work done on this set of test shots in a couple more days. I plan to have all the notes off to the factory by Wednesday or Thursday.. Then we wait for the second test shot!

How much too long is the rear overhang??? Can we find more dissimilar photos to compare the test shot to? What would be enough evidence that the test shot is not terribly out of proportion? are there minor details to clean up - yes there are - is the roof too short - not according to my information regarding these cars - is the overhang too long - I can't seem to see it.. Do I have the test shot to measure - you bet, I do.. Is the length of the 61 the same as the 62 - 62 is 211.6 inches 61 is 210 - less the 2mm @ 1/25 difference - ( that 1.6 inches is in the front bumper of the 62 if you need to know) Is the wheelbase different between 1961 & 1962 NOPE no difference - I may not be a professional photographer, but I do know that focal length of lens, and angle of a photograph has a tremendous effect on the proportions of the object being photographed.. comparisons of real car photos against photos of models are rarely valid comparisons! The photo of our test shot has been taken with a fairly short lens - I'd guess somewhere between 55 and 70mm while the photos of the real cars were probably made with longer lenses - probably 110mm or longer - the short lens being a wider angle lens produces more distortion than the longer lens. Here are shots of two similar bodies shot at the same angle with the same lens - now tell me that the rear overhang is too long again. Now, let me fix what I can, and see what the finished product looks like in a few months! I'm done here, for now

To me, It comes across as judgements being made based on a single photo of the test shot judgements made without any consideration of camera angle or camera lens distortion. So it seems some are ready to pronounce it wrong from one not very good photo before they ever lay hands on it. I just got the test shot back , about 2 hours ago, I was told that the test shot was only out of the display case once for a few minutes during the I-Hobby Show.. I have, thus far seen only one photo of the test shot from the show - that being of it sitting in the display case from an angle that you'll never see of a real car. I've measured the real car - I've measured the test shot I've compared the test shot to lots of photos of real cars and I can't find any significant errors in dimensions on the test shot. So I must wonder how anyone who doesn't have this actiual chunk of plastic in hand can know that the body is so wrong. I'll keep looking at it and try to get some additional dimensional info to check but I can't find the problem now..If I can find a significant problem, I'll do my best to get it corrected - just saying the significant error in the body size, shape, proportion eludes me @ his time! As for the 8 lug wheels I can see the error and I will do my best to make revisions to correct that - but the notion that we'll just go back to a one piece wheel right away is not an attractive option.

Sorry, the measurement from back edge of windshield post to front edge of C pillar is correct within a tenth or two of a millimeter - the length of the roof panel itself appears to be correct. Photos here are the car we were able to photograph and measure. I'm having a very hard time finding that the proportions of our body are off. I can probably get the detail of the bottom of the C-pillar corrected. Not interested in going back to on piece wheel for the 8 lugs @ this time - I need to see if we can fix the pieces we already have.. As of today I have not had time to spend writing a review of the test shot for our factory - been too busy trying to get the Ford Pick-up trucks and 54 Hudson Hornets done as I have test shots for all those projects here now. I hope to be able to devote my undivided attention to the Pontiac test shots later this week..

Here is the 8 lug wheel on the 1961 Ventura that we measured as you can see there is a raised rib around the bolting flange, There are several different versions of the 8 lug wheel depending on the year of the car.. they are not all alike. I'll see what can be done to correct the spacing of the ribs on the kit wheel but there may not be much that can be done.

may not be able to do much to change the centers of the 8 lugs - will see what can be done.

I have a test shot body with bumpers sitting on a ruler right now - to these tired old eyes it is 213.5mm long - if you do the math that translates into a full sized car at 210 inches 61 Ventura is 210 inches over all length! (Bonneville is 218)The wheelbase of is 121mm - that translates to 119 inches at full size - right on the money for a 1961 Ventura (Bonneville is 123).

Actually the 8 lugs are 4 parts the brake drum and wheel which will be molded in standard gray, the hub cap and chrome trim ring will be plated. I'll try to post pics - just don't have the built-up model right now and it's too late to fish the parts out of the big box of test shot parts tonight..

Revised coupe bodies arrived this morning. I'm pretty busy getting some stuff together for I-Hobby next week - This revised body looks pretty good, need to look at it alot closer soon as I get my I-Hobby projects finished. Hope to get this moving to production, will let everyone know once I have a release date..

First test shots got here this morning - they look pretty good, I'll be trying to get one whacked together for the Chicago - IHobby show..Hope to throw some paint on it.. will start gluing parts together in the morning..

Third and I hope last test shots were to be sent to me not later than next Monday - I hope to have them in hand not later than end of next week..

Latewest news - 1st test shots should be on the way to me between 1st and 10th of November - Hope to heve them in hand not later than 11/15 - latest

Just a small update - 3rd and I hope final test shots of the 54 Hudson Coupe were sent out to me on 9/16 - I ought to have them early next week..

Just a small up-date - the first test shots were sent out on 9/16 - I ought to have them early next week

The funny thing is that the first LoneStar we photographed had a Cummins ISX in it; it was a test truck built before the Maxx Fore 15 was ready. Navistar wanted their own engine in the model kit so we waited for that engine to be ready to tool the kit. Now, I believe that all new Lonestars have ISX engines..

I don't see any of the costs associated with licensing I just know that none of the manufacturers will allow production of unlicensed kits. I do see tooling costs and time involved in translating a pile of pictures into a box full of plastic parts. To Do a class 8 tractor that is not a current or new vehicle is an enormous amount of work. If the subject is a current vehicle and we can get CAD files from the manufacturer it gets somewhat simpler. LoneStar was still a huge project - even though we had CAD I still took two trips to Photograph trucks - With ProStar I ended up only spending one day with a camera a carpenters' ruler and a truck. simply because it has so much in common with LoneStar. Tooling for an entirely new kit is a BIG chunk of money so we certainly want to feel that there is a good prospect of producing a big hit. I'm sure that we'll do another truck in the next year or so but I would not expect it to be something that we can't get as a CAD file on a nice shiny digital disc.

I sure hope that they'll be here before Christmas!

Jonny Quest Dragonfly - test shots approved - waiting box art from illustrator now - kit is scheduled for late October shipment from factory.. This depends on timely arrival of box art and approvals from licensor..

1st Cyclone kit is a 289 4 barrel 4 speed - flat hood street car.

We have received yet another set of 3D files of the 65 Comet and pointed out a few corrections that still need to be made - I anticipate that this kit may be ready to go to tooling in the next two- three weeks. If that were to be the case - I might have first test shots in my hands around mid - November - if everything went without any kind of hiccup and 1st test shots don't need any revisions (that almost never happens) we could have kits before the end of the year - although, I'd honestly expect this to slide into first quarter of 2015..

Latest news on the Ford pick-ups is that third test shots ought to be on the way in the next 10-15 days. Work is underway on packaging and instruction sheets.These should be final test shots. If all goes to plan we should be able to get these kits into production shortly after that. Once I have new test shots I'll try to get a 71 Ranger XLT built up quickly for box art and instruction sheet photography and will post some photos.

Latest news regarding the Moebius 1961 Pontiac Ventura kit is that tooling is underway and 1st test shots are expected to be sent in the next 3 weeks or so. Once first test shots are here I'll have a better idea regarding the production schedule. IF test shots don't require major corrections - First Pontiac kits could be here by December.

Latest news on the 65 Plymouth is that tooling should be starting - I've seen all the tool layout drawings.. current schedule is for 1st test shots to be in my hands around the end of September..and possibly 1st kit released for production around end of October..which ought to put kits in stores around Thanksgiving IF everything goes to plan. I'll know a lot more @ the end of September when I have first test shots in my hot little hands!

There is a Special Club sedan test shot waiting bare metal foil on my bench - may get around to that in thenext few days.. the Coupe is the first release - Sedan to follow. No Hollywood @ this time.

Here are a few shots of the '54 Hudson Hornet coupe test shot I just finished. This is for box art and instruction sheet photos.. Should have third and I hope final test shot in hand in about 3 weeks - Would be really happy if box and instructions are all done and approved by then