LDO

Yeah, but to tell the truth, I'm a big fan of curbside models. That is, kits that don't have any detail under the hood or chassis. I like cars in the "natural state"; hoods and doors closed, sitting on all 4 wheels. Concentrate on the body. That's what grabs everyone's attention. That's why contests have a curbside class. There is no competition category for "detailed engine/unpainted body".

You find cleanup easier if you use oven cleaner or Castrol Super Clean. It's not a good idea to clean up something covered in brake fluid in the kitchen sink. The paint in a jar should only be used with a brush on interior/engine parts. You will not get good results painting a body with a brush. For the body, use spray cans if you don't have an airbrush. It's hard to go wrong with Tamiya spray lacquers. They are not cheap, but you get what you pay for.

DO NOT use paint thinner to strip the body. It will dissolve the car. Use brake fluid or oven cleaner. Oven cleaner should be sprayed on, then put the parts in a bag or Tupperware container. After a while, the paint will just peel off. Once stripped, clean the body under a faucet with a toothbrush. Once that is done, clean it up in another sense; sand off any mold parting lines and sand any areas like the nose cap/front fender/hood area to make them all blend in. Your paint job will only be as good as the bodywork below it. Once you are satisfied with the bodywork, lay down your base coat. I've gotten great results with Tamiya lacquers in a spray can. For a candy/metallic red, your best choices in base coat will be silver or gold. Is you use gray primer, you will get a very dark red. Warm the can in a sink full of hot water. DO NOT USE BOILING WATER. Hot water will raise the pressure in the can, letting you lay down a finer coat of paint. GO slow. Just put on a very light coat. Don't worry if you don't cover it all in one coat. Wait 15 minutes and put on another coat. When you are happy with the primer, go on to your color coat. Use a warm can and go slow with it, too. Even though it is transparent, don't worry if one coat has streaks. Give it another coat in 15 minutes. When you are happy with the color coats, go over that with clear. Go slow with clear, too. That's the most important advice I can give you; going slow. If you try to get all your paint on in one coat, it will get drips and runs, ruining the paint job. A polishing kit will help you get a mirror finish, but it needs practice and patience, too. http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?M...ct&ID=80939 Good paint takes time, patience, and practice. If this one is not perfect, try again. Each one will get better. Keep us posted on your results and ask any questions you come up with.

IIRC, the body is accurate for a Lola T73; the Aston Martin V8-powered car. Charles Fox at the GPMA Yahoo! Group can tell you more. He was working on an Aston Martin engine for his. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gpma/

Have any of you "Fishbowl" fans ever been to Germany? Over there, buses and trucks are popular subject for models and diecast. Much more so than in America. A Fishbowl would be a dud. Not enough people here would remember it or care enough to spend $150 on a model of it. In Germany, however, this Neoplan is a current subject where, once again, buses are popular models.

They're not worth much. You might get 20 bucks apiece on eBay, on a good day.

I recently pulled a 327 straight-8 out of a basketcase '53 Packard coupe. Plans are to to put it in a street rod '29 Ford pickup...when my budget will allow it. I saw the engine for sale and couldn't pass it up. I think it's kind of uncool that a pristine Lincoln Zephyr was cut up to make this: But at least he made fiberglass copies so anyone else can have one without chopping up an original. I do think it is an incredible kustom.

I thought this whole thing was amusing at first. I didn't know that the OP had a habit of making a spectacle of himself. All the trash talking is a big downer. This much attitude over model cars? No thanks. It's all about fun and a way to relax after work. Building "in anger" has no appeal to me.

Hey kid- (and I mean that in the most smack-talkin' way possible ) This may help make it more workable: Curbside only. This would make everyone concentrate on paint and interior. If you go full detail, you won't find many takers and the two month deadline will kill the whole deal. You gotta figure out a judge. It's gotta be someone impartial. If Gregg agrees that's cool. If not, you might approach Mark Gustavson. He knows everything there is to know about automotive style. Hey y'all it's all in fun. I like the kid's idea.

Mark Gustavson. His "Mercari" articles were in the first model car mags I ever bought. This was 1988 and back in those days, SAE didn't make it to newsstands in small towns. I discovered it when I moved to Houston just after high school. I was fascinated by his techniques. He is very knowledgeable and articulate in his writing. I also love lead sleds, so that plays a big part in being a fan of his work. Gerald Wingrove. I've always been fascinated by panelbeating, and this guy did it in miniature. I read his books because the same techniques can be used for street rods and lead sleds, but he got me interested in the pre-war classics. Don Fahrni. I also like drag cars, especially Top Fuel. He's the Gerald Wingrove of drag car builders.

Or, if you know a plumber, ask him for the next water heater he removes, as long as it's not a leaker. FIFTY GALLON AIR TANK FOR FREE!!! Well, the one I got is a fifty. I was thinking of putting 2 or 3 in the attic above the garage plumbed together. Just hang lines down so I could fill them without having to go in the attic. Man, 150 gallons of air @ 125psi. That would last forever. Added bonus: they come with a pressure relief valve. Lee Owens, plumber.

April Fools, man!

Is it really your birthday, or did you just copy someone else's birthday? Chairman Mao approves!

Here are a few I like: "We Believe In Happy Endings" by Johnny Rodriguez. I remember his music as a kid. He sure was talented. This is his best, IMHO. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8VuP2xGGlo "We'll Meet Again" from the end of Dr. Strangelove. I think the singer is Vera Lynn, but I'm not sure. It sure does sound nice, but the video makes it a pretty weird thing to see & hear. "O Fortuna" set to scenes from the movie "300". Opera for all of us. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xCB6-h3wbs A really cool hot rod powered by a supercharged Packard straight-8. Straight-8s are the coolest engines ever! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opJilgQDZyo RENDEZVOUS! The infamous 275 GTB speeding through Paris. Spoiler: It was really a Mercedes and he probably did not exceed 80mph, but boy he sure did a good job making it sound like a Ferrari. He ***may*** have overdone the tire squealing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWLPIT-geTs

It was blocked for me in Afghanistan. If you are deployed, you can e-mail pics to me and I'll make a gallery for you in my Fotki account.

Where are you? I pulled lots of guard duty in the Army. Always boring. It gives you time to think of weird stuff...like how old is guard duty? Did cave men pull guard duty? If they did, who made the roster? Was there a sergeant of the guard who made sure they were awake at night? What was the punishment for falling asleep? Your mind can really wander. Crossword puzzles are easy to smuggle in

Psst- There are a couple of '29s in there, but I'm not complaining. I like them better than the '32. I also have a MIB '29 Tudor kit.

I'll ask the guy who cast my hood sides for a quote. If it works out, you'll get the first couple of bodies out of the mold.

Only those willing to chop up some other kits to get it. What is a Murphy Hood? Is it the one with arc-shaped louvers? I got mine by making resin copies of a Diecast hood. I got a diecast off ebay really cheap because someone had dropped it. The hood wasn't broken though.

Another No on this one. In America, 4-door cars are for hauling the family around.

I have in the past. Once it was at my mom's house. One of the things she got me was a "clapper" key chain since I was always losing my keys. You know, clap your hands and it beeps a few times. This was right around the time of "The Sarcastic Clapping Family" sketch on Saturday Night Live. My 2 younger brothers and I kept getting sarcastic with each other, saying things like "Oh, brilliant performance, Bill" and then do the whole slow clap thing. Of course the key chain would start beeping. We'd pretend we didn't know where the sound was coming from and my mom worried that I'd find out before I opened it.

So we should let people steal from us because we feel sorry for them? None for me, thanks. I work hard for everything I have. No sympathy here.

Blah blah. She needs some self-discipline. A trip to the slammer might wake her up. This is the real world.

FWIW- I just bought my first ModelMartin transkit. It's the '32 Ford 3-W funny car body. It comes with everything shown in the photo. There are only 2 pinholes to be found anywhere; 1 each on the tire sidewall. Casting quality is very high. I do not have a Reliable Resins casting, so I can't compare the two. I can only say that Andy knows what he's talking about. I'm not taking sides in any argument. I paid full retail plus shipping for the kit. I am LongDistanceOperator on eBay. Here's the auction # 180181213753

Groovy! Gotta get one.