johnbuzzed

Yeah, kinda...It was a spin off the Society of Automotive Engineers, but I did realize the reference to the other mag... I woulda thrown in a LIARS reference if I could have figured something out . Would this license have a haz-mat endorsement for all those chemicals?

Or the Scale Automotive Engineers issues a certification.

Life has a way of working things out. Congratulations, Tom, and good luck to you.

Yeah, I often think about joining our local chapter, but I'll wait 'til the next meeting.

How is the overall quality of this kit?

Ditto!

We'll see you Saturday, Tom. And you, too, Mike.

Yes, I certainly do. I believe my problem lies in some underlying need or desire to have the model on which I am currently working be better than my last completed model... or, maybe not, I don't really know. Or, I might subconsciously feel that with each completed model, time keeps slipping away and I have grown a little older. Kinda like having kids. You want to see them grow up and succeed (i.e., you can't wait until they get out of the house!), yet as they do, you realize that you miss the time that you spent with them, the trials and tribulations and how they and you improved in that time. I do know that I have about... twenty projects in various stages of construction. Some are not very complex, requiring not much to complete- why I haven't gotten back to them is beyond me but I have all honest intentions of doing so in the not-too-distant future. Some, being way complex and detailed, became too tedious and were put away "just for now" ( ). Some needed better skills and understanding than I had at the time, so they were put away until I could figure out what to do and how. Yet, I keep buying- but not as many as I once did. I'm fortunate in that I tend to keep very detailed notes for my builds so I do have some reference when I open those looooooooooooong term projects. There's not as much of "What the hell was I gonna do with THIS?" as one might think. And some of those projects were started about 15 years ago (shudder). Tempus fugit.

Customer service is everything in any business; the customers can be external, internal or both. I worked with customers one way or another from early 1974, at the age of 18, until 2009. In those years I dealt with people from all walks of life, from the over-educated PhD physicists who knew it all to the minimally-educated turf workers (please, I mean no offense to anyone here), from all over the world, civilian and military. Over-the-counter, at my desk, across the exam table; via phone, snail mail, e-mail and fax. I attended multiple seminars to improve my skills in my that area. You learn to realize to treat every customer as though he or she is the most important person in the world to you at that time and to assure that you will do all you can to get them what they need, to fix them or correct their problem. You have to empathize with the customer. You have to realize their wants and needs. I once wrote (in the LIARS Briefs) of my experiences in a new, small hobby shop in Bay Shore back in '97. I didn't go there very often, maybe four or five times even though it was only five minutes from my home, and I don't recall the proprietor ever acknowledging my presence. Not once did I hear anything resembling "Hi, can I help you?" I never bought anything there. He had nothing on the shelves or the racks that really caught my attention, and his prices were higher than every other store that I knew of. At the time, he was selling the then-new Hot Wheels Deuce coupe for $10.00. K-mart had the same item for 97 cents... I mentioned this in my article, as well as his lackadaisical attitude. He never knew that I belonged to a club until after that article was printed and I have no idea how he saw it; perhaps, he knew someone in the club or he was on our mailing list. The proprietor responded (in his retort in a later issue of the Briefs) that I "didn't look like a shoplifter", inferring that he would cautiously watch me as I browsed. Of course, he never mentioned otherwise ignoring my presence or not inquiring about my interests. Now, did he think I would ever return? That shop didn't last long; I don't think he made it into this century. I continued to patronize the other hobby shops that I frequented until we left the Island in 2009. That's the breaks- business can suck if you don't know what you're doing. Tom, I think you have what it takes to run a hobby shop successfully. If you choose to do that, I wish you well; if not, I wish you luck in your job hunt. I was there not too long ago and I know how it can be.

I dunno- those plates/tags seem out of proportion- too long, side-to-side and too narrow, top-to-bottom.

"Barn find" is a term that has become just as abused and over-used as "rat rod". Of course, that's just my opinion.

I like this build. Have you thought of using the kit's stock wheelcovers, but with a larger wheel to fit the Viper tires?

Chrysler Airflow, late '40's Town and Country, '67 Sport Fury, late '40s/early '50s Dodge or Plymouth business coupe, '70 Dodge pickup, 71 Satellite wagon.

Well, my sons and I did go to the hobby shop (to which I referred in a previous post) on 12/29, the day before we flew back to SC. It was a VERY rainy Sunday with a lot of football games on TV. We were there perhaps 30-45 minutes before I could make up my mind (box size being the deciding factor, due to suitcase restrictions). The place was still full of stuff that could make your eyes water, as it always had been. If I ever hit Lotto, I would drive there in a small U-haul. And while we were there, at least ten other people came in and most bought stuff- even a big R/C truck. We dropped a C-note ( I think I got a LIARS club discount) on three kits and left with more pleasant holiday memories for the future. BTW, the name of the place is Bay Shore Hobbies.

You and your family will be in my thoughts .

Well, it is that time of year, and since things might get busy and hectic the next few days, I would like to take the opportunity to wish all of you a Merry Christmas. Even if you don't celebrate the holiday, you can still be merry on 12/25. I hope Santa treats you and your families well and that you enjoy peaceful days, doing whatever it might be that makes you happy this season. I thank all of you for your companionship and camaraderie and raise my Sam Adams to you. Cheers.

Welcome to the forum, Bob. You'll enjoy it and learn a lot. I, too, relocated from LI back in 2009. But I'm still a member of the Long Island Auto Replica Society. It's a club that's been around since 1991 and it's dedicated to- well, auto replicas of just about every kind. Actually, this is the third Thursday of the month so they should be meeting tonight, and it should be the annual Christmas party. They meet at the Henrietta Acompora Rec Center in Blue Point. It's a good bunch of people and, just like this forum, you'll enjoy it and learn a lot.

In my opinion, brick and mortar hobby shops will always be around. Their survival depends on proprietor savvy and three important points:location, location, location. I know of one hobby shop in my hometown on Long Island that has been in existence since... golly, probably the mid or late '60's, in three locations, through two owners (that I know of). It survived a fire and lack of utilities, and this is on Long Island, replete with exorbitant property taxes, ultra high utility bills and NYS taxes on top of that. Other hobby shops have come and gone on LI but, as of this past October, this shop is still there and it is busy. The place has all kinds of kits, die casts out the wazoo, trains, R/C stuff of all kinds, supplies, aftermarket stuff, magazines... they keep getting more inventory and it can be difficult to navigate the aisles but they keep selling. I will bring my sons and grandson there when we're on the Island for Christmas. On line shopping is good sometimes, especially for more experienced modelers. You can take your time and check multiple sites for exactly what you seek. This is OK for that certain, special projects that are planned in advance. But for paints, glue, other general supplies and necessities, ordinary kits and such, I'll do the hobby shop every time. Their main disadvantage is that each one can't have EVERYTHING in stock, unlike your computer. Plus, as we get older, we become- well, lazier. Face it, it's easier to point-and-click than to actually locomote and exert one's self. But I think there is something in our hunter-gatherer ancestry that drives the hobby shops (or, for that matter, any brick-and-mortar store). You need something. You leave your abode and look for whatever that might be. Then you find it, get it and return with it to your abode, to enjoy the fruits of your hunt, or what you have reaped via gathering. Plus, it is an opportunity to socialize, meet people face-to-face, ask questions and learn- to experience life and humanity in person, the way it has been for thousands of years. It's in our genes and instincts.

I would go with one of Round 2's reissues of a '60's AMT kit, with the solid axles and chassis screws. Pretty solid, easy to build, not many small parts to fiddle with and they can roll when finished (that's what I did when I was 11 ).

Really, really, really nice. Extremely realistic. I am indeed envious (but in a good, complimentary way ). Have you considered sharing your weathering techniques, media and methods? There are a lot of us who would like to be able to (or at least try to ) duplicate your results.

Does anybody make any speed equipment for today's musclecars like the Challenger and Mustang? In particular, I would like to see a blower setup such as those offered by Edelbrock or Kenne Bell or whoever. They don't have to be exact, just close enough to fool the eye. Thanks.

Ahh, that one.

"the Kit That Must Not Be Named"...???

Very nice model, Terry. I didn't realize that you built race cars, and not just light commercial.

Thirty-seven pages of posts and lots of detailed information here. I've said this before and I'll say it again: There should be a WHOLE LOTTA these on the contest tables, in the magazines and in the Forum in the year to come.