johnbuzzed

Does anybody else think it would be cool if a decal manufacturer (e.g., Gofer Racing) were to make pro sports team logo decals? Maybe on a sheet with some of those oval state abbreviation stickers, too?

All-new (not a reworked/reissued/re-anythinged) '58 Ford. And, '55 or ''56 Dodge or Plymouth. '50 Plymouth Business Coupe. '50 Chrysler Town and Country. '59 Buick Electra.

Will the kit have the stock parts as well?

Failed, forgotten, whatever; someone didn't get his or her assignment done in an expeditious manner; but if they never really did offer a date for the announcement, I guess it don't really matter. I miss the good old days of going into a store and seeing a new kit, without knowing of that kit in advance through any means or media. Pleasant surprises such as that are needed in this world. But if you really gotta plan your builds...

It seems like there are problems at Revell. This is a company that has been in the same business since the mid to late '50's. "They" fail to get licensing rights before releasing a kit- does no one there realize or remember that this needs to be done? "They" continue to produce kits with major detail flaws- the new Fox Mustang, and (almost) the '57 Chevy convertible. And the price of kits keeps going up. Sounds like some new blood is needed at an old manufacturer. I don't feel good about this.

Another new kit from Revell with a major detail problem? Sounds like they need a shake up in their personnel. I mean, seriously, it's not like there is no reference material out there... and it keeps on happening. I wish I could get paid to... er, make mistakes, and continue to be employed.

Kit-wise, I would say the AMT Fiat/Double dragster and Polar Lights Challenger F/C; aftermarket, I would go with just about any of Gofer Racing's sheets. FYI, don't overlook decal sheets for military aircraft models- often, they include stencils and placards that can be used to add a little extra detail on automotive subjects, too.

But would they not have obtained the license agreements before beginning production on a kit?

They're models, people. They're only car models.

Remember when there was a time when we didn't know what was going to be released until we saw ads in Car Model or Model Car Science, even Rod and Custom? Sometimes, we were actually pleasantly surprised by seeing cool new stuff in person, on the shelves in the stores. I kinda miss those days.

You betcha. And, the snow would pile up on the headers, by the collectors, causing the throttle and/or shift linkage to jam up. Lotsa fun... did I mention a manual choke, too?

Wow. I built one of the original kits back in late '64 and it didn't turn out anything like that! Seriously, that is one truly nice model- should definitely be a feature in a magazine or two. Set it up outside, take a few pictures and you'll have a lot of people wondering "It's not real?" Very, very nice.

Sorry to get off-point, but I can't see all the excitement over "America's sports car", when the manufacturer had some 60 years to get it right.

Sadly, I sold it in '85, right after we got our K-car wagon (growing family, you know). I settled for the '76 4 door Granada that we also had at that time. Ugh. I didn't really know how nice that Challenger sounded until the new owner drove it away...

1982- bought a '73 Challenger, 318/Torqueflite/Slap-stik, red w/white vinyl top, white and black interior, Mopar road wheels w/whitewalls, COLD A/C, daily driver. By the next summer it had Cyclone headers, a Holley Economaster 2-bbl, Accel ignition components, Edelbrock Lynx air cleaner, dual exhaust w/turbomufflers and stainless steel tips, a self-installed computer/cruise control (it actually worked!) and a rebuilt transmission. A local shop tweaked the torsion bars, re-arced the leafs and added a leaf, so the car had a nice stance- nose, a little low; tail, a little high. But it was not pleasant on rainy days, worse in the snow. I remember swapping ends at an intersection one "damp" evening- never a dull moment. I have one or two pictures of that car and what I believe I need to build an almost-replica, including a built-up, original MPC '73 Challenger that was a Christmas gift from my parents back in '72. I gotta be able to dedicate all my build time to that project when I get to it; hopefully, that will be very soon

"Kiln Red Metallic" possibly?

There are unpleasant people in all facets of scale modeling, but "that's life".

Wasn't there a NASCAR Tide version of the Enterprise from the original series at the NNL East one year? That was pretty cool.

The skills and techniques are the same- the subjects are different. Off-road 4x4 beaters can get dirty, muddy, rusty; the Blue Angels Hornets are nice and shiny.

I do build military models. Most times, military models tend to be historically accurate replicas of specific subjects. Most military builders seek as much accurate detail as possible in order to obtain the desired end product, hence the need and availability of so much aftermarket stuff. Car modelers tend to be more creative, much as many of our full-size/scale/prototypical/what-have-you subjects can be- cars need to be esthetically pleasing in order to attract the average consumer. And how many non-running customs and show cars or impractical, trailer queen pro-street cars have we seen? It's OK, as long as it looks good. I'm NOT saying that model car builders ignore historical accuracy, but it doesn't seem to have the same importance among us. And one can compare apples to oranges, just as one can compare: mountain bikes to cruisers, poodles to pit bulls, sail boats to Donzis, hot air balloons to biplanes, fuel dragsters to F1 cars...

Really nice build. Clean and simple. I gotta return to building like that again.

I did the same thing with the same kit and I have been building since 1960. "You live, you learn." It always pays to look at the instructions.

All the big block Mopar info supplied in this string is nice, but in 1/25 scale, it really doesn't matter all that much- the real differences in scale would be strictly cosmetic- decals and colors. Same goes for a lotta engines from different manufacturers. Remember, when you're looking at a 1/25 scale model from a distance of one foot, you are essentially getting the same view that you would be of the real thing at 25 feet.

If I'm home alone, it's radio: WXRC 95.7 ("The Ride") or WDAV ("Classical Public Radio"); TV would be the Big Bang, Seinfeld, a good, old classic movie (hopefully TCM)... maybe a NASCAR race or a ballgame. But I'll listen more than watch. If my wife is home, we usually compromise. Either way, I gotta have something on to keep the thoughts in my head from running amok.

Have you checked out the front clips from either of the two Revell '55 Chevys? They might be more accurate and they are 1/25 scale. I think you're on the right track with your idea for the rear wheel openings.