Aaronw

Ok here is the Lancia after 3 days of decaling and about a gallon of Microsol. This is definately a kit to test ones decal skills, everything that is not white is a decal, if it is white there is still about a 50% chance it is a decal. and the Model T. I started this last spring, just a few bits to go but like many of my projects it kind of stalled at the last minute.

Agree with you on this one, big changes coming, most for the good in my opinion. In some ways I see the future as going back to the old days of guys carving model airplanes from wood, only with much higher detail. Technology is going to open up some really neat options for those willing to embrace it. Just think in a few years we will be able to design and print out our own custom wheels etc (actually we can now, but it is still a bit on the pricy side).

Magazine polls have just as frequently been used to point out massive flops (Monogram 1/48 PBY, Hasegawa 1/48 Seaking). Mobieus comes along and takes a risk with the Hudson which seems to be doing well, and now we have Revell doing a 1950 Oldsmobile, so there was obviously something there. Five years ago I am quite sure I would have seen many comments like yours about the trucks being directed at these two kits (if they were a good idea they would have been done years ago). Obviously trucks can't be money losers as too many have been offered over the years (and I'm not talking about re-issues). The problem I see is where the kit makers put their efforts. The Shortbed 1/2 ton was popular with hotrodders into the early 70s, that doesn't seem to be the case today, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the '99 Chevy 2wd shortbed 1500 wasn't a run away success. People shouldn't confuse lack of effort with lack of interest. Are the cars Trumpeter chose to do failures due to being bad subjects or a poor effort? Do you think the Monte Carlo would have sold better if done by Revell?

it was listed in one of the what's coming next year threads. Does anyone have an example of the AMT Westernstar, the only one I've seen is the Italeri "Wildcat" Westernstar kit which I assume is a more modern version.

and which of this could not be said about a 1953 Hudson?

I'm just curious to know what you would like to see that is not being addressed, because when I look at the hobby shops I see lots of new cars, "new" Fiat 500, Smartcar, "new" Mini, (did the Prius kit ever make it to market?) recent versions of Camaro, Corvette, Mustang, Charger, Challenger, Audi A8, Ferraris out the wing wang, Porsches, and a variety of sporty imports. Not a lot of cars I could actually buy, but are you really looking for a kit of the Toyota Yaris? (and actually I bet Tamiya or Fujimi have one or are working on one, so I probably should have picked something domestic as an example).

This is pretty much how this kit has sat for a couple years. I painted the body and started building the interior, then just ran out of steam on it when the Rally Race GB I was participating in fizzled out. By coincidence I broke this out and started working on it again a few days ago so perfect timing for this build.

That has been the rumor the past year though. First Testors was just going to drop them, then the last I heard they were reconsidering. Floquil sounded safe for now, but not sure about Polly Scale. There are a lot more colors for the WW1, interwar and WW2 period aircraft under Polly Scale than Acryl so I'm hoping they don't go away.

Ok, I thought it looked about the same. If it is a base model I wonder what the chances are we will finally get a Ford I-6. I'd buy it just for the engine if they did.

So how would this new '57 Ford be different from the old AMT kit (other than being new).

Any word from Testors about the fate of Pollyscale and Floquil paints? I'm hoping at the very least they will be wrapped into the Acryl line even if not continued as their own line.

Thanks, I'll definately be picking up a couple then, maybe even build one as an Ecto-1.

It's nice to see the model car genre catching on. Aircraft and armor has had a nice little revival going on for the past 4 or 5 years.

As long as I don't have to stop and take a photo every inch of the way I'm in. I will include photos just maybe not as many as usual for these things (stopping to take photos has been partially responsible for many of my not completed builds). I've been on a clean off the bench thing recently anyway. I'm not even going to try and list everything (it would easily reach double digits), but I've got 4 currently being finished up (I hope). Hasegawa Lancia Stratos, 1975 Safari Hasegawa Datsun 240Z, 1971 Safari AMT 1959 Chevrolet El Camino AMT 1925 Ford Model T This past weekend I finally finished a Tamiya Alpine Renault 1600 I started almost 4 years ago.

It would be nice if they included both the Chevy and GMC grills allowing a choice of either to be built. Hopefully this will get Round 2 to bring back their 1984 GMC (Fall Guy) truck too. Those are asking crazy prices on ebay now and I only have a few left to build.

What are the 5 old truck kits on the left hand side of the second photo?

So it looks like this Ecto-1 is the AMT glue kit, not the Polar Lights snap kit? I've got room for a few more either way, but I'm hoping it is the glue kit, I already have 4 or 5 of the Polar Lights version.

Does the turbine car include a detailed turbine? Its nice to see some of these old kits coming back, not terribly excited by any of them in particular but I'll get at least 1 of each. I'd love to see an AMX, the old kits are way beyond what I'm willing to pay for one. I'd love to see some of the other AMC cars too.

Some of the Fujimi Porsches have engines. I've got a '73 911 Carrera RS kit with a fairly decent engine and opening "hood" (trunk?) to show off the engine, it can also be left out and mounted on a stand. Kind of annoyingly they also have a detailed under hood (front) area but you have to cut the hood open if you want to show it off.

Monogram had a "High Rollers" series of 4x4 trucks, I think this is probably from that but with more practical wheels. I've got either a Chevy or a GMC from the series and other than really oversize wheels (maybe 44", these look far more practical for a snow plow) it is a pretty nice kit. They also did a Ford in the 1980-96 body style and I think a 4x4 van. I hope we see the Ford for the second half of 2012 or for 2013, I'll definately get a couple of the GMC trucks.

Cars always seem to know when you have a little spare cash and they want it spent on them.

I would have two concerns with venting out through the roof or attic. The length of the duct and gravity, both of these would work against you, and would require a larger fan to vent properly.

There has actually been a huge improvement in battery technology, just look at laptop computers and cell phones. I know the rechargable batteries of 20 years ago couldn't come close to the performance of modern NiMH, and Li-Ion batteries. Personally I just don't think electric is a practical power source for vehicles. It works ok for light rail commuter trains, and street cars, with direct connections to the power grid (3rd rail or overhead cable) but you don't see electric trains replacing the "hybrid" diesel electric locomotives. There is actually alot more of this going on than most people know. I did a paper for school last spring looking at new technologies for disposing of forest waste (brush, logging slash etc). I didn't expect to find much, and thought it would be mostly hypothetical, but there is a fair amount being developed and even used. There is no need to grow crops, biofuels capable of being used as petroleum stocks to make gas and diesel fuels can be made from most organic material, forest and farm waste, animal biproducts / waste, and a lot of garbage currently just going to landfills. This waste material can be burned directly to power electrical plants, gassified (the process also used to make gas from coal) and burned like natural gas, or used with a bioconversion plant to make a petroleum like oil used like a heavy heating oil, or refined into gas or diesel. I think your last comment is a driving force behind the relative invisibility of these processes. Anything that supports the use of petroleum fuels, even if not drilled, is not as popular as electric power with many even if it is just as clean and ecologically sound. There was a similar bias in the 90s against CNG and hybrid cars until it was apparent that electric cars just were not going to be economically sound at that time.

Mine is working fine, although it looks like they have moved stuff around again.

BIN White shellac is supposed to stop anything. It is used to seal walls from smoke and water stains etc. I've used it on wood to knock down the grain and painted over it with acrylics and it worked great. I'm not sure how shellac reacts to enamels, laquers etc, but I think I've seen others mention using it on models. http://rust-oleum.co...uct.asp?pid=216