Aaronw

Also remember there are two sides to a model and most display areas have a back. Seriously I have models where one side got messed up, so I park those in a corner or towards the back where the goof doesn't show.

If you do go the dremel route, run it at a slow speed. At high speeds those cutters will melt the plastic and gum up the cutter (or so I've heard, I wouldn't know anything about that from first hand experience ).

Personally I don't see a lot of difference between conquest and war, so Id go with Pestilence if it were me. For the murals a lot depends on the style you are going for, you could have a zombie theme for a modern style, dying plants or a plague theme (carts filled with bodies, marked doors etc) for something with more of a classic feel. Dying farm land or dead cattle could work for famine. War should be fairly easy to do, just have a scene of battle, skulls and bones are a common death theme. I do like the idea of an ambulance for pestilence, and a hearse for death. Maybe a military vehicle (there are a couple of Jeeps in 1/24) or armor plating and weapon like appendages (lots of sharp pokey bits) for war. If war rides a red horse a red WW1 aircraft theme could work too (lots more options than just Richtoven's red triplane). The chuckwagon could certainly work for famine, similar thoughts would be any food theme, roach coach, refer truck, Oscar Meyer Weiner mobile... The horse theme works too, so cars with a horse theme: Ferraris, Mustang, Bronco, Charger, Pinto? In Pale Rider Clint's "preacher" rode a white & grey horse. The death on a pale horse was a clear theme of the movie. Good luck, this theme seems like it could work well for you based on what I've seen you build.

That is what I was getting at earlier, almost no one "builds" the car, at best a 1-1 kit car might be compared to a snap kit or unassembled pre-painted diecast. In the early 1990s my dad did a lot of handy man work for an older lady. Because of all the work, and very reasonable cost (he liked the work and didn't charge nearly as much as he should) when she decided she shouldn't be driving anymore she sold him her 1967 Chevelle for $500. This was literally the little old lady who only drove to church on sundays, 40,000 miles in 20+ years, nearly show room condition inside, and very good outside (parked in a carport since new, so a little weathering). He wasn't into the car show thing, but it makes me wonder if some think a very good original car should be judged differently than a complete frame off restoration? I can understand the OPs disdain for someone who doesn't even wash his own car, but for something like a car it seems to me the award is for the final project whether it comes from long term careful care, a lucky find, ones own sweat or a fat wallet and careful selection of workmen. Cars have become investments for the rich, and unfortunately this means some are not car people at all, simply investors.

So I suppose only some guy on an assembly line in Detroit or Italy could enter a factory stock Ferrari or Corvette? With 1-1 cars I think there is a much broader acceptance for someone else doing the work, as few owners really have the skill to do all of the work themselves. I really doubt most of the people participating at the Concours D' Elegance did any work on thier cars. Other than the connection of the car theme I don't think a model car show and a real car show have much in common. I do agree it would be dishonest to imply you have done work that you didn't do in either case.

Something about the front reminds me of an old French bus. I find it oddly appealing, in a train wreck sort of way.

Interesting reading, I'm not a big racing fan and in my limited experience the best racing I've seen was the import stock (Pintos, Escorts, VW Rabbits, Toyota Corollas etc) on a 1/4 mile dirt track. Real driver owed cars with rattle can paint jobs. That was entertaining, as were the insane Sprint cars that followed. Anyway, I find this stuff about the NASCAR cars odd. I thought the big attraction for racing from the auto manufacturers was developing and showing off new technology, but it sounds like NASCAR regulations have basically limited the cars to cookie cutter tech from the 1970s.

Nice job, I think the green actually works well on this car.

Back when promo kits were actually used by car dealers, kits were updated year to year,so the name annual. This is also the reason many of the kits done in the 60s and 70s that were offered as multiple years are now only available the last year, because they were modified each year so the tools only can produce the last year of the body style.

Duct tape, cats hate it. Just roll over a strip of tape making it double sided and place a roll every where there is enough shelf for a cat to sit. As soon as their foot hits the tape they leave, they quickly learn the shelves are not fun places to sit and other than an occasional loss of hair it doesn't hurt the cat.

I clicked the refresh button 3,673,000 times.

Is there really any other color choice? These cars just look best in black. Nice job on one of my favorite sleeper econoboxs, we had a 1976 VW Rabbit when I got my license so I have a soft spot for them even if VW did change the name (always will be a Rabbit to me )

After spilling yet another bottle of glue I made this from a PVC cap and outlet cover. Glue bottle are the only ones I regularly have trouble with, but different size caps would allow adjustment for other size bottles.

May I suggest you clearly state your desire for honest critique, early on in the post, then more importantly take all comments as constructive regardless of how blunt or even troll like some comments may come across. The useful comments are useful regardless of delivery, and you can ignore the intentionally rude ones. I really think 90% of the posted critisisms are intended to be helpful but between peoples natuarally poor communication skills, defensiveness and the tendency of internet to mask the intent of comments (why we use these guys ) many comments come across harsher than intended. The other 10% are generally just trolls and should be ignored.

I've used a fair amount of Detroit Diesel Alpine Green engine enamel, and that has been my experience too. It is thicker than regular spray paint but you just need to modify your technique slightly (take it a little easier, more lighter coats) to get a good paint job with it. I also have cans of Cat yellow, IH blue and Cummins beige, but haven't had the need for them yet. Of course Cummins beige is pretty easy to match compared to most engine colors, so alternatives are fairly easy to find.

My wife and I usually just give each other token gifts for Christmas / Birthdays / Anniversaries. As with most adults we buy ourselves what we want throughout the year so finding a a real "gift" is not that easy. My son's birthday is in May so we have January - May to buy his birthday presents, and June - December to get his Christmas presents. We don't wait until the last minute, we spread purchases over that whole time which greatly reduces stress and avoids those big shopping bills. It also means he usually gets more than he would, because we often forget how much we already have for him until it is time to wrap them. If the museum deals go through make sure you let us know when and where. If I can I'd like to go see the displays.

Are you sure it is 1/25? I seem to recall seeing those kits but they were 1/32.

Like many I have some kits in case quantity but they were picked up here and there usually at a good discount. Also until 2 or 3 years ago many of those kits were $12, not $25. When the prices jumped I still spent about the same but got fewer kits.

I got a tee shirt with instructions on what to do if someone is bitten by a zombie, and a Heaven & Hell CD (Dio & some of the Black Sabbath guys). Oh, and a 2 year pay freeze from the president. Pretty much knew it was coming, but 2 days before Christmas? Kind of a Bah Humbug move there.

I keep mine in a report style clipboard (the kind that is a box to store forms). It is a handy size and keeps the light out to reduce the chances of fading. I also saved some of those dessicant pouches you get in a lot of packaging to help keep them from getting moist with temperature / humidity changes. I don't know if that is really neccessary in my climate but I saw someone mention using them and they are free, so why not. I keep after market decals in the package they came in and put loose decals in a paper envelope with a piece of wax paper.

A lot of kits with kid appeal are done as snap kits, Polar Light did an Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters, but it is a great start for a '59 Cadillac ambulance or hearse too. There were some Speed Racer kits too, the original cartoon's Mach 5 and the movie's Mach 6.

I frequently don't know what is next until I start, but I do have 2 more ambitious scratchbuilding projects I'm hoping to get done in 2011. REO Oshkosh

No, I realize the quality is quite different, but I thought that the two kits actually represented slightly different cars or at least options as well. I did a quick search, I guess it is the 1/12 that is different offering a 2 seat version.

I've bought several items through the site, it is easy to use but for some reason it seems like many would rather violate the trading forum rules buy offering to buy / sell than using the site provided. I would use it more but I just don't find that many items I am really interested in.

Are the Lindberg and Monogram actually the same car? Just the quick look I had at them awhile back it looked like they were similar but offered different variations of the Cord.