Aaronw

What is the quality of the Monogram metal bodied cars? I remember doing a metal kit as a kid and thought it was one of these Monogram kits. It was a real problem, but I've run across some Hubley's during my searches and realized I might have built a Hubley, not a Monogram.

Now there is a combination I would not have imagined but it actually works.

I see it looks like you can switch the tops, and are not stuck choosing up or down. Can you remove the hood fairly easily? The straight 8 is neat so I was thinking about detailing it, but I'm not sure if it can be shown off if I do.

I agree there are some very nice more conservatively colored cars out there too, I found some photos of a restored pale green 734 that was very nice. I'm going to save that for one of the larger touring cars with a more respectable owner when I get that far. Andy, thanks for the tips, and Harry that must be Jack Skellingtons car.

That is the one, yours came out very nice and is much flashier than my box art. The box must be really faded if it once looked like yours. It appears to be a pretty nice kit, anything jump out at you that I might want to watch out for when building it? I got it primed today and am going out of town for a week and a half tomorrow. I plan to jump back into it when I get home, I am really liking the idea of a dark red or burgandy lower and charcoal grey upper. Art, I missed it is a porcelain coating, my brain translated porcelain to enamel. Considering it would probably have been baked on at a temp much hotter than exhaust I imagine it would hold up on an engine quite well.

One more question on the engine, for a car that was actually driven would the gloss black enamel on the exhaust manifold actually hold up under use and remain gloss black or would a rusted cast iron be more appropriate? The tip on the red hoses is good to know, I got started on a '28 Lincoln while I was waiting for this kit, and its engine is mostly black and grey from the few photos I found. Red hoses and belts will add a little color to the engine compartment. Odd that the box art doesn't match your description, it is more of a tan with a salmon tinge, bright orange would be more interesting. The box is pretty old and worn though so it may be due to fading. I'll use your painting guidelines just altering the colors. The kit tires use white plastic inserts to make whitewalls on the outside, so I'll probably just reverse the tires and paint the inserts black. Thanks

Yeah, I'm hoping Art will have some info, but I didn't want to single him out. Thanks, I've spent an hour or two looking at Packard photos and didn't run across that site. The car is different but still useful for details and the engine detail is very nice. I knew the model photos I saw had too much chrome.

I've started the Packard Boattail Speedster, but I'm not finding a lot of examples (other than diecast). I don't care for the tan and brown of the box art which I believe is a car from the Harrah's collection. I know that is was a high end very limited production car, so every one may have been unique. I found a few that were a solid color but it appears most are two tone. I have found some photos of a silver and burgundy Speedster that is still around. I like the general look but find the silver washes out the effect of the chrome. I'm kind of leaning towards burgundy and a medium-dark grey or gunmetal. I'm also having a very hard time with the straight 8. It appears the engine has a medium green block, but that is about as far as I trust the photos I've found, as some of the most detailed are from a diecast model. Thanks

I don't know that particular kit, but I have done a fair number of Airfix aircraft kits. They are no Tamiya but I find most to be reasonably decent kits although on the simpler side. Airfix has been around since the 1950s so some of their kits have a long history, but being a relatively recent car I would expect it to be similar to an average AMT or Revell kit. Airfix has also reboxed Heller kits in the past. I don't know if they still have a connection or not with the recent re-organization of the two companies the past couple of years, but you might have a look to see if Heller has offered the same car at some point.

I'm starting to get excited about the 3d printers. I don't expect to see them become a household item anytime soon, but at the rate they seem to be improving I wouldn't be surprised to see them start to show up in hobby shops in the next 10-20 years so you can go in and download a model.

Glad to see this one back, $106 may not be cheap but it is better than what they are asking on ebay.

Zoli, you and Charlie need to stop messing with people by posting real rigs and claiming they are scale models.

I do to, it has a bit of a learning curve but it is worth the effort. You can get older versions like 11 or 12 pretty cheap and for making decals these older versions seem just as good as the latest version.

Thanks, I've saved the lists you guys posted. I've got a Bentley 4.5 litre, and a Boattail Packard on the way, and started the 1928 Lincoln. These should keep me busy for awhile.

Ed, nice to see some of your stuff. The soda trailer is neat, but I really like the A-100. You have an eye for adding little details that give the models a real lived in look.

The schoolbuses are probably the ones from RMR, the buses are at the bottom of the page http://www.freewebs.com/rmrresin/nf125.htm

I was just testing you.

No problem with non 1930s, by 1930-ish I meant late 20s to WW2, past the learning to walk phase but they still had seperate fenders. Thanks for the list of others of the period. Heller really did quite a few, I have the Delahaye Ladder truck and have been hunting the Renault C4 fire engine for awhile, but the reasonably priced ones are elusive.

I have a thing for inline 6s, particularly the Stovebolts. Nothing fancy about them, but they are an honest working motor and even a pygmy with a stick and a rock can keep them running.

Someone posted a scratchbuilt a GMC Fishbowl a couple years back, I don't recall who did it though. There are some resin buses from the 1940s and 50s available from RMR. More of a school bus though with a truck front end and bus body. I'd love to see a Crown or GMC Fishbowl kit. I know I'm not the only one, but can understand the reluctance on the kit makers part. There is definately interest in busses, but is their enough to pay for such a large kit. There are some nice diecast busses in smaller scales like 1/43 and 1/50.

Thanks, I know the reputation of the Lindberg kits, but those not duplicated by other kits intrigue me, think of the bragging rights one can claim for actually building one. I think I tried to build the Metal bodied Duesenberg when I was a kid, I don't believe I was successful. The prices for the Monogram kits are all over the place from $9.99 to buy it now at $100+ (clearly wishful thinking on the sellers part from the other prices). I just thought I'd get a list so I can watch them for awhile and figure out what reasonable prices are. I did see some of the other brands but most look more limo like, the Monogram kits appear to be sportier cars, something you give your driver the day off when you are out in it. I did see a Heller Bentley 4.5 liter that looked nice. Art, thanks for the list, you posted while I was typing. I actually have the MPC 1928 Lincoln as the AMT re-issue from a few years back. The San Francisco PD has a beautiful 1928 Lincoln they have restored that is just like the one in the kit. That would probably be a good place for me to start since I already have it around here somewhere.

I was looking at the Lindberg kits of the Auburn, Mercedes and Cord, and started looking on ebay to see what else there might be in 1/24-25 and ran across a few Monogram kits of similar cars a 1934 Duesenberg, 1932 Cadillac, 1930 Packard and a 1931 Rolls Royce Phaeton. Did Monogram do any more kits of this type of car? Being Monogram kits I assume they are decent quality.

The Dodge 331 diesel engine was not based on the 331 gas motor, but was roughly the same size so it would fit into the same engine compartments. It might be possible to build one from the L-head but the diesel has the exhaust manifold on the left side, while other Dodge engines had it on the right. The diesel was also an overhead valves design, not an L head. It looks like the diesel was dropped during WW2, so it is probably not the best choice for a truck in the 1960s although it was apparently a pretty durable engine so it could have been on the road for 20+ years. If you do decide to give the diesel a try there are a couple of decent photos in the Dodge truck book I have.

Yes, I built the service body. I was lucky enough to find a Reading body from the 70s on a truck near my house when I was getting started. The '60 Chevy used wheels I cast from a diecast Dodge Powerwagon. The 4x4 bits were made from from styrene strip and tubing, with a resin differential and transfer case.

I'll jump in and celebrate the opening of a new light truck section by posting some of my trucks too. You may notice I have a thing for green. 1960 Chevrolet, US Forest Service Patrol Truck 1980 Ford Bronco, US Forest Service Law Enforcement 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe, US Forest Service Law Enforcement 1972 Chevrolet, US Forest Service Dozer tender I guess this little guy counts too. 1/35 Jeep ambulance