larrygre

The built test shots at NNL East looked very good to me. Let's hope those stock wheels and tires don't suffer from the same "undersized-itis" that plagues their '63 Impala.

Hey friends and fellow modelers, This past weekend at NNL East, it was suggested to me that I start a blog of my own, so I have, and I'd like to invite all of you to visit and post comments. It's called Beyond Strictly Stock, as many remember the column I wrote for "that other magazine" for over ten years, but Beyond 'cause it ain't gonna be just about replica stock anymore! I hope you'll enjoy the blog - and I hope to post to it often! Beyond Strictly Stock is at http://larrygre.blogspot.com

My favorite has always been Ditzler Hi-Performance Clear. Never yellows and polishes beautifully. I usually use a non-penetrating thinner with the stuff.

I've always done it the "hard way". I would drill out a rattle can nozzle to accept one of those red tubing "straws" used on cans of compressed air and lubricants like WD-40. That always worked for me, but I like your idea better - and it's a lot easier to find drinking straws than to try and buy bulk on those little red tubes!

Bill, I'll look into it. Thanks.

What they did was to tool up a new body on the 1995-vintage AAR kit to try and "correct" it. Unfortunately, they missed the mark again. If anyone remembers, I panned the original puppy in "that other magazine" (back when Gary Schmidt owned it) in a special review called "Dog's Day". And I'm afraid, while they got the contours better than before, it still is as incorrect as the original, because (for no other reason) the chassis is the longer wheelbase Challenger T/A unit, and no matter how the curves or contours were altered, the car still looks too long because it IS too long. Hopefully, the new body parts can be transplanted onto the existing '71 kits to produce a reasonably accurate '70. If not, there's always Mark Budniewski's '70 resin conversion set and vacform AAR hood, or Lookout Model Products resin '70 front end. An all new tool would have been far better. Especially if it was 1/25 scale. A '70 Cuda of any stripe with the level of detail and accuracy as any of Revell's newer kits would be nothing short of a grand slam hit out of the park! Oh well.

Hey all - I've been told that normal thinners - mineral spirits, Testors Airbrush thinner, etc. - do not work with the new House of Kolor model paints. I picked up a whole mess of them at NNL East and am anxious to try the stuff. What do you use to thin it, if not their own thinner? Thanks!

Just a quick note to say thanks to everyone I had the pleasure to meet and chat with at NNL East. To all my old friends and all my new friends. thanks a bunch and, see you at the next one!

See everyone there!

The Magnum PI car indeed was the 308GTS. There has never been a really good 308GTS kit. Revell's Magnum PI kit was their older ex-Japanese tool (Eidai/Grip, supposedly) 308GTB modified to resemble a GTS but the roofline is all wrong. It looks too squashed. Probably the best way to get a 1/24 308GTS into your collection is to kitbash the roof from the Hasegawa 328GTS with the excellent though simplified current Revell Germany 308GTB kit (itself ex-Monogram vintage 1981-82). It's an expensive kitbash, but you will have an accurate 308GTS - or just simply wait for Fujimi to eventually do a state of the art kit. I have a feeling they will..!

Great pics guys! Thanks a million!

Interesting that of the couple dozen 512BBs done by the various Japanese manufacturers back in the later 1970s (and MPC, who came by their BB512 molds from a Japanese source), there has never - until now - been a kit of the BB512i.

Bob, hopefully my 512BB and Cayman should be here this week too. I've already seen photos of the 512's parts and inastruction sheet, and it looks like finally, the type has been done proud in 1/24.

Izzy, if you're talking about the Hasegawa 328s, they have been out for about two months or so. Nice kits both, and good to have back.

With Fujimi and Revell Germany going neck and neck releasing 1/24 scale kits of the latest new Ferraris, it's good to see some of the classics from Maranello making their way into all-new tooling from Fujimi. Here's what's coming, expected by end January or early February 2007: 1/24 Ferrari 365GT4/BB Berlinetta Boxer 1/24 Ferrari 512BB Berlinetta Boxer 1/24 Ferrari 512BBi Berlinetta Boxer 1/24 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano There have been quite a few kits, mainly from Japan, of the Berlinetta Boxer series, but none of them have been particularly good (just about all of them were conceived when motorizing models was in full vogue in Japan). These Boxer kits are ALL-NEW TOOLINGS and they are not curbsides either, having very good engine compartment detailing. The Fiorano will also, of course, be done by Revell Germany. Also, Fujimi will be reissuing their 512TR Testarossa in February 2007. Maybe someday, either they or Revell Germany will do the last piece of the Testarossa puzzle - the never-kitted 512M.

Bill, I couldn't agree more. The classic GTO kit was way overdue for a reissue. Hopefully, Revell Germany can also pry the California Spider, 250SWB, 275 GTB/4, and 275GTS NART Spider free from Italeri and bring them babies home to papa!!!!!!!!!!

Hey all, Revell of Germany has announced their 2007 releases, and there are a few interesting surprises and, as usual, something new for our truck modeling friends: 1/24 Audi R10TDI LeMans Winner (NEW TOOL) - May 2007 1/24 Audi R8 Supercar (NEW TOOL) - September 2007 1/24 Ferrari 250GTO (Italeri Tool) - June 2007 1/24 Ferrari 599GTB Fiorano (NEW TOOL) - January 2007 (will also be released by Revell USA) 1/25 Corvette C6R LeMans (Revell USA tool) - March 2007 1/24 Schlingmann HLF 20/16 (NEW TOOL) - September 2007 1/24 Scania R500 (Italeri tool) - January 2007 1/12 Aces Wild Chopper (Revell USA Tool) - February 2007 1/12 Crusader Custom Chopper (Revell USA Tool) - May 2007 I'm already placing a backorder for at least half a dozen 250GTOs. That kit has been sorely missed....!

Hi Jaffa, Most people tend to ignore or bypass Airfix' car kits because they are the smaller 1/32 scale. They are missing out on some pretty good models, especially the later issues - for example, the TR4A, which has excellent detailing throughout. The Airfix 1/32 cars do not come with chrome plated pieces, but with the advent of Alclad II Chrome, it no longer matters. The Capri seems a bit chunky, but isn't too bad. The Escort is decently done. The TR4A is the best of the three. Hope that helps,

Glenn (and everyone), By now you should all know that Revell is reissuing the 67 Corvette Coupe in its 2007 lineup. It will be good to have this kit back, as it excellent in all respects. Note also that the coupe body is more accurate than the roadster, as I stated in my 1997 review of the original kit in "that other magazine". The front fender peaks are incorrectly sculpted on the roadster; on the coupe they are correct. Happy New Year everyone!

In the past year, I have seen a '72 Ventura II conversion set marketed on eBay, but I do not recall from who. It was essentially a repop of the old AMT '72 Ventura II kit's front fenders, grille section, rear bumper/taillight unit, and front bumper (I think). I'd check there from time to time. AFAIK, nobody sells just the grille section. FYI, The '72 Ventura II's grille section was molded in one piece with the body surround section. It was not the '74 style, but the 'bifurcated' early style grille, so if you wanted to convert to the '74 you've got some scratchbuilding to do. It would be very cool to do a '74 Goat out of the '72 Nova/Ventura kits. The real car may have been a dud, but a model wouldn't be, for sure! Please post some pics here of the completed model - I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who would love to see it!

Thanks Glenn for the kind words. I have some stuff in the works for the magazine that I think you'll like coming later this year. And, they aren't all "strictly stock" either! 8)

ALWAYS wear breathing and hand protection when working with anything that removes paint. Any chemical can soak into your pores or enter your bloodstream through inhalation. Wear good rubber or latex gloves and a NIOSH/OSHA approved respirator whose cartridges are certified for use in hazardous vapors situations. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH - TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH AND LIVE TO BUILD MORE MODELS!

Glenn, in the model kit business, everything is cyclical. Kits that never seem to go out of production are that way because of strong sales numbers. The 67 Vette ragtop is a good example. It's been one of R-M's best sellers since its introduction. On the other hand, kits that have had shorter production runs, say a year or two at best, are coming back for another run - the '56 Nomad, '67 Coronet R/T, and '66 GTO (all of which have not been seen in the product line since the late 1990s) are all in the Revell release plan for 2006. I'd personally like to see the coupe come back as well. I've mentioned that to Revell's product planners a couple of times in the recent past, and hopefully, we will see a return someday soon.

Hey old friend, glad to have you here! Nice photo selection!

I agree - that's AWESOME. Thanks for sharing that with all of us. And I'm personally appreciative as I've always been somewhat ham-handed at flame painting - thanks Brian!