Jim Whalen

Happy New Year!! I'm pleased to hear that your back surgery seems to have been a success. I'm sure you'll enjoy being able to take a more active role in the hobby again. Thanks for the update on the status of the magazine. It will take a little while to iron out the teething issues but I am sure you'll get there as soon as possible.

Sounds like a good way to buy them Geoff. I'm sure you'll do a good job with them as well.

Looking very good - just needs some windows and its ready to hit the strip!

Very nice build. My favorite vettes are the C2s as well. Got a few in the stash to build - hope they capture the feel of the cars as nicely as your model has done.

Nice looking Pete - a great shade of blue. A trailer on the back with bits painted the same shade of blue would look really good.

Excellent piece of model building. I really like all the things you've done to this build.

Very nice build! Its amazing how many things can be done with Deuces - both in 1:1 and in scale. Now, just need a magic wand to have something like this in the garage...

Great models and very interesting comparisons - thanks for putting the pictures up Tim. I am looking forward to trying my luck with one of these new kits. With all the kit bashing possibilities I am sure some of the bits will end up in some other rods that I build and they will be cropping up all over the place when builders have built their '29s and are starting to look for other things to do with the parts.

Great build Dr Cranky! When I saw your post I knew that clicking on it would produce something worth looking at. Sure wish I could pop out a nice build like that so quickly.

That's a nice area of the country to live in. Have a look on the IPMS (UK) website events page to find out what shows aren't too far from you.

Hi, I'm a member of the UK IPMS Hot Rod and Custom Car SIG. Andy Swindlehurst is a good source for American car kits, he can usually be found through our Facebook page (he's the person mentioned above in Matt's post who attends the Huddersfield show). Other good contacts for American kits are Form-u-lay and Widgetman (can be found on e-bay). A good source for second hand kits is Collectakit. I'm pleased to say that there are a lot more car models at shows these days - and traders to support car modellers. Where in the U.K. are you?

Nice pair of rods! I have those kits waiting to be built - it is nice to see how they can turn out when built well like yours have been.

Great thread guys! Sorry I haven't got any to add - plenty to build in the stash though. Posts of models like these definitely help with the motivation.

A reissue of the Scirocco kit would be fun. With some kit bashing using the Revell GTI and Cabriolet kits it could be updated quite nicely. The aftermarket - that wasn't really around the first time these kits came out already has a lot of stuff that would be good. The rear suspensions that the early Golfs and Sciroccos had was very simple - but also very effective.

Hi, I would definitely say you need to add a build card. It also needs to be typed with good English so it is easy for people to read and understand. Adding a build card helps judges as it gives extra information (no one is going to know everything and they certainly weren't there when you built the model) and viewers get the opportunity to learn more about the model if they are interested in it. Keep it brief, this may mean if you have done a lot to a model you'll just be mentioning the highlights (or, in other words, what makes the build different) as people don't want to read reams of information. Judges often don't have the time to read a lot anyway. Add a few photos, but once again, don't overdo it. Entering competitions pushes you as a builder and I enjoy entering them. However, the same model will do well in one but not place in another (sometimes up against the same competition) and judges will have opinions so don't waste time getting frustrated when you do not place in the top 3 (or whatever you goal may be at a particular show). Be pleasantly suprised when you are successful - there are a lot of good builders around and judging shows is not an easy task.

Great rod!

I've seen a couple pictures of this on Facebook as well. It is an outstanding build!

I've heard good reports about the Belkits rally cars. There are aftermarket companies that do decals for them as well.

Hi Jeff, I think they have a model show at Peterborough - that'd probably be the closet to you.

Hi Jeff, Welcome to the forum! You'll find lots of knowledgeable, helpful people on here. If you go to any model shows you'll notice that there are a lot more car models being displayed now than there used to be. Where in the U.K. are you?

Hi, If you want to clear coat the decals put the decals on next and clear coat them (you may need to give the next coat of clear coat a light going over with polishing cloths to get rid of orange peel). Use the novus and wax but keep away from areas you'll be spraying different colours. Putting the wax on before masking should reduce the chance of the masking tape pulling the paint off. Mask the model around where you want to spray the headlights etc. and then use paper towel to cover the rest of the model (saves tape and is quicker).

Hi, The plastic needs to be really smooth before spraying on the primer (which I usually smooth with a 4000 polishing cloth used wet). I often don't use primer and just spray the Alclad gloss black base straight onto the plastic (if you're not sure test some on the sprue that comes with the pieces you are using). Make sure the black is nice and glossy and spray the chrome on about an hour after you have sprayed the gloss black base. The really important part is to spray the chrome on at a very low pressure (a gravity feed dual action airbrush is best for this) and gently mist the chrome on until you see the effect you want. It is very easy to overdo it and end up with a silver finish rather than a reflective, chrome-like finish.

I usually open mine when I get home - I'm too good at losing things to do otherwise! I then put the decals in a safe environment as where I keep my kits is exposed to big changes in temperature. I also make sure things are packed properly - very important when getting second hand kits as it is important to avoid clear and chrome parts from being scratched. As other people have said tyres can also be a problem so I make sure those are separated from other parts. It is important to check the contents quickly so mistakes can be retified more easily. Having heard about the problem with the GTI kits on here I checked mine as soon as I got it today! The main reason is that it is fun to look at a new kit and think about what the build will be like. I'm also guilty of getting kits out again just to have a look at them or sometimes to see if a kit bashing idea is viable.

Hi, I like your project Bill and I'm sure the car's owner will love to have a model of their vehicle. I doubt they'll appreciate how well you've done the model and the work that has gone into it (need to be a model builder for that!) but I am sure they will enjoy having the model. Are you planning to do their licence plates as well for the finishing touch? Nice to see a member has helped you out - not suprised to see who it is, Geoff is one of those guys who are a credit to our hobby.

Hi, Thanks for the replies everyone! Tim - I am honoured that you like my model, I like your work and articles very much indeed. Regarding the engine, I often think about how I would like a 1:1 street rod to be and a dual carb small block Ford engine is a swoopy '40 coupe sounds like a nice car to have in the garage!