mr moto

This is a very inspiring thread. I have no physical disabilities but I am getting older (if you figure out a way around that one please let me know) and beginning to realize just how lucky I am to still be able to do the many things I love. I hope that there are model clubs or at least individual modelers living near these guys who can see that they get to participate in modeling activities on a personal basis.

I'll second the '63 Max Wedge cars! You hafta wonder if Lindberg couldn't make those pretty easy based on their existing tooling of the '64 Mopars. A cool variation would be a '63 Dodge or Plymouth station wagon with the Max Wedge and drag parts. You used to see those at the strips back in the day. I think the wagon's extra weight moved them from S/S down to A/S if I recall correctly.

It's looking great and the maroon is a big improvement over the previous red. I think you nailed it!

I totally agree with the above. It looks fine but the Corvette is supposed to be the style leader or have a style of its own. It's not supposed to show you what you've already seen on the Camaro!

I remember that I had several of those and, yeah, I got 'em from 7-11. The "torque reaction" drive was fun for a while but after a couple of hours the plastic gears would be toothless! Time to buy a new one! Fortunately, they were cheap.

That would make some sense but I've seen Studebaker credited with it on a Studebaker site. I'll have to look into through my Studebaker sources.

It would be a shame to lose Lindberg at this point. I hope this is just a rumor. Their kits with modern (since the 90's) tooling are really excellent like the '64 Plymouths and Dodges that others have talked about. The '66 SS396 (which hasn't been available lately) is a work of molding art. It has things like no visible mold line on the major chrome parts. Just generally as clean and sharp a kit as I've seen. Their older stuff is a really mixed bag and, in fairness, a lot of it wasn't actually tooled up by Lindberg to begin with.

I think Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland sells a set of assorted different styles of boosters.

He just guessed the name of the ugliest car he'd ever seen and it turned out to be right!

I don't know anything about the Cannonball Run but I know that build is COOOOOL!

I understand that the winners are reading this thread because they can't think up any way to spend the money!

Nice! Nice! Nice! The Olds was born for that job!

Clean and pretty! I love it!

That sounds like a great way to end up with nothing left!

I think I don't want to know what it is! If you can't see it, consider yourself lucky!

That depends on the spark plug gap that you're using!

I'd like to see the return of the AMT/MPC 1965 Coronet. The body is so much better than the Polar Lights version of several years ago.

12 volts is still 12 volts in 1/25 scale. However, in order to get the amperage right you have to use 1/25 scale electrons!

Very cool! Definitely shows some outside the box thinking.

Johan was capable of making some of the best kits ever like the "Gold Cup" series of classic cars and the Chrysler Turbine Car. Their early annuals (pre-1964) were lacking in detail compared to their competition at AMT, etc. but, just like the competitors, they were really un-assembled promos and the basic tooling was intended to make promos not kits. All that really matters in the promo market is the body and the Johan bodies were always crisp, sharp and well proportioned. As someone who was there back in the day (referred to as a "geezer"), I remember that when the annuals came out in 1964 Johan suddenly blew away AMT for detailed and authentic options especially the racing parts. The 1964 Plymouth annual built a pretty realistic Richard Petty stocker with full roll cage, stripped interior and Nascar style air cleaner or as a Golden Commando super stock. AMT had never offered anything like that. The '64 Dodge could be built as the Ramchargers super stock. It's hard to see what a big step that was from a modern point of view. The hobby has really come a long way! Anyway, the Johan kits are what they are. Some are excellent and some are simplified. It just reflects the state of the hobby at the time. P.S. Don't blame the "real" Johan for some of the incorrect parts in the USA Oldies releases. They were done correctly when they were first issued!

The mule team kit is currently available along with a package of actual borax ore to fill it with! http://www.muleteamkits.com/ I saw one of those built several years ago at a contest and it took "Best of Show". There's also an automotive connection to it. The real mule team wagons were built by Studebaker.

That looks about 1,000% better than the original Monkeemobile! Excellent work and a great eye for styling!

He gets a refill from the chicks that are always in the back seat of '63 Imperials, of course!

I didn't know that a Stutz had ever been done in 1/25 scale! I'd love to see that reissued and some other 1/25 cars of that era tooled up.

That's really hard to answer because I also haven't used enamel color coats in a long time! Try Model Master Ultra Gloss Clearcoat - meaning test it on your enamel first before jumping in. I think it's safe over enamel (Testors says "special formula won't craze or soften styrene" so it's mild by lacquer standards) and it lays down a super smooth, super glossy finish. I actually stuck my finger in a test coat and it didn't show when the finish dried!