mr moto

That's what I call "jumpin' in at the deep end." If anybody has tried to build one of those highly detailed beasts, you know what I mean. My first model was a Revell Bomarc guided missile in 1958. I got an AMT 3 in 1 '59 Ford Galaxie for Christmas 1959 and it's been all cars ever since.

That's INCREDIBLE!!

WOW! That's one that you don't see very often. Great job. Is that a resin kit or an old Johan?

That is just OUTSTANDING work!! I love it! Excellent concept and execution.

Wouldn't one those things make a COOL gasser?!!? I can see it now with that high stance and a blown hemi!!

If that's a model you're gonna slam dunk us this time!

All my prayers and support are with you. I've been married for 34 years and don't want to think about how tough that situation would be.

In my experience, all the colors are safe if you put them over the Duplicolor primer (I use the "sandable"). They may work without the primer but I don't care to try it! I did have trouble with unprimed Duplicolor many years ago but I think the automotive paints might have been hotter back then. BTW, I love that pickup in your avatar! That is sweet!

Great first build! Probably took me about 100 to get to that level!

I say this one's as real as can be. It just looks kinda like a model because it's been "over-restored"!

It's interesting that this is exactly the same type of procedure that was done in 1:1 to make the "reversed rims" that were so popular in the 60's. They would cut out the wheel centers and weld them back in so that the wheel offset was deeper. In the case of 1:1, the easiest way to do it was to literally reverse the rim by welding the center back in at the same place but facing in the other direction!

Thanks a lot for that tip! Glad somebody had the nerve to try it! I always suspected that it would work on the paint but eat the plastic, too. There's always some mineral spirits in my workshop so I wouldn't have to buy anything that I don't normally use anyway. Maybe I'll try it on an old body first but it's good to hear that you get good results.

I see your point!!

If you get in a wreck there's no need for a body shop. A decent sheet metal contractor or tinsmith can do the job!

Indeed I was! So when do we get a how-to article on that level of detail?

Hi Jim! That's a great personal history. I think most people in this hobby would have something interesting to say about how they got here. It really is a great way to get outside of yourself and away from the things in life that aren't as much fun. Not many of us have the hurdle that you have to clear. Your '53 is real beauty. Caught my eye immmediately. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work!

I have to say this one's real but I'd love to find out that I'm being fooled!

That's looking great!! It looks like a really fine kit, too. I wish they'd make a '61 Starliner version of it also!

Words escape me! That thing is NICE!!

Excellent work! The interior especially looks great and I know how difficult it is to detail the old "tub" style interiors.

Thanks for the help, guys! At least now I have some good leads to follow. It may be that I have try to get a Japanese kit at a low price on Ebay or at a show. I hate to buy a kit just to get the tires from it but sometimes you gotta!

Insured? What insurance company would touch that thing??!!!??

Any ideas on where to find older style radial tires? This seems to fall into a gap in the hobby. What I'm looking for is a good scale replica (something with a real looking tread pattern - not just a few straight grooves) of the kind of European radials that were seen on sports and import cars in the sixties/early seventies before U.S. cars even discovered radial tires. Typically, they were Pirellis or Michelins and they were skinny (like a 78 or 80 profile) since not many fat tires had arrived on the street yet. You can even find old pictures of 289 Cobras with skinny tires. Anyway, I've been kind of checking out the usual aftermarket suppliers and haven't really seen anything like these:

I think it would be cool to give updates during the week about whether ANYBODY has gotten it right so far. As far as this one, I don't have a clue but I do agree that it's real!