checkmate

Great looking build, not over done just right.

Still love watching the start of Smokey and the Bandit 2 and watching the truck racing on there.

Great score.

Good score Ben, where'd you get them from?

Great build and well worth the dramas, that paint scheme suits it perfectly.

Nice start, can't wait to see it with colour on it.

Cheers guys, been lucky of late lots of old stuff I like seems to be popping up at the right times.

Had a parcel arrive today with my latest ebay scores, bought all these off the same seller and was happy to have them arrive safe and sound. Two more vans for my van collection, love the MPC stuff, seems to be a little harder to get them the Revell/Monogram vans. Been chasing a stunt van for ages and finally got one. (For $15, bargain!) I've wanted an Ice Patrol for ages now, my older cousin built one and gave it to me when I was about 7, it got destroyed and chucked out years ago and Tony passed away 6 years ago so I've been chasing one to build in his memory since. The Billy Carter pick up is something I haven't seen pop up a lot so I grabbed it too. And finally I scored this for $15 to be a donor for a resin 77 Trans Am FC body. The same guy I got these off sold me the corvettes and Moving Out van, he's had some old cool stuff listed on ebay over the last month or so.

Great looking build

Proper factory RHD Tom, so it steers nicer than a LHD converted one.

I've wanted a ZZ/R1100 since reading an article in Wheels magazine in around '91-92 where they raced a ZZ/R against a Ferrari F40 at the time the article was written they where the fastest production car and bike in the world. 10 years ago I went looking but couldn't find one for sale so I bought a '95 ZZ/R600 and had a blast on it before selling it on just before the kids came along. Fast forward to now, and I'm looking to buy another toy, the wife suggests another bike instead of another car to rebuild so I had a search and found a few for sale. Mines a 1995 ZZ/R1100, in the states they were called ZX11 Ninjas and were the quickest production bikes for 6 years. (This thing is plain out scary) I could've got something newer but this is the bike I always lusted after. A mate of mine had a Ducati monster a few years back, very nice bike indeed. Another mate has got a nice Harley that he's just had stroked to 1700cc! Sounds great and has that classic Harley look. Hope you find something to get you back in the seat soon, I didn't realise how much I missed riding until I bought this thing!

Hopefully mate, it's the middle of winter now and the trip home from buying it was 200km's, enjoyable but a bit fresh. I've been for a couple of quick runs on the rare sunny day, but I'm counting down till warmer weather and some road miles. What sort of bike are you chasing?

Awesome concept, keen to see it come together

If you know of another set of 20's available can you let me know please mate as I'd love a set.

Thanks Carl.

Here down under knocked up also means got it pregnant among other things, we also use it as in "here's one I knocked up earlier" or maybe "here's one I turned out earlier" would be less confusing. I think the difference in countries brings out the differences in phrases and meanings, I know a "fanny" in Australia isn't what it is in America, the same as "thongs"

Tidy van, love the colour coding.

Love the wheels, where did you get them from?

I've been still scoring some bits and pieces over the last few weeks, I scored a Moebius Lonestar and Prostar and since than I've collected the following bits and pieces. I've got a bit of a fetish for the MPC1/20 van kits (and all van kits in general!)and it's spread to the 1/20 Vette kits so when they pop up I try and grab them, got this one for $15 and the other vette for $10. I managed to grab a few more van kits, some rarer than others the Supervan is in great condition, the others a little more common but nice additions to the stash. Found another 1/16 Movin Out van, I've already got one but have been chasing another one for the interior to swap into a Big Bad Van kit. Bought a really nice 1/18 diecast Holden van, not cheap but the details very nice on it. And finally after years of looking and wanting I lashed out and bought the bike I've wanted for years and years, took awhile to find a decent one but worth the wait so I've had a pretty good last 2-3 weeks.

It's always been available here in Oz, I've used it and Duplicolour, under the right conditions Duplicolour will give just as a glossy result without polishing. Duplicolour is a lot more forgiving too in my opinion, the Tamiya clear takes a bit of getting use to and I wouldn't recommend it for the beginner. It's a thinner paint, that doesn't cover as well and it will run easily compared to Duplicolour.

Great build mate.

Our V8 series out here runs in rain, hail or shine. If you've ever attended or watched Bathurst you can get 4 seasons in a day up there, sunny one minute, hailing the next, fine 10 minutes later. It makes for great racing and excellent viewing. Here's Glenn Setons drive in the wet in 1987, brilliant car control. Around the 1:18 mark he aquaplanes at around 250kph and hangs onto it and the following lap is even more entertaining from the 2:30 mark And I always get a laugh out of watching Darrell Waltrip's reaction to the Bathurst circuit. Funny guy.

Cool and somewhat scary at the same time, be great to watch in person. The world water speed record was set here where I live and has stood for over 35 years but it seems a bit more unpredictable on water. Ken Warby has built a new boat to go again but the conditions haven't been right and he's now a bit long in the tooth. Last I heard his son was going to have a crack at it which would be great to see.

Sadly I think it's a dying market much like the muscle car boom we experienced down here. Sure it's worth big bucks to a select market now but once all us old guys that remember them die the younger generations wont want an old car regardless of if it's the only one numbers matching one with a 4 speed. GT Falcons, Brock Commodores, Monaros and a heap of others down here sold for crazy dollars 3 to 4 years ago, they've all dropped in price since, including a GT that sold for close to a million dollars that was a one of one build. Time will tell, give it 20 years and see what it's worth.

I'm a Humbrol fan, it's all our local to shop sells so it's been what I've used my whole modelling life. I have bought and used other brands I've got when out of town but I still favour the Humbrol product. I paint bodies with Duplicolor spray cans I get at the local car parts shop.