Modelmartin

Perhaps someone with greater knowledge can tell us but I thought Jo-Han was a supplier to the big auto companies of molded plastic parts (taillights, etc.)They did lots of promos for Detroit too. The kits, I assumed, were there to keep them busy when business got slow for the "real" work. They did produce a few aircraft kits, too. I am definitely a Jo-Han fan, especially after the Mickey Thompson and Gene Snow Funny Cars and the ProStock kits came out. I was in 7th heaven as a 13 year old could be at that time. With my allowance I could get another one every three weeks!

They are certainly good kits but there are many that are better. Many Tamiya kits and certainly the Jo-Han Chrysler Turbine car and classic Cars, M-B 500Ks and Cadillac V-16s, are better.

I will be the voice of dissent here, but not very loudly. I like the kits and have multiples of some of the 911s and 356s. I have built several 911s and watched two friends build the 356. These kits have issues for sure. The suspension and ride heights are the biggest. The trunk floor on the 911 is so low that the suspension is on the ground when assembled. It also has so many gaps in the unibody structure when it is assembled. The front and rear bulkheads do not fit tightly, The fuel injection/carbs (depending on version are not so great. The early 911s do not have the correct dual battery set-up in the nose. They give you the later version. The bodies are generally quite good but there is something not quite right in the roof and drip rail area. The 356 has a nose that is too long. Look at the distance from the front of the front wheel opening to the headlight and bumper and compare to photos. It also has the ride height issue. It is like they measured all the suspension parts when the car was sitting on jackstands with everything hanging at full extension. Both kits make great race cars because there are no carpets or floormats. They are bare floorpans. Not a big deal, but kind of curious. Having said all that I still love the kits. I must have 6 911s and 4 or 5 356s and a couple of Countach! p.s. Testors also sold several 911s and the 356 Convert.

I love the all canvas body! We don't need no stinkin' fiberglass or sheet metal!

The history of Ohio George's cars is very interesting. I researched through my magazine collection once. His first Drag car was a 34 Ford 3-window in a familiar shade of light blue. He built the Willys in 59 and he won the NHRA nats drag race AND car show first time out! His cars were always show quality. It had a Caddy engine with a chain drive for the blower, full body including running boards and moon discs. As he developed the car he raised the chassis height, used alloy wheels, and started to trim the body. In about '62 or so he switched to a small block Chevy stroked out. Later he switched to the Cammer when he got Ford sponsorship. He finally had to change from a Ford banjo rear end to a more modern diff to hold up to power of the Cammer. it was a miracle that the old rear end lasted with a blown Caddy and Chevy engine in it!! After about a year with the Cammer he chopped the top. The AMT kit was the ultimate development of the car and is an outstanding and accurate kit. The Malco gasser was built with a Willys frame under it. Gas class rules called for a frame and the Mustang was unibody and George already knew what to do with a Willys Frame to make it go! The MPC kit is actually pretty poor for one big reason. They modified the 66 Mustang tooling to try to make it look like a 67. It ddidn't work very well. The chassis and everything else is pretty good. If one would adapt a real 67 body to the MPC kit they would have a nice accurate model. I never examined the Mr. Gasket Gasser kit so I can't comment on it. I do believ the kit is the mechanically supercharged version. George changed it over twin turbos a few years later. The Multi-maverick kit has the reverse problem of the Malco gasser! The body is great but it has totally the wrong chassis under it. MPC slipped one of their generic full round tube funny car frames under it. Gas class rules at that time called for rectangular tube frames. George built his own which does not even resemble the kit frame. After those cars George ran an alcohol funny car with twin turbos which NHRA would not let him run. He also built a turbocharged AA/MC (modified compact) Pinto which was featured in old Car Craft mag. I believe he quit racing at that point ( mid 70s) and ran his machine shop. He ended up supplying engines for the Buick V-6 Indy car series for many years. Check out his website http://www.georgesspeedshop.com/Ohio_George/Welcome.html

I first met Bill at the Toledo NNL about 1980 or so. I roamed around the warehouse at Trost Hobby, a large hobby wholesaler in Chicago where he worked. He would point out where to find the goodies and was very patient with us and protected us from the questioning looks of Mrs. T. I know his whole working career was in the hobby. He started out working at a hobby shop and married the owner's daughter. He then worked at Trost and then at Revell-ogram. He was always very friendly and nice to everyone. It is very sad to know he is gone. His wife and three sons certainly have my condolences.

Just say No! to zinc.

I just looked at this thread today (dollar short and day late as usual) and this argument about gassers is interesting. I have always disliked it when people use the term "gasser" generically or insist that a gasser is one particular thing. Is a "car" a 1886 Benz Velo or a Bugatti Veyron? There is a lot of ground to cover so you need to define things a little better. Gassers changed a lot over the years from their start in the 50s. If you have a point in time and are correct for that time, it is a gasser. In the 80s many racers took pro-stocks and changed the cubic inch to weight ratio of the car and ran in gas class. These current nostalgia "gassers" are bracket cars. They are cool and fast but class cars run flat-out and keep on trying to go faster. Bracket cars don't. What definitely are NOT gassers are anything like that blue and white Plymouth wagon that I always see online. That thing makes me sick. What a waste of cool parts. It is a Street Freak(a term from the 70s for those kinds of cars). If the guy who built it is getting his jollies, that is fine. That 4 door Fairlane in the one video is pretty ###### strange. NOT A GASSER!!!!! My beat up 66 Chevelle ran almost as fast back in the late 70s!! The thing that also bugs me is when people see an altered and call it a gasser. I know that not everyone can know everything and I have probably sounded that stupid when I am looking at armour or aircraft but I just wanted to vent. too!!

An inch contains 25.4 millimeters. It is almost a one to twenty-five ratio! One MM equals one 1/25 scale inch! You may want to use a pocket calculator or the calculator on your computer for longer dimensions where the .4 comes into play like wheelbases. If you have a 120 inch wheelbase you would multiply by 25.4 and then divide by 25 to get your scale wheelbase in mm. 120" X 25.4 = 3048 3048 divided by 25 = 121.92mm That is about 2 mm longer than if you used a one to one ratio. I hope that helps.

Thanks for sharing, Tim! You know I dig the V-dub stuff. I can't belieev that there is one 411/412 still running! What an awful car. I know. My dad had several of them and I drove one of them for a while. The K-G you spoke of is actually a Type III Ghia. It uses the unibody and engine from the Fastback, Squareback series. There are very cool and they never sold them here.

Nice job on the 'Cage, Chris! I never got to see a Brianza up close. Obviously, I am pretty familiar with Birdcages having built about 280 or so of my kits myself! The ABC kit has some nice features and some inaccuracies but is a pleasant looking model. Carlo initially got a lot of attention with big-scale handbuilt stuff like Olive-Sans and others(60s). He then branched off into handbuilt 1/43rds in the 70s. He also got into some 1/14th scale stuff for RIO in the 80s. Carlo Brianza passed away suddenly in 1994 and his wife and kids have continued with the business. I actually think the quality improved, ironically. Hereis a link to their website http://www.abcbrianza.com/

One time I ran across someone who had bought a large quantity of exotic cars (1/1) in on evening! It was some kid goofing around! This kit is probably the same thing - two kids punking someone, although there was a bidder with 166 bids who was in it at $70.00!!!!????

Nice work as always from you, Steve. See you at the NNL Sunday?

Has it really been 30 years? We are getting old.

Sometimes I am a day late and a dollar short. I just read this thread and saw mention of Cragar Super tricks. The Monogram 66 Chevelle (the black one) released in the late 70s has the most awesome set of good looking Cragar Super Tricks. That goofy looking Camaro that was released at the same time has Motor Wheel Flywheels on the front!! There were two versions of each kit released with different wheels in each one so you have to look to find the right one. They are not real desirable kits so they are still cheap. The Red Chevelle I think had Cragar S/S on it. Also, the Chevelle came with an excellent Dana 60 rear end and a nice period correct tunnel ram intake manifold and hood scoop. Those Chevelles and Camaros, as odd as they were are excellent parts kits.

Detail master is stainless steel. Soldering is not going to happen easily. Here is a vid. MCG, Replicas and Miniatures, etc. use nickel silver. If it is a bit more flexible and can be bent easily it is nickel silver. If it is stiff it is stainless.

I think he posted a few times several years ago but Harry scared him off!!!! :lol:

It depends on the material. Brass and nickel silver P/E will solder but stainless will be tough.

To be blunt (with apologies),but have you been in a cave for many years? Mark doesn't publish regular articles anymore( in Scale Auto Enthusiast) but he devotes a huge amount of time and effort to running the GSLIMCC* in Salt lake City every 2 years. He still is a major force and influence in the hobby. I think he still throws putty! * Greater Salt Lake International Model Car Championship

How about we kill the plaintiffs first! A lawyer without a plaintiff is like a gun with no bullets!

It's possible, Harry. Technically. If 6th grade is getting kind of hairy, one could get nostalgic abou those carefree tender months of 1st grade.

They are named after the same thing. Sorry. It was a bad attempt at humor.

Hawk made the early Rambler and the HUPMOBILE in 1/24. They are pretty nice but need more detail added. I have them and they are on my someday list. AMT made the New York to Paris 1908 Thomas Flyer but it does not have a stock body. Tonka made a 1914 T touring in 1/24 that is nice as is the Winton they also did. Airfix did an early Daraqc that was marked as 1/32 but is about 1/24. Brass era subjects in 1/24-5 are scarce! I would also love a Curved dash Olds or Stanley Steamer in 1/25th. There is little demand for them, however.

English Nazi Moment here. Quit reading if you are sensitive about the subject. I believe the word desired was "lay" not "lie". Nostalgia does lie. It makes us think things were better than they were. It lies that way. Nostalgia lays in fond memories, etc. Just saying. As you all were......

You probably liked Lovin Spoonful also!