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mrm

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Everything posted by mrm

  1. There are few things I have to commend Revell for in their releases of late. 1. Great box art! I believe a good box art is extremely important not only for the marketing aspect, but it can serve as a great source of inspiration. I look at some of the MPC/AMT/Round2 reissues and I'm thinking "Are you trying hard to NOT sell these." 2. Instructions are a big leap forward. no more guessing what is painted what and where exactly does it go. The nice gloss paper is just icing. Overall the new instructions give a feel of a better quality product. 3. Wheels and tires. OMG, I lived to see Revell make one piece wheels, like it should have done 30 years ago. Tires are still not Tamiya/Fijimi/Aoshima quality, but still a great improvement. I never understood the idea behind making a nice spoked face of a wheel and then make a separate solid plate for the other half of the wheel with a mediocre looking brake blob sandwitched in the middle. I hope we never see that kind of non sense in a model kits anymore. Ever! 4. Revell is actually keeping a solid pace of new releases mixed with reissues. That Blazer is very nicely done indeed and it definitely opens up a lot of possibilities for future releases. The Corvettes are just a home run and I hope they follow them with the Zo6 and ZR1 variations. you throw in a race car and the EV and basically Revell has 8 new kits with at least 80% interchangeable parts. Genius. I know nobody made a even a peeping sound about that Audi E-tron, but it is a very nice addition. Also that VW Corrado is a hit for sure. Maybe not in US, but in Europe for sure. It is the Eropean equivalent to a CAmaro or Mustang. In the '80s and '90s entire cottage industries thrived on aftermarket parts for these cars with some wild creations emerging from a variety of tuning shops. Long before jap tuners claiming to invent things like wide body kits, super low stance, staggered wheels and 1000hp turboed grocery getters. Now I just can't wait to see what comes next. As in next year perhaps. I don't know how many on here are aware of this, but Hot Rods are extremely popular in Germany and in most of Europe. And so are muscle cars. As a matter of fact having an old muscle car or Hot Rod in Europe is far more prestigious than in US. And the newest Corvette in most cases will turn more heads on the streets than the newest Ferrari. Having said that, I hope Revell will release some cool new hot rods. I think the hobby is in dire need of a 33/34 Ford kit platform like the superstar '32 kits. '40s/'50s Buicks anyone? And square body trucks are all the rage right now. I really don't understand how no manufacturer has jumped on that gravy train yet.
  2. mrm

    Boss ‘32 Deuce

    I love everything about it. Not the biggest fan of channeled full fendered Deuces, but this just looks right.
  3. This is just so cool. I love the simple single plain scallop coming from the wheel well. It's just perfect. Great job.
  4. Looking good. If you don't mind sharing, what files did you use for all the engine parts?
  5. I can tell you where the problem is and why it will take you forever, if ever, to achieve that curve. I only know, because I have done the same thing before. Your putty is interacting with the plastic beneath which is sagging every time you add a new coat. You have one of two solutions to fix that. 1. Seal everything with a generous coat of 2k primer, which will create a barrier. 2. Use an epoxy putty that does not interact with everything underneath. Otherwise you are gonna chase your tail for a long time.
  6. You can never have enough purple Lamborghinis! The latest is painted in Viola Pasifae. LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR SVJ - AutoArt -1/18
  7. More F40!!! All of them are by Kyosho, all in 1/18.
  8. Maybe I didn't phrase my question properly. I fully understand the kits are completely different. The level of detail is of no concern to me. To make the 3D parts work, I will need to cut out the front and rear bumpers, the skirts and good portion of the rear fenders. My question was how the two kits' bodies compared as far as dimensions and proportions. Because, hypothetically if they are the same scale and representing the same car, they should be identical, save for the elements that I would be cutting off anyway. As far as options go, I can get the newest Revell Porsche from the Hobby Lobby which is literally next door to my current job site for something like $20 and start working on it tomorrow. While the situation with all other options is obviously much more complicated. Either way, thank you for the detailed answer. It looks like there is a 911 project in my future, which would be the third wide body Porsche out of three Porsche's ever attempted. A Fujimi Koenig Specials 928 And a Fujimi Koenig Specials 911 Turbo
  9. Not being very knowledgeable about Porsches, How does this kit differentiate from the Revell's kit of the same car? I have noticed that on the Revell kit it says it's 1/24 scale. So are tehy pretty much identical? Also the Tamiya kit is apparently curbside, while the Revell kit has opening engine compartment and full motor. The main reason I am asking these questions is because there is a really nice 3d file for a wide body kit, which was originally designed for the Tamiya kit and I am wondering if it would work on the Revell model of the same car.
  10. More waste of styrene with horrible box art.
  11. Absolutely every single F40 ever made has left the factory in Rosso Corsa, more commonly known as Ferrari red. The confusion on the subject comes from a number of cars that were delivered in other colors, basically yellow and black. The sultan of Brunei also received some right hand drive samples and one of them was grey with full leather interior and Testarossa seats. However, all of these cars were modified from the original red LHD originals, which was the only way the model was produced by the Ferrari factory. Kyosho, released the model also in yellow and did so before their red one. This particular model holds a special place in my collection as it was a present from my dad when he visited me from Europe back in 2007. I took him to the F1 USGP in Indianapolis and I believe the now defunct Exoticar were the first to offer the model in US and they premiered in their tent at that race. FERRARI F40 - Kyosho - 1/18
  12. Long time since I posted in this thread. I love the F40 too, which in my opinion still is king of all supercars. Not because of its performance, which has been bettered by dozens of cars by now, but in character. Anyway... Here is some F40 material specially for you. FERRARI F40 - KYOSHO - 1/18
  13. I have not updated this thread in a long time. Some more Purple Lamborghini... For its 30th Anniversary, Lamborghini presented a special version of the Diablo. It had different engine cover, side panels under the doors, front and rear bumpers and wheels. The engine was tuned up for more power and the interior received some minor upgrades. For the occasion Lamborghini released a new color, appropriately named "Purple 30th Anniversary" . Out of the limited edition of 150 pieces, the majority were painted in this unique purple metallic. However, a few were ordered in other colors. I have fond memories of a purple example, which I got to drive briefly when I worked at FC Kerbeck in NJ. So when AutoArt announced that they are releasing the model, I had to have it in the exact spec I had the privilege to experience. LAMBORGHINI DIABLO 30TH ANNIVERSARY - Viola 30th Ann - AutoArt 1/18
  14. Honestly, at this point completely eliminating the rear seat would be a lot better option as it just looks silly. Most '32 sedans/Phaetons I've seen in real life that were either tubbed or extremely channeled or chopped, had their rear seats eliminated.
  15. Update! This weekend was kinda hectic, but I managed to pretty much build my whole interior. Save for some little details and touch ups it's pretty much finished. First, the biggest assembly - the door cards and package shelf, was all painted flat black. Well, actually it was painted SEM black, straight from the can. No primer or anything, as my experience is that SEM does not play nice with others. The newly created door inserts were covered with some very old 1/12 scale carbon fiber from Scale Motorsport. The pattern is way too large for the model and it is way too grey and over all not very good like their current offerings. I wanted to use it not as a carbon detail, but more as an upholstery pattern. I want this car to stay in the storm trooper theme character, without actually having any gimmicky Star Wars details on it, so this decals did the job perfect. The package tray also received some black flocking and now it is almost identical as the ones in various GT Ferraris, which is the other theme the car needs to follow in a subtle way. I love how everything was modified and sculpted, but looks totally stock. I printed some high tech, billet looking floor mounted pedals and a steering wheel that in my eye keeps the perfect balance between classic and modern with a touch of racing by way of an on-center strip at the top of the rim. The new floor looks pretty much unchanged, but it is very much modified, as it needed to be a totally new shape in order the accept the center tunnel from the Ferrari California, where the exhaust goes to the rear. The new pedal set was painted gloss black to imitate black anodized aluminum and the pedals surfaces received carbon, which is invisible in the pictures, let alone once in the footwell. The floor was flocked. I 3D printed a pair of nice seats and they were detailed by painting them Tamiya Rubber black with their centers painted with a custom very dark metallic grey, which was covered by clear flat for an almost black effect. The back panels were covered by 1/24 carbon fiber. Then the seat belt recepticles were painted gloss black and their buttons picked out in red. I am an avid supporter of the three pedal cars, no matter how exotic. Nothing like having the connection with the car like a good perfectly timed shift. A shifter was something missing from my Frankenstein of a dash. So for the purpose I cut the shifter portion from an old Testarossa center console I had in my parts box. The dash was painted SEM black to match the doors and the panels on each side of the center console housing the Lamborghini Aventadoor controls, were covered in the same old cf decals as the door inserts. The orientation matches, so now door panels flow into the dash. The center console sides are all covered with 1/24 carbon but you can't really tell. The two main instruments in the dash received Ferrari Enzo Rev and speedo dials as a nod to Star Wars tie fighters (they have two red dots under their windshields, where they shoot from) and Ferrari at the same time. All the old grey carbon was covered with flat clear to give a different texture. The shifter plate was sanded down, but still left to stick out, just like the boxes in vintage racing Ferraris. Some buttons on the dash were painted in simple red, blue, yellow and white in character with the cumbersome buttons seen in Star Wars scenes in the original films. Checking how everything fits together one last time... Everything checks out, so the steering was painted already glued to the steering column in Rubber black and then color detailed with aluminum metalizer and a white center stripe to match the body. The previous pictures showed some areas on the seats that needed to be touched up and also some other little details I didn't like on the dash and doors. Those were touched up, the angles on the seats adjusted and then everything got glued together. The only thing left now is the shifter, seatbelts and the sun visors, rear view mirror and interior light and the interior is complete. Now off to the chassis and body we go... Stay tuned and thanks for looking.
  16. Looking at your building process, which is a lot like mine, this thing will be painted somewhere in 2036. Maybe...LOL I love everything about it. I hope I'm wrong and we see this monster finished soon.
  17. Very cool. I like your solution for the rather ugly stock side mirrors.
  18. It is actually some of the best steak you can ever have. When it is sliced up and served it looks just like that. I mean, after all it's just a muscle, likr any other steak. Just a lot more tender. I love the reactions of some people I have cooked it for. You cook it, you dress it you serve it and people ask what are we going to eat. And you tell them it's beef. They try it and without a fail praise it every time, telling me how it is the best beef they ever had. And then I tell them what part of the cow it came from and it is just crazy to see the reactions. All of a sudden they are not sure they like the texture. It smells kinda a different etc.. In reality its all in their head. We had good friends over one time and I made it for them. Same story. Once I told them, the husband was cool, but his wife looked at me and asked: "You wanna tell me I just made out with a cow?" We died laughing.
  19. I’m on board with everything you say. Couldn’t agree more. But it doesn’t change the fact that in the world we live in, paper magazines are an outdated nuisance.
  20. Beef tongue. Bought a whole beef tongue- about 4.5 pounds. Steamed it for about 4 hours. At that point peeling it required zero effort. Then sliced it thick and sautéed it in browned butter and sprinkled it with paprika, cayenne pepper and sea salt. With homemade garlic knots and home baked baguette to dip in the extra butter. Paired with Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye. At 112.2 proof, that thing will put some hair on your chest.
  21. You may very well be right. But it was 30+ about 25 years ago. And it is more like 50+ now if not 60+. I am 48 and when I go to a show I am definitely at the lower end of the average age. Which basically means that the age of the average car modeler is the same as the age of the subject matter. And in my personal opinion that is a big issue. Because if it is not addressed, the hobby will die with us.
  22. I was just at Walmart, checking out if they had any cool new Hotwheels from their premium series. As an avid collector of 1/18 scale diecast models, the HW help me scratch my itch in between 1/18 purchases I really anticipate. So I get to the toys section and I see this woman in the unmistakable Walmart blue vest. At first I thought she was arranging the isle. Then I thought she was actually looking for something. A couple minutes on I could clearly tell she was just trying to look busy and was actually aimlessly touching stuff with no purpose. Then a really nice old lady approached her and asked a question I didn't hear. I didn't hear the answer either as I was minding my own business. Except for the word "spanish". I did however not only hear the older lady's reaction, but also saw the expression on her face. "What do you mean Spanish, don't you speak english?" - Noooo, me no english... The lady looked at me bewildered, as if asking for help or perhaps approval and asked again "You mean to tell me that you work here, but you don't speak english?" Looking at me again with a gaping mouth and this look in her eyes, which I am not sure if it was anger or confusion. "You got hired here and you can't even speak english..." repeated the old lady while waiving her hand in a "forget it, it's pointless" manner. No, the old lady was not what irked me!
  23. I specifically said born this century, meaning no older than 24. I didn’t know I would have to spell it out, but here it is: There goes another outdated mediocre kit of an old mediocre car that would be of zero interest to younger demographic and therefore do nothing to attract fresh blood to the hobby.
  24. I don’t know the exact answer or the solution, but then again, I don’t own a model company. But I was to start somewhere, I would try to see what got the current hard core modelers in the hobby and when did it happened. And then maybe try to convert it to the current generation. And I would definitely be targeting a little younger age group to introduce to the hobby. My kids built models with me. Even attended shows and entered contests. Won prizes and one of them even got his models in the magazines a couple of times. That was when he was still loosing teeth. And back then even, he thought the Beatnik Bandit II was cool, but the original one did nothing for him. And he built a purple corvette with a blower sticking through the hood on Alluma Coupe wheels/tires. Because I’ve had Vettes, his mom loves purple and he just thought that’s what looks cool, because these were the trends he saw at the local Good Guys show I took him to. He built the Boothill Express with me, because he thought the story of the real thing was fascinating and he just loved how unreal it looked. Then he moved to Fast and Furious Supra and then an Integra, because THAT’S what he dreamed to have in high school. Now he is into Porsches and more sophisticated cars, but he doesn’t built models anymore. When at HL he looks at the very well stocked isle and goes “Mehh… mid”. Which in today’s teenage lingo means that there is nothing interesting for him. I ask hi why he doesn’t build anymore, he says that there isn’t anything cool to build and when he builds something like the last model I got him - a cool tuned Mercedes Benz, he hates it at the show as he feels - and I quote: “ like it is a popularity contest for old people who know eachother and don’t appreciate anything other than ugly old cars that nobody cares about anymore.” Not my words. Just the perspective of a young kit, who is really good with his hands. I have a very open relationship with him and hang with his friends and him quite often and they have no problem talking about pretty much anything in front of me. From girls to party to cars to money, jobs and school to personal stuff. I am yet to hear any one of them or his brothers friends to ever say how they would love to have a Plymouth Duster, how cool would it be to slam a ‘60 Ford truck, that they dream of hooking up a Chevy Nova or how if they are rich they would be rollin’ in a Shelby Daytona. It’s all about Trucks, JDM and the bling supercars. I personally am not into trucks at all. But I think that it is absolutely ridiculous that the entire Truck/ SuV industry for the last 30 years is represented by a handful of models, while just as many variations, if not more have been made of just the ‘53 ford or a ‘55 Chevy. What’s the latest year Chevy truck made in 1/25 scale? I can build ‘30s Fords and ‘70s F1 cars for the rest of my days and die a happy man. But the reality is that for the car model building hobby (and the diecast industry) to survive, it will need to adapt to current trends, whatever they may be. Tamiya and Aoshima don’t make ‘70s Dodge Demons, but I don’t see them going bankrupt. Just like at the end of the 2000s Toyota and Audi were not the ones being bailed out by their countries tax payers. Maybe it is time to learn that progress can be a good thing.
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