Tom Geiger

The girls arriving?

Very good year! I love the little pickup. I want to have one of those some day

tender young pony

Yup. On one house I needed to have electric rerun from the house to the garage. Inspector told me to "Call Jimmy" and happened to have the business card in his jacket pocket. I know the job, so I expected the contractor to dig the trench, lay the cable in it and call for inspection. Nope, I showed up at end of day and the whole project was done! And I know they never inspected it. Back when I was a full time realtor in 1981 there was a town where nearly every listing was through a small agency right in town. I quickly learned it was owned by the building inspector when I listed a house there. As soon as the listing appeared, he was knocking on the door for an inspection. He hit the owner for a permit for aluminum siding that they swore was on the house when they bought it. He slyly told them they would have less problems if they had listed with XYZ realty! Maybe 20 years ago in that same NJ shore area, the feds set up their own paving company. They managed to bust officials in about five towns for bribe solicitation and other crimes.

About 25 years ago I sold my grandparents' house. As I cleaned out the basement, my eyes went to the floor where there was a perfect outline of a model car body... where I spray painted a body sitting on the floor back in the 1960s.

Note that Ford used the same six foot stepside bed from 1953 onward into the early 1970s. So that bed would be correct for the new kits. You just have to shorten the wheelbase or use the '53 chassis

I went many rounds with the building department in Hazlet, NJ. I owned 2 houses in town. I did a total gut job on house 2 for my daughters to occupy. Halfway through the reno, contractor went bankrupt and walked off the job. I had done several jobs with him prior, so I was surprised. I hired a carpenter friend, and we finished the job. This was a permitted project with proper inspections throughout the process. We did the final inspection, then I got a letter... town was looking for an indemnity letter for all the trades on the job, each testifying that the project was done to code. They KNEW the history of the project, and the trades got stiffed by the primary contractor, so no way was I getting letters from these companies. I sent the town registered letters, to the building dept and mayor. I reiterated the situation with the contractors. Then I stated my credentials as a CFM (Certified Facility Manager) with 30 years of experience in doing major renovations within the pharma industry. I stated that as a professional and the final GC, I was certifying the construction. I gave them 5 days to respond with my CO or I would open up a can of worms... first letter to the local press. I went to the house that Saturday and my CO was in the mailbox! Later that year I sold house 1. The inspector fawned over me, showed me one small item he said they'd trust me to finish and gave me the CO on the spot! Move forward 10 years I sell house 2. New staff at this point, and inspector actually complimented me on the renovation! Then he gets outside... he doesn't like the block patio. It was done with permit and had a final inspection. Now he states it's 18" over the legal limit. We are measuring the property from a block wall. Survey in my hand shows the measurement from inside the block. He decides to measure outside the block! Big adoo, lots of actual screaming at the building department, but I have 2 weeks to close the deal. I call my friend the mason who did the work. He is equally miffed and agrees to come over and fix it for free. He took a masonry saw to it and sliced off exactly 18", cursing in Italian the entire time. I call the town for inspection. That's when they demand a permit to modify the patio! I buy the permit and they never even inspected! That's when my creep of a buyer demands a $5000 discount for loss of the patio width. I told him to close or walk away. He closed. Let's just say I will never live in that town again.

Oh yea! Back in the 1966-68 era I saw the movie "The Yellow Rolls Royce". It was the first movie I saw as a kid with a hero car. Thus, every model I built, my Matchbox cars and even my Pinewood Derby car became yellow and black two toned!

I always painted mine! Think thick gooey Testors brush paint. I never had thinner so once I painted something, the brush was toast. Then I would resort to painting with Q-Tips!

If you want to do a quicky build with minimum caution, try out the 24 Hour Build. It's always the last weekend in January, from noon on Saturday until noon on Sunday. We say "Build like a 12 year old". You should start with a kit you don't care about, twist the parts off the trees, do minimal prep, and just build the sucker. I see guys are going to use some Ollies kits this year. You do have to paint the body and most guys do a pretty good job. The end results aren't that far off from some of my hard earned models! Lessons to be learned here! Here's the official site: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1195723418001143

You'd be surprised! I get a few every month who bid / buy it now and just leave the items unpaid. Ever since buyers can't get negative feedback it's been epidemic. I have one guy who bids on a mess of stuff and doesn't pay. He gets booted off eBay and a month later is back with a new account. Repeat and rinse! There are a load of buyer scams now a days. People return an empty box for refunds. Someone buys two items, asks the seller to combine shipping, then does a "Did Not Receive" to eBay on the second item since there is only one tracking number. And never ever sell a cell phone on eBay. Scammers watch listings and right after one sells (to someone else), they contact the seller and ask to have it shipped to another address. Others will complain it doesn't work and they want a refund... and to keep the item! There was a buyer who didn't update his address when he moved. Seller has adelivery confirmation to his address of record, but the guy is screaming non-delivery and demanding the seller send him another $120 coat to his new address. And surprisingly, even with delivery confirmation, eBay refunded the guy! It's open season on sellers. Today on the eBay sellers board, a complaint that someone bought an expensive sealed pack of collectible cards and filed for a refund. Buyer said he opened the sealed pack and the cards were stuck together. When asked for proof, he said he threw them away!

on executive bonuses

Just this morning I dragged my self up to the model room and did some cleaning and organizing. I have been bad this year, and the cleanup involved my unfinished project from January's 24 Hour Build! Looking at it now, I could probably just finish it in a day. Then there are 2 others that are so close I should finish them rather than put them away!

keeping stockholders happy!

If you have a couple Rancheros, dig right in! They're only plastic. Same issue you have... Sacrificed a Ranchero body to the model gods... End result was worth it. I saved an old original survivor! And nothing ever goes to waste!

because they can

For 120 MPH

if you dare

Super! Dad will be home for the holidays. Although there are struggles, it worked out in the end! I identify with your posts, I did the same with my dad only he was dying of cancer at 64. Count your blessings that you have had your dad so long! Holiday blessings to you and your dad!

My oldest survivor dates back to 1970 or so when I was 12 or 13. It’s a 1/25 scale diecast that I pulled apart and did my own thing with. I deleted the grille and painted the hood with Testors Lumpy Black brush paint. I did the carpet with orange felt fabric! This was my first model when I got back to the hobby 35 years ago.

Thanks! It’s a late 2015 Skoda Octavia VRS, No Skodas in the USA! Never sold here

Some folks are pretty useless and maybe should be broke down for parts!

We had a huge artificial Christmas tree we hadn’t used in a long while. Since we live 100 miles west of family and friends, we just set up a table top tree and visit my daughters for the holidays. My wife got in her head that we should throw out the tree! It had been in the basement for years so I don’t know why it needed to go right now! I look at it and cannot bring myself to throwing away a perfectly good tree. I decide to put it for free in my local Next Door app. Easy enough, someone should cart it off and use it so I don’t feel guilty, and it’s gone so wife will be happy. As anticipated nine people responded. The first one was a young woman. She wants it, great! The next day she informs me that her car has died. Can I hold it until next week? No we need it gone! My wife said to go in to the next person, but the girl sounded excited so I asked her if I could drop it off to her. I’m figuring this is a town app so how far can it be? And someone else did the same for me awhile back when I bought a cabinet from them and it wouldn’t fit in my car. Turns out she lives about 20 minutes away. I figure I’m in it this deep already so okay. She is thrilled and offers me gas money which I decline. So Thursday morning I load this huge flimsy box into my car.. it nearly didn’t fit! And drop it off on her front step. That night I get the nicest text that it had been a tough year for them and I really made her family’s Christmas! That made me feel really good!

Devil is in the details!

The Holy Grail