Tom Geiger

I'm a fan of this series of kits.. they do have their shortcomings, both in detail and mold wear. There's a lot of clean up and fitting! Whenever I see one cheap at a show, I grab it for my parts collection! I have several stalled in progress, I think I need to get them off the bench!

I have a similar unit and found I cannot adjust to the required work position. I just can’t look down through the lens and work flat. So now it’s just another workbench light. i find I’m better with magnifying glasses I wear since I can work anywhere I can look. Try the cheap Walmart reader glasses, but a couple different magnifications and see if they work for you

Back when I first was married, we lived in an apartment that allowed pets. I had a job where I slept late, as I worked until early evening. The lady behind us would shove her poodle in the bedroom closet when she went to work in the morning so people wouldn't hear it barking all day. Guess whose closet that backed up to? Sounded like the friggin dog was in my closet! As I was trying to sleep.

Saved me some typing! Good explanation! Add to this, "Olde Kustoms", which are old builds that capture the essence of that time in modeling history. Nicely done, obviously not to contemporary standards but very cool for what they represent. These survivors deserve to be restored or just cleaned up since they are the folk art of our youth!

Upset our squirrels

Very nice work on the Chevy! Larry, I have found that no matter what life dishes out, an hour of bench time really takes the edge off of it!

Been playing... in my quest to work on my huge collection of unfinished projects. This one ticked me off in 2012. I believe I'm past those fit issues. Now the big question.. what color?

I love this thread! I have always been a fan of the first generation Cordoba, the round headlight version. I never warmed up to this 1980 version. What chassis did you use under this one? I do remember a white / red 300 just like yours on a dealer lot when they were new. And we all have that "the one I remember" stories... Back in the day (figure early 1990s) I had a 1977 Dodge Sportsman long wheelbase window van. The engine wound up seized and I offered it up for sale, back then in print ads, in the local auto sales paper. I needed it gone before the winter snow came. The body was very nice so I started out at $800. Over the next month or two I reduced the price $100 or so at a time, until I finally had it for $200, just to get rid of it. Then I get a call. A guy calling from Delaware (I was in New Jersey) and he asked questions about the body and chassis. Turns out he had the same van with a newly rebuilt engine and trans, but his was very rusty. He made an appointment to come on Saturday. Then it hit me... we never talked price. Which ad did he see. He mentioned that he had saved the ad until he had the money, but I had no idea how much he thought I wanted for the van! He shows up on Saturday and it's pouring rain. He's driving the rattiest 1976 era Cordoba I ever saw. Paint off it, rusted in every corner, with a huge tow bar on the back of it. The guy walks around my van which looks shiny while wet with rain. He says it's exactly what he's looking for so we agree to the sale. I trade the signed title for a bank envelope full of uncounted cash. He just says, "Here's the money." No negotiations, he just wants the van. So I put the envelope in my pocket but it's eating me...how much money is it? He starts hooking up the van to the tow bar. The Cordoba is sitting really low in the back and is running rough. I'm wondering if he's going to make it back to Delaware (2-3 hr ride) with this sad rig. I duck into my garage and count the envelopes contents... $800! He must've seen the first ad and never went back to the sales paper! I was extremely pleased considering I had paid $650 for the van and had used it for a year prior to the engine seizing. The last thing I saw was this procession of large van behind small Cordoba inching down my street in the pouring rain. I never heard from him again!

That body makes the kit a good donor for a resin body... try the Jimmy Flintstone 59 Chevy wagon!

That was the current Ford when I lived in Germany 1969-72. They were all over the place! When my grandparents visited from the USA, my grandfather rented a red one.

on elderberry wine

Dave, my hoard of Monogram Model As is in parts boxes and I mix and match. The chassis I used no doubt had the rear, with attached driveshaft from one of the earlier As.. the ones with the short little transmission. I got as far as popping in the engine before I noticed that over the years they had two different length transmissions / driveshafts. I did peel off the rear before I remembered I already had a completely built and wired engine from one of the early kits! It was going in my 1962 era phaeton before I found a 4 cylinder for it! Doh! That would've been the easiest course of action. But you don't make the most rational decisions after 20 straight hours of building! And that's a very nice woody wagon you have there! I do have to build one of those correctly one of these days!

Note- C1 is an annual NNL East vendor!

Same here west of Philadelphia... snowed overnight and turned to sleet for most of the day. Now it must've warmed up because it sounds like rain out there!

Reporting from the Philadelphia 'burbs... It's been 20s - 30s here and we got an inch or so of snow overnight. Not enough to even bring out a shovel, all of the hard surfaces were melted by noon. TV reports are that we are having more snow overnight and into tomorrow. Of course they are hyping it as the end of civilization as we know it. I have beer and frozen pizza on hand. I have models to build. I'm good. Dollars to donuts it won't amount to anything.

I may as well tell the story.... back around 1991 I got the bug to get a little 4x4. It was the trend back then. I was looking around and every day on my way home from work I'd pass this black and white Scout (yes with the scallop!) sitting in a parking lot facing the highway with a "For Sale" sign on it. I meant to stop but never did, until one day I saw a guy with it, I discovered was the owner, so I stopped. It wasn't a bad truck. It wasn't rusty, just faded and dull. It had a green interior with a bench seat. He had it running, and let me take if for a spin. I couldn't help but notice it was sitting on a huge oil slick. I asked to see under the hood and the guy said it was stuck shut. I took that as a negative and didn't pursue buying it. Eventually I bought a brand new Geo Tracker convertible 4x4 which I still own today. Anyway, as my life usually goes, that wasn't the end of it. Someone a block from my house bought the Scout. Every day I had to pass it sitting in front of a house... either the truck or a large oil spot! It must've been a decent vehicle because the guy had it for years. As with any specific make / model of vehicle, there is always one that comes to mind from your life's experiences. Whenever I think "Scout" that is the truck. Of course I had to build it. I drew the scallop and Charlie Rowley was kind enough to print a few sets on his Alps printer.

Happy, joyous squirrels!

Hi Jeff, thanks for the info. I found the thread started by Cargo Star and put an inquiry a the end of it. BTW, here's the Scout I'm holding off finishing. It's a replica of one I almost bought one time back in the day.

Mike- Have you progressed on the under hood goodies? I was hoping you'd get these cast and up for sale. I have a Scout that I've been holding off finishing.

I love the AMT animal mascots. The animals were on separate sprues and appeared In different kits. For instance I found the squirrels in the 63 and 64 Valiant kits. My alligator came in the 57 Chevy and the floppy dog in the 57 Ford. I like to include them in my old custom restorations since they are very period.

and here’s Old S’cool! i too use my real name. Those of us who have been around in the hobby a long time know a lot of people so we are amongst friends and have no need to mask our identities!

For many years

Jeff- Were you going to offer the under hood details in resin? I could definitely use a set to finish my black Scout. I set out to scratch the parts this week and the shapes of the two liquid containers, heater box and master cylinder are unique, and it would be my luck that I’d muck through it and then you would announce availability!

One tip for sanding small parts is that I will stick them to painters blue tape. It gives you something to hold onto when handling, plus you can sand the surface flat. If you are concerned with the stickum around the lettering still being tacky, Testors Dullcote will take the stick outta tape! AND... make sure the back side of the letters sit flat against a model body, you may need to sand that side as well. And for actually coloring the letters with the Molotow pen, having them stuck down to tape means that you don't have to touch them! Flow the pen on generously quickly, going over it again once it starts drying will leave marks. Then let it sit for at least 24 hours before attempting touching it.

Hello Dave! I see you are in New Jersey! We have a little club that meets monthly in Perth Amboy. Back when I returned to the hobby as an adult, some 30 years ago, I joined this club and my model skills grew exponentially! Everyone in a club is happy to help, answer your questions and demonstrate things for you. Surely the way to grow skills quickly! And have friends in the hobby as well! We meet the second Saturday of each month at 1pm. That's today! The meeting address and directions etc. are on our club website: https://www.tssmcc.com/ We hold our show in Wayne, NJ every April. We've been at this awhile, this is show 33! And we have a website for that too: https://www.nnleast.com/ Hope to meet you soon!