Tom Geiger

Simply put, the model companies had a lot more money to spend in those days. Back then bad selling kits sold a million copies. I've actually known two old modelers who won 1:1 cars in model contests. Augie Hiscano won a Mercury Comet. There was another guy I met named Chuck from Michigan who won a contest where Ed Roth was supposed to build your custom in 1:1 and give it to you. Chuck won, Roth never delivered. The model company eventually gave him a Corvette to settle it.

There is a better alternative to the small antique Revell kit. Check out the Ertl issue 1957 Chevy stakebed in 1/24 scale. I have one, and I see them on the 'bay all the time in the diecast categories....

Amen. Understand your priorities. I see too many guys spending their family income on models and hobbies that they cannot afford. I've watched guys at shows dragging around kids while buying models for themselves. I know of a guy who spent $1000 on models at a show the same weekend his wife's car was repossessed. And there's no reason to spend more than you can afford on a model. I have eBay search agents set for kits I want to buy. I may low bid on ten of them before I finally get one at my price. It's a game for me. And a story... there's a certain vendor who frequents east coast shows with a huge wall of great old annuals and other rare kits. The prices are HUGE but if you want it and are willing to pay, he has it. Back when he was attending NNL East, I'd have irate show goers complaining, telling me I had to 'make him' sell the kits at a 'reasonable' price. But at the end of every show there'd be guys holding those $200-300 kits. They broke down and bought the kits they wanted at prices that I'm sure some of them couldn't afford.

I have been thinking about that. I have been thinking it might be fun to have an old Ford roadster pickup (Model A thru 1934 or so) in the future. I'd want something 'traditional' but not over the top rat. And I'd want it more to be a cool cruising machine that would be reliable, fun to drive and not shake like a funny car with some huge popcorn maker engine. I wouldn't be going crazy fast in it either since the vehicle would crush like a cardboard box in an accident against today's vehicles. A while back someone in NJ was selling one of those Shay replica Model A roadster pickups. It had been sitting outside and had a bit of rust on accessories (the body was fiberglass) and would have been cool to rat out a bit. It had the modern Ford 4 cylinder from the Pinto era. I would have been happy to cruise around in that. Now, what I didn't realize at the time was that Shay cranked out mainly Model A rumble seat roadsters and the pickup version is pretty rare. Another one that got away! He can have his steak well done, but I draw the line when he pours catsup all over it!

It used to be the exact opposite way. Back when I did my '59 Chevy convertible, it was before weathering and junkers came into vogue. I built it to compete in 'factory stock' and made sure every piece left on it was a factory part. There's even a factory hub cap in the trunk. At show after show, the judges would move it to "Misc" class to compete against tanks and motorcycles. In it's first year of contests it hadn't won a single award. I'd stand back and hear guys criticize it as 'ruining a kit'. About 10 years later, I was going to a show with a friend and mentioned that I had nothing new to enter. He remembered this Chevy and said I should bring it out since nobody would remember it. Well, it won two awards at that show, Second in Factory Stock and Best Interior (which is cool since it has no interior!). Next showing it got Best Chevy. And I then won Best Factory Stock at a People's Choice voting show. I guess it came into style. So yea, I am happy that judges like rust!

It is cool that you captured that detail. I've seen 1:1s missing the wood just like yours, but I can't remember anyone building it as a model.

Back when I met my wife she had a '74 Mustang II coupe, orangy yellow with a black vinyl top. It looked like a boxed off retro version of the original '66 Mustang. When I drove it people would tell me it was a 'girls car'. In 1991 when I was shopping around for my Geo Tracker, I wanted a convertible, the top model, the LSI with a 5 speed. 90% of all the Trackers on the lots had automatics. I had one salesman lose a sale by telling me I wouldn't find a 5 speed since this was a girls car and they all wanted automatics. Yes, I did find my yellow LSI with a 5 speed and air conditioning. And it's served me well all these years. And as far as that Austin Allegro Vanden Plas Estate... can you have it shipped to me in Pennsylvania? I think it's actually interesting looking and would cause quite a stir if I drove it into a car show here.

Yes. my model projects just ramble down a crooked path! Sometimes the ideas I have in progress are better than my original concept and make the project! And those become my signature builds. And the fun part is being creative at every step. If I was going to build it per the original concept sheet, it's pretty much done at that point. If I can squint and see the model complete in my head, well it's complete. The changes are what keeps me interested and moving forward. Now in my professional life, building great office spaces for large companies, when someone says, "We have another idea" during the project will cause near panic! And that's why model building is a hobby.

I dunno Rich.. everything you touch turns to junk! And that's a BIG compliment!

And in defense of being cheap... for all the $100 plus kits I have on my shelf, what do I build? Kits bought cheap, disassembled old built ups and stuff from my junk box. Pretty much free stuff with $50 worth of paint on them. Note what's on my bench right now- Lindberg Dodge Caravan, I have a bunch of these bought for $5 each once. The Dodge van camper built from the junk van body that I had been using as a paint stand for years. The '51 Chevy Wanderer camper, started with a Chevy I got in a box of the remains of two of them for $10, adding a camper Rich Manson gave me to the top of it. No high dollar projects here!

In previous showings of this photo it was established that the car is an Aussie Falcon that we'd all be chopping out of the tree to restore! + Above mentioned RHD + Aussie license plate + Aussie tree - someone said eucalyptus.

My few pennies worth... I like to see the same manufacturer's engine in a car. The most common engine in early Fords is a Chevy small block V8, just because the hobby supported that with conversion kits. I think it's much cooler when I spy a '32 with a Ford engine in it. One car I fondly remember was a '37 Plymouth 4 door sedan street rod with a Mopar 340 in it. Just was right! I like seeing the odd ball engines in old rat rods and other street rods as well. Just because they're what ancient rodders used. I think it's cool to use a Buick nail head or Caddy engine in an old roadster. And more unusual, a Buick straight 8 or anything else you'd never expect to see. And that's why my '34 Ford rat sedan has an old Plymouth flathead six in it. That's the cool factor. I do like to put sixes into my models when I can, especially since few of us do. I plan on building a '70 Nova with a six, '66 Mustang six etc. Friends of mine actually had those cars, and in my circle, this was more common than having a hot V8 back in the day. I'm not a fan of stuffing Ferrari engines into Chevys or other fantasy models. The cost in real life would be much too much to actually do a build like that.

The most I spent on a scale model was $450 for a fairly clean '66 Valiant Signet promo. This is one of the toughest Mopar promos to find. The below photo is the one I own, original shot from the auction when I bought it. Irony is that I've bought good running Valiants for less money! As far as model kit, I've probably spent $150. Early on in my modeling I was more apt to spend more for a kit, but since the manufacturers have been pulling surprising stuff from the tool vault, I've been hesitant to pay big money for something that might get repopped. I will pay $100 for a nicely done resin.

Looking good Rich! Another '58 hits the shelf! What's up next?

I too find BMF to be fairly easy. Others don't. I guess it's just in our skill set. I never clear coat my BMF, using the techniques I described above it won't be coming off (the main reason guys cite to clear it). I have models I did over 20 years ago with no issues. I think that when you clear it, the model body and the BMF have now taken on the same level of shine, you are looking at the clear paint, not the unique shine / texture of the BMF that makes the model pop and look real.

Nice gray. I believe I have that Duplicolor in my arsenal. Rob, had you considered making headlights from pen caps? I'm going to do that on a project in the future. Or widen your search a bit. The headlights on the above '34 Ford came out of the Barris Ice Cream Truck kit. They just worked with this build and I doubt I'll see another rod with them!

Lookin' good Rich! Maybe the paint sensitive ladies could chip in and get you a spray booth for Christmas!

I will be making them shortly. I may also do an advertising sign for the roof rack. See how I'm making this more and more complicated as I go? And an aside I just remembered. I believe you sent me the Checkers decals way back when we still lived in NJ and NY. I needed to sets to do a taxi. I think I was planning on doing one from the '48 Ford woody wagon. Well, I finally got to using them!

Hmmm. My Tracker wheels are dirty and clear coated, which is peeling off in places. Maybe I can get them down to uncoated and clean?

Here's tonight's update... I got the decals on one side so far. You will no doubt recognize these from the 1937 Ford pickup kit, the Checkers Market set. Speaking with Dean Milano a while back he said when he did that sheet for Revell, he was hoping guys would use it for Taxis. So I'll have to send him some photos once I'm done. The decals themselves have been a bit difficult to work with. They'd rather stick to your finger or tools than the body. And the long checkerboard is pieced together from 3-4 pieces, and it just loves to curl up. I finally dabbed some Testors decal fixative (which is just a clear lacquer) onto them and under them in the problem areas. Seems to have done the trick. I did the phone number in Word and printed it on my Ink Jet. Just for ole time's sake, that's my old phone number from when I lived in New Jersey. I figured I'd let it dry before I attempt the other side and back. So I'll be back at it tomorrow evening, then a clear coat to seal it all in. I am already working on over complicating this model. I've reasoned that the arm rests will be easy to carve and paint. The kit has no rear wiper so it will get one since nearly every Caravan has one. And I may attempt to add the missing slider track at the bottom of the rear side windows. I already dragged out a second kit for round two on the glass, maybe try the Rit dye. Or I may create the masks to do a clear glass version.

Yes, Missing Link does. It's a repop of the ultra rare Signet 2 door ht promo. I understand they have a new version out that is corrected from the errors on the promo. The Fireball 500 does sit on the old Barracuda chassis, which has molded in exhaust and rear end assembly. You will need to trim both the front and rear of the chassis to fit under a Valiant. AMT extended both for the Fireball.

Looks like a fun kit. We were looking one over at my club meeting last Saturday. I love your garden photo. And no, Jeeps aren't meant to be clean!

I never saw the show when I was young, probably when I was out of the US. But Moebius seems to be knocking them out of the park in every venue!

Ok, do I win a prize?