Maindrian Pace

Turn 'em inside out, and they're good for another week.

Thanks Sean. I can't say it's the nicest one I've seen built, because it's the only one I've seen built. -MJS

Very tidy job, it captures the real car well. I like the stance and the grille looks very good. -MJS

So how about using a US package depot, finding a Canadian that lives close to the border, and paying him a modest fee to collect the packages and send them to buyers further in the country? Double shipping, but still might be cheaper. -MJS

Thanks everyone, this was a fun stress-reliever between bigger builds. John, Funny you should mention the 1/4 top, both the Granada and the Monarch come with full tops (and some pretty deep sink marks in the front fenders): I wanted to differentiate the Monarch, so I added trim and sanded the vinyl off of the front of the roof to make the 1/2 top: And believe it or not, I was planning silver with maroon interior and top. The Monarch will take longer, because it isn't exactly accurate. Monarchs used different fiberglass front header panels, headlights, taillights, grilles, and marker lights. Lindberg just changed the scripts and rear trim panel, tooled up a new grille, and called it a day. It comes with the incorrect Granada headlights, and since they retained the Granada header panel, the grille was made to fit the hole, and is too narrow. So some plasticology will have to take place there. -Mike

After a few years of auction watching, I gathered up all three Lindberg 1/32 '70s Fords; the Granada, Monarch, and Thunderbird. I Started with the Granada, the other two will be coming later. It didn't make any sense to do a build thread on a kit with 25 parts, so here's the last page of the story. These Lindberg '70s American car kits are all nice little units, well proportioned and reasonably accurate bodies with minimalist interiors and little else. But it's rare to see one built and detailed, they mainly go into the collector stashes. The Granada started as a box of light yellow plastic with a light tan interior insert. The interior had no side panels, so you would see the inside of the body looking through the windows. I made the side panels - no detail, just to carry the interior color to the sides. Wheels were swapped for the Magnum 500s from the Monogram '69 Charger kit, (optional on Granadas in the day) and those whitewall decals are the very first set made in 1:32 scale by Vinyl Nation. Darrell didn't offer them, so I asked if he could make them, he said "Sure", I gave him the specs, and there you are. Great product he offers. Paint is Model Master Italian red base/clear lacquer rubbed with a polishing kit and Treatment wax, roof is Classic white without the clear, interior is white primer, carpets brush painted red, and the whole assembly semi-gloss cleared. The white rub strips in the middle of the side trim are self-adhesive model airplane Monocote cut into strips with a straight edge. You really haven't lived until you've BMF'ed a 1/32 car with a lot of trim, at least the Monarch will go faster. -MJS

Woman asks a man: Do you drink beer? Man: Yes. Woman: How many beers a day? Man: Usually about 3. Woman: How much do you pay per beer? Man: $5.00 which includes a tip. Woman: And how long have you been drinking? Man: About 20 years, I suppose. Woman: So a beer costs $5 and you have 3 beers a day which puts your spending each month at $450. In one year, it would be approximately $5400 …correct? Man: Correct. Woman: If in 1 year you spend $5400, not accounting for inflation, the past 20 years puts your spending at $108,000, correct? Man: Correct. Woman: Do you know that if you didn’t drink so much beer, that money could have been put in a step-up interest savings account and after accounting for compound interest for the past 20 years, you could have now bought a Ferrari? Man: Do you drink beer? Woman: No. Man: Where’s your Ferrari? -MJS

Hard to believe it started as an Impala HT, but it did. The ad was flagged because it was a Florida ad for a car overseas, a classic scam profile. As for the car, just because you can,... -MJS

I think I might need to be a part of that too. -MJS

A few more facts: •It was originally blue. •It was a charity auction, and those go higher than regular schmuck auctions. •1 million - the new 200K. •Take that, Batmobile.

Wild, Apocalypse Z. I'd hate to do a tuneup on it! -MJS

Love the interior door and 1/4 panels. Very clean and correct looking work so far. -MJS

Very soon... -MJS

Mean lookin', and the stance is just right. -MJS

4cyl engines have an imbalance problem, and much over 2.3 liters vibrates like a paint shaker. I can only imagine how that must have felt with no balance shaft. There is a reason you haven't seen many, if any, in cars. -MJS

OK, I read the story, (great story) the detail around the rear doors and roof corners made it look good enough that I thought you used someone's resin body, then you said that you used modeling clay. Really. Clay. Amazing, nothing looks remotely clay-like. Great build, Pop must have been amazed. -MJS

That's one of the best collaborations I've seen; from most angles, it's hard to believe it's a slot car. Chrome the chassis, and it's a museum piece. Drive carefully! -MJS

Half-a-Boss 429?! That may be a little too weird, unless it's a turbocharged, intercooled half-a-Boss 429 (Boss 214.5?) -MJS

That direct injection experimental engine is nuts, the injection pump running off of the timing gear, the twin plug setup, one through the top, one in the conventional location, the saw tooth valve covers that resemble the old Mopar poly family, it would be an involved scratch building project but very unique. -MJS

Great fab work, that body looks dead-on accurate in those pics. -MJS

Thanks again for the nice words, guys. Depending on how this goes, quite possibly. I'd like to do a convertible with both up and down tops, and a hatch back. If I do a hatch, I'd love to do a '93 Cobra, since the Monogram version is hard to look at. -MJS

I've got one of Kevin's conversion kits for the Cobra II, it's great. Someone makes the decals, but I forget who. -MJS

Fantastic! Perfect in theme and execution. Also reminds me of a Weesner work. -MJS

I dropped the Mustang off to the Master Caster on Saturday. We talked about models, resin casting, the hobby, real cars and trucks, and future projects, scale and otherwise. Greg didn't let any weeds grow under it, and it's in-process. To see how casters who know what they are doing cast, check the thread on the SMCBoP site. http://smcbofphx.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=rs&action=display&thread=1848 -MJS

How did the Aztec and the Town Car score the same number? Who were the 1,500 licensed drivers surveyed, hipsters on Mephedrone? -MJS