Harry P.

You need good light to work. I use one of those combination fluorescent desk light/magnifier thingies... works pretty well. Between that and a newly-prescribed pair of glasses you should be ok.

For example, here's a yellow Diablo: http://www.diecast.org/diecast98/html/asp/...x/reviewpix.htm

Here's a site you have to check out if you never have before: http://www.diecast.org/diecast98/html/asp/...iews/review.asp

I'd guess that the tires are reflecting the shiny, light-colored surface that the car is sitting on, that's why they look gray instead of black. Just a guess, though...

Real or model? The answer: MODEL!

That's true... Crystal Lake is just up the road a bit from me. I might actually mosey on up and see what's what... After all, it's a lot closer to me than the Volo Auto Museum, and I go there all the time. I even bought a car there a few years ago.

Well, you know what they say... never buy a car that was built on a Friday...

You're missing the point of the discussion. It's not that kit... it's the larger issue of why mistakes keep making it through to production over and over again in many kits, from many different manufacturers, and why the kitmakers don't (or won't) pay attention to the details. Aren't they supposed to be scale replicas of the real thing? Apart from the fact that some details just can't be reproduced in scale, shouldn't we expect at least basic accuracy, more or less, as far as the things that can be reproduced in scale? How does a newly tooled kit with the gas tank depicted backwards, for example, make it to the shelves? And wouldn't it have been less expensive to get it right the first time than to rework the dies and fix it after the fact??? It's not about any one specific kit, it's about the amount of mistakes that keep showing up time after time.

One doesn't need to be a chef in order to recognize that the steak is chewy and overcooked... And in the same vein, one doesn't need to understand the intricacies of toolmaking or the injection-molding process, or retailing, or advertising, or profit and loss statements, to recognize that the door handles on kit "x" are depicted upside-down...

Sounds like you must have had a '57 with the rare "factory air" option...

Nice photos. But that red Imperial looks like it got lost and wound up at the wrong show!

You go up through the ranks... Your title changes as you hit certain post totals. Ohana is the highest level, once you get there there's nothing else left! (Ohana is a Hawaiian word that means "family," I think). The titles don't really "mean" anything more than that. Your title will change automatically whenever you hit a certain post count.

You guys aren't color blind, right???

And if you do get caught, your name will be known to all as a "cheater" in no time. Why would anyone risk that?

I guess the contest guys will never quite understand the non-contest guys and vice versa! But to answer my own question... if I ever was to enter a contest, I think I actually would be drawn to one that offered a pretty substantial prize (cash or merchandise).

Well, it's wise to never say "never," but the chances of that happening are slim to none. I just don't do the contest thing, never have. Like you said, Andy... this hobby can be enjoyed on many levels, and in many ways. For me, it's strictly a personal thing... something I do if and when the mood strikes. I'm not nearly as involved in models and model building as many of the guys here are. For me it's a much more casual thing, just one of several things I might do in my spare time... or not. And very sporadically at that. I've gone literally years without ever touching a model kit, yet there are times when I'll get in the mood for whatever reason and crank out 3-4-5 in a row. Go figure...

Download the latest version of Firefox and use that as your browser. Also download the free Mac OS upgrades to get you up to speed on the latest OS.

If you have internet access (which obviously you do), then you have the ability to post photos in your posts. It has nothing to do with your computer.

Chilly's question puts an interesting spin on this. Some of you seem to be saying that a cash prize somehow violates or goes against your reasons for participating in contests. So the question is, why? Why would you be "offended" or turned off by a contest that offers a cash prize, but see no problem entering a contest that doesn't? All things being equal, in the plaque/trophy-type contest the competitiveness is still there, the idea of of determining "winners" is still there... so why is entering a contest that does NOT offer cash prizes acceptable, while a contest that would offer cash prizes is offensive? Why does the actual type of reward (cash, plaque, trophy, ribbon, whatever) make a difference as to whether you would compete or not?

Nice weathering, right down to the cracked rear-view mirror. Great attention to detail.

I agree. Believe me, I'm the last guy who would be bothered by an "off topic" post, but this a little too much off. Come on, man... this really isn't the place to argue guns, pro or con.

So... are you going to tell us the story?

It takes the same amount of time to carve the door handle on the master upside down as it does to do it the right way, there's no extra $$$ necessary to do it right. It's not about not having the money or time to do things right, that's not the issue... it's about paying attention to what you're doing. And it's not about getting all worked up over trivial things either... nobody is going to lose any sleep over the fact that model X's seat upholstery pattern is all wrong. In the overall scheme of things it doesn't matter a bit. And it's not about perfection or getting every last nut and bolt correct, because that's not possible, or even expected, and was never demanded. All I'm saying, relative importance or impact on the world's well-being aside, is that it's just as time-consuming and expensive to create a master that's wrong as it is to make one that's right. So why not pay a little more attention to what you're doing, and get it more or less correct, understanding the fact that it won't be perfect? Simple request, not unreasonable at all. I really don't see why it's off-base to expect a reasonably accurate kit. The Japanese can do it. Do they have magic powers?