Harry P.

Illustrator and Photoshop are big bucks. But you can download 30 day free trials and play around with them. http://www.adobe.com/downloads/?ogn=EN_US-..._trialdownloads If you want to buy, you can try ebay. Or go to a site that sells software at student rates (MUCH cheaper than buying from Adobe). If you have a kid in school or know someone who's a student, buy it through them at the student rate. Drawing pads? I tried and didn't like. I went back to the mouse. It's all what you're comfortable with, I guess. Maybe a drawing pad would be the thing for you, but personally I didn't like it.

Close vote, but you guys got it...it's REAL! Next ROM coming Monday...

Nice! But it looks to me to be way too cold to be running with the top down...

I don't know what they "fixed", but it's acting its old slooooooooooooooooow self again, just like before. Was ok for a day or two but now it's back to "hurry up and wait". Geez, things move faster than this at the DMV!!!

From the looks of those fenders I'd say that they hadn't yet figured out the concept of "compound curves"???

How about this one? Real or model? The answer: REAL!

Lots of good reference photos here: http://public.fotki.com/wackydave/cars_-_v.../engines/mopar/

MUCH better!

Close vote, but this time I WIN!!!!! WOO HOO!!!! It's a model! A big one (1/2 scale!!!) Next ROM coming Monday..

Nice work! Nice color too. One suggestion: If it were mine I'd throw down a little black wash on the hood latch panel area.

Just be glad THIS isn't your x-ray...

Wow...you have more screws inside you than a hardware store!

Whether or not I've ever personally been to one of these is totally irrelevant to my post. And I'm not passing judgement on these events or the people who go to them! My question was simply this: why do "NNL" type events claim that they're "for fun" and "non-competitive" and yet they have winners and awards like "Best in Show", the "Acme Aftermarket Company Award", the "People's Choice Junoir Class Award", the "People's Choice Senior Class Award", etc., etc. It was just a question I had regarding an issue that makes no sense to me. You can't have it both ways. You can't have a "non-competitive" event where winners are determined and awards are handed out! It's like saying we're going to play a friendly pick-up game of basketball just for fun, no competition...but hey, make sure you keep score so we know who the winner is! The fact that "non-competitive" events apparently have "winners" and hand out awards to those "winners" got me wondering how that contradictory way of thinking came about...that's all! That's ALL! No bashing, no personal attacks on NNLs or the people who attend them. There is no issue of "sour grapes" here...I wasn't at the show and didn't have any models of mine on display, so I wasn't in line to win anything. I was just asking a simple question!!! Ok, that's all from me on this. Sorry I ever brought it up, cuz apparently some of you are VERY sensitive (and defensive) about this.

That's strange...most people complain when they DO get the shaft...

Some of my artwork was there...on the name badges and the wall banners...

Some of you guys have really misunderstood my point. I'm not bashing contests, or shows, or the people who attend/enter them. I have NO PROBLEM with any of that, so for those of you who took my post to suggest I'm against NNL-type events in some way, you're WAY off base. I never said anything like that. This came about only because I was checking out the various NNL posts you guys were putting up, and I came across the "Best in Show" winner...which struck me as odd, since NNLs are supposedly "non-competitive" events. (It says so on their websites...they make a big point of always mentioning this!) But in my mind you can't call yourself a "non-competitive" event if winners are determined and awards are handed out, so I figured I'd get some opinions on the topic from you guys. Simple as that. Sheeesh, no reason to get your britches in a twist... And one last comment: to those of you who get all bent out of shape if anything even the LEAST BIT controversial is posted, I'd suggest you re-think what this "forum" is supposed to be. It's a place to exchange tips, techniques, observations and OPINIONS. At least that's my take on it I don't want this forum to become some sort of "safe zone" where all we're allowed to do is talk about ponies and lollipops. If all we're supposed to post here are things like "awesome build" and "nice stance", I think I'd prefer a different forum with a slightly higher level of intellectual conversation. So thanks to you guys who added your take on this...and to those who were so ghastly offended by my "rant"...I'm SO sorry...

Exactly! So why carry on this phony charade of NNLs "not being contests"? Nobody's being fooled, so what IS the point of insisting that an NNL event is NOT a contest? I don't get it...

Ok, folks...don't know why, but I feel like stirring the pot a little this morning. I've been looking at all the various posts here regarding the just-finished NNL East, and I got to wondering: I thought "NNL" style events were supposed to be non-competitive displays. To quote fron the NNL website: "NNL East 22 People's Choice Awards: NNL East is not a contest. People's Choice Awards are chosen by popular vote ballot. The intent of an NNL event is to take the focus off of competition"... So explain to me how an event that gave out 22 awards, including "Best in Show", is not a contest??? Ok, instead of "judges" determining the winner, the "people" vote for the winner. Doesn't make any difference...if a particular model is either judged or voted "Best in Show", etc., then we have a contest on our hands. You can't determine winners and give out awards and then say it's not a contest! So what happened here? When did NNL events turn into the very thing they claimed to be "rebelling" against? If anyone can logically explain how an event that determines winners and and gives out awards is not a contest, I'm all ears...

All the auto parts stores around here (NAPA, Pep Boys, Murray's, etc.) carry a whole slew of colors, GM, Ford, MOPAR and imports. Probably hundreds of colors. Isn't that the case in car crazy California, too???

Nice job! How about the bumpers on those mid-70s babies??? They looked like you could knock down a house with 'em!

To paraphrase Shakespeare: Is real? Or not to be? The answer: MODEL!

I'm on a high-speed line here at the office and it's still verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry slow. In fact I find that clicking on a link usually doesn't even work at all unless I hit "reload" first??? What in the wide world of sports is going on here? Gregg, is your car parked on the internet hose again???

...so were there any other models besides Volkswagens entered???

Ditto to what Bob said. BMF is actually very simple...all it takes is a sharp blade and a steady hand...and some practice. All the materials you need to apply it is stuff every modeler already has on hand (an X-acto and Q-tips (or whatever) to burnish it down is basically all you need). Alclad, on the other hand, is a whole different ballgame. Like Bob said, any parts you intend to "chrome" with Alclad first have to be just about PERFECTLY finished in gloss black, otherwise the Alclad won't give you that "chrome" look. Then you have to go through the whole airbrush routine with the Alclad. It's a very labor-intensive process that takes a lot of skill (and airbrush experience) to do it right. Stck with the foil. You may "suck" at it now, but you'll be surprised at how fast you get the hang of it. There's so much LESS hassle using foil than there is using Alclad. The biggest problem you'll have with BMF is finding a sheet that hasn't already cracked into a million little pieces!

I assume you prefer airbrush over spray can? I use DupliColor spray cans. They have a nice, smooth fan spray...not your typical spray can pattern. I prefer the convenience of cans...no thinning, cleanup, etc. The Duplicolor sprays go down nicely. If your question has more to do with finding good automotive paint rather than necessarily airbrushing, I'd suggest you try a can of DupliColor and see if you like it. I'd be willing to bet you would.