Harry P.

So what exactly is it that you "restored?" To be honest, the "before" model looks pretty good to me. I guess I'm confused by your calling this a "restoration." Is it a diecast that you added the white letter tire decals to? Don't mean to be dense, I just want to understand what it is that you "restored."

CNN is crazy.

I agree, only an expert would see the differences between the Stutz and Mercer engines. To the average observer they look almost identical (or at least very similar).

Actually, apart from the fact that it lacks an engine, the Aurora kit is pretty nice.

No offense taken, Don. That's a good question. Yes, I initially said I would be using the Mercer engine. But I've been thinking about that. What I have is an Aurora 1914 Stutz curbside kit (the main kit of this project), and two possible engine donor sources: a Lindberg 1914 Stutz racer with a very basic and poorly detailed Stutz engine, and a Fuman 1913 Mercer with a very well detailed Mercer engine. My choice is... A: use the Lindberg Stutz engine and make it acceptable by adding a lot of detail that's not there, or... B: Use the very well detailed engine in the Mercer kit that looks a lot like a Stutz engine and "Stutz-ify" it. I haven't decided yet which is the better way to go. I'll take any suggestions.

The internet. It has revolutionized the hobby and the way we participate in it. Nothing else even comes close.

I like to glue together items that are molded in halves or several pieces, but will be painted all one color, early on in the process, so those items can sit for several days while I work on other things... giving the cement a good long time to dry. Then once the cement is completely dried, I can sand the seams and the joint lines will disappear (because I use liquid cement to "fuse" the parts together instead of tube glue). Items like mufflers, gas tanks, engine block halves, etc... That's all for today. Time to do some "real" work... I have a magazine to put together... More tomorrow...

The wooden dash has been stained, so while that dries let's get to work on the floorboards. Because the Aurora kit I'm using as the basis of this project is a curbside, the floorboards have only simplified engine detail molded on the underside. I'll need room for a three-dimensional flywheel, so the area marked has to be removed from the forward part of the floorboards: Removing that area is simple, it's just three straight cuts. The "vertical" cuts were made with a razor saw, while the "horizontal" cut was made by scribing with the backside of my X-cto blade. No need to scribe all the way through... I just made the razor saw cuts to the scribed line, then snapped off the piece at the scribed line: After a little cleanup of the edges, this is what I get. Now there will be room for the flywheel and back end of the engine:

If you're asking me for a specific bit size... I have no idea. I just grab the one that looks right for the particular hole(s) I need to drill. I don't keep the bits in any sort of marked holder or anything... I go strictly by eye.

As you may know, I tend to skip around when building a model... I rarely follow the instruction sheet's sequence. So now I'm jumping to the dashboard/firewall. The kit piece has "wood" grain molded into it, but nothing looks more like real wood than real wood... so I'll make a new piece using some birch veneer that I got at the local woodworking supply store. It's about 1/32 inch thick, so I glued two pieces together, with the grain at 90 degrees to minimize warping: Once the glue was dry, I used the kit piece as a template to shape the new dash and drill out the holes for the instruments: More to come...

In order for posable steering to work, the drag link also has to allow for movement. The kit piece has to be modified: I cut the piece apart and made a new drag link:

The steering arms are now glued to the spindles, a length of brass rod inserted through the axle and spindles as a pivot, and a new tie rod made of brass and styrene rod. Eventually the tie rod pins (brass planking nails from a wooden ship kit) will be inserted into the holes I drilled in the steering arms, and the pins secured with small "nuts" I'll make with hex-shaped styrene rod.

The tie rod is molded as a unit with the steering arms. Since I want posable steering, this will also not do; the steering arms need to pivot at the tie rod ends: The steering arms are cut away from the tie rod: Now a pivot hole is drilled into each steering arm:

Let's get started. I'll begin with the front axle. As you can see, the axle has the spindles molded in place: I want posable steering, so this won't do. First step is to drill a hole into the spindles with a pin vise: Now the spindles need to be cut free of the axle. That's easily done with a razor saw, making a cut at the top and the bottom of the spindles: The spindles are now separated from the axle:

They show up on ebay all the time.

That's a fun kit. I built it several years ago... you'll like it.

There will be a special on TV on the 9th, I think... the 50th anniversary of the day the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan show.

It's been that way as long as I can remember.

Thanks, Rick!

Thanks, Cato. I couldn't agree more.

Noted. We're good.

Like I said, there are several stories floating around...

At the local Hobby Lobby, they sell spray paint in two different aisles. In one aisle, the spray paint is locked in a glass-front case, and you have to get a store employee to unlock the case if you want a can of paint. In the other aisle (the aisle with the model kits), the spray paint is out in the open. Can anyone explain this? Apparently not, because I asked the store employee that exact question! Why is the spray paint in one aisle under lock and key, while the spray paint in another aisle is out on open shelves? The answer from the HL employee: I don't know.

Nice upgrades to the kit. Well done.

I want my global warming!!! And I want it NOW!!!