Harry P.

There is a major reworking of the site coming soon. I can't lay out any details, but stay tuned...

I wonder how much toner those parts took to print out!!!

There's a "Show Results" button below the Real or Model chioces. You don't see it?

Click on "Show Results"... then you can click on the Real and Model votes to see who voted.

You win the award for longest topic title ever!

The photo is "as found" except for a slight cropping overall to eliminate some empty background... so no idea on what (if anything) was done to it.

Final vote: Real: 8 Model: 50 Wow, were you guys fooled! It's REAL! This is one of the biggest "gotchas" ever! Actually, credit for fooling you this time goes to Bob Downie (zoom zoom), who provided me with the link to the photo.

I agree, if this is his first weathered paint job, he's well on his way. This one is very impressive for a "first try"... heck, it's impressive, period!

Welcome aboard!

Glad we could help!

I don't see a whole lot to criticize here...

I happen to agree with that.

There are levels of scratchbuilding. Pretty much any one of us can take a few pieces of sheet styrene and make a scratchbuilt hood scoop. Pretty much any one of us can scratchbuild a roll cage out of aluminum or plastic rod. But not many of us (maybe none of us here?) can take a few sheets of brass, some aluminum and brass wire, rod and tube, a few chunks of aluminum or brass, and various other raw materials and create a complete model car from those raw materials. That level of scratchbuilding is definitely above and beyond simple kit assembly, or even kitbashing. That level of scratchbuilding definitely requires a skill level above that needed to merely assemble a collection of individual kit parts, so yes, true scratchbuilding is a step above model kit assembly.

If you pick an outer box that bigger all around... left, right, top and bottom... and "center" the kit boxes with peanuts all around, it works fine. I've had several very large (Pocher) kits sent to me that were packed that way, and there was no damage at all to the inner kit boxes. You don't need a HUGE outer box... 3 or 4 inches of peanuts all around the kit box is fine.

I'd take the kit box (or boxes) and put then inside a larger outer box, filling the "gap" with styrofoam packing peanuts.

Based on what you guys have said, I think I'd change my original definition of scratchbuilding to include using/modifying existing kit pieces or other existing items to create something new, something different than the original piece was meant to be. For example, cutting out a section of a clear blister pack to create a windshield would be scratchbuilding. Taking the bowl of a plastic spoon and modifying it to turn it into a hood scoop would be scratchbuilding. Cutting out circular pieces from the bottom of a pop cans to create aluminum wheel disks would be scratchbuilding. So scratchbuilding can include more than just creating parts from raw materials.

Another beauty! You are quite a craftsman. And BTW... I like your detailed and specific write up, it's nice to see what exactly you did to create this model.

Like I said, scratchbuilding and kitbashing are not mutually exclusive... you can combine a body and chassis from kit A, an interior from kit B and an engine from kit C, along with scratchbuilt headers, a scratchbuilt roll cage and a scratchbuilt rear spoiler. But that model isn't "scratchbuilt"... only certain components are.

I'm sure that with the right makeup, lighting and a soft-focus lens we could make you fairly passable...

It's not about which is "superior," that's not the question. It's about using the two terms interchangeably, which they are not (in my opinion).

Not even in and around la-la land?

Apparently you were wise beyond your years...

And that's the way the game is supposed to be played! Anyone can do a google search and find the photo... after all, that's how I find the photo! But that's not the point of the game. It's supposed to be about looking at the photo, analyzing the clues, and judging "real or model," it's not a "find the photo" contest...

Back in those days (1969), the hobby was still pretty much dominated by kids. MPC took what was probably a slow-selling kit, and modified it to appeal to kids. Was it ultimately a good idea? Well, I'm sure that back in the late sixties when they made that decision, MPC felt it was a good idea from a financial point of view. Now, the hobby is dominated by adult builders, who probably would take the stock version over the "Vampire Van" by a ratio of 100 to 1. But like Art said, hindsight is always 20/20...

The internet is your worldwide hobby shop, no matter where you live. If you want to pay full retail to "support" the guy who owns your local hobby shop, that's absolutely your right. But if you have a choice between paying retail at shop A and a discounted price at shop B, most people prefer not to pay full retail... not for model kits or anything else. Just my 2¢...