Ramfins59

Thank you Ed and Clayton.

I've got you beat Stan...... I just turned 69 today.

Welcome to our plastic playground Tyler.

Welcome to our plastic playground Charles.

Thanks very much for the kind comments guys. The model car manufacturer and aftermarket decals that I made came out looking that way when I printed them on blank decal paper on my HP inkjet printer. I let the ink dry fully for over a day before I sprayed them with Duplicolor clearcoat so the ink wouldn't run when I put the decals in water. Tom, yes I guess we'll be having either a few beers, or Margaritas, on Friday night for sure. I look forward to it.

Is that your face on the cover leering at the computer screen Harry???

I finally finished this one up a few hours ago. I'm glad to have it done as it seemed that I had to force myself to work on it because I'm really not into NASCARS.

Welcome to our plastic playground Daniel.

Welcome to our plastic playground Ethan.

Very nice looking Chevy Tulio.

Welcome to our plastic playground Jim. You've built some great looking models.

Great work as usual Wayne.

I got one of those '57 Mercs on EBAY cheap because it was missing an antenna...... I fixed that with a piece of guitar string. Also got a '57 Plymouth, '57 Studebaker, '55 & '56 Packard Caribbeans...... all beautiful cars. I'd love to get one of the DM '54 Caddys, but they go for really stupid money on EBAY. I've got a Modelhaus '50 Caddy kit that I haven't built yet, a Welly '53 Caddy, a DM 'pink '55 Caddy, a built Modelhaus '56 Caddy, a DM '57 Caddy, a built IMEX '58 Caddy, and an unbuilt Monogram '59. There doesn't appear to be anything out there in 1/24 - 1/25 scale for '51 or '52's.

Back when I had my '59 Dodge Coronet as my daily driver (in good weather) it took me anywhere and everywhere I wanted to go. My good friend Tom was a crackerjack mechanic (he owned a '67 Pontiac LeMans) and we cruised together all the time. I learned a lot about fixing and maintaining older cars from him, and also learned to not be afraid of getting dirty, and to have the right tools handy. Sure, the drum brakes on the Dodge didn't stop the car too well when it rained, which is why it stayed parked on rainy and/or snowy days. I kept all the necessary fluids in the trunk (water, antifreeze, brake, tranny and power steering fluid, and 3 in 1 oil). My radiator sprung a leak once and I freaked out but got the car home OK. After much thought I felt that I could remove the radiator myself... Only 2 radiator hoses, 2 Tranny fluid cooling lines, and 4 bolts... How hard could it be?? It took me a couple of hours, being inexperienced but having the right tools, and I got the radiator out. I took it to a radiator shop to have it boiled out and resoldered, brought it back home and reinstalled it, While I was at it, I added a shiny fluid overflow container for a little extra "bling" under the hood. It only cost me a bit over $100 to have the radiator fixed and I probably saved myself twice that amount by doing the labor myself. The self-satisfaction that I got from the experience was priceless... Converting the car from single exhaust to dual 2 inch exhausts (done at a repair shop for around $400) and adding Cherry Bomb glasspacks was one of the coolest things done to the car. It improved the horsepower a bit and seemed to improve the performance. Best of all was the sound of car... I preferred hearing the sound of the glasspacks over listening to the FM radio we added which sat on the floor. Owning, maintaining and driving an older car is a unique and enjoyable experience, if that is what you like. You don't have the "creature comforts" and whiz-bang gadgets found in modern cars but you get a lot of admiring looks and thumbs-up from other drivers and pedestrians.

Those were the days when cars actually had style and were not little rolling eggs like we have today.

Welcome to our plastic playground Jon.

From your mouth to God's ears Harry.

Yeah, you're right Harry. I turn 69 next Sunday and am happy to have made it this far.

Actually, what is better than winning plaques, ribbons or trophies is getting your model pictured in a magazine . I've been lucky in that respect several times over the years.

I've been fortunate to have been able to get quite a few of both Danbury and Franklin Mint 1950's cars that were never made in plastic on EBAY for very reasonable prices over the last 2 years. They are outstanding cars and the 1/24 scale size does not bother me at all. There are still a few out there that I have my eye on.

I've competed at various model shows since 1994 when I originally lived in New York on Long Island and I enjoy competing whether I win something or not. I've won plaques, trophies and ribbons. When we moved to western PA all of them were packed into boxes for the move and about 90% of them are still packed in those boxes in the basement. The main reason is that I don't have the room or the wall space to display and/or hang them. The newer awards that I've won at shows here in PA are displayed on top of the display cases that hold my built models. It's not an ego thing, but I enjoy seeing the awards along with seeing my models. I'm proud of the work that went into the winning models and am very appreciative of the recognition of that work that the awards which were given by my peers in the hobby represent.

That's an excellent looking model Bruce.

Man, that body looks great Steve...... Can't wait to see it finished.

Congratulations Don. I know the feeling... I had several minor strokes, or TIA's, back in June of 2000. After almost 3 months in the hospital, and lots of therapy, I went from using a wheelchair, to using a walker, then using a cane, and finally walking on my own. Keep up the great work.

Welcome to our plastic playground Bruce.