Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

espo

Members
  • Posts

    23,271
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by espo

  1. Been watching your progress on this build. While not a subject I would normally be interested in, I have been watching the way in which you are going about the build and detailing. Very impressive to say the least. I'll have to get some Tamiya epoxy putty like you used on the arm rests.
  2. I lived most of my life in California, but did spend many of my formative years living just west of Chicago. This gave my plenty of time to start thinking I know all there was to know about driving in the snow. As you become older and hopefully wiser you should become more cautious. For a time, I lived in the San Bernardino National Forest area at 3500+ feet and snows could be substantial, wet, and heavy. I used snow tires alone and really had no problem getting around as long as the fresh stuff was 6 inches or less. I eventually went to work in the valley and commuted up and down "the hill" daily. The CHP would setup a road block during snows to make sure everyone had chains, and they even wanted them on cars with snow tires at that time. They would still be there after the roads were clear. After the second day I just waved at the officer when I would drive by on my way home. By the third day he remembered my car and just shook his head as I drove by. My secret to success in getting around was a real clean granny fresh '53 Buick Special two door I picked up for $150. The straight 8 and Dynaflow couldn't spin the tires and it would accelerate smoothly and I ran 8.20x15 Firestone Town and Country tires. Never got stuck once with that car. Truckee is another matter. Much bigger snows and they even have to provide living quarters for Caltrans workers to stay in during snowstorms. I have lived in Sacramento and going to Lake Tahoe for the day was a great way to spend a weekend, but without a 4x4 and or chains you're not getting out of there unless they have cleared the roads. Got lucky one time with a storm coming in while we were on the south shore gaming. I looked out the window and had to drag they others to the car since they thought it was just rain. The rain was coming down hard as we went toward Incline Village and Truckee. By the time we got to Truckee the CHP was already setting up roadblocks. I had an almost new '85 Monte Carlo SS with wider tires on IROC wheels and they were for dry pavement only. I dropped in behind an 18-wheeler and followed his tracks most of the way to Alburn, that's how low that snow went. By then the couple with us understood why I was in such a hurry to get out of there. Tahoe is beautiful, but at that altitude when a storm from comes in you better react right away.
  3. Both are great looking builds and. Like the paint work and colors. Did the Pin Stripes come in the kit as well?
  4. Great looking Grail.
  5. Like the design.
  6. The resin body is one I got from Star Models two years ago. The body is a two door as was my wagon. The Nomad you mentioned would have been a four door wagon in '58, unless you're doing a phantom two door wagon. Star also has a nice Biscayne two door sedan body that I would also like to do. I never owned one, but always liked the way they looked.
  7. On my shelf now are two '57 Ford. One a convertible and another is a resin Mainliner two door. A '66 Impala SS, a '67 El Camino, a '72 Nova SS, a '72 Monte Carlo, an '85 Monte Carlo SS. The 1:1 was a first-place winner at two different Super Chevy Magazine shows. The '05 GTO that I should never have sold, and a '10 Dodge Charger RT. I used the Revell Manex body kit without using the body to make the dune buggy I had. I'm collecting parts to build a '51 Ford and have a resin body for a '58 Chevrolet Yoman wagon. I also just picked up the new Round 2 '21 Dodge Charger that I'm going to back date for the '19 Charger in the garage now. There are others I need to get but there are some that will just never get done.
  8. I have to admit to more than a few late-night shenanigans in more than a few open parking lots during my misspent youth. After bouncing off of a few snowbanks you do start to get the feeling of what they call vehicle dynamics. The last thing you want to do is slam on your brakes on real slick surfaces. Usually, you can just take your foot off the gas and turn into your slide and the car almost corrects itself.
  9. Still a beautifully built model. Great attention to details throughout.
  10. Nice looking display. Like you I have owned far too many cars and a few pickups in my time. One problem is many of them can't be found even in the resin world. But most hold a special meaning.
  11. Very realistic looking conversion. Has the OEM look about the interior as well as the body and paint. Like the roof rack and the extras added.
  12. Great looking finishes, and the "True Fire" style flames look good.
  13. First, it's always rewarding to build a model of a car that was important to you. This had to have been a beautiful car just like your model. The pictures of the chassis looks just like a car from the "rust belt". At least the charges for repairs were reasonable even for the times. Always enjoy the back stories on builds like yours as you can better relate to the look and why it is finished the way it is. Any time you want to have some fond memories you can just look at this and remember when.
  14. espo

    MakoShark

    Looks just like the 1:1 GM show car.
  15. Beautiful looking Camaro. The color looks great as does the paint finish.
  16. Beautiful looking build. Great interior detailing, like the general theme of this build.
  17. Should you want a Hood just list what you need in the Wanted part of the forum. AMT also offered the sedan '39/'40 Ford. That kit had an option of a '39 Grill and matching Hood or a '40 Grill with the different surround shape and the smaller center section and Hood. Someone is bound to have a left over '40 Hood from one of those kits.
  18. I agree with everyone else on how the silver stripes turned out. Working with decals that cover such a large area can be tricky and sometimes setting solutions can work against you on something like this. Are you staying with some shade of green on the '69? Besides looking at a color chart if you're stay with a stock shade, the Camaro offered both a dark green and a color called Rally Green that was lighter and brighter. Should you think about a nonstock color the options are endless.
  19. Like your engine choice. The Latham super charger would be era correct as well as looking good here.
  20. The Dealer on the back sort of makes me think it's a reproduction. The real thing is worth too much to be cruising around in traffic.
  21. The '66 Impala can easily be lowered in front by reworking the spindles if yours is not the low rider version.
  22. The first picture is a '67 or newer rally wheel, desirable for most builders, but wouldn't give you the base steel wheel look you mentioned. The second wheel looks like a generic copy of a wheel offered by Keystone. As Brian Croft mentioned, these would make good trade wheels if needed for posting in the Wanted or Trade sections of the forum. Most standard size kit tires will usually fit most of the same scale wheels from the same kit maker.
  23. I agree as having observed much the same problem. I had mentioned all the cars in the ditch, and I'll share something we saw just yesterday afternoon. The weather has warmed and for the most part only melt runoff from snow piled in the shade. We had to run to the mall and go to a late lunch. This was to the north side of the metro about 10 miles away and you could tell that the area must have received 3 or 4 inches of snow during the storm. The terrain around some of the interchanges have a lot of drop offs and a few cervices that a car could and did slid off as more than a few were still stuck there. These seemed to be all small compact front wheel drive cars which makes me wonder what their tires condition might be, or was this all-driver error?
  24. I agree with everything you have said about her. I would like to add that she seems very mature as well as knowledgeable beyond her years. I was amazed when in one show where she striped a 350 At and rebuilt it faster than most could do a basic Carter 2bbl carb. She's all that and a bag of chips alright.
  25. I guess it would depend on how much they're paying him. Not his normal look for sure.
×
×
  • Create New...