deja-view

I guess the lugnuts on Casey's pic are a tiny bit mis-spaced, but at 1/24 I don't know who'd really notice. The wheels shown on this HP series ZR-1 kit are actually from the earler Corvettes (pre-90, not ZR-1). The 1990 used a similar wheel but without the large center cap. New wheels came with the '91 that are known as "sawblades', and do not have the center cover. So...it depends on what you're building to use those kit wheels with. The ones pictured by Casey are fine for 91 and up.

I'm missing something here. I owned a '91 ZR-1 for 10 years, most of those with the sawblades before I replaced 'em with the 5-spokes. Those model wheel pics look like the 1:1, but with less detail of course. I don't see any lugnuts close to each other or out of position, so what are you referring to? They are a little close to the edge of the center area, but at 1/24 it's really not that noticeable. The ZR-1 lugnuts were NOT covered by a center cap. They each had their own plastic cap cover. Sawblades: Hosted on Fotki spokes: Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki

I have bought a lot of old/collectible/vintage kits over the years, and I have seen a number of sellers offering kits in their "original" shrinkwrap....from long before shrinkwrap was even available. This one looks like wrap that is more current, and from all the ones I've seen with real shrinkwrap the boxes tend to collapse after time because the wrap continues to shrink a bit over time (plus those old boxes were very thin). I'd say it was suspect, but I don't see where he even says it's actually a kit issued in 1968 or near it....just that it's a 1968 Chevelle. Sealed means sealed most of the time. I don't know what "sealed" means. I would pass for 2 reasons: first, the price; second, you have no idea what those parts are like. I have been highly disappointed to find a couple of my favorite AMT kits from the early 1970's with ruined glass because a piece of rubber hose or a tire sat against it. Like they say "buyer beware".

Corvairs are COOL! And there's no word for '60 Starliners.

I had an eccentric fellow professor at UNLV who had a great Cadillac collection but drove an early '80's Datsun 810 wagon. That car could FLY. He drove like an impatient maniac and used it like an offroad truck. It was scary to be in the passenger seat. But the car lived on and on and on....

Datsun is good...even the "Sunny" they sell in Japan. "Nissan" sounds like a little girl sneezing.

Seriously, Dave? No...really! Seriously? Those are unbelievable!

That's a beauty, Jeff. Have you built a model of it?

The kit may be '86, but the car is either a '76 or '77. In '78 Porsche introdued the "tea tray" rear wing with the lip all around. I don't know where my kit is buried, but this one looks like a mix of both the Euro and US versions...no "Turbo" or "Turbo Carrera" script on the rear deck, big headlight squirters, etc. I started to build my kit...painted it a really nice metallic black...and then got a couple of the 1/12 Entex 911 Turbo kits instead. This 930 is more accurate as a US model, though. Here's my '77 US 930 with Euro front fenders (with the side marker lights). Tiny squirters, "Turbo Carrera" on the deck, sunroof. I can't remember what scripts are in the kit. Hosted on Fotki

I have a lot of 30-40 year old kits in the que or in WIP because there are no re-issues, but I have had some I just could not build because of their value or significance. I had an original issue (circa 1958) Renwal Atomic Cannon that I had wanted since I was about 10 years old. It was in great shape (except the decals) with all the parts still bagged. But when it came to building it I just couldn't. I picked up the Revell 1980's re-issue and started on that (paint and wheel assembly). It's been sitting awhile, but I couldn't build that original. I did, however, sell it for a fair piece. I had two others I let go of, even though I had great plans for one of them. First was a 1/8 McLaren F1 with two sets of Marlboro decals. Great kit, but it was worth too much for me to have sitting for more years. Got around $950 for it. The second was a 1/12 Bandai STP Turbine Indy car. LIke the McLaren, it was MIB. I gathered lots of data on it and wanted to make one for shows as it is something I have never seen in a contest or show in 45 years of going to them. When the prices went up to $1000 I figured it was better to let it go. There is an advantage to re-issues, though...as I am finding out the hard way. Decals! The decals from my 1/8 Porsche RSR and 1/8 John Player Lotus 72D's (I have 4) are all too old. A re-issue would kill the value of them, but I'd love to have all new decals without paying $100 each set. I assume that most of my 40 year old kits also have troubled decals.

I never thought much about it, but I was always taking the pics so I don't have many with me in them (thank God). Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Here's a better one: Hosted on Fotki

I have the Fujimi kit and it's very, very nice. If this is the same you hit the mini jackpot.

Here's a couple. I really overdid the detail and bling on this one, but ya gotta remember this was mid 1990's and the trend for clean and hidden hadn't fired up yet. I tired to simulate an LT5 ZR-1 engine using the Cosworth (since there was nothing else even close). It's okay, but if I had owned my ZR-1 at that time I could have done a much better job. I was actually using pics of the "Indy" engine as a guide. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki My original pics are huge but Fotki resizes them to this size for their website. If you can click on the pic and get the info above that has a downward arrow you can click on it to get the original size...much more detail. But I don't know if others can do that.

I thought all you Bentley fans might like this: Hosted on Fotki

How do you get that much blend and fade without losing the color below or getting lines?

Scott; Those are beautiful. My daughter like the purple.

There are several more engine pics on the site. If you need them emailed let me know.

There are quite a few on my hosting site with the link below. Go to the "built models" album. If you need reference pics I might have some, but almost all of mine at the time I built it were from photos I took of several 1:1 Vipers I was able to find and photograph. Unforunately, they are not digital. I made my labels and printed decals from taking pics of the real ones, shrinking them on a printer until I got the size right, then applying them to the car. The suspension was a real problem because the diecast didn't have anything but fat plastic piecs and springs attached to globs of nothing. Here's a few from under: Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki I don't have any milling capability, so unlike those builders who can fabricate precise components I use whatever I can find and work with. The disc brake rotors are steel washers, and the lug studs are 0090 bolts. Hosted on Fotki The Mopar factory paint (in cans from the dealership) was very nice to work with. It laid well, polished well, and accepted the striping with no issues: Hosted on Fotki I know it's considered "crude", but I left the screw holes open for future access. One of these days I'll make plugs for them. Hosted on Fotki

LOL. You must have pulled the cats and all the excess weight (dead bodies in the trunk) out to beat a 560. Well, 6.0 is about 368 inches compared to the Benz 350, but with the OHC engine I would have thought the Benz would be faster. Was that a Caddy engine or the Olds?

Ah yes. That screaming 145 hp pulling 4000(?) lbs. Whew. I had a '78 Fleetwood Brougham with the 425 for a few years. Nice ride, and the 195 hp wasn't much but the 320+ TQ helped move it along. Compared to all the slugs of that era I guess it was moderately "fast". Um hummm.

I've put the Future on several of my cars as a trial, and so far it seems good. No cracking or anything like that. I applied it with a very soft sable make-up brush (actually use 3 different sizes). I set up a very dust free box and filter, then use a tack cloth to insure the body is dust free. I apply several coats on my 1/12 cars, but they have to be turned frequently for awhile because the Future works by spreading and laying flat by itself. It can be overlapped if you pay attention to the time and drying requirements. I have used it over older decals that I wouldn't dare use clearcoat paint on. So far, so good. Hosted on Fotki It seems to be working for laying and covering these old, stiff 1/8 Entex decals: Hosted on Fotki This is a 1/12 ERTL GTO with the Future applied. I have had to fight some runs/sags because of the amount it takes to cover fully the large panels but it's coming along: Hosted on Fotki

Yeah, those flat-azz Sevilles were really great to chase with. All that 4.1 power, ya know. Oops. melted it.

I'm sure most of us would qualify as OCD nutballs. That's gotta classify as some kind of compensable disability. "I just can't help myself, Doc. Saaaay....that's a nice bookshelf you got there, Doc. I bet I could display 10 more models on it. And, your tie is the perfect color for this '32 coupe I've been thinking about buying. Could you loan me $30, Doc?"

I saw this pic on my album and remembered the question about the hinge. There's a good view at the top of the open door. The reflection also shows the depth of paint we can get with our larger cars. Hosted on Fotki In the size it shows uon the website it isn't all that visible (the white hinge). My pics are actually huge, and I can expand them to larger than my 22" screen, but they only show up here in this smaller size when I use the "code for forums" link from Fotki. How do some of you get those nice big pics on this site?

I'm like you, Skip. The more pics and facts the better. My computer is loaded, and I can't sop going back to view them again and again. I'm soooooooo sick, aren't I.