
Mike999
Members-
Posts
3,007 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Everything posted by Mike999
-
1/25 AMT '65 Chevy El Camino "Gear Hustler"
Mike999 replied to Casey's topic in Car Kit News & Reviews
Ha! This must be a Zombie Topic that will never die. Thanks for the input. I tried to clear this up a few pages back. There are actually THREE different campers lurking in these kits. To preserve the little bit of my sanity left on this subject, I'll use the names that Model Roundup uses: 1. High-profile cabover camper: the big slide-in camper like the original issue. Large side panels with big windows and vents. 2. Low-profile cabover camper: smaller slide-in camper with cabover section and back door, Topper-sized side windows, no vents. 3. Topper camper My #31741 has the smaller "low-profile cabover camper." According to Model Roundup, kit #6507 also has this one, not the Topper. If you went by the instruction sheet for #31741, it's wrong. The instructions show the small Topper camper and even say "Topper Assembly." But that's not what is in the box. Hey, it was AMT-ERTL in the 1990s... And with that in mind, it wouldn't surprise me if they just goofed and included the wrong parts to come up with that low-profile camper. Inside the box of my #31741, the camper parts are in a separate plastic bag. I've never tried to build the low-profile Camper and wonder how (or even if) it fits together. -
Where do I start? Headed to the big Flea Market early this morning. The drive takes me past an elementary school, and I forgot school had started. 25-mph zone. A Deputy Sheriff pulled me over to tell me I was going 45 thru the school zone. But he was a nice guy and only wrote me a warning ticket. Then the fun really started. Turned the key and nothing, except a click. Opened the hood to check things out. Somebody stopped with jumper cables. When I hooked up the negative cable, found that the negative battery terminal was broken right off. OK, that explains a lot... Called insurance company's roadside service. Waited in 90-degree heat for about an hour, roll-on truck finally came. Went to a gas station that sold batteries. But they didn't have one for my evidently rare and exotic 2008 Mustang convertible. Drove about another 10 miles to an O'Reilly's. They had a battery...but on the old battery, the cheap pot-metal long bolt holding the strap/plastic hold-down block was frozen solid with corrosion underneath. (My fault, I know.) I'll skip another long bout of aggravation, we finally managed to pry the old battery out and get the new one in. The O'Reilly's mechanic who did the work was a very petite young woman. I think the battery weighed more than her. She managed to work a socket wrench, various pry bars, screwdrivers, a hammer and channel-locks without even breaking one of her long purple fingernails. That was pretty impressive.
-
American backlash against Lennon wasn't the only disaster that convinced the Beatles to stop touring. Just a month before, in July 1966, there was a huge uproar over them (unintentionally) snubbing Filipino first lady Imelda Marcos and her sycophants. They felt lucky to get out of Manila alive: "Police protection of the group vanished. The band endured a frightening ride to the airport, where porters refused to help with their equipment. Band members were jostled and road manager Mal Evans was beaten." http://ultimateclassicrock.com/beatles-imelda-marcos/
-
The original XM561 Gama Goat prototypes were powered by a Corvair engine. It pulled its own built-in, non-removable trailer (actually part of vehicle). According to quick searches, the Corvair engine tended to overheat, among other problems. It was replaced by the GM (Detroit Diesel) 3-53 three-cylinder diesel positioned right behind the driver's head...forcing drivers to wear mandatory hearing protection.
-
The wrong "Actor" for the part.....
Mike999 replied to Dann Tier's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
Yep, see that a lot. It reminds me of all the shows featuring a Broke & Struggling Young Actress who comes to L.A., driving a mint-condition convertible from the 1950s or Sixties. She will struggle a lot harder just to buy gas, since she'll be burning up an awful lot of it getting to her auditions while sitting in traffic jams on the 405 or 101 freeways. And she better find a boyfriend who's a good mechanic specializing in old cars. She has a long commute because she always lives alone in an apartment right on the beach, usually Santa Monica or Malibu. In real life she'd need 4 or 5 roommates just to pay the rent on that studio or 1-bedroom apartment. Or very rich parents/sugar daddy. Jeep has a series of TV commercials running right now, with some idiots using GPS to find a One Republic show at the Greek Theatre in L.A. When they arrive at the Greek, they just jump out and leave the Jeep sitting on the street. After the show, they'll find their Jeep gone, towed to an impound lot, which will cost them a couple hundred bucks for the tow, storage and "processing fees." Plus the cost of the LAPD ticket for illegal parking. -
Another fun Zombie Thread resurrected! I heard this story when I lived in Egypt: "Carpet schools" are a big thing in Egypt. In theory, they're places where orphans and poor kids spend half the day learning to weave carpets, and the other half going to school. But according to some Egyptian folks, in practice they're really sweatshops right out of Charles Dickens. The kids do a lot more work than schooling. The rugs they weave are sold to tourists for lots of money. I saw some priced at more than $10,000 US. All the carpet schools have a showroom where tourists can buy the product, after a short tour of the carpet school/factory. For many years, girls were banned from attending the carpet schools. Again, according to actual Egyptian people, girls were considered "too stupid" to learn weaving, and they didn't need no education, as Pink Floyd says. Then they were finally allowed in. Because of those better motor skills, smaller hands, and ability to concentrate, they were soon out-producing the boys. Then the boys naturally complained about the girls showing them up, and wanted girls re-banned. Which didn't happen, since by then the girls were too valuable as weavers.
-
News of Revell molding preparing in US
Mike999 replied to Jon Cole's topic in Car Kit News & Reviews
Thanks. So it should still be available, just not in a Revell box. I'm really impressed with the Squadron post-war civilian Haunebu and may have to get one of those. -
News of Revell molding preparing in US
Mike999 replied to Jon Cole's topic in Car Kit News & Reviews
I didn't know about the Haunebu flap either. Thanks. Here's an interesting article on it from Mysterious Universe. And the author is surely right about it's eBay price after this. I have the Haunebu from WAVE/Head & Hand Models, shown below. I thought the box art was neat, with the flying saucer shooting down a B-32 "Dominator" bomber over Germany. I'm not sure if the WAVE kit is the same one issued by Squadron and Revell, or a different kit altogether. Do any of the experts know? "Glorification of the Nazi war machine should rightly be condemned and the box clearly shows the flying saucer doing battle with non-German airplanes. Even if it were to be promoted as fictional (which would then rouse the conspiracists to demand its recall...you can’t win), the use of Nazi symbolism violates German laws and ethics. Yet other models will be sold and the original Revell Nazi saucers will undoubtedly show up on eBay for far more than $57." https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2018/06/nazi-flying-saucer-model-removed-in-germany-after-public-outcry/ -
Stopped at a Hobby Lobby today in Easley, SC. It had several kits on the shelf that are currently being touted as "RARE!!!" on eBay, including the Baja Scout and stock '70 Charger. It also had the '85 Olds 442/FE-3X, '40 Ford sedan and other newbies. Nothing clearance priced. But like the store closest to me, this one is now carrying Airfix aircraft kits.
-
The wrong "Actor" for the part.....
Mike999 replied to Dann Tier's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
I always enjoy catching anachronisms, even if they do "take me out of the movie" for a second. Just recently on TCM I was watching a movie filmed in the late 1960s, but set in the 1940s. (And can't remember its name...) The producers did round up a lot of Forties cars. But in one scene two characters are standing at a traffic light...with a very visible '67 Plymouth Fury behind them. The true-crime stories on ID Channel are a big fave of mine, but their use of stock footage makes me LOL sometimes. A recent show was set in Indianapolis, but one street scene showed the Van Nuys Pawn Shop. Van Nuys is in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles (and the hometown of Dodger great Don Drysdale). On another show where the crime happened in Georgia, IIRC, the police cars in some footage had the very distinctive LAPD door shield and markings. -
Just did a great trade with bismarck. Half-off-topic, since I traded for an aircraft kit. But it was an aircraft kit I'd really wanted for a while.
-
1/25 AMT '65 Chevy El Camino "Gear Hustler"
Mike999 replied to Casey's topic in Car Kit News & Reviews
Yep. Don't know where I came up with Flashback. Duh. Maybe I was looking at a '57 Ford box or something. Here's a pic of it: -
Got that Honda Super Hawk at Hobby Lobby recently. As I mentioned in the HL thread, it's one of the old Lindberg 1/16 scale motorcycle kits. Just a few minutes ago, I won another one of those on eBay: the 1982 issue of the Harley-Davidson 1200 V-Twin. The minimum bid was $9.99 and that's what I won it for. Nobody sniped me or even bid against me. Amazing. So yes, there are still some good deals on eBay. I'd guess that licensing fees will keep Round 2 from re-issuing this one. And even if they do, it will cost about 3 times what I just paid.
- 38,448 replies
-
- johan
- glue bombs
-
(and 1 more)
Tagged with:
-
-
1/25 AMT '65 Chevy El Camino "Gear Hustler"
Mike999 replied to Casey's topic in Car Kit News & Reviews
I just checked the tires, they're Firestone All-Terrain T/C tires with markings on both sides. The 2 sets of glass is a great idea, untinted for the truck and blue for the "topper" camper is perfect. I wish they had molded the kit in white instead of bright yellow, but not a big deal. And because I'm obsessed with the 3 different campers that have been included with this kit thru the years, I did some more research. Here's what I found out, in case you come across a sealed kit and don't know which camper is included. Sometimes AMT showed the camper on the box, sometimes they didn't. And this is only a partial list. This kit has been reissued umpteen times, including the "Classic" series with the awful box art from the last days of AMT/ERTL: High-profile cabover camper (the BIG one with windows/vents in side panels): orig issue AMT annual kit #8735; AMT-ERTL #6062 "Buyer's Choice" with no text on white box, and reissue with blue drag car on box, both ca. 1996-97 Low-profile cabover camper (uses small side panels, has back door): AMT-ERTL #31741 2002 re-issue, red stock Elky on boxtop; AMT-ERTL #6507, drag car on boxtop, ca. 2000 Small "topper" camper: T250 "Street Rods" series, 1974: original AMT and Round 2 "Gear Hustler" Flashback Series, AMT #2703; "Classic" series: don't know which camper is in there. -
Walmart Prices ?
Mike999 replied to Jon Haigwood's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
Mine too. I always check that aisle myself. Once I went into a California WM and they had the 1/32 scale Signature Models die-casts clearance priced. I think they were $5 each and I snapped up a bunch. I know, wrong scale, but those die-casts are little jewels. They put a lot of 1/24 die-casts to shame: separate chrome door handles and trim pieces, nice paint, close-fitting door lines etc. Their '39 Lincoln Zephyr convert has optional up or down tops. Since I also do military stuff, one of my faves is their '41 Plymouth 4-door sedan. Perfect as a WWII staff car in a 1/35 or 1/32 diorama. Here's their '41 Packard Darrin convert. Pearl Harbor diorama! Not my photo, but I found one of these at flea market for $2, IIRC. -
You might be able to find a built-up '60 T-Bird cheaper, especially if it's a glue-bomb. Steve Kohler at Star Models sells a '59 T-bird resin kit for $61.00. It's a complete curbside kit with chassis, interior, bumpers and vac-form glass (but no engine and no chromed parts). Here's a link: http://resinrealm.net/Star/STAR Models/59_T-Bird_Htp.html
-
Walmart Prices ?
Mike999 replied to Jon Haigwood's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
U.S. Wal-Marts haven't had kits in the store since 2008 or so. The link above is all third-party vendors selling thru Wal-Mart, the same as Amazon does with a lot of stuff. -
ABSOLUTE LAST EDIT, just to confuse things even more: #31741 has the "medium-sized" camper, with back door and cabover piece. But the side pieces are small, like the topper. Kit #6062 has the large, full-sized camper with big side windows. I have several of those campers and just pulled one out to check it. The INSTRUCTIONS in kit #31741 show the small topper shell. It's even labeled "Topper Assembly." But what's in the box is that medium-sized camper. Not the little topper. When I posted a few minutes ago, I was going by the instruction sheet. But when I took a close look at the parts, I saw that the other camper was in there. I guess this is just another example of AMT-ERTL quality control at its finest. Or something. Enough! I'm never posting anything about this @#!@# kit again. You're all on your own. :-)
- 38,448 replies
-
- johan
- glue bombs
-
(and 1 more)
Tagged with:
-
I watched that too, just now. Then I opened the new "Gear Hustler" and compared it to kit number 31741, shown above with the red car on the box. It does have the custom front/rear chrome parts and dual-quad manifold, headers, etc. Like I said, this gets confusing... EDIT TO FIX GOOF: Kit #31741 has the big cabover camper. But the instructions show the small "topper" camper shell, like the Gear Hustler. The big cabover camper and blown engine are also in the re-issues from the 1990's. I think it was released twice back then with the same kit number, but different box art: kit #6062. Or wait until Round 2 re-issues it, which they probably will at some point.
- 38,448 replies
-
- johan
- glue bombs
-
(and 1 more)
Tagged with:
-
Another swing by Hobby Lobby and picked up the R2 '65 El Camino "Gear Hustler." Everybody probably know this, but just in case: this version does not include the hot-rodded engine and other dragster parts. It only builds a stock El Camino with the small topper camper. The old AMT/ERTL version below has all those parts, and the big cabover camper, though none of those parts are mentioned or shown on the box. It's AMT/ERTL kit number 31741. The 1990's Buyer's Choice re-issues of the kit, #6062, also had all those parts. This kit has been re-issued many times with different parts, which can get confusing.
- 38,448 replies
-
- johan
- glue bombs
-
(and 1 more)
Tagged with:
-
Had errands to run in town, so swung by the Hobby Lobby in Seneca, SC. Some new car kits had sneaked in, like the '66 Fairlane and '70 Vette LT-1/ZR-1. So if some of the new stuff isn't in your store yet, it should be soon. Seneca is a very small town, and probably near the bottom of the HL food chain. A little off-topic, but I finally saw something Snake has been talking about: the first Airfix aircraft kits I've ever seen in a Hobby Lobby. This store only had the 1/48 scale P-40B and P-51D, and a single 1/72 scale P-51. More to come, I hope. Weekends: When I worked in Saudi Arabia, the weekend was Thursday & Friday. In Egypt it was Friday & Saturday. Foreigners adjust pretty quickly to that. In Saudi Arabia everything closes on Fri. for the Prayer Calls, and you do not want to be out on the street then. The Religious Police roam around harassing people. If you ever go on a tour to Egypt, beware of scammers telling you the Pyramids, Egyptian Museum or whatever is "closed for Prayer Call." Nothing closes for Prayer Call in Egypt. The scammer is trying to lure you to his cousin's (outrageously overpriced ) souvenir store, rug emporium, etc.
-
That must be a mistake, and the seller seems to have some kind of listing glitch going on. I went to his store. He has that same price, $333.38, on 1 bottle of Testors paint. And 1 container of Testors glue. And a Revell Nova kit and a 1/35 military kit. But a couple of other scale models are reasonably priced. Weird. I guess the lesson here is "Always preview your eBay listings." Then go back and double-check after the listing is posted. I still can't believe the seller asking $299.98 for the Foose truck...which did not seem to be a mistake. I hope he bought several cases of that kit.
-
Adding my own "Heh heh heh ..." I just did a quick eBay check. Here are some recent prices on the Revell Foose F-100: Buy It Now asking prices: $44.99, $69.99, $79.95, $85.00, $89.57, $92.99, $99.99; $299.98 (plus $13.98 shipping!) Auction Starting Bids: $40.00; $55.00 or Buy It Now $72.00; $75.00 or Buy It Now $125.00 Some actual Sold Prices: $40.00 with 7 bids; $43.00 with 5 bids; $75.00 with 5 bids; $100 with 1 bid (I'd like to deal with that bidder!); $49.99 Buy It Now One Foose F100 was parted out, with fairly reasonable prices ($3 to $8.50).
-