Ace-Garageguy

Is this basically the same or similar to Kosutte Ginsan powder?

To me, the E-type roadster is the epitome of sports-car design, and one of the most beautiful 'things' ever made by humans. Because of that, I'd spring for a Pocher 1/8 Jag. I have some other large-scale models, but no Pocher yet, primarily because the subjects, though interesting, aren't on my favorites list. The E-type is.

i was hoping to see showgirls being interrogated. Oh well.

Thanks for the heads-up. We'll be socked in here for sure. Bugger.

Good looking build. The flathead looks very much at home there, for sure.

Yes, the second poster above, Ken Boyer, recommended stretching a "satin" fabric over the model part and spraying paint through it, a scale carbon-look 'mask' if you will. That's what I was questioning... specifically what type of "satin" fabric the poster used to produce the slightly textured affect in his photo. Real carbon parts come finished in essentially 3 ways: 1) The "flat", no gloss and slightly textured finish is mainly seen on REAL race-car parts, under the vehicle or hidden. Carbon is stiff, and has to be sucked into molds under vacuum to follow curves. If the mold is NOT coated with a clear-gloss gelcoat prior to the carbon layup and vacuum-bagging, the surface texture of the carbon fiber weave remains visible. Carbon-fiber is employed for it's light weight as well as its rigidity. Glossy gelcoat is considered to be unnecessary weight in some applications. 2) A somewhat glossier finish is achieved when a clear gelcoat is applied to the mold before the carbon is laid in and vacuumed. Clear gelcoat is used to seal the weave of the carbon to enhance ease of painting without needing to add multiple coats of heavy filler-primers. Depending on the complexity of the parts produced, a good looking glossy finish can be obtained for visible locations. 3) The very high-gloss cosmetic and showcar parts are often produced by applying multiple coats of clears AFTER the parts have been removed from the molds. This adds weight that would be considered undesirable for a pure competition vehicle, but it looks great. Carbon is so much lighter than the alternatives that the clear-coat weight-penalty may still be considered worth the additional effort.

A little clarification is still needed here. 1) Far as "muscle" and "pony" cars handling goes, they weren't stellar right off the showroom floor, and I'm sorry I gave you that impression. ALL the US cars of the day were set up to understeer initially, with nose-heavy configurations for the most part. They didn't really handle badly, but they weren't as crisp and tossable as European cars of the same period. BUT...the suspension designs under the cars were actually pretty good, and with relatively minor adjustments to spring and shock stiffness, ride height, tires, and in some cases relocating the pivot-points of the front control arms, they could be made to handle very well, corner quite flat, respond predictably, and deliver good lateral-acceleration numbers...like the cars in the video clip. 2) It's not at all accurate to blame GMOs and chemical additives for America's obesity problem (though blaming everything except the actual cause is very popular). I'm anywhere between 20 and 30 pounds overweight myself, and the simple truth is that I eat more calories than I burn off, period. If you eat more than you need, you get fat. It's very simple. Even though I have a job that's physically demanding, I don't burn enough calories to lose the extra blubber. Outside exercise is required, and I usually find an excuse to postpone it. With more and more Americans making their livings sitting in front of computer screens, and the availability of cheap high-calorie snack foods to munch on at the desk, it's no wonder upwards of 70% of the population is overweight today, and 35% are actually clinically obese. Which brings up an interesting point from my own experience: When I'm on the computer surfing the web, watching movies, or even visiting this site, I'm inclined to have something to eat frequently. But when I'm at the bench and building a model (or working on a 1:1 vehicle), I get so engrossed in what I'm doing that I go for hours without a snack, and don't miss them, at all.

If your photo is up on another site, you should be able to do a simple, standard "copy and paste" into the text box here without bothering with the "insert other media" thingie. Works for me, anyway.

...Yeah, but I live in paralyzing fear that if I tell 'em all to go to H., then NOBODY will come to my funeral.

Now that's funny...and true for me on SO many levels.

A lot of these carved-in-stone definitions were apparently agreed on long after the time the cars were actually being built and horsed around by people like me. I wasn't party to the committee that officially named them...nor do I have any interest in arguing about it. The officially designated "muscle cars" had suspensions almost identical to, and sharing parts and geometries in many cases with, their "pony car" stable mates. To make a blanket statement that muscle cars were totally incapable of road-course use is just wrong...and that's what I was responding to. With relatively minor mods, the old boats CAN be made to handle very respectably. Ad uh...oh yeah...if you go the full pro-touring route and take some weight out, you can make them handle as well as anything on the planet. I'd kinda forgotten that the original idea behind this old build of mine was to do an outlaw street-racer suitable for a video game...trying to make it appeal to both ends of the age spectrum simultaneously, ya' know?

I'm a very bad bad ignorant man for using that term incorrectly. Thank you for teaching me the one and only true meaning of the term "muscle car".

Old "friends" who ONLY call me when they NEED something, always starting the conversation with "I wanted you to know I was thinking about you" and always segueing into "listen to me whine for hours" or "can you look at / listen to / fix my car?"

Tru dat. One of my most disturbing realizations is that I'd have to be netting $2500 per week now to be able to afford what I could when I was making $250 per week.

Agreed.

Attended lots of submarine races in my youth. Not so much now. Really got in the way of most other optional activities though. Never was much of a snipe hunter after the first time.

Ummm...the "last century" was only 15 years and some change back. It's not as if we're going to see matter-transfer booths as ubiquitous personal transportation any time soon.

Man Dan, beautiful part of the world you live in. Glad to see you out enjoying it. Love the 4X4 camper / boat / ATV rig. Man. Nice.

I think there is a flaw in some folks' perceptions that all muscle cars were evil handling barges incapable of road-course work. The 1969 Trans Am series was quite something to watch, with Z-28 Camaros, Boss 302 Mustangs and assorted Pontiac, AMC and even the occasional Mopar products all battling head to head on some of the most demanding road circuits in the world. And notice please...these guys are 'drifting'...not slowboating-showboating drifting, but balls-out fastest-way-around-the-course drifting. NOTE: Historical trivia. At the time these films were shot, most Americans were not grossly overweight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn0OOSQPXT8

Here's a couple that look pretty good, and should help you to see some of the potential pitfalls with this one. I love the car, but this kit seems to me (I have 2) to be more a great basis for a custom than a replica-stocker. Still, I believe some time and TLC can produce an outstanding stock model from it.

Well sir, I know of a couple of street-driven hot-rod B-16 powered Hondas around here that would most likely eat your Mustang's lunch. But there have been twinks-without-a-clue in every generation, mine included. A LOT of them.

Thing is though, young people get interested in things outside what their horizon-limited peers know by involved adults who maybe try to understand a little of what younger people ARE interested in (you have to admit that the POTENTIAL of today's technology is mind-boggling if you really THINK about it), and take the time, make the effort to show them a world many don't even know EVER existed. No, not every kid is going to give a rat's rear, but there are SOME to whom model-building just might open an otherwise unimaginable future.

Mine too. I was into exotics and imports when vintage muscle cars were "modern". Still am. It doesn't have to be either-or.

Exactly. But unlike some of you, I believe we have an obligation to the future, and igniting the spark of interest in MAKING THINGS in just one young person might be the act that resonates down through the long-term survival of the human species, rather than letting its fire dim and die.

And what exactly IS their world? From what I see in my daily experience: Constant communication about mostly nothing of any importance whatsoever, a society that's pretty much free of actual IDEAS, almost unbelievable widespread ignorance of science, math and history, and a mindless reliance on completely unnecessary "technology".