Ace-Garageguy

One of my favorites was on the old Newlywed gameshow. The MC asked all of the wives "from which direction does the sun come up at YOUR house...north, south, east, or west?" . They gave several answers.

Yes indeed. Love that engine too, and the polished firewall really makes it pop.

Good color on that, and the rear 3/4 shot looks especially good. The anti-gravity effect is pretty cool too.

And all this time, I thought it was just about groping the boss' secretary in the copier room... ;) (You'll find people who insist that only "boss's" is correct. For example, the new 16th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style permits only that form, though earlier editions allowed both. To complicate matters even further, the U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual, 30th ed., 2008, permits only boss' for the possessive of boss.)

I bought all of my rare originals with the full intention of building them...i just don't see the point in collecting stuff...just to have it 'til i die. These things aren't serious investments either, and the best of them are really only worth chump change. It's not like anybody has ever retired to a villa in the south of France on the profits from selling his model collection. That said, and somewhat of a contradiction i suppose...if I can get a repop of a particular favorite kit, I'll build the repop, or use it for parts...and save the original to occasionally experience opening an old, old model box, smelling that familiar smell, and slipping back to a time when everything was new.

Thanks thanks thanks. I've been stalled on a pro-mod build because, frankly, I didn't think i knew enough about the cars to get it right. Now I have some direction.

I'm pretty sure it was a Renault 16 ad in Car and Driver, somewhere in the mid-late '60s, that was a little down-putting of some of Detroit's offerings equipped with fancy graphics, red-line tires, and big thirsty engines as somewhat pathetic extensions of the buyers' insecure masculinity. The Renault ad cited the fact that it had fully reclining seats "for those of you who prefer to extend your masculinity in a more meaningful manner". I'm also pretty sure it only ran once.

Anything even remotely related to the Mermaid just HAS to be good.

Being more Grinch than Santa in recent years, i limit my Christmas decorations outside to wreaths on the gates and front door, and a red bow on the mailbox. My neighbor to the immediate south very much likes Chinese-made moving light-show displays, and adds a few each year. I live fairly close to an airport, on an approach path, and I'm concerned that in the fog, a pilot might mistake the city-size glow emanating from next-door as a place to land.

My idiot-neighbor (21 with a shiny new GED) was over here looking at something I was working on not too long ago. He noticed a pile of vintage hot-rod mags in the shop and asked what they were. I started to explain that shortly after WWII, the hot-rod phenomenon really took off in the USA. He interrupted me and said, "umm, World War 2 , you mean Vietnam? Yeah, my uncle was in that." Sigh.

Cool, especially the bit about having to trim the stock fenders for the body-kit install, like in 1:1. Really cool.

In my experience, paints that don't require a catalyst don't usually get 'old' sitting on the bench if they're sealed tight and thoroughly mixed before use. From what you've said, it seems like your thinning consistency was right, and the distance you were spraying from was right. The only thing I've experienced that was similar to this, is when I used a thinner / reducer that wasn't entirely compatible with the paint, and it didn't really mix correctly to allow it to flow-out once it hit the surface.

The fender lines will stay as they are, but I really don't know how the rest of them will be resolved yet. The aero guys at the time knew that huge open fenders made huge drag, so some kind of closing in of the rears of the fronts will happen, but they'll probably remain separate from the main body. I've always wanted to do something with hood bulges like the old Schneider Trophy airplanes, and this seemed the one to let loose on. As an aside, the aircraft built for the Schneider Trophy competition in the 1920s and '30s rapidly advanced the understanding of aerodynamics and powered flight, with very reluctant government financial involvement. The Supermarine S6B, designed by Reggie Mitchell and the ultimate winner of the Trophy for England, was however the direct progenitor of the famous Spitfire fighter of WWII (also designed by Mitchell). The Italian Macchi M.C.72, which was unable to compete in the final Schneider race in 1931 due to mechanical problems, went on to set the world speed record for piston-engine seaplanes in 1934, at 440 mph. The record still stands.

Man, that thing is wild...never saw it before, and I'll definitely be looking for a copy. Thanks.

Yeah, a slightly split personality. In reality, I've been kinda interested that in a lot of early race cars, driver comfort was the absolute last consideration. I wonder who figured out first that a comfortable driver could push a car a lot harder.

I agree, and to avoid hacking it up, I'll be pulling molds of it to make dupes for the actual build.

Thanks for all the interest and comments on this one, everybody. I was hoping to do something kinda quick that I wouldn't get bogged down with details on, but as usual... I think in those "would it really work" terms too. My rationale is that German metallurgy, and steel in particular (big ol' Merc gears and axles) was really good back then, the big ol 'Mercs had gobs of torque AND weighed as much as 6000lbs...so with a gentle throttle foot and steady acceleration instead of dumping the clutch, the rear-end ought to take it. A LOT of early Ford-based cars ran really fast on the lakes that way, with notoriously weak rear-ends. Glad your dad recovered and was able to fly again after that. To stretch the old saying a bit, any landing you live through is a good one.

I feel bad for you, after seeing all the work you did to get to this point. I have no advice to add to what Ken's already said...other than this is a very good example why it's a good habit to get into to TEST any unfamiliar or potentially 'old' paint on something OTHER than the model you want to look spectacular. The little time extra it takes to test saves huge time correcting problems like this.

Thanks to all for the great info and pix, and for taking the time to look at your models and post the real deal.

Wow...sorry you ran over that dog. Beautiful build of an unusual model.

Great looking little car. All your mods really work well, nicely done.

Only problem with 91% isopropyl is that it will attack some paints. If you're trying to wash something that's been sitting and gassing for a while, lets say, before shooting color over primer, or clear over color, 91% can cause you real grief. Test, test, test.

Pretty cool resto project, and an important car in the history of hot-rodding. Here's a link to a short article about the real car, for those who don't recognize it. http://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/2012/08/30/another-look-at-tex-smiths-hot-rod-xr6/

I try to keep up with this stuff as my time permits. The capability today is astounding if you follow the medical and industrial applications, and it's only going to get better (finer resolution, more versatile and robust materials, quicker throughput time, etc). Producing functioning human biological replacement parts, printed from a patient's own cultured cells (so there's no risk of tissue rejection) is already a reality at the prototype level. A beating 2-chambered mouse heart has been printed. http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/05/29/health-3d-printing-organ-transplant/2370079/ Terminator-style human structural parts (laser-sintered 3D printed metal bones) are already reality. A badly disfigured Belgian woman received an entire 3D metal-printed jawbone.http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57372095-76/3d-printer-produces-new-jaw-for-woman/ DOD is funding human burn-treatment, on-site, replacement skin printing (right on the patient). http://www.3dprinterworld.com/article/wake-forest-3d-prints-skin-cells-burn-wounds Machine parts with complex internal shapes and webbing, that simply could NOT be made previously with ANY fabrication method, are reality. "Additive manufacturing renders irrelevant the problem of getting a tool into a tight internal nook or cranny. Because 3-D printers build by setting down material as they go, a printed object can have delicate lacelike features or strange curving parts, like the antlers on a model deer head recently printed by one of Pearce’s students. In some cases, separate printed parts are pieced together. But 3-D printing can also create objects with multiple moving parts in one fell swoop. Take something as seemingly basic as an adjustable wrench. By leaving gaps in the right places, a printer head sweeping back and forth can print, in place, the threaded knob that opens and closes the wrench." (Taken from Science News, March 9, 2013, under "fair use" definition in copyright law) The horizon looks good for composite parts (not fiberglass, but ceramic and plastic parts with integral metal or other reinforcements). The human imagination is really the only limit to what this tech can do.

Currently re-habbing a house that was stripped of all its copper, then left open with water leaks...filled with toxic mold...and asbestos. I'm doing all the work myself. Since 1995 I've been an engineering consultant, primarily developing field-repair procedures for composite general-aviation aircraft (Cirrus, Columbia, etc.), and providing contract design, tooling and production services for low-volume manufacturers (mostly aftermarket car parts). Also do hardware evaluation for smaller companies to match tools and equipment to their needs and finances, plus technical writing and research. I've been working off-and-on with Mills Customs doing fabrication and mechanical work on real hot-rods, and as an A&P aviation mechanic. Previously I was in the car business as a mechanic, body-man / painter, bodyshop manager, bodyshop owner, mechanical and fleet-services company owner, collision estimator, race-car mechanic (SCCA stuff), and restoration shop owner.