Ace-Garageguy

"Supply chain issues" are still being blamed for the spotty availability of hobby commodities like Plastruct and Evergreen sheet and extrusions.

Yup. The solvent in the clear was too hot for either the color or the primer, pure and simple, no other possibility. This looks like a classic "why you don't spray lacquer over enamel" example. Even though you say the Splash stuff is "lacquer base", there are different lacquer formulations, some of which behave more like enamels...and paint labeling for hobbyist and big-box/hardware store products is notorious for being inaccurate, vague, and confusing anyway. Have you used this exact combination of products before with no problem? If the answer is no, then this is why we constantly harp on testing each different combination before painting a model.

Looks like it's going to be a very worthwhile resurrection.

Really cool. I've never seen any of those before. I'm a sucker for old kits of just about anything mechanical.

I've sometimes closely watched my current cat Spot jump, and I can't really see movement. I can see him planning the jump, but then It's like he's in one spot one moment, and then he's in another...which is why I think he can light on my shoulder without my feeling him. He just opens an interdimensional portal, dematerializes, then rematerializes somewhere else. Of course I don't really believe this...(cue X-Files music)...

That's nice, giving them somewhere they can feel a little safer. Since the raccoons shredded one of the feral kittens a couple months back, I've been arranging things where cats can hide if they're being chased, at least with their backs to something so the coons can't gang up on 'em easily. Most of my ferals live under the house (hence no rats or mice), but some of the entry points are big enough for full grown raccoons to get in...which they do...and will occasionally even kill a small adult cat. Then there's the neighbor that shot an arrow through the neck of one...that dragged itself back to my yard before it died...and another feral that came back with an eye shot out, apparently with an air rifle. Life is hard and short for stray and feral cats. I don't let my indoor cat (a feral kitten rescue 4 years ago) go outside anymore, what with the killer raccoons and neighbors...and people who will speed up and swerve to hit a cat (or squirrel) intentionally.

Challenges are what make life worth living for some, too.

Fine looking rework.

Great looking model. This is a style of racing I know zero-zip-nothing about, but seeing a build like this makes me want to learn more. Very nice work.

Very nicely rust n' dusted.

Looking good. I like to see test cars not entirely plastered with sponsorship graphics. What silver did you use on the chassis?

I'm beginning to believe cats can bend space and time. Spot weighs 11 pounds, and can land so lightly on my shoulder I can barely feel the impact. Drop a 10-pound sack of potatoes on my shoulder, you can bet I'd feel the impact. EDIT: An all black kitten just joined my feral crowd. I have no idea where it came from, as none of the other ferals were pregnant, and it only looks to have been weaned in the last week or two. Strange little cat, has an exceptionally short tail that appears to be stock, not as timid as most feral kittens, and the 4-month old feral that's adopted me seems to be kinda taking care of it.

If you search eBay for the diecast you're looking for, not too specifically, like "1/18 Monte Carlo SS", eventually you'll get a hit on either a really cheap one, or one that's damaged and going for parts. EDIT: I know you already have black, but just as an example, there's a black one going for parts right now, starting bid $30 plus shipping. I kinda doubt it'll move real fast.

I'll never again wonder why a girl I met in a bar didn't turn out to be a paragon of virtue and fidelity. EDIT: Or waste my time lookin' fer luuuuv in all the wrong places...

SEM makes coatings to dye real-car interiors in both aerosols and by the quart. They work great on model parts too. They cover well, and I know for a fact (from personal experience) the lighter colors will cover black completely.

Cars have been the focal point of much of my professional life.

Parts from most of 'em probably wouldn't be worth the effort to salvage.

"Details" like parts fit and overall finish aren't considered to be important by some.

Looks good in silver. Brings out the body mods better than the blue/black IMHO. Nice job stretching BMF over the contours of that grille too.

Persons who don't understand the functions of punctuation within a sentence never cease to amaze me.

It never ceases to amaze me...(fill in the blank).

That's pretty funny, but I well remember the time the marketing bozos began attaching the word "turbo" to everything imaginable, and mostly things "turbo" had no relationship to whatsoever. Like Turbo Cat Litter, ya know? About as annoying as the ubiquitous "solutions" that became part of every new business name for a decade, or the even more ridiculous "awesome" that became the positive adjective of choice for for the most mundane and insipid. Can you say "mindless rebleater" boys and girls?

Seatbelt schmeetbelt...words will never hurt me, but beating me with sticks and throwing stones at me will result in me hurting you.

So I see this gee-whiz-mister-wizard new nonstick cookware advertised, touting the virtues of its "titanium plasma" coating. I know what "titanium" is and I know what a "plasma" is, so I assume these magical new pots and pans have a plasma-sprayed metallic titanium coating...which sounds pretty trick indeed. OK, says I. That's worth a look, as one of the constituent chemicals (PFOA) of Teflon and other similar nonstick coatings has several unpleasant long-term side effects you don't hear much about. https://www.alternativetomeds.com/blog/is-teflon-toxic/ https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/risk/docs/guidance/gw/pfoainfo.pdf And while PFOA has supposedly been eliminated from Teflon in the USA, you have no guarantee offshore manufacturers follow US guidelines. (Even "USA based" companies manufacture most of their stuff elsewhere, and quality control isn't always what it should be, as anyone who's ever bought "offshore" manufactured car parts can tell ya...) HOWEVER...after doing a little research, the answer is: "Does Anolon X use Teflon? Anolon X does not use Teflon, which is a brand-name nonstick coating that contains PFOA. Instead, Anolon X pans are covered in PTFE coating, which is both nonstick and non-toxic." Well guess what boys and girls? PTFE IS Teflon. Turns out the "titanium plasma" they brag about in their advertising IS NOTHING BUT THE WAY THEY DESCRIBE THE COLOR. And some of y'all think I'm evil because I hate marketing.

Looking out the window early this AM, drinking my coffee while sitting in front of the fire (a space-heater, actually) I just thought how good it is to be alive, what a beautiful planet we live on, and how honestly appreciative I am for every new day.