Ace-Garageguy

Geez Louise. You can get fluffy-ended makeup brushes (assuming you're secure enough in your masculinity...if that's even a thing anymore...to walk into a beauty-supply store) for not a lot of bucks. They're perfect for cleaning models. I got a whole set of 'em in different sizes for less than $10. In a nice steel box. And the ones you don't use for cleaning are great for applying weathering chalks.

I'm not too clear on this concept of "finished" models. Hmmmmmmmm...

I pity the generations of young men that grew up without ever knowing the joys of cruising with the top down on a crisp fall moonlit night, your girl snuggled up beside you on the bench seat, with the heater blowing on your feet. Ah, but darn. How on earth could you keep up with your important social-media stuff if you were actually enjoying the intensity of the moment? Stupid me. ?

Yessir, one of the best cars ever made, period. Fast, comfortable, great handling for such a big car, and tough. I bought one from the county police after it had a light front end hit some years back, and they auctioned it instead of fixing it. Bought some of their take-out engines too ("broken", but not really). Figgered I could keep the beast running forever. When I left the shop where it was stored, the car and all the engines mysteriously disappeared before I'd been able to move them.

Me too...

Yeah, we have several fleet accounts, and semi-basic vehicles with a reasonable level of ease-of-use features like you mention only seem to be available to fleet purchasers...or maybe you can get a stripper if you wait months, but I really don't think dealers have any interest in selling individual vehicles that aren't optioned-out.

Well, see...nobody native-born actually works in the US anymore. All the new pickups are bought by soft-hands can't-change-a-lightbulb yups trying to look macho. The real work trucks are aging out of the fleet, and are all on their tenth owners by now (still running, because they were built like...wait for it...trucks). AN ASIDE: ALL the electronic gizmology in my '89 GMC is now toast. EFI died, radio died, HVAC controls died...but all the hard mechanical stuff still works fine, so I've retrofitted all the dead electronics with...GASP...old-school switches and a carburettor. And try actually working out of one of the ridiculous mile-high modern pickups. It's one royal PITA unless you're 8 feet tall. OMG!!! OMG!!! OMG!!! I'm gunna hafta put you on ignore sos I don get no seconhan smoke death over the internet. OMG!!! OMG!!! OMG!!!

Yeah, that old double kit was a grail until I got one. Looks OK initially, but nothing measures out right.

Man, now I know what I'm asking Santa to bring me this year. I haven't seen that body style in a long, long time.

Yup, nobody here, or even world-class masters like Gerald Wingrove, came out of the egg knowing how to do sweet Fanny Adams. And just a thought...if you do get so frustrated on one particular model, don't throw it out. You can always prime and practice painting on even the worst fubarred bodies, and all the parts can find homes on other stuff eventually. You might be surprised, but even total garbage can be recycled into a cool model. Click the link below.

Yeah, and they're everywhere. Old and young alike.

Yup. The man speaks truth...but it takes more than a casual desire to get really good at anything, even if you're a prodigy. Short attention spans and looking for where to place blame for less-than-stellar results just won't get you there.

Rational design and engineering, simplicity, serviceability, ease of repairability, quality materials...all interrelated. KISS is dead. And yes, I can defend my opinions because I've been hands-on in the car business off-and-on for over 50 years, under hoods and in body shops. Some of the stupid beggars belief, but if you don't get under the skins of the mo-gooder-rolling-living-room-disposable-status-symbol-appliances, you'd probably think all the insane complication and ridiculous bells and whistles are just dandy excellent greatness. Ignorance is bliss.

Year-to-year Detroit styling changes were once some of the high points of my existence.

Price and value are often at odds.

Demise been eatin decheese in dehouse.

"Totally tubular, maaaaan" was occasionally the proclamation of a hippy-dippy dweep I once knew.

Seemed pretty self-evident to me, but you know... ?

Yup, once you master the process... ?

Yup. I was shooting the last coat of clear on a real '37 Rolls, with the booth doors closed, and the porter pulled a car in front of the booth to spray some silicone-based somethingorother. Whatever it was made it through the full-door filters. The fisheyes practically exploded off the Rolls. Needless to say. I had a slightly "confrontational" interaction with the porter. And then I had to sand it all off and re-shoot the entire car.

Thin spaghetti with homemade pesto, shaved parmesan garnish, fresh-cracked black pepper, and a surprisingly good 2019 Yellowtail chardonnay...organic blueberries and strong black coffee to finish. I'm so glad I can cook.