Ace-Garageguy

Restaurant profit margins are low in the best of times, and since the bat flu hysteria, one estimate says there's been something like a 95% increase annually in permanent restaurant closures. That's almost double the annual permanent closures during normal times. Another estimate says close to 35%, nationally, of pre-pandemic restaurants are now gone forever. Skyrocketing food and energy costs, and labor shortages, are also driving the closures. Locally, we still have chain restaurants that no longer allow indoor dining or take-out, being drive-through only. We also have chain outlets that are open on a hit-or-miss basis, depending on who they can get to work on any given day.

The way they figure the inflation rate, EXCLUDING the costs of food and energy, is nothing but smoke and mirrors so we they can pretend it's not as bad as it is.

Firma, rounda...justa likea my Gina.

I'd really rather do a steel car, as the final product would be worth a lot more. But the shell will be modified heavily for channeling, custom work on the cowl, and lengthening of the doors. That's the reason I bought it without the floor and firewall installed, as is the usual way folks get these things. In this case, fiberglass was mainly a matter of cost, as I can work equally well with either material. This body came in at around $4K total. A steel Brookville repro (with no firewall) is over $9-$11K, plus crating and shipping. The difference will buy things like a quick-change rear end, etc, I'm also looking at heavy moving expenses, so every dollar counts.

There are only two ways. 1) Old School: Machine basic blanks on a lathe, machine and add the details by hand. Very eye-hand-skill and time intensive, and you need a lathe. 2) New School: Design what you want in CAD, convert files to STL, 3D print the result. You need a CAD program, CAD skills, and 3D printing capability. EDIT: Once you have one master made by either process, you can make silicone molds and produce as many urethane resin copies as you want.

Never say never.

Finally got the full-scale f'glass shell. Just like a big kit, but no box, instructions, numbers, or alignment pins.

Finally got the full-scale fiberglass '32 Ford roadster body here and unloaded. Just like a big model kit.

Dear friends shouldn't usually be eaten, but deer meat is tasty indeed.

Thread is good to carry in a field pack, for repairing clothing and stitching wounds too big for a butterfly closure.

"Kit fox" was shortened to Kitfox for the name of a species of homebuilt aircraft.

My first thought...the Revell Foose Ford pickup kit has a chassis that should adapt pretty easily. Independent pro-touring style front suspension, Ford 9" solid rear end, mostly straight frame rails, a wheelbase that's not too far off, and a hot-rod Ford engine in the bargain. EDIT: One of the Revell '57 Fords could work for you too. The chassis are very detailed, and I've actually seen a real '56 body shell swapped on to a '57 chassis...though they're entirely different designs. EDIT 2: The Revell Foose Caddy chassis is probably the most obvious choice, and it has independent rear suspension too.

Snake45 (http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/profile/14409-snake45/) is an avid aircraft builder, and seems to be knowledgeable about older kits. He might be a good source of info for you.

Looks great, especially considering all the problems the kit was born with. Sure would be nice if somebody would tool an accurate 914 that actually looks like a 914, as the body lines and proportions on that kit are awful. But somehow, I don't foresee that happening.

There's a pretty good market for builtups on eBay as "rebuilders", and they usually bring decent money, but not a lot unless they're something really rare, like clean adult-assembled early '60s cars. I've bought loads of them, as the prices are considerably less than unbuilt kits, for interesting subject matter. Far as built aircraft go, I really don't know...but it looks like he has some very interesting and unusual planes in there, and I'd think there'd be a market for most of them among connoisseurs, again accessible through eBay. I've sold oddball stuff all over the planet through eBay, and you can't beat it for reaching a global market.

Re-chromed real-car parts often come back from the plater with waves, deep scratches, and uncorrected bends that spoil the fit, but hey...they're shiny.

Ad hominum: adjective Attacking a person's character or motivations rather than a position or argument. Appealing to the emotions rather than to logic or reason. Of or relating to ad hominem.

Enterprise software is not a substitute for effective, knowledgeable hands-on management, but is just another tool in the box.

Gloobomb Monogram 275P, to be race #23. This is going to be more work than I thought. Teardown complete except for sawing off the heavily glooed roll bar fairing and interior bits. Getting the wheels out of the tires without destroying anything was as close to brain surgery with a chainsaw and a hammer as I'm likely to get. The builder apparently used what remained of the tube after assembling everything else to make sure the wheels would hold together at 200MPH. Testors/Italeri 250 GTO, with Deeks wire wheel centers (which I may or may not use), to be race #32. Though I prefer the proportions of the Gunze GTO (the only other Ferrari GTO kit I haven't moved west yet), this one has the correct rear wheel arches and lips, and a slightly flatter nose that looks,to me, more like the Sebring #32 car...but it needs an additional gill on each front fender. Kit had been lightly started. Front lower pan sawed off, templating gills to add one forward. Roughly transferred initial drilling guide.

Well to "H" with that.

Potties of the Porta persuasion are often welcome sights at outdoor events.

Yup. I ran into that on one Cobra Daytona kit...guess it was this one, and why I put it away until later in life.