Ace-Garageguy

OMG!!! Racing a blimp!!! OMG!!! OMG!!!

I wouldn't be surprised. Anyone who's bought plastic consumer or industrial goods in the last few decades (EDIT: and who's been kinda paying attention) has surely seen deterioration to the point of brittleness, breakage, or crumbling...even when said goods have been stored in their original packaging away from light and heat. While plastic exposed to high temperatures (like under a car's hood) or prolonged and frequent UV (like car interior parts) can be expected to become brittle or crack, items that have never been used should reasonably be expected to remain as-new indefinitely. Unfortunately this is not always the case these days. Early plastics based on cellulose ("acetate") are notorious for shrinking, warping, or turning to dust, but they were largely abandoned by the early '60s in favor of much more stable petroleum-based materials. There are some 60+ year old kits that are getting brittle now, but it's not a universal problem. (I like your "solitude" quote, too.)

There are some of us who have ongoing builds from a decade or more back, that have been patiently waiting on the shelf for the muse to return...or to just have enough respite from real-life to get any significant modeling done. Like me. And I enjoy seeing other folks make an occasional spurt of progress...or sometimes even complete...a project that's been dormant "too long".

Two things you can always count on to be on-the-job 24/7...rust and Karens.

Whenever I feel like it, when I'm not doing something else.

Mmmmm...little omelets.

100% agreement. Good information has value indefinitely. Newer / more recent / current info has no more intrinsic value just because it's hot-hip-and-happenin' today. And the fact is that there's more quality and knowledge in the best of the old threads than we usually see here lately. But then again, maybe I find value in older info because my attention span is somewhat longer than a goldfish's. Many, if not most, questions modelers have asked recently have already been answered here in depth, especially tech questions about 1:1 vehicles and traditional modeling materials like plastic glues and lacquer and enamel paints. The validity and truth of those answers won't diminish with time...and when new or updated info becomes available, like the reissue of a long-dead kit, or the deterioration of the performance of the dandy new-and-improved version of a particular material (PlastiKote primers for instance), it makes sense in some cases to tack the new info on to the end of an old thread, rather than acting like the wheel has just been invented.

Actually, if it's a race-only vehicle, you only need a battery to run a distributor ignition.

The link Casey posted has most of the necessary info you'll need. Posted by me. You're welcome. For future reference, there are multiple tech threads on magnetos and other high-perf ignition systems. NOTE: I had an in-depth tech article on the "other" forum, but we all know how much those guys value information, don't we?

Problem is that not everyone in this hobby has an extra $250 lying around. A genuine Coast Guard-approved 12V bilge fan is by definition "sealed", can be powered from a car battery or an old model train transformer, can be had cheap, and with a little ingenuity, a cardboard box, some duct tape, a furnace filter and some dryer hose, can make a very functional and safe paint booth. NOTE: A "BILGE FAN" is intended to be used to ventilate the hull of a gasoline-powered boat prior to engine start...to suck possibly explosive gas fumes out of a confined space. Quoting from boaterexam.com: "If your boat is powered by gasoline, it needs to have a ventilation system. That’s because fumes from your engine can collect in the bilge creating the potential for a powerful and dangerous explosion. Powered ventilation systems are required on boats built after 1980 with installed fuel tanks or an enclosed engine. It's important to note that boats with powered ventilation systems should be turned on and let it run for four full minutes before starting the engine! This ensures all gasoline fumes have been removed before ignition." NOTE 2: Not all bilge-fans are Coast Guard-approved, so do your own due-diligence when researching one for a paint-booth application. NOTE 3: You still need to vent any paint both to the outside. NOTE 4: A buncha DIY info: https://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?/topic/88298-diy-spray-booth/

Cool. I love factual info about OLD machinery. Great stuff. Think I'll have to be finding one of those books...

I understand that. I read the whole thing prior to posting. That's what I meant about "It's hard to weld to swiss cheese." See? But I SHOULD HAVE SAID..."that looks like it would be a helluva lot easier to just jack-up-the-VIN-plate-and-drive-a-new-one-under-it". OK?

I'm glad I started buying like mad when I returned to the hobby around 2005. Prices for lotsa stuff I picked up cheap back then are just stupid now. Maybe someday I'll actually get time to build again...

Love it.

That's one of those jack-up-the-VIN-plate-and-drive-a-new-one-under-it restos. It's hard to weld to swiss cheese. Still, it's nice to see somebody cares enough about an historic old machine to go to all that trouble. Much respect...

Actually, this is history: The 350 was first offered as the L48 option in the '67 Camaro. By '69, it was available in just about everything. And what I said is that the "double hump" heads first appeared in 1962...not the 350 engine. Double-humpers were available on later 350 engines as well. "Double hump" heads are commonly called "fuel injection" heads by a lot of folks because they were on the 360 and 375HP 327 engines, but they came on many non-FI engines too. They also come with 2 different casting marks (tall and short), several different casting numbers and part numbers, with and without accessory bolt holes, and with either 1.94 or 2.02 inch intake valves, and either 1.5 0r 1.6 exhaust valves. All the chambers are similar, 62 or 64cc, but in addition to valve sizes, there are some porting differences that can influence power output. Any questions?

Too bad that's not a real one you found in a collapsed toolshed. Instant bazillionaire.

^ Ferdinand Porsche's first hybrid gasoline-electric vehicle. IC engine driving a generator to power electric hub motors. 1900 He also designed a similar, but much larger, hybrid drive system applicable to military "road trains" and railway cars.

When I posted what I posted, IT DID NOT WORK. Now, for whatever reason, it does. But thanks just the same.

All I get from that is "REPORT" and "SHARE" EDIT: Now it works. Very...whatever.

All I get from that is "REPORT" and "SHARE"

No edit function apparently...

Wrong. "Double hump" heads were the "fuel injection" heads on 327 and 350 engines, and first appeared in 1962. Other than casting numbers and the "humps" on the ends, they look just like other smallblock Chevy heads, especially in 1/25 scale.

I'll have to look up all the conversion factors, do the math, and check yours. It won't be any time soon. But suffice it to say for now...IC engines can be powered from rooftop-solar-powered hydrogen plants, adsorptive onboard storage makes for longer range at lower pressures, and the IC engine sound and feel doesn't need to be a thing of the past. Frankly, that's all I really care about at this point as far as the energy debate goes. This is from 2010, all that I could easily find that was closely related to Honda's late 1990's work... https://www.alternative-energy-news.info/honda-solar-hydrogen-station/ As of 2014, Honda also had a demo home with a solar array directly charging a DC-powered Fit, while running the rest of the house, with some power left over to dump on to the grid... https://newatlas.com/honda-smart-home-energy-producing/31380/