Ace-Garageguy

Lotsa things in life strike people as "offensive". Unfortunately, these days that seems to be taken as sufficient rationale for silencing people with differing opinions. The OP voiced his opinion. I believe the majority here have presented convincing arguments as to why his opinion (to which he's entitled) may be partially unfounded, extreme, or just based on lack of experience.

Gifts to myself... OTC 6575-2 update set for my decades-old FWD wheel-bearing tool set. MetalAce English wheel parts to build the 44F design from Ron Fournier. Comes with blueprints for the frame. And a partridge...sorry. A new leather shot bag. My old one's pretty much shot.

Guess you've never seen The Wizard of Oz. 1939. Spectacular color. "Autochrome" was launched in France in 1907, the first kinda practical color photographic process. Kodachrome followed in 1935. Though it was essentially a positive "slide" film, prints were possible using complex processing. In 1936, German Agfa introduced a genuine color-negative process. In 1942, Kodak introduced their own color-negative film, Kodacolor. By the late '40s, the period of the shot above, color photography was well developed and under continuous improvement, but wasn't as common as black-and-white due to cost and complexity. Anyway, the shot above may be colorized, but it also has the characteristic monochrome look of some older color photographs where the less-stable colors have faded. EDIT: Nice shot. It's got me looking for a COE Ford cab to build something similar.

Sadly, that's SOP for many in the interdweeb age.

Nope. Not at all. We recognize the flaws in some of the old kits. But we elect to deal with them rather than whining and saying an entire product lineup "sucks" (except for Palmer and Premier, which are pretty much irredeemable). Same goes for the multiple flaws and inaccuracies in many new kits. We mention them, complain some, but either accept them, don't buy the kit in question, or opt to correct them. Big boys...not "fan boys".

This kit has a decent rendition of the ZF 5-speed that came in several mid-engined cars, including the Pantera. In reality, it can be mated to any engine by using a custom adapter/bellhousing.

Where's the ball going to fall? I'm more concerned about when the last shoe is going to drop.

Boy, do I sympathize with that. For the last very few years, I've finally managed to get involved with two companies here where everyone I have to deal with is a grown-up. Sure makes a difference when interactions are based on logic, rationality, and both sides can read and remember what was discussed previously.

Very, VERY nice. Most inspirational too.

You're doing a lovely job, but man oh man...the shot with the photo of the real one confirms just how abysmally bad the model's proportions are. I was kinda lusting after one of these, as I had one for a couple weeks back in the late '80s, bit I think I'll pass. Your phrase "hero build" is definitely what it would take to make this mess actually look like a Silhouette, and I've got a lifetime's supply lined up already. But soldier on, sir. I'm sure you'll make her as pretty as she can be for anything like a "reasonable" amount of effort.

Pretty much my philosophy concerning most, if not all, physical endeavors. I also find it helpful to remember remind myself that, theoretically anyway, I'm smarter than whatever it is I'm working on.

My thoughts exactly. As long as "technology" is just another tool in the box, it's great. I do lotsa stuff much faster because of today's tech than I ever could in times past. But not EVERYTHING. Unfortunately, and realistically, there is a vast segment of the populace who can do absolutely nothing if there's no app for it.

The idea of having vastly augmented capabilities is intriguing to me...like being able to download instant mastery of, say, the Russian-language or quantum physics...an eventual theoretical possibility...sidestepping months or years of conventional study. What bothers me is today's propensity to rush to market with less-than-adequate development...by second and third and fourth rate engineers and developers and marketing-managers, planned obsolescence, and a likely lack of long-term support (the Tinylimp model of forcing everyone to buy all new operating systems periodically). The "smart-home" industry is already plagued by problems like these, from many web-connected devices being wide open to easy hacking, lack of compatibility and standardization across multiple platforms, and poor after-purchase service and parts availability.

Going to? Looks to me like most folks are already there.

Whether you're an aviation enthusiast, a soldier, or just have a passion for anything, this guy's story is one of the most inspirational things you may ever see. This, to me, is what it means to be an AMERICAN.

Agreed. Both my older trucks have simple brake-pressure-proportioning valves that do the job very well. One of them has linkage to a valve that increases the rear brake bias as the bed is loaded and gets lower on the suspension. Straight mechanical systems, pretty much reliable for the life of the vehicle, and not dependent on electronic hardware and software that's going to be non-repairable as this stuff ages. And...I've seen more than a few high-end vehicles destroyed because their incompetent operators mistakenly believed their ABS and traction-control systems would save them, no matter how stupidly they chose to behave behind the wheel. Speaking of which...as we're forecast to possibly have snow here for Christmas, if it does indeed arrive, there will be the inevitable roadsides littered with expensive 4-wheel-drive vehicles on their roofs, in ditches, or sliding through intersections to crash into opposing traffic.

Some truth to that, but unfortunately well over half of what's up on YT is just flat wrong. EDIT: One of the little fellas we had to run off a while back got everything car-related from YT videos, even though we have on-premises just about the best technical reference library I've ever seen in any shop anywhere. Needless to say, he couldn't actually fix anything, and everything he "worked on" either came back almost immediately or had to be completed by somebody else in the shop...often me. His resume stated he'd been a "mechanic" for over 10 years...but he couldn't tell you in simple terms how an IC engine runs. People need some (at least) basic knowledge of what they're looking to try to do in order to be able to sort through the rebleated YT gibberish and get to the good stuff. Same goes for Google searches.

Just looked at the latest NWS forecast. Seems there's a chance, though slight, of having a white Christmas here this year.

If I lived closer to you, I'd invite myself over for dinner every week.

Interesting venison-related story...friend-a-mine's wife lives in an area with a lot of deer, which she feeds corn and apples in her back yard. She thinks of them as pets. Illegal poaching of deer has become something of an issue 'round there, and after she called 911 to report obviously poaching activity, the cops showed up and arrested HER for "abusing the 911 system". Apparently witnessing the killing of tame deer doesn't qualify as an emergency.

Great to hear. A good teacher who understands his subject and is interested in it can make all the difference. It would be smart if there was a renewed respect in this country for hands-on technical work. A GOOD mechanic can still make a high-5 to low-6 figure income (a jell of a lot more than second-rate emoji designers make), and if he opens his own GOOD shop, the earning potential is much more.

Which is exactly what all this overly-complex claptrap is training an entire generation of drivers to be. Can't parallel park. Can't back-up without radar and cameras. Can't check their own oil, tire pressures, coolant, or washer fluid. Can't change a flat, or jump a dead battery. And pretty much forget about changing their own oil or plugs or air filter...not to mention that less than 20% of US drivers can drive a stick. And spare me the wrong analogy that it's just like folks not knowing how to drive a horse-drawn wagon, or ride. Having some basic understanding of and competence operating a machine you're absolutely dependent on is part of taking adult personal-responsibility for one's life outcomes...and there's no app for that. EDIT: It can be just flat deadly, too. A large German manufacturer of front-wheel-drive cars computer is programmed to limit throttle application when the steering wheel is turned. Fine for your basic shouldn't-be-driving-anyway moron I guess, but if you find somebody barreling at you while they're checking their texts and need to stab the throttle and crank the wheel to get out of their way, you're toast. The knowledgeable enthusiasts driving these things go into the computer and disable this particular "safety" feature, but it can't be turned off by a less-than-dealership-level interface, or top-line aftermarket equipment.

Rodent is correct. It's a "road draft tube", which was used for crankcase ventilation prior to the PVC (positive crankcase ventilation) systems being fitted. Here's a real one. The tube goes to the hole in the valley cover.

CLICK HERE: https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=rvrbX6qfDMLt5gLM3pXQBQ&q=modelcarsmag+duplicolor+primer&oq=modelcarsmag+duplicolor+primer&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzIFCCEQoAEyBQghEKABMgUIIRCrAjIFCCEQqwIyBQghEKsCOhEILhCxAxCDARDHARCjAhCTAjoCCAA6CAgAELEDEIMBOgUIABCxAzoLCC4QsQMQxwEQowI6CAguELEDEIMBOgIILjoFCC4QsQM6CAguEMcBEK8BOgUIABDJAzoKCC4QxwEQrwEQCjoECAAQCjoECAAQHjoGCAAQChAeOgsIABDJAxAWEAoQHjoICAAQFhAKEB46BggAEBYQHjoHCCEQChCgAVCqDFjngQFgo4YBaABwAHgAgAGRAogBzhWSAQYyNC41LjGYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwiqrtLupdbtAhXCtlkKHUxvBVoQ4dUDCAk&uact=5