Ace-Garageguy

The Mirai is a fuel-cell vehicle. The conversation had turned to hydrogen-burning internal-combustion engines, which are entirely different from fuel-cells. BMW offered a version of the 2005-2007 BMW 7-Series, called the Hydrogen 7, with a 6.0-liter V-12 that could run on gasoline or hydrogen. But the engineering wasn't at the point where it is today, and as a dual-fuel engine, the design was NOT optimized for hydrogen and its efficiency on hydrogen was low compared to gasoline. Here's a recent article (April 2019) about the reality of hydrogen today, from a reasonably reputable source: https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1122364_is-hydrogen-internal-combustion-a-better-idea-than-fuel-cells-engineering-explained Running IC engines on hydrogen at the moment really only makes sense if you're particularly in love with internal-combustion, like me, and want the sound and feel of a mechanical engine without the environmental guilt certain quarters would like to make you feel. Some drawbacks are addressed in this video:

I don't have the AMT kit to compare, but I can say without reservation that the Revell Z06 C5 is a great kit. Proportions are very good, mechanical bits are crisply rendered. The only downside that I recall is the automatic gearbox/transaxle assembly. To get a manual box, you'll have to get the Revell C6 (IIRC).

It's perfectly plausible. Ford's engineers, in their wisdom, provided multiple points on the timing chain cover for various accessory takeoff drives. Combo mag/fuel pump drives are common where space is at a premium. The 1:1 rig in the photo below is essentially what's represented in your particular kit, and could definitely be mounted at the location shown with a few readily machined parts. Here's a similar combo right-angle mag drive/fuel pump drive with an old-school Vertex-style mag, mounted more conventionally on a pushrod-engine timing cover. In this case, it would be driven off the end of the cam...but it could definitely be mounted as your kit shows it on the Ford cammer as well

As Dave said, that's one helluva rough ride. Glad you were able to come out the other side with a plan and a roof over everyone's heads. I would think you should be able to pick up plenty nicely paid word with CAD skills too. Good to see you here again.

GLAD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, MR. LARKIN !! Anyway, I've been harping on hydrogen as a fuel for IC engines for decades (along with compressed natural gas). With a home-sized rooftop solar photovoltaic array, hydrogen gas can be produced and compressed in quantities sufficient for the "average" commute (according to Honda's numbers, not just mine) in a day. And...it can be made from graywater, which is simply water that's been used but has no fecal matter in it. There are European engine manufacturers getting MORE POWER from hydrogen IC engines than they get from similar fossil-fueled engines, once the engines are optimized for hydrogen. Burning hydrogen as an IC fuel has other advantages too. The obvious one is that the major exhaust component is water vapor (burning hydrogen in air also produces oxides of nitrogen, unfortunately). Another one is extended lubricating oil life because a gaseous fuel doesn't dilute engine oil. And the fact that gaseous fuels don't wash the fine film of lubricant off of cylinder walls like liquid fuels can also contributes to vastly improved engine longevity. 200,000 miles of operation with NO MEASURABLE WEAR is a reality. The downside, of course, is the typical high cost of hydrogen (at the moment) and the difficulty of storing enough of the stuff to get decent range (at the moment).

C7 Corvettes are just now getting the nightmare automatic-gearbox thoroughly sorted out, after pretty much driving the resale prices of the cars into the toilet. http://corvettec7fiasco.blogspot.com/2016/02/thousands-of-2015-and-2016-chevrolet.html https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c7-general-discussion/4188120-more-a8-transmission-problems.html I'd be really hesitant to buy an early-production C8, witch probably has an entirely redesigned gearbox that accommodates the mid-engined configuration.

I agree about the C4, and with just minimal cleanup and shortening of its "full diaper" looking tail, the C5 can be pretty fine too. The C4 is a much underloved car, and almost insanely cheap these days, especially if you find one with a bad engine. It's a fine basis to build one gorgeous, smoking fast, great handling hot rod, relatively inexpensively.

I'm not a "truck guy" per se, but I've been around them kinda paying attention most of my life. You should remember that a most truck bodies, flatbeads, vans, tankers, whatever, were built by aftermarket suppliers and not the factory that built the truck chassis and cab. So there's really no "proper" length and width for a body, as they could vary from builder to builder. HOWEVER...in general, any truck body will usually be wide enough to cover the wheel-tire set used, and extend an inch or more out to the sides, but not too much. The length will probably not be more than a couple of feet longer than the end of the chassis. Do a Google image search for "vintage flatbead truck" for a good idea of what you need to be aware of.

Loving this. I'll be staying tuned.

Or...you should remember that a most truck bodies, flatbeads, vans, tankers, whatever, were built by aftermarket suppliers and not the factory that built the truck chassis and cab. So there's really no "proper" length and width for a body, as they could vary from builder to builder. HOWEVER...in general, any truck body will usually be wide enough to cover the wheel-tire set used, and extend an inch or more out to the sides, but not too much. The length will probably not be more than a couple of feet longer than the end of the chassis. Do a Google image search for "vintage flatbead truck" for a good idea of what you need to be aware of.

Or, for around $25 grand, you can get a clean one-owner C5 Z06. A world-class extremely high performance car by any rational being's definition, with clean, purposeful styling. And if it has a manual gearbox, it can be retromodded to be about as reliable as the proverbial brick, tuned to be as fast as anything out there, and run for 200,000 miles with minimal maintenance.

You sir, are a man after my own heart.

Pretty much always the case, unfortunately. My '89 GMC truck with the more "environmentally friendly" water-based paint that's almost entirely self-stripped is a shining example, while the first-generation wildly toxic urethane I shot a VW doublecab pickup with in 1984, that's lived outside all its life, still polishes up to look almost new.

Thanks gentlemen. That Maser is absolutely gorgeous. I need one of those. I just sprung for the '53 Porsche 550 LeMans coupe. Should be interesting. I thought HRM and FPP kits were expensive until I saw Hiro stuff. Wow. Guess I still have a lot to learn about this hobby.

Dang it, guys. Bill Geary's photo and Gerald Bowles' model look so good, now I'm going to have to get one too. I've got a couple of '57s in the stash, but I've always really liked the finless '55-56s better, even though the '57 is more striking.

Very nice. Makes me want a Coke, too.

Should be a cool little car. The conversion game has changed dramatically since the '70s, when all we had was lead-acid batteries, big rheostats, and industrial DC motors to work with. Control systems weren't generally very sophisticated and the weight of the batteries required turned nimble little cars (I was involved with VW Bug and Fiat 128 conversions) into evil handling pigs with short ranges...very much like big golf carts. The availability of some reasonably well-engineered EV and hybrid componentry...and vastly improved batteries...on the wreck market makes it possible to build something that can actually be used as a reasonable car, within limits. But for me, I'd really rather go the other direction. I think a highly-tuned V6 or V8 sitting sideways in the middle of a Honda CR-Z just might end up in my shed if I live long enough.

Agreed. Exactly. There's nothing wrong with electrics used intelligently in roles they're suited for. But they don't do much for me. I'll never enjoy silent acceleration, even if it pins me to the seatback, as much as I enjoy rowing through the gears on a stinky, smelly, exhaust-belching anti-social internal-combustion-engined death machine...preferably with no onboard computers, air bags, backup cameras and beepers, or crumple zones.

Nice little stocker. Very attractive model, and a testament to how good this ancient kit really is.

On occasion, I've worked as a professional high-end car (and aircraft) painter. Odd as it may sound, for models I don't like using tack-cloths or even a booth. I personally find they add more dust than they eliminate. For final prep (on real vehicles as well as models) I've found that nothing beats a semi-final wipe with 70% isopropyl alcohol, using as close to lint-free paper towels as you can get. Isopropyl will remove anything that could possibly cause fisheyes, in my experience. For shooting anything, it's essential to blow yourself off with compressed air prior to spraying paint, and blow the thing to be painted as well. For models, I prefer to paint outdoors on windless days, with low humidity, between 60 and 80F. Again, though it may seem bizarre, the last wipe I'll give a model is with my naked painting hand, after it's been washed in alcohol to remove surface contaminants. Then I'll blow the surface off with my breath immediately prior to shooting paint. I get very good results. The green hood is exactly as it looked after painting. No sanding or polishing. The orange Chevelle needed almost no after-paint work either.

Really like your vision here. Nice combination of styling mods.

Only problem with that is that Westley's is now a "new and improved" product from a company called Black Magic, and "new and improved" almost always means "environmentally friendly, and all the stuff that used to actually make it WORK has been removed...and replaced with water because it's cheap". MANY online car guys say the new stuff doesn't work like the old stuff. I've used it on tires myself, and it's next to useless...where the old stuff made 'em look like new. Any input on this?

Their parts and service have always been 100% first rate. I hope they come through their difficulties without too much trouble.

Anybody here built any 1/24 scale Profil 24 kits? If so, what was your impression of the casting quality, symmetry, scale fidelity, etc.? They're kind of expensive, and before I jump I'd like some input from folks with actual first-hand experience. Thanks.

Some 100% first-hand experience would be nice. Resin kits can easily cost upwards of $200. That's not a sum I'd like to risk on "I think" or "I've heard".