Ace-Garageguy

I hope you get some pain relief soon. I would think that short-term pain-mediation would be your doctor's primary and immediate concern...figure out what the cause is after the primary symptom, the pain, is dealt with. Chronic pain is stressful, obviously, and more stress hormones going into your blood stream just compound the problem. Both chronic pain and lack of sleep can lead to depression, and in my case lately, often make it impossible to get in a full day's work. Really, I hope you feel better very very soon.

Agreed 100%.

Two things you seem to choose to overlook. One: The point of entering a model car show, to MOST of the entrants, is to compete head-to-head with other competitive modelers...not to redefine what model building SHOULD be in Joe Smythe's philosophy. Two: In order for a modeler to "present my efforts in order to not be embarrassed" there is one overriding consideration. Quality craftsmanship. You don't show up at Bonneville with a showroom-stock Geo Metro and be disappointed because the rules don't allow you to "win", and you don't show up at a model show with a conglomeration of string and snot and expect to "win" either. At least, if you're at all rational. If you're building models PURELY for your own pleasure, and things like scale-fidelity, good workmanship, and an understanding of how vehicles actually function don't matter to you, that's fine and dandy, but keep your stuff for yourself and don't expect to be competitive with people who show their work for the reason the show exists. I think you'll find the consensus definition of "show quality" means above average, significantly, judged on some rather objective ideas of what "quality craftsmanship" means. Until model shows have a class called "craftsmanship doesn't matter, nor does scale, realism or anything else that could remotely be defined as limiting the undisciplined creative urge", you're going to be out in the cold.

I started this one on the old AMT chassis shortly after the first issue of the Revell '57 wagon was released.

This is a photoshopped exercise, but I really kinda like it. Fake wood to the extreme, and nice lines to boot.

DISCLAIMER: I could be wrong. As far as building a "real" gasser goes, I don't recall any specific gas-class rule that forbid building a gas-class car from a wagon. Though I don't remember the class and car specifics, I DO remember one old-time racer who preferred building his cars from wagons when possible because of the additional weight over the rear wheels. Though the "me too" trend for a while has been to label anything with its nose in the air a "gasser", I'm pretty sure the actual class rules, at least the early NHRA class rules, would have allowed a wagon to compete if it met the rest of the class specifications.

It didn't really used to bother me to be standing in line behind a pretty woman who was digging furiously in her purse for money to pay for her latte or whatever. When I find myself behind a man doing the same thing, my first impulse is to smack him in the head with a brick.

There was also a time in the early days of Ebay when you could sell dried snot in a wadded up kleenex. The whole thing was so novel and hip and happening that some sales just made no sense whatsoever. The retard-frenzy-buying has faded into the dim recesses of time. Today, there are probably hundreds of thousands of items, maybe millions, that will NEVER sell, but continue to be listed over and over again. It's obvious that a lot of sellers still don't do the numbers, or have any concept of business, but just assume any old useless carp they pick up at an estate sale for 50 cents is going to make them wealthy with no effort. There are also plenty of sellers in categories other than models and 1:1 car parts that start their bidding at ridiculously high prices and get no bids at all. Ebay IS a gigantic flea-market, was from the get-go, anybody who doesn't get that is a moron, and I don't think the thousands upon thousands of "stores" selling cheap Chinese carp have enhanced the Ebay experience one iota. In many cases, it detracts from the experience, as one sometimes has to wade through countless listings for knockoff garbage to find the one real-deal gem one is after.

Nowhere yet, to my knowledge...but there are several fine resin casters and pattern makers who frequent this board.

Imagination and creativity are great (and the part of the hobby I enjoy the most) but no matter how "original" a model is, if basic things like paint finish and fit and simple neatness are lacking, there's no point in showing up (if winning is part of your desire).

Another few words of advice: One, you have to be your OWN harshest critic. Pay attention. Look carefully for flaws, things that are just a little off. Like Pete says, no short cuts, no "it's ok" etc. Hold yourself to a high standard of craftsmanship, and compare your work, brutally honestly, with the work of people whose models you admire. Two, try taking photos, good clear in-focus photos, of your models and look at them on a decent monitor, enlarged significantly. It's the best way I've found so far to locate defects and see things I'd probably miss and let slide otherwise.

You do beautifully clean work. Very impressive.

Some nights, when my back is really bad (like tonight) I do pretty much the same thing. There are times I can only sleep in a recliner, times I can only sleep with my head down on the desk, times I can't even GET into bed. Kinda sucks. But I at least have good days, sometimes weeks at a stretch, where I can work and walk and move like a normal human. I really hope they can find a way to fix you up. Years of this carp can make you kinda grumpy.

Bob's pretty much spot-on...get the basics done as close to perfect as possible. Make everything fit. Get the paint even, glossy and slick. Remove all mold parting-lines, flash, and get any bodywork you do absolutely right. No excess glue. Bumpers level and symmetrical. Foil work crisp with no jagged edges, waviness or wrinkles. Panel lines addressed. Any added detail MUST be done clean. This quality is what you're shooting for (Lindberg '53 Ford 1/25 scale model by Marcos Cruz)

OK, so it's not entirely new, like just now, but I only came across these things today. It's essentially a significantly modified half-a-Holley 4-barrel, but the internal mods provide much better fuel atomization and throttle response...and it looks really really cool. A step beyond the Barry Grant Demon, and the subject of multiple patents, it deserves attention as to sizing and capabilities. Finally, a 2-barrel carb that looks the part running multiples (3X2 anybody?) on top of something like a distributor-ignited LSX engine or a late-model Hemi. https://dambest.com/brochures/7500split.html

In uncertain times, it's always good to have multiple fallback career options.

Thank you for the translation. Now, if I only knew what "agile methodology" and "actionizable tasks" were...perhaps my own methodoligies wouldn't be so "chaos-driven".

Though I've used them constantly for many, many years, I STILL think the term "word processor" is about the stupidest thing I've ever heard. But I guess it's better than "multi-purpose digital typing, document formatting and editing program with multiple-font capability". And don't forget... Huh??

Sounds perfect. Love the idea of surplus (liberated ) real Navy-blue too. There wasn't a LOT of speed equipment available for the Y-block (and it had really weird stacked intake ports) but I know for a fact that dual 4-barrel and blower manifolds WERE available. Got to paint that engine the right old Ford red, too.

Agreed. The bare minimum methinks ought to have been a blown Y-block sticking through the hood.

I think this subject has been touched on previously, but just in case...there's absolutely NO reason a '57 chassis couldn't have found its way under a '56 to build a gasser way back when. Fabricating mounts to hang the body would be well within the ability of any competent racer-builder, and the mucho strong Ford 9" rear debuted in '57...so it would already be there. The rules didn't specify the chassis HAD to be from the body mounted on top of it, (which is why George Montgomery was able to build his Mustang on an old Willys frame), only that an "automotive type frame" had to be used. I'll look forward to seeing what you bash together. PS. The Y-block powered '49 budget car is a great idea too...something that really appeals to my love of fast cars built from junk.

So...time to open a "case". If that doesn't get their attention, at least it insures you'll get a full refund...assuming you paid via PayPal.

For years I've had chronic pain, mostly in my hips and lower back, completely debilitating at times...sometimes for days on end. I've taken sustained doses of 600 to 800mg of ibuprofen, 4 times daily, with no ill effects (I apparently have a cast-iron stomach)....and sometimes as much as 1000mg at one dose (this is actually one of the doctor-prescribed dosages). If your dosage isn't that high, you might ask your doc what he/she thinks about upping it. See if your stomach can tolerate a dose that will knock out the pain, at least enough for you to get some rest. When I started my self-imposed hiking physical therapy, there was NO way I could get through it without a LOT of ibu. Over time, I've been able to ditch the ibu and only take occasional aspirin to knock the pain edge off.

!0% engine setback wasn't mandatory, just the maximum allowed to keep the playing field level for engine-swapped cars. The wheel combo has me somewhat at a loss. If they measure out at 16" in the rear and 14" in the front, they're OK for real-world, correct, appropriate. If they measure out at 17" in the rear and 13" in the front, they're damm near hopelessly dorky, incorrect, somebody really should have asked me. Slicks for something like this are commonly available in 15" and 16" wheel diameter fitments. 17 MAY be available, but I've never seen it. That design of mag was never available in a 13" with a 5-bolt pattern either...to the best of my knowledge. I could be wrong. Yeah, staggered rubber looks right on a gasser and fronts were typically as small as they could get away with...but it might have been nice to get it right. Again, there COULD be real-world analogs of what's in the kit...but I've never seen them in the past 50 years. If I'm wrong, my most humble apologies to Revell. PS. If you want a blown Ford big-block, this one is cheap and hard to beat.