Monty

I have this kit but I can't make myself build it because of the sheer number of ejector pin marks. They're everywhere - even on the springs - and I'm just compulsive enough to have to fix them all. I don't doubt that this kit may have been one of the contributing factors behind the decades-long wave of carpal tunnel cases. That, and the fact that I can't figure out how to fix the horizontal seam behind the door that results from joining the upper and lower body halves together. It's disappointing 'cuz the real XKEs are some of my all time favorites. Looks like yours is shaping up nicely, though.

You may spell your first name wrong, but ya sure build some nice models. I've got one of those Eldorados on my to-do list so it's encouraging to see how nicely they can turn out when done by a good builder. Looks like you did some impressive detail work on the speedometer. Would you care to share your technique? Thanks again for posting these pics. I hope mine turns out that nice.

No pics here either.

Post pics of the Eldorado!

This is a pic of my first car, a '72 Slylark. I still think they're great looking cars, and I wish I could have it back. It's always nice to see one done in scale, but almost all are done as pristine GSX models, so yours is kind of a refreshing change (although I'd cringe if I saw a real one in that condition). Excellent job on your weathering. I wouldn't mind seeing a mini tutorial on how you did that, especially the chassis.

My story didn't involve a hospital or doctor visit, but I still remember it clearly. Back in the early '70s, I was using one of these to modify the grille in the GMC Jimmy. Apparently I was pressing too hard because the grille broke and the knife hit the table and ricocheted off it, putting a nasty gash in my thumb. No one else was home so I cleaned the cut with soap and water and wrapped my thumb in paper towels till it stopped bleeding. Fortunately it healed quickly and without complications. I've been very careful with all hobby blades since then.

John E Bowers, JR: Those colors make that car pop! Thanks for the multiple pics. Bart: That AMT '65 was a favorite of mine as a kid. That color looks killer on it as well. Thanks for posting your pic. Looks like Dusty Rose can be used on rounder cars like John's as well as more angular cars like Bart's. I'm still hoping to see some builds done in Ice Blue Pearl.

Irony alert (see your subheading) Below you will find a picture of "Grammer" The word you wanted was grammar. Sincerely, The Spelling Nazi

Honestly, it may be awhile before this really gets rolling. I'm nerdy enough to want to use a "real" Cadillac engine in there, but being currently unemployed, I may have to try and see if I can do some trading with someone for the one Kitchen Table Resins offers. OTOH, I guess I can always paint the body and work on the other assemblies now & complete the engine when I find one. I agree with you on the '67s. I think they had the sharpest design of all the Eldorados. My "Boyds paint" post is based on approximating these colors I found via a Google search. Black really seems to work too. I wish you all the best in finding a '67 or '68 at a reasonable cost!

I've seen these colors at my local hobby shop but never tried them yet. I'm considering using one of them for an upcoming project, but I thought it might be helpful to see them on a couple of kits before making any purchasing decisions. I know that primer can affect the overall shade, so if possible, let me know if you used a white, gray or dark gray primer. Thanks!

No offense, but I just checked your ebid link out and, other than offering free listings, I'm not sure what you, as a model builder, see in it. I followed the categories from "Cars" (roughly 1,800 listings) to "Models" (roughly 1,000 listings) and discovered that, despite that heading, it's 99.9% diecast cars (everything from Matchbox to BBurago). As moribund as emodelcars may be, I'd still check there any day before I bothered with ebid again.

I had forgotten all about that. Now I'm doubly glad I asked. I wonder if GM got the idea of swapping other divisions' engines from JoHan... Thanks for the Blue Angel blue and Kitchen Table Resins tips!

I assume the engine should be a non-metallic dark blue, correct? If someone has a real close match in model paint, please let me know. I've never seen a 1:1 transmission assembly from one of these beasts (Front wheel drive). Would they be a raw aluminum? Another metal? Painted? TIA for all helpful posts.

Wow, you're worse than I am. I've only held mine hostage for 10 years. Hijack alert: Is the Ferrari 512S any better?

Harry has already hinted that major changes are in order, and the polling indicates that the majority of you can't live without adding this new segment, so for "narrow-minded haters" such as myself, the battle is over. Many of you can't understand why some of us don't want "change" so let me try and explain. I have been a member of another model car board for over 10 years. At one time it had a large collection of notable builders, most of whom were happy to answer questions and offer suggestions on improving a build. However, in the last couple years, the number of notable builders there has diminished, and the content has devolved into pages of pictures from weekend car shows, photos of old buildings, prayer requests and silly questions from an old divorced guy who apparently refuses to make Google his friend. Jeff Sauber has been insisting that this new addition won't dilute the overall content, but I can't help but wonder who else might be turned off by it. I gravitated to this forum about three years ago, partly because of the skill of the builders but mostly because it was about cars (I include pickups and semis too) and nothing else. I liked the fact that there was a sort of purity to it, as opposed to the all-things-to-all-people approach. Yes, I know that "I don't have to read the threads". By the same token, I'm curious how you've all managed to maintain your sanity for all these years without having this non-automotive segment on here since it now seems to be of such vital importance.

I had seen this debated for years, but wasn't able to offer my own opinion since I only had the Heller kit. The ebay pic I tried to post shows the Union rebox of the 917. I just thought it was funny for a Japanese(?) company to issue this with French text all over the box. Did you have any trouble building yours?

The 917s are some of my favorite cars, but they're not well represented in the model world. AMT/Matchbox did a styrene 1/32 917-10 (thanks for nothing, brainiacs). Other than that, you don't have much choice. Fisher Model & Pattern used to offer a 917-30 resin kit, but it was in the $100.00 range IIRC. Otaki offered a styrene 1/28 Can Am 917, but it was motorized and I couldn't vouch for the overall accuracy. Closed cockpit styrene models (917K, 917LH etc) are a little easier to find but are still a little pricey ($45.00-$75.00 in my experience). Heller and Union both offered the 917K. From what I've heard, the Heller is best left to professional builders. Opinions seem to vary on whether the Union car is a reboxed Heller or not. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?VISuperSize&item=310238230640 I have to agree with LDO on this. You should be able to bag a nicely detailed Fujimi 917K for around $35 + shipping.

Marc, any chance you can have Bandit Resins cast the stock chassis and interior for this car? Also, what engine would you recommend for replicating a bone-stock 304-powered car?

The rear sway bar on this car will have to bend in at more than 90* because it's supposed to line up on the inside of the rear control arms. Sounds like you've figured out a way to manipulate styrene rod without breaking it, but I think I would just be adding to my own frustration by trying that on this assembly.

Thanks for the heads-up on the rosin core solder. As I mentioned in the original post, I've never worked with any kind of solder before, so I was totally unaware of any pitfalls. Who knows what kind of mess you helped prevent .

I couldn't have said it better myself. There's a reason I buy MCM and SA(E)and not FSM. I'm interested in model cars, not ships, tanks, trains or planes. PS Jeff, I noticed the distinct lack of an "Oh, hell no" option for your poll. Any chance this could still be added on? Ledsled, I doubt they'll ban them since they're still technically automobiles, but I wish they'd at least put them and lowriders in their own separate section. Harry's note regarding "a major reworking of this site" pretty much tells me the decision to include at least some of the other junk has already been made.

Background: I've got a Lindberg '67 442 with a subassembly that's got me annoyed. Some brainiac designer apparently decided it would be a great idea to mold the rear sway bar to the axle. He then compounded the problem by making the sway bar indistinct and filling the gap between it and the axle in solid plastic. It looks more like some kind of differential bracing you might see in NASCAR than a standard Olds rear end. (See pic) I've ground off the "sway bar" and removed all traces of its existence. Now I want to create a more accurate sway bar out of solder. It has the right diameter and I doubt I could bend styrene to the required angles. I've never worked with solder before so I want to know the best way to attach it to the styrene without making a mess. (The left and right ends of the sway bar attach to the insides of the trailing arms). TIA for all helpful replies.

I have a fairly new computer with MS Vista and I use this board's "Comfy" mode when I want to post here. If my post is comprised entirely of text, everything works just fine. However, if I want to create a post with text, an attached thumbnail and then more text, I can't figure out how to put a caption below the picture because there's no indication where the picture begins or ends. Caveats: I'm not terribly adept when it comes to computers, and I haven't even gotten to the "electronic camera/uploading/etc" stage yet, hence the attached thumbnails of other people's pictures. Thanks! Monty (King of the Luddites)

I'd love to have the original back instead of this turd.