Monty

Thanks Andy!

Depends on how accurate you want to be. SEL's version are based on the old Monogram Goodyear GT Radial. It still has that tread pattern and an opening better suited for 1/24 scale wheels. OTOH, if you're doing 1/24 scale factory stock builds of early '70s muscle cars, this might be the best choice.

Actually that's a brilliant idea. I can either wish & hope and see what happens, or I can try and make something happen. I went to Round2's site http://round2models.com/contact and sent them a nice email complimenting them on their tires and asking if they had considered making them available as a package deal a la the slicks & whitewalls they released earlier. If you're interested in helping me push this idea, feel free to do the same.

Enlighten us.

I never became a member of their board, but I'd peek in every once in a while to see what all was being built. A few years ago, they had some fairly talented builders on there, although that seemed to taper off slightly in the last couple years. As far as board management, I was impressed by the fact that they had set standards for photography - basically anything even slightly fuzzy, out of focus or improperly lit wouldn't cut it. (This isn't meant as a swipe against this or any other model board). I feel bad for them losing their modeling "home", but the guy running the board has apparently found them a new place to play. Thanks for capturing the link to the tutorials, Doug!

Mark Budniewski answered my question over on the Spotlight board. I don't know much about him but from what I've seen, he seems to have a wealth of knowledge about the entire modeling world. It wouldn't surprise me if he had legitimate connections that resulted in his getting this kit early. He's a member of this forum, too. Maybe he'll pop in and clarify. .

Hmmmm, I posed this question on another forum and one person replied that the latest Hurst Olds had them. I'm guessing he's referring to this one. He mentioned that the tires have finer tread detail in addition to the pad-printed lettering, so I'm hoping one of our vigilant members will post some pictures up for us.

Wow, sometimes a color just seems tailor-made for a particular car, and this is one of those times. My compliments on your paint work and engine detailing, Mehmet.

Since this board prohibits the use of expletives, I'll have to settle for just saying I'm impressed. I hope we'll get to see more of your work soon.

If so, is there any chance we can talk them into selling them as tire packs? If memory serves, they already offer older style slicks and whitewall tires in special packs.

Josh, your friend may want to add a descriptor behind the Ford 351. Some modelers may not know the difference between a 351W and a 351C.

What I meant was did you use Testors # 1111 dark blue, Model Masters $#1972 Blue Angel blue, Humbrol #14 Oxford Blue, Tamiya X-3 Royal Blue etc.

If you don't mind, I'd like to know what specific paint you used on that air cleaner.

If we're talking internationally, then the answer is the Trabant. It featured a two cylinder two-stroke engine that made more smoke than power, and had a body made of poor man's fiberglass (resin plastic reinforced with cotton or wool fibers. It's pretty much Bakelite). One redeeming feature: Eastern European farmers discovered that the bodies could be dismantled and fed to goats and pigs. Certainly a serendipitous discovery, as the mfr only used this material for the body as a way to avoid paying the high cost of steel. Worst US-made car? The Vega. I wonder how much scrutiny the engineering degrees posted on the wall at GM Powertrain got after they released an engine that had an unsleeved aluminum block engine with an iron head. Apparently GM didn't do nearly enough testing on this combo, as these engines overheated and warped, and the unsleeved aluminum block was more of an exotic sieve when it came to oil control. Stories from back in the day indicate it wasn't uncommon to have to replace one of these engines under warranty in under two years. Unfortunately, those same stories also abound with instances of new Vega bodies rusting on the dealer lot. Chevy certainly wasn't alone in helping drive American car consumers to foreign brands, but they may be the most culpable.

I should have made the first sentence more emphatic. If you're thinking of using Pine-Sol to strip paint off a model, test it on an unused piece from the kit first. Luckily for me, the kit that was ruined wasn't anything I valued.

I had the same experience with a Lindberg kit some years ago. People laugh at Testors paint for never drying, but try to get their flat black off of styrene once it does...

I'd like to see how that stuff would do on decade-old Testors flat black.

Can you post up a pic of what you're talking about so we can try and help you? If you're talking about the swirling that occurs in silver-colored styrene, I don't believe any remedy exists except to paint over it.

Very nice work, Jon. Given how well the body turned out, I'd also like to see some engine, chassis and interior shots.

Now imagine what might've happened if Jo-Han had decided to gamble big on a project to help shed their stodgy image and improve sales prospects. They decide to kit the American Motors AMX 3 based on the anticipated sales that would accrue via the magic of exotic box art, blissfully unaware that AMC's costs of development would eventually relegate it to an engineering exercise. AMC agrees to allow them to produce the kit, but with the proviso that Jo-Han is not allowed to use outdated Rambler engines in it. Does the gambit work, or does the modeling world's lack of awareness about the real car keep it from being a success?

All stories about Area 51 are baseless.

Overall this looks like a fairly decent kit, but I'd like some detailing suggestions for a couple areas. 1) What are you guys using as brackets to support the alternator and the power steering unit? We all know that Harry can't abide seeing "magic floating alternators" etc. : ) 2) The master cylinder looks like an afterthought, as does what I assume is meant to be the brake booster setup. Any recommendations for a more accurate replacement? 3) Does the lower side cladding need to be thinned from the backside for a more prototypical thickness? What other improvements have you guys made? Post up some pics!

Thanks for the picture, John. I saw a listing for that combo kit too. Might be worth a little extra to get the wheels and spoiler.

Scrolling through the list of things they offer for the '70 Johan Olds, I noticed they offer the W-30 hood with the correct air cleaner as a package deal. If you have pics of these items, built or unbuilt, I'd like to see them.

I know most of us can knock out a factory-new exhaust fairly easily, but what about an exhaust system that's been on for, say, 50k miles? It's probably still solid, just not shiny. What do you like to start with, and where do you go from there? If you have pics, please post them. Coffee just kicked in: Obviously the exhaust system doesn't age by itself, so any tips & corresponding pics on chassis weathering would be more than welcome.