Fat Brian

P&P used to do one but it's long out of stock, I asked if they were going to make more but didn't get a reply. I've seen one turn up on ebay but it was very pricey.

If it's a current issue AMT or Revell kit I get it a Hobby Lobby most of the time. For Moebius I get it at a Hobbytown that carries them locally. Otherwise I scrounge around ebay for deals, sometimes you can catch everyone sleeping. I'm not opposed to paying good money for what I really want but I try not too.

Of those two and without serious modifications the Diamond Reo is closer to a potential heavy haul truck. If you want to use the Pete scratch building an auxiliary gearbox would be a step in the right direction, this would give the lackluster power a gearing boost. You could also add a turbo to the engine to make it an 8v-71T which did make a bit more power. You could also straight out swap the motor from the DR into the Pete. If you could manage to pick up one of the Revell snap kits you could swap the 3406 into the Pete, the motor is a bit newer than the Pete kit but would be a viable swap for replacing the original Detroit in a 1/1 truck. The 3406 is a 425hp B version that is all mechanical and can be turned up to over 600hp with a few mods, this would be ideal for a heavy haul truck.

It's a 12 valve 5.9 Cummins like in a early nineties Dodge truck.

I like the 55, 56, and 57's, your 62 is amazing, and then I really like the 69's like this one http://www.ha-ims.com/vehicle_images/4-6572.JPG and 70's like this one http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/4/583/2969/38956484001_large.jpg

Another tool I've found indispensable for work like this are the photoetch saws made by The Model Car Garage, they look this this http://www.michtoy.com/HmichtoyTOYsoldier.php?michtoyPROD=michtoy2010/products/Picture_mcg2238.jpg&geurlar=390&teurhau=300 You put them in your #11 Xacto handle and then just saw through the plastic. I just started using them and they are incredible.

Yes sir, there's going to be a lot of ramen eaten and overtime worked this year. I'm running out of places to hide new purchases from my wife too.

I usually open them in the parking lot just to make sure nothing is missing before I leave the store. I used to open the bags of the regular plastic parts too but I've stopped doing that to help the resale value if it ever comes to that.

The AMT Sock it to Me Vette that's out now. I bought it and opened the box and was so disgusted with it I had it traded in a week to someone who knew what was in it. I'm not the biggest early Vette fan anyway and that box full of mishapen plastic blobs just wasn't worth my time.

Once stripped those engines are really great, they actually make perfect sources for some interesting diorama pieces like the bellhousing in the pic you posted. I believe the 283 has some very neat cylinder head detail if you wanted to have the head on a work bench or something.

Probably the best truly Buick engine to date is the 425 from AMT's 66 Riviera kit but it's a little past the glory days of hot rodding.

I want one of the Raider kits from AITM one day. http://www.aitruckmodels.com/pages/ck78raideraxleforward.html

Some are things I've seen in person, some are customs I've researched, but most are just the way I would build it if I had the money.

I've built the Monogram and AMT Challengers, both are pretty straightforward. You are right about the 340 being vastly out of scale, it's almost as big as the 440 in the 70 GTX kit. The good thing is that the Hemi from the 71 Cuda and the aforementioned 440 are easy swaps. The AMT kit seems more true to scale and is an equally easy build, the only drawback is having to glue the top on for a hard top version.

You can build the frame from Evergreen strips and make it much stronger than kit parts. The C-channel they make is too thin but you can make your own to the height you need.

They didn't use the chassis from the Monogram 71 Cuda for the new 70 kit or any parts from the 69 Camaros or 68 Firebird in the new 67 Camaro kit. I can't imagine them using old parts for a new kit, especially 1/24 Monogram parts in a new kit wearing the Revell name.

These remind me of an American version of the Japanese bosozoku cars.

Wow, I can't imagine building all those that way.

I'm not really as surprised by that as I thought I would be.

This might be the first ever that looks better after you've crashed it.

That's really incredible. Where did you get those little round lights from?

Jay that looks great, that's the same car I'm going to do. What chassis did you use?

None of those were particularly inspired but the black 27 W-409 posted, the pewter-goldish 32 truck, and the gold 27 with the Hilborn hemi were all better choices than the winner to me. The winner doesn't stand out or have any degree of special styling, it looks like totally off the shelf parts painted and assembled. Its got no personality.

If I was to throw my hat in the ring now what kind of wait would I be looking at?

I want to see the actual built kit. I can come up with my own ideas for building it, what I need is to see if it's even worth buying in the first place.