64Comet404

Great colour choice. I should get back to work on my Fujimi 356 Speedster at some point in time.

Mike, in the series, did Gibbs ever describe it as a '71? The only character I remember describing it as a '71 was Fornell (right after he grounded the chassis when driving into a gas station at speed!). All the R/T badging, stripes, and front and back treatment mark it as being a '70. Just curious...

Always nice to see someone doing something with a Bugsmasher! I was happy to see that ICM tooled up a nice 1:48 Expeditor kit (now offered by Revell), because the 1:72 offerings were pretty weak in detail and accuracy (esp. the Hobbycraft version, looks like a straight pantograph of the PM molds). I still enjoy building aircraft, even though my completion rate has shrunk to (maybe) 1-2 kits per year.

I almost bought one back in 1990, an '85 SE with the V6 and stick. Nice car, but it drove like the clutch was always engaged. Still like the look of them, though.

I have the Airfix DC3/C-47 in the stash. Great detail, the nose has the right contours to my eye. Haven't decided whether I will build it in civilian or RCAF colours yet.

I never noticed it before, but the licence number on Gibbs' Challenger is the same as Jim Rockford's Firebird!!!

Part of the issue with these kits is that they were not tooled by Monogram, but by Aurora. Aurora's kits were not tooled in-house, but by companies who would not have access to the 1:1 cars (from what I have read, I believe the tools were crafted by HMS Associates in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. There were some neat features to the kits, but there were details which would have been caught quickly by a look at the 1:1 prototype. Revell, being located in the Los Angeles area, would have had better access to imported cars (both through owners and dealerships), which probably accounts for the greater fidelity on the XK-E roadster. having written that, I still have a Maserati and Ferrari in the build pile, because I remember how exciting it was to build these kits back when they first were reissued by Monogram in the late 1970s. Opening doors, trunks, and the level of engine detail were impressive to see at the time (even if the front of the 250GTO reminded me of a goldfish...).

The T-Birds and Cougars are great cars. Owned one of each back in the day (non-supercharged, unfortunately), and they would just cruise all day. I have the models, just need to build them.

I have some etched fencing material that replicates that pattern. It's made by Scale Scenics, and you should be able to find it in the train section of your LHS.

Looks great! Great job on the '92 taillights.

I have had success with the CA de-bonder, but it can affect the clarity of the windows. Not a problem if you are replacing the glass, but still. Sometimes you can get lucky. I once bought a '65 Barracuda from the pre-NNL sunrise trunk sale. Heavily glued, but I figured I could save it with the glass from a Hemi Under Glass. Placed it in the sink at the hotel to clean off the dust and dirt. Shortly after the car began its soak, the whole car disassembled itself! It had been assembled with lots of white glue, and was pristine underneath.

The Viva came back in a three-car set back about 15 years ago, but the others haven't been seen in decades. I know I had heard reports about some of the car tooling being left outside to decay back in the Heller/Airfix days, so who knows what is available.

The Victor estate was modified, along with the Ford Capri and Ford Zodiac, into 1970s style street machines. Don't know if there's enough left to bring it back. The Beach buggy and Jag are really nice kits with full detail. It took me a long time to find the Buggy, recently began to start building mine (you're welcome, ,by the way).

I didn't need to see that completed, now I want one...

But what happens when this one hits the jump ramp? ?‍♂️

Airfix also did a nice kit of the Dauphine in 1:32. Hasn't been available in decades, but I have come across a few over the years.

The Uncertain T was a Monogram tool, said to have been scrapped long, long ago. I agree with you that it would be nice to have the King T and Wild Dream back in their original forms, though.

I use a cutting ball in my Dremel, just go between the outside of the rim and the inner circle, until I can see light through the holes. After that, I finish the job with files and sanding sticks.

Wavy body lines, blurry decals, ripply chrome...this is probably the best representation of an out of box build that Round2 has shown of this kit!?

Tamiya PS paints are a lot less volatile than other R/C paints, but a good primer coat is needed. I have sprayed PS paints over Tamiya primers successfully, but test first before committing.YMMV.

Steelies went to about 1972-73, then five slot wheels until about 1980. Five hole and nine hole wheels came in around 1979-80, and the five-holes were used to around 1988. There are no real hard and fast dates on the earlier wheels, because I am certain you can find pictures of later cars running earlier wheels (independent teams trying to make every last cent count). I believe the five holes disappeared because so many were chrome-plated, and NASCAR banned chrome wheels due to difficulties in detecting cracks in the metal.

This is my first completion of the year. It's a Tamiya model of a late 1930's Citroen 11BL, built as a civilian vehicle during World War II. Mostly Tamiya paint, though I did use Gravity Butternut Yellow for the wheels. Chrome is a mix of Alclad and Molotow. It still needs a good wipe-down to remove smudges, but it's ready for first pics.

Loved these Audi Quattros back in the day. Now if a company would do a big Healey rally car. I have a magazine in which Michelle Mouton and Pat Moss drove each others' rally rides, and it was an entertaining article.

I built a RCMP Caprice back in the day, but the only decals available were from Fred Cady. As soon as I finished it, the WaterMark decals showed up in the shops. I think I still have the OPP sheet around here somewhere.

It's a good question, Casey. Personally, I think that Round2 kept the car and sci-fi kits, and sold the old aircraft, ship, and educational models to Atlantis. The subject matter is a bit more in line with what both companies offer to their customers.