jsimmons

Throw the contents away and put more useful stuff into the box.

"Wrong" is, more often than not, a completely subjective term. There are a few instances where "wrong" is actually "wrong", like when I put the dive planes on my dad's 1/72 Gato model backwards. That was "wrong". Painting an engine block the "wrong" color could be interpreted by the casual observer as "artistic license", or "quirky". I say keep going the way you are, and see how it turns out.

I have a bunch of these and noticed that the diameter of springs look just right for coil-overs: http://www.micromark.com/Mini-Clamps-with-Springs-Set-of-5,6467.html

Look for a Ross Gibson resin motor - he makes a lot of different ones including a pro-stock boss 429.

I wish that kit would be repopped (even without decals). It makes a great donor kit for other Ford-based pro-stocks. You can get original issues of the kit on eBay, but the scalpers want a LOT of money for them. I recently got one to serve just as a pattern for my own homemade chassis, and for test fitting the motor and tires in other kits. Easy, yes, but cheap, not so much. Think $30-$50...

I wish this kit was more plentiful. The only ones left are apparently owned by eBay scalpers...

Okay - here's some info for the resin casters out there. A new diecast is now available from Unique Replicas - a 1969 Trans-Am Mustang. There are 5 or 6 in the series, and they're about $50 each. The BIG news is that they're 1/24 scale! Now, if we could get a resin caster out there to at least cast the front clip, we would have an appropriate 1969 nose for the 70 Revell kit.

A related tip - after you paint your stanchions, open the holes up with a pin vise while the stanchions are still on the sprue (this goes for the main deck stanchions as well). Also, don't forget the radio masts that have holes as well. I also found that it's almost impossible to tie a knot in this wire to secure the ends (on the main deck). I glued all the stanchions on, and then threaded the wire through all all of them. I then used pliers to create a sharp bend at one end push it through the end stanchion from the outboard side of the stanchion, and then super-glued it in place. Once the super glue was dry, I snipped off the excess with some side cutters, and it looks great. BTW, the wire comes in black as well if you prefer it. I used the silver on both the gun deck and the main deck, and t looks fine. I've got some lighter 0.10 black stuff that I'm going to use for the antenna wires. I have a progress page here (and it shows the beading wire I used so you can see what brand it is): http://paddedwall.org/plastic/build_GatoSub.aspx

Is there a 1969 trans kit available for the 1/24 scale Revell 1970 Mustang? I actually just need the front clip (light buckets and grill).

I have a couple of NASCAR kits I'm going to restore, and I need to remove glue and paint from the clear plastic windows. What's the best way to remove the paint without ruining the clarity of the plastic?

I used beading wire on a recent Gato submarine build (the big 1/72 scale one from Revell). The beading wire is flexible and even has strands that make it look like rope. I used the .014 wire.

I checked out your "My Models" link. I really like the red Camaro, especially the hood scoop.

I think the rapture has started.

There are plenty of kits on the store shelves. I almost got a 2007 Shelby for just that purpose, but I currently have a lot of Mustangs already in the queue, and all of them will be race cars in one form or another. Wait 'till you see what I do to my '65 R-Model. BTW, my last real 1:1 Mustang was a 65 fastback with a *factory* dual-quad intake (matched Carter carbs running suicide linkage) on a massaged 302, toploader 4-speed, Hurst short-throw shifter, 9-inch gusseted rear end with 31-spine axles, aluminum drive shaft, and disc brakes all around. The interior was gutted, and only contained two non-adjustable fiberglass racing seats, a roll cage, and 5-point racing harnesses (I didn't even have the rubber matts or a glovebox door). All removable body panels were replaced with fiberglass components, including the rear bumper (I had a r-model front facia on it). I completely rebuilt the mechanicals myself (including front end, tranny, and rear end). The really cool thing about it was that it was my daily driver. It wasn't built for drag racing, but when I took it up to OCIR (before they shut it down), it turned low 13's in the 1/4-mile - on pump gas and street tires. As you can see, I'm of the same frame of mind as you.

Sometimes, you simply can't glue parts together ahead of time. Glue needs bare plastic for a reliable bond. I remove the paint from (or try to not paint) an area that I know to be a glue interface. Any number of techniques work for this. Last night, I had to glue some stanchions onto the deck of the 1/72 Gato submarine kit I'm building for my dad. I had painted the deck, and had to remove that paint from the stanchion holes. I got a toothpick, cut off one end, sanded that end flat, and dipped it in brush cleaner. I then used a small piece of paper towel to remove the remaining thinner. Problem solved. I've also uses a paint brush dipped in thinner, pointy-paddle q-tips dipped in thinner, or an exacto knife. If I remove too much paint, I have a bottle of the right paint and do small touch-ups with a brush.

I think the wire wheels up front adds a touch of class to the model. Well done.

I honestly didn't know what a XR4i was, but when I googled it, I actually found a picture of a 1:1 pro-stock car. Anyway, I suppose you might have a point - I certainly am not that enamored with euro cars, but a well-built model supported by outstanding pictures would probably stand a pretty good chance of being voted on. When you get right down to it, a people's choice contest is the most unpredictable kind, and your only hope is that most of the voting public likes your entry more than the next guy. I'm thinking that for the first couple of contests, we should not have themes at all, and instead just have the three main categories, just to see what kind of entries we get. If it looks like changes need to be made (and if there's continued interest in the contests), it would be relatively easy to make those changes. One thing you should probably consider - the vast majority of people on this forum are from the U.S, and therefore, are probably more incluined to vote for a model of an American car. If you aren't from the U.S., and you want to enter a model that isn't somehow "Americanized" (tailored to an American automotive palette), it would certainly behove you to consider that probablity before entering a model. I'm not saying it WILL happen that way, but at the same time, you honestly shouldn't expect a different outcome.

Uncomfortable with the visuals... Please stop.

Right now, I'm building 1/24. I wish there was more 1/24 resin stuff available. When you have to "make do" with 1/25, things start to look a bit wacky... The Ross Gibson engines are 1/25, I haven't actually seen one, but I imagine they would be WAY too small for my 1/24 projects.

Well, I've decided to just build new ones, but I can't leave the old ones alone. I'm gonna turn one into a 4x4, and the other into a pro-stock. The benefit is that I get some spare parts, and I get to do some scratch-building. I think I'll call the 4x4 a "Monster Carlo".

Other possible uses for styrene spoons - fender flares, hood scoops, and clear spoons can be used for headlight/taillight/turn signal lenses or bubble windows on vans...

I got an oak entertainment center, added a back, glass shelves, glass doors (and some oak 1x1 strips channeled for the doors), and puck lighting, and ended up with this: http://paddedwall.org/diecast/pics_displaycase.aspx The pictures are kind of old, but you get the idea. I have over 500 diecast and plastic models on display right now.

Does anyone here use a CAD program to visualize their custom chassis creations? If so, which one(s) would you recommend? I'm looking for something that's free/almost free. I just downloaded Google SketchUp, but haven't installed it yet. If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears.

I'm waiting to see you scratch-build the tires and wheels...

I measured the parts on a 1987 Bob Glidden pro stock T-bird, and here's what I found (according to my handy-dandy micrometer): Main frame - 2.49mm (0.098 in) A-Arm struts - 1.53mm (0.06 in) Roll cage - 2.36mm (0.093 in) I decided to use the .125 for the main frame rails, .100 for frame cross members and the roll cage, and .80 for the support struts.