Clunkmeister

The fit of some of the parts in quite, ummmm,… vague. Add to that the the butchery of the fuselage, and there is a fair bit of creative scratchbuilding needed here. The fit of this bulkhead is, what I like to call a “good humor suggestion”. As in I find myself glancing around to see if Im on Candid Camera. So I think it will be easier and quicker to simply make a new bulkhead out of card stock and go from there. Not that I’m surprised. This IS a SHORT RUN kit, and it is advertised as such. I’m convinced an absolutely stunning Helldiver can be created here, but it’s going to be a bit of work. This is the kind of kit I truly enjoy. I actually get bored with the almost snap title Tamiya kits, as my one and only Corsair can testify. It still sits, forlornly waiting for my love. I really should finish it, as the hood stuff is waiting; the finishing.

On and upward. Plenty of fitting, sanding, and lots more fitting. This fuselage is cut almost into pieces. But, we slowly make progress. The only thing secured in place are the cockpit sidewalls and the cockpit bulkhead. One piece at a time, we hopefully will get there, without goobering up the entire thing. And then, thank you Airscale for your amazing 1/32 WW2 Navy and Marines instrument decals. Some placards should liven it right up….

Holy Thread Drift, Batman!

BMW, Rover, Jag, Mercedes, VW, Škoda, and most other European brands

Exactly. Now, it has all the problems expected with older Jag vegetable based wiring looms. Field mice LOVE them. A. Ice, light snack

Funny, it looks like that 57 Custom 300 might sell. A guy wants it Real Bad

Martin, you really oughta find one. But come down here to buy. Not up there. They’re much more common here.

Probably the best all around handling car from the 1950s. Corvette was stiffer ride, but had no comfort. The Thunderbird has gobs of power, power accessories, a d big, heavy duty sway bars to control roll. Plus, they are drop dead gorgeous. And, if you have ever wanted one, now’s the time. There are tons of them around, (they were classics from day 1), and those that loved them are dying, with younger generations preferring Honda’s, not the Tbird. They’ve dropped a TON in value. People still try to get big bucks, but unless it’s a special car like a supercharged or dual quad 57, they can be had for around 20-25 if you’re patient. A 55 like this can be had all day for that kind of money, once the owner realizes it ain’t gonna sell for 40K.

Yep. Got plenty of land, but the city’s rapidly moving close

59 for single seaters, 79 for two seaters. For probably the first 6 years? The Gotha G.lV was 129

Guys wanting original cars are few, now. People dying off. Most guys go for a brand new car with an old body on top with 24” ghetto wheels, etc If I was to do that I’d do a 57 Ford Custom 300 2dr sedan. I happen to have a solid body out back…. A 5.0 Coyote and T56 would turn that into a monster. It came stock with a 9” rear.

100% agree, Jeff, and thanks! I try to achieve the haphazard look on every build, but it’s not always successful. However, I can’t take credit on this one because the seat is the Resin2Detail seat with the belts already molded in place.

Yep. Once, back in the day, single seater Wingnut kits were less than $60 shipped right to your door. That’s half what a Tamiya kit was selling for.

The Chebbie is gone. Sold. Not a Chebbie guy, but my wife thought she’d like it. She didn’t. Replaced by a 55 Sunliner project and paid back some business related accumulated Covid debt. I wouldn’t get rid of the 66 for anything. They drive and handle great in the modern world, 50s cars on the other hand, are cool to look at, full of class and style from a bygone era, but ride like a half melted marshmallow, brake and turn like the Queen Mary, and are blessed (cursed) with an engine way, way more capable than the brakes and suspension can handle. Plus, the steering columns are simple steel pipes, perfect for impaling yourself on in a crash. Yes, guys modify them with newer everything, modern brakes, frames, tilt wheels, modern A/C, cruise, sound systems, stupid huge chrome wheels with rubber band tires, etc, but then they lose their mystique. They end up being simply a modern car that looks old. As difficult as they are to drive in the modern world, they are the best grin maker available this side of a P-51. Your Mustang looks cool, and compared to the 50s stuff, handles and drives like a modern car. You want a 50s car that works in today’s world? Look very closely at 55-57 Thunderbirds. Not crazy expensive, handle GREAT, a lot of power, a ton of them out there, and stupid fun to drive.

It’s. Stubborn son of a gun, no doubt. But the Fuselage basic fit is decent enough, and and careful trial and error fitting should get you there. I’m more concerned about the too deep lower row of windows on the sliding gunner’s greenhouse. Some creative changes will be needed,

Y’all are rank amateurs! I have absolutely NO idea how many kits are in my stash. 3 Lancs: 2x HK and 1x Bordernut 3x B-17: 1x late G, 2x E/F 2x B-24 6x T-28s, both B and C 1:200 Arizona, Titanic/Olympic/Britannic, Hood, Bismarck, Yamato, etc 150+ Wingnut kits Various Tamiya, ZM, Hasegawa, Trumpetboss, and other mainstream kits 1/24 Tiffie of each type, and two 1/24 F6F’s and a complete closet filled with resin: multiple of each HPH kit in 1/32 except for DC-3 and PBY of which are only one each, multiples of all 1/32 Silver Wings and most Lukgraph, HapH 1/72 Russian airliners, and one each 1/48 B-36, B-52, and B-70. I’ve trimmed it down a bit, getting rid of multiples of plastic stuff I might only build one of, but have picked up JetMads Viggen and soon to get Stilleto and Lear. Y’all will have some good pickings once I check out for good. Had done some remodeling of my barn to suit the old car situation, so models have all been moved to the other side of the building.

Back playing around with this. Taking it slow and easy, one problem at a time. With all these extra bits and pieces, it’s almost like a resin build. The 3D pit has been sanded and massaged and tacked in place to check fit. So far, this actually holds a lot of promise. The floor and seat are simply sitting there unsecured. Had to spray a bit of green to fix some sanded areas, so some details need repainting, like the headrest….

And I night recommend AGAINST choosing a Memphis as your next vacation hot spot. Unless you’re looking for a Sarajevo experience right here in the USA.

Well, as y’all know, I’m deep into 1955-56 Ford cars, and I just got back from a week in Memphis, Tn., for the 42nd annual Crown Victoria Association Convention which recognizes all 1954-1956 Fords, Meteors, Monarchs, and Mercury automobiles. Here’s a few pictures of some of the stand outs of the show. Yes, my 56 is there as well. FYI, I do NOT recommend Memphis as a tourist destination any time soon. The city is awash in gang crime and is a real war zone in certain areas of the city. The black 54 Ford convertible has a FACTORY sunroof cut into the convertible top. The solid yellow 55 Ford convertible is loaded with every single factory option available from Ford in 1955, including factory installed air conditioning. the 1955 Police car and 1955 Fire Chief car are both veterans of those Forces and were restored to how they were delivered in 1955. The solid red 1956 Ford 4dr sedan has just 16,250 miles on it and has never been touched it is a perfect unrestored original car. The 1955 Ford 2 dr sedan race car is an original stock car from 1955 restored to as it was when being campaigned. That car still had its original 272 cubic inch V8 and sounded extremely tough, with a WHOLE lot more than the advertised 162 hp. 😙 The 1956 Meteor convertible under construction is on its way to Sweden after being bought by a Swedish Ford and Meteor nut. He wanted Ms. Pink as well, but she ain’t for sale. 😃

Fra-gee-lee…. It’s got to be Italian…

Funny how history gets lost by the feelings of people. The Helldiver was NOT a popular aircraft with its crews. It needed another 5 feet of rear fuselage that the Navy refused to allow, making it moderately unstable and a bit of a handful to fly. BUT, there is no mistaking it’s success: the Helldiver sank more tonnage than any other Allied aircraft in WW2, and that includes TBMs, SBDs, PBJs, PBYs, Swordfish, etc. The SB2C was a very effective weapon against its foes, and was also used to great effect in several wars right up into the 1950s.

Well, someone DID manage to (barely) shoehorn a Merlin into a 1955 Chevrolet.

Texas:

That’s the flag of the Republic of Texas, which we may become again very soon, if all this crap around us continues. Puerto Rico:

Ha! You’re about right, Carl. Probably some of my skin and other DNA assuming I CA my fingers somewhere on the inside. If a second kit is available and cheaply enough, I like the idea of doing that, simply because my memory usually goes kaput 10 seconds after I put the Dremel down. Besides, I’ll be doing a second model, with the wings folded and tail gun stowed. My back’s getting better, it’s just not 100% yet. Soon, hopefully.