Artful69

This has happened to me a couple of times - usually with Revell kits from UK (to Australia). Since the retailer should know the product they are about to ship (and therefore it’s susceptibility to damage), it is therefore, their responsibility to ensure packaging is befitting the product and the journey it is about to take. I’ve torn retailers a new one and had 3 entire model kits replaced by retailers for failing to take due diligence in packaging their product. The double cost of product AND shipping (not to mention the time wasted with customer complaint etc) should teach them to focus more on “Do it once, do it right” ... don’t let them get away with it!!! - Plastic unharmed or no - if you were a collector, the packaging is everything!! Rog

The last box of the recent spate of orders arrived today ... A small one ... With a massive turned metal barrel (for the Tiger) and bits to put it together. ... and a couple of turned metal machine gun barrels for the Pz.38(t) Now I have to pick a kit for a WIP I can't build the Luch's because they don't come with the metal barrel and I can't find anywhere with 2 in stock at the moment So that leaves the Pz.IV.H, the Tiger, the Panther and the Pz.38(t) ... decisions, decisions! Rog

I've had a look thanks!! ... There's a fair asking price for a lot of that stuff ... and that set costs way more than the tank itself. Don't get me wrong - I might just jump at a couple of figurines ... If I can find out how to buy!! ... Jeff Shiu's web page advertises prices ... but there's no cart?? Rog

Today my next BIG Tank arrived ... Supplied by Gazza via trade ... If anyone seeks to trade with him at any point - do so with confidence ... the way this thing was packaged, it would've survived Hiroshima!! This discontinued Pz.38(t) by Panda could have probably had the tooling maximised by creating an early war boxing (Ausf.B) ... or the later Panzerjäger 38(t) 'Hetzer'. And ... of course there's the customary turret shot Rog

Oooooh ... what's this like?? ... I have the older smart kit with Magic Track ... Rog

On the weekend, I picked up a couple of books I had on backorder at my local ... And then today ... this big box arrived ... It's my BIG 1/16 Panther Ausf.G Late ... And for scale ... the customary turret shot ... I have another BIG Tank inbound ... and some metal barrels ... and then I'll decide which of these suckers I'm going to try to build. Rog

Nice work to date Harv Rog

My goodness ... How the hell did I miss this one too!! Belated Happy Birthday Carl!! Rog

Happy Birthday!! Rog

Oh its scenic all right!! ... Especially if you come off at certain points. It's one of the most complex and gruelling enduro race circuits in the world. Every year we get drivers from competitions around the world try to score a ride with one of the teams ... during the Group-A era there were international teams that showed up to race here - just at that circuit. Here's our best ever winner, Peter Brock (9 Times) ... in 1986 talking you through a lap in his VK 5.0L Commodore. This one earned the main driver a new nickname ... They called him "Lightning Larry Perkins". From outright last ... to winner in 1995 ... I remember watching this one all day Rog

Most of our stuff in the late 60's through early 80's was developed with racing in mind - as it came from the factory ... or close to... most specifically the annual Bathurst enduro where the phrase "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" held true for us. That race track is it's own piece of Australian legend ... and winning it is Australian Motorsports greatest prize. Different manufacturers took different approaches ... a very unique type of Holden designed with Bathurst firmly in view was the Torana ... originally a straight 6 cylinder, Holden realised as the 70's wore on that they would have to upgrade to a V8 if they were to compete effectively with Ford ... The 1977 LX SL/R 5000 (308ci or 5.0L V8) at only 4.5m x 1.7m is an awesome piece of kit!! Bear in mind these are unmodified factory releases complete with scoops, spoilers and wheel arch flares!! The JDM stuff comes with its own version of "Muscle Car" type history ... The Nissan R32 GT-R Skyline was developed as a Group-A racer, where very few modifications were allowed for track racing and so the basic chassis/power train is almost entirely the same as what you get out on the track ... and when Group-A became a part of Australian Motorsport for a season, they dominated. Subaru WRX's, Mitsubishi Lancer EVO's, Toyota Celica GR-4's were all bred for rally work ... engines designed for high rev ranges, turbos, short gearing, all wheel drive systems etc etc ... Rog

Ok ... first ... The interceptor ... was BASED on the XB Coupe Hardtop below: There was a huge amount of modification made to the external shape of the vehicle ... the idea being that in was supposed to represent a future design and the "last" of the V8's ... Which of course it wasn't ... the XC Falcon (easily distinguishable by its rectangular headlights) was produced in the same basic body shape before the all new XD started the next generation. The standard police interceptor was just based on the four door Falcon sedan below ... The point is ... none of those cars were real ... they were altered a fair way to try to represent something from "not too far in the future". And while I have no objections whatsoever to modified vehicles and "street machines" ... and the interceptor IS a thing of beauty (if only that clutch blower was real!!!) ... the interceptor is about as far from an XB Falcon as my 71 Valiant Charger was ... Lol ... I had to look up the GXP ... from 2009 right?? ... This is the VE Commodore I was referring to (2nd last Commodore version) ... the 6.2 made it's way over into the very last iteration of the very last model here (the VF series II) ... and thats my "Holy Grail" car ... a manual SS-V Redline VF Series II ... Theres a fair amount of torque being applied to the pavement when the loud pedal is pressed - I have no doubt you get a little of the sideways action I'm tempted to dyno' my ute before and after when I do the exhaust and intake upgrades next year ... the gains are substantial I hear Rog

Well now ... "The one most people are familiar with" could be any of them ... The Falcon XB - 1973-1976 (manufactured as a slight variation on the XA design, which continued on through the XB and XC) was developed on 5 different body styles ... the standard 4 door sedan, the 2 door coupe hardtop, the 5 door wagon, the 2 door utility and the 2 door panel van ... depending on any given persons style preference and knowledge of model variants - familiarity could be any of them ... I know a dude who grew up in the late 60's early 70's that is totally obsessed with panel vans ... and has the Chrysler Drifter and Holden Sandman as well as the Ford variant of that era. Over here ... the GT is likely to be the focus of muscle car heads in either sedan or coupe format ... wagons are extremely rare and therefore pull some solid currency ... and then of course, there's the old Aussie Ute of which I am a fan. Rog

From my studies, long ago, into Am Muscle cars and Australia Muscle Cars ... most of our "Big" cars would have been classified as "Compact" in the USA. I remember back in the 90's working on a 59 Cadillac some idiot imported here and clearly recall standing in the engine bay torquing up the intake manifold bolts, on a big block, with space between my butt and the radiator ... I was little thinner than now, of course ... and the fan was removed ... but you get the idea. I recommended a licensed harbour pilot be hired to manoeuvre the thing through the suburbs. Having said that ... the modern Commodores (Holden) and Falcons (Ford) are pretty decent sized. The VE SS Commodore (2006 - 2012) was exported to the USA as a Pontiac G8 in 2008/09 (I think??) ... I don't know how common those things are or if you've seen one. My VF SS Ute is 5.1m long and certainly takes up more room than its predecessor - The Fiesta ST. Rog

The Hobby Boss Tiger's simplicity is certainly reflected in the price! ... Although it does have just about everything you'd need to create a decent static display model. There's a lot of "moulded on" stuff - yet the detail isn't poorly defined. Theres very little internal detail ... I've purchase an AM Aber metal barrel - which cost about 2/3 of the kit price and really is a necessity on anything this size. You can tell by the gear wheel for the turret that this kit was originally designated as an RC unit. The reality is - apart from a few small errors that you can find with a quick Google search, and a lack of interior detail (which won't make any difference if you keep the hatches buttoned up or stuff a figure in there) - It should build nicely! Rog

Ok ... So the latest batch of stuff arrived and ... A really big box at my front door today ... A Tiger and a Pz.IV Ausf.H Pulled the turret out of both for an idea of the scale ... Conclusion: 1/16 Scale is freaking HUGE I have a couple more on the way ... Once I have a look through the kits and see what AM needs I have for each, I'll pick one to do a WIP. It seems it's unlikely to be the Tiger - I've ordered a metal barrel already, knowing that the kit didn't have one. The Hobby Boss kit seems to be a very simplified one with a couple of small accuracy issues ... As a stark comparison, there is the Trumpeter Kit - which comprises of a multitude of parts, with PE, Copper cable and a turned metal barrel included in the kit. Loving it so far ... Rog

Hey hey .... I'm from Australia ... and although we still do have SOME Imperial measurements here ... We have been happily using decimal measurements for decades! Rog

... and when I get time I’ll be more than happy to do one!! Rog

Excellent - but Dragonesque in terms of parts count ... It's going to be a major project. It's also Big ... the turret is nearly the size of my palm ... parts look to be nicely detailed From what I can tell with a quick look - They are both the same with different markings - and the 4th Pz Div has some extra dressy bits (like a stack of Jerry Cans) I think ... I'll have a closer look on the weekend. The kit itself (as stated above) looks rather parts heavy ... Yes it was from Metro's (I had them on back order as - at the last re-stock done, they disappeared rather quick). Cost is $190 AUD with free shipping (domestic) - pretty good for a 1/16 kit. I've got my eye on a Panther G if Trumpy doesn't hurry up with me Pz.Kfpw.III Ausf.M ... and I want to have a shot at backdating the Pz.Kfpw.IV Ausf.F2 to a north African F.1 - I may even try to backdate a III.M to a J for the same sort of deal. The hardest bit is going to be chasing up a Takom Pz.I Ausf.A ... (although I think these are being reissued as an Ausf.B) ... and I need to find a a Panda Pz.38(t) Rog

It's been a while since I had anything to post here ... This book arrived a couple of weeks ago - another great book from Rich at Chandos Publications: But I knew this box was on the way so I thought I'd wait ... Because its a bulk purchase they sent one of these ... TBH I'd rather a $50 voucher for Dan Murphys so I can grab a carton of Crownies and watch the footy. 1/35 scale is good for dioramas .... But I've decided that bigger is better for stand alone displays and so this is my first foray in 1/16 with more on the way ... And ... I know, I KNOW it's a turd ... but all those nose guns ... and someone is bound to make some AM corrections. Rog

Awesome work!! Rog

I'm wondering if I can can do it while utilising and editing some of the existing parts?? Rog

lol ... thanks for the info here mate ... Looking at a couple of my builds - you're right ... crapola!! Some fancy scratch work required here!!! Rog

I figured as much ... as it was still a 75mm caliber weapon the only changes should be the length, muzzle brake and increased shell casing/charge size for the projectile. I was thinking about the mantlet etc ... or any other features of the vehicle ... Thanks mate! Rog P.S. ... and then this guy chips ^^^^^ in!!!

Lol ... thanks Carl better is the weekend though ... No appointments, no work, no visiting ... just RR for me this one!! Rog