Yes, I know - as I said in the original post, the confusion it's widespread. I can find locally at one of the hardware stores, Kooyman - it is a similar chain to ACE Hardware and alikes you have in US, but this one it is a Dutch brand. However, their merchandize (in Caribbean at least) it's 90% US import.

And the postman came to visit me... there a few things he brought:

A little tractor here:

Again, I am disappointed by Revell marketing. Not only that is listed as a level 4 (with under 100 parts), but glue it is not required (snap-fit). More yet: the demonstrative kits sent to different reviewers had colour instructions and options of decals and stickers, while my kit has black and white instructions manual and no stickers. Now, none of this it's a deal breaker for me and the price was good, but their policy it is still annoying; if I would have bought this kit for a hypothetical son, I'd be very mad just now for the grayscale instructions and lack of stickers. I still feel cheated, although at the end of the day does not really matter.

Another kit I was scouting for a while it's this beautiful '50 Olds. It seems to be a fine Revell-Monogram. I might be wrong because of insufficient evidence, but I think that under California Wheels label one can find the finest Revels on the American market.


Here's a kit that I was avoiding for a while, then adding it back to my shopping cart, and repeat Finally I decided to drop de money:

What kept me away so far was the Lindberg genealogy. After I've seen multiple YT build reviews, I took the risk and I'm glad I did (so far). In the box, the kit looks rather good.

Here's something I cannot explain myself:

I bought a Chevy! I don't know what's wrong with me! I don't know if you have noticed it, but not even AMT didn't spelled Chevrolet on the box, opting for Monte Carlo instead. I understand them! Seriously now, this is supposedly one of the best AMTs on the market, and upon superficial inspection, it look so! Probably I'm going to make a de-badged version, with a swapped Ford engine or som'thing

I decided to give a try to these PE buckles from Gofer Racing. The "belts" don't look too convincing to me, but the buckles are OK.


And some liquors to go with the kits:


Nothing what you don't know about, but please if I might have your attention for this one:

I always said that Testors / Model Masted and Rust-oleum (tins) are the same, but it was an educated guess. Now I have the proof:


Now I have to debunk Krylon too!

Besides all these things I shown here, I bought also some Aqua Gloss (they have replaced the annoying breaking plastic cap with a metallic one), some BMF (chrome and gold) and some laser decal paper to push on with my rally Dacia 1100 and maybe - one future day - with the Scirocco.

Cheers!
Gabriel

You are off my Christmas card list now, and you are banned from ever receiving any AutoModeler ribbons, permanently!

Make that something a Hemi

The guys at Roadkill did the Hemi thing to a shoebox.

Cheers Jesper and Joel

Yep - it's playing like a dream! I always find when I get a new guitar, it inspires new ideas - because every guitar (however subtle the change) makes you play a little differently. What's striking with the Eastman is that, not only is it leading me in new directions, but it's got me playing some of the old stuff better!

Getting back to Auto Modeler - we seem to be getting something of a routine happening now that I'm back at work at Oxfam, so I hope to get back to the workbench and my '57 Del Rio soon.

All the best

Rowan

Rowan,
I'm hoping to see it cross the finish line before the 1st snow falls.

Joel

Gabriel,
Rustoleum is the parent company.

As for the Dark Brown and Gray Tamiya panel line wash, I do use the Brown and it looks good. But the gray is barely visible, so I mix it with Black for a dark gray every so often.

My Gloss coat must really be old as the label is black & white, or is it just that the label is for a different market?

Joel

Thanks for the ideas, guys! A Hemi engine will be cool indeed. Let me see what I can scavenge from my spares. And the "Blapsphemi" motive it's about right as well

Joel, thanks for extra info. The gray I bought just to use on white(ish) color. For most of the time I prefer brown variations, and for panel lines I use almost in exclusivity black.

Gabriel

Even being down with a migraine I managed to get to the LHS to pick up the two truck kits I and treated myself to a new release of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon kit. Now has the factory Moab wheels and a stock roll cage included.





I opened the Ford kit and I'm going to be able to kit mingle with the DM600 (when I finally pick it up) and do the Ford as a day cab single drive and use the Ford dump body on the Mack, all the parts are in the kit to do it as the dump, a tandem drive day cab or the single drive day cab.

Round 2 did nothing to improve the instructions, they are still typical AMT vagueness.

Hi Joel

Which year are we talking about?

All the best

Rowan

Rowan, another beautiful addition to the string section! It looks really well made and I've been hearing only good things about the Eastman range. I've never spent much time playing a hollow-body, but one of my favourite guitar-slingers is Brian Setzer and I just love the tone of his Gretsch. Maybe one day!

David, very nice additions there, you're all set for the Big Rigs Group Build now!

Cheers, D

Rowan,
After knowing your for years and years, 2021-2022 winter seems about right.

Joel

Hi Joel

That sounds fair enough - I might make that if I don't get entangled in other projects...

@ Damian - Do check out Eastmans if you get the chance. Based on my experience, they really do live up to all the reviews. Compared with my vintage Epiphone Casino, this "335" is in a different league. For one thing, it's so resonant - it really lives up to the semi-acoustic definition, because it's loud acoustically. It's also a very different beast to a Gretsch - if you get the chance, try them out together to see what suits you best.

Obviously, with all the current lockdowns, I haven't had a chance to take it out "live" (gigging again is one of this year's big plans that's been scrapped for the foreseeable future) - but, going by home tests (with the neighbours' sanity at the forefront!) the Seymour Duncan Antiquity pick-ups should be amazing!

All the best

Rowan

Picked this up from my LHS to add to my Mustang collection:-

Richard,
Great kit. I should know as I got one too.

Joel

What Joel said. Can't wait to start mine.

A small parcel from the Postie today:

Harness set for the '55 Chevy Pro Sportsman


Silver 1.5mm diameter braid for the drag chute lines on the '55 Chevy Pro Sportsman


Plaid upholstery decals so add some interior interest on the '57 Nomad I'm planning for the next Group Build.


Cheers, D

Some more after market goodies, a second PE/Resin upgrades set for my Accurate Miniatures Corvette Grand Sport duo, and some black flocking to try out on one of my pending builds.


Cheers, D

Finally my Tamiya 1/24 scale Ford Mustang GT4 arrived the other day. Now all I have to do is decide which sponsor and paint scheme to model. The kit has two different cars and Indy Cals has four different schemes.



Joel

I'm going to be doing the Leadfoot gray in either the stock Tamiya decals or the Goodwood Festival from Indycals. Love that color in real life and curious how the Gravity compares to the real deal.

David,
I had already checked out the Gravity site

https://gravity-colors.com/model-car-paints/ford-lead-foot-gray/

And the color looks dead on to me.

I'll most likely be doing one of the Motorcraft schemes with a basic white base color. Just color me boring and so predictable.
Joel

Joel, the bottle arrived the other day. It looks good in the bottle, I'd just like to compare it at the dealership that is a few miles from my house. They have a Leadfoot Gray Mustang and F-150 on the lot.

Ok Tamiya, where's my 1/24 new Camaro?

D
Actually, I'd love one of these 2020 IMSA GT4 Camaros. Wouldn't surprise me if Tamiya is just waiting to see how well the Mustang GT4 does world wide compared to GT3 cars.



Joel

It's been 7 weeks since I dropped a Chevy in the mix here, there's something fundamentally wrong with that!

I finally managed to pick up the final chapter in my 53/54/55 Corvette trilogy, factory sealed box and all!



The same body and interior as the '53 and '54, but with the little 265 V8 in place of the Blue Flame straight-6.


Cheers, D