What would you do if your local county government used your tax money to buy a luxury car? Hit ’em with your Hot Wheels!
In the European country of Croatia, residents in one county protested the government purchase of a luxury car by piling Hot Wheels, Matchbox and other toy cars on the steps of the county building in Sisak.
A corrupt county administrator spent $76-thousand USD in tax money to buy herself a German luxury Audi. She made a false flag claim, saying she needs a car equipped with special electronics to make her daily commutes to work “safe”!
14 September 2013 (22:11 UTC-07 Tango 13 September 2013)/09 Dhu ‘l-Qa’da 1434/23 Shahrivar 1391/10 Xin-You (8th month) 4711
Click pics to make bigger and read why the instructions are wrong:
AMT-ERTL & Hobby Heaven reissued the early 1970s MPC Multi-Maverick kit. They even reissued the original confusing instructions.
The reissue kit reminded me why I had so much trouble building dragster kits as a kid in the mid-1970s. The instructions show you attaching the headers in step 1, but if you do you can’t get the engine onto the chassis. Headers/exhaust pipes must be attached after the engine & chassis are mated.
I installed this firewall as per the artwork on the box. The instructions didn’t mention it and I found out why. If you build the car with the extended wheelbase, and the engine moved forward, the firewall contacts the engine preventing the body from properly resting on the chassis.
The kit allows you to build two options; a standard wheelbase or extended wheelbase dragster. It says not to glue on the fender mods so you can switch between set ups, but for practical race time handling, I mean display purposes your choice should be permanent.
A major reminder of why I didn’t get along with dragster kits in the 1970s; suspension components are frustratingly fiddly & fragile!
The suspension parts can be easily broken when removed from the sprues, and the instruction’s rigging template for the front suspension was no help. I used a slow setting glue while fanagling the parts into place.
The fuel can in front of the engine is not how the instructions would have you mount it. It won’t fit with the engine in the forward position, unless you turn it sideways. Also, there’s no definite location point. The belt on the supercharger (blower) is plastic and snapped right on. No mention of it in the instructions. In fact, in step 1 you’re told to use string to make a belt, then in step 9 you’re told to use a rubber band. The ‘C’ notch in the front of the chassis is so the belt drive can fit when the engine is in the forward position, however, I still had to thin it greatly to get the engine to fit.
Another problem: The body hinge bar. Instructions tell you to insert the bar into the chassis, then glue it to attachment notches on the body. So called ‘notches’ are almost nonexistent. On top of that when I closed down the body the wheel wells didn’t line up with the Altered wheelbase.
You get one flimsy rod to hold up the heavy body, when you’re not busy racing down the strip.
4 kits bashed to make a unique 2006 Mustang Funny Car.
Chassis from Revell’s Vega dragster kit. The 429 V8 engine came from Revell/Monogram’s 1970 Boss 429 Mustang. The molded on automatic transmission was cut from the 429. The Vega’s supercharger, transmission and exhausts fit with very little modifications.
Two Revell 2006 Bullet Mustangs were chopped to make a long nosed Mustang Funny car.
What was that about measure twice, cut once? A lot of bondo and sanding coming up.
All openings were filled and smoothed.
Those plastic bread bag clips were used to join the body parts together. They are made from the same polystyrene plastic.
More body putty and sanding. I added plastic strip at the bottom because I got carried away and cut too much from one spot (maybe it’ll also help hold the body parts more securely).
The Boss 429 cubic inch (7 liter) V8 looks good. The Vega came with a 426 ci Hemi.
I used a wing from a crashed up rail dragster. I had to make a new fence from plastic sheet.
I tried protecting the windshield as I cut it for the Funny Car, unfortunately it still cracked.
White decals sheet was used to create a company sponsor with red marker. The kit is for an employee of WinCo.
Decals came from the Revell Vega and Revell/Monogram Boss 429 Mustang kits, as well as AMT kits and a fragile Slixx Decals set.
The silver strips came from an AeroMaster silver decal sheet.
The black lettering came from a sheet of stickers.
Now you can see the damaged windshield. Racing damage, yeah that’s it, racing damage.
Open wide! In hindsight I should have used a wider/stronger chassis as the modified 2006 Mustang body is very heavy.
Lots of putty, sanding, thick red paint, lots of decals followed by thick clear lacquer, helps smooth hacked up body joins.
An old MPC custom Corvette and an AMT 1995 Corvette, missing parts, broken or unusable parts, combined to make a unique kit.
The body & interior of the MPC kit was used. Missing or unusable side windows and removable top.
Fuel cap came from Revell 2006 Ford Mustang kit.
MPC interior.
Wheels from AMT 1995 Corvette, tires from my spares. Rear wheels were ‘made to fit’ the fat meats.
Hood had to be drastically sanded as it was hit with a glue bomb. Looked like previous builder painted glue on it.
Front spoiler is from old Opel GT kit. It’s being used to keep the hood from sliding off, I couldn’t build a functioning hinge system in the time I gave myself to build the kit.
1995 Corvette engine with impromptu battery & brake cylinder locations.
’95 Corvette chassis had to be narrowed, and drastically shortened (one of the reasons why I didn’t have a working hood hinge system).
Taillights are paint with lots-o-clear (too much on a couple).
From a couple of cheapo junkyard kits bought on the internet, I was able to make a decent and unique looking custom Corvette.
The COPO Nova was a stripped down issue from the factory with a big 427 ci (6.9 liter) V8 and four speed manual transmission (aka a Sleeper).
I like it when the kit comes with decals for the instrument panel. Other details on the dash were dry brushed with a toothpick. Note that the steering wheel has the SS logo on it.
For some reason I wanted to try that Krylon Glitter Blast paint, for a 1970s look on the interior (I had a bike that had similar glitter colored seat). The first can I tried blew the nozzle right off, and I couldn’t get it back on. Threw it into the dumpster with paint blasting out. A second can resulted in the same thing, the glitter is so big that it gets stuck in the outlet of the spray can.
Engine compartment looks great straight from the box, and with some careful painting.
Nice looking chassis. Road grime is homemade (never throw away your old bottle of thinner, with all that gunk at the bottom).
Kit Bashing: Wheels, tires and disc brakes are not from this kit. Wheels/tires are from Revell’s 2006 Bullet Mustang kit. Disc brakes from Revell’s recent issue of their 1966 El Camino (they had to be jury rigged into place).
More paint experiments: The body is Rust-Oleum’s Hammered Green, and the hood is HD’s flat black.
Hammered Green looks like painter’s disaster known as orangepeel. The kit comes with the plain jane COPO grill, as well as the SS grill.
Ooops, out-o-focus. At least you won’t see the screw ups I made at the very end.
Valspar Gloss Lacquer Varnish was used on the Hammered Green. The Bullet Mustang wheels got Chevy Bowtie decals, left over from the El Camino kit.
The clear coat only slightly filled in the Hammered look of the paint. It’s very shiny, and prone to greasy fingerprints.
The hood got a clear coat of Plaid acrylic matte. The inner lip of the front fender wells had to be sanded slightly thinner so the Bullet Mustang tires would fit inside. I think the problem was caused by the way I mounted the disc breaks on the front suspension.
Not bad for an almost straight from the box build. Heater hoses did not come with the kit.
Re-issue of AMT’s old Opel GT kit. Has lots-o-extra parts for what could be optional builds, yet no mention in the instructions, and extras are not complete.
I though it would look neat with a supercharged V6 engine. There were some extra parts suggesting that at one point you could get the kit with a supercharger.
There are no attachment points for the engine, it’s secured at the transmission mount.
Classic ‘stingray’ look of the Opel GT. The rear wheels are smoothies, which came with the kit. However, only three come in the re-issue. You get two complete sets of stock type wheels, like the ones on the front.
The small instruments are gauge faces I printed on paper. The large instruments are dry brushed.
The kit’s interior looks a lot better with a little creative painting.
The rear ‘meats’ (fat tires) came from a kit of a 1990s Corvette. They actually look small on the Corvette.
The front tires are the kit issued stock tires.
The fan belt set up came with the kit, and is obviously for a supercharger, yet no supercharger came with it. I used a supercharger from a old AMT 1940s Ford kit. Of course it had to be shortened for the V6, and I flipped the belt drive pulley to clear the distributor.
The kit was a last minute build as a gift, so no time for engine bay detailing, which this old kit sorely needs. Note how big the V6 distributor is, most distributors for V8 kits are half this size!
The kit came with drag racing headers, which exhausted under the car, yet there is no mention of them in the instructions. You’ll discover there are a lot of missing steps in the instructions.
Tail/rudder looks good. I didn’t compare anything else to the scale drawings, over all it should look good when assembled. The best thing is that this new kit cost me only eight bucks, MSRP!!!
Main wing might be a hair oversize, the sidwinder launch rail is too long. The elevators look right. By the way, the air intakes are too thick.
1/72 drawings by SuzukiYukio. The fuselage appears close in length, but from the intakes back it is too narrow. Recessed panel lines are hit and miss.
The kit seat should be replaced with an aftermarket resin seat, like this one parked in an old ESCI F-5A.
There is detail on the instrument panels, as well as optional decals. Both are not accurate, and the decals are slightly bigger than the plastic parts.
Nice looking sidewinder missiles. The Mk 82 bombs look skinny, but they come with two types of extended fuses.
Engine exhausts have internal details.
Some bloggers spread rumors that this kit was a re-hash of an older kit. The only thing that looks like a re-hash is this crappy pilot figure!
The old ESCI F-5A kit comes with two healthier looking re-fuel probes.
There is also a too skinny re-fueling probe. Instructions do not indicate which aircraft it’s for, but my references show the Brazilian version using it.
Two types of external fuel tanks, detail on the inside of the main gear doors. Extra antennas, however the instructions do not indicate which version they are for.
….so maybe the actuators from an old ESCI F-5A kit can be made to fit?
….since the canopy actuator looks the same on all F-5/F-20 variants….
Seperate canopy & windshield, two landing lights. Hobby Boss provides a crude ‘L’ block to hold the canopy open…
….and one Brazilian and one Swiss aircraft.
Color guide for USN & USMC agressors….
Nice looking decals. Includes stencils for Mark 82 bombs, Sidewinder missiles and external fuel tanks.
For some reason, the retailer I got this from had listed it in their hardcopy catalog as one of Hobby Boss’s “Easy Assembly” kits. It is not, it has too much detail, but it does look easy to assemble. Unfortunately the kit does not come with optional opened bleed air vents, as depicted in the box art.
Photos by AAron Hutchins. Model kit builders take note of the mass of raised rivets all over the tank-killer. Click pics to make bigger:
Go Idaho!
In 2007 the USAF decided to replace the wings of A-10s, allowing to American Stuka to soldier on until 2040, supposedly saving taxpayers $1.3-billion in the long run!
The awesome A-10 is the last of Idaho’s Air National Guard air assets. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.
Despite the lies by Pentagon officials, the A-10 is still the most destructive ground attack aircraft in U.S. inventory.
