An exclusive news column of the MODEL CAR  HUB

We are proud to feature Bill Coulter as our first columnist at the Model Car Hub. We old timers may recall Bill's contributions to the hobby back in the days of Car Model magazine. Since then he has written about model cars and racing for every major model magazine and many car magazines, as well as several books, like Cars Of The King, a complete history of Richard Petty's cars and how to model them.

If you'd like to check out the books written by Bill, then click here, to go to our model car library.

Few people are as well-connected to the underground buzz in the industry as Bill, and his first column proves it.

So... we welcome Bill Coulter and his column, Racing Small Talk, to the Model Car Hub.

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Check out this new book by Bill Coulter The Stock Car Model Kit Encyclopedia and Price Guide Click here for more info on this book, and how to get it direct form the Model Car Hub.

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2/10/00

The latest information I have concerning Polar Lights' '69 NASCAR FoMoCo
kits is very positive. The projected release date for the Talledega and
Cyclone Spoiler kits is now March. The engineers at PL are going through the
final tweaking to ensure these new kits are very accurate.

What has delayed an earlier release date are some reoccurring problems with
the exact length of the body shell wheelbase and a little thing called
"symmetry".

I have heard a close scrutiny of the most recent test shots of the body
shells revealed the wheelbase dimension to be off by one millimeter which is
the equivalent of one scale inch. Not much you might say but PL would appear
to want to get it right the first time.

My trusty Franklin electronic dictionary says the definition of "symmetry"
is "a balance of portions". In essence what that means to us as model
builders (and in particular as it applies to the subject) is the idea that
things like model car body shells are a mirror image from one side to the
other. It seems the mainland-Chinese have a mental block with this idea as
this is not the first time PL has gotten test shots where the left half of
the body doesn't match the right side!

I'm sure for many of us these concerns have never come up in regular
conversation even when we are yacking at a show or club meeting. I just
think it helps us to be more civil in our criticism of manufacturers when we
have a better idea of the problems they must deal with constantly to deliver
a quality product to market (that's us).

And finally, when we are able to purchase the new PL Ford Torino Talledega
kits don't try to be the first one in your neighborhood to build a blue
double-digit version. Just be patient as I hear the Polar Lights folks have
that one "in the fold" as well.

More and more it occurs to me how vitally important decals are to building
any scale model race car. Unless we are very talented at hand lettering as a
Drew Hierwarter or Terry Jessee there are many projects that come to mind
for us that will never get built. If the "royalty hounds" had their way
totally, you and I would be required to pay a toll every time we wanted to
build a model of a licensed item. That's the reason a whole bunch of
different decals will never get done (legally) as the cost of doing business
exceeds the revenue that would be generated by the sales.

You can't pay some syndicate big bucks up front plus a percentage of sales
and expect to stay in business long unless you can justify a run of a few
thousand sheets of a particular decal. Once you've "mortgaged the house"
then the decal maker just prays they can sell a bunch! I'm sure the old
racing adage equally applies to the decals business. It is often said about
racing, "I have made a small fortune in racing. But of course I started out
with a large fortune"!

It pleases me to no end to have race car model builder send along sharp
clear pictures of their latest work. This months collection is the first
time I have had the pleasure of sharing with you the handy work of others.

This first model comes all the way from Germany. Thanks to Peter Lepold for
sending me a shot of his Richard Petty 1970 Plymouth Superbird. Peter's
English is only a bit better than my German...which means we're both in
trouble! I know little or nothing of his language...even though I was a
regular viewer of "Hogan's Heroes".

I believe I understand Peter to say this replica was built from the Monogram
1/24th SB kit. He says the only reference picture he had to work with at the
time was a single shot of the car in the Petty museum in Level Cross. Oh
that I could do such a nice model of say a F-1 car which I've never seen and
know so little about. Great job Peter!

*************************
Old friend Tom Dill does some of the neatest stuff you'll ever see in
vintage stock car models. If you visit the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall
of Fame in Mooresville, NC, there is an entire display case dedicated to
Tom's work.

Here we have a race team concept as Tom often displays at area shows. The
threesome includes his Tim Flock '57 Merc convertible from the Daytona beach
race modified from a Modelhaus resin kit. The race car sits astride a Buyers
Choice trailer painted to match. Of course, the tow car is something special
as well. It's an Ideal '56 Lincoln also painted to match the car and
trailer. Tom, this whole thing is an impressive sight in deed.

We forget many times that people in the hobby business are quite often
pretty fair model builders. Dave Dodge of Model Car World fame is an
excellent example. Not only does Dave mix a mean batch of automotive paint
for us serious modelers but he's a consummate builder himself. As part of
Dave's business he also creates masters for resin kits and produces decals
on his home computer. The following pictures are models built by Dave from
his own products.


This No. 55 '56 Pontiac is a replica of the car Jr. Johnson drove in the
beach race at Daytona that year. The MCW kit comes with an interior and has
a surface plate chassis with a closed hood. The other option is to cut open
the hood and use any of the 1/25th '55, '56 or' 57 Chevys to finish off the
model. The model features MCW paint and decals (of course!).


This Bill Blair '53 Oldsmobile is rendered in 1/24th scale as it was
converted from a Monogram '53 Chevy kit body. The MCW resin kit also
includes wheels, an opening hood, tires and a dash board. You will need to
use a Monogram '53 Chevy for the interior tub and chassis. Again paint and
decals are MCW.


This is another 1/24th '53 Olds resin kit from MCW and all the details are
identical to the Blair car. This one replicates Buck Baker's race car from
the '53 Southern 500. Again paint and decals are from MCW.


Dave Dodge points out that this 1/25th '60 Chevy Bel Air was built from a
Modelhaus resin '60 Impala. He also suggests it could just as easily be
built by converting the Revell '60 Imp. kit. The car is a replica of one
driven by Jr. Johnson later in the '60 season. Ditto on paint and decals.

For those of you who might be concerned that I don't mention much about drag
cars...will these next three subjects get your attention?


This 1/25th '61 Pontiac Catalina two-door post sedan is built from a MCW
resin kit that also includes a chassis, interior, opening hood and a resin
engine and wheels. (I don't recall who Dave told me drove the full-sized
race car.) Some parts may needed to be bashed from the Ertl/AMT '62 Pontiac
h/t kit. You already are way ahead of me on the source for paint and decals!


Here is another 1/25th resin '61 Catalina Super Stock drag car but this time
it's a hardtop! I believe Arnie Beswick drove this Poncho. As you might
expect all the bells and whistles for this one are available from MCW.


And finally our last replica. This one is another Beswick Pontiac drag car.
This '63 Catalina Super Stocker is built from an MCW resin kit. You know all
the rest of the details.

Model Car World (MCW) can be reached at:
MCW AUTOMOTIVE FINISHES
PO BOX 0518
BURLINGTON, NC 27216
PHONE/FAX 336-228-0240
Automotive finishes for plastic and metal models. Available in air brush jars and spray cans. Full range of colors for American cars, customs and racers from the 1940's to 1990's. Resin car kits & conversions for replica stock and racing.
V/MC - Catalogs: $1 + Large SASE

Man, do these three guys do some nice work or what!

Please feel free to "join the party" by sending me some shots of your
favorite projects to:

Bill Coulter
Racing Small Talk
Box 23
Clifton, Ohio
45316-0023

One final item this month. The editor I worked with from Krause on my most
recent book has been in a coma in the hospital since just before Christmas.
He was on his way home to spend the holiday break with his wife and three
year old daughter when he was hit head-on by a large truck. To add insult to
injury, he was then rear-ended. My friend has two broken legs, a broken arm,
five broken ribs and two broken shoulder blades. Doctors say he is making
good progress but he is still unconscious.

I don't know whether you believe in the power of pray or not but if you do
please remember:

John Brecka
ICU Room 11
St. Joseph's Hospital
611 St. Joseph Ave.
Marshfield, Wisconsin
54449
See you all again next month!

Bill Coulter
Complex Communications
Fax: 937-374-3097
complex@ee.net

Several past month's of Bill's popular "Racing Small Talk" and new kit announcements are available in the Archive. Get Info Here

Are you an avid Stock Car Modeler? Why not join an online community of Stock Car Modelers? It's Free, and it's a great way to intereact with other modelers.

Get More Info on the Stock Car Modeling Online Community here!

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  NEW ITEM>>>
SLIXX has a huge selection of decals for Stock Cars, Drag Racing, Outlaws
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