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00:00:01
IPMS Nationals
60 Plays1 year ago
Torben welcomes in John Zweber to talk about his Nationals winning 427 Cobra Super Coupe.
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Transcript
Introduction to Tiny Car Podcast
00:00:03
tjr74
Welcome to the Tiny Car Podcast. This is your host, Tori Ronskev, and my co-host, Bob Mabryk, coming to you live from the Lake Street Studios in beautiful Minneapolis, the coolest city in the world.
00:00:17
tjr74
All right, well hello everybody. Welcome to the Tiny Car Podcast. I hope everyone is safe, healthy, and happy.
Interview with John Zweber on Nationals and 427 Cobra
00:00:24
tjr74
ah Today is my pleasure to welcome in national champion John Zweber. We're going to talk about the nationals that were held in Madison last month. We will also talk about his beautiful 427 Cobra Super Coupe that he won nationals with as well.
00:00:42
tjr74
as well as his journey in the hobby. I also want to pick his brain on his painting techniques and how he gets such a glossy, flawless finish on his car. ah Welcome John and congratulations on winning at Nationals. Thank you. Awesome, well it's great to have you here.
00:01:02
tjr74
um and oh I should mention our co-host Bob is on vacation.
Bob's Arizona Vacation and Hobby Shop Visits
00:01:06
tjr74
ah He went to Arizona um this past week, and so he's visiting Andy's hobbies, I believe, and he also mentioned going to a ah big hobby shop in Phoenix. So um we'll look forward to hearing his report on the Arizona Modeling Area. And just a coincidence, John spent a number of years out in Arizona. 10 years. Say hi to Andy for me, Bob. but Awesome, yeah. how ah Tell me about the hobby scene in Arizona compared to Minneapolis and the RPM Club ah that we're both in.
The Welcoming Nature of RPM Club
00:01:42
tjr74
Well, let me say that the RPM Club has been the most welcoming group of guys that I've ever run into. I love this club. It's very different from Phoenix. There was a group of guys that we would get together, but
00:02:00
tjr74
uh... nothing like what's happening here i grew up in the air well i grew up in bloomington but i've been all over the world now so i'm back well we are very uh... very grateful to have you back and i'm glad that you like the club so much i know that i got in the rpm club around two thousand five and six uh... you know i i was reading scale auto and doing all that stuff but i i felt like uh... i went to a couple shows that i really needed uh... some a different thing to get to another level. um And so where my motives were kind of ah becoming a better modeler to get in the club but I was really wowed just with ah the the social connections and how great it is ah to talk to everybody.
00:02:47
tjr74
and getting to know, getting to building a lot of friendships over the years. And it's funny because Bob Madrich was talking about, you know, he he usually gets two reactions when he tells people. And I think for a lot of us it it is, ah we don't always come out and just tell people right away that we build model cars because the reaction sometimes is, oh wow, it's like we're playing with Tonka
Stereotypes and Perceptions of Model Car Hobbyists
00:03:11
tjr74
toys or something. But um he always says ah that one of the real positive things is he'll get from women is they'll say, well, I wish my husband had a hobby. And so I'm ah incredibly thankful ah for both the RPM Club and the MSM Club.
00:03:27
tjr74
um just ah And I went to a couple MCCM meetings and that's that's a fun club as well. So we're really blessed in Minneapolis to have a lot of a great clubs with a lot of great ah people in them. So I'm glad that you like it. Also, before I forget, I wanted to thank you for ah your brother's great hospitality um with providing us with that cookout in Madison. That was fantastic.
00:03:54
tjr74
I'm still thinking about the macaroni and cheese. so they They talked to me just a month before, and I told them how everybody was so great in this club. And they said, oh, you want to come to a barbecue? And they love doing that stuff. So yeah, yeah they had a great time too. I have seven brothers and sisters, and he's I'm number one, and he's number eight.
00:04:20
tjr74
Oh, wow. so Yeah, but they are just a fantastic couple um and very generous. They loved having you guys there. um And you still left a little food. so well the but The beer was gone, I think. Yes, yeah. I put a dent in that. I know that.
Comparisons of National Events
00:04:36
tjr74
um But yeah, well, speaking of the Nationals, ah how many different Nationals have you been to now? um This was the third one. I went to the 2018 in Las Vegas.
00:04:47
tjr74
And I was in Phoenix, I think the year before that. um So this is the third one. Okay. And how did this one compare to the other two? o I like the venue.
00:05:02
tjr74
it's it's da If you were there, you're basically going on three levels to see everything. um I enjoyed the 2018 that was in Vegas.
00:05:15
tjr74
um I really liked that but because it was all, the the models were all in one room and there was a space for the vendors also. It was a hike to get to the meeting area from the, was it the Flamingo? Oh wow. I think it was the Flamingo, I'm not sure. but um So you could do some gambling too. Well yeah, if you but they you know a casino they force you, when you get off you half the elevator you have to walk through the casino to get wherever you're going. so I was very good. I spent my money on models. So so i yeah tough call. I enjoyed Phoenix 1. I didn't enjoy that much. Vegas loved it. Joe Porsche, he's incredible. Rumor has it that they're going to have another Nationals coming up here in a few years. So that would be great. The mad guys were fantastic too. ah huh Really enjoyed it.
00:06:12
tjr74
Now, as far as what was on the table, um how did this one compare to the other two? ah Vegas had quite a variety, obviously, but think I think the quality of the models was really outstanding in Madison. I was telling Bob, I would hate to have been a judge, and Jim too, I would hate to have been a judge because there was stuff there that could have easily been a gold. Yeah, now as as you were kind of sizing up the competition, what was the the few other cars that you were worried
Nationals Competition and Standout Models
00:06:55
tjr74
about maybe? yeah I had competition. Who said that? um There was an R8 Evo that was stunning.
00:07:06
tjr74
um The guy who had the can't think of the name of it. It was a dragster and he had the body off that that was really well done and as Jim Katman says the bigger the scale the more you have to put into it and the for the McLaren f1 and the What was the green one I'm lost on that one. Yeah, I'm gonna ask our guys like Unfortunately, we need Bob for that one ah um There was a lot that it was, it was tough to call. I mean, they had, you broke it down into competition and stock and all that. But as far as winning best overall, that was knowing what the competition was, was like, it kind of came down to, do you weather or do you not? Yes. And now that was a big debate. Excuse me. We didn't talk about it at the meeting. Yeah.
00:08:04
tjr74
um But I could have picked four or five of the cars that could have been there. Yeah. Well, and I know that ah auger truck was really, ah you know, pretty cool. And it was like a ah big sewer truck. Yeah. And unfortunately, I had the experience of working on one of those. My dad was a chemist at the Urbana Champagne Water Treatment Plant.
00:08:33
tjr74
and One summer, unfortunately, I couldn't find a job on my own during the summer, so he got me a job at this wastewater treatment plant. and It's good to have a low basement on jobs because whenever I'm having a hard day teaching, I can go back.
00:08:49
tjr74
and think about the days where um like the first time I remember I went in this big vat and they had ah they had just drained it and so ah for lack of a better word they had all this dried crap on the side of this big big vat and they sent me in there with a pressure washer not a mask no gloves and this old guy who puts me in there says it if you it gets slippery in here but if you fall down in it don't worry shit wipes off like anything else And so that was the first of many experiences that summer. Another time they sent me down in the basement to paint some of these pipes. I was lucky enough not to see a rat, but they gave me ah rubber bands to put around my jeans. And I'm like, what are you doing? And and it's like, well, this is so roaches don't crawl up your legs. and But you know, while you're down there, we we found a four inch
00:09:45
tjr74
a four and a half inch roach is the longest one we found. If you see one longer than that, can you document that? And so ah that was another long day at the wastewater
Humorous Story from Wastewater Treatment Plant
00:09:55
tjr74
treatment plant. yeah but And one of the things is, ah ah one day we rode, anytime the sewer would get clogged up, they had this auger truck and it's like this super powered vacuum cleaner ah that you sit and and you you kind of you run it kind of like a jackhammer, only it's going the other way, it's sucking stuff up.
00:10:14
tjr74
um and yeah And you're leaning over with all this. And again, you're sucking up stuff out of the sewer. And so, um i yeah, like I said, I had the privilege of actually riding in one of those. so I'm sorry, I missed that. I just got to work at Ford Motor Company for summer. Yes, yeah. Well, so I was familiar with the subject on the guy. And he did a really good job of weathering. It was stunning, the weathering. Yeah, absolutely.
00:10:41
tjr74
And you know, I think about, you know, you think about, uh, Billy mile cars as art as I like to do. Maybe some people would disagree with me, but, um, I almost feel like it's one of those where you. were comparing paintings and somebody was was doing a painting that looked super real just like a photograph and then you had some of these other people like the Impressionists who kind of looked in and that seems to be like if you're comparing the really shiny cars to the weathered cars and trying to come up with what with how you do that and so and you know beauty is in the eye of the beholder and
00:11:16
tjr74
And I think back to that chapter in Dead Poets Society, which is a Robin Williams movie, where he's he's teaching literature and he has these kids rip out this chapter that tells you how to grade works of writing.
00:11:32
tjr74
ah because it feels like that's just not something that you can um put a grade on and you know compare to. But unfortunately at these model shows we are comparing art and that can be really difficult and it's almost impossible.
00:11:50
tjr74
to be objective as well as you think of the judges you know what cars they like if they're more of a car person and you know and then even talking about the judges if they're car people they're probably going to value more of a shiny finish but you know if you have some of the armor military people they probably value ah weathering and how well people do that so um and And it is, it's a crapshoot. I know ah a lot of times I've gone to some of these shows and a car that I wasn't even gonna bring ends up winning something. And a car that I put all kinds of time in doesn't get noticed. And it's just, sometimes there's no rhyme or reason. ah you know People were talking about, not that I know much about motorcycles, but you know Tom Finch is a great builder. yeah And he had this phenomenal large scale Honda
00:12:42
tjr74
Um, that didn't win anything, but then another bike, uh, that did win. And so it's, it's so subjective. I was at a show up in California, gosh, seven years ago, I think. And this guy came like, he's been, his armor models are stunning. Um, he has taken first place at so many shows with many of his models. And he said, I could never do a car like that. He says, do you have it so clean? And I said, well,
00:13:12
tjr74
I don't know, I don't think I could do an armor because you have this weathering that is just stunning. So it's it's tough. um he That truck was fantastic, but it does come down to so much, you wonder what the judges are thinking sometimes. but Yeah, no, I don't envy there at all. And as I try to complain as little as possible, because I know I've done it a few times and really don't have a desire to do it again.
00:13:43
tjr74
And so um you know I ah you know just ah you know kind of live with what you what whatever happens. I used to tell my kids when I coached sports, referees are part of the game. And just like the ball is going to bounce one way or the other. um If a ref, they're humans, they're going to miss some calls. But you just focus on what you can control and let everything else fall where it falls.
00:14:11
tjr74
um so But you know, talking about the Nationals, why don't you go through step by step and talk about building your ah Cobra super kit, ah super coop.
00:14:24
tjr74
Uh, and, uh, you know, as Denzel Washington would say in the movie Philadelphia, explain this to me like I'm a six year old. Uh, so maybe pretend you're talking to somebody who's never built a model, uh, car before, uh, and take us through, uh, I believe it's a model factory
Challenges of Building Model Factory Hero Kits
00:14:42
tjr74
hero kit. And I've heard a lot of bad things about those. So, uh, how did model factory hero one and done, unless you're Eric Cole has done a couple of them, but, um, yeah, it.
00:14:54
tjr74
It was an experience. It took me two years because I'd work on a little bit and then I'd have to put it on the shelf because I was so frustrated. This was one of the earlier kits and I've always loved that car and and I managed to get it for a good price on eBay. ah And if you ever pick this thing up, it weighs a ton. Other than the resin body, it is all white metal. So I got to invest in a tumbler to clean off the white metal, which does a fantastic job.
00:15:22
tjr74
but If you go on the Model Factory Hero website and you see there, it's it's on their page and you look at it and the front end's lifted up like a four by four and the side pipe is falling off. And I thought, this is what you're putting on the website. And after building it, I found out why the front end was lifted up, which required,
00:15:46
tjr74
and some of the front end is brass now, um but yeah, it, I hate to say one and done, but boy, it was nothing lined up. The engine wasn't centered in the chassis. The one side pipe was, oh, a good two millimeters away from the header, and the other side was fine. I even noticed when I had it at the show, I'm looking down at it, and the Weber carburetors are throwing through showing through the hood, and the engine's over just a little bit, and only I noticed it probably, but
00:16:22
tjr74
Model Factory Hero, you clean it up and then you start trying it in and seeing how it fits. And I had so much stuff, I should have documented it all. The wheels on the right side, I had to grind out so that they would fit inside the fenders. The left side was fine, but everything was shifted one way or the other.
00:16:48
tjr74
it's gosh, I don't even know where to begin with the grief. I got to say, I use splash paints on it. And if you go to throttle power has a YouTube channel and he did the winners from the the nationals and it's really great. You'll see the finish on that, which I have to i have to say is splash paint. It was stunning. That was the best part of the car. The rest of it actually went okay. and you trimming
00:17:21
tjr74
as you trim vacuum-form windows. And that thing had a, let me see, a windshield, two little vent things on the side at each side. It had the rear hatch. It had a sunroof. It had the two headlight covers and the fog light covers on the front. And the hours I put in, and it was one of the early ones in trying to find out what actually was where the edge was and wasn't. I spent hours and hours just trimming it. I would trim partway one piece and then I'd have to give up for a while. it was ah What do you want to know about model factory hero? Well, you know, and I, I gotta say it's nice to see somebody win with a hard, hard kit. Um, cause I feel like that gets lost a lot of times at the shows. And I remember like bringing some show, uh, bringing some cars where I built, uh, like a resin super hard kit.
00:18:19
tjr74
And then another ah car, another NASCAR has gotten photographed that was straight out of the box. And I talked to a guy in Nebraska who won a lot of stuff and he said, why waste time on ah you know difficult kits? He only built Tamiya, Mobius, well engineered, modern kits, maybe from Revelle or AMT, but it's just not worth all the time and suffering. And you really don't get,
00:18:48
tjr74
for the most part rewarded at the shows. I mean, again, we talked about how the judging is unpredictable.
Building for Enjoyment vs. Competition
00:18:54
tjr74
Maybe if you have a judge that's actually built a kit and knows how difficult it is, they might give you extra points for it. But for the most part, um if you're just strategy wise, you're probably better off building a really well engineered kit. So it's great to see all that time and effort pay off. I was happy it did pay off, but yeah I build what I like.
00:19:16
tjr74
And I don't go to a show wanting to win anything. I mean, if I do, yay, but the people I meet, um, I've found out so much about modeling with the people I've met at shows and talked to. And if you're just going to stand by your model, you're never going to meet some of these people. Um, I have, when I was in Vegas, I saw a guy that Daniel Vah, Daniel, Daniel Valencia, he won four firsts at the last GSL.
00:19:45
tjr74
But he's a stunning builder, but he had wiring. And I said, where did you get that? He says, well, Anise, A-N-Y-Z in Germany sells it. And he does it that guy does airplanes, but he's got all these parts. So I never would have known if I hadn't talked to somebody.
00:19:59
tjr74
Yeah, no, and that was, ah you know, when I got into the clubs, because there's only so much you can this was, you know, before they really had YouTube. But you know, there's only so much you can get from, you know, Scale Auto was a great magazine and had like tips and stuff like that. But with the, you know, human interaction, you know, just like, you know, when you said the 2k, so I got some 2k and mixed it up and painted it, but then today you're you're bringing up that maybe these sponges aren't as good. And so the back and forth that you can have when you're talking with actual people and the different little things that might not be in an article or on a YouTube thing is really irreplaceable. Getting to see it in person makes a big difference. Being able to look at, like Daniel's truck that he he took first place in in trucks, it was an opal
00:20:51
tjr74
truck raced like they raced in and Europe. um It's a stunning build, just absolutely stunning. But if you don't if you don't talk to people, you're not going to find out about some of this stuff.
00:21:04
tjr74
yeah that's Well, and then it is at that point where you kind of have to decide, um, am I building for contests or or do I build what I want? And I, you know, for a long time, uh, you know, this is my hobby for relaxation and escape. And if it ever gets to the point where it's becoming another job.
00:21:22
tjr74
Well, I don't want that. And I know with really liking NASCAR, isn't the greatest strategy because you know there's a certain apathy. I feel like people really were enamored with NASCAR in the mid 90s and then everybody got tired of it. And so and if you do ah see a NASCAR that wins, it's usually one of those that somebody has blown up. It's completely um opened up the trunk, half the wheels off, everything wired and stuff like that. and not to name names. Yes. Well, and I would prefer I just like to build it because I, you know, my love of race cars just started with how cool they look on the track. So I like to build it just as it's race. yeah If you're building.
00:22:03
tjr74
well I don't build to get a trophy. I build because I like that car. Or truck, which I'm working on right now. yeah And of course it's the, I don't even know how you pronounce it, it's K-E-I, K truck. They're tiny little things from Japan. And this thing is, I'm going to have to show you the the the the quote instructions, because there's no instructions. There's just photographs. So you're pretty much on your own figuring out how to put this thing together, which is fine. um But I'm building it because I like it. And you start building something for a, my opinion is we're building for a show, you're just going to, you're setting yourself up for
00:22:46
tjr74
to be disappointed. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. And, you know, I've talked about it with Bob before, you know, obviously winning is going to be better than losing. And it, it ah you know, it's great to see, ah you know, something that you've done, you know, get recognition. um But at the same time, yes, if you're if that's what's bringing you into the hobby, I don't know how long you're going to be in the hobby and how much joy you're going to get back. And, you know, you've heard a lot of horror stories about or I've even heard people like in some of the clubs say well I went down to this show here and I didn't win anything and I'm never going back to that and it's just like well that's not a great reason to go to a show just to chase trophies you know and then you you know I've seen some people over the years who are phenomenal builders and cleaned up at different shows and then just stop building you know and so no I would ah agree
00:23:42
tjr74
that I really ah build. And when I have tried, you know, I feel like, you know, when I were first got into the hobby, ah you know, I started to kind of get a little competitive at first. And so then I said, okay, well, this is what I need to do to win. And I'm going to photoetch this and that and that.
00:23:57
tjr74
And ah it it was it was miserable. it is And I didn't win anything. And so I was just like, you know, I'm just going to go back to doing what I like to do. What, I did all that work and then I didn't get rewarded? Absolutely. Well, and even if you are a phenomenal builder, I mean, I look at some of those shows, even our NFL North, yeah oh geez you know, you get so many people, there's so many great builders that even if you hit it out of the park and you do your best possible work,
00:24:27
tjr74
Um, you just don't know. And when you're talking about how people judge or if it's an N and L style, you know, what people vote for, you know, um, if that's what you're going, if you're setting your happy or not happy on winning something, then you're you're really setting yourself up for failure. Well, there's always somebody that's going to be better than you. And there's going to be somebody that's not as good as good a builder as you. And.
00:24:51
tjr74
If you go and and think, ah geez, i can I'm going to quit because I can never build something like that. Well, you know, I do this for fun. Yeah. I've enjoyed automobile since I was three. Yeah, that's about right.
00:25:08
tjr74
Yeah. Yeah.
Dedication in Model Building
00:25:09
tjr74
Yeah. No. And it is, you know, ah You do see some people and you feel like it's different on a spectrum of level of competition and to each your own. It's a hobby and it's what anybody wants to be.
00:25:29
tjr74
Don't begrudge anybody. And I certainly appreciate you know those guys who do these five to 10 year projects and just completely super detail it. And you know i yeah and ah you know Clay Kemp was on, he comes on the Salvino show sometimes. And he even said that he enjoys that. you know He enjoys the super detailing. It's just as fun as you know somebody doing a 20 hour build. he you know and like yeah And so, you know, to each your own, you know. I think it's part of, like Randy just said, each step is a model in ah in and of itself. Doing the wheels is a, that's a model. Doing the brakes, that's a model. And that's how I break most of these up is like, I've already done
00:26:16
tjr74
wheels and tires and for like five kits, seven seven, eight, maybe eight that are just waiting, they're in the box with the model, but they're done. Yeah, the dreaded stalled project. They're not stalled, come on. At just mat right at different stages. Yes, at different stages. ge but You could just look around my workbench and I have several in different stages depending on. you know My problem is I love to paint. I love to watch the different colors and the paint come out of the airbrush.
00:26:54
tjr74
And I even, which is some people is their least favorite thing in the hobby is is the the polishing part. i If I'm in the right frame of mind, it's almost like meditating sometimes. It's just to candlelight, look at the card and the light and just i polish it out. It's like, oh I'll be polishing a model at midnight, just sitting there under the light and just working it through. Yeah. and that's As you know, you're not going to get it polished in 30 minutes. No. It just doesn't work. So there is some zen involved. Now, the only time that I really don't like it is when you cut through the color code. That is really interesting. Oh, I've never done that. Let me put it that way. I know I've become an expert at fixing those things. And I'd really like to face the day when I don't have to fix those things. Mm hmm. Yep.
00:27:51
tjr74
And then you debate on, do you paint it? Now, one of the advantages of NASCAR is it's got a lot of decals, which is good and bad. But then sometimes the first day, if I do cut through a color, now well, is this going to be covered up by the decal? And unfortunately, it never is. well let be covered You got this giant decal, but no, you went through it like.
00:28:13
tjr74
A millimeter away. Oh, come on. And then then you have that debate with yourself. ah Is anybody going to notice if this is a little bit off? But then you know it's like, well, what ah what do I want? Do I want accuracy? Or do I want craftsmanship? And then? Craftsmanship. Yes. Well, that's what's going to get judged, because I guarantee you, the most ah you know building some of these older NASCARs, there's very few people in the world who would would recognize that stuff just looking at it um Some people would. ah If you put it on a website like what used to be Randy Ayers or some of the Facebook groups, there would be people who would know to say this contingency decal or this or that is off. But it's very few and certainly even at a nationals that would be judged, ah probably not. So you would you could get away with moving a little or adding a contingency decal. And you know the IPMS thing was there was usually you weren't there so you don't know.
00:29:11
tjr74
And certainly, depending on the era, you know if you're building something in the 60s where they ran like 50 races, ah they put you know it was there they weren't really focused on what the hell the car looked like. they They were focused on winning. And so it could have looked like that. Or they could have been in Asheville, North Carolina. And the the paint shop closest to hardware store was this color of paint or something like that. So um you know who who knows? but Yeah, it is ah it is one of the tough things. And that that's, in looking through the clears, you know, and obviously ah stops with with the testers clear right away with at least their old gloss coat, because that was so, it took a long time to dry and then it was so easy to cut through and cut through the color coats. um And then I didn't really like Tamaya. Tamaya runs so hot that I had a lot, even when I was shooting Tamaya clear over Tamaya colors,
00:30:10
tjr74
the door lines would come back through. you know And that was kind of my thing with Tamiya. And then I got some good results with the One Coat Tester's Model Master. It was pretty good. But still, um it wasn't ah you know the thing I liked with both the XG100 with a 50-50 mix with the self-leveling thinner, is that you could it was hard it dried really hard. And so you could polish it pretty deep, which was nice. And then also the stuff you put ah put me onto, the 2K, is also ah pretty hard. So it's... Pretty hard? Yeah. Yeah. Hey, it's automotive, so... Uh-huh. Yup. Yup.
00:30:55
tjr74
um All right. So, ah anything else you want to say about the 427 Superco... What color was it? It's Garsman Blue. and Okay. Stripes. It's another splash of paint color. um i I was really pleased with that finish and and how it turned out. I love painting like you, but yeah.
00:31:19
tjr74
um Actually, the painting it and polishing, it was probably the easiest part of the kit.
Importance of Research and Reference Photos
00:31:25
tjr74
I like to do a lot of research on any model that I'm doing. I'll be on, I probably had, as little as that car was seen, I probably had 40 photographs of it, the chassis, the engine, the exterior. and Every model I do, I've got as many photos as I can just so I can see what it's supposed to look like.
00:31:49
tjr74
But I'm not going to kill myself if it's not exactly. I miss that contingency decal.
00:31:55
tjr74
Yeah, well, that is something we are really blessed with nowadays to be able to get so many great photo references. Think back to like in the 80s or 90s where you'd have like black and white pictures of one from one angle. And so it would be really difficult and you would guess at certain things. And then usually it's too late to find out that it was wrong. You made me think of another thing with The super coop has a flip nose and I got the right side was fitting really well. The left side, not so much. And I look and that's the way it was in Bottle Factory Heroes photo of the car. But I found a photo of that car done. And it fit the same way. It was like, there was a space.
00:32:49
tjr74
It's like, well, I'm not going to knock myself out of that. In fact, I was going to leave a picture for the judges to show that this is what it looked like. ah hu So they don't dig me for not fitting right. But yeah, it was, I was trying to get that to fit. Are we talking about that again? Well, you mentioned that, you know, since you were three,
00:33:10
tjr74
that you are enamored ah with cars so um tell me how you got into the hobby because you know a lot of things kind of as a kid find you like Little League Baseball or or Cub Scouts um everybody in school is doing that well that's not really always the case. Well I guess you know some of the people who grew up in what they call the golden age in like the early 60s when model cars were a lot more popular but at least for me I know it was something that I kind of had to seek out and usually was one of the the minority as far as even as a kid building model cars. So what brought you to the hobby John? Oh geez brought me to the hobby. So I think there must be something in my genes because my dad was
00:33:56
tjr74
Of course we had a lot of station wagons, but the first car he had when he met my mother was a 48 Studebaker convertible green with a tan leather. It was a gorgeous car. I have pictures of it. And so he would bring me, um they don't even do that anymore, but the dealership would send out pictures of the cars in a booklet, and you could I could cut those out of the booklet.
00:34:23
tjr74
because I thought they were really great. In 1953, oh god, what's the cereal? But they had a 53 Corvette on the back of it that you could cut out and use toothpicks to stick the wheels on. Because it was all cardboard. And I thought it was, but it was probably like... And just one of the early paper models. Yeah, one of the early paper models. And my dad put it up on top of the door so I wouldn't destroy it tomorrow. um But I was...
00:34:52
tjr74
I just love cars and going to the hobby shop that was close to me, AMT was there back in the day. I enjoy hearing everybody complain about the prices of kids. I know I paid $1.49 for that AMT. Well, yeah, and houses were $19,000. And what was minimum wage back then? Exactly. who But yeah, I started doing it then. And then I got into slot cars when I was
00:35:19
tjr74
when it was slot carvers were really taking off when I was about 16, 17. There were tracks all over. And then I went to school and I could not do any modeling. um So I didn't get back to modeling for probably 20 years and did a little bit of that. and life got in the way. So I really got back into it. I was out of it for a while. Probably eight years ago, nine years ago, I got back into it. And I was stunned as people are that to get back into it and say, Oh my God, there's photoetch. Oh my goodness, there's all this stuff that you didn't have back in the day. So ah to me, that was heaven. So yeah, I
00:36:01
tjr74
Yeah, it's funny when people talk about the sixties as being the golden age and certainly if you like the promos and the annuals that came out every year, you had a lot more variety as far as that goes.
Advancements in Modeling Technology
00:36:13
tjr74
But if you're you're trying to build a quality kit, um it's the the sky's the limit nowadays with the photo etch and the 3D printed stuff. And then you know just the the ah amount of the paints and different tools that you have. just It's stunning. I'm loving it. And 3D printing.
00:36:35
tjr74
So are you going to get a 3D printer so you can print some stuff for me? Well, what I'm scared of is a lot of the people that I've seen that have gotten 3D printers almost never build again. They spend so much time on their 3D printer that you never see them again. And then when they do put on these work in progress, they'll have 50 different pieces and it looks so amazing. Oh, that's that's Bill Cuffins' last name.
00:36:59
tjr74
Bill Reed. No, this guy's on. no bill Bill has completed some stuff. this This is out of East. This guy is stuck. He had some of the GSL years ago. He had windows that actually rolled up and down. it was Oh, Bill Geary. Bill Geary, yes. Fantastic builder. But he's been working on this, whatever the Mustang was, Little Red, I think, or something. There's a couple of that he's done. He's had that thing been going now for three years at least.
00:37:27
tjr74
All he's doing is designing on there and everybody can I buy it? No, I'm just doing it for myself. But yeah, he's and you know, great. He's enjoying it. So good for him. But yeah, I know a lot of molars that are like, Oh, what what am I doing? should be moing Yeah, yes. Well, at least they're creating stuff. I think a lot of people too, once they got their smartphone, and they spent so much time just looking at all the sites, and then that has slowed them down building wise as well. So But no, it is ah it looks really cool. And sometimes even the prices make me want to say, what? $15 for a set of rims? you know If I had a 3D printer, I could just print as many as I wanted. But then, yeah, it is kind of a conundrum. I suppose I will never say never. If they come out with something so user-friendly and small, i would be and pretty cheap, I would be interested in doing it. Well, when you're talking hundreds of dollars for a printer,
00:38:26
tjr74
I don't know, it's a tough coin. Talking about things that you never thought you'd see, I just got a Tucker. Who thought they would ever make a model of the Tucker? um And it is a stunning kit, just absolutely stunning. yeah well yeah As we've talked about at the meeting, extremely, and yeah, I'm going to finish that, that's high on the list. So yeah, things that you never imagined would Be out there when I can think back all the way in the the mid 90s where they would have like most requested kits list and um A lot of them in the mid 90s is a great time for kit manufacturers really catering to the adult builders And so many well engineered kits came out um as far as I remember like the 70 Monte Carlo was high on everybody's list and and most of those have gotten done and
00:39:19
tjr74
um But the Tucker was one of the last ones and then kind of I feel like for whatever reason model manufacturers kind of went dead after like 2000 and you didn't see a whole lot of new kits and then even um And now it it does seem like it's it's not a lot of new kits that come out. and There's a few manufacturers like Mobius, but it usually takes about five, six months for them to do one thing.
00:39:49
tjr74
um And so the kit may have actually never got to the point where they were in the mid 90s were like one week They're coming out with like a 60 impala 59 impala 65 impala 62 Pontiac 57 Chrysler they're just like and you could tell they were adult, you know geared for the adult and even the kind of Not necessarily contest model but a serious modeler where they would have all the parts for even like a fuel line and fuel filter and heater hoses and the little decals for the engines and then you know, so they were really going after the adult modeler but
00:40:29
tjr74
Unfortunately, that kind of golden age kind of tape tapered off ah some, um but now it seems like the 3D printing world has pi picked up if you want to like a 77 Thunderbird or some really yeah obscure thing. I just found, I'm trying to think who I was listening to, but there's a guy, I think he's might be in the Ukraine, but he's got an eBay site and probably 50 models on there. And I'm scrolling through, Oh God, don't, don't do this to me. 69 Skylark wagon with the Vista. Oh yeah. Vista cruiser. um Yeah. With the windows in the roof and it's like, Oh my God. And so he's got clear parts for the windows. He's got, so you're not having to,
00:41:16
tjr74
deal with that crap, um it's stunning. They're like 85 bucks, I think. It's like, do that? My God. it's It's really tempting, like I really need.
00:41:26
tjr74
Well, when when when the regular kits are $30 to $40, that doesn't seem so much anymore. I remember back in the day, yeah the model house would have stuff like that, and it'd be that astronomical. But at this point, it's only twice as much as a regular kit. So $80 isn't too bad. Yeah, I know um I was thinking about 77 Thunderbird because I've been trying to build a lot of the Bobby Allison cars. And he won the 78 Daytona 500.
00:41:55
tjr74
a 77 Thunderbird. And I fiddle faddling around the this resin kit that is not the greatest. And then in Omaha, I saw one ah that was a 77 Thunderbird, really, really good. um But the only thing that kind of stopped me was that 3D plastic is really hard.
00:42:17
tjr74
And normally if you're going to build it, you know, like if I was going to build a stock 77 Thunderbird, that'd be fine. But unfortunately for doing a NASCAR, you got to take off all the trim and that's hard enough on a regular kit. I was thinking of, man, having to take off all this hard plastic would be... Talk to Bill Geary.
00:42:34
tjr74
There, maybe he'll do a NASCAR version of the, yeah. That's, you know, it's interesting to see the differences in 3D printing. These guys, some of them are pumping these things out so that they've got striations and all this. Well, you can just say on that, like this Tucker, it's unbelievable. There's not, you're looking like you're looking at a plastic kit. it's Yeah, they have really improved that. I remember like Mike Scott, who was in our club, unfortunately passed away ah about a year ago.
00:43:04
tjr74
um but he was doing some of the early 3D printing. And it would look great, but then it was just like, holy hell, the prep, the amount of prep work on that back then would have been, and you would have had to start with like maybe a six-secret
Impact of 3D Printing on Hobby
00:43:19
tjr74
sandpaper or something like that. And, you know, and sometimes that leaves more indentions and is harder. And, you know, so, um no, they've really improved on that.
00:43:30
tjr74
And that is, and you know, I've gotten to the point where I i have everything I need. I have like, um unfortunately probably at 500 unbuilt kits. And so there's not one other thing I need. And then now then they come up with these, these 3d printers. And then it's just like stuff you never thought about. I have to laugh when you're, I had the reputation in Arizona of having the smallest stash of anybody ever, um,
00:43:53
tjr74
And i it's gotten a little bigger, but so if I have 40 models in there, I'd be surprised. yeah yeah by just you know i ceased the i really no no I can't do that. So then I go buy the little Kia truck key trucks, whatever it is. Did I really need that?
00:44:12
tjr74
so Well now I needed the Tucker. Yeah, I needed the Tucker, but... Luca C. was in your club by in in Arizona, right? he's He's known for having a big... How many ah kids did he have? Oh God. Well, you if you turn on his channel, um he's sitting in front of it and he's just got... The whole wall is covered plus... I can't imagine me know what other... Well, yeah, he's he's got just a pile of stuff. It's...
00:44:41
tjr74
I have a friend right now that actually gave me a Maserati kit when I was talking about it. and He had a storage facility that happens in the the bay area. His dad took care of F4 Phantoms when he was in the service, so he's got just about every F4 Phantom kit ever produced. And he's got these models from the, God, they're 20, 25 years old that are just, they're unobtainium. And he gave me this one, and it's like, thank you. But yeah, it's, at some point, you gotta draw the line. I'm pretty much drawing the line because I'm not gonna live long enough to,
00:45:18
tjr74
Yes, yeah you and me both. ah and you know And I was telling ah you know Jim Campman, I was talking about coming back and and not getting ah much from the Nationals. And I was like, well, you know I'm at the point where every time I buy a car, that means there's one at home I'm not going to build.
00:45:36
tjr74
and so yeah And Yesterday we were out at the Pantowners as a one-to-one car show but also a model show that Bob Halliday ah puts on does a great job of the model car contest and um I got to some kits and there's a guy who just wanted to get rid of them and you know the 32 Ford kit which is a great kit and a couple 62 Pontiacs which I can always do a NASCAR they ran a bunch of NASCAR's on those um
00:46:07
tjr74
And, you know, I said, i at first I thought, well, what if I put it out there with the the two Pontiacs for $10 or $5 just to see if he takes it? And it's like, no, because I don't want him to say yes, because then I'm going to end up and it's one more kit. And I've built three 32 Fords and I built a 62 Pontiac and I have two others, uh, unbuilt ones.
00:46:28
tjr74
um But it is it is always tempting especially when when it's a good price but over the years I've had it the price is ah is not a good reason to buy a kit ah because Ideally, it's gonna come down to time is your most precious commodity and as you said both of our mortalities Not gonna live forever um That that's the most important thing. And so if you got a kit for five dollars great but if it's not necessarily something that you've always wanted to build, then finding the motivation to build it.
Buying Kits vs. Building Motivation
00:47:05
tjr74
you know so you know Generally when I go to resell kits, most of them in in my, that I finally, the dream dies and I finally admit to it that I'm never gonna build that car. Most of them are ones that I got for $5 or $10. And at the time I i talked myself, i can always I can talk myself into building anything.
00:47:29
tjr74
But then when the rubber meets the road and it's time to put 50 or 100 hours into something and follow through on it, you know usually the ones I got for $5, just because it was $5 and a great deal are the ones that never make it to the workbench. What happened to the Nationals? Oh yeah, I was in the vendor room and I met this guy from Hawaii that does these great little wood stands to put in your
00:47:57
tjr74
Microscale Microsoft, whatever. Okay, so you don't knock it over. So, you know, they're gorgeous. These things are in stunning wood um and he's drilled holes for your paintbrushes to go in there and I got three of them total was $19. It's like oh Dear God, if my bench doesn't look that nice. They should be out where people can see it but then as I'm walking over to his place trying to think what the guy's name is he sells all these race car decals, but he had a Pontiac, it was a GXP that was imported from Australia. They made it a Pontiac yeah and they're doing it.
00:48:32
tjr74
and he had It's 3D printed. The body is stunning. You can pick the interior you want. Do you want it with a stick or do you want it with an automatic? They're printing all the clear all the clear for it. The windows, everything is going to be 3D printed. It is just, it was like, Oh God, do I really need that? No, but yeah. Okay. um and So that's, that's coming. Hopefully I can finish some other things before that shows up. but Well, and you know the conundrum sometimes is ah you know ah life is about the journey, not the destination. And there's a certain amount of happiness you do get from buying a kit, ah planning a kit, how you're going to build it, ah getting stuff together. And so that brings a certain amount of joy. And you know just because it never gets completed doesn't necessarily mean it was a waste of time. um you know And try it yourself.
00:49:32
tjr74
so yeah yeah But then they're and then the flip side of it is you do get to a point, especially if you don't have a lot of space, you know people living in apartments or something. I think where I probably would draw the line is if I had to get a storage place, if I had to pay money every month for storage.
Space Challenges for Model Storage
00:49:51
tjr74
And I've you know i've been blessed to at least have enough space to put you know store my end.
00:49:57
tjr74
You know, Leah, God bless her, is is very understanding about that. Every once in a while, she'll get kind of pissed off and say, you know, you have three rooms in the house. You take up three rooms with your car room and the garage. and there's like But for the most part, she's very understanding about the amount of time and space ah that the the hobby takes up for me. um So I'm blessed in that way, too. But I do think if I had to rent out a place every month,
00:50:23
tjr74
Uh, that probably would limit, I would probably go from 500 to 250. My friend has realized that he's spending all this money to store this stuff. So, um, I mean, I got the Maserati from him. I got the, uh, cup noodle from him, um, the Panos. Um, but the last GIS, the last, um, N and L West is this coming January. And there's going to be stuff there that.
00:50:53
tjr74
people are going to be selling. I picked up a Harold Bradford's Cobra Dragon Snake trans kit. It had the body, the engine, um the wheels, the tires. It was 15 bucks.
00:51:06
tjr74
Yeah, I'm sorry. I can't pass that off. No, and that is the hard thing because it is definitely a buyer's market. you know Unfortunately, anytime you go to any of the shows, you see a lot of walkers, a lot of little rascals. um it's It's where to see somebody under 40 or 30. And if it is, it's usually somebody's kid that drove them. They're the person to the thing. um So it's ah it's an aging demographic.
00:51:36
tjr74
um And then and unfortunate so people are you know either you know sadly they passed away or they're getting to the point where they realize that they just don't don't aren't gonna have the time or space to get to stuff so there's a lot of stuff out there and so um even like when we go to the RPM ah auction.
00:51:56
tjr74
And it's just like, yeah, I got, you know, especially with NASCAR, that's a dime a dozen. And so, ah two of them for $5. And then it's it's like, okay, well, if nothing else, there's parts or this or that. um It's hard to say no when it's such a buyer's market. And then it makes it really discouraging for selling stuff.
00:52:16
tjr74
because people just get, you're already have it marked down. If you have a great example is I had this NASCAR race truck for $8. And of course, ah Jim Allen couldn't help himself. Well, you take five.
00:52:33
tjr74
and And that's the brain of ah not only Jim Allen, a lot of ah people. It's one of the cheapest, the cheapest as far as people are are pretty cheap in the hobby. ah No offense to anybody. but Really? Are you sure? You should be in Phoenix. $29 for a kid? That's unbelievable. i Well and then you're gonna spend twenty nine dollars on two grand max and a super sized fry and a large yeah you know and not think anything of it and you're driving a monster truck that gets about fifteen miles a gallon but it cost sixty thousand so yeah it is funny cause relative it you know you do have you know cause I
00:53:17
tjr74
The amount of money i buy I spend on kits when I go to show is the least of what I spend. yeah you know Between the gas to get there, the hotel rooms now, or you're looking at $100, $200. And so it doesn't take much money to to spend what you'd spend on a kit and the supplies. So it is still a cheap hobby when you compare it to other stuff. um so It's better than alcohol. and Yes. yeah yeah Well, and and Leah said something funny, though, when I was talking about my
Space Taken by Completed Models
00:53:48
tjr74
unbuilt case. I was like, well, you know, um i well I intend to build all these. And she was like, well, that doesn't mean anything. Once you get them built, they're going to take up more space because you're going to put them in one of those stupid cases. So I guess, yeah, you're probably right. and so um I keep expanding my cases. First, I had like the little one that held one car.
00:54:10
tjr74
Then they got the bigger one that could fit too. Now Andy has this thing and it's for armor and stuff. They did a whole three cars. It has a flip up window on it too. So you just flip it up, put the model in. Nice. So you don't have to take it apart. It's like, yeah, I really needed that too. Well, I, and IKEA has a really nice thing for only like 70, $80 that Bob got. And then Tom Finch.
00:54:34
tjr74
the offers to weld in extra shells so you can put in twice as many shells and so i that was one where where Leah drew the line because then I said I wanted to put them right out here and I said no you already have this many rooms and so and obviously looking into this my car room there's no space for anything so um
00:54:59
tjr74
unless i put it on the ceiling that is one advantage to building airplanes you can hang them from the ceilings truck i was telling torbin that he's almost caught up to me as far as a messy desk. and Yes, it is quite messy. i Well, and it usually takes me losing something. I guess super, you know, talk about modeling pet peeves, that little part that bounces everywhere once it drops, but then just any other, I'm good at losing all kinds of stuff. And what amazes me is how I can lose something and I haven't left my seat for two hours. So it's just like, i know it's got to be somewhere.
00:55:33
tjr74
like usually it'll take a losing something ah for me to just to clean it and so usually you could look at my desk and how messy it is and it's good I haven't lost anything for a while because that's how messy it is but the next time I lose something then I'll take everything out and and organize it so but no ah it it is a it's cluttered but ah it's at least I have a general idea where everything is but at least you're using it Yes. No, that is true. That is true it's true. Some of the ah ah worst teachers I've worked with have the cleanest desk because they're not ever doing anything. They're doing the same thing they've done for 20 years and so they have no need. So sometimes there is, ah you know, if something is messy, then it's loose. Somebody is at work and using that space.
00:56:26
tjr74
ah tom Well, getting back to questions we got here, um you build a lot of race cars. Would you say that's your favorite genre?
00:56:37
tjr74
me Yes. I love race cars. I've loved those since I was fairly young too. But that and somehow I've gotten on this kick mixing cars that are raced in Japan So yeah, I can build those too. And then I have a number of little Japanese cars that are just, I don't know, they're stock. But yeah, race cars, definitely. The AMGs, the Tamiya came out with, the decal guys just went crazy. There's two of them, SK decals and LB production in Hong Kong. And they've got liveries.
00:57:21
tjr74
And there's some of the stuff is just stunning. it's It's crazy. Oh, I got it. and As I was telling Corbin, yeah, I've got five of those right now in the process because, oh, that livery's great. And some I've just got, I've got the decals, but I haven't even started the kit because it's yeah so different. Yeah, Bob was trying to get me to, why don't we bring something, either the good smile racing ones or bring my AMGs, I can't remember which, ah hu to Nordicon, but we'll see. Yeah, for a display.
00:57:50
tjr74
yeah yeah Yeah, I did that with the petty cars, but after a couple of times, I brought those to nationals and then I brought that to back to the 50s. The nice thing is they're at least light, but it is a lot of work bringing stuff, bringing large volume of stuff. My friend, Bill, when i she said, you know, he wanted me to send pictures of all the good smile racing cars, which is a GT300 class and they have GT500 too on the same track.
00:58:19
tjr74
This is probably one of the most well-funded efforts anywhere. They have, you can buy like a $5 thing or a $10 and they send you a little trinket or something. It's very different in Japan when they're doing this, but delivery is different every year, but we won't get into that.
00:58:39
tjr74
Yeah, it's, ah I do love race cars. it's There's so many out there. I mean, I've done, well, look at the super coop. McLaren F1s. Now you mentioned ah the the wagon that you thought about, Bill, and have you ever done any um like ah domestic factory stock vehicles?
00:59:08
tjr74
You're making me think. but does the Corvair station wagon count? Yeah, absolutely. Okay, I did, yeah, Joe Bonderczyk did the Corvair wagon, Tudor wagon, and the El Corvero So you could do either one and it just, you just have an AMT kit. But like he said, he was trying to keep the prices down because if you look for a Corvette kit, they're like 50, 60 bucks sometimes. And it's like, really? And then I'm buying the resin. Um, so that was fun to build. Um, gosh, you're making me think, what if I build stock, uh, alpha models, uh, BMW M4, that stock. Um, what else is stock?
00:59:51
tjr74
Gosh, that's that's a trick question. i can't I think that's pretty much it for stock. Yeah. Now, what was the Tamiya kit that you did that had the really cool windows where you're able to just, it came with the chrome, but you're able to black around there? Oh, for the 240ZG that they came out with. Tamiya, every kit they come out with, it's i think what can they do better? The 240ZG,
01:00:18
tjr74
was a special run in Japan. They didn't make a whole lot of them, but they put fender flares on it, which I left off. I did a lot of the car, lowered it and everything else. But the chrome trim on the windshield and the back have a little, I don't know what you'd call it, but it's a ridge in the chrome. So the real car had rubber seal and then chrome in the middle of that. So Tamiya made it so that you can spray that with some Tamiya semi-gloss black and just take a,
01:00:48
tjr74
cotton tip and just wipe across that and it looks just like the real car.
Innovative Design of Tamiya's 240ZG Kit
01:00:53
tjr74
That is really cool. Cause that's kind of a detail that's hard to do. oh You know, you usually bare metal foil it, but then getting that rubber thing. like yeah That was stunning. yeah can All right. Well, uh, moving on. What is the least favorite thing about the hobby for you? The least favorite thing about the hobby, um,
01:01:21
tjr74
Well, I don't like guys coming and saying, you should have done it this way. Yes, everybody's an expert. Yeah, everybody's an expert and you wonder how many cars they actually built or whatever, a plane or whatever. That that pretty much, yeah.
01:01:40
tjr74
You know, the one that gets me too is like, um like I think I built the 70 Joe Hand Superbird, a Richard Petty car. and um you Right away somebody comes up and says, you know, the and I can't remember, it was a 68 Roadrunner chassis or a 69 Dodge Dart. one One of the two is, you know, that fits under there like a glove, the other chassis. It was a lot more detailed and and stuff like that. And I'm just like, yeah.
01:02:14
tjr74
they They always say that nothing ever fits under like a glove first off. Secondly, um you know even at contests, how much the chassis gets noticed anyway.
01:02:28
tjr74
especially now that they're not allowed to pick the model up so. Yeah and so if and it usually messes with the ride height and so I feel like curbside is the most important thing anyway um and if you're gonna put the ah more accurate chassis underneath it but it doesn't ride you know well then I would rather just go with the old and it was work I mean I did remove like the mufflers and the whatever stuff that's not supposed to be under there for a stock car.
01:02:59
tjr74
So it wasn't like I just built it curbside. But yeah, there's always you know the people who will the super detailers ah and a lot of it goes unnoticed anyway too. Or you know the one we always joke about is ah the firing order on the engines sometimes. and um i guilty yes yes and so and we all have our different filters and our different things uh that uh you know but at the same time and then it it is also with constructive criticism how much does a a person want or not want and how defensive are they going to get um and and so that is one of the great debates say i remember one of these um i had a professor one time and he was into the um
01:03:48
tjr74
What was it the motivational speakers and he would use and I could tell it's a line he got from one of those Who's a Tony whatever? the i know you're talking about yeah If I could make you a better teacher, would you want me to tell you? I was super i'm Condescending to come off like that, ah but if I could make you a better modeler Would you want me to tell you and it's just like no actually not or if ah I'll ask you, or I ask a person, but at the same time then, and that, you know, but... No, I will never say anything to anybody other than, I really like your model. It's great. Yeah. It's one of my favorites. I will never criticize somebody's model.
01:04:29
tjr74
i If I'm with a friend and we're at a show and nobody's around, if something is off a little bit, we might tell each other, but we're not going to, never going to say something where everybody can hear it. yeah you know He may think it's the best model in the world and to criticize him, that's just, you really want him to keep modeling. um Yeah. And you know, the more people in the hobby, the better it is for the hobby.
01:04:55
tjr74
So I've always been super negative on what somebody does or doesn't do or or this or that. i you know Some people get really irritated at somebody's, and it's it ah it's a hobby. you know Just like ah if people put together jigsaw puzzles and that resets their brain, um you know whatever level somebody's building at, even if they're building you know if they're building like the ghost models where they don't paint anything and glue together, if that's,
01:05:23
tjr74
yeah you know if if that makes you happy, brings you joy, then ah go for it. And who you know who am I to ah talk about it? um Now, if you're judging in a contest and somebody comes up and asks you why you know it didn't win, you know that's where I draw the line. you know Because it's like when those people expect to win stuff, then that that is where I, you know and you know and and as a teacher, you have to grade and all the time and you'll get questions. If they somebody doesn't get the grade they wanted,
01:05:55
tjr74
um But then just as long as your objective and say well, you know your paint job wasn't you know, even and I think Bob talks about a time where um one of the, per I think it was a guy's wife of all things that came up and asked why this person didn't win something. And so I think as the story goes, um he brought one of the the yeah the cars that won and put it next to it and just went through the kind of, thing if you look at this paint job and this paint job,
01:06:25
tjr74
Here you can see some dust, you can see this, you see that, um and just went through it you know objectively. I don't think there's anything wrong if somebody's asking. Oh, if they want to know. yeah Yeah, if they're asking for it. And some people even on you know Facebook will put out the invitation of of, feel free to let you know how I could have made this better.
Handling Constructive Criticism in Modeling
01:06:48
tjr74
And then if that's, you know, as long as you're being professional and, uh, you know, but the IPMS Facebook page has actually been pretty good this year. Um, was it last year? I'm trying to think that this guy, he was on the first one. I want to know why my son, so this is a junior level, did not win first place.
01:07:09
tjr74
I am just, I'm never going to a contest again. And he was ranting and it's like, well, you know, you're really setting a good example for your kid. Yes. But hello. um And somebody last year too, they posted a picture of the airplane. You know, can you tell me what's wrong with this? And you asked. Yes. Have at it. Yeah. Yeah. And, and you know, and some people, you know, you can live with that too. If, you know, depending if somebody is, uh,
01:07:39
tjr74
You know, it, uh, and you saw that in coaching too, you know, as far as, uh, you know, some, and even in college nowadays, some people will say, I came here because I wanted to be coached hard. And I know the coaches, you know, well, nobody's like Bobby Knight nowadays, but on the hard side, uh, you know, or, you know, it depends on the person.
01:08:01
tjr74
um But I always feel like if you do wrap it up in the night now, I'm not just gonna come up and say something You know, yeah, you know that same professor I talked about he had us read how to make friends and influence people Dale Carnegie yeah and one of the things they did have a chapter on correcting people and and correcting people and he's, you know, somebody is reading a Shakespeare quote and um it was clearly wrong or wasn't even from Shakespeare. And then, ah you know, he turned to his friend and said, you you're an expert on Shakespeare. You must have known that this guy was full of it. Why why didn't you say something? And then he said, you know, you're never, you're going to make an enemy for life. And that's probably one of the few things I'll ever remember you saying to them is correcting them
01:08:47
tjr74
not letting them save face. you know And so it is, ah you know you you have to definitely ah you know pick your battles or whatever, or find the right way if if there's something um you know to say. Because yeah, it doesn't really benefit to you know, the person or, you know. yeah But there are certain people where I feel like they go to the shows and that's their favorite thing to do, almost like a scavenger hunt is to find out what's wrong. And I ran, even at national, I ran a couple of people who, that's all, they were just walking around and you'd say, oh, that's a great car. No, but this, and there's so much wrong with that. I heard a guy doing that and it's like.
01:09:28
tjr74
Really? yeah Yeah, it is so really funny how ah some people like like to go in that direction, but you um to each their own. All right. Is there a Holy Grail out there or a new toolkit that you would like them to make? Well, since we just discussed the Tucker, that's why I ordered it. Nice. Nice. Perfect timing. Stunning kit. Just absolutely unbelievable. The photoetch.
01:10:01
tjr74
There's even gold but where the car had like gold coating on it. I mean, I never would have thought about a Tucker, but they've done a third run of that now. People apparently like it. So I think it's maybe that'll encourage, if they're in the Ukraine, but maybe that'll encourage them to do some cars that people want because they're not doing a run of 10,000 or whatever, 5,000 or whatever. They're doing a run of, now it's gonna be, it's 150.
01:10:30
tjr74
Cool. If they can make money on that, yay. And what color are you thinking about building that? um Well, they the instructions have the six cathy colors that they came in. um And one came, I just happened to be watching one of the auctions this weekend. And they were auctioning a talker. Nice. Yeah, it was, oh God, it was the director that did the movie.
01:10:54
tjr74
Tucker. Oh, um not Francis Coppola, Martin Scorsese. No, it was Francis Coppola. Francis Coppola. Okay. you know I think it was his car, but it was kind of a darker ruby red with a beige interior. okay It was really And I was taking photos. Well, it's like, God, this is some of the stuff they showed you. It's like, oh, I mean, I know that instructions are great, but it's nice to see up close what some of these. so What else would I like to see?
01:11:25
tjr74
ah
01:11:29
tjr74
What would you like to see? Oh, that's a good question. um Boy, ah well, you know, and Salvino's has talked about doing some of the 70s Mercurys for the Wood Brothers drove. I'm going to talk about doing that 77 Thunderbird that Bobby Alson won his Daytona 500 in, um if they could do a nice kid at that um as far as Now, for street stock ah vehicles, i you know I have a 64-in-Pal and I was liked in pallets, even though it's been a while since I built a factory stock one. I would like to see any of the 68, 69, or 70 in pallets.
01:12:17
tjr74
um And then Mobius is supposed to be coming out with the Chevy pickup trucks from 67 to 68 and then 69 to 70 because AMT has had the 71, 72 one out for for years. But um obviously the Mobius is going to be better engineered and, you know, doing the the other two versions of that is essentially the same kind of body from 67 to 72, but doing the the a grill, different grills ah for the earlier versions would be really cool. My grandpa had a 70 pickup truck and it's really funny that um my dad was amazed by how much they got for this truck at a farm auction. you know My grandpa passed away in 1986
01:13:12
tjr74
And so they sold it at the farm auction. And my dad couldn't believe that they got $1,000 for this truck. And the body was in good shape. It was a farm truck, so it didn't have a whole lot of miles on. you know My grandpa used it just for towing wagons and stuff like that.
01:13:29
tjr74
um So it was a little mileage, obviously one owner, but my dad was still floored that he got $1,000. And ah back to the 50s this year, they had one and it was that same mustard yellow color. And obviously this had been restored, but they were asking like 41,000 for it. And so I texted a picture to my brother and I was like, how surprised would that be now? that this truck is getting $41,000. At least they asked him price was that. to What they got, I don't know. but So that would be one that I'd i'd like to see yeah come out. Now you made me think, Lamborghini GT3. I can't believe there's one guy in in Europe that I think he sold like three. I always see it on his on his table when he's at the shows there. but
01:14:19
tjr74
He still hasn't like produced it, actually. A Lamborghini GT3 would be fantastic. but and Why not? So I go buy a GX or whatever that stupid body act is.
01:14:31
tjr74
ah All right, well, I watched, after you talked about this 2K Clear, I looked and and saw if they had anything on YouTube ah for ah for polishing 2K Clear. And so I was able to find one of your must be disciples of yours. You found the BG. Yes, BG. BG model something. If you're on YouTube, you know who BG is, but ah hu yeah.
01:15:02
tjr74
Yeah, well, I wanted to get it straight from the horse's mouth while you're here. So I thought, again, explain it to us like we're a six year old and never seen a model car. How you go about from painting a car and getting those a flawless, um glossy finishes that you get. Well, um excuse me. i When I got back into into modeling, I was using Oh, what is the paint that Hero Boy sells? Zero, zero paints. And then Gravity Colors of Spain got a guy down in Florida doing it and he's kind of disappeared. But Sam at Splash Paints happened to come to the 28, 20, whatever it was, the one Phoenix Nationals. And he is in Portland, Oregon. He'll be up at 2 AM.
01:15:56
tjr74
getting a shipment ready to go. You don't have to wait a week or two weeks or a month for stuff to show up. ah he's So I started using it and I use his primer, I use his paint, and it has 2K clear. One thing about it, I didn't bring my mask, but you need to use a 3M makes a mask to use for volatile whatever. Yes, it is very pungent, I will say. Having painted a lot of different things and even painted houses and house paint and and using big paint sprayers that I noticed right away. And I even, and I don't know if this is scientifically proven, but I put an N95 mask underneath my 3M mask when I did it. yeah And I do have a paint booth
01:16:47
tjr74
and Then I ran a regular fan on the back of my paint booth because mine's not I didn't have anywhere to run it outside so But yeah, it is very pungent stuff. So let's see. Where should we start?
01:17:01
tjr74
um Basic bra body prep is the same as with any model that you're doing get rid of them the mold lines all that crap and And it doesn't react with any of the putt. It doesn't run super hot, so it's not going to shrink your putty. He has 2K and 1K. In fact, he twisted my arm to start using the 1K for regular plastic bodies. 2K primer he recommends if you're doing resin or metal.
01:17:31
tjr74
but So I'm using a lot of 1K. What is the difference between 2K and 1K? Well, that's a good question. You don't have to mix the 1K. OK, that's nice. Oh, yeah, I guess that, yeah, there's you just have one bottle. OK. Yeah, and 2K, you are mixing a catalyst and whatever the other one is. OK. But that's the big difference. But for a plastic model, I'm using his 1K. And he's actually got four different 1K primers. There's white, light gray, dark gray, and black. And ah Sam won't mind if I say this.
01:18:07
tjr74
Somebody called and complained because the white wasn't real white. And Sam said, well, it's a primer. And this way you can see every flaw. If you have a white, white, you're not going to see this stuff. And we're not talking like dark white. It's it's white, but yeah you can actually see everything. So um after you've, we won't go through the basis of prepping bodies right now, but you've sanded it, prepped it, put the primer on. And that way you can see if you need to fix anything.
01:18:36
tjr74
After that, you picture paint color. And Sam has got, actually, if you know the code, he can make it for you. But I use a harder steam back. I've got a 0.15, 0.2, and a 0.4, I believe. I think I have a 0.3 somewhere too. And I'll usually spray the color coat with the 0.4. And the coverage is great. And you can see everything that you need to see. so you want to put on some clear. and So how long do you wait? Well, first, before I forget, how does Sam charge extra for doing a custom color if you do have the code? um That's a good question. He may have to look it up. I had him do a custom color for me. It's not that much more. okay and
01:19:28
tjr74
If you like the color, you're going to be able to paint at least one more model with it, if not two, because it's in a bigger bottle than his regular stuff. but okay He's got a machine that just reads the codes and does it. Nice. Now, um once you do the color coat, how long do you wait before you you put the clear on? I'll wait i'll wait a day or two.
01:19:51
tjr74
I think I can find something else to do in the meantime, yeah um so pretty much. so So I'll wait a day or two. And then I will prep my paint booth and I will, I've got a spritz bottle and I will put down some, what's the clear stuff that you put over a bowl of food that you want to,
01:20:18
tjr74
so cellophane or whatever that's Reynolds wrap? Well, yeah, it's the clear stuff that sticks. Okay. So I'll save that on the bottom of the of the spray booth so I keep that clean. um And I'll spritz that and I also... Spritz it like spray with water? Yeah. Okay. s Spritz its inside there to cut down on the dust. And I may spritz around me. It just depends on what... And I usually, I have to have I do have a ah plastic thing that I can roll on, but I usually vacuum the room like the day before. Oh, wow. Just to get rid of any dust that might be in there. But usually the spritzing takes care of it. So I've got... Where do you want to go from here? Well, we're... Okay. So then ah you've waited a couple of days and then you mix up, you're clear. And that's, if you're doing the 2K, it's a three to one mix. Sam's is three to one and...
Airbrush Techniques and Supplies
01:21:10
tjr74
to
01:21:11
tjr74
This is where I get my cups from. Oh, nice. And if you're going to take photos, these cups from TCP, they've got little measurements on it. Oh, that is really helpful. Because unfortunately, the ones that I got that came with, I don't know, an airbrush kit or airbrush plane kit, goes up too high for the amount that I usually want to make to get three to one ratio. And the pipettes.
01:21:37
tjr74
Okay, I've got a company that they are so incredibly cheap, not what these people are charging for at the hobby shop. Yeah, oh this is it's nuts. And they've got measurements on so you just okay, nice, it goes up to three, I've never been able to fill it up to three. So if it's three to one, I'll go up to two, put that in the cup, do another of one, pour that in the cup and then grab a new pipe, two pipe, I have two pipettes, so I use a pipette for the whatever the brown stuff is there. Because you definitely don't want to mix them. um the thing No, and I toss the rushes. They're so cheap that you can't just toss it. And this is off of maybe um Amazon that you'd order these from? No, I actually order those from... You see, I came prepared relatively. Nice.
01:22:26
tjr74
Wholesale supplies plus. Okay. They sell a lot of stuff if you're making... um Maybe science kits? Science projects? No, they've got... It's like... I think a lot of women must go there because it's how to make sense and stuff. Oh, okay. Perfumes? Okay, interesting. But yeah, they've got... You can order 200 of them. huh And I think they're like a buck and a half for one. but when you start ordering like a 50-pack, it's it's so incredibly cheap that you just chuck them. You mix that up. I ah usually use my pet to put it into my airbrush huh rather than trying to pour it on the cup. So i I'll pipette it in there. I'm running... Sam, if you go on his website, it will tell you
01:23:20
tjr74
pick out a color, and it'll say, recommend but between 20 and 25 PSI. Some colors might be 25 to 30. He'll also tell you what primer you should be using. Should you be using a white primer? Should you be using a dark primer? Uh-huh. Now, I'm curious, when when would you want to use a dark primer? Now, I know some people like it black, because it'll show the door lines maybe a little bit, or um this or that. What what are the advantages of that? The dark gray, he doesn't sell a whole lot of.
01:23:50
tjr74
But the black, um I'll do black if it's going to paint a black car. yeah yeah so Other than that, um I don't know why you'd want to prime it in black, although I see that a lot of guys in Japan, especially, they'll spray the car black and then they'll start sanding. which um But if you have a light color, and Sam will tell you, you you can't put a black on a yellow or something.
01:24:18
tjr74
so I will, with so many of the models I'm doing, I have numerous decals on. And I'll just spray a dusting on that. um Oh, let me go back a step. You actually want to clear the color code so that the decals will slide much better. So you just do a run of clear on it to, it would be plenty to get it to put the decals on. so
01:24:49
tjr74
Now, when you're going over, and I apologize to our listeners because you're not seeing, um you're kind of just going like in this this kind of speed with the clear or the paint. Yeah, just go over it. It's it's really hard to make Sam's clear run. yeah If you're you're making it run,
01:25:11
tjr74
yeah You have like a 0.9 on your airbrush nozzle. or you're just holding it out poddle yeah but Some unnamed guy in the UK who has a site that he was testing Sam's clear against some other company and he's this other he was spraying this other clear on it. So he does the site of this little BMW and just Oh, there's a little run there. So what I'm going to do is spray more clear on it. It's like, no, don't do that. um But so you've cleared the the color code and, excuse me, put down all the dec details you want to put on. um And then I would do very light dusting and then not even a real thick coat of clear on it, just enough so that it looks semi glossy. When I've got that settled, I will look at it and see, but I'll,
01:26:01
tjr74
let that sit for two days just to be safe. And then I'll put on two coats of clear. So you put the decals on them? Yep. Decals are on. And you let them dry for two days? Yeah, let those set for two days. I think we got ahead of ourselves here. All right. I apologize. No, no, no. The body's cleared. It's hard because I've tried to bring everything. So you clear the body, the paint color, and then um put the decals on. Yes. And then a light dusting and then a fairly wet coat over that. Now when you do the light dusting, how much time do you let dry? Oh five seconds or five minutes. use Five minutes and then come back for the heavy coat. Yeah. Now um have you ever found decals that did not
Sanding, Waxing, and Polishing Techniques
01:26:51
tjr74
work?
01:26:51
tjr74
that crinkled up on with with the 2K. Never have. Never have. yeah And I'll let that sit for two days and then I'll come back and put down two coats. And I will wet sand starting with 3000 grit trisact, which you can pick up at any good time.
01:27:14
tjr74
car shop I ordered mine on Amazon, but you can do it that too. So yes. Yeah, yeah 3000 and 5000. Yeah, and then you mentioned ah the 8,000 and 10,000 from mr. or Hobby. There's 6,000 and 8,000 Trizact and you have to get it from overseas now Depending if you're in Europe or Japan if if I understand this correctly there 800 grip for example, isn't the same as A 3M 800 red. 8,000? Or 8,000? Well, 8,000. Anyone, yeah. any Even 800. 800. They're not equal. Or 2,000. They're not equal. so In which direction? I have no idea. okay It's not terrible. You can just tell by putting your fingers on it. But um yeah, I'll go up to 8,000 with the TRIZ Act. And then, excuse me, are you going to take pictures of this stuff? Yeah. We'll take pictures of it. OK. I've got a a Dremel.
01:28:13
tjr74
micro, which has five different speeds on it, and you want the lowest speed. And you're going to use Proxxon.
01:28:25
tjr74
OK. Proxxon, yes. Proxxon, Proxxoff. Proxxon. Yeah, that's that's exactly right. It's 28297. They're cotton buds. You can get You can get some from Amazon that aren't Proxxon. You're going to have cotton dust all over the place. should be For this, you're paying for quality. So your Proxxon are much better. Much better. And you know, it's awesome. i I've washed this one off. I put a little mark on it so I know that's the...
01:29:01
tjr74
Scratch 2.0. I've probably washed this five times just to clean things off. Okay. so And by washing, you just put it in water? I'll put a little dawn in it, scrub it and then rinse it in water. Yeah. Okay. So where are we at right now?
01:29:17
tjr74
OK, so then we've gone through all our sanding. Now, one interesting thing that ah goes against a lot of things that I always with the polishing kits um that they had, you go one direction straight and then one direction up and down. Yes. um And so you actually do it like it was a mini car that is going in a swirling motion. Trisac 3M record. I don't know why it it shows in him um on a block down there. but on a model car, well, actually they recommend doing it in a circular motion any place that you can. Obviously there's spots you can't do a circular motion, but yeah it seems to work. So yeah, if you can do it. um And I cut it into a smaller piece that I can. Yes. And and I did that on on the one that I did polish and found that it it was a lot easier and a lot faster. Yeah. Yeah.
01:30:12
tjr74
occasionally I'll have to get some 2500 grit out. I finished clearing this car for a friend of mine and I'm looking at it and it's like this just doesn't. So I had to get the 2500 out and level it with that. ahha But you'll know. So Let me see, where are we at here? if We've gone through these, went through this. And so we're up to the the first wax that you use um with your Proxxon in your Dremel yeah yeah at low speed, 5,000 reps per minute, is the Scratch Maguire Scratch 2.0. Yeah, Scratch X, Scratch, yeah. And they they change the name occasionally, but it's, um that must have, I don't know,
01:30:56
tjr74
Yes, fine scratch and blemish remover. um Get out my trusty Dremel, set it to the lowest setting, which is 5,000. And it's hard to describe without having a video, but you're not just you're not pushing on this. ah but You can just kind of just lay it on.
01:31:16
tjr74
Now when it's rotating, you want this, the side of it, the side of the Proxxon Dremel bit that goes in there. So you don't ever put it on the front because the front has kind of the screw that might yeah that might hit the car. You would not want to do that. Yes, absolutely. So it may be flat or I may tip it a little bit. Okay. so And you're going back and forth in one direction, basically the width of the,
01:31:45
tjr74
of the cotton bud. And then I'll go back and do the opposite. So if I'm going one way, I'll go the other way. Oh, so you do opposites with the waxes? Yeah. Okay. Interesting. Usually one pass will be enough, but if it's not, let's talk about I don't know, most stuff will do it, but I got Griot's Speed Shine. You spritz it and wipe off the stuff when it's dry and see what it looks like. If it looks good, yay, move on to... So you do that in the in-between stages? What's that? with Oh yeah, anytime it dries. and The Speed Shine that just sprays on. You spritz it on and wipe it off with a towel.
01:32:34
tjr74
yeah Okay. All right. Interesting. And if you get to the point with your in your waxing process that it looks perfect, then do you ever stop without going on to the next one? Or you always go through the process? I go the whole whole process, no matter what. well That's why you're a national champion, John.
01:32:52
tjr74
Don't embarrass me. you know Everybody has it, well, not everybody, but there's a lot of different ways of doing it. I'm doing it my way and I'm getting the good good results. So yes um after we spritz it with the speed shine and wipe it off, we switch cottons. And I actually put a little mark on the one I use for scratch X so that I know which one is which. And we go to the deep crystal polish.
01:33:15
tjr74
and Okay, deep crystal polish and repeat and just put it on and i'm usually doing it I'll do like a trunklet. I'll do ah a roof. I'll do a hood. I'll do half of the side, half of the side. So you're not doing the whole car at once.
01:33:28
tjr74
or you'll go crazy. Ask me how I know. So do the same thing. And this is why how somebody can do do a car polishing in an hour astounds me. I can spend six, seven hours polishing out to clear just ah hu it's, it's what you got to do if you want to have a really good finish, or maybe even more. ah hu Do that. And if it looks great,
01:33:56
tjr74
go ahead and put the put a wax on this is I use Griot's poly wax but any good car wax that's not a cleaner but just a regular poly wax you can put that on and I would recommend using if you have some old t-shirts use that to put that when you're taking it off and anything you're taking off use it a soft terry cloth Now I have the CRX, and that's just like a ceramic cleaner. Here, let me go grab that. I'll be right here. Awesome, awesome. But you're going to edit that out anyhow, so. Yes. um So this one, the CRX, would that do the same thing that the Griot Speed Shine does?
01:34:49
tjr74
No, this is different. This is actually putting a coating on. A coating, okay. and So you would not want to do that. Yeah, the speed shine is just getting the wax and everything off. Okay. so yeah And then you sit back and admire your wonderful paint job. Okay. after the the po So the polish is the last one you do? Do the scratch checks, do the polish, and then wax.
01:35:15
tjr74
Okay. And this is another Griot's product, the Poliwacks. It works really well on a real car, too. Okay. Nice. that Well, that that was funny, too, because I had, unfortunately, one of the kids getting their bikes down, ran into the side of my car and left a ah mark on it. And then I was, ah so I was like, well, I got all this stuff here. I might as well, and it did i really work on my hair my one-to-one car as well. Okay. so Just to repeat, um so you got the the scratch remover, then you do the speed shine in between, then you do the Maguire deep crystal polish, then back to the speed shine, and then the poly wax by Grios at the end, um and then you leave that on. You don't do any speed shine after the poly wax. No, I'll use the speed shine to take the after the wax is dry.
01:36:12
tjr74
Then you take that off, especially like in between the door lines and stuff like that. Okay, good, good. All right, well that is your method, so thank you for
Contact Information and Upcoming Shows
01:36:22
tjr74
sharing. Did we cover everything? Well, and then- If you have questions, call Torben. Yes, call me, contact me, email me. No, honestly, anybody has a, have questions, no problem getting ahold of me. I talk to people all the time, so.
01:36:37
tjr74
Yes. Yep. And Torben Rothkib at gmail dot.com. Any questions? I'll be happy to answer those, too. um So we'll thank you, John. Oh, my pleasure. Now, before we go, we usually cover. We're ah you're almost off the hook. Before we go, we do cover up up upcoming shows. ah So we got Nordicon September 21st. And that's it. I'm going to be there.
01:37:06
tjr74
Inver Grove, Minnesota. We had the Mid-American Nationals in Omaha on October 5th. Well, I went to that with Chad Truss and Bob last year. How big was that show? Not super big. It's not a video. Yeah, it would be...
01:37:26
tjr74
I'd want to say maybe 200 cars on the table. There were a few good builders. I wish more than a few good builders, but um it probably would you know not be and anything like the Nationals or anything. But it's a nice little show. and they They do really well. They take their they're judging very seriously. They ran over the time. um So I appreciated that they were looking at everything, going through everything. They give some real nice awards, big trophies. Chad had a trophy that you could barely get in his car. So they did really good with the trophies. And then um they also have really good vending there. You might be interested in that.
01:38:08
tjr74
So yeah, that's a good show. um That's October 5th. And then the show that I keep hearing a lot of people just, you know, just 300 vendors speaks for itself. But the Detroit NFL is November 10th. And that's at the Macomb Community College and Sports Expo Center from 9 to 3 p.m. And I'm hoping one day to get enough people to make a road trip ah to that. I know RPM a few years went went to the N and L Nationals in Toledo, Ohio, but they have not done a trip like that, at least a group trip. Well, just get a big van. Yeah. yeah um so i but But one of these years, I might just fly. If I could get a cheap airfare, I might just go to, you know, see. Flight of the trade? Yeah. Yeah.
01:39:02
tjr74
The problem I find with flying, you've probably seen the cases I put my models in. you yeah really carry that guy I can fit three models in there. so yeah Going up to the N and L West, which is the last one, um I can bring three models. Going down to Atlanta for the N and L South, at it's three models. That makes it That is, and then also if you buy anything, but you can ship it back. When you do what Fiji does, he brings an empty suitcase. Yes, and then check check your bag, yes yes. Yeah, no, that's that's a good strategy. yeah um So one of these years, I have to make it. I don't know when, but that, and it's also kind of hard November 10th, because a lot of people travel for Thanksgiving, and so it might be traveled out. but What else is on the list?
01:39:55
tjr74
And then ah unfortunately in in Minnesota, you have to worry about weather starting November. Yeah. I know I could go to my sister's for Christmas because Southwest was so. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, well that's as far as I go. Um, we do have the hope it don't snow show in Rochester, Minnesota.
01:40:14
tjr74
um That's usually the first weekend in February RPM had a huge turnout. Yes. We yeah, I feel like Do like maybe 60 70 percent of the cars on the table. I want to go to the N and Elise to I had the privilege of doing that about six years ago, maybe. My brother lives in Philadelphia, so we went out and met him and we went, drove down there together. It is a fantastic show. um And they get, the two things that really stood out were that you get this really great swag bag that they give you yeah um that they must get from their sponsors, you know, because they had some Slick's decals, but then they had an N and L coffee mug and pens and stuff like that. So that's really cool. and then
01:40:58
tjr74
How they get you in so fast? I don't know. I mean, cause the line, it's it's a big building and it's all the way around the building. And then we were all the way out to the parking lot and stuff, but somehow we got in so fast. I saw a video of it and it's like, Oh my gosh, how did they do that? Yeah, I don't know. And I know we've been working with both the Nordicon show and and other shows with the pre-register.
01:41:24
tjr74
So hopefully with technology that will get a little better if you pre-register your things. Yeah, i I'm guilty of not doing it myself. ah Technology is not always my favorite thing.
01:41:39
tjr74
or I'm spending all my time putting the cars in the case to to bring and stuff like that. And then it's the last thing on my list and I just don't get to it. So I am signing up by everything. But now this year, ah Scott Gladstein talked me into working the gate. So I will be i will be taking the cash at the doorway of Nordicon. So that'll be interesting. Cause the first time I've done that before. As long as they have air conditioning,
01:42:09
tjr74
Yes, that was very humid last year and it was, ah um you never know what you're going to get. Bob did the fastest. I have never seen somebody move that fast giving out the awards. so Yes, yeah. Well, you know, the last time I went to a graduation, I've noticed that they've had, ah they did a really good job when my daughter graduated high school. ah They had four different people reading off the names and they had ah ah two or three different stages ah that they really ramped it up because I remember that that being one of the most boring things in life. It's like people are reading through the phone book. And if you had a big school, it was just like, therere yeah
01:42:48
tjr74
So they have sped yeah
Event Management Anecdotes
01:42:50
tjr74
sped that up. And so then Bob kind of incorporated that it seemed like that they were, but they had to, I'm surprised we didn't have somebody with heat stroke or something like that. Cause again, our, you know, our demographic isn't necessarily the youngest or the healthiest. You haven't seen demographics to go to Las Vegas for the show because you walk out of the casino and it's a long ramped thing down to the center and They had, EMTs were there all the time because they were trying to go up and it was, you know, not terribly steep, but still either on the way down or the way up, the EMTs were, they were busy. ah Yeah. Yeah. No, we got, we got lucky. Hopefully it'll be a little cooler this year because we're also going to have, I believe the N and L North is going to be at the same place at Amber Grove Heights. oh
01:43:44
tjr74
um Yeah, apparently ah the Knights of Columbus were gonna double the price So I think it was somewhere around a thousand and it's gonna go up to 2,000 So um they're doing that one at Ember Grove Heights, which is a little farther from my house um So but we'll see this we'll apparently give more vending room, too oh that yeah So that to So that's always a good thing. Not that <unk> I need to buy any more things. What? Yeah. God, I can't think of anything else. I can't think of anything offhand.
01:44:25
tjr74
All right, John, well, I wanna thank you so much for bringing your knowledge and expertise to the show. And I look forward to, ah you've been such a great addition to the club. So I look forward to having you as a member for a long, long time. Now, um before you go, are you going to the nationals next year in Virginia? No, I just can't bring myself to fly out there and just, I'm gonna,
01:44:53
tjr74
I'm going to go to Indiana for sure. Yeah. for Yeah. Speaking about coming shows because next year's nationals is in Virginia. And then the year after that, it is Fort Wayne, Indiana. And so maybe we can get a, a group of, um,
01:45:08
tjr74
RPM members to to go out to to Indiana. Now, do you have any brothers or sisters that live out there that would be willing to put on a a cookout like the one we had in Madison? No. but So the Man City Modelers have a show in the spring. okay How big is that show? um I think they're both comparable.
01:45:31
tjr74
So yeah, it's hard to figure out which one, you know, cause I definitely want to go to one of those Michigan shows. I want to go to the, yeah I want to go to the Michigan mode. The Madison. Oh, you're talking about in Madison. Yeah. sorry Yeah. Madison last year. No, I have not ah been to the, I've gone to the Milwaukee one ah every year, but I don't think anybody's going back to Milwaukee.
01:45:59
tjr74
Yeah, well well, yeah, we'll see.
Reflections on Past Car Shows
01:46:01
tjr74
I'm going to try just out a sake of sake of always going. and And it's usually right around spring break. So that's good, too. But yeah, it that show has gone down a little bit over the years. um You know, unfortunately, they've had some really good builders who who passed away. I always loved seeing Mike Dowds. He built a lot of great NASCAR's and and stuff but I you know I still have a ah lot of fun you know catching up with some of the people in Wisconsin and ah so ah you would will turn to go to happy hoy and happy hobby um yes happy hobby ah
01:46:35
tjr74
i those that don't know Yeah, happy hobby is they they have two. They used to have three, but one burnt down. I think it was maybe the kids from the original owner. It was no loss. Each got one. um And so and well well we talked about, ah you know, wearing a ventilator mask for doing the 2K clear. You might want to do that in the happy hobbies and things are kind of dusty and, you know, they they have some real cute dogs, but if you're allergic to dogs, you don't want to get down on your knees because God knows they don't clean anything.
01:47:06
tjr74
It is. ah But you can find some good stuff and some decent prices. um I got a 2029 Ford pickup. um Actually I got from Happy Hobbies and that's ah the one I won a award at the Pantowners thing with the $29 for you. So I had to thank Happy Hobbies for that because that was... That was the only thank you they've gotten in there. Well, as I was working on it, it was an open kit. I kept waiting for something not to be in there, but I got to the end of the the kit and it was all there. so miracle co And it was only, ah you know, and as i I said, price is not a good reason to buy one, but
01:47:45
tjr74
this actually paid off for me because I think it was maybe ten to fifteen dollars from Happy Hobby so Happy Hobby but there's also Model Empire so I don't know we'll we'll see ah when is the ah this show in Madison? It's usually in the spring
Podcast Wrap-Up and Thanks
01:48:00
tjr74
because that's where they tested out the software or whatever for the nationals as far as registering and all that stuff so yeah yeah I'll have to look and see because yeah my brother's there so If we all go to that show, I'm sure my brother would love to... Yeah, have have another cookout. Well, that might be a reason to go by itself. I'll just tell him there's a show.
01:48:27
tjr74
All right, John. Well, thanks again for joining us. Thank you. And thank you to all the Tiny Car Podcast listeners out there, and I hope to talk to you real soon.