AirDave's Kool Wheelz Collection

[JohnM]

Ummm, all I did was right click on the picture ... selected 'Save as' ... and saved it as a .jpg on my desktop ... which later got popped into the 2013 Advent folder.

I never did build the car ... as I said at the time ... I wanted a red one anyway.

Much as I did like the '63 Stingray, the only Corvette I've ever truly desired was the early one from the 'Route 66' TV series. I always saw it as red, but I gather now that it was blue. Well I was watchin' it on a B&W Tele.

[airdave]

But that jpeg has dotted lines all over it?
And its not properly sized.

[airdave]

Originally Posted by JohnM

Much as I did like the '63 Stingray, the only Corvette I've ever truly desired was the early one from the 'Route 66' TV series. I always saw it as red, but I gather now that it was blue. Well I was watchin' it on a B&W Tele.

yeah, but you never drove one.
I found it an awful car to drive.

I was also not a fan of the late 50s T-Bird, but at least it drove better.
Just make sure the roof isn't on.
Because rear and side visibility is non-existent.

[JohnM]

Agreed. I have never driven any of the Corvettes. I did briefly own and drive a Red Candy Apple Metaflake '58 Caddy Biarritz. Gotta be the worst car I've ever driven, but it didn't stop me lovin' it. Even better poser-mobile than the '59 IMHO.

Bestest Yank Tank ever for me though was a '48 Hudson Commodore. It complimented the Teddy-Boy suit well, and it was pretty good to drive too. It regularly burned off a couple of Rocket 88s.

[Richschindler]

Dave, what year vette did you drive that you didn't like? I've owned ten Vettes in my day. As early as a 58 and also a brand new 2006 and there is no way to compare the two.
I'm guessing you just don't like Vettes, and I understand that. Just as the 50's tbirds were a bit rough as well. Growing up there were the Chevy guys who hated the Ford guys, then there were the outcasts that liked MoPar stuff.
Guess it all boils down to, whatever you like.
Same goes for paper modeling. Some people like only one type of model, and even one scale, then there are those that like everything in all scales.
I for one have even bought these big tank things designed by some guy in Canada. Will I ever buildthem, who knows, but gotta have them.
So, whatever you like. Enjoy it!!

[airdave]

Its not that I don't like Corvettes.
Most Stingrays are beautiful things.
But they were never great street cars.
Mid sixties muscle was heavy, top heavy in many cases, rolled too much,
drifted and veered from loose steering, had bad visiblity, was underpowered by weight,
guzzled gas and oil, and was generally not worth the trouble...but we loved them anyway!
lol
Of all the Corvettes I have driven (58, 60, 63, 65, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71-87)
I'd say the oldest ones were the least favorite in terms of comfort and driveability.
Probably had no power steering...maybe no power brakes...yet still a fairly heavy car.
I'd love a newer one.
Newest one I owned was a 2005.

Don't misunderstand me. I would love to own a 63 split window stingray. Who wouldn't?
But they're not always easy cars to drive.

Hey, I remember the first Hemi Cuda I drove.
69 or 70 with a 426? hemi...slapstick 4 speed.
I couldn't push the clutch down.
Had to use two feet to do it.
And then releasing the clutch was just dangerous.
As the clutch grabbed, and you gave it some gas, the car literally lurched forward as if it was leaping off the ground.
And next thing I know, the car is totally out of control! LOL

I had more fun with with a Mid 70s twin turbo Porsche 911.
This thing accelerated like a dart out of a gun.
But all the time, there was this weird whine.
Like a blender spinning up to speed.
And then, all of sudden it felt like Chuck Yeager had hit the rocket boosters.
The turbos has spun up boost and finally kicked in.
Your head would literally sink into the head rest!

Thing is, the Porsche drove the same at 40mph, as it did at 140mph.
Handled the same, felt the same.
Something an older American car could not do.
A sixties Hemi Cuda...or Corvette...at 70 mph...was a very unstable thing!

Don't get me started on changing lanes at highway speed in a late 60s Mustang!

[Don Boose]

Next door neighbor in Baltimore bought a black Thunderbird in 1955, the year they came out. Pretty car. I never drove it.

Lil and I owned a much-used dark green 1965 Mustang when I was in graduate school in Hawai'i 1972-73. Bought it sight unseen for $500 from an Army buddy when we left Korea. Lil hated it because we always had to park it on a hill so we could get it started, and she and I and two kids were a tight fit. Paid a guy $25 to take it when we left.

Next door neighbor drives a silver Corvette Stingray. Pretty car. Always know when he arrives and departs.

Corvettes at Carlisle takes place 24-27th of this month: Corvettes at Carlisle - America's Largest Fun-Filled Corvette Show, All Generations C6-C1, Swap Meet, Vendors, Parts, Accessories, For Sale

I notice that you offer a couple of Corvettes among the ShowRodz: ShowRodz KoolWheelz Paper Models

Am working on the Steve McQueen Porsche 917K while I wait for the Paul Newman Porsche . . . and the Audi.

Don

[airdave]

The Corvettes are actually (Mako) Sharks.
Rick Steffers put in the original request for the Shark.
I already had an interest in the later Mako Stingray, since I had seen it in person in the late 60s.
I think I had a Mako model or diecast too?

Anyway, I used Volker's basic roof pattern, with a little modification, to fit my altered body for the Mako models.
It worked out quite nicely. I was concerned about reproducing the complicated Stingray shape.
But thats another reason why I don't want to do another Stingray.
Volker has already done some nice little Stingray models.
I can't do any better.

[Richschindler]

I must agree with you about the older model Vettes. Compared to today's cars they didn't handle very well. Heck, The first two years, 53 and 54 only had straight six engines in them, and the build quality of the body was less than perfect.
AND YES I did own a 63 split window. Paid a incredible sum of eight hundred, that's $800 U S. dollars for it. Sold it a year or so later for $1200. Thought I was doing good. Back then, I was. If only I could have it now.
Now all I have is a 1955 Chevy Cameo. Look it up. But I am also looking at another Vette.

[airdave]

This next KoolWheelz model was originally suggested by my Forum Moderator Vermin King
He had made a post in his long running "On This Date" series, about a race Porsche driven in the 24 hours of Le Mans by actor Paul Newman.
He also suggested I might add the model to my KoolWheelz series.

Well, I'm a sucker for a Porsche in any form...and I did like actor Paul Newman.
For us old folks...Cool Hand Luke and Hud.
For you young'uns...Hudson Hawk.
Newman passed away in 2008 at age 83.

935 Porsches raced in FIA Group 5 Class from 1976 to 1984 and scored more than 150 wins and 20 Class victories,
most notably wins at Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring endurance races.

This Porsche 935 scored the win for its Class and a 2nd place overall at the 1979 24 hours of LeMans with the driving team of Dick Barbour, Rolf Stommelen and Paul Newman.
This was Newmans very first LeMans race.



The race spec restored racecar recently sold at a Pebble Beach Classic Car Auction to celebrity/comedian Adam Carolla for 4.4 Million Dollars.
Its considered to be the finest racecar Paul Newman ever drove, and one of the finest Porsche 935 racecars.
Its success on the track only adds to its value.

I loved the bright red colour, and the very cool collection of 70s/80s logo graphics.
"How 'bout a nice Hawaiian Punch?!"



Its not an easy build...in fact I have classed it as Advanced/Difficult mainly because of the extra rear wheel fender attachments.
The body also has a few tricky bends and folds, and there is a large rear wing assembly to deal with.
Luckily, no 3D wheels on this one!

I'm working on an Instruction sheet.
Find the model in the Racerz section of my website.