Say, how about we throw up some links to the models shows this past week ! Great reference and a ton of ideas.

• Masscar Model Show April 2007
• Masscar Model Show 2007 (Billy K.)
• Milwaukee NNL 2007
• Milwaukee NNL 2007 (2)
• Cincinnati Challenge 12 - 2007
• Cincinnati Challenge 12 - 2007 - (2)
• Model Estrie 2007
• Tornado Alley 2007 OKC

TJ Castings is has a new website, loaded with a lot of new stuff for racing and dirt track models. He also carries some interesting tire products.

He's running a 40% off sale till the end of April, so load up on all the goodies now !

Aardvark models is going to release in May a resin kit of the 1958 GM Firebird III concept car. This is a great offering, a good historical example of a car. And let's face it, it looks like a Rocket ! Can't beat that. :-)

(the picture is courtesy of Darrin B. and Aardvark Models).

Check out this amazing truck, made out of beer cans. Actually, not so much beer cans, but made of tin, fashioned from cans.

Amazing work !

The site is in Russian (?) but from what I remember about this build was that it was a contest sponsored by the beer company. The winner (shown here) was from Turkey. One of the prizes was a big screen TV.

I guess sometimes it really does pays to be a modeler !

Want to have some fun with the neighbors? Slap one of these CDs on, crank it up, and suddenly, it's 1964 all over again. Make the whole 'hood think their right there in the stands to hear the thunder of drag racing !

Actually, I have had a few of these records over the years ...still got one left. But now they are available on CDs. Oh boy !

Just like being at the track !

Hey, let's get right down to the wire here and post some links to some recent model shows and contests. Great builds and great ideas.

• DAAM Model Contest 2007
• IPMS Kickoff Classic 2007
• Model Show 2007
• DAAM Model Contest 2007
• DAAM Motor City Nationals 2007
• Hobbytown Spring Contest Reading PA 2007

Some more test shots / builds for you. This time the AMT / MPC / Model King 1972 Ford Torino. This kit has been assembled (and may end up on the box somewhere?).

Most modelers remember the old Johan Torino, which hasn't been issued in a long time. So this is going to be a hot kit when it comes out. There are a ton of older Nascar stock cars you can make with this example. Thanks to the Model King for bringing this car back !

Here's a photo album from this years KAM model car show. Over 100 pictures of models to cruise through. :-)

• KAMS Model Car Contest 2007

Steve G has loaded up some pictures / test shots of Lindbergs new Raminator Dodge Truck kit. Granted it's a monster truck, but check out the detail on the roll cage assembly !

Between that and the suspension, even if you went to a smaller more realistic street truck tire, there are some useful 4x4 parts here to build an off road truck.

Model Car garage is releasing some new photo etch products for 2007. This Harley Davidson set is awesome. Perfect for your F150 kit, or any other model project that deserves the Harley name.

Ford's Harley Davidson F150s are usually Club Cabs or Crew Cabs (4-doors), but Revell has recently reissued their F150 Lightning kit, they would work well with that, even though it's a 2-door.

Revell once had an actual F150 Harley Edition model kit, with a trailer and Harley motorcycle, but that production run was short, and they are extremely expensive and hard to find these days.

A good article on building a 1:8 scale scratch built bicycle. It took the author almost a year to do it. The bonus to this build is he took pictures along the way, and has written how he constructed all the various pieces.

It's a good read, there's quite a bit of problem solving ideas.

Here is a very nicely done battle damaged USS Enterprise NCC1701-A refit. A lot of great scratch building work went into this one. Unfortunately there is no text to really give a description on how it was done. But the end result makes for some great pictures.

Aardvark models is offering some neat resin kits. Especially for the VW modelers out there. Such as the Sand Crab Coupe, Ornery Otto Beetle AA/FA drag racer, and a Bug Zapper Funny Car.

I think these kits fill a big gap for VW kit builders.

Aardvark also makes some other kits, a couple of street rods and a Porsche. Even their box art is cool and well done.

For the truck fans, Revell Germany has posted some pictures of their upcoming Schlingmann fire / rescue truck.

Wow, it looks like they have packed a lot of extra goodies into this kit !

Click here to check out the real 1:1 Schlingmann trucks. A lot of useful pictures for modelers !

There are a lot of model kits and die cast out there of the various Batmobile versions. I've even built a few myself. (1966, 1990's ).

But check out this site: Batmobilehistory.com

Page 2 has some more on that site as well.

There are a lot of versions on there, some are model kits, some die cast, real 1:1 cars, even some Lego ones. A lot of interesting ideas.

I once made a phantom Batmobile myself out of a Monogram Oldsmobile Aerotech many years ago.