Mason City Miniatures is releasing some new resin kits. Including:

• 1959 Ford Country Sedan
• 1959 Ford Custom 300 Business Sedan
• 1950 Ford Panel Delivery
• 1955 Chevy Sedan Delivery
• 1955 Chevy 4 Door Sedan
• 1950 Chevrolet Panel Delivery

All these kits (and a lot more !) are available at the Resin Realm's website. Later this year they will be releasing a 1955 Ford Thunderbird, so you want to keep an eye on their site for further updates.

Is this '50 Ford Panel cool or what? Ambulance? Work truck? You can make just about anything out of this !

It's been a busy last couple of weeks for model shows and contests. Including the NNL East and some IPMS shows. Here are some links to galleries with several hundred photos to inspire you to build. :-)

• NNL East Model Show - 2007 (OFFICIAL RESULTS SITE)
• De Granby Show - Canada 2007
• NNL East Model Show - 2007 (VW Dave)
• NNL East Model Show - 2007 (El Camino Billy)
• NNL East Model Show - 2007 (Keith S.)
• 2nd Annual IPMS / SCCM Model Show / Contest - 2007
• Model Car Mecca - 2007
• NNL East Model Show - 2007 (John M.)
• NNL East Model Show - 2007 (Bob P.)
• NNL East Model Show - 2007 (Gary K)
• NNL East Model Show - 2007 (Dave W.)
• NNL East Model Show - 2007 (Don B.)
• North Coast Auto Modelers Summit County Fairgrounds, Talmadge, Ohio 2007
• NNL East Model Show - 2007 (Tom K.)
• NNL East Model Show - 2007 (Empire Speed& Custom)
• Model Car Contest in Fairmont MN - 2007

I can't read this site (I am guessing it's in German), but it looks like they show some information and pictures of Revell's new kits. Including the new Audi R10 V12 TDI Le-Mans in 1:24 and the Ferrari F-599 GTB.

There are also several aircraft kits, including a 1:32 scale German He-162 Salamander, and a 1:72 scale Euro fighter Typhoon.

Here's the leading page, with all the details.

Personally, the Audi looks like one I would be interested in building.

Ok, time to get caught up with some more online model galleries. Served best with some coffee and cinnamon toast in the morning. :-)

• Showdown Model Show 2007
• Jabbeke Model Show 2007
• MCMA Showdown 2007
• MCMA Showdown 2007 - 2

If you ever wanted to build a trailer, for your car or truck model, this online company has some basic drawings / blueprints online.

While not a perfect scale or profile drawing, it still may give you some ideas if you are building one from scratch. They may even help you draw or design your own plans.

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This little trailer may appeal to you as well. It's a custom made Teardrop Trailer in 1:25 scale. The frame is made of brass. Looks likes a pretty neat build. The sides appear to be wood, though not balsa.

I looked to see if I could find any free Teardrop plans online, but didn't see any. Lots of companies that sell them though. Some sites mention they used to be printed in woodworking magazines and such, so maybe those can be had for next to nothing. I am really surprised no one has scanned any of the plans and posted them online. (maybe plans for a 1930's trailer aren't quite up to modern codes).

I have seen a few of these kits around, primarily in the older Testors HSO (Hobby Shop Only) boxes, but I was not aware he was still producing them.

Jimmy Flintstone custom bikes are pretty cool.

It looks like he has a new kit, also designed by Thom Taylor, the Tiki Termite. These resin kits are all 1:25 scale, so they fit right in with your scale car and truck builds.

I'm going to sneak in a couple of more web links to more models shows.

• Cedarville Model Show 2007
• DMCC Detroit Autorama Contest 2007

I know it seems I am always posting CAR contests info and links, but I don't get any emails with galleries to other kinds of models. Let me know ! Where are the IPMS galleries for 2007 ? Aircraft clubs don't take pictures?

While I usually just post a link or two for a model show, I want to mention a good solid article written by Darren B over at East Coast Car News.

It's about his trip to the Cookeville Tennessee show, but also includes some pictures, and some close ups of the model work shown there.

To see more great pictures from the show, be sure and scroll all the way to the bottom of that web page and click on the button that says "More Cookeville Pictures Here".

Enjoy !

Monster's N Motion is going to carry a limited issue model kit of the Dodge PPG Turbo Interceptor from the movie The Wraith.

It is a resin kit, in the popular 1:25 scale. Includes rubber tires and blacked out windows (which leads me to believe it will be a curbside kit, no interior or engine.)

It says it includes a "white stripe decal". Not really sure what that is (I have this movie on DVD). There is one scene in the movie, a back shot, where you can see the PPG Dodge logo white window banner at the top of the back window (My guess is they forgot to remove it for filming, or it was one of the first shots of the car for the movie, and later the text graphic was removed).

The model has a limited run of 1000 kits. I am hoping they will eventually have pictures of the actual kit rather than a screen shot of the car. Without that, there's no real way to know what you are getting for $ 144.00.

If I remember right, PPG used or tested some of their new "flip-flop" type metallic paints on this car.

If you've seen my model gallery, you know I like to build TV / movie model subjects. Maybe I am a frustrated Hollywood model builder (wouldn't that suck the fun out of building models...making it a job).

I came across this website with some interesting models, used in TV commercials and some movies, done by Dave Asling. Usually a site like this would be a real slapped together piece of crap, but the site is well laid out, and for me, I especially like the portfolio stuff.

I like the way he talked about how each special effect was done, and information about the various models used.

With CGI the modern technology in making movies today, physical models are fast becoming a craftsman trade that will slowly fade away. Enjoy these sites and models while you can.

Click here for Dave Asling's portfolio.

(not that I am against CGI. I do after all, do some of my own 3D work. But models are still fun for making a "live" 3D object.)

Now it's time to catch up on a lot of the model shows that have been going on these past few weeks. Some great galleries, full of ideas.

• KIMM Spring Show 2007.
• Performance Modeling Club Show 2007
• Vancouver Modelrama Show 2007
• Omaha Model Show 2007
• Birmingham Classics Model Show 2007
• Birmingham Classic Model Show 2007 (2)

For the car modelers out there, Ken Kitchens is a well know name in the model community. He specializes in great period pieces and subjects, with amazing detail and weathering techniques, to really tell a story with a model build.

His 1916 Oldsmobile truck is no exception.

The basis for the kit is the Beverly Hillbillies Olds truck kit. But Ken, in usual fashion, made just about everything else by hand. Luckily he photographed the build as he went along, so you can see how it was done. Great idea!

It's a build worth walking through. Check it out !

Sorry, we're not talking the Beatles here. Come on, we're talking Scooby Doo !

The folks over at CultTvman had a Polar Lights Scooby Doo (actually Shaggy's) Mystery Machine Van make a road trip and, well, they must have had a lot of mysteries to solve, the gang really gets around ! :-)

It's all for fun, and worth reading about. I have one of my own Mystery Machines, but unfortunately, it's never left the house. (well, at least, not that I know of..).

Click her for the whole scoop.

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There's sometimes a debate on what kind of van the original Mystery Machine was. In the original classic The Creeper, the van breaks down and overheats. Shaggy and Scooby have to go get some water for the radiator. But Fred has the back of the van open for engine access. The only vehicle I can think of it might be, is one of the older VW Vanagons, there were a few years where they were actually water cooled with the engine in the back. That's my guess on the Mystery Machine.

By the way, Warner Brothers has some nice desktops of Scooby and the gang on their website: