The Plastic World of Johnny Butcher

     I got an email the other day from the Webmaster of my model car club's Website. He had an idea to get more photos of the members' cars on the website. Instead of us sending him photos, or him taking photos of our models to post on the Website, he wants us to get a photo album of our own. Then the Members Gallery page can point to our photo albums instead of photos on the Website. Now this means I've got to get: 1) a camera, 2) a photo album, 3) a webcam and 4) a full-time internet connection. When somebody clicks on the link to see my models, I've got to stand in front of my webcam holding up my photo album and show them photos of my models. That will be OK if I don't have anything else to do. But, when will I sleep? When will I go to work? What if I have a power failure and the lights go out? Will they still be able to see my photo album in the dark? Maybe I could get a turntable and actually show my models instead of photos.
     If you're into building street rods here's a tip. Use the nice modern suspension that's in the new Revell 1932 Ford kits . The three window coupe, the Woody wagon or the roadster all have the same accurate straight axle suspension. With a minor amount of work you can adapt this suspension and axles to the AMT 1934 Ford chassis. The real chassis are almost identical so the 1/25 scale counterparts should be close enough for this swap. I would guess the the old AMT (now Lindberg) 1934 pickup would accept the same update.

     Have you ever been to a full size car show or swap meet? If you're not that interested in building or collecting full size cars and/or parts, you can still find model car kits for sale at some of these shows. I just thought I would mention that - and an idea I got at a recent full size car parts swap meet. I'm sure you've seen - somewhere - the motorized bar stools that car guys are building or buying and riding around on at car shows. I've also seen motorized toilets! I had a bright idea for a motorized something that would be different. Different until someone built a copy because they thought mine was so cool. The problem with the bar stool is it only seats one person. I saw a guy carrying a tailgate out of the show and it hit me. The guy said he was sorry. How about a motorized tailgate? You could seat three comfortably. Talk about a tailgate party attention getter! Build a model and be ready to answer questions.
     I've seen some pretty poorly built models on eBay for sale. Why would somebody buy these? Why did somebody build these. Were they blindfolded? Now there's an idea. Is there a model kit that is your favorite? One that you've built eleventy-twelve different ways? One that you swear you could build blind-folded? Go ahead, try it sometime! Have a blind-folded contest at the next meeting of your model car club.

     I was watching the Brady Bunch the other day. I should have been watching the road, but that's another story for another day. Have you ever looked in the background of the Brady boys' bedroom? I mean really closely? I've noticed that somebody in the Brady household builds model cars. But they don't seem to finish them. I usually see missing wheels or hoods that would only require no more than 15 minutes to add and finish the model car. So which Brady built these model cars?
     Was it Cindy, the youngest girl? She was really fond of Kitty Carry-All. So unless Kitty Carry-All had a car (to be carried around in) it is doubtful that Cindy was a model builder. And besides, there were quite a few different cars on display that Kitty carry-All would NOT be seen dead in! So what about Bobby? The youngest Brady boy wasn't seen too much, except when he and Cindy were trying to set a teeter-totter world record. If that could keep Bobby occupied and entertained, it is doubtful he could build model cars.
     The middle girl, Jan, was wrapped up in trying to be like her big sister Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. And Marcia was crazy about boys, boys boys. And Desi Arnaz, Jr., not model cars. So it is doubtful that any Brady girl built the model cars in the boys bedroom.
     Peter, the middle boy, didn't have a personality and his favorite food was pork chops and applesauce. Every model builder I've ever met had a personality I could never forget and didn't really care for applesauce. But get let them get near pork chops and an open flame - watch out!
     Greg was football star, a rock and roll star and an outstanding bicycle mechanic. He never had time to build models. And Mom and Dad, well, did your parents build models?
     Which brings me to Alice. We never got to see her room. Well, once but it was a quick glimpse and we didn't see everything. I think Alice built and painted models in her NON-VENTILATED room. She certainly acted like she had been sniffing glue or paint fumes. So why did she put the finished models in the boys' room? That's one of those TV mysteries that will never be solved, like why didn't the outside of the Brady house match the floor plan we saw on the inside. But who else but Alice acted like they had been breathing paint fumes in a closed room? I rest my case. And I'm opening my window!

     Several months ago I moved to a new home. I needed to move a large collection of model cars. I called U-Haul to ask about a trailer (actually several trailers). U-Haul doesn't rent 1/25 scale trailers. Now I had a problem - how do I move over 300 model cars? I can't drive them with a friend taking me back to get another one. I went to a hobby shop to buy a trailer but after I moved I wouldn't need it anymore, and there is no market for used 1/25 scale trailers. I've looked in the want ads Ð there aren't any for sale. I did, however, come up with an idea. While I was at the hobby shop I bought a small army of 1/25 scale drivers to drive my models the 25 miles to my new home. I had to buy and build a van model to shuttle the drivers back several times to get another group of cars and to haul all the parts I had left over. Since I had a few race car models that I want to race some day, I went ahead and bought a trailer, since I now owned a van I could use to pull it. It took three days to move all my models and only two got run over and destroyed. Does anybody know someone who can restore crushed model cars?