From the Time Machine's Glove Box: Scaled Comics

With the various comics posts I've been making recently I thought I'd pull out 3 I made back in 2010 over at Retrodynamics where I played around with some ideas for using comics type story-telling - using pictures and 2 parallel narratives - for setting the scene of a model building project. It was hoped to be a blend of fiction and fact. In the end though, the Porsche is still on the shelf awaiting restoration. But, the parallel narratives idea got eventually got used in 2014 in the story about the build up of AHM's plastic kit of E. L. Moore's Molasses Mine.

Scaled Comics #1: The Lost Porsche

1

What’s that?

I don’t see anything. No, look over there. Looks like an old Porsche.

This Revell Porsche 911 model was one of the first models I ever built. It’s been stashed away in a trunk for a long time and has been sitting on my workshop shelf for the last few years. Unfortunately, many parts are missing.

2

Isn’t that the one that went missing at the Texatario Retro Rally in ‘07.

How the hell did it get down here?

Don’t know.

I bought this kit at the Painted Post Smoke Shop in Toronto in the early 70’s. I recall they seemed to sell just about everything there as well as smokes. Looking back, the plastic model hobby seemed to be at a peak then, so I guess they sold model kits since there was a strong market for them.

3

Doesn’t look too bad considering.

I thought for sure we’d find their bodies in there.

I’m just as glad we didn’t.

Well, now we know they’re not here. Who knows where they went.

Yeah, and with all that money.

I think I’ve got enough pieces to try and restore this model. It’ll be a winter project. And like the Six million dollar man, I’ll try to make it better than it was.

4

Next issue: The Big Lift

I took this photo from various angles, but wasn’t all that satisfied with the result. The cord wasn’t pulled taut enough to give the illusion of a heavy car hanging from the end. In this view the kinks in the cord are the least noticeable.

This kit seemed to pop-up frequently in Revell’s promotional material from that time.

Although it was given just ordinary placement in their catalogue, the kit was also used to demonstrate good building techniques both in the catalogue and in one of their how-to pamphlets.

Looking back on some of these instructions, I think I’d try some other techniques because some of the recommendations might be difficult for new or younger builders to get a good result.

Back then I was also interested in the Gran Turismo and Champion Spark Bug kits, but either couldn’t find them, or couldn’t afford them. A couple of years ago I found a Gran Turismo kit at a hobby store in Montreal. It looks like a fairly simple build and maybe it’ll be another project for the winter. It might also become a donor for the Porsche rebuild.

Scaled Comics #2: Still Waiting

It isn't going to restore itself you know.

I know.

If we started now we could still be ready for the summer.

Yeah, but I don't have a buyer.

We could do it on spec.

I'll think about it.

Ok, but don't think too long.






Scaled Comics #3: Restoration Begins

1.

Here it is. I towed it into the sub-basement to get it out of the snow.

It doesn’t look too bad, but there’s lots of parts missing.

2.

Yeah, and that old Revell kit is long gone, so I decided to use this Fujimi kit as a donor.

The Carrera 2 isn’t the same vintage.

True. This restoration isn’t going to be completely true to the original Revell. It’ll be a hybrid.

3.

I’ve started cleaning up the body.

How about the decals?

They’re staying. I realized I was delaying the restoration because I didn’t want to completely strip down and recondition the old body and eliminate all the signs of the original builder. I’m going to work around them and clean things up as best I can. It won’t be pristine. It’s more of a refurb than a restore.

Can’t wait to see more progress.

Me neither.