*Tom Daniels' Pie Wagon model kit by Atlantis, of course.

Ahem!- Hello again fellow FA artists, writers, crafters, poets, dreamers Model Builders and all other highly creative people.

I've been having a bit of trouble controlling my affliction of the "Galloping Greedies" when it comes to the recent trend of "Nostalgic" custom car model kits from the 1960s and 1970s being rereleased by new model kit companies like Polar Lights, Atlantis, Round 2 and even Pegasus Hobbies. It's easy to believe one of the reasons these companies are doing so well is because they're producing items that appeal to the rapidly aging and retiring generations of "Baby Boomers" who enjoyed building these model kits in their teenage years. Cruising through Facebook alone I have come across several organizations where plastic model builders get together and show off their works. All I can say is that I have yet to find a site that offers the social interaction that my IPMS clubs used to have. It was rather fun to get together with others and show off our recent builds. I believe it was this form of friendly competition which inspired me to create some of my greatest 3-D works in the late 1980s to shortly after the year 2000.

Now being housebound, unable to drive and on a retiree's pension, Plastic model building is not quite the hobby I can support. I missed out on the recent re-releases of Macross model kits from the 1980s due to limited release, and this came back to "Bite" me when I saw the kit of George Barris' "Granny's Hot Rod" from The Beverly Hillbillies available once again. Unfortunately, due to the limited run, I couldn't get ahold of a copy as the kits sold out quickly, some to so called "Collectors" who'd buy the models in bulk, and stow them away to sell them online, or at model kit swap meets at a "Boosted" price.

So, Atlantis has re-released model kits from the 1970s, mostly of Tom Daniels designed show rods and modifieds from the 1970s and 80s. Recently his works have gone to "Public Domain," and his family has graciously allowed his "Intellectual Property" to be released to the public once more. I got really excited to see one of my favorite kits, the "Pie Wagon" available once again. I was able to buy a copy from a company that still does catalog sales, and after a brief wait, I finally got my copy. Now opening up the box I was hit with a sudden sense of nostalgia, and my mind raced back to a time when I was a mere 17 years old and I opened up that box for the first time. I knew so little about gluing and painting practices, that I'm certain I just ruined the kit using that Testor's plastic glue and painting details with a brush. I do remember really botching up the windshield and that groovy "Bottle Bottom" rear door with glue fingerprints, but still... I was proud of my accomplishments, and I looked at it as a step up to becoming a skilled plastic model builder.

I guess I've become too much of the "Engineer" over these past five decades. Looking at the instructions I started pondering on modifying the front end by adding working steering knuckles to the front wheels, perhaps making those lovely, chromed elliptical rear springs work by adding shocks, and of course building a set of actual shelves in the back to hold MORE model pies just for kicks. (At least the kit does include ONE complete pie to set on the "Shotgun" side Right seat. I could easily make a mold of that.) Every page in the instructions brought up new ideas on how to make the model better, this "second time" around. (Whups! Sorry Atlantis!)

"PLADGE..." I mean, "Peace."