Sunday, August 26, 2012

Ferrari 641/2 6

Decals on the outside of the body are done. I'll let them dry and set before I spray a coat of clean on.



Next, front and rear wings.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Ferrari 641/2 5

Started putting on decals. But then, it is Sunday night already, and I'll be on the road again tomorrow morning till late night Thursday. So, it will be a couple of weeks before the decals are done.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

I did not build these

There are reasons that I sold or traded in my old cars. But human mind is a strange thing. It always block off bad memories. Every now and then I have flash back of my old cars and the fun times I had with them in the past. So, I started to buy 1/43 scale models of the cars that I had.

I bought my first car when I was a senior in college. It was a 1985 AW11 Toyota MR2. This model is made by Epoch, it is the 1985 version with black bumper, mirror and rear spoiler. Mine was just like the model, except it was silver and it has a moonroof.


After years of service, the AW11 had too many maintenance issue. And I traded it in for my second car. Which was a 1990 Z32 Nissan 300ZX 2+2. Unfortunately, all the models available are the twin turbo 2 seater. No one made a normally aspirated 2+2. This model is made by Kato. You heard it right Kato, the company that is famous for its model trains. Apparently they made toy cars too. While most of the models in 1/43 are diecast metal models, this one is actually injection molded plastic. Well, not really a surprise considering all the N scale and HO scale trains that Kato mad has plastic bodies.


I had a lot of fun with the Z32, drove it to a lot of places with my girlfriend at the time, started autocrossing in it and did a track day in it too. But then, it was also getting old and in 2003, when the Z33 was out, I traded that in for a 2003 Z33 Nissan 350Z. Mine was the track model with Brembo brakes. The car was black and I put 4 Gunmetal colored Rays TE37 wheels on and it was gorgeous. This model is from a set I got from Nissan that has several bodies with different color and different color interiors to mix and match. The base is actually from BBR. Not sure which company actually made this.


I was living in New England at that time. Rear wheel drive cars are not the ideal car to drive in the winter. So, I put the car in storage during winter and had a winter beater car. My first beater was a Ford Bronco II. But I have yet to find a nice 1/43 model of it. That car was so rusted and at the end, I donated it to charity. And I replaced it with a 1995 Subaru Legacy wagon BG. I bought a real cheap Legacy L in maroon color, but its life was cut short by a teenager in an SUV. That moron rear ended my Subaru which was parked on the street. But I like the legacy so much that I replaced it with a 1999 BG, this time it is the Legacy GT wagon. Although it looks like the GTB and has the hood scoop, the US version was actually a 2.5L N/A engine, not the 2.0L turbo in the GTB. And I am still driving my Legacy GT wagon. This is also a Epoch MTech model.


No, I don't own a Porsche 911 GT3. I don't even have a Porsche. But the GT3 is just too good looking. A Porsche dealer was selling it on eBay and I just cannot resist the idea of being able to buy a "Porsche" from a dealer. Hahaha. This one is made by Minichamps


Sunday, August 12, 2012

A real expensive 5 gallon of gasoline

Most people refuel their rental cars before returning the car to the rental company simply because it is cheaper to fill it up yourself then to let the rental car company charge you. I usually do not refuel the rental car before returning. Not because I have money to burn, just because when I rent, I am usually on business trip and the company's procurement had done a real good job negotiating deals with the car rental company, so returning without refueling may even cost less than buying gas from the gas station.

I was in California last week, for both business and personal purposes. Yesterday morning, after crossing the bay over the San Mateo bridge, I headed north on Highway 101. I should have followed my normal routine and head straight to return the car. Unfortunately, I did not. I have no idea what went through my mind, I decided to refuel the car before returning. There is a Chevron gas station on Millbrae Ave just south of SFO. I exited the freeway, headed west on Millbrae Ave, found the Chevron and refueled my car.

To get back to the freeway, I have to head east on Millbrae Avenue. But since there is a center divide in the middle, I cannot make a left turn out of the gas station to get back to the freeway. I have to right turn and head west and then somehow make a U-turn. Unfortunately, there is a huge no U-turn sign at the first traffic light. So, naturally, I made a left turn into the cross street and made a U-turn and headed back toward Millbrae Avenue. As I approached the intersection to make a right turn on-to Millbrae, I guess I was approaching the intersection fast enough to trigger the sensor. So even though I stopped right before the intersection, I saw a flash right in front of my eye. So, me and the rental car were photographed. I will probably getting a special present from "Big Brother".

It's bad enough to get a ticket for running a red light which I never ran over. It's even worse that since it's a rental car, the police will have to go to the rental car company to find me. And because of that, the rental car company is going to charge me another couple hundred dollars "processing charge".

Sigh... It's going to be a really expensive 5 gallon of gasoline. Way more than the amount any rental car company would have charged.