R4Sedan
Larry
John, the Racetrack and Halloween display both look amazing.
Another Mopar Off My Bucket List - Barracuda Fastback
- Thread starter 1967 'cuda
- Start date
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Your racetrack is awe inspiring!
Yes it is,Anders...Was HEAVY into H.O. slot cars,as a kid.... For several years: had room to do exactly this..,but was too lazy.. Damn...
1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
Thanks guys. We've had a lot of fun with the Halloween displays the past few years. It tickles the heck out of us when we've gotten hundreds of folk coming by trick-or-treating and they're each spending time gawking at all the decorations and thanking us for the efforts (kids & adults alike).
I'm hoping we'll get a lot of enjoyment out of the racetrack. So far it spends it's time idle in the basement but I believe it'll be a major attraction whenever we have company over. For now it's just another build project.
Teresa wants a dollhouse for Christmas. I guess it's one of those childhood dreams that never was fulfilled. I started out by asking her questions about scale and style. Then I went online and researched. Holy- Ch-moley, those things are huge! She wants 1/12 scale and the Victorian style she wants would be over 3&1/2 feet tall. It appears that they're a lot of work to complete. Not only do you have to construct the kits but you also have to add electrical for each of the room lights, flooring, wallpaper, fixtures, etc, etc... Oh well, I guess it's her version of my racetrack.
These pics are of ones similar to one of her picked choices.
I guess I'll be busy this winter.
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Gosh! I thought that first doll house was standing on the floor! 
1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
H.O. scale is what I had too. The basement at our farm was dark and dirty but it had room for a 4' X 8' layout. It was one of my hideaways when I was young. - That and playing with my little green and gray army men outside.
These lager scale tracks seem more realistic as far as speed is concerned. If I really wanted to splurge though, I'd have gotten a digital track. I didn't even know they existed until after I started putting this one together. On them you can run 6 cars at the same time on a 2-lane track. All the cars are still individually controlled and the track has lane switching sections where you can choose whether or not to change lanes for passing. If you set up a 4 lane track you could run 12 cars simultaneously. - An 8 lane track could run 24 cars at the same time!
They have all sorts of other features as well. You can set up the tracks with pit lanes and you can program it so that you need to stop and refuel. They calculate fuel consumption based on speed and you can calibrate the rate they use it up.
They also have the ability to run computer controlled cars to compete with and have towers that track & display the order of the leading cars. They also have rechargeable wireless controllers as an option.
The digital tracks are the way to go. I guess it is possible to convert mine to digital some day but it wouldn't be cheap if I got all the bells & whistles to go with it.
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1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
Gosh! I thought that first doll house was standing on the floor!
Some of her other choices were even larger. I came across an uncompleted one on eBay that sounded like it could be a bargain but the seller didn't know if the kit was complete. I gambled and bought it but won't know if I wasted my money until it arrives. If it's missing major components I'll have to search for another. Maybe I could still use this one to build an addition onto another kit.
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Was 14,stopped at a garage sale (1980-81...).They had an early 70's Tyco 2 lane track,34' long tri level,along with the Tyco "4 speed H pattern" controllers... No cars,every thing else was perfect..... Picked it all up,for a measly five bucks.... Damn,I miss those deals....
1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
Last week I found a Carrera slot car track similar to mine for sale on Craigslist near Des Moines. It didn't have as much track as I do but they only wanted $30 for it! I thought I was in luck because my boys live nearby but when we called on it - it was already sold. Those bargains are still out there.
I know a lot of guys on FABO are critical of eBay and Craigslist but I've saved a ton of money shopping those sites.
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1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
Halloween is over and I'm glad I won't have to mess around with setting everything up each day for another year. We outdid the number of last year's trick-or-treaters by 40 for a total of 270. I'm grateful that my sister came from Denver to help out.
After it was over Teresa and I discussed how hectic it was and that we didn't enjoy it as much as we wished we should have. Part of the problem we had was trying to see out of the costumes we wore. Another issue was all the time spent taking photos. It seemed that everyone enjoyed the display and several people even returned later just to take another view after they were done trick-or treating elsewhere.
I think next year we'll try to set up a video camera that won't need monitoring once it's in place and wear costumes without masks.
At times we did have a line of folks a half block long up to our front door.
After it was over Teresa and I discussed how hectic it was and that we didn't enjoy it as much as we wished we should have. Part of the problem we had was trying to see out of the costumes we wore. Another issue was all the time spent taking photos. It seemed that everyone enjoyed the display and several people even returned later just to take another view after they were done trick-or treating elsewhere.
I think next year we'll try to set up a video camera that won't need monitoring once it's in place and wear costumes without masks.
At times we did have a line of folks a half block long up to our front door.
you look good as a Minion, but thought you were taller.
1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
you look good as a Minion, but thought you were taller.
LOL! That's Teresa wearing the minion costume and my sister acting as her assistant. I was dressed as Gru and taking photos as I monitored the various computer/projectors. I set up a stool for Teresa to sit on so she wouldn't get tired. Despite the cool night it would get really hot beneath that Minion costume after awhile and Teresa had to take breaks.
I had been running old Disney Halloween cartoons on the garage door prior to Halloween night but decided to switch to some short Minion cartoons before the trick-or-treaters showed up. I thought it would help to tie the costume theme with the decor.
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1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
I did sort of an OOPS on eBay. Even though I'm still waiting for that dollhouse to arrive that I'd bought for her - I ended up winning a second one that I also had bid on. I guess that I'll have that second one to fall back on if the first turns out to be missing too many parts. The photos of each of them completed may look good but I know I'll be receiving boxes with hundreds of little wood pieces needing assembly.
I'm keeping in mind that she'd prefer a Victorian style house but I may still try to combine the two into some kind of hybrid. It might be too big to use everything if I do.
I'm keeping in mind that she'd prefer a Victorian style house but I may still try to combine the two into some kind of hybrid. It might be too big to use everything if I do.
R4Sedan
Larry
Nice job on Halloween John.
1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
Thanks R4Sedan. I'm sure looking forward to getting back to garage duties now.
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famous bob
mopar misfit
haven`t seen a trick or treater on our street for about 4-5 yrs.
1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
I keep telling you, Halloween is on October 31st, not the 30th! LOL.
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Looks like you guys had fun on Halloween, I ended up having around 250 - 300 trick or treater's.
Afterwards my buddy and I make pizza for my kids, grandkids, and friends.
I was wore out the next day at work, but the kids had a blast.
My daughter texted me the next day and said my grandson was still wired up at midnight that night, he is only 18 months old, I just told her paybacks are fun.
Afterwards my buddy and I make pizza for my kids, grandkids, and friends.
I was wore out the next day at work, but the kids had a blast.
My daughter texted me the next day and said my grandson was still wired up at midnight that night, he is only 18 months old, I just told her paybacks are fun.
1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
I made a pan of lasagna the day before so we could re-heat it and not have to worry about cooking.
You gotta admit that it can be a fun time seeing all them kids coming over even though it can be a lot of work. I guess it's an occasion unlike any other because you get visited at your home by a ton of strangers and the atmosphere is party-like. How big of a town do you live in? We're about 2500 here.
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1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
What a disaster! That first dollhouse kit that I bought for Teresa arrived today and I got ripped. The seller had made it sound as though it may have been missing a few parts so I expected to have to come up with the rest. - BUT.. - it's missing 1/3 of the pieces! And several of the ones sent were broken when they crammed it into the box.
I priced out replacement parts and they'll cost me twice as much as I already paid for this kit. I'd like to send it back and try to recoup my money but I'd probably still be stuck with the shipping fees both directions. Also, with Christmas approaching I really need to get started on construction if Teresa is going to receive anything presentable.
I guess I should have grabbed my ankles before I clicked the SEND PAYMENT button. As pissed off as I was I managed to spend the whole night searching the web for some of the parts I needed. I'm going to try to make a silk purse out of this sow's ear.
I priced out replacement parts and they'll cost me twice as much as I already paid for this kit. I'd like to send it back and try to recoup my money but I'd probably still be stuck with the shipping fees both directions. Also, with Christmas approaching I really need to get started on construction if Teresa is going to receive anything presentable.
I guess I should have grabbed my ankles before I clicked the SEND PAYMENT button. As pissed off as I was I managed to spend the whole night searching the web for some of the parts I needed. I'm going to try to make a silk purse out of this sow's ear.
Welcome to E-Bay... regardless of the pictures or description what you receive will be somewhat random. I have "won" auctions on some stuff where someone was inspired to sell the parts from a junked car likely because it was easier and more profitable than hauling them to the trash where they belonged.
1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
I know that sort of stuff goes on at eBay all the time but I've rarely gotten burned. I should have known better this time. The description was vague so I shouldn't have been super-surprised by the large amount of missing parts. - BUT - topping it off by breaking so many of the pieces when they stuffed it into the box really pissed me off.
I hear what you're saying about junk car parts. I've given stuff away for free that were nicer than what some guys sell. I always have to shake my head in disbelief when I see the condition of parts at swap meets. Most people never expend the effort to clean stuff up.
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When I left my shop,I gave away 72 Scamp rust free,straight doors,fenders,hood & decklid.(no where to store it....) I was shocked when I came here(FABO), and saw the prices worse condition parts gets now.
1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
I guess you can't fault someone for trying to make some money and original parts are getting harder to find each year. Some of the prices tend to shock me especially when the condition is poor.
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1967 'cuda
Dropped on Head as a Baby
- Been absent lately. I don't know why, but I haven't been receiving email notification on most of my watched threads like I used to. Those tend to get me to check in with FABO more often.
Nothing major going on here recently. I'm continuing to tinker with the basement track while waiting for the missing parts I ordered for Teresa's dollhouse to arrive.
I think I need to see a shrink. These small projects that I get sidetracked on keep growing until they become major projects. Each day some new idiotic idea pops into my head that I can't seem to resist following up on. Granted - I still think they're cool ideas but I should be able to leave 'well enough' alone.
The other day I decided to fabricate some pit tents for the track using my printer, some card stock, and straws. I made a template with the Microsoft Paint program and then I printed it out after decorating it to resemble some of the race teams and also made one for the media.
These are on 'pit row'.
They're not done yet. I still need to straighten the legs and them paint. My 'media tent' isn't complete either. I came up with the idea of installing a 4.3" MP4 player on stands to resemble a large screen TV. It'll display various film clips of racing action and sometimes the audio will sound like a race announcer/commentator. It was surprising how cheap you can buy those MP4s. You can see in this pic where I started making fence posts out of aluminum welding rod to protect the crowd
I'll be adding.
Trying to stick with the theme of spending as little as possible while adding detail, I used the printer to make a new guardrail for the banked curve. The card stock is a bit flimsy but looks better than the undersized railing I had there before. You might have noticed the string of L.E.D. lights next to it. The local DOLLAR store was selling them for a buck a set. I want to attach a yellow light to every fence post.
I started printing more billboards. I want to make a wall of them along one of the long straights.
One other addition I've made is a revolving light up sign for the snack shack.
The grandstand was awfully dark without the room lights on so I also put lighting on it. There are multicolored lights along the front and a 5' stretch of green EL wire along the edge of the roof. It looks like neon. I had several of the kits laying around the shop for years and thought this would be a good place to use one.
Nothing major going on here recently. I'm continuing to tinker with the basement track while waiting for the missing parts I ordered for Teresa's dollhouse to arrive.
I think I need to see a shrink. These small projects that I get sidetracked on keep growing until they become major projects. Each day some new idiotic idea pops into my head that I can't seem to resist following up on. Granted - I still think they're cool ideas but I should be able to leave 'well enough' alone.
The other day I decided to fabricate some pit tents for the track using my printer, some card stock, and straws. I made a template with the Microsoft Paint program and then I printed it out after decorating it to resemble some of the race teams and also made one for the media.
These are on 'pit row'.
They're not done yet. I still need to straighten the legs and them paint. My 'media tent' isn't complete either. I came up with the idea of installing a 4.3" MP4 player on stands to resemble a large screen TV. It'll display various film clips of racing action and sometimes the audio will sound like a race announcer/commentator. It was surprising how cheap you can buy those MP4s. You can see in this pic where I started making fence posts out of aluminum welding rod to protect the crowd
I'll be adding.
Trying to stick with the theme of spending as little as possible while adding detail, I used the printer to make a new guardrail for the banked curve. The card stock is a bit flimsy but looks better than the undersized railing I had there before. You might have noticed the string of L.E.D. lights next to it. The local DOLLAR store was selling them for a buck a set. I want to attach a yellow light to every fence post.
I started printing more billboards. I want to make a wall of them along one of the long straights.
One other addition I've made is a revolving light up sign for the snack shack.
The grandstand was awfully dark without the room lights on so I also put lighting on it. There are multicolored lights along the front and a 5' stretch of green EL wire along the edge of the roof. It looks like neon. I had several of the kits laying around the shop for years and thought this would be a good place to use one.
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