Stacey David

03.23.11 - GearZ Team Update

Hopefully you've seen the banners here for the Revell/GearZ National Model Car Championships, and you are wondering what it's all about. Well, it wasn't just a promotion to get everyone to build models; it began as an idea that we had to get you to build anything. Models are great, and a terrific way to express your creativity, and we're hoping to see a bunch of GEARZ viewers put together a hot rod for the contest, but our main intent was to inspire our audience to go out there and do SOMETHING with your hands. It really doesn’t need to be automotive related, it could be a birdhouse, a doghouse, or just fixing that old lawn mower you keep looking at. 

We're getting a ton of entries, some of which are shown here on our site, but even if you're not entering the contest, feel free to send us some examples of what you have built. We're always interested in seeing what you're doing in your garage, just as you tune in to see what's going on in ours. One of our judges and a friend of GearZ, Roy Sorenson, have done a great article on how to photograph your models.  Check it out, because this will help you get the best images of your masterpiece.    And remember, if you are not entering the contest, you can send in pics of Hot rods, muscle cars, race cars, planes -- we want to see them all. 

Also, don’t forget to think outside the box when you are building something.    A great example of that is to take the detailed Flathead V-8 in Revell's '48 Ford Convertible kit, and slip it into their '32 Ford full fendered Street Rod kit.   It fits like a glove!   You can scrounge up a set of headers from the parts bin (from an old Monogram Chevy S-10 kit), the big and little tires, slotted mag wheels, and  add some piano wire for the radiator supports, and you end up with a very simple build that looks a lot more complicated than it was.   Check out the pics of the car done just like that from one of the entrants.

  

So get going, and start building….and good luck!

The GerZ Team.

03.02.11 - GearZ Team Update

What’s Workin in Stacey David’s Shop?

We don’t like to think of things as “Junk”…..because one person’s junk is another person’s treasure.....and gearheads LOVE to treasure hunt!

Stacey was digging in the Junk Yard not to long ago and stumbled across an old Nissan Patrol that was about to go in the crusher! Of course he had to rescue it and bring it home to the GearZ shop. It is just way too cool of a rig to be smashed into nameless pile of metal, and then be recycled into a filing cabinet for someone’s office. That’s what Yugo’s were for!

The Nissan Patrol is a four-wheel drive vehicle that was manufactured by Nissan in Japan, beginning in 1951. This Yellow Nissan Patrol came with no title, but it looks to be a late 60’s, early 70’s model. The Patrol was available as either a short-wheelbase (SWB) three-door or a long-wheelbase (LWB) five-door chassis. You don’t have to look very hard at a Patrol to see the Influences of the Jeep, the Early Bronco, the International Scout, the Toyota land Cruiser and even the English Rover. With it’s tough, straight 6 engine, the Patrol was always regarded as a tough 4X4 in Australia, the Middle East, Europe and the Caribbean and since very few were imported to the U.S., seeing one is rare. Finding a rust-free example in a junkyard is unheard of, and definitely a vehicle worth saving.

Don’t be surprised if you see this rig appear on the show from time to time, and who knows what Stacey may do with it!

Hopefully this will encourage you to go dig up a project of your own. They are out there……you just need to find ‘em……and then show ‘em off to us and everyone else!

Happy Hunting!