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 Posted - September 14 2014 : 09:58:28 AM
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Snake Lady. Gift from Underdog. Well, I had to put her SOMEWHERE.
Edited by - Chops124 on September 14 2014 12:27:40 PM
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Posted - September 14 2014 : 11:11:59 AM
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My AOTW this week is a track cleaner I use for both the H0 layout and the N scale layout at the train shows.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - September 14 2014 : 12:03:35 PM
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you might want to change the S to a A
here are my Tyco cars
Starting with Camaros & Matadors
Mustangs Usually on the US1 sets
& just for fun my 2 hi-rail Jeeps I made
you like? 
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Posted - September 14 2014 : 12:15:46 PM
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| Yeah! The Snake Lady!
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Posted - September 14 2014 : 12:30:58 PM
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Well, I've seen track cleaners and I have seen track cleaners. Certainly this is a track cleaner.
Actually, I recoil from using abrasive track cleaners, theory is that they engrave the track
with micro grooves inviting more oxidization and dirt that cannot be removed, as well as
diminishing the contact between miniature wheel and rail. From an article by Ian Rice, I use a
thin coat of Wahl Hair Clipper Oil. It works superbly and lasts for months.
Over the years I have come to regard track cleaning as almost a religion. People have very
strong beliefs about what works and what doesn't. So my apologies to the abrasive cleaner
crowd. I am a bottle carrying member of the Wahl Hair Clipper Oil sect. Works good on
lumbago, too.
Edited by - Chops124 on September 14 2014 12:33:12 PM
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Posted - September 14 2014 : 12:34:07 PM
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quote:Yeah! The Snake Lady!
Originally posted by Barry - September 14 2014 : 12:15:46 PM
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Maybe I could re-gift her to Microbus for all the aggravation he has given me.
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Posted - September 14 2014 : 1:01:17 PM
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quote:Well, I've seen track cleaners and I have seen track cleaners. Certainly this is a track cleaner.
Actually, I recoil from using abrasive track cleaners, theory is that they engrave the track
with micro grooves inviting more oxidization and dirt that cannot be removed, as well as
diminishing the contact between miniature wheel and rail. From an article by Ian Rice, I use a
thin coat of Wahl Hair Clipper Oil. It works superbly and lasts for months.
Over the years I have come to regard track cleaning as almost a religion. People have very
strong beliefs about what works and what doesn't. So my apologies to the abrasive cleaner
crowd. I am a bottle carrying member of the Wahl Hair Clipper Oil sect. Works good on
lumbago, too.
Originally posted by Chops124Â -Â September 14 2014Â :Â 12:30:58 PM
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I really wish I could use it but my parents seem very hesitant for some reason to buy the stuff even though it's really cheap. Like $5-10. I'd have to show them to make them believe me which I can't since I don't have any. Plus the fact that they think that our track cleaner actually works without damaging the tracks.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - September 14 2014 : 7:17:00 PM
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| Apostasy!
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Posted - September 14 2014 : 10:02:03 PM
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| Love the Life-Like Circus cars, Jeff!!
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Posted - September 14 2014 : 11:17:02 PM
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I'm not gonna stand for this post, so it'll be a sit-down, but no protest. A couple packs of Bachmann seated people, I have had a hard time finding seated people for some reason. I have lots of uses for SP's, from bus drivers to other more mundane uses, but I do have some now.
Jerry 
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - September 15 2014 : 01:06:41 AM
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quote:
Edited by - walt on September 15 2014 01:07:53 AM
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Posted - September 15 2014 : 09:27:12 AM
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quote: quote:you might want to change the S to a A Correction (AN A)
here are my Tyco cars
Starting with Camaros & Matadors. Correction (Javelins) Correction- AMXs ( Tyco called them Javelins, but they are actually AMX cars, FYI - Jerry in VA - )
Originally posted by microbusss - September 14 2014 : 12:03:35 PM
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Originally posted by walt - September 15 2014 : 01:06:41 AM
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" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - September 16 2014 : 10:27:02 AM
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My offering for the week is a custom painted (AHM?) 200 ton brownhoist crane...
Sean
"If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!" - Mario Andretti!
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Posted - September 17 2014 : 11:12:17 AM
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More Son-In-Law garage sale finds.
This is not as Kool as the snake lady, but I will post it anyway.
The radar antenna is missing from this unit.
Regards, John ************************
> Watch your thoughts; they become words.
> Watch your words; they become actions.
> Watch your actions; they become habits.
> Watch your habits; they become character.
> Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
>Junior
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Posted - September 17 2014 : 3:57:33 PM
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quote:| Correction- AMXs ( Tyco called them Javelins, but they are actually AMX cars, FYI - Jerry in VA - ) |
Jerry, what features do the Tyco cars have to suggest AMX's? I always thought AMX's were just beefed up versions of other AMC cars (the Javelin in this case). Not questioning your wisdom, just curious.
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Posted - September 17 2014 : 4:20:43 PM
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| Nice items as always. This one is a model Mercedes Benz S class car. 
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Posted - September 17 2014 : 7:47:14 PM
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quote: quote:| Correction- AMXs ( Tyco called them Javelins, but they are actually AMX cars, FYI - Jerry in VA - ) |
Jerry, what features do the Tyco cars have to suggest AMX's? I always thought AMX's were just beefed up versions of other AMC cars (the Javelin in this case). Not questioning your wisdom, just curious.
Originally posted by DaCheez - September 17 2014 : 3:57:33 PM
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There are several features that distinguish the Javelin from the AMX in the first generation of cars from 1968 to 1970. The first is that the AMX has a straight angle drop from the rear roof to the tail lights, whereas the Javelin has a slight concave curve to it. The 2nd is that the AMX's rear glass is recessed more than the Javelin's. The B pillar is also slimmer on the Javelin and has slightly bigger rear quarter glass than the AMX. The AMX also has a pot-metal chromed trim circle in the pillar, the Javelin does not ( Tyco did not include that feature, though ). Tyco also did not include the raised bodyline on the rear quarter like the AMX has, either. So their version is something of a hybrid that may have allowed them to get away with not licensing the car with AMC. Hard to say on that....
With something this small, it's hard to tell for someone outside the AMC fold, but since I own a 1970 Javelin myself, I can tell the difference by looking. The fronts of the cars are identical in real life ( except for the grilles ). The two telling features are the straight-line drop and the smallness of the quarter glass opening that give it away, if you know what to look for. Once you look at a same-year Javelin and AMX, you will see the differences. They are subtle, but noticeable once put them side by side. The AMX is also 9 inches shorter than the Javelin, too.
I'm sure it would have required more work on the mold to do the subtle roof-to-trunk dip, and instead they just made it straight. There is also a cove around the rear quarter glass on the AMX, which the Javelin doesn't have, and the Tyco cars do have. here's a comparison of the two, both 1968 models.
 
Also, the first generation Javelin and AMX were two distinct models, from behind the doors on back the Javelin a 2 + 2, the AMX a true 2-seater ( no seat in the back at all ). In the 2nd generation, 1971-74, they did away with the 2-seat model, and the AMX moniker bacame an option on the regular Javelin. And they all had 4 seats. So the AMX purists aren't as hot for the later models. The AMX name lived on later, in 1977 on the Hornet AMX, in 1978 on the Concord AMX, and in 1979 on the Spirit AMX. All those only offered straight 6 motors, and were just lingo by then, and sport options, no real performance per se.
So, the first 3 years the cars were distinct models, and physically different, but after 1970, the AMX became an option on the Javelin, and other models later, as you said. But its the first 3 years that matter in this case. 
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - September 17 2014 : 8:16:41 PM
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Great write-up Jerry - I've always liked both the AMX and Javelin, knew they were different but not in all the ways how.
Now tell me - was there ever a production 401 Gremlin?
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - September 17 2014 : 8:23:11 PM
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| Back when we were late teens, a friend of mine had an early 70s AMX with the 304 engine. Car was really good looking but the 304 was weak compared to all of Steve's friends cars. Another friend had a 396 Chevy that would literally eat Steve's AMX. Lots of fun memories in those days...
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Posted - September 18 2014 : 01:31:36 AM
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My vote for of the strangest but also best looking AMC is the Marlin
Here is one of those wicked little Gremlins
This has got to be one of the best looking AMXs that have come across.
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Posted - September 18 2014 : 08:15:05 AM
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quote:Great write-up Jerry - I've always liked both the AMX and Javelin, knew they were different but not in all the ways how.
Now tell me - was there ever a production 401 Gremlin?
Originally posted by JNXT 7707Â -Â September 17 2014Â :Â 8:16:41 PM
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If you go to Metalsmith1's post under yours, the middle car, the Gremlin, you can see on the side it says 401 XR...In a few words, yes and no on a "production" 401 Gremlin. Chevrolet had it's Yenko versions, Ford had it's Shelby versions, and AMC had the Randall's Gremlin, a 401 powered beast produced in the mid- 70's by an AMC dealership out in Mesa, AZ named Randall AMC. They made about 25 of these cars, they were a racing family, and are so scarce, I've never seen one. Supposedly a 10-11 second quarter-mile car off the lot. Scary fast. Other people have put 401's in Gremlins, and some supposedly came from the factory , special order, with a 360, but I've never seen one of those, either. The most common V-8 was the 304 in a Gremlin, from 72-76.
A ltttle AMC History - The Marlin was supposed to be based on the smaller American model ( AMC in the mid-60's had the small Rambler, the mid-sized American, and the full-sized Ambassador ), the concept, the Tarpon, was on the American, but the President of the company wanted it put on the full-sized model. It was a flop. Mustangs and Barracudas were mid-sized cars stuffed with a big motor, the full-sized Marlin was big, ponderous, and the roof went on forever. It didn't sell well. If they had kept the sporty look on the American, it might have gone over better. We'll never know.
AMC was trying to revise it's stodgy reputation in the 60's, and came out in 1966 with four concept cars and took them on tour. The Rumbler Vignale, a prototype AMX with a rumble seat, was test-marketed, and was very well received. That concept car still exists. The Javelin was actually based off the AMX concept, and came out first, then the AMX came later in mid-68. Rather interesting that the Javeiln was produced first, but it was the AMX that was promoted on the tour. Originally dealers were ordering Javelins with 6 cylinders, but AMC forced them to start taking them with V-8 engines, as AMC was trying to get away from the old image they had, and wanted a more youthful image, and V-8s were where it was at. I did own a '68 Javelin back in '96 that had a straight 6, those cars with 6's are rather rare today. I sold it and never got it on the road.
The Hornet was the replacement for the old Rambler/American series in 1970, and became AMC's bread and butter car. The Gremlin, it's little brother, was a 3-month miracle, it was designed on the back of an airplane barf bag in flight by the company President, Teague, they basically cut the Hornet off behind the doors, and put on a hatchback body. Beat Ford and Chevy to the market with a hatchback, and underpriced VW Bug too, as Ford and GM didn't get their sub-compacts to market until '71. AMC released the Gremlin on April 1, 1970. Some thought it was going to be a major failure, but it was a fresh look, the first American car with a hatchback, and it sold 70,000 in it's first half-year. A major coup by a smaller company. The Gremlin sold well for the 9 years it was in production, selling over 600,000 cars. You may see all those Top Ten Lemon lists today, with the Pacer or Gremlin on it, but the Gremlin was well-liked by women, and served most people well. You certainly can't sell 600,000 lemons easily, can you? You see far more Gremlins still running today, than you do Pinto or Vega cars. I own 9 Gremlins myself. They're still out there.
Sadly, AMC was victimized by Union extortion of wages, some bad decisions during the Gas Crisis years, and shrank, with Jeep keeping them going, The Renault connection might have saved them, but the Renault president was assassinated/murdered in the early '80s, and his replacement did not like the AMC tie-in, so they dropped out of the partnership suddenly. AMC soldiered on a few more years, with just the Eagle and Concord models holding them up, until Chrysler bought them in 87 for the Jeep line, and killed off everything else. A sad end to a storied company.
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
Edited by - AMC_Gremlin_GT on September 19 2014 08:29:00 AM
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Posted - September 18 2014 : 10:52:09 AM
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That was an excellent write-up, Jerry! I learned quite a bit. It's really a shame AMC didn't survive. They had some pretty unique and ahead-of-the-time cars. My Concord is creeping up on 300 000 miles and refuses to die which has to say something about the company.
BTW, I'm pretty jealous that you have a Javelin...
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Posted - September 18 2014 : 9:22:22 PM
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quote:
If you go to Metalsmith1's post under yours, the middle car, the Gremlin, you can see on the side it says 401 XR...
Originally posted by AMC_Gremlin_GTÂ -Â September 18 2014Â :Â 08:15:05 AM
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Thanks Jerry - that's one of my all-time would-like-to-have cars, believe it or not...or rather, a Gremlin with a 401. Never knew it was a semi-production car at all. I recall seeing a few 401 Gremlins at the 1979 Street Machine Nationals (ohh so long ago!) and the very idea of such a creature captured my imagination. I never did lay eyes on another one since then - but the idea always stuck!
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - September 19 2014 : 09:11:06 AM
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neato
Would LOVE to get the AMC name from Chrysler & redo Gremlin & Pacer
Maybe make a few of their concept cars too
Like the Am Van Jeep 2 etc hehe
There are 2 PINK AMXs out there
http://theamcforum.com/forum/playmate-amx-restoration-begins_topic40591_page1&SID=6417211aze7ba3cf5c37d5918zfz15889583333.html
found it!
Edited by - microbusss on September 19 2014 09:13:30 AM
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