# Fairly new to model cars



## Tommy_Boy

Hey there, I'm new to the forum.

Anyway, right now I'm working on a Revell '69 Yenko Camaro and so far it's great, working on the interior now.

I got a couple questions for you guys though. What are the best brand of mdels to buy? I've bought Revell before and went with them again, is there anything better? 

How do you guys paint the really small parts? Do you leave them on the sprue and paint them or just hold them in your fingers?

Does anybody have any tips on getting the body mounted on the chassis? It seems really tight and hard to get on, I don't want to mess up the body and paint.


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## 71 Charger 500

I use alligator clips and clothes pins to hold my parts when I paint them. I also tape the to the top of empty paint cans. That way you don't have to go back and touch up paint the parts. Revell, Monogram, AMT, MPC, Polar Lights, they all make good models, they also all make poor models! It is just a matter of personal preference really.

Mo


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## Vegar

I have the Revell 69 Yenko Camaro myself, but i havent started on it yet, looking forward to see yours Tommy 

Bodies have some flex in them so that you can slide them over the frame, take your time with it and do mock ups along the way to see how things fit together... Also, look at some of the build threads here for pointers and inspiration

Vegar


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## Rns1016

Tommy_Boy said:


> Hey there, I'm new to the forum.
> 
> Anyway, right now I'm working on a Revell '69 Yenko Camaro and so far it's great, working on the interior now.
> 
> I got a couple questions for you guys though. What are the best brand of mdels to buy? I've bought Revell before and went with them again, is there anything better?
> 
> How do you guys paint the really small parts? Do you leave them on the sprue and paint them or just hold them in your fingers?
> 
> Does anybody have any tips on getting the body mounted on the chassis? It seems really tight and hard to get on, I don't want to mess up the body and paint.


Being that I'm new at model cars as-well, I'll give you some of my advice. I got a Revell 2008 Dodge Viper ACR for Christmas and I kept buying Revell kits. You can paint the parts on the "trees" if you want but when you cut them off there will be spots that are not painted. So it's really up to you if you want to paint them on or off the "trees". 

I use needle nose pliers to hold the parts and paint them. The body might seem like it doesn't want to fix ( mostly over the engine ) you can flex the body over the engine and it will fit. I hand paint all my parts even the body but I'm looking at getting an airbrush.


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## Rns1016

Also must have tools,

http://www.testors.com/product/136934/50628C/_/Micro_Shear_Sprue_Cutter

http://www.testors.com/product/136943/8830A/_/Hobby_Knife

They will make your life so much easier if you don't have them already.


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## Rondo

71 Charger 500 said:


> Revell, Monogram, AMT, MPC, Polar Lights, they all make good models, they also all make poor models! It is just a matter of personal preference really.
> 
> Mo




That sums up the situation very well. You pretty much have to grade each kit on it's own merits. Generally, most newly tooled kits from all manufacturers are better (in fit and engineering) than the old tools. But often a "classic" kit is your only option for a special project. On the bright side, the classics have usually been released many times and are more affordable.

The best approach may be to seek out reviews and discussion of any kit which interests you. You may want to combine parts from new and old kits to get the best model.

I'm no expert but whenever possible I'll assemble small parts first and then paint. It is usually easier to detail paint an assembly than make a clean and sturdy assembly out of pre-painted parts. There will be exceptions.


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## scottnkat

I tend to paint the smaller parts while they are on the sprue. After I have put them together, I will touch up the paint. I do this because I have many kids and dogs in the house and I don't wanna lose them. Larger pieces I will tape to a stick and spray paint. I then place the sticks in a block of green florist foam to hold them while they dry. How you paint is completely a matter of choice. 

There really is no "best" brand of model - all model makers have good ones and real dogs. Also, it depends on how detailed you want to make your models and what materials you are comfortable with - there are some multimedia kits out there that have plastic, resin, photo-etched brass, turned metal, and cast metal parts that make phenomenal-looking pieces, but of course these tend to cost more. 

When mounting the body to the chassis, make sure you allow plenty of time for everything to dry. During the assembly process, I tend to test-fit the body onto the chassis a few times just to make sure that it still fits as you add more and more and to get any ideas of things that may need to be changed during the build. It's great when a model just sort of falls together, but that has only happened a few times to me - most of the time, there is some amount of "massaging" to be done.


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## Tommy_Boy

71 Charger 500 said:


> I use alligator clips and clothes pins to hold my parts when I paint them. I also tape the to the top of empty paint cans. That way you don't have to go back and touch up paint the parts. Revell, Monogram, AMT, MPC, Polar Lights, they all make good models, they also all make poor models! It is just a matter of personal preference really.
> 
> Mo


Thanks, I'll try the clothespin idea!



Vegar said:


> I have the Revell 69 Yenko Camaro myself, but i havent started on it yet, looking forward to see yours Tommy
> 
> Bodies have some flex in them so that you can slide them over the frame, take your time with it and do mock ups along the way to see how things fit together... Also, look at some of the build threads here for pointers and inspiration
> 
> Vegar


Thanks, I have taken a few pics of the build process and I'll be posting them along with the finished product when I'm done with it. I just painted it the yellow that is on the box because I really liked it. I've done mock ups of other parts too but haven't done that with the chassis and the body.....hope it goes well and I don't mess it up.



Rns1016 said:


> Being that I'm new at model cars as-well, I'll give you some of my advice. I got a Revell 2008 Dodge Viper ACR for Christmas and I kept buying Revell kits. You can paint the parts on the "trees" if you want but when you cut them off there will be spots that are not painted. So it's really up to you if you want to paint them on or off the "trees".
> 
> I use needle nose pliers to hold the parts and paint them. The body might seem like it doesn't want to fix ( mostly over the engine ) you can flex the body over the engine and it will fit. I hand paint all my parts even the body but I'm looking at getting an airbrush.


I use a brush as well for all my painting, but my brother has an airbrush that I may borrow someday. I was thinking of leaving like one sprue piece on each part so I can hold it while I paint it, I don't know, just an idea.



Rns1016 said:


> Also must have tools,
> 
> http://www.testors.com/product/136934/50628C/_/Micro_Shear_Sprue_Cutter
> 
> http://www.testors.com/product/136943/8830A/_/Hobby_Knife
> 
> They will make your life so much easier if you don't have them already.


Thanks, I have xacto knives, will a pair of side cutters work the same as a sprue cutter?



Rondo said:


> I'm no expert but whenever possible I'll assemble small parts first and then paint. It is usually easier to detail paint an assembly than make a clean and sturdy assembly out of pre-painted parts. There will be exceptions.


I did that with a few parts on the Yenko, small parts that are the same color, like on the engine and the back seat in the interior. I'll do that whenever possible.

Thanks for all your help and advice so far guys!

I also have a Kenworth W900 and a '69 GTO Judge to do, both Revell models.


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## 440 dakota

welcome to the site and a very addicting hobby, most modern tooled kits fit together nice some of the older tooling needs extra attention

painting on the sprue can work in a lot of cases but sometimes you have to touch up after removing the part,I'm lazy and don't brush paint much so I remove the parts and stick it on a little piece of masking tape turned inside out on a box,that way I spray paint everything of a same color at once 

most important is to just have fun and build what you like


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## superduty455

Everyone's given you some great starting advice.
We all build differently so make sure you know there is no right or wrong way to build. First and foremost, build for yourself you'll get so much more enjoyment out of it. 
Always ask your question no matter how dumb you think it may be, many others can learn from them more than you know.
As was said, all manufactures have great kits and a few bad ones. Revell is great. They have a huge variety to suit most peoples wants. I'm more of an exotic car builder and foreign subjects in general. If I want a great muscle car I love what Revell offers. Round 2 (amt/MPC) has really come along with the nostalgic part. It's been great to pick up kits you'd never had a chance to own before.
My preference on part painting is off the sprue, trimmed, sanded, primed, sanded and painted. 
To hold my bodies I have two Tamiya paint stands. These work great and are adjustable to the body you may be painting at the time.
Here's one of my bodies on the stand:








It also comes with another stand for parts painting with clips. Fantastic tool.
Your side cutter should work, but if you get time and money look for a sprue cutter since it is designed for cutting parts off the tree's safely and mostly damage free.
In the end remember it's a hobby and should be fun. If you get frustrated set it down and leave it for a few days. Come back to it fresh, it seems to help.
Have fun!
Chris


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## Rns1016

Tommy_Boy said:


> Thanks, I'll try the clothespin idea!
> 
> 
> Thanks, I have taken a few pics of the build process and I'll be posting them along with the finished product when I'm done with it. I just painted it the yellow that is on the box because I really liked it. I've done mock ups of other parts too but haven't done that with the chassis and the body.....hope it goes well and I don't mess it up.
> 
> 
> I use a brush as well for all my painting, but my brother has an airbrush that I may borrow someday. I was thinking of leaving like one sprue piece on each part so I can hold it while I paint it, I don't know, just an idea.
> 
> 
> Thanks, I have xacto knives, will a pair of side cutters work the same as a sprue cutter?
> 
> 
> I did that with a few parts on the Yenko, small parts that are the same color, like on the engine and the back seat in the interior. I'll do that whenever possible.
> 
> Thanks for all your help and advice so far guys!
> 
> I also have a Kenworth W900 and a '69 GTO Judge to do, both Revell models.


yeah they will work I used them but I'm glad I got the clippers. They get alot closer to the part while cutting. It's really how much you want to get into buying stuff. Also do you have needle files? They are a must have as-well.


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## Tommy_Boy

Rns1016 said:


> yeah they will work I used them but I'm glad I got the clippers. They get alot closer to the part while cutting. It's really how much you want to get into buying stuff. Also do you have needle files? They are a must have as-well.


No, I don't have needle files, a must have? Maybe I'll pick some up. What are they normally used for?

Is this kit worth it?
http://www.amazon.com/Tamiya-74016-...YWXI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326554873&sr=8-1


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## 71 Charger 500

Tommy, here is a link to my Photobucket page with a bunch of pictures of tools that I use at the model car desk. Hope they help and give you some ideas on what you may like to have handy.

Mo

http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/moparmanpettyfan/Model car tools/#!cpZZ1QQtppZZ16


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## Tommy_Boy

71 Charger 500 said:


> Tommy, here is a link to my Photobucket page with a bunch of pictures of tools that I use at the model car desk. Hope they help and give you some ideas on what you may like to have handy.
> 
> Mo
> 
> http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/moparmanpettyfan/Model car tools/#!cpZZ1QQtppZZ16


That's a pretty extensive collection you have there! I don't think I need 1/3 of that stuff though....lol

What kind of models do you build?


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## harristotle

superduty455 said:


> Everyone's given you some great starting advice.
> We all build differently so make sure you know there is no right or wrong way to build. First and foremost, build for yourself you'll get so much more enjoyment out of it.
> Always ask your question no matter how dumb you think it may be, many others can learn from them more than you know.
> As was said, all manufactures have great kits and a few bad ones. Revell is great. They have a huge variety to suit most peoples wants. I'm more of an exotic car builder and foreign subjects in general. If I want a great muscle car I love what Revell offers. Round 2 (amt/MPC) has really come along with the nostalgic part. It's been great to pick up kits you'd never had a chance to own before.
> My preference on part painting is off the sprue, trimmed, sanded, primed, sanded and painted.
> To hold my bodies I have two Tamiya paint stands. These work great and are adjustable to the body you may be painting at the time.
> Here's one of my bodies on the stand:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It also comes with another stand for parts painting with clips. Fantastic tool.
> Your side cutter should work, but if you get time and money look for a sprue cutter since it is designed for cutting parts off the tree's safely and mostly damage free.
> In the end remember it's a hobby and should be fun. If you get frustrated set it down and leave it for a few days. Come back to it fresh, it seems to help.
> Have fun!
> Chris


Never seen those... I need one!!! lol


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## 71 Charger 500

Tommy_Boy said:


> That's a pretty extensive collection you have there! I don't think I need 1/3 of that stuff though....lol
> 
> What kind of models do you build?


That is a collection of stuff that I have used over the last 20 years. Takes a while to build all of that up, lol.

I build alot of different stuff. Mopars mostly I guess and usually as factory stocks. I build a lot of short track racers, some drag cars, a few older NASCAR things, Harley's, what ever happens to strike my fancy I guess.


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## 440 dakota

you would be surprised how much useful stuff you can find arround the house stuff like Mo showed,Qtips,toothpicks,rubber bands,clothes pins,wash out and save some empty plastic food containers,old peice of wood for cutting on,your mom's or girlfriend's nail file boards,etc etc spend the money on good brushes and take care of them and plenty of no 11 blades


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## scottnkat

71 Charger 500 said:


> Tommy, here is a link to my Photobucket page with a bunch of pictures of tools that I use at the model car desk. Hope they help and give you some ideas on what you may like to have handy.
> 
> Mo
> 
> http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c215/moparmanpettyfan/Model car tools/#!cpZZ1QQtppZZ16


Mo, the Skid Row and .38 Special music is definitely a necessity!!!!


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## scottnkat

harristotle said:


> Never seen those... I need one!!! lol


I've seen those and they look great, but haven't been able to afford one yet - I just use a bent wire coat hanger, but someday I'll get one of those


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## scottnkat

440 dakota said:


> you would be surprised how much useful stuff you can find arround the house stuff like Mo showed,Qtips,toothpicks,rubber bands,clothes pins,wash out and save some empty plastic food containers,old peice of wood for cutting on,your mom's or girlfriend's nail file boards,etc etc spend the money on good brushes and take care of them and plenty of no 11 blades


Oh yeah - all those household things (and more) come in handy.


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## 71 Charger 500

scottnkat said:


> Mo, the Skid Row and .38 Special music is definitely a necessity!!!!


Definately! Still dig me some Hair Metal even at 53!


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## Tommy_Boy

71 Charger 500 said:


> That is a collection of stuff that I have used over the last 20 years. Takes a while to build all of that up, lol.
> 
> I build alot of different stuff. Mopars mostly I guess and usually as factory stocks. I build a lot of short track racers, some drag cars, a few older NASCAR things, Harley's, what ever happens to strike my fancy I guess.


Who makes the NASCAR models? I'd love to build some of the cars from my favorite drivers.



440 dakota said:


> you would be surprised how much useful stuff you can find arround the house stuff like Mo showed,Qtips,toothpicks,rubber bands,clothes pins,wash out and save some empty plastic food containers,old peice of wood for cutting on,your mom's or girlfriend's nail file boards,etc etc spend the money on good brushes and take care of them and plenty of no 11 blades


Yeah, free stuff is always good, you don't want to spend a ton of money on a hobby.


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## 440 dakota

71 Charger 500 said:


> Definately! Still dig me some Hair Metal even at 53!


Oh Yeah same here still have a decent collection 



Tommy_Boy said:


> Who makes the NASCAR models? I'd love to build some of the cars from my favorite drivers.
> 
> 
> Yeah, free stuff is always good, you don't want to spend a ton of money on a hobby.


most evey one has made NASCAR kits through out the years,just depends what you want to build and if they don't make your favorite drive or paint scheme someone probably makes decals to build it anyway NASCAR kits are very popular 

as far as not spending a ton on hobbies model building is fairly inexpensive,try restoring a clasic car, building a hot rod or even shooting sports lol


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## CorvairJim

scottnkat said:


> Mo, the Skid Row and .38 Special music is definitely a necessity!!!!


WHAT??? No mention of the Skynyrd or Bob Seger he had posted too??? Gimme those, some Led Zep, Floyd, Bruce, CSNY, Boston, Foreigner, Aerosmith, any of the good stuff from the 70's-80's and I'm happy.


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## scottnkat

CorvairJim said:


> WHAT??? No mention of the Skynyrd or Bob Seger he had posted too??? Gimme those, some Led Zep, Floyd, Bruce, CSNY, Boston, Foreigner, Aerosmith, any of the good stuff from the 70's-80's and I'm happy.


Love Skynyrd and I even have a few Seger CDs, but those two caught my eye. And I agree with you, as well - Boston, Foreigner (pre fourth album), Aerosmith, Floyd, Zep, etc - they are all great to listen to while building.


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## harristotle

scottnkat said:


> Love Skynyrd and I even have a few Seger CDs, but those two caught my eye. And I agree with you, as well - Boston, Foreigner (pre fourth album), Aerosmith, Floyd, Zep, etc - they are all great to listen to while building.


I've gotta agree with you on those too :thumbsup:


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## Tommy_Boy

I susally listen to Slacker when I'm building. Rock radio is the best.


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## 71 Charger 500

I was playing Seger so loud the other day that I blew the cover off of one of the speakers !!!


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## scottnkat

Kathi just read these comments - her response was, "You can let them know that I listen to Nickelback and The Beatles when I do my craft things including building my model"


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## 71 Charger 500

Depends on my mood, sometimes I want it mellow, sometimes I need to blow the windows out of the place.


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## scottnkat

so Mo - just curious - are your speaker covers rather dense material? What brand speakers do you use? The only time I ever had that happen to me what years ago to a pair of Pioneer speakers. The covers were rather dense and when it happened I realized that I liked the sound without the covers better, so I removed them and kept them off until I sold them.


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## Rns1016

What no Queen? Yes I'm 27 and I love Queen. I swear I always say I was born in the wrong era.


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## 71 Charger 500

If I took the covers off and left them off, the stupid cat, who hates me, lol, would probably claw the dang things to pieces. They are 36" tall Fishers.


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## harristotle

scottnkat said:


> Kathi just read these comments - her response was, "You can let them know that I listen to Nickelback and The Beatles when I do my craft things including building my model"


Love Nickelback, their new cd is pretty good.


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## scottnkat

harristotle said:


> Love Nickelback, their new cd is pretty good.


Kat just heard "Bottoms Up" for the first time last night - now she wants to go get that CD. I got her the Greatest Hits CD for Christmas.


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## harristotle

scottnkat said:


> Kat just heard "Bottoms Up" for the first time last night - now she wants to go get that CD. I got her the Greatest Hits CD for Christmas.


Haha, yeah that's a good one. Nickelback is one of only a few groups where I'll buy the entire cd rather than just download the couple songs I like. 

Shinedown, Revis, Saliva, and Seether are some others I love. If she likes Nickelback she might enjoy those as well.


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## Rns1016

harristotle said:


> Haha, yeah that's a good one. Nickelback is one of only a few groups where I'll buy the entire cd rather than just download the couple songs I like.
> 
> Shinedown, Revis, Saliva, and Seether are some others I love. If she likes Nickelback she might enjoy those as well.


I love Seether their my favorite group. I started to really listen to Alternative rock because of them. I was going to a swap meet at English Town Raceway Park with my Aunts boyfriend ( he had a bunch of parts from his 69 Firebird ) and I heard "The Gift" and loved that song, went home and started downloading everything Seether. Wow that was 6 years ago, time does go by fast, I was only 21.


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## scottnkat

harristotle said:


> ...Shinedown, Revis, Saliva, and Seether are some others I love. If she likes Nickelback she might enjoy those as well.


She likes a couple of songs by Shinedown, Saliva and Seether, but those CDs are my daughters and mine - she's not so much of a fan of those. Hadn't heard Revis that I know of - will have to check it out.


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## harristotle

scottnkat said:


> She likes a couple of songs by Shinedown, Saliva and Seether, but those CDs are my daughters and mine - she's not so much of a fan of those. Hadn't heard Revis that I know of - will have to check it out.


They came out with 1 album around 8 years ago, amazing album! They were supposed to come out with their second album last year, but legal issues have kept it from being released so far. There are a couple singles from the new album that have been released that are also great.


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## CorvairJim

scottnkat said:


> Kathi just read these comments - her response was, "You can let them know that I listen to Nickelback and The Beatles when I do my craft things including building my model"


Yep, gotta add the Fab Four to the list. I'm not too familiar with Nickelback, except for that tour they did a couple of years ago called "45 Cents" - they were touring with .50 Cent! :jest:



Rns1016 said:


> What no Queen? Yes I'm 27 and I love Queen. I swear I always say I was born in the wrong era.


How could I have overlooked Queen? Freddy Mercury was absolutely amazing - I heard somewhere that he had an honest 4-octave range! I enjoy singing, and I have a decent range (the church choir is constantly trying to draft me except that, working in the evenings I can't make rehearsal) but I fall just short of 3 octaves.

I'm sure therte are other acts that should be added to the list of songs to build models by, but basically I just need something playing in the background that I enjoy listening to.


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## 71 Charger 500

Rns1016 said:


> What no Queen? Yes I'm 27 and I love Queen. I swear I always say I was born in the wrong era.


Sorry, I missed this one. When "We Are The Champions" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" were on the charts, the radio stations played the living hell out of them and I was sick to death of Queen. I've never owned an LP or Cassette or CD of them. I still change the station to this day on the radio if one of their songs comes on. Those two songs were out between '75 and '77 when I was in high school. I'm 53 now and STILL can't take listening to them.

I've never been a big fan of the British Bands, Beatles, Zepplin, The Who, Stones, none of them, just got tired of listening to the same old stuff all the time I guess. Now before those afore mentioned bands came along, I did enjoy the likes of "The Dave Clark Five", "Herman's Hermits" "The Hollies" and bands like that. Rainbow is a favorite as well as Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. 

Couldn't think of any more British bands so I went to Wiki, amazing how many you can remember once you read the names, check out this British Rock page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_rock


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## harristotle

71 Charger 500 said:


> Sorry, I missed this one. When "We Are The Champions" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" were on the charts, the radio stations played the living hell out of them and I was sick to death of Queen. I've never owned an LP or Cassette or CD of them. I still change the station to this day on the radio if one of their songs comes on. Those two songs were out between '75 and '77 when I was in high school. I'm 53 now and STILL can't take listening to them.
> 
> I've never been a big fan of the British Bands, Beatles, Zepplin, The Who, Stones, none of them, just got tired of listening to the same old stuff all the time I guess. Now before those afore mentioned bands came along, I did enjoy the likes of "The Dave Clark Five", "Herman's Hermits" "The Hollies" and bands like that. Rainbow is a favorite as well as Black Sabbath and Deep Purple.
> 
> Couldn't think of any more British bands so I went to Wiki, amazing how many you can remember once you read the names, check out this British Rock page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_rock


That's really funny about Queen! I love Black Sabbath :thumbsup:


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## scottnkat

71 Charger 500 said:


> ....Rainbow is a favorite as well as Black Sabbath and Deep Purple...[/url]


Rainbow has been my favorite band since about 1978 when Graham Bonnet joined them. I liked the Dio years, but really enjoyed the change in sound. Then when Turner joined, they changed again. Each album sounded different but still had the same "vibe". I got to meet the band once (I worked with Roger Glover's wife's sister) and got a couple of unreleased albums from them - a 2 disc greatest hits album (before they came out with one) and a six song EP that they did between Straight Through the Eyes and Bent Out of Shape.


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