SJ EPISODE 5: Adding Scenery Details with Computer Graphics

In Episode 5, I switch things up a little bit to show you how I use some graphics programs to create details for my buildings, like interior walls, decorative items and even TV monitors. I use an older Miscorsoft program called PhotoDraw, which I've had for about 20 years--it's really intuitive and easy-to-use; while it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of something like Photoshop, it handy for simple projects like this. You could also use something like Corel Draw, or even a inexpensive desktop publishing program for this work.

This is the first time I've used OBS as a screen-capture tool to demonstrate these techniques; the process is a little different from the "hands on" work I normally show. In some cases, I could record my audio as I went, and in some spots had to do a voiceover, which required some timing. All in all, I think it worked out OK. At the end, I'll also show a couple new additions to the garage. Keep the comments coming - the feedback really helps! Watch the episode HERE:

New Additions to The Paddock: Vintage, Old and Relatively New

Always more holes to fill in the Slot Car Garage, it seems, and the acquisitions continue with a variety of cars that are a few decades old, well over a decade, and relatively new. The first of these is a classic Scalextric Lamborghini Miura - a car I've always wanted but up til now has been a little hard to come by in the US. I've almost sprung for the AutoArt version a couple of times but held off.  This much older Scaley version is a little dated (no separate chassis and the "tupperware" type body) but it was in excellent condition.

The next car on the list was an earlier 2000's MG-Lola LMP. I already had the dark grey and lime green original version, but this blue and white Thetford livery was in almost-new shape and was obtained on eBay for an excellent price. My original car was a superb runner, and I expect this one will be good as well.

Lastly, my other purchase was a Carrera Corvette C8 - this one (like the other grey and red one I own) purchased from Lakota Collectables as a de-digitized analog car with no box. As I really don't need another case and I am analog after all, this offers me some considerable savings.

 

It's a good deal all around, and I'm not the only one who's taken advantage of their approach. Lakota is actually a division of Great Traditions, an online dealer that is known to offer solid deals and excellent service.

 

 

SJ EPISODE 4: Tower Times Part 3 and the Bare Truth...

In Episode #4, we continue with our Tower Project by cutting windows, adding some paint, adding some trim and planning for the interior details. Then we look at a couple of Group 5 Cars that joined the Garage. As I mentioned before, they are not my favorites in terms of beauty, but as a group they do have their charms. I suspect they will be good performers, too.

    Finally, we'll finish by highlighting a YouTuber who's clearly won the [brass] pole position by shooting his videos in a strip club! Not really...but the concept of using a fun viortual background shows some real creativity. Best of all, the slot car content is really useful. Be sure to check it out!  The Video is HERE:

EPISODE 3: Tower Trimming, New Cars and What I've Seen & Heard

After some delay - due to moving my video location to my workshop and also because of chores associated with the Memorial Day holiday - I was able to get Episode 3 posted on YouTube. I had a chance to start working on the Control Tower rebuild, show off a few recently-acquired cars, and talk about some great hobby content I've come across lately. I think it's important for our hobby content creators to support each other - the Seen and Heard segment is my way of doing that.

As I was editing this episode, I began to consider more fully how I would demonstrate the various steps in the reconstruction of the tower. While I don't want to turn it into a long Gone With The Wind project, I need to balance clarity of process with some level of concise presentation. For parts of the project that are repetitive or tedious, I can speed up the footage and use creative editing to help. On the other hand, that calls for a separate voice-over track vs. simply talking through a segment in real time while you're doing it. I'll get it figured out...  Check out the episode HERE.

Sloter Lola, GB Track Chevron Enter The Garage

Two of the notable recent additions to the garage include some cars I have been trying to obtain for some time and was recently able to acquire form eBay at a reasonable price. Over time, I've discovered that the most important attribute to eBay shopping is patience; sooner or later a car you want will show up, and if you're lucky, at a price you can accept.

The first car is the Lola T280 as driven by Jo Bonnier - it features the famous Swiss Cheese livery, which was on the car he (sadly) wrecked at Le Mans in 1972. I've wanted this car because my next track (fictionally located in Switzerland) will have a "museum area" that will feature some special cars driven by well-known Swiss drivers, like some Porsches driven by Jo Siffert and a Ferrari and Alfa driven by Clay Regazzoni. Though Bonnier was Swedish, the car will make a memorable addition.

The second car is the Chevron B19 driven by Niki Lauda at Salzburgring in 1971. As Lauda is primarily known as a famous F1 driver, I thought this car was an interesting addition, and gives me a good excuse the play the Niki Lauda Song - actually called "Moma Laudaaa" - which is so fun I will probably highlight it in a future video episode. The car is boxed as a special edition of 3,000.

EPISODE 2: Control Tower Rebuild, a Classic Scalextric Car, and a Track That Wasn't

Well, after you've done one YouTube video the challenge becomes - what do you do to follow up? Well, Episode #2 covers a Control Tower refresh project that I'll be working on, a Scalextric Blast from The Past, and my efforts toward setting up a small, temporary "test track" which isn't working out to my satisfaction.You will also see my attitude expressed regarding the inevitable "unboxing." Hope you enjoy the nod to Jimi...seemed appropriate considering the subject matter.
 

As you might expect, the process of putting these videos together is getting a little easier, as I familiarize myself with the mechanics of editing. It's also given me a chance to critique my presentations, which need some polishing...I'm a little out of practice and I've found myself falling into some bad habits, which will benefit from awareness and elimination. I have to say I'm pretty happy with my initial reception - almost 2,000 views of the first video and 250 subscribers isn't bad. Just have to focus on delivering useful and entertaining stuff as I hope to help grow the hobby. Check out the video HERE.

SJ on Live Chat Night on Conquest Racing Channel

I really enjoyed the opportunity to join Rahul, Marty and Jorge on their recent Monday Night Livestream on the Conquest Racing Channel. Rahul and Jorge had graciously reached out to me the previous week, but the timing was not great as that particular Monday night I would have had to leave early. As it was, we were able to get together this week and talk about slot car stuff - not only my personal history in the hobby, but bigger issues like where the hobby was going, what kind of content is needed and how the slot car community's YouTubers can help each other.

Overall, it was a really fun night - the stream chat was pretty lively and, as always, filled with good ideas, helpful info and plenty of humor. It's really nice how these three guys invite both long-time hobbyists and relative newcomers to this weekly YouTube forum to talk about interesting and fun topics, from scratch building, track design and scenery to producing creative videos and growing the hobby. It's a very positive environment and a great ting for our hobby. Be sure to check in on a Monday night and join the discussion on Conquest Racing Club Channel.

 

 

The First Slot Journal Video Goes Live on YouTube!

Well, after a couple of weeks sorting through equipment and software options, setting up a "studio" space for recording and creating a rough outline of content, I was finally able to get some footage together and do some editing. The result is ab 16 minutes of introductory video, where I talk a little bit about my history with slot cars, what kind of things you can look forward to seeing on the channel, and some additional thoughts about the hobby in general. I also take a minute to show my latest postal delivery and of course, one other expected element.

For those interested in technical stuff, this was put together using my iPhone 14 Pro front camera as a webcam - since I like to be able to look at what I am shooting, and the image quality is very good. I still need to make some adjustments on positioning; I also have an older iPhone 6S that I can use to shoot my desktop when I have to demonstrate something. For now, I am set up in my "office" and not in my workshop, since my best computer is located there. Eventually, when my workshop is better organized, I'll take a laptop in there and try to see what I can do. Also, I used OBS for combining and switching between shots, and CapCut for the final editing to put all the bits together; it's pretty easy to use and my edits are pretty basic.

If you have some time, please watch the video and let me know what you think in the comments. Also, don;t forget that you can have the video close-captioning auto-translated by using the "settings" on the video and selecting your language. It's not perfect, but it helps if English is not your first language.

WATCH THE VIDEO

I Don't Run or Race Formula 1...So The Artins Are Moving On.

These two Artin Formula 1 cars have been among the first cars I ever owned. Certainly not the fastest cars, with their modest motor and light magnet, they were still dependable runners, regularly drifting around the curves--even though real F1 cars don't do that. It's not that I don't like F1 cars, it's just that I have my hands full collecting endurance racers and can't afford to add another category to my "must have" list. As a result, these have been posted on eBay in the hopes of collecting a few bucks to go toward something I really want.

Both cars are in excellent shape; they have had little track time and should run fine - especially with some light scuffing/sanding of the original tires. Probably best for providing new racers a decent runner in the event that you don't want to let them use one of your more expensive cars. If you want to take a look, the listings are here:

Artin 1:32 Formula 1 No. 8 (Mercedes)

Artin 1:32 Formula 1 No. 1 (Ferrari)

Cleveland Slot Car Show: Big Crowds...Old Crowds...and a Nice Haul.

 As long as I've collected slot cars, I've never been to a slot car show...so I was keen to drive up toward Cleveland this past weekend to check out the Cleveland Slot Car Show. Organized by the Model Motoring Club, the show primarily features HO stuff - but there was plenty of eye candy for 1:32 fans like me, and I managed to pick up some nice cars at some nice prices.

I was surprised how many were in attendance, as the main parking lot at the Quality Inn was completely full. There was a large overflow lot on the south side of the hotel, and it was almost full as well. I paid my $5 admission fee (also gets you a raffle ticket) and entered the main hall, which was full of people carefully moving up and down the aisles, trying to keep out of each other's way and scrutinizing all the cool stuff that was for sale. Local retailer Bad L's Hobby had some nice 1:32 cars available, and I snatched up a 5th Scalextric Mini for my collection. I don't normally buy that type of car, but they are so much fun to drive that I have wanted to get one for every member of the family.

There was a dealer at the back of the hall that really caught my eye - with a big selection of classic Fly, Slot.It, Ninco, SCX and Scalextric cars - as well as some collector special editions and other odd-and-ends, like those over-scale Vanquish cars. Discounts on purchases of 2 were eagerly applied and a LOT of people were sorting through what was available. My last purchase was an orange Carrera Hemi Cuda, that though gently used, was about half the price you'd find for a similar car on eBay. Finally, that GTO I was given as a gift many years ago has something to race against!

As I left, I scanned the crowd and one thing was clearly evident: this hobby is aging, for sure. I'm certainly no young buck, but the vast majority of the people here were males between 55-70+ years old. In such close quarters, I reflected for a brief moment that it was probably a good place to catch a case of COVID...but not hearing an excess of coughing, hacking or other old man sounds, I happily carried on. When I got out to the parking lot, some guys had a grill set up behind their pickup and were looking over their purchases and cooking up some lunch, like they were in the Muny lot before a Browns game (without the drunkeness or fighting). All in all, it was a fun time and definitely worth the drive.

Lamborghini and Audi Roll into the Slot Car Garage

 Some new cars keep trickling into the garage, as I continue to scour eBay for the occasional good deal. While prices can sometimes be crazy, I've managed to find some new old stock or nearly-new cars at decent price. One example is this Lamborghini Huracan from Carrera.

I really like the yellow and blue livery on this one, and the white wheels really make it pop (did I ever mention that I really don't like black wheels on race cars?) I already had one other Huracan in the collection, but this one was hard to resist. The other new car to be added was an Avant Slot Audi R10.

I already have two other R10s in the garage, but I have been looking for this Kolles livery for a while; every now and then one becomes available and I was able to snatch this one up. I was surprised how light and thin the body looks on this as opposed to most manufacturers' cars, although I have not taken it apart for a closer look yet.

Inventory Photography Complete! For Now, Anyway...

 I was finally able to finish photographing all the cars I had, which took a little longer than I had expected. Stacks of car cases sat scattered around the basement as I methodically wen from stack-to-stack, taking them into the workshop, setting them on a white background and snapping away with my iPhone. I thought I was done, then found a straggler hiding in a toolbox that I had originally set up for racing. It was a 90's SCX SRS Lancia LC2 that while in good shape, had yellowed considerably--probably due to UV light's affect on its lexan body.

 The total car count was at 236 including the Lancia,..until the Powerslot Lola T-298 that I had picked up on eBay arrived in the mail. I had wanted one of these long-discontinued cars for quite a while, but failed to get one when they were commonly available. I managed to snag this one at a very good price; (see below) it was used but looks practically new.

So the total stands at 237--although this doesn't include the two Daytona Prototypes and the two Artin F1 cars that I will be selling soon, probably on eBay. I just never really warmed up to the prototypes, and as I don't do F1 cars, I have no need for the Artins. They are actually not bad cars (I have at least a half-dozen Artin 911s and Mercedes CLKs) but I would just as soon let them go for some pocket change.

Newest Additions to the Slot Car Garage

Things have slowed down a bit over the past few weeks and my early 2023 buying spree has come to a close, I think. I feel like I've pretty much "caught up" on filling the holes in my collection, and have settled on looking for good buys on more obscure cars or used cars that might be good candidates for projects. Other purchases might be add-ons to some models of cars I already have, from different manufacturers or other variations.

 

One example of an "extension" to what I already have was this Carrera Porsche 917K - a nice analog example of a classic Le Mans car. I already had 2 Fly Classic 917s, but I've heard some folks on Youtube singing the praises of the Carrera versions that I wanted to have one to try out. Of course, NSR makes 917s as well - but I'm not sure my track design would allow that car to demonstrate its performance advantages, so I saved a little money this time around.

 

Another addition was made to my Early 60s Le Mans group - the Corvette Stingray No. 8 (from Carrera again) - an attractive white, blue and red livery that I preferred over some of the other ones available. In reality, I had wanted one of the Revell-Monogram Corvette Grand Sports that were produced some years ago, but they run almost $100 now if you can find NOS. For now, the Carrera - at $40 - is an acceptable compromise, and I look forward to running it with my Ferrari GTOs, XKE Jags, Cobra Daytona, Cheetah and Porsche 904.

Slot Car Buying / Collecting: What’s Your Plan?

It’s always interesting to see other people’s slot car collections. It’s not uncommon for enthusiasts to have a few hundred, and some folks have literally thousands of cars on the shelves. A lot get raced, some never see the track and some people will buy two of whatever they like—one to run and one to keep in the jewel case. The hows and whys run the gamut; some folks simply collect (as an investment) and other keep a strict focus on their choices and purchase primarily with racing in mind.

As I’ve mentioned before, I mostly restrict my purchases to endurance type racing cars, like you’d see at LeMans. It’s not that I don’t appreciate other kinds of cars—it’s just that I’m not as big a fan of other types of racing, and most of all, I simply can’t afford to buy EVERYTHING. But there are those who do.

Beyond that—and the fact that I run analog-only—I have a few other guidelines for purchasing:

1) For some cars, like Classic Le Mans and Group C, I may have at least 2 of every type, which could simply mean a different livery but better yet, a slight variation of a model. I also like to have variations on a model from different manufacturers (like a Jaguar XJS from Scalextric and Slot.it...or a McLaren 720 from Carrera and Sideways). I like even numbers.

2) I’m not one for buying the same exact car in a bunch of different liveries. Maybe two – but that’s about it.

3) If I can buy a new car without a case and save some money, I’ll do it. I don’t need another case for my shelf. My cars are purchased to run.

4) I’m not averse to buying a gently used car. Again, I’m not buying for investment. If a car is missing a mirror or two, and is in otherwise nice shape, I’m OK with it – I can make a replacement on my 3D printer.

A recent eBay purchase. Excellent shape except for the missing mirrors. We can fix that.

5) Driver variations – some sellers will charge more for a car that’s numbered to represent a specific (famous) driver. If this is the case and its stablemate is practically identical (but for the number) I’ll buy the cheaper option. I don’t feel like paying the premium.

6) If you haven’t figured out that I’m kinda cheap (I am) then understand I always look for a bargain. When I first started buying cars, Carreras went for about $30 and new Scalextrics for not much more. I think Flys were somewhere between $40-50. Though new cars are much better, there remains a psychological barrier that makes it hard to feel good paying more than $60 for a non-digital car. But I have bought some MR Slotcar, Revoslot, NSR and a handful of others that are closer to $100. With shipping, my SRC Toyota cost more than that—and the MR Slotcar Shadow I have on order will be close. It’s a good thing I’m “caught up” on most of the cars I’ve been wanting, because whatever is to come will be significantly more expensive than what I already have.

Already put my pre-order in for this baby. Not cheap - but what are you gonna do?

7) I try to patronize and support various online dealers. Often you can find great deals as long as you meet their free shipping requirements. I do shop price but good service also counts for a lot in my book. I scan eBay constantly for deals on older cars and used cars—but prices there can be crazy, too.

I’m curious what other people’s criteria might be for buying cars. Do you just “buy what you like” or do you have a special focus? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter or Facebook.

Now Hear This! And Watch, too...

Most of us in the Slot Car community tune in to hear the latest news each Friday from Dave Kennedy. Though he's recently undergone some medical procedures and is still recovering (successfully, it seems!) Dave is still taking some extra time to drop in on various chats and keeping us up on what;s happening. Inspired by the President's annual State of The Union address, Dave decided to take a few minutes to talk about what's happening in the hobby--the good and the not-so-good (it's mostly good) as well as where things seem to be heading.

Along the way, he offers some insights about digital, how track scenery adds to the hobby and its enjoyment, the rise of 3D printing and cottage-industry manufacturers, and some other topics of interest that will be sure to capture your attention. As always, his observations are grounded in real industry experience, practicality and common sense. Check it out!

After 22 Years: An Inventory of The Collection

After running and collecting 1/32 scale for 22 years, I finally figured it was time to pull everything out of the storage boxes and do a proper inventory. These are mostly all endurance-type cars...early and classic Le Mans, Group C/ IMSA GTP, open 1990s - 2000s LMPs and later, modern LMPs and GTs, and a few Can Am cars and other cars as well. The process took a while, and I had one box in particular that I had a hard time locating.
 

I thought this table would be plenty big enough. I was wrong.

Looking through everything, there are some kits to convert, too. The minis I have are just fun to drive and I wanted everyone in the family to have their own.   There are a few other odds and ends...my lone American muscle car (a Pontiac LeMans with flames) and two Daytona prototypes that I never really warmed up to. They will probably go on eBay - or I might adapt the chassis to run one of my kit conversions.

Early 60s Le Mans, Classic Le Mans and some Can Am & open racers.

Now comes the job of organizing everything. There are about 180 cars (with 3 more coming in the mail soon) and I am planning on taking photos of all of them. Not a fan of spreadsheets, either - but I will have to find some software or app to keep track. I tested Greg Braun's Slotcars 2000, which seemed OK at first, but I'm not sure I like the interface, and the record page does not include the car photo. I do have Ultimate Racer, which also has an inventory system, but it's on an old PC. I think it is still freely available and can be downloaded for Win 10. I may look into the newer version.

Some Minis, odds-and-ends, and kits on the shelf below.

Regardless, the process is very time-consuming, and not one I look forward to...but it's winter, I don't have a track to run on right now, and it needs to get done.

LMP Racing Stable Continues to Grow

I've spent much of the past month or so getting caught up on cars that I may have passed on when they first came out. While I can occasionally get a good deal on some NOS (new old stock) I don't mind purchasing a gently used car if it's intact and shows little effects of track time. Sometimes these can be found at dealers, and eBay too, of course - though the prices on even some used cars can get pretty ridiculous. The price on this DHL Porsche Spyder was quite good - it was listed as used but it looks practically brand new. The Fly Racing Lola B98/10 was a great deal on an NOS car that was created as a special racing version - it has a hotter motor, lighter body, aluminum wheels and a vacu-formed driver and cockpit. We'll see how it does on the track.

The Spirit Courage C65 was also an NOS buy - I probably paid about what it cost when new, which is not bad since I've seen it listed on eBay for $15-$20 more than I paid. Though they are not known to be awesome runners, the Spirit card look great and I really like the red and black livery.

Since it will be a while before I have a track to test anything on, any kind of reviews will have to wait. Nevertheless, I'm feeling pretty good about filling up some of the open spots in my collection, and the class of 1999-2010 LMPs I've been able to acquire is getting pretty extensive, as is my collection of Group 6/IMSA-GTP cars.

Avant Slot Looking to Build on Growing List of New LMH / LMDh Cars

I sometimes laugh and tell people I am "All Endurance Racing - All The Time" - which is kinda true - from the early 60's to the present day, I love my Le Mans and IMSA cars. Even with a relatively tight collectors focus like that, there are still so many cars out there...and the growth of 3D printing has put even more of them in reach.

That said, it is good to see that at least one slot car manufacturer has put a flag in the ground and has plans to produce some more of this growing list of WEC / IMSA Endurance Racing cars. I saw this announcement from Avant just recently, and it is an ambitious release list, to be sure. In real life, endurance racing is seeing a huge influx of new (and old) LMH/LMDh participants, including Porsche, BMW, Peugeot, Ferrari, Cadillac, Acura, Glickenhaus and even Vanwall and Isotta Fraschini!

I'm sure some of these cars will be (or already have been) modeled by some of our 3D printing superstars, but it will be nice to see some new products from our slot car manufacturers, too. SRC will be producing a Porsche 919 soon and Slot.it will add an LMH Oreca car as well. That will no doubt be used by many privateer teams, thus allowing a wide array of liveries. Acura is using that chassis, so maybe that will be a car we can look forward to. Let's hope!    

Catching Up on The Collection

Every time I get away from the hobby, a lot of new slot cars come out that I will inevitably miss - and I will have to go back and "fill in the holes" in my collection. If I'm lucky, I won't have waited too long and the cars will still be available on eBay or at online shops for a manageable price. I don't try to collect everything; my main areas of interest include early 60's LeMans, Classic LeMans, Group C and IMSA GTP cars, Modern LMP and GT cars and the newest Hypercars - as they become available, I hope.

While I appreciate Formula 1, there are just too many cars to add and too little money. NASCAR and Rally are not my thing, nor are DTM or Trans Am. Group 5 cars have never appealed to me either, as I don't like the look of the "tacked on" aero-effects of the period, which feel like they were fabricated from sheet metal and attached to stock body panels with rivets...

I was really happy to get this Slot.it Audi for a nice price.

The simple truth here is--like Clint Eastwood once said--"A Man Needs to Know His Limitations." That goes for the wallet as well. For me, it's best to focus on the kind of cars I like and try to get a fairly wide (if not too deep) range of cars. That means a couple of liveries for most types, from each manufacturer, or slightly different versions of cars, if they exist. I find just keeping up there can be a challenge.

 

 

For example, I bought a Slot.it 2011 Audi R18 a few years ago, and was able to add a companion 2012 e-Tron recently in a nice complimentary paint scheme. My Group C/IMSA cars saw the addition of another Toyota 86C and a companion March 83 G to match my other March.

 

Likewise, I was able to keep up my GT collection by adding a Carrera Corvette C8, a very sharp McLaren 720S GTE and a new Slot.it Maserati MC Gt4. I've added some other as well, but I'll save those for another post. My goal is to get "caught up" enough so I can just focus on adding new cars as they come out--which might mean adding one each month or every-other month. We'll see.

Dazzling Thoughts on Modern Race Car Liveries

In real world sports car racing, there's a lot of excitement about the changes taking place in WEC, IMSA/GTP and the higher-level classses like Hypercar (LMH) and Hybrid (LMPh). With a growing number of manufacturers getting in on the action, many endurance fans are feeling like "the good old days" are again on the horizon.

Over the past few years, as some of these newer cars have shown up as RTR slot cars, opinions have varied in terms of how the cars look. While the modern full-bodied racers may not have the inherent beauty of a Ferrari 330p or the balanced look of a Porsche 962, they still have the curves and overall appearance that endurance fans expect. I still like them, although I an still not a big fan of the dorsal fins! Over the past couple of years I've added cars like the Lola B12s, Ginettas, Audi R18s and Toyota Hybrid, and am looking forward to adding more. The real world cars and manufacturers currently coming on board do vary in looks to a greater extent than they have over recent years. In fact, the new Peugeot 9X8 has a semi-fin and no wing at all!

That said, I do want to point out one factor that really makes a difference in how these cars look - and one which may influence slot car manufacturers as they make future decisions on which liveries to choose for production. Since the many "lumps, bumps and bulges" inherent in modern LMPs often result in a less coherent whole (compared to many older examples) I would posit that liveries which clarify the form and shape of the car make them not only more attractive, but also easier to identify. Take for example, the Porsche 963 below.

I find the result here to be very clean and good-looking; the paint work accentuates the body lines of the car and the overall look is very appealing. In contrast, I present the livery of the BMW M Hybrid shown below. The effect here is very much similar to the old "dazzle" paint that was used to hide the true form of military (and civilian) ships during the  World Wars. The thought was that painting anything like this made it not only harder to clearly identify a ship, but also for an enemy to target it. As you can see, the approach works. The BMW may be an attractive car, but it's really hard to tell with that livery, though it is colorful.

Note how the effect is similar to the old wartime "dazzle" pain [below]

That's just my .02--I'm sure our slot car manufacturers will turn out some beauties either way, but I think that maybe a slightly more traditional approach to race car liveries helps make them easier to ID and a bit more attractive. What do you think?