1.   A more optimistic note on house prices has been struck by big builders Wimpey.

2.   Big Three car builders have been picking the brains of California hot rodders since Harry S. Truman was president.

3.   Jay Pelosky, director of Latin American research at Morgan Stanley, likes Grupo Tribasa, another big builder.

4.   Now, the company finds itself on the brink of bankruptcy -- and most big Austrian builders are in the same fix.

5.   Owners of old office buildings in Tokyo and other cities have been asking big builders to see if their real estate can withstand a quake.

6.   Several big builders, such as U.S. Homes, Pulte and longtime competitor Robson Communities, are nipping at its heels.