1/25 Galaxie Ltd. '46 - '48 Chevrolet Aerosedan

[MikeMc]

My only issue with these kits is the stick-on chrome. The adhesive isn't strong enough to hold the fender trim pieces in place, even if you pre-shape them, as the instructions suggest. And, even if you can get them to stick, they simply don't look very good, IMO, because of the lack of raised detail.

If you want to build a car with fender trim, you are MUCH better off, IMO, cutting the pieces from Evergreen strip, using the kit stickies as templates, gluing them in place and covering them with BMF.

This is one of my major concerns,as the design calls for all that chrome and more on the skirts...that I was planning on ....but thats a lot of foiling...new and improved or not!!!

[MikeMc]

WOW Billy, an NOW yer a published Prop builder too???? You NEVER fail to amaze me Brother! I knew Stock racers wasn't all you could build! Yer TOO good! This came out REAL smooth,Billy, it looks SHARP!!

thats a random street car......a very sweet random street car

[charlie8575]

My only issue with these kits is the stick-on chrome. The adhesive isn't strong enough to hold the fender trim pieces in place, even if you pre-shape them, as the instructions suggest. And, even if you can get them to stick, they simply don't look very good, IMO, because of the lack of raised detail.

If you want to build a car with fender trim, you are MUCH better off, IMO, cutting the pieces from Evergreen strip, using the kit stickies as templates, gluing them in place and covering them with BMF.

Thanks for the building tip, Ken. I'm hoping to get one of these this summer if work picks back up again.

Charlie Larkin

[Billy Kingsley]

Hey George where you been man that was 32 issues ago! LOL! Thanks though! LOL @ Mike.

Ken has a good point with the chrome too. I had forgotten that. I wanted to build a mild custom when I did the Aerosedan (note the raised rear suspension, and some of the kit custom parts on the engine if you looked at the album!) but for a factory stock build-what I would do ideally if I had the Aerosedan- would prove to be a little diffacult.

I would suppose that is why no other kits have done the trim like that since then, if I am correct!

Maybe I will nab an Aerosedan at the NNL East this weekend!

Edited April 15, 2010 by Billy Kingsley

[Harry P.]

I'm pretty sure it was Tamiya that first used the stick-on mylar chrome like what's found in the Galaxie kits. In fairness, it should be noted that it works extremely well for emblems and for other pieces, so long as they're applied to flat surfaces. The problems come in when the pieces have to adhere to curved surfaces, like the fenders of the Galaxie Chevys.

Also in fairness, it needs to be pointed out that it's obvious why Galaxie designed the kits this way ... not all '46-'48 Chevys had the Fleetline fender trim. In fact, very few of the sedan deliveries did, since those were intended as workhorse vehicles. In the final analysis, it's probably better that Galaxie didn't offer the kits with the chrome trim molded on because sanding it all off to build a plain-Jane vehicle would have been a MAJOR chore!

Should have been separate chrome pieces.

[Harry P.]

Perhaps, but, history has shown that it's very difficult to produce separate chrome trim without having it look clunky and out-of-scale. Revell's '55 Chevy kit is a prime example _ it looks a hundred times better if the separate chrome side trim is stripped, glued into place then covered with BMF after the body is painted. Plus, had Galaxie molded separate trim pieces for the '46-'48 Chevy kits, it would have needed to have incorporated some means of positioning them correctly into the bodies, such as holes or slots, which would have required filling to build a trimless vehicle.

So flat 2-dimensional mylar stickers look realistic??? Stickers that don't even work all that well???

The chrome trim should have been on the chrome tree... no slots or recesses needed on the fenders for placement. This kit was obviously intended for adult builders... pretty sure they could handle gluing some chrome trim in place without "help." Better yet, include both styles of fender, with and without chrome trim. An extra set of fenders would not have broken the bank, seeing as how the whole kit was new from the ground up anyway. I mean, if they can do multiple grilles...

Or better yet, mold the chrome trim on the fenders and let the builder decide whether to keep it, or sand it off.

[Harry P.]

The kit could have been engineered so that the fenders are separate, like on the real car. The fenders could have had the chrome trim molded in place, allowing the builder to decide whether to keep the trim or sand it off.

When you tool up a brand new kit from scratch, especially one aimed at adult modelers, "sweating the details" should be part of the process. The addition of the mylar stickers to replicate the chrome trim seems like a bad last-minute decision. The kit should have been better engineered in the first place, and since it was designed to offer the builder the option of building several different model year and trim level cars, the trim/no trim issue should have been worked out. Seems odd that they went to so much effort to get the kit right in terms of detail, yet they totally blew it on the fender trim.

[Harry P.]

Yeah, I guess nit-picking an overall nicely done kit isn't going to change anything; it just bugs me that this kit wasn't thought out a bit better before the tools were cut.

But overall, I also would like to see more from Galaxie.

[horsepower]

I'm pretty sure it was Tamiya that first used the stick-on mylar chrome like what's found in the Galaxie kits. In fairness, it should be noted that it works extremely well for emblems and for other pieces, so long as they're applied to flat surfaces. The problems come in when the pieces have to adhere to curved surfaces, like the fenders of the Galaxie Chevys.

Also in fairness, it needs to be pointed out that it's obvious why Galaxie designed the kits this way ... not all '46-'48 Chevys had the Fleetline fender trim. In fact, very few of the sedan deliveries did, since those were intended as workhorse vehicles. In the final analysis, it's probably better that Galaxie didn't offer the kits with the chrome trim molded on because sanding it all off to build a plain-Jane vehicle would have been a MAJOR chore!

The first stick on chrome that I can remember is the IMC/Testors '48 Fords, it wasn't worth trying either.

[mikelo]

Oh my! I remember that kit. I almost forgot about that one. I did mine back around 86, so the chrome wasn't too old then. Its still stickin, but I will have to redo it soon. Heres a pic.

Mike

[Guest]

But, it's nothing some very carefully applied ca wont fix!

[Jairus]

Maybe Galaxie explored this option and found out that doing separate tools would have been prohibitively expensive. I don't know. I wasn't there when the kits were being designed. That's why I generally prefer to not get involved in the "woulda, coulda, shoulda" game where model kits are concerned.

On the whole, though, I think Galaxie did a tremendous job on the kits, the fender trim issue notwithstanding. I certainly hope they do have more projects in the pipeline, as Jairus alluded!

This is exactly correct. The metal trim pieces were the most logical alternative. Many ideas were considered and I believe all avenues completely thought out. The fact is that many versions of this body and fender unit were considered (and still are). To engineer and create a new mold for each version would have been prohibitively expensive considering the costs for making molds today. It just made no sense to mold in the trim strakes on the fenders when the fenders would need to be used for the Sedan Delivery! Likewise a pre-war version of the same car never had such trim.

I truly do not know what is coming down the pipe from Galaxie. Gary would not provide details but my intuition is that they are probably versions of the same Chev kits. Either alternative bodies or different versions of the two cars we already have as lower line cars. Although talk has continued regarding the production of a coupe and pre-war versions of the two cars... the costs completely outweigh the possible sales due to the current economy and the shrinkage of the hobby. There are just not enough buyers out there anymore to drop the needed investment money like there was 15 years ago.

The one think I do know... Gary is very happy that all the Aero Sedan kits sold out. But... on the flip side, he is very disappointed so few of them show up built in the magazines and on the forums. He also speaks of the article in SA and his complete astonishment that the reviewer, instead of building the car stock, choose instead to install a "Camaro front clip"!!! It was suppose to be a review of the kit! And yet the build up showed up on the cover and inside the rag like a prize as though the builder (name escapes me) thought it a great accomplishment. THAT story I have heard more than once...

I will tell you one more thing, I have built 5 of those kits and all of them got some form of the fender trim applied. Not a single one has had the trim pop off or come loose. If the instructions are followed, ie: a pre-bend placed in the pieces, the trim stays put! This is the very reason for the 3.5 skill level.

[Jairus]

The kit could have been engineered so that the fenders are separate, like on the real car. The fenders could have had the chrome trim molded in place, allowing the builder to decide whether to keep the trim or sand it off.

When you tool up a brand new kit from scratch, especially one aimed at adult modelers, "sweating the details" should be part of the process. The addition of the mylar stickers to replicate the chrome trim seems like a bad last-minute decision. The kit should have been better engineered in the first place, and since it was designed to offer the builder the option of building several different model year and trim level cars, the trim/no trim issue should have been worked out. Seems odd that they went to so much effort to get the kit right in terms of detail, yet they totally blew it on the fender trim.

You have no idea what the heck you are talking about Harry!

The trim is METAL not mylar and if you built one you would know that. Please keep to subjects you are familiar with and stop flapping your keyboard.

[Jairus]

Perhaps, but I'd just as soon not play Russian roulette with a fresh paint job in such a manner ... again! Been there and done that and the results were NOT favorable!

Besides, even if you CAN get them to stick, you still have the problem of the trim pieces being flat, rather than slightly raised from the bodysurface, like they're supposed to be.

Now that I agree with! Double etch was considered....

[Harry P.]

You have no idea what the heck you are talking about Harry!

The trim is METAL not mylar and if you built one you would know that. Please keep to subjects you are familiar with and stop flapping your keyboard.

Metal, mylar... that's totally beside the point. What the stickers are made of isn't the issue... the issue is that the trim could have been done in a better way.

And Jairus... you obviously can't be unbiased on this subject, can you?

I say we both have a right to "flap" our keyboards...

[Jairus]

Galaxie did sweat the details and considered all avenues as I said. Your stating that the metal trim was a "last minute thought" is disingenuous and insulting.

[Jairus]

I never got the sense that the article was intended to be a review of the kit. I always thought it was intended to show folks some of the possibilities the kit held for building versions beyond those depicted on the box. However, I DO remember that there was a build-up review of the kit published in Car Modeler, which, of course, was SA(E)'s sister publication until Kalmbach killed it off.

And yet on the cover is a "Review" of the new 1948 Ford kit next to the new 1948 Chevy kit. Both came out same time and the Galaxie kit out-sold the Revell kit two to one! Gary was promised a review of his kit and that was the first and only time in SA(E) it was featured until the "best of the year" article. The review in Car Model.... Pleeeeezzzeee

[Harry P.]

Galaxie did sweat the details and considered all avenues as I said. Your stating that the metal trim was a "last minute thought" is disingenuous and insulting.

What I said is that it seems like a last-minute decision. As in "appears to be" or "looks like." And I'll concede the point... I shouldn't have worded it that way.

But if Galaxie did consider all avenues, why did they decide on stickers instead of molded pieces? Obviously one of the "avenues" would have been to mold the detail onto the fenders and give the builder the option of removing it if they wanted to. An "upscale" kit like this should offer the builder every chance to build an accurate model. And mylar (or metal, or whatever) stickers just don't cut it.

Look, man, I'm not here to pick a fight with you. I'm just calling it like I see it. You can agree or disagree with my opinion, that's perfectly fine... but no need for the personal attacks.

[Jairus]

He advertises in SA because he gets a.... special rate.

[charlie8575]

Sold out of the Aero Sedan as in no plans to make more? I better find one then.

Charlie Larkin

[Guest]

Khart, the kit was released in 1998. Only reason I havent built mine is that I have so many going already, lol.

[Jairus]

Ken, for some reason I find myself in this thread agreeing with you on all points. Either you are beginning to make sense or I need to up my medication...

I have no idea why so few of these wonderful kits fail to be constructed. The quality is first rate and more than a dozen members of THIS forum have admitted to having more than one on the shelf. Ken even admitted, and I agree, that because of current trends the subject matter is even more valid. Yet, we still see only a few completed kits on tables and in the forums compared to the plethora of Camaros, ElCaminos, Caddys, Tri-fives and... Mercury low riders. (I believe Virgil has built more than his share.... )

Check this picture out....

Pretty cool huh? No aftermarket, just paint and the basic kit!

[Jairus]

I have to say I never got then, and don't get now, what the reasoning was behind this kit. When it came out I thought "wow...a super-detailed kit of a subject nobody asked for."

This kit was made me shake my head then, and makes me wonder: "What if Galaxie had made a kit people actually wanted?" Maybe it would have been the start of something instead of a dead-end.

Good points, & a prime example of why I have exactly one of the kits, with no desire to buy another.

Man I hate belaboring the point but it indeed was the most requested subject. Do you think Gary would have invested so much time effort and money on a radical new project if there would be no payoff? The fact that it out sold the Revell '48 Ford kits should be your answer.

Is the kit too hard? Yeah, probably for some builders who don't have the skills. But then the box is clearly labeled as being for the advanced modeler.

Former SAE editor Gary Schmidt wrote in one of his editorials asking what builders would like to see as a new kit. I am not totally sure of the issue but I am very sure of the written response. SAE you will remember WAS the voice of the adult modeler in 1990 and it was in the June issue that Gary wrote the following paragraph in his editorial:

"A few issues back I asked what cars from the '50s, '60s, and '70s you would most like to see in kit form. I got some heat from readers who wanted to see more cars from the forties. Although no particular body style was specified, the '47-48 Chevy was the choice of those who favored the forties. The fifties was another matter. Everyone had a favorite, but he overwhelming vote-getter was the 1955-57 Chevy Camio pickup. Ford fans favored the 1952-54 Victoria, while the '58 Edsel and the '59 Cadillac attracted attention."

If you want to read the rest of the editorial then you will have to dig up the magazine yourself. But the point is modelers did ask and the industry answered all requests!!!! I was one of hundreds who put a 3 cent stamp on an envelope and wrote in my three requests and I remember celebrating each time a new kit was announced and recalling it WAS on that holy list of desired subjects Gary wrote about. AMT, Revell and Monogram all listened and all the projects have been successes.

Edited April 16, 2010 by Jairus

[Harry P.]

"I got some heat from readers who wanted to see more cars from the forties. Although no particular body style was specified, the '47-48 Chevy was the choice of those who favored the forties."

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Yeah, but the question is... how many people wanted cars from the fourties? If several thousand readers were clamoring for a subject from the fourties, that's one thing, if a few hundred wanted it, that's a whole different story.

So to say that the '47-'48 Chevy was the choice of those who favored the fourties may be true enough... but that's not the whole story in context.

[Art Anderson]

Actually, that approach would have required molding an extra body as well, seeing as how the rear fenders were not molded separately, and those also have the Fleetline trim ...

Exactly Ken! Frankly, separate chrome trim such as Harry suggests has almost NEVER been a successful way of doing it, short of making "trenches" in the fenders (necessarily overly wide, in order to accommodate a paint job--the thickness of the paint, or locating pins and holes. Either method would have meant filling the locating holes or recesses, and how may questions do we see on these very forums as just how to do that?

Granted, this is neither a subject matter likely to attract very many 12-16yr old kids due to its age, nor is it one that most younger builders would have a high propensity for a really successful build--but it's wise to consider that not all adults are at the same high plane, skills-wise either--again, anyone who monitors these forums surely has seen the wide disparity of skills admitted to by posters here, or on any model car builder's forums wherever they might be.

Being old enough to have seen dozens of 46-48 Chevy Aerosedans as a kid, I can tell you that relatively few of them were built (or sold--or equipped after the fact from dealer parts bins) with the speed streak chrome strips. Apparently most buyers back then, be they adults having experienced the Depression and the war's home front, or returning veterans seem to have been willing to buy such extra cost items.

In point of fact, it wasn't until the advent of the Bel Air Sport Coupe in 1950 that any postwar Chevrolet came with loads of brightwork from the assembly plants--those were very much post-austerity cars for sure. Now, what is neat, is to see one of the VERY few Aerosedans equipped at the dealer with the "Sportsman" woodie trim on the doors and forward rear quarter panels--now those few were, and the one or two remaining ones still are, ATTRACTIVE to the max!

Art