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1/24 Monogram Blue Bandito '29 Ford Street Rod


Austin T

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Wowzers! I'm so excited and so happy I didn't shell out the $100-$150 for an original. This has been a grail kit for me and I was just about to pull the trigger!

This is where I need to be clued in. I understand the grail part. But, WHY do those kits bring so much money on the 'bay? It is the only issue as the "Blue Beetle" that I'm aware of. But, it's not the only time Monogram issued that particular pickup. Is it just the parts that came with it? I'm definitely gonna snag one of these when I see it on the shelf. But, I never have understood why the original issue commanded so much money. I wonder how long it will be before someone re boxes the new kit in the old box and puts it on ebay?

Edited by plowboy
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This is where I need to be clued in. I understand the grail part. But, WHY do those kits bring so much money on the 'bay? It is the only issue as the "Blue Beetle" that I'm aware of. But, it's not the only time Monogram issued that particular pickup. Is it just the parts that came with it?

Yes. The S.C.U.B.A. equipment was deleted and subsequent reissues trended more toward then-current street rods-- wide tires all around, "mag" wheels, etc. The basis to build the Blue Beetle was sill there, but the hard to find equipment was not so easy to find.

Anyone should be able to source the Cadillac valve covers from the previous re-issues, and those kits are dirt cheap.

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Yes. The S.C.U.B.A. equipment was deleted and subsequent reissues trended more toward then-current street rods-- wide tires all around, "mag" wheels, etc. The basis to build the Blue Beetle was sill there, but the hard to find equipment was not so easy to find.

Anyone should be able to source the Cadillac valve covers from the previous re-issues, and those kits are dirt cheap.

Negative. The Cadillac script valve covers are specific to the Blue Beetle. All the cheap Early Iron black & yellow reissue's after that had finned aluminum style valve covers.

I would never pay the big money the Blue Beetle's sell for but I can understand a collector or a 65-year-old trying to relive their childhood feeling differently. What I don't get, though, is why people get such a stiff one for the SCUBA gear???

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I would never pay the big money the Blue Beetle's sell for but I can understand a collector or a 65-year-old trying to relive their childhood feeling differently. What I don't get, though, is why people get such a stiff one for the SCUBA gear???

Neither will I. I don't get it over the scuba gear either. Isn't that basically the only differences between the Beetle and the later reissues or are there others? I'll probably snag one when I see it just for the heck of it.

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Wheels, tires, custom bucket seats. Blue Bandito has a '50s vibe, later issues are '70s-style.

I opened my BB Monday night. Tonneau, bucket seats & rear axle (?) are molded in white. Rest is in medium blue.

Both tire styles are included (new Blue Beetle repops of skinnies & pie crust slicks with whitewall inserts and '70s radials). Also two front axles, both kinds of wheels, etc.

Cool kit!

Edited by Matt T.
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Negative. The Cadillac script valve covers are specific to the Blue Beetle. All the cheap Early Iron black & yellow reissue's after that had finned aluminum style valve covers.

I stand corrected...and I think I gave away some original issue valve covers. :unsure:

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It's more than just scuba gear for me. It just builds into such a cool traditional rod. This one is wearing no paint on the body. The bare plastic was just rubbed out to a high shine. It just "does" it for me.

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Now hopefully someone reproduces the "Blue Beetle" decals!

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it would appear that this version of the Blue Bandito is not a 100% faithful repop of the Blue Beetle truck.

the original Blue Beetle truck didn't have spoked mag wheels on the front.

but since they seem to have the proper set of wheel molds I don't see why they can't / won't repop the "Little Deuce".

I have been wishing for a long time that Monogram would sell just these sets of tires/wheels, I have a few projects that need these.

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the original Blue Beetle truck didn't have spoked mag wheels on the front.

No, it didn't. But, Greg's example proves that it should have. Where did you get the front wheels from Greg? That's a change that I will definitely make when I get one. Plus, take about a half an inch of length out of the rear of the bed.

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Is it the same shade of blue?

The new one? It looks closer to Petty Blue than the blue in your photos.

This reissue is actually a 2n1. All the parts are there to build either the Bandito or what they call "Roadster" which is the 5 slot mag-wheeled, yellow & black iteration from years past.

Edited by Matt T.
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Being a big fan of the "Blue Beetle" '29 Ford pick up, and having acquired three '64 originals, I picked one of the new Blue Bandito's Saturday after work. I spent the weekend comparing the two kits, and here's what I came up with. The new reissue is a very close copy, but has a few differences, the surf board, and scuba gear appear to be from the original molds. The new chrome tree that has the rear mags, and reverse front rims (I can't believe they molded the front rims backwards, ala Lil Coffin, and Starbird Predicta on the trees) Everything looks great, but the two bar spinners are molded counter clock wise, and the original, and 1970 follow up "BOSS A BONE" have them molded clock wise. The rear mags aren't the same, the reissue mags have a smaller spoke more like the '62 Corvette Gasser, The spokes in the original are a more rounded fatter spoke. The new tree with the whitewall inserts, like the above mentioned chrome tree are obviously reverse engineered, and the seats, bed cover, and spear gun all seam to match exactly. With the secret inclusion of the "Roadster" / Early Iron version there's a molded in strip in the rear of the interior the supports the bench seat option that needs to be removed if your using the buckets (It sticks out like a sore thumb) Otherwise, what do I think of this new kit? I love it!!! It's not 100%, but it's so cool to see the '29 RPU back in this stage again, I hope they keep up with this trend.....Little T, Little Deuce, '30 Woody, ETC.

One thing, if they wanted to slip in a second version, it should have been this one....

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I grabbed one of these from my LHS yesterday. While it may not be totally 100% perfect to the original, it's really close. I was very surprised to see that in addition to the restored original parts that the “Early Iron” parts of the last 30 years are also still all there. That means, if a person wanted, that the truck could be build and all of the neat old parts could be saved for kit bashing on other projects. I was also really surprised that the price was only $19.95. I would have thought for sure that this would be in the area of $25 like similar kits. Since no one has shared pictures yet, here you guys go.

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Thanks for the pics, Dennis.

If you click on the Settings tab (mouse over your account image to the left of the orange "Cart" at the top right of your PB page), then click "Account", you can then check the "IMG code" box which will give you an easy to copy and paste link to post images on forums.

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