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Revell '57 Chevy Convertible.


MachinistMark

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to those that are talking about the NASCAR convertible division, we don't need a "new" kit to do this as a lot of the "convertibles" that were raced in that division were actually just the "hardtops" with the roof removed to qualify it as a convertible, if you can find a few pictures of some of those cars you can actually see where in some cases the top was removed with the "ol liquid air wrench" (to those that aren't familiar with the terminology, that's a cutting torch.) & as to using the windshield frame & up top from the '55, the '57's used a lower frame than the '55's.

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How did they do the "Zipper Top" cars that could run one week as a Convertible

and then the next as a hardtop again??

they just added "tabs" to the cage & rear quarters so they could bolt the top that had sawed off back on. it all looks good from the stands at 100 miles an hour. LOL

Edited by horsepower
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I think you would be better off converting the Del Ray into a Bel AIr by using the

separate Chrome from the OLD tool Revell Full Feature 56 Sedan kit.

I have one I am restoring and another O bashed into a Nomad Before Monogram

released their Modern tool kit.

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I think you would be better off converting the Del Ray into a Bel AIr by using the

separate Chrome from the OLD tool Revell Full Feature 56 Sedan kit.

I have one I am restoring and another O bashed into a Nomad Before Monogram

released their Modern tool kit.

A quick look at "that auction place" and I found 2 of those old kits, One for $29, and one for $75. (Yeah, right!) Hendrix Man. resin has one for $30 with no work. I bought one and I'm very hapy with it.

Years before the Del Ray kit came out I kitbashed a Revell 56 Nomad with an AMT 55 sedan, and I only had a little molding work on the rear quarter to do. it also came out very nice. I then put the Nomad roof and tailgate on an AMT 57 hardtop for a great Nomad, so that was a two from three build.

I know this is not a popular thing to say with the "Another 57 Chevy" complainers, but there are still MANY tri-five Chevys that never been kitted or need to be re kitted. The old Monogram 56 Hardtops are so out of proportion that they look like cartoons.

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If I'm not mistaken the convertible has a an 'X' member in the frame that the closed cars don't. Couldn't agree more with folks pining for an accurate 56 hardtop and 57 Nomad. I'd be all over those, too!

It does, but the X-frame is molded as a separate piece on the existing Revell Tri-Fives, so I would expect this kit to follow suit.

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I get the idea, make the tooling variations last forever, while occasionally reissuing the existing kits. But am I the only one getting tired if these 20 year journeys to get the kits? The original '55 Chevrolet BelAir Convertible came out in what...1996? Then the '56 Nomad, then the '55 again as the Indy Pace Car and so on and so forth into 2013, 17 years later and there's still no '55 or '57 Nomad, nor '56 BelAir or BelAir Convertible.

Similar to the ZL-1 '69 Camaro. That original Revell tool has to be 20 years old. It took 16 years for them to modify the '65 Impala into the '66 Impala (but don't call it that on the box SS 396) kit. Then 17 years to reissue the previously only once run '65 Impala Convertible.

I get it, but I just don't get it. It's like Revell is run by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Why build the whole road over 4 years, when you can pave it in 4 mile sections for 30 years.

That's one thing I'll tip my cap to Moebius over. There are 6 variations (currently) if the Hudson

- " '52" & '53 Coupe

- '52 & " '53" Convertible

- '52 & '53 NASCAR

Granted you need 2 Coupes and 2 Convertibles so you can cross-swap the grills and whatnot, but in less than 2 years I can build one of each.

Edited by niteowl7710
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I get the idea, make the tooling variations last forever, while occasionally reissuing the existing kits. But am I the only one getting tired if these 20 year journeys to get the kits? The original '55 Chevrolet BelAir Convertible came out in what...1996? Then the '56 Nomad, then the '55 again as the Indy Pace Car and so on and so forth into 2013, 17 years later and there's still no '55 or '57 Nomad, nor '56 BelAir or BelAir Convertible.

Similar to the ZL-1 '69 Camaro. That original Revell tool has to be 20 years old. It took 16 years for them to modify the '65 Impala into the '66 Impala (but don't call it that on the box SS 396) kit. Then 17 years to reissue the previously only once run '65 Impala Convertible.

I get it, but I just don't get it. It's like Revell is run by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Why build the whole road over 4 years, when you can pave it in 4 mile sections for 30 years.

That's one thing I'll tip my cap to Moebius over. There are 6 variations (currently) if the Hudson

- " '52" & '53 Coupe

- '52 & " '53" Convertible

- '52 & '53 NASCAR

Granted you need 2 Coupes and 2 Convertibles so you can cross-swap the grills and whatnot, but in less than 2 years I can build one of each.

Revell is smart in not dropping all of the variations of a particular kit at the same time. If they did, a lot of modelers would choose between one version and another. The later variations refresh peoples' interest in a kit, and sales numbers for the variation probably approach the numbers for the first version (while not costing as much as an all-new kit). They might even sell a few more of the first version, for parts swapping and kitbashing.

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I'm building a convertible out of the current revell hardtop snap kit and the revell 55 convertible, In my opinion it's the most accurate 57 kit there is. I hope they use this hardtop kit for the body.

I have a real 57 convertible I'm building, so I'll probably buy a bunch of the kits when they come out, I got a long way to go on the real one.

post-3237-0-62315700-1357500334_thumb.jp

Edited by henry57
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Revell is smart in not dropping all of the variations of a particular kit at the same time. If they did, a lot of modelers would choose between one version and another. The later variations refresh peoples' interest in a kit, and sales pnumbers for the variation probably approach the numbers for the first version (while not costing as much as an all-new kit). They might even sell a few more of the first version, for parts swapping and kitbashing.

I understand where you're coming from, I would just say that if I wasn't interested in a '57 Chevy 150 in 1996, I was likely just as disinterested when it came out last year some 16 years later. I don't think prolonging the release schedule of tooling variations somehow makes people become interested in a kit. The cost of cutting the subsequent tooling inserts doesn't decrease over time, albeit you can certainly amortize that cost over the longer period using very minor "modified" reissues (California Wheels) to pay for the next variation.

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I'm building a convertible out of the current revell hardtop snap kit and the revell 55 convertible, In my opinion it's the most accurate 57 kit there is. I hope they use this hardtop kit for the body.

I think that's been the consensus among those who have built or at least looked over Revell's Snap-Tite '57 Bel Air Hardtop, and I hope they do base the glue kit upon the snap body shell, at least as much as is realistically possible.

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I would love to see for additional tooling:

1. A GOOD 1956 Sport Coupe, and if they did it with optional trim spears to build a 210 or Bel-Air, even better, but I'd be happy with either, although my thrifty half Yankee via the Maritimes/half-Armenian traits tend towards the 210.

2. We NEED a good, modern tool '57 Nomad. I have the 1980-or-so Revell kit downstairs, but I never have the courage to try. Perhaps someday.

3. Just for something cool and a little different, I'd like to see AMT or Revell tool up a 1955 DelRay. The interior, which is the only difference between a DelRay and a regular 210 2-door sedan, is so intricate and complicated, that, at least with me, all the putty and Evergreen in the world wouldn't allow me to do it right.

4. I wonder if Model King could be talked into doing a police-issue 150 like he's doing with the '57 Ford? I'd buy one.

5. Again, under the heading of "different", and as mainstreamers are coming more into vogue, I'd like to see a non-Nomad Tri-5 wagon. Perhaps something like a 150 Handyman or even...*gasp* a Townsman/Beauville (the 4-doors).

Charlie Larkin

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