tim boyd

Heh Marc....really tasty and really nicely done. And oh so true about kitbashes that sound simple and are anything but. However, 12 times on the engine mounts? That's a kitbashing challenge record even I don't think I could beat. Way to go to keep at it and bring it home....TIM

Somewhere else I saw a picture posted this week of a 1970 Plymouth Sport Fury GT diecast just introduced in 1/64th scale by Round 2. Makes me wonder, if Round 2 was going to invest in as-yet unannounced new tool, would the overall business case/resulting sales (both initial and longer term) favor a '72 RR body clone or an all-new, moderately full detail 1970 Sport Fury GT? Even as recently as five or ten years ago, I would have laughed at that comparison. These days, it seems (based in part on the Moebius experience) that all-new kits of 1/25th scale topics that have never been available in kit form before, represent a viable business opportunity even when replicating relatively obscure 1/1 scale automotive topics. A 1970 Sport Fury GT would certainly fit that description, but even that topic seems to be attracting a lot more interest among the 1/1 Moparisti than it might have 5 or 10 years, much less back in the day, and what goes in 1/1 soon follows in 1/25th. Not only that, but the possible future derivatives (1969 and 1970 Polara 440 Magnum Police Interceptors in various liveries, as just one example). Hmmm./// If it were my money on the line, I'd still tend go with the less expensive '72 RR clone vs the more capital- and workload-intensive all-new tool 1970 Sport Fury GT, but this is just a [theoretical] example of the discussions the kit makers need to have today when considering future tooling plans and budgets.... TB

I'm not sure exactly what happened there; I have not yet heard a truly definitive and believable account of how and why it unraveled. But as is so often the case in the business world, there are two sides to every story, and I am sure this is one of those cases....TB

You guys are causing me to remember the nightmares of my first job at Ford. At the time E&L Transport was apparently in a state of chaos, as our poor dealers would call me every day asking where this or that car was. I was supposed to call E&L, find out, and get back to them. Sparing you the detail but it was a colossal mess. This was the summer of 1978, the Ford car/truck business was still booming (the second oil embargo was about 12 months in the future), and it was a wonder I didn't lose my job right there. WheW! TB

Both Steve G and John G have been watching this thread, so thank you to you and the others here for your reactions and comments. I am pretty sure they are very appreciated by the Round 2 crew...TIM

Guys....check out the "Classic Kits" column in the latest issue of the all-genres modeling magazine (last page next to the back cover) for a deep dive on the Revell '62 Imperial version of this tooling, as well as how it compares to the AMT/SMP 1962 Imperial kit....TB

Ron and Steve...don't have the time right now (sorry) to do this comparison. But my going in best guess is exactly the same as Steve's above. Now that the kit in at least one mail order source (Spotlight Hobbies) and probably others, hopefully someone else here on the board can do the complete comparo and answer your question....TIM

I trust you are saying this in jest, or at least partially so. I gotta say, good shot! The Mustang Mach E is a fine vehicle (it just won a 7-way Motor Trend Comparo, beating even the Tesla, Kia and Hyundai equivalents), and my wife's 2025 is a compelling effort and incredibly fast, but no, it is not a sports car by any stretch of my definition, and thus, also by my definition, it does not deserve a model kit either. Oh well....TB

Isn't that the truth! TB

Trent, please add my kudos to you, your article and the model you built for it. I've long considered building something like this, and you have done an excellent job of showing us the way. There are so many more of these [what I call] "mainstreamer" project topics out there that deserve a model/kitbashs replica. I am very, very happy to hear you have additional articles planned and I for one will be very happy to see and read them. Cheers...TIM

Interesting comment #2. I think James makes a valid point here. I tend to fall in this camp. I need to keep in mind what Mark said when I post my occasional "let's get back to reality" reactions to some of these threads. Thanks both James and Mark for your thoughts...TB

Interesting comment #1 above.....thx for posting...TB

Ford was recently quoted as saying half of the Mustang sales volume now comes from overseas markets, and it remains the world's bestselling sports car by a considerable margin. The lack of a full detail (including stand-alone engine) kit of the world's bestselling sports car is deplorable, regardless of whether it comes from a domestic or overseas producer. TB e.

It will be 1/25th....TB

They were trying to hit it but these days quality comes ahead of expediency (thank goodness). The Round 2 guys at the NNL Motor City more or less confirmed the timing you mention. However, given the turmoil in the international business world these days, I think we should be careful booking any of these dates as a final, done deal. Best...TB

Bob....Steve G. did mention they've been working with museum research sources....TB

I think that is a pretty likely to happen kit development observation on your part.///TB

Sharp!!!! Thx for sharing...TIM

Thanks Claude and Michael....cheers.....TIM

Very, very nice! TB

DJ. no info on the engine. They are researching in further depth now involving various accredited sources and I suspect that is one of the decisions they will be making as they progress the project forward......Tim

Captions below each picture explain this....let me know if you have any follow-up questions. TB

NNL Motor City organizers Detroit Area Auto Modelers (D>A>A>M>) and Prez Rick Radecke had a big challenge at hand as the Macomb Community College facility they normally employ was under renovation and not usable for this year's event. They found a fantastic new facility on the other side of town just west of Pontiac in Waterford Township. With such a drastic change comes all sorts of problems and issues, right up to the last minute, but the team overcame them all and put on a first class event. Facility and Event Date Plans for the 2026 event are unsure at this point, but in the meantime, let's take a look at who and what turned up for the 2025 NNL Motor City, including at least 10 builders of renown who traveled at least 12 hours each way from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area to join the event here in the Motor City. Kudos to all modelers, exhibitors, facility staff, and the D>A>A>M team for a really fun event! Check out the images below, with all builders identified in a separate photo immediately following, and enjoy the results of the 2025 NNL Motor City. See all the details here. Cheers...TIM

Hahh!!! tb

Thx James....fixed now. Best...TB