BadJuju

Thanks for the great tips! I like the mod you did with the front axle. I'm putting a small block Chevy V8 into it. I'll check the oil pan clearance.

P. S. I waited for the Cindric 2023 to get it molded in white. Besides the new hood vent designs, another big difference vs the 2022 kits (Fords & Chevys) is the inclusion of a dash board for 2023. You also get the 75th anniversary decal they all carry.

Do these real Gen-7 NASCAR "Ford" & "Chevy" engines have different distributor placements?

VERY nice build. Love everything about it. I especially admire the stance and the wheel/tire package, plus your idea for using rivets as hub caps. Your pickup bed is to die for! I've got this kit coming from ebay early next week and I'm eager to lower it like you did. For the front, I was afraid I'd have to mod the drop axle or scratch one, but it looks like you got there with shorter spring shackles and flattening the spring. I'm dropping in a leftover 350 small block from the Revell '69 Nova (bought that kit to put the body on an MPC super stocker, which has a big block).

Anyone ever lowered a Revell '41 Chevy pickup? If so, any guidance or photos of the best way to do it would be appreciated! The rear seems straightforward because the axle is above the leaf springs, so adding lowering blocks will work. Also, the rear leaf frame shackles are tall and can be shortened. But in the front, the leaf springs sit right on the frame, and the axle is below them. So the only alternatives seem to be a front frame Z or scratching a more dropped front axle, neither of which are easy (at least for me!). Thanks again!

Thanks for the tip!

Very detailed info, thanks. Love your gasser there! Looks like using the Drag 500s will give me what I want. What is the paint? Is that black metallic? I'd like to use that color on my 55 Bel Air kit.

Yes, the 55 Bel Air reissue has the Badman wheel/tire package, as well as some very nice 5-slot wheels with BFG tires yhe same size as the 66 Malibu USED to have. Do I'm using the Badman pavkage on the 55 and the 5-slots on the 66. However, I want slicks on the 66, and found the AMT aftermarket tires have the right wheel diameter.

Thanks! Awesome! I also test fit AMT Firestone Drag 500 tires (from their tire pack) and they fit the 55's 5-slot wheels in diameter. They are much wider than the BFG kit rears, but I think a styrene tube spacer between the outer and wheel back will work nicely. In this way, one can re-create the older-release-kit wheel/tire package look on the Malibu, or just big slicks in the Centerlines, if you prefer those. I'm still deciding, but glad to know there's a way to make the taller rear tire look with parts available on the market today.

Another thought on wheels for this kit: With the reissue of the Revell '55 Bel Air gasser do those wheels and tires fit this kit, does anybody know? It has two sets: 5-slots with tires that look awfully close to these, and a set havng skinny 5-spokes and tires up front, and Torque Thrust / Crager 5-spokes with slicks in the rear. Photos below from the Finescale online review.

Thanks for the advice! I'll try that.

Thanks for the tips! I bought the AMT. I also bought a Revell '62 Impala, which has a lovely 409 dual quad, with chrome shorty headers, chrome ribbed valve covers & oval air cleaner, that will fit under the '58 hood. I'm still debating if I want to keep the hood clean or use the kit scoop mounted backwards as cowl induction. I'll scratch some side pipes & cherry bombs. I have plans to put the AMT 348 with a parts box 4bbl into the '62 to make a faux 409 for that car. Call me crazy for the swap. For the stance, I'll use the kit front spindles in the lowered position, and trim the rear springs & shocks to get the rake I want, pending the wheel/tire combo I pull from my parts box. The leading candidates right now are Revell '50 Ford F1 custom 5-spokes with low-pros. I shouldn't need any tubbing for those. The F1 is getting chrome steelies & wide whitewalls. I'm still debating how much de-bading & de-trimming to do. I'll shave the door handles. I need some bullet-shaped door mirrors. Maybe I can scratch those from some 1/72 jet kit missiles. I like the kit roll pans (I'm a roll pan fan), but I've seen NO photos of real '58 Impalas so modified, so we'll see on that. I want to glue the doors shut so I can get a very smooth alignment. Not sure how the inner door panels go on in that case. Anybody else do that? My current thinking on colors is: interior & motor dark red, exterior light gunmetal/gunmetal 2-tone. I'll de-cant Tamiya colors & airbrush it.

The round 2 reissue doesn't seem to have the blower set up.

Thanks for the tips! I have decided on the AMT for my needs, and costs less. I'd rather sand off the chrome trim than fill in the recesses that are on the Revell kit, should I go the hot rod route. The gasser idea is tempting, though. Both kits have 348s, not 409s, despite the AMT decals. I think, with the blower, you could pass the 348 off as a 409 by swapping the oil dipstick to the opposite side. If normally aspirated, you'd need to also add a 4bbl carb.

Super thorough advice, espo! You make a great point about budget. The Revell being out of production means it can be expensive. Glad to know the bodies and interiors are both accurate and detailed. I especially appreciate the tip about the AMT being easier to adjust ride height. I would build either a gasser or a lowered & raked hot rod. I have a pretty good spares box of wheels and tires for either type of build, so it might just come down to budget. I gather from online research they both have quite nice 409s in them, so I don't think that would differentiate, either. I have spares box blowers for a gasser, as well.

Wow. Thanks, folks! Maybe the Revell as a base and kitbash in certain parts from the AMT, based on what I end up building (street rod, dragster, etc.)?

What is the best 1/25 or 1/24 '58 Impala kit? Pros? Cons? Kitbash opportunities? Revell vs AMT? Etc.

Ha ha! Okay then! 👍🤪

Has anyone converted an MPC super stocker exhaust from the 180 degree headers to underbody headers? I'm noodling over 2 projects where I might do that: (1) dropping a Revell '68 Chevelle body over the GTO super stocker chassis, maybe also using the Chevelle's 396, and (2) dropping the AMT modified stocker Fairlane body over the MPC Monte Carlo chassis, using the Fairlane's FE or a Moebius F100 FE, either way depicting a 428. Not sure if I'd be doing these as asphalt or dirt track cars. Another thought is to keep the 180 degree headers and modify the bodies. A brief search of the forum topics didn't find anything. Thanks in advance for any help!

Or groove the AMT 'huge slicks'.

I am deciding whether to do it as an asphalt or dirt car. If a dirt car, a la the photo below, I'll pick up a set of MPC modified wheels & tires.

Thanks for the tips! Based on those, I got a cheap Neil Bonnett Grand Prix on ebay, which has the same chassis.

Fantastic build! I am thinking of trying this. Which Monogram chassis did you use?

I'm skipping this project. I will either use the 27' box trailer in the kit, or buy the AMT 5-car haul away trailer.

Thanks for the tip! I'll look for it. I found another option in the 2009-2011 AMT Fruehauf kit. Maybe I could shorten it, or maybe nuild a bigger display shelf!