Force

That was unfortunate. They could use most of the basic tooling but change and add some things and they would be up to date even today so many years later, because they are really good kits that looks good on the shelf. Maybe Atlantis is interested in doing it, they have the Don Garlits Swamp Rat XXX tool and maybe they also got the other Top Fuel tooling.

Nice. One of the first car kits I ever built. I have an unbuilt one in my stash so I will do another one sometime.

If you can't find them Modeltruckin.com have them. http://www.modeltruckin.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=67

Awsome as usual. I'm impressed with your attention to details and I have followed your builds for a long time. It takes quite a lot to update the Revell Top Fuel Dragster kits to more modern status. Revell did some updates with every version of the Top Fuel dragster kits (and Funny Car kits) but they were allways behind and never did enough so they would have been up to date even for the time period they were supposed to be and the only accurate kits are the first kits of this era wich came in 1991, then the evolution of the real Top Fuel dragsters, wich was very steep in the 90's, ran away from Revell and they never cought up. If Revell had done the necessary updates when they issued the last versions of the Top Fuel kit, the Kenny Bernstein Budweiser King and Tony Schumacher Army Dragsters in 2002...wich they didn't, they did some updates but not enough...they would have been pretty much up to date even today 22 years later as much haven't changed visually on Top Fuel dragsters since then.

The ERTL Smokey And The Bandit II trailer is not right for the movie truck as the trailer used was a trailer with a slight drop deck and low profile tires and two large opening side doors on the drivers side. ERTL just took what they allready had (like most model kit companies do) and did the decals for it, so it's the regular Great Dane dry goods trailer with the decals from the movie, the decals isn't even absolutely correct either as the blue stripe should go all the way around the front of the trailer.

Looking good.

The center driver position makes it harder to see the lines dividing the lanes and you are more likely to get over too far. But the main thing I see with a center driver position is the view around the rig, and huge blind spots on both sides instead of only on one side...but what do I know, I'm just a commercial drivers license holder equivalent to the US class A license. ?

I don't understand why both KW and Tesla insists on putting the driver in the center far from each side in the cab...mirrors or cameras can work but have limitations for the view around the truck, especially if it's narrow. I would like to sit near the middle of the road when I drive a full size truck and if a center posision would have been so great everyone would have it allready.

Sorry, it's the Transtar CO4070A they did new tooling and reissued, not the Transtar II Eagle CO4070B where the tooling was changed from the Transtar CO4070A so it couldn't be reissued in it's original form. The tooling for the Transtar II Eagle seems to have disappeared when Round 2 bought the MPC, AMT and ERTL tool bank from Tomy.

Could it be that they used the B-body K-members, they are slightly wider than the A-body. I know they use them on the SS/H and SS/HA cars to get the wheels further outwards.

1957 is mostly red block, heads and intake manifold, valve covers are black or cast aluminum, air cleaner argent. 1958 is more difficult and the engine colors are all over the place, red, blue, green, yellow, valve covers are black, white and air cleaners are also black or white. 1959 to 1966 model year, Black block, heads, intake manifold (except aluminum) with different clolored valve covers and air cleaner depending on engine version, some have chrome valve covers and air cleaner and some of the hotter engines had cast aluminum oval air cleaners., it depends on engine version and if they ordered a dress up kit.

Yes of course, lack of detail is probably why the kit manufacturers also supplies backing plates. I think I saw somewhere detailed brakes without backing plates, I don't remember where tho'.

Far from all US tractors and trailers have backing plates because you really don't need them as all brake parts are attached to the axles themselves, and it's easier to see wear as you can see the brake shoes from the inside. Here is Paul Cox's 1979 K100 Aerodyne under restoration, no backing plates. even on more modern trucks, 2000 Peterbilt 379.

Well Revell and Monogram was merged and became the same company 1986.

No I don't, the images was found on internet. The 1673C is a redesign and is slightly different from the 1673 and 1673B and the 1673C appearently developed to the 3306. These are the only dimensions I have found so far.

Nice model. This kit is not new at all, the only thing new is the box and decals and this kit has been out several times, 2 times under the Monogram brand and 6 times under the Revell brand...all are the same basic kit. I have one of the first issues of the Shelby GT350R from 1994 issued under the Monogram brand but it's based on the tooling of the first 65 Shelby GT350 and 65 Mustang 2+2 also issued by Monogram in 1985 and 1/24th scale, and all the 1964½, 1965 and 1966 Mustangs and Shelbys from Revell and Monogram are based on this tooling.

Except for these a correct Superbird decal sheet should include these essential images, otherwise it's not complete. Wing strut decals with text in in black and white as both were available. Headlight door. Rear quarter panel above the passenger side tail light. Steering wheel decal. Horn decal The Keith Marks Superbird sheet have all of them plus all the Plymouth and Road Runner markings, except maybe for the Voice of the road runner horn decal. Rays decals seems to have the horn decal too.

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.

One of the Revell issues, the Torino GT has tubular headers for 429-460. As I understand it he want tubular headers for a 427 FE to fit in the engine bay of the 66 Fairlane, and the Torino is based on the Fairlane so it might work, it's a model kit the 429-460 headers can maybe be modified to work for the 427 FE...but on a real engines it's not possible without severe modifications to the flanges wich most likely have to be changed as they are very different between the engines.

The Testors issues of the old Jo-Han kits did not have any decals at all, I believe they were issued with left over stock from Jo-Han and there were most likely no decals left.

Does that include me too? I have not recieved either the #222 nor the #223.

Nice. I have the double set with both cars.

For information. The Revell/Monogram 1970 Ford Torino kits has a 385 family 429 engines, these engines are very different from the FE and the 385 family engines are physically larger.

I have many pictures of the 1673 in my files since I started gathering when I found out the truck had one of them engines. On many places it say that the truck had a 1674 but that's not true according to my reliable source, he say it was a 1673 due to age of the engines...the 1673, 1673A and 1673B was made 1960-1968 and the 1674 came on the market 1967...the movie was from 1971 and the engine was allready old and worn by then wich a 4 year old engine wouldn't have been...and the yellow air cleaner used wich was a 4 inch intake tube 1673 air cleaner, the 1674 used a 5 inch intake tube and a different looking air cleaner...so in conclution he says the engine must have been a 1673B. Here is a link to my reference files for the 1673 https://public.fotki.com/ForceFC1/cat-1673d333/ , feel free to use them. On this picture you see the missmatched wheels too, 5 hole steelies on the drive axle and 5 hole Alcoas on the rear tag axle as this is the passenger side, the other way around on the drivers side. The suspension is hidden by the wheels most of the time so it's hard to see, and yes it's the beam you see highlighted in this picture and when you know how a Page & Page suspension looks like it's very clear. Here is a truck chassis with that suspension.

I think I have 6 to 10 of them allready. ??