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Corvair rampside


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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

Resurrecting this zombie thread because a few days ago, I ordered the Corvair Rampside via eBay.  Mike Hanson of bestmodelcarparts sent me a nice email, and mentioned that he will soon be moving from Calif. to Oregon.  Here's part of his email. I thought the inmates here might enjoy it:

"I consider this kit (the Rampside) to be my magnum opus, I hope I can get future kits to have the popularity that this one has had! For four months I had a two week wait for shipping because I had that many orders. I can still sell just about as many as I can make so that is good...Once I am moved, I will be doing the model business full-time so there will be many more products to come."

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4 hours ago, Mike999 said:

Resurrecting this zombie thread because a few days ago, I ordered the Corvair Rampside via eBay.  Mike Hanson of bestmodelcarparts sent me a nice email, and mentioned that he will soon be moving from Calif. to Oregon.  Here's part of his email. I thought the inmates here might enjoy it:

"I consider this kit (the Rampside) to be my magnum opus, I hope I can get future kits to have the popularity that this one has had! For four months I had a two week wait for shipping because I had that many orders. I can still sell just about as many as I can make so that is good...Once I am moved, I will be doing the model business full-time so there will be many more products to come."

I picked up one of the Rampside kits from Okey Spaulding at NNL East. It's a beautiful piece of work and Mike is to be commended for it. I look forward to what other items he produces after his move. 

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On 1/17/2018 at 8:58 AM, Zoom Zoom said:

I've been working on mine; it's very well engineered. Everything designed w/a precise platform-style assembly. I spent considerable hours working on the myriad of panel lines; the shallow ones need to stay shallow as they're seams (they're all there on the resin body, very faint), and the doors and engine cover that had to be scribed much deeper. My chassis is done, so I can see it up on all fours:

2v2J9QRpnxvKa6.jpg

What makes the frame and interior?

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45 minutes ago, Bob Ellis said:

What makes the frame and interior?

Not sure what (or if) Bob did to modify his floorpan/chassis/suspension, but as it comes from Best, all suspension, engine, and exhaust detail is shallow and molded in:

bestcorvramp.jpg.41c96d025f047b652b27105f74e06c48.jpg

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I was about to post that pic.  As we can see, it comes with the dashboard, door panels and seat/seat riser.  From the bestmodelcarparts website, here's the list of everything included in the kit:

Body, Seat, Dash, Bumpers, Ramp Side Door, Interior Door Panels, Rear Cab Panel, Tailgate, Chassis, Rear Floor unit, Seat Riser/Front Wheelwells, Wheels and Wheel Backs, Hubcaps, Steering Wheel, Grille Bar/Emblem, Headlight bezel units, Outside Mirrors, Interior Rearview Mirror, and License Plate Lights plus a Gauge Set for dashboard detailing and an Assembly/Paint Guide.

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Mine is almost entirely OOB. I did have a vintage set of wheels/tires in my parts box, so I haven't used the resin steel wheels included w/the resin kit.

Somebody on FB I believe started down a rabbit hole, asking if this kit's chassis was based on the AMT '69 Corvair chassis, wanted to know if the '69 Corvair chassis would work "for more detail". Words were not nearly enough to convince them that the  '69 Corvair chassis idea would create a cascade of issues requiring scratchbuilding, so I took these photos to compare. Use your own judgement...we're talking two different generations of Corvair chassis, different wheelbase, etc. I'm 1000% fine using the made-for-this-model resin chassis as everything fits precisely.

2v2JPJS4CxvKa6.jpg

2v2JPJSmLxvKa6.jpg

2v2JPJSTgxvKa6.jpg

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Regarding the chassis, only Mike Hanson (who mastered this kit) can tell you for sure, but my guess is that he took a casting of the engine and drivetrain from an AMT '62-'64 Corvair car kit; the front suspension likely was copied from an SMP '61(?) Chevy pickup kit (with the "A-Frames" cut off to make room for the wheels).

Trust me; having owned many 1:1 Corvairs, the AMT '69 Corvair "chassis" bares NO resemblance to the actual Rampside "chassis" (other than the location of the engine). 

I agree with Bob Downie - what's provided with the kit is good enough for me for this particular replica.

I'm so pleased to finally have a decent Rampside kit! ?

Edited by ToyLvr
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Jeff Harper, over on the Spotlight Hobbies Message Board, is working up a fully detailed version of this kit--revised the chassis, added a Corvair engine, along with corrected separate suspension.  I too, have this kit, and believe me, it's one fine effort.  Mine, when I get to it, likely will be strictly a curbside build though.

Art

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Here's an update from Mike Hanson that I got just this morning (Sat. 5/5/2018).  He sent me an email saying my Rampside just shipped.

Passing it along for anyone planning to order from him:

"Note: We are in the process of preparing to move out of state and our eBay store will be closed temporarily starting approximately in late June for about 6-8 weeks during this transition."

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On 1/17/2018 at 8:58 AM, Zoom Zoom said:

I've been working on mine; it's very well engineered. Everything designed w/a precise platform-style assembly. I spent considerable hours working on the myriad of panel lines; the shallow ones need to stay shallow as they're seams (they're all there on the resin body, very faint), and the doors and engine cover that had to be scribed much deeper. My chassis is done, so I can see it up on all fours:

2v2J9QRpnxvKa6.jpg

What makes the frame and interior?

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On 5/2/2018 at 3:46 PM, peter31a said:

I picked up one of the Rampside kits from Okey Spaulding at NNL East. It's a beautiful piece of work and Mike is to be commended for it. I look forward to what other items he produces after his move. 

Amen on that!  I also took delivery on the Rampside from Tom, at NNL-East (reserved the last one he had, FWIW).  Once I get some other stuff out of the way here, likely that's gonna find its way to the workbench!

Art

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  • 2 weeks later...

Both the Best and Robert Burns resin rampsides are very nice kits and both more correct in size than the old Premier kit. Both have +'s and minor -'s but are great kits. Nice to have available.

The Corvair trucks did not share the floorpan of the early Corvair cars -  both very different subframe structures. Similar front and rear suspension assemblies and drivetrains but that's all.

Looking forward to the Greenbrier version as that's what I own in 1:1. Still need some Corvair cars in resin as well like a 1960 4 door, '62 or '63 coupe, and '64 cvt.

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  • 3 years later...

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