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Johan Superbird


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9 minutes ago, iamsuperdan said:

I have a Monogram 'bird I'm restoring/rebuilding now. Love these old winged warriors.

Those wheels are so much better than the Monogram supplied ones.

Looking forward to seeing where you take this!

 

 

Well I’m hoping cleaned and if I find parts for a new wing it will look moderately decent

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2 hours ago, PlymouthFan said:

 

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If that was a kit MY dad had built, I personally would just find the parts to fix the wing and just leave it as a memorial to him. You can always find another Superbird, but you'll never find another one HE built. It's got his personal touch all over it.

I'd say clean it up and leave it alone, but that's just my opinion. 

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6 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

If that was a kit MY dad had built, I personally would just find the parts to fix the wing and just leave it as a memorial to him. You can always find another Superbird, but you'll never find another one HE built. It's got his personal touch all over it.

I'd say clean it up and leave it alone, but that's just my opinion. 

That’s about the only thing that’s really planned with it as of this point just because it was one he built

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He did a pretty good job anyway. The Plymouth script is just his signature.

Try getting another one, build it and display them together as father and son builds. He'd be happy to see that.

I'm a dad, so I speak from the heart.

Edited by Oldcarfan27
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50 minutes ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

He did a pretty good job anyway. The Plymouth is just his signature.

Try getting another one, build it and display them together as father and son builds. He'd be happy to see that.

I'm a dad, so I speak from the heart.

I just picked up a second kit for 25$ a few days ago we plan to build it identical 

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22 hours ago, PlymouthFan said:

I just picked up a second kit for 25$ a few days ago we plan to build it identical 

Wow, what luck! Was it the Johan kit?? The Monogram ones to my eyes are not quite the same. Each time I see Johan whole kits on the 'Bay, they seem to be a small fortune! I do see parts cars from time to time, so if the wing is all you need, you can get those mighty cheap.

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5 hours ago, MrObsessive said:

Wow, what luck! Was it the Johan kit?? The Monogram ones to my eyes are not quite the same. Each time I see Johan whole kits on the 'Bay, they seem to be a small fortune! I do see parts cars from time to time, so if the wing is all you need, you can get those mighty cheap.

Johan had better proportions than just about anybody else

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53 minutes ago, yellowsportwagon said:

Johan had better proportions than just about anybody else

No doubt! Whenever I see a good Johan up for grabs at a good price, I snatch it up! They're getting harder and harder to find, and we won't see the likes of 'em again!

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24 minutes ago, MrObsessive said:

No doubt! Whenever I see a good Johan up for grabs at a good price, I snatch it up! They're getting harder and harder to find, and we won't see the likes of 'em again!

I think their 1972 Torino was one of the finest bodies ever done. And I love 72 Montegos and Torinos. I look at how bad the Starsky and Hutch Torino is by comparison. Makes me wonder where have all the craftsmen gone? Computer aided drawing cannot replace  a good old craftsman.

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1 hour ago, yellowsportwagon said:

I think their 1972 Torino was one of the finest bodies ever done. And I love 72 Montegos and Torinos. I look at how bad the Starsky and Hutch Torino is by comparison. Makes me wonder where have all the craftsmen gone? Computer aided drawing cannot replace  a good old craftsman.

Yeah, I've never quite warmed up to that car..........wasn't that crazy about it when it was new compared to the previous Torino. I have to give Revell credit though for attempting to come out with that even though it's a esoteric subject matter. Now I have a crazy thought about that kit......since Revell will NEVER come out now as I see it with a car that's related to that----the 1977-79 T-Bird.

I've got a crazy idea to take that body and turn it into just that.

Wheelbases are the same, overall length, same frame, same windshield frame (true on the 1:1's), just a matter of re-engineering the car basically from bumper to bumper and I'd have one of my favorites from the '70's. Long project, but in the end worth it when I get the ambition to attempt it.

On the subject of the Superbird............one detail that Johan did flub on and Monogram got right was the nose. For some reason, the Johan nose has indentations around the headlight areas that shouldn't be there. Almost like it was there as a decal placement. This area should be smooth from side to side per the 1:1, and the only fix I see for that if I were building it would be to cut that section out, and then "raise it" to be flush with the rest of the nose.

Edited by MrObsessive
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2 hours ago, MrObsessive said:

Yeah, I've never quite warmed up to that car..........wasn't that crazy about it when it was new compared to the previous Torino. I have to give Revell credit though for attempting to come out with that even though it's a esoteric subject matter. Now I have a crazy thought about that kit......since Revell will NEVER come out now as I see it with a car that's related to that----the 1977-79 T-Bird.

I've got a crazy idea to take that body and turn it into just that.

Wheelbases are the same, overall length, same frame, same windshield frame (true on the 1:1's), just a matter of re-engineering the car basically from bumper to bumper and I'd have one of my favorites from the '70's. Long project, but in the end worth it when I get the ambition to attempt it.

On the subject of the Superbird............one detail that Johan did flub on and Monogram got right was the nose. For some reason, the Johan nose has indentations around the headlight areas that shouldn't be there. Almost like it was there as a decal placement. This area should be smooth from side to side per the 1:1, and the only fix I see for that if I were building it would be to cut that section out, and then "raise it" to be flush with the rest of the nose.

The only problem being Revell messed up the windshield shape. They put a flattish area at the top center that is absolutely wrong. I own a 72 Montego GT. I’m here to say Johan got it right.

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4 minutes ago, yellowsportwagon said:

The only problem being Revell messed up the windshield shape. They put a flattish area at the top center that is absolutely wrong. I own a 72 Montego GT. I’m here to say Johan got it right.

Oh I'd fix all that before it's said and done. Windshield shapes and rooflines are MAJOR sticking points with me when it comes to body shapes. To me that's the "signature" of the car, and when those aren't right it changes the whole character of it.

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13 hours ago, MrObsessive said:

Wow, what luck! Was it the Johan kit?? The Monogram ones to my eyes are not quite the same. Each time I see Johan whole kits on the 'Bay, they seem to be a small fortune! I do see parts cars from time to time, so if the wing is all you need, you can get those mighty cheap.

Yes it was the Johan kit in fact the same exact kit as the white one previously shown

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10 hours ago, MrObsessive said:

Oh I'd fix all that before it's said and done. Windshield shapes and rooflines are MAJOR sticking points with me when it comes to body shapes. To me that's the "signature" of the car, and when those aren't right it changes the whole character of it.

You and I will get along great!!

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On 4/27/2018 at 7:26 AM, PlymouthFan said:

I just picked up a second kit for 25$ a few days ago we plan to build it identical 

The way I see it, if that kit were to be reissued today (which it never will), it would cost at least that much at current retail price. So you got an obsolete, vintage classic kit for today's price. I'd say you scored!

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  • 4 weeks later...
49 minutes ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

Does anybody know if this Superbird is what became of the original 70 GTX tool, and is that the reason why the GTX was never reissued?

Yes, that is what I understand. 69 GTX was first, then 69 Roadrunner, then all new body for 70 Roadrunner and tooling updated for 70. 69 Roadrunner body survived but 69 interior lost to 70. Then tooling was modified into 70 GTX and then 70 Superbird. Then Superbird was modified into Sox and Martin drag car and lost NASCAR parts. 69 body survived and was reissued with 70 interior along with a few runs of the Sox and Martin Superbird.

,

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