Should a rare kit become a gasser???

[bonehead23]

Perusing the pile of old kits, I found a '62 Tempest mint kit...and discovered that the AMT Nova, either stock or pro street, had the same wheelbase, so i figured it was a natural. It already had an opening hood, and I found a Revell 421SD engine...all set to go gasser. But then I had to stop and think about it. That Tempest is a mint, perfect kit. Yeah, I wimped out. But wait, there's more! Just below that Poncho kit was a 1961 SMP Valiant...and in the box was a horribly butchered body (I got it from a friend in 1974) that he had attempted to "Section" or lower it by cutting off a strip  at the bottom of the body. The interior had the seats cut off and the chassis was modified to sit low. Nice concept, but not really usable. I tried gluing the cut off parts back on, but he had also removed the vent windows and rear window posts...luckily in the box was an unpainted but built 1962 complete....so I tore it apart, but sadly, while removing the window glass, the rear of the body broke. So I cut a piece out of the ruined body, and glued it in. Now the plan is t use the Nova pro street chassis under the Valiant, along with the hemi from the Hurst 'Cuda. I still have not decided whether to use a straight axle  gasser, or just go with the rather dated pro street look!

Edited September 2, 2021 by bonehead23

[EngineerBob]

Just my two cents, I'd go with the Valiant; not because the Pontiac is mint (what's the point of a model that doesn't get built?) but because those Valiants are so ugly they're cool. It would look really good and more current as a pro-touring rather than a pro-street, though.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Nothing wrong with doing something like a gasser with a rare kit in my opinion, just as long as you don't hack the body up.

Once you chop them up they're forever lost.

You can't go back from that without a whole butt load of work, if at all.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[espo]

Build it your way, what ever way makes you happy. 

[iamsuperdan]

I'd just build it however you want. If you need to do a little cutting to complete your vision, then so be it.

Better it get built and enjoyed than languish in a box at the back of your stash, then years down the road you pass on and your family stick them all in a yard sale or a garbage bin.

 

Build, and post pics!

 

[Snake45]

58 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Nothing wrong with doing something like a gasser with a rare kit in my opinion, just as long as you don't hack the body up.

Once you chop them up they're forever lost.

You can't go back from that without a whole butt load of work, if at all.

Steve

Have your cake and eat it too: Do a nice factory paint job with chrome trim on the Tempest body, then put it on the Nova PS chassis. You'll have to come up with a low-rise intake system to avoid cutting the hood, but that shouldn't be a problem. 

[bobthehobbyguy]

48 minutes ago, iamsuperdan said:

I'd just build it however you want. If you need to do a little cutting to complete your vision, then so be it.

Better it get built and enjoyed than languish in a box at the back of your stash, then years down the road you pass on and your family stick them all in a yard sale or a garbage bin.

 

Build, and post pics!

 

I agree 100%. Models are for building and there is no wrong way to do that. Do it the way you want too and not by someone else's standard.

[Tom Geiger]

I'm not a fan of chopping up mint ancient kits.  Especially by people who do a poor job of it.  There are enough old junkers out there to scratch any itch!

As in... I started with this. That's ALL I had. Someone gave me this body.

Add in one recent 71 Duster chassis and a bunch of stuff from the parts box and youi have this!  No classic models were damaged or destroyed  during this project!

 

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, Snake45 said:

Have your cake and eat it too: Do a nice factory paint job with chrome trim on the Tempest body, then put it on the Nova PS chassis. You'll have to come up with a low-rise intake system to avoid cutting the hood, but that shouldn't be a problem. 

That's what I was thinking.

 

 

Steve

[StevenGuthmiller]

25 minutes ago, Tom Geiger said:

I'm not a fan of chopping up mint ancient kits.  Especially by people who do a poor job of it.  There are enough old junkers out there to scratch any itch!

As in... I started with this. That's ALL I had. Someone gave me this body.

Add in one recent 71 Duster chassis and a bunch of stuff from the parts box and youi have this!  No classic models were damaged or destroyed  during this project!

 

This is my point as well.

If you really want to chop something up, there are a ton of old mangled kits out there that would make a good starting point that can be had for a fraction of the cost of a nice mint kit.

In my mind it makes little sense to start with a pristine kit that might have a value of $100.00, or much more.

Chop it all to heck, and now it's worth basically nothing.

 

I understand that value is not everything, but if you want to guarantee that your successor is going to sell it for 25 cents at a garage sale or pitch it in the garbage, hack away.

Just my opinion.

 

 

 

 

Steve 

[Ace-Garageguy]

My solution to similar circumstances has been to make my own copies of the "rare" kit body and do my hacking on that...thus saving the priceless original kit for my mindless heirs to put in a landfill when I'm dead.

[Plowboy]

It yours to do whatever you want with. There's thousands of them already languishing in boxes in people's stash. Enjoy it now or save it for the landfill. No one past us are going to care about them anyway. 

[bobthehobbyguy]

1 hour ago, Plowboy said:

It yours to do whatever you want with. There's thousands of them already languishing in boxes in people's stash. Enjoy it now or save it for the landfill. No one past us are going to care about them anyway. 

I agree.  Don't waste your time worrying about building it the "right way" according to what somebody else thinks . Do what pleases you and how you want it.

[slusher]

1 hour ago, Plowboy said:

It yours to do whatever you want with. There's thousands of them already languishing in boxes in people's stash. Enjoy it now or save it for the landfill. No one past us are going to care about them anyway. 

I  agree Roger, but there are some younger then me building but not many. The trouble with eBay many price themselves out of sales. If you own it enjoy it….

[Bills72sj]

They belong to you. You bought them for you. I recommend you build them for you. The consternation of what someone else thinks should happen should be pretty low on the priority list. It is not like you are cutting up 1 of 1 crown jewels.

[Pete J.]

The way I see it, are you a builder or collector.  If you are a collector, put it back on the shelf.  If you are a builder and want to chop a model, sell it to a collector so they can preserve it and love it.   Then use the money to buy yourself something else to chop up.  Collectors love this sort of thing.  

Or you can just do whatever you what. You own it, you decide.  

Just thought I would add this from my personal experience.  I built this many years ago from a couple of what were cheap kits(Tamiya Volvo & Alfa).  This was given as a thank you to Mr. Tamiya.  Always thought I would like to build it again, so I bought the kits back when they were still cheap.  Now the kits are both going for over $100 each.  I do occasionally think of selling them, but I also still want to recreate this.  I suppose if someone really, really wanted them, I might be inclined to sell them but for now it is just one of those back burner projects. 

Regardless it is my decision to make.  Either way, I won't just keep them for posterity. 

 

Edited September 3, 2021 by Pete J.

[deuces wild]

My vote for a Gasser also....😁👍 

Supercharged or stack injection would be cool... 😎

Edited September 3, 2021 by deuces wild

[Mike F.]

I would build the 1962 Tempest per the kit instructions, rather than save it for someone else to build or not, that has $100. With nice paint and trim and maybe some custom rims and tires..

Do the gasser with the Valiant.

[Bob Ellis]

11 hours ago, bobthehobbyguy said:

I agree.  Don't waste your time worrying about building it the "right way" according to what somebody else thinks . Do what pleases you and how you want it.

MY thoughts exactly. It's going to a landfill someday anyway , so enjoy it today

[mchook]

Yup, do it.

[geemoney]

LANDFILL!!

LOL

build it!!

or dont!

i have stashed away some "rare" kits...

for WHAT?

i might jus hack em up too.......

I think my 32 yr old son appreciates my models.. I don't think he has the affection for them like I have for the ones I watched my father build when I was a wee lad...

[geemoney]

oh yeah,...

go with the tempest..

can we do half a 326?

half a 671

half of a enderle 

you get the idea.

[Jack L]

42 minutes ago, geemoney said:

oh yeah,...

go with the tempest..

can we do half a 326?

half a 671

half of a enderle 

you get the idea.

Revell made a 4cyl Pontiac drag engine with a GMC 471  supercharger

[csf64ss]

hey that cut up body,  the valiant, would make a great geoff bodine  modified !

 

Edited September 3, 2021 by csf64ss
picture

[Maindrian Pace]

You can also use the very similar looking and more common Johan '62 Cutlass for the gasser project.