Claude Thibodeau Posted January 25, 2023 Share Posted January 25, 2023 HI! A lucky find at my last model show: a vintage ULTRA-RARE AMT Gas Rhonda Longnose Mustang kit! Virgin body, but partially assembled chassis painted with Humbrol enamel. I had the chassis/powertrain from the Mongoose 75 Duster FC in my stash, so... Here we go! Scratchbuilt: elongated torsion arms & steering rod (to match wheelbase of body), molded bumpers, all chassis & body tinwork, gas & oil lines, barrel valve, throttle, extinguishers, injector lines, Earl's fittings, tire air valves, etc. Tamya's & AK's lacquer colors fade & lace job trough airbrush, home made decals, Mr. Hobby Top Coat clear, fully polished. Molotow's chrome accents. Purists rejoyce: I have a second copy in my stash, but much less pristine: this one will be built stock, to show alongside this updated version, maybe next year? HOURS OF FUN WITH STYRENE! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skymnky721 Posted January 25, 2023 Share Posted January 25, 2023 awsome,,now did this car run w/o the windshield? or is that builders choice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted January 25, 2023 Author Share Posted January 25, 2023 1 hour ago, skymnky721 said: awsome,,now did this car run w/o the windshield? or is that builders choice? Hi Scott! Thank you for the comment. To your question: there is NO windshield in the kit, and we don't see any on the instruction sheet either. I tried an AMT 1/25 Mustang Mach One windshield on it, but there were substantial differences at the lower edge. So, as the hole required for the blower/injector hat would have eaten most of the glass area anyways, I chose to let it "box stock" in this regard. Must be a hairy ride, eh? CT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemifever Posted January 26, 2023 Share Posted January 26, 2023 Great build, love that paint job. I remember building that kit when I was a kid, sure didn't come out like yours, congrats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sflam123 Posted January 26, 2023 Share Posted January 26, 2023 Great build! Â Love the way it turned out! Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PappyD340 Posted January 26, 2023 Share Posted January 26, 2023 Very cool build, well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gustavo Reis Posted January 26, 2023 Share Posted January 26, 2023 Nice Mustang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muncie Posted January 26, 2023 Share Posted January 26, 2023 absolutely beautiful - great colors, great fade, great paint, well built... love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted January 26, 2023 Share Posted January 26, 2023 The House of Claude strikes again ! Beautiful model ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted January 26, 2023 Author Share Posted January 26, 2023 17 hours ago, Hemifever said: Great build, love that paint job. I remember building that kit when I was a kid, sure didn't come out like yours, congrats. Thank you Dennis! The second kit I have has been built by a friend of mine, precisely when he was a teen. Needless to say, it's "crude". But he gave it to me, and I intend to restore it next year. Hours of fun ahead! CT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy grumpy Posted January 26, 2023 Share Posted January 26, 2023 As expected Claude, your rendition is truly awesome. Always nice to see a saved kit built as nicely as this. Thanks for sharing this rare gem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted January 27, 2023 Author Share Posted January 27, 2023 On 1/25/2023 at 10:29 PM, sflam123 said: Great build! Â Love the way it turned out! Â Thank you Stephen! CT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted January 28, 2023 Author Share Posted January 28, 2023 On 1/26/2023 at 4:16 AM, PappyD340 said: Very cool build, well done! Thank you Larry! CT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim boyd Posted January 29, 2023 Share Posted January 29, 2023 Claude, yet another winner, for sure. Your fade paint job is really sharp, too.  And the later generation chassis is also an applicable change as the two 1969 Mickey Thompson Mach 1's used a chassis design somewhat similar to yours.  Great save. **********  For those who are interested in the LongNose kit bpdy that Claude used here, it was AMT's first fully authentic funny car kit. It included an extended late first generation style Logghe chassis and a SOHC 427 Ford engine based off the Ohio Geroge '33 Willys parts. It was never reissued (other than box art change) with the long nose parts past the initial production runs in late 1960/early 1970s. A similar kit, the "Mach Won", had the same basic contents but a production size instead of long nose Mustang body. It came out in 1970 and was reissued and in the AMT catalog through about 1974.  My drag racing kits book includes a photo, provided by John Mueller, of the 1/10th scale wood master for the Gas Rhonda long-nose kit in the AMT shops at Maple Road in Troy, MI. John also gave me a photo of the same wood master, with the body in tilted pose sitting on the chassis, and a smiling Gene Winfield holding the body it its raised position.  It appears to me that Gene had hand-lettered a partial livery on the wood master body. Cool picture, and wished I could have used it, but there was not time to contact Mr. Winfield and get his permission to use the photo. TB   Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisR Posted January 29, 2023 Share Posted January 29, 2023 Great build! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted January 31, 2023 Author Share Posted January 31, 2023 On 1/26/2023 at 11:31 AM, Gustavo Reis said: Nice Mustang. Thank you Gustavo! CT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted February 1, 2023 Author Share Posted February 1, 2023 On 1/26/2023 at 12:10 PM, Muncie said: absolutely beautiful - great colors, great fade, great paint, well built... love it! Hi Steve! Hope you are doing good? Thank you for the comments. I keep pressing on with my annual Bonnie car. Currently at final primer on the body, and assembly of the finishes chassis/powertrain. I tried to make good use of the rule book you sent me, and made a few mods to "pass inspection". More soon on this forum! Regards, CT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Rivard Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 Félicitations Claude. I have zero knowledge about drag racing but there are a lot of cool cars in the category. Your model looks awesome and your detailing and finishing skills add up to an impressive results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted February 4, 2023 Author Share Posted February 4, 2023 On 1/26/2023 at 1:21 PM, cobraman said: The House of Claude strikes again ! Beautiful model ! Thank you Ray! CT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted February 5, 2023 Author Share Posted February 5, 2023 On 1/26/2023 at 3:46 PM, happy grumpy said: As expected Claude, your rendition is truly awesome. Always nice to see a saved kit built as nicely as this. Thanks for sharing this rare gem. Merci Mario! CT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted February 6, 2023 Author Share Posted February 6, 2023 On 1/29/2023 at 6:56 AM, tim boyd said: Claude, yet another winner, for sure. Your fade paint job is really sharp, too.  And the later generation chassis is also an applicable change as the two 1969 Mickey Thompson Mach 1's used a chassis design somewhat similar to yours.  Great save. **********  For those who are interested in the LongNose kit bpdy that Claude used here, it was AMT's first fully authentic funny car kit. It included an extended late first generation style Logghe chassis and a SOHC 427 Ford engine based off the Ohio Geroge '33 Willys parts. It was never reissued (other than box art change) with the long nose parts past the initial production runs in late 1960/early 1970s. A similar kit, the "Mach Won", had the same basic contents but a production size instead of long nose Mustang body. It came out in 1970 and was reissued and in the AMT catalog through about 1974.  My drag racing kits book includes a photo, provided by John Mueller, of the 1/10th scale wood master for the Gas Rhonda long-nose kit in the AMT shops at Maple Road in Troy, MI. John also gave me a photo of the same wood master, with the body in tilted pose sitting on the chassis, and a smiling Gene Winfield holding the body it its raised position.  It appears to me that Gene had hand-lettered a partial livery on the wood master body. Cool picture, and wished I could have used it, but there was not time to contact Mr. Winfield and get his permission to use the photo. TB   Hi Tim! Thanks for the visit and the comments. I'm flattered. I consult you latest book on collecting Drag racing model kits on a weekly basis, and I know you paid great attention to this kit, for good reasons. Mine was from the only reissue, i.e. WITHOUT the promotional record that came in the original issue. I found two of the original issue: one glue bomb (that I will rebuild next year to show along this one), and a very incomplete unbuilt kit, that lacked the record. My reissue included a partial sheet of the genuine decals, plus an aftermarket copy, which leaves to be desired, alas. I keep my eyes open! CT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlucky Posted February 7, 2023 Share Posted February 7, 2023 WOW...nice Find! But even nicer build. Great Job. Gotta' love those Mustangs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedpro Posted February 7, 2023 Share Posted February 7, 2023 Nicely done. Like the details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted February 8, 2023 Author Share Posted February 8, 2023 On 1/29/2023 at 7:54 AM, ChrisR said: Great build! Thank you Chris! CT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatz4u Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 Nice Mustang FC, looks real, well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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