Willys36 Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 (edited) Saw this thread pop back up and I can't resist mentioning that a new book on the FBCG is about to be published. Some of you may be familiar with John L. Jacobus's history of the Guild, published in 2005. His second book, this time consisting of firsthand essays by contestants, recollecting how they built their models, will be published in early December. (Full disclosure: I work for the publisher of both books, McFarland.) Hoping it's kosher to provide a link--you can see both books at http://www.mcfarland...jacobus&x=0&y=0, or on Amazon. The new book has 215 photos. As a lapsed modeler just getting back into the hobby (six projects going, none finished yet), I found it to be pretty inspirational stuff--guys talking about doing chrome plating at home, borrowing mom's vacuum cleaner motor to spray paint with, experimenting with all sorts of materials and casting methods, and designing some really amazing cars. I'm in that book!! I bought 5 copies, two for me and one for each of my kids who will inherit my cars. When I kick they can associate one book w/ each car to pass along. When is the release date for the book? Jacobus' first hard cover book is a must have for any Guild alumnus and for any serious modeler. Edited November 24, 2011 by Willys36 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 I'm going to get those books, this is highly interesting. I know that those contests were also carried out by GM's overseas companies Opel and Vauxhall in the Sixties. One of the prizes from Vauxhall was to finance the winning models being made into miniatures by Lesney Matchbox for mass production. One of them was the 'Guildsman': I have seen pictures of a few models built in Europe for those contests, but unfortunately no books exist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cortinanut Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 I'm in that book!! I bought 5 copies, two for me and one for each of my kids who will inherit my cars. When I kick they can associate one book w/ each car to pass along. When is the release date for the book? Jacobus' first hard cover book is a must have for any Guild alumnus and for any serious modeler. Thought I recognized several of your models, Jeff! We don't have a precise release date on the book, but it'll be soon--it's in printing now, so I'm guessing first week of December. I'm in awe of the work the Guildsmen did--not only scratchbuilding entire models, but DESIGNING them from a clean sheet of paper, figuring out how to construct them, finely detailing them, and applying a show quality finish. At ages from 12 to 20! It's no wonder so many of the contestants went on to become automotive stylists in adulthood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willys36 Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 In retrospect it is pretty amazing that kids could come up with some of the stuff they did. However in the 60s it was a different era; everyone in our community belonged to Boy Scouts and 4H. Those groups taught heavily in handcrafts. Also, if you wanted to draw something you didn't head to PaintShop on the PC, you had to drag out the pencil and paper. Also, the Guild sent a lot of very helpful literature throughout the year that helped a lot. And finally in the 60s, plastic model building was in its hay-day. Local contests were in every hobby shop and the National Revell contest drew craftsmanship out of a lot of kids. Just about any 12 yr old could lay down a beautiful rattle can paint job and already had an aptitude for automobile proportions. The guys who really impress me are the ones competing in the early 50s and prior. The car culture wasn't as inbred and they had NO craft infrastructure to draw from. Those are the real heros. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willys36 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 The new FBCG book is out! Fascinating reading all the contestant's stories, especially for me in view of my long history of 5 entries in the contest. Great to know that all the other guys fought the same dragons I did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62rebel Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 i wish i could have gotten in on this when i was a kid...... now; 4H was a regular part of school in our district.... but i can't remember ever seeing model building as a subject or project then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willys36 Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 We are planning a Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild reunion at the Scottsdale Auto Museum Friday and Saturday January 18-19, 2013 in Scittsdale. This will be concurrently with the Barett-Jackson auction so there will be an overload of car stuff going on that weekend. If you are or know a Guild alumni and want to attend the event, contact azwillfh@cox.net Address: Ron Will, 15346 East Verbena Drive, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Myers Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2012/06/29/fisher-body-craftsmans-guild-reunion-set-for-scottsdale/?refer=news Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbowser Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Wow! Awful lot of talent in one place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Doan Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 I was unaware of the whole thing-great stuff and wonderful history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62rebel Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 it's a shame GM (and everyone else for that matter) had access to such a varied pool of talent and instead put out thinly-disguised "box" cars for thirty years. a "box" for the engine, a "box" for the passengers, etc.... and only once in a while do something outrageous like a Solstice.... the Fisher models always showed exuberant passion for form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan barton Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 Just thought you might be interested to know that the Guild contest made it to Australia! When I was ten years old, my parents took me into the R&I Bank headquarters in Barrack Street, Perth. On display in the foyer were glass display cabinets full of Fisher Body Guild contest models. As a ten year old I was blown away. I so badly wanted to enter this but, alas, I was nowhere near "16 to 21 years old". I was aware of this contest having read about it in 1964 or '65 Model Car Science magazines that my cousin had given me. I went home and Dad gave me a block of pine that I started carving away at with a one inch chisel. I seem to recall it looked more like an old sneaker than anything automotive - I wonder if it is still lurking in amongst my Dad's timber stash? One car I remember in the display was a very smooth swoopy two door coupe in a soft light metallic green. It was very believable and could even be compared to some early 21st century Japanese coupes seen on the road today. There was also a black car with red trim and I remember thinking it wasn't very well finished (much like my own models of the time!) . The green one was flawless. I have no idea if these were some of the models that GM had bought from US contestants and was now using as promotional material or if in fact these were built by Australian modellers. Last night, I was searching through a 1966 Australian Hot Rodding Review magazine for some info on early Australian Holden customs. There on the very yellowed pages I found a one page article on this forthcoming contest - closing date was March 1st, 1967. But just like you guys, in all my years of travelling around, doing model shows and hot rod shows, I have never encountered anyone who even remembers this contest, let alone has one of the models. Can any Aussie forum members shed any more light on this? Cheers Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertw Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 It's nice to know that many of these Fisher cars have managed to survive this long and some of theses ones are in excellent shape. Does the Salt Lake City museum have some of these in their collection? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted June 1, 2019 Share Posted June 1, 2019 On 11/23/2011 at 9:58 AM, Willys36 said: Last car, 1966 That, I would like to see built in full scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 http://www.deansgarage.com/2020/the-designs-of-henry-f-rom/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.