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Let's see your geegaws!


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MPC had a Chevette kit that had 2 figures, and a tent. Also the old Pickup kits from AMT had trailers, and cas, and oil cans, along with lots of other goodies. Mpc also had a Chevy lit with a custom Honda Chopper, and trailer. The guy kneeling is from the Chevette kit, and the bike from the other.

49Ford002.jpg

Also the Ford Stake truck has Barrels, and broom. Some of the old Revell van kits had detailed interior stuff for medical supplies.

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If someone wanted to scratch build a car trophy wouldn't those little toy car from the 80's be perfect,I think the were "Micro Machines".

They are a tad too large. However you could add a wire to them, and make a RC car from them. Closer to scale would be a N or Z gauge vehicle. Check your LHS train dept. for these.

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All those trophies, telephones, TV's, tape recorders, stuffed animals were very much a part of the custom car scene in the late 50's/early 60's, and were reflected in those early 3in1 and trophy series model car kits for that very reason. It might be hard to imagine today, what will all the cell phone/smart phone technology, but "radio-telephones" were very much available back then, if expensive to own and operate (the user came on the air, to a dispatcher/operator at the local telephone company offices, gave her the number to be called, and once a connection was obtained, could carry on a fairly normal conversation--sort of a wireless version of the old hand-cranked wall phones of the early 20th century).

It was very much the thing with full customs to have a built-in television (a few were working TV's, most probably not though), black & white only. JC Whitney/Warshawski's prominently featured stuffed animals wired with small red lights to be placed in the back window of a car, wired to taillights/brakes and turnsignals. Campy as those might seem today, they were pretty popular back 50-60 years ago.

Some other cool accessories from those old AMT, JoHan, MPC kits: AMT's 3in1 '53 Ford F-100 (the good kit, not that flipnose version) came with gas and water cans (5-gallon--some AMT 3in1 kits came with one gallon tin gas cans--plated too!), and a full set of hand tools on the chrome parts tree (those were highly sought after back then as well!). Trophies were found in all the original Trophy Series kits, and in some 3in1 kits as well, and they were outlandish in size, as were many car show trophies of the age (AMBR trophy is very representative of that!). Also included in some kits were car show stanchions (you supplied the cording to connect them) and plated jack stands for displaying your show car with one wheel unbolted, to show off the chrome plated brake drum that some customizing kits contained. Also found were floor jacks (both scissors types which were aftermarket in the day of the horrid bumper jacks; and the roll-around shop floor jacks). Another "accessory" that showed up from time to time was the classic Bell Helmet (before full face helmets)

Go-Karts in several styles showed up, as well as the Rupp Minibike, even a Schwinn Stingray bicycle (parts scattered between multiple kits--encouraging you to buy each of them!) There was even a series of tuck-n-roll naugahyde covered spare tires for the trunk in your custom car at one time, prolly several.

Perhaps the largest trophy ever included in any model car kits back then was the very large Gold Cup trophy originally included in the JoHan "Gold Cup" series of high end model car kits (1931 Cadillacs, 1935 Mercedes-Benz, 1966 Cadillac Hearse and Ambulance, even the early issues of the Chrysler Turbine Car.

So lots of Gim Cracks and Gee-Gaws in those old model car kits!

Art

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This almost makes me want to go looking through all my kits to gather together all this different, cool stuff together. Geeze... just thinking now about all the different things that I can remember seeing in the kits that I have, and, the stuff that I've already put aside for various reasons I know I've got a lot of cool stuff. I'm sure a lot of us could do the same... But I'm not suggesting that we do that... Really guys... I'm NOT suggesting that...

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The 'Gear Hustler' (IIRC) edition of the AMT '65 El Camino came with a sixpack and a construction site helmet.

There were race helmets in several kits, but I can't remember which.

The AMT 'Tournament of Thrills' issues of the '49 Mercury, '49 Ford Club Coupe and '50 Ford convertible contained very elaborate stunt ramps.

At least one issue of the AMT '65 Chevelle Wagon came with drive-on ramps.

The AMT '68 El Camino came with a soap box racer.

IIRC the AMT '61 annual kits - each contained some components of a go-kart.

One of the late Sixites MPC Bonnevilles came with a canoe.

What about Jo-Han gold cups?

And does the casket in the first issue of the Jo-Han Caddy hearse count?

Edited by Junkman
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