Austin T Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Is the AMT tiger shark dream rod the same as the Car craft dream rod? http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&hash=item4845069e0c&item=310395706892&nma=true&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&rt=nc&si=wdUW3cmA6f2%252FVCQQAMz65qucNRE%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc#ht_5609wt_950 http://www.ebay.com/itm/AMT-38527-TIGER-SHARK-TOY-FAIR-MODEL-CAR-KIT-1-25-NIB-/270650065317?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DUA%26otn%3D5%26pmod%3D180870413800%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D8737719375406923858#ht_988wt_814 Is the openings in the front fenders the only difference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 I don't know, but I have a Tiger Shark kit I wouldn't mind trading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1930fordpickup Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 The add description says no . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Same basic car, but much of the Dream Rod's body was reworked in the transformation to the Tiger Shark. The 1:1 car was recently restored as the Dream Rod; all of the changes were reversed. Long story short: if you want a Dream Rod, search out a Dream Rod kit. Some parts (glass, chassis and engine parts) could be sourced from the Tiger Shark if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 The 1:1 Car Craft Dream Rod was designed Car Craft Magazine in 1961. In 1964, the magazine commissioned Bill Cushenberry to build the 1:1 show car. AMT issued a kit to build the Dream Rod. In 1967, AMT revised the design and re-issued the kit under the label of it's subsidiary MPC. They renamed the revised show rod model the Tiger Shark. Both kits included a simple rotating display stand as a bonus. So, the answer to your question is ... "Yes and No." The Tiger Shark is not the same as the Dream Rod. But, the Tiger Shark kit is the revised, redesigned, and retooled Dream Rod kit under a different name. It may have been done that way to generate more revenue from the original tooling without incurring licensing expenses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin T Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 Ok,so what would I have to do to the tiger shark to make a dream rod out of it because I don't want to drop $100 + on a model where a little elbow grease and some cutting out of a $20 kit will get me similar results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 AMT revised the design and re-issued the kit under the label of it's subsidiary MPC. Another 'yes and no'........... MPC was never a subsidiary of AMT. Until both brands were brought under the RC2 Ertl company in the 1990's then they were 'owned by the same company'. In the 1960's then start up MPC did buy a few tools from AMT as MPC was started by an ex-AMT employee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RatRod Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 The chassis is about the only thing shared between the two kits. Your best bet is to get an original, even a decent buildup with all the key body parts would be a great start. Tiger shark built by Dave young.... Dream Rod built by Mike L. Scott (this model travels with Moriarity's restored Dream Rod, and is painted with left over paint supplied by Mark) Here's a good link about the car.... http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/featuredvehicles/1001rc_car_craft_dream_rod/viewall.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Another 'yes and no'........... MPC was never a subsidiary of AMT. Until both brands were brought under the RC2 Ertl company in the 1990's then they were 'owned by the same company'. In the 1960's then start up MPC did buy a few tools from AMT as MPC was started by an ex-AMT employee. The Ertl Corporation acquired AMT in 1982, when Lesney went into bankruptcy and was forced to sell it. (Lesney bought AMT in 1978, moving it to Baltimore after the Troy, MI building had been sold in a climate of fast-rising property values in that area.) Ertl acquired MPC in 1985. Under Ertl's ownership, some AMT kits were released under the MPC brand, and vice versa. After a couple of years of that (and shipping AMT and MPC branded kits in different size boxes), the MPC brand was phased out, and only used on Buyers' Choice reissues that had been MPC items originally. MPC was started in 1963 by George Toteff (an early employee of AMT) and Dick Branstner (who then owned the "Color Me Gone" super stock Dodge). They stayed on good terms with AMT's upper management in spite of having left the company to start MPC. The first few MPC kits were sold through AMT because they had excellent distribution, and were able to place the products in far more stores than a new company. The early MPC kits distributed by AMT include the Dream Rod, Wild Dream/King T double kit (two AMBR winners in one box!), '28 Ford two-door sedan, and '65 Dodge Coronet. Box art, decals, tires, and instruction sheets all are MPC, they don't match up with other AMT kits that were out at that time. The first "official" MPC kit was the '64 Corvette. AMT already had Corvette coupe and roadster kits (based on the promotional models) so MPC had to distribute that one on their own. That's why it's a lot easier to find either of the AMT '64 Corvettes, than the MPC '64 coupe. When MPC reissued some of the kits that had previously been sold under the AMT banner, all of them were modified in some way. MPC didn't want to issue the same items AMT had sold. So, the Dream Rod became the Tiger Shark, the '28 Ford sedan became a roadster pickup/station wagon, and the Wild Dream/King T double kit was divided with each car being sold separately. There was some back-and-forth activity between the two companies into the late Sixties. Somehow, the Plymouth Barracuda and Chevy Fleetside pickup kits that had been issued by AMT for 1967 became MPC kits for 1968. These, and the Jo-Han kits packaged and sold by AMT between 1967 and about 1974, have never been explained by anyone in any great detail. With all of the principal parties now gone, it's unlikely that anyone is left that knows the "how" or "why" behind some of this stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin T Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 Wow,cool history lesson Mark.You guys all need to make a book on the history of some of these model companies and rumors about the tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qwit Pushin Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 Anybody remember the 'Hot Wheels, Python'? It was based on the Cushenberry car as well. http://onlineredlineguide.com/OtherRedlines_Python.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgefever Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 (edited) Does anyone know whether these Firestones are from the Tiger Shark kit, some other kit, or aftermarket? I've been looking for some like that for a while. Edited May 29, 2012 by dodgefever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RatRod Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 Does anyone know whether these Firestones are from the Tiger Shark kit, some other kit, or aftermarket? I've been looking for some like that for a while. The Firestones were done by MPC back in the early 60's. Don't know what kits they were in, but I was lucky enough to find a couple sets in a junk lot on eBay a few years back, and am using a set on a build now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38 Crush Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 The same tire is in the IMC Chapperal 2E kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Cohen Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 The Dream Rod was changed to the Tiger Shark in 1:1 scale for the I.S.C.A. show circuit, I believe before the model kit was changed or at the same time. The car show producers needed a fresh car on the circuit and re-building the Dream Rod was easier than building a new car. By that time, the Dream Rod had started to fall in popularity. In the late 60s and early 70s, some show cars and show rods had a short life span on the circuit. No one wanted to see the same cars every year. In some cases the changes were brought about by sponsor money, as in the case of changing the L'il Coffin to the 'MonkeyWard' car for MontgomeryWard. The other guys are right...it would be a lot of work to change the Tiger Shark into the Dream Rod. Find a Dream Rod kit and use it, even a built one. FYI...I have built both in the last 5 years and the kits are tricky to build, so be careful and take your time. I found a mint Dream Rod kit for $100 and a started but not painted one for $50...the $100 kit was about 25% of the time to build and a better bargain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin T Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 Well if anyone has a glue bomb dream rod,then send me a PM.Maybe we can work something out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclescott58 Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 (edited) Wow,cool history lesson Mark.You guys all need to make a book on the history of some of these model companies and rumors about the tools. I agree! I'm always interested in finding out more about the history and shared toolings of AMT, MPC, and Jo-Han. Plus, wasn't Bud "the Cat" Anderson involved in someway with creation of IMC? And what ever happen to IMC? When did they close shop and sell their tools? Did their stuff first go to Testors or Lindberg? Or someone else in between? Back to the Tiger Shark. What was the rotating stand that came with this kit like? How did it work? And how well? And it reissued with later reissues of the kit itself? One last thing. Where does the Hot Wheels Python fit into this story? Scott Edited June 3, 2014 by unclescott58 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Interesting, indeed. I didn't realize the motivation for changing the Dream Rod kit into the Tiger Shark kit, or the 'changes' the other MPC kits went through. Scott, the rotating stand was a kind of hour-glass shaped round molded plastic piece powered by a rubber band. It came with a handful of small steel balls and a packet of Vaseline. You smeared the Vaseline in a trough, then dropped the balls into the trough and the top rode on that . . . instant ball-bearing! It worked okay . . . especially for the kids and teens it was aimed to attract. There were a lot of them on the contest tables in those days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclescott58 Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 I'd love to see a picture of the stand. Anybody out there still have one? Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 I have one that I'll try yo remember to take a pic of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 (edited) Lousy pictures borrowed from the internet, but you can get the idea of how the rotating stand looked. That's it in the background of the first pic. "In use" in the second pic. Thank you to whomever's pix these are. Edited June 4, 2014 by Danno Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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