unclescott58

AMT/SMP Annuals for 1960. Buick Invicta 2-door Hardtop, kit #5560 Buick Invicta Convertible, kit #55560 (SMP) Chevrolet Corvair 4-door Sedan, kit #7060 (SMP) Chevrolet Corvette Convertible, kit #77860 (SMP) Chevrolet Corvette 2-door Hardtop, kit #7860 (SMP) Chevrolet El Camino, kit #7660 (SMP) Chevrolet Impala 2-door Hardtop, kit #7760 (SMP) Chevrolet Impala Convertible, kit #77760 (SMP) Chevrolet Apache Pick-Up with Trailer, kit #7960 (SMP) Chrysler Imperial 2-door Hardtop, kit #8860 (SMP) Chrysler Imperial Convertible, kit #88860 (SMP) Edsel Ranger 2-door Hardtop 3-in-1, kit #2260 Edsel Ranger Convertible 3-in-1, kit #22260 Ford Falcon 2-door Sedan, kit #1060 Ford Starliner 2-door Hardtop, kit #1160 Ford Sunliner Convertible, kit #11160 Ford Thunderbird 2-door Hardtop, kit #1260 Ford Thunderbird Convertible, kit #11260 Ford F-100 Pick-Up with Trailer, kit #1360 Lincoln Continental Mark V 2-door Hardtop, kit #4460 Lincoln Continental Mark V Convertible, kit #44460 Mercury Comet 2-door Sedan, kit #3060 Mercury Park Lane Convertible, kit #33360 Mercury Park Lane 2-door Hardtop, kit #3360 (Plymouth) Valiant 4-door Sedan, kit #9060 (SMP) Pontiac Bonneville 2-door Hardtop, kit #6660 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible, kit #66660 (SMP)

AMT/SMP Annuals for 1959. Buick Invicta Convertible, kit #5CK Buick Invicta 2-door Hardtop 3-in-1, kit #5HTK Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Customizing Kit 3-in-1, kit #7CV (SMP) Chevrolet Impala 2-door Hardtop 3-in-1, kit #7HTK (SMP) Chevrolet Impala Convertible, kit #7CK (SMP) Chrysler Imperial 2-door Hardtop 3-in-1, kit #8HTK (SMP) Chrysler Imperial Convertible, kit #8CK (SMP) Edsel Corsair 2-door Hardtop, kit #2HTK Edsel Corsair Convertible, kit #2CK Ford Fairlane 500 2-door Hardtop, kit #1HTK Ford Fairlane 500 Sunliner Convertible 3-in-1, kit #1CK Ford Thunderbird 2-door Hardtop 3-in-1, kit #1THK Ford Thunderbird Convertible 3-in-1, kit #1TCK Lincoln Continental Mark IV 2-door Hardtop, kit #4HTK Lincoln Continental Mark IV Convertible, kit #4CK Mercury Parklane 2-door Hardtop, kit #3HTK Mercury Parklane Convertible, kit #3CK Pontiac Bonneville Convertible, kit #6CK Pontiac Bonneville 2-door Hardtop, #6HTK

I have decided, since I have time. And the interest on subject myself. I going to do a list here of the known "Annual" kits. This list is based of information gathered from Bill Coulter and Bob Shelton's book, The Directory of Model Car Kits, American Manufacturers only, With Price Guide, 1/24-1/25 Scale, Fourth Edition. Part 1 below, is Annual Kits put out by AMT/SMP in 1958. Buick Roadmaster 75 2-door Hardtop 3-in-1, kit #4BKHT Buick Roadmaster 75 Convertible 3-in-1, kit #4BK Chevrolet Impala 2-door Hardtop Customizing Kit 3-in-1, kit #7CKHT (SMP) Chevrolet Impala Convertible 3-in-1, kit #7CK (SMP) Chrysler Imperial Crown Convertible 3-in-1, kit #9MK (SMP) Edsel Pacer 2-door Hardtop 3-in-1, kit #8EKHT Edsel Pacer Convertible 3-in-1, kit #8EK Ford Fairlane 500 2-door Hardtop, kit #3FKHT Ford Fairlane 500 Sunliner Convertible, kit #3FK Pontiac Bonneville 2-door Hardtop, kit #6PKHT Pontiac Bonneville Convertible, kit #6PK

This quote "annual" thing really started in 1958, when AMT and SMP actively started selling kits of the new 1958 cars based off of that year's promos. This proved to be highly popular. Soon JoHan joined the fray. And later MPC. Soon after 1958, kits started being slightly modified from the promos. Adding details like engines and other things. Light trucks, mainly pickup trucks were also added soon after. But, basically annuals were just kits of that year's latest cars and trucks. In many cases, if the real car or truck didn't change that much from the year before, the model company would modify the mold to represent the latest year's offering. If a major change happened, a new tool would be made, and we'd maybe see old retired annual tool reissued if they were popular enough. But, these reissues are not considered annuals, because they are put when the real is out new. That modifying the of tool until a major change was needed, is why we see things like AMT's '66 Buick Wildcat, and not the similar '65 reissued from time to time. The '66 was the last year the tool could be used for the latest version of that car. And it came from the the original '65 model tooling. In some cases, if the car is popular enough we'd see something like what AMT eventually did to their '67 Corvette Sting Ray kits. And retool them back to a '63 version. But, other than that Vette, I can't think of any others. Some cars are so popular, new tools will be made of them years later. But, annuals themselves are just kits of cars and trucks that were put out the year the real cars and trucks were out. This basically keep going through the 1980's as MPC kept making promos for the real car manufacturers each year. And slowly died about the time the decade ended. There have been a few contemporary models of cars since then. But not many.

The sad thing is, is today if you innocently picked up a student like your Mr. Cowen did back then, and somebody found out about it. You'd be fired the very next day. Too many people have done too many non-innocent things with students, one can not take the chance of doing things like that anymore. In general, I have nothing to do with any of my students outside of school business. I only see one student outside of school on a regular basis who works at a fast food restaurant I frequent. Other than that.... nothing. No contact. It's kind of sad. Yet understandable.

I'm happy to see I'm wrong about something. The above Celica kit does have the setup to build it as a left-hand drive model. Way to go Hasegawa.

Oh boy! DHL just delivered a model I wasn't expecting for about another month or so. Because of a slow down of things coming out of Japan, caused by the Covid-19 virus. At least that's what the vendor out of Japan told me. Yet here it is. After waiting for only about two weeks. Which I think is a very reasonable time for models coming from Japan under normal circumstances. The model? Hasegawa's 1/24 scale Toyota Celica 1600GT (TA22-MQ 1970)), with "Production Type Steel Wheel." "Steel Wheel"? Their spelling. I've always liked the 1st Celicas sold in the United States. But, good luck in finding a kit representing one sold in this country. The Japanese model makers make a few different variations of the car. But none with left hand drive, much less a US spec version. This kit is the closest I can find. I think the Japanese model makers are missing the boat on this one (pun intended). I have a feeling a few US spec Japanese model cars might sell fairly well here. My plans? I will be building the car as the Japanese spec model shown on the box. At the same time, I going with th color in the photo with the Celica sitting by the Camaro. A cool photo showing how both cars compare. And why the early Celicas were pretty popular, even here.

I am so unhip. And rarely listen to any radio station playing new "music." I have no idea what the "Old Town Road" is, so didn't understand the joke. Plus it being song by Billy Ray Cyrus? I assume it's "country" then? And modern "country" music is not something I listen to for sure. I barely like in better than rap music. Which to me, rap is not really music at all.

Just a little side note on eBay. I rarely will even look at anything that's up for auction on eBay. 99 times out of 100, I look for for things under the "Buy it Now" option. I've spent too much time in the past playing the try to buying via an auction on eBay, and having someone swoop in at the very last minute, getting the item instead me. I don't always have time to be there when the auction goes down to up my bid in that last minute. Plus, I hate having to normally wait a week to see if I get to own the item in the end. And then 9 times out of 10, I don't get the item anyhow. Why mess around? I'll pay the higher "Buy it Now" price, knowing for sure that I'm getting the item I want. Rather than the auction frustration of waiting a week and not getting the item anyhow. After mentioning the above, I have won a few auctions recently. But, they have been on items where auction prices started out pretty high in the first place. I was still surprised that I won these auctions. Miracles do happen.

Photos of any of the sets are nearly impossible to find. Much less the sets themselves. Even on our side of the pond. That's why in the case of the 1957 set, I can not tell you what body styles were represented on the kits included in the set. I can give a pretty good educated guess that the Continental was a two-dood hardtop. But the Ford or Pontiac? I don't know. Others here have been speculating as to the type of plastic these models were molded in. I don't know for sure. But my guess here is that it was what ever the promos were molded in. Since these kits were nothing more than really unbuilt promos. It seems to me that I've seen a picture or two of models from these kits where they show the same warpage problem as seen on the promos of the time. But it's been so long since I've seen these photos, I would not swear to that 100%.

It would be nice to see more of this kit. Especially with the hood down.

Wow! Cool looking plane. Great graphics.

Great kits. ?I have several.

Remember, the MPC Boss 351 was done under Ertl's watch, if not before. I don't think Round 2 would do a stinker like that. They fixed the front end of the AMT '70 Camaro. And now are doing a full bumper, non RS version of the same. Round 2 brought the the '73 Mach I back. And have retooled parts to bring back several other old car kits. So I have some hope, if they do the James Bond Diamonds Are Forever '71 Mach I they will do it right. Only time will tell. And we don't really know if the rumor of the Bond car is true.

I'm always interested in the history of our hobby. Most everybody knows the modern trend of model car kit building really took off when AMT introduced their annual series of 1/25 scale kits back in 1958. But, this is not completely true. AMT actually started offering 1/25 scale model car kits starting as far back as at least 1953. Starting in 1953, AMT offered 3-Car Assembly Kits. Naturally these were basically unassembled 1/25 scale promos. Below is a list I got from Bill Coulter and Bob Shelton's book, The Directory of Model Car Kits, American Manufacturers only, with Price Guide, 1/24-1/25 Scale, Fouth Edition. The first set in 1953 set came with three cars. A '53 Studebaker Starliner, a '53 Pontiac Catalina, and a '53 Ford Convertible. For 1954, they offered three sets. Set 1. A '54 Pontiac Catalina, with a '54 Ford Convertible, and a '54 Studebaker Starliner. Set 2. A '54 Buick Roadmaster, with a '54 Ford Convertible, and a '54 Pontiac Catalina. Set 3. A '54 Ford Convertible, a '54 Pontiac Catalina, and '54 Buick Skylark. In 1955 they returned with two sets. And no repeats between the sets this time. Set 1. '55 Dodge Royal Lancer, '55 Ford Thunderbird, and '55 Buick Roadmaster. Set 2. A '55 Cadillac Coupe de Ville, a '55 Buick Century, and a '55 Ford Victoria. There were no sets for 1956. But, AMT brought one back for 1957. It came with a '57 Ford, '57 Pontiac, and '57 Continental. (No body styles listed in Coulter and Shelton's book.) Despite the individual Annual kits showing up in 1958, AMT still offered a 3-Car set that year too. It consisted of three two-door hardtops. A '58 Ford. A '58 Pontiac, And a '58 Continental. All of these sets are very hard to find today. In fact I think the sperate promos in most cases are easier to find. Under values for each set in Coulter and Shelton's book, they just state they are rare. I've seen pictures of these kits. But again, it's rare even find those.

According to Bill Coulter and Bob Shelton's book, The Directory of Model Car Kits, AMT offered their 1/25 scale '55 Thunderbird in a 3-car Assembly Kit set. Kit #500. The other kits in set included a '55 Dodge Royal Lancer, and a '55 Buick Roadmaster. Being both a Buick and Thunderbird fan I love to find that set today. The '55 Dodge doesn't excite me. But, I'd be happy with it, none the less. The only trouble with finding this set, is they are as rare as hen's teeth. Coulter and Shelton's book normally tries to give values for the kits listed within their book. All the 1953-1958 3-Car Assembly Kit sets they just list the value as "rare."

I see two on eBay right now. The cheapest starting at $80.00 plus shipping from Australia. The other over $100.00. Both are a little rich for my blood for this subject right now. I guess I'll just have to keep my fingers cross for the rumored Round 2, James Bond, Diamonds Are Forever Mach 1. But, I'm not going to hold my breath.

A very nice job on your build above. But then again, I'm not surprised. I'm just surprised to learn about this kit. And see how nice it builds. Despite the odd scale, I may have hunt one down.

Very cool. I know a lot of people don't. But, I love that generation Mustang.

Yep. As you know in my thread under Model Building Questions and Answers, on the 1955 Thunderbird Colors. We address this subject in farther detail there. You posted a great response showing a regular Ford color chart. And got me thinking about going with Aquatone Blue.

I like the Aquatone Blue. That's the type of blue I like on cars the size of the 2-seat Thunderbirds. I wonder at that point what they did about matching the interior colors up? Did you then get the Thunderbird Blue interior with that? Or the Raven Black one? Or did they make custom upholstered seats in a matching color?

Beautiful Bird. You did a great job. It looks like you got the details correct. As far as a '55 T-Bird in 1/25 scale. AMT did make a promo in 1955. And this was offered in a kit form, in a box set with two other unbuilt promos.

I thought they were the same? Though I did notice one had corner lights. And the other did not.

A lot of fun stuff. I especially like the egg Thunderbirds leaving the nest. But, in general all of the above are pretty cool. Keep on thinking out of the box.

A modification needs to be made to the above. I went back on MaroonCruiser.com just for the pleasure of it. It turns out I was wrong about them having only one '74 AMC Ambassador. They had one for each district head to drive. And this was done as an economy move. The regular Plymouth patrol cars ran with 440s at the time. The Ambassadors were a little more economical, power by AMC's 360. Also some new info was added since I was on the site last. In fact the whole site has been update and enhanced. But, apparently in 1980, they had they're second run of AMC's. This time Concords. They and some Chevy Citations were added. But not for patrol or pursuit work. Yet they indicated on the site that the Concords actually pretty fast. A 258 straight six Concord could outrun an '80 Plymouth Gran Fury with California emissions equipment.