Stef

Another PhotoChop™, this one more drastic. Would probably need an all-new re-contoured roof to accommodate both lengthening and a gentler arc. Wheelbase lengthened and body stretched behind the doors a few inches. Thoughts?

I want to like this one, though I do agree, the windshield and roof complicate the simplicity of the design. Put this PhotoChop™ together super fast. Thoughts?

My pleasure, @unclescott58. I too noticed the exhaust headers, but didn't know what to make of that. I know nothing about this era of racing, outside of what I saw in FORD v FERRARI, ha ha. And as for the red seats, I did see at least one shot of both white and green cars, with red seats: https://www.indycals.net/decals/indy/63lotus29.html Aside from that, I've not found many colour photos of the real Gurney car; I'm unsure what colour seat it's supposed to have.

Hello @unclescott58, FWIW, maybe this will be helpful? https://modelingmadness.com/scott/cars/indy/lotus29.htm Also, this 2-page build thread may show some interesting stuff, including what appears to be an aftermarket nose, and some other changes, too: https://mb2501.proboards.com/thread/6148/1963-lotus-ford-dan-gurney FULL DISCLOSURE: I skimmed both of these links; did not read either in detail. Also, am not familiar with the kit in any way, though I'm very excited to get my hands on one. Hope this helps.

Dayum, love this so much, @Joe Lange. Never built a Corvair cuz I always thought they were dopey and sad looking. This is expertly proportioned and cleanly executed. Just like GM might've designed it. Have sudden urge to pick up a Corvair, a wagon, and bash 'em together.

Fine idea, @stavanzer. MPC made squillions of awesome variants of their venerable Datsun kit. After Lil Hustler, all we need are "California Sunshine" and "Express-O", to be able to build our own "Rising Sun", "Black Hawk", "California Stepside", or any other combination we desire.

Agreed 128%, @Justin Porter. I never understood the "grandma marketing" purple prose writing style that AMT did on their boxes in the early 90s, and Revellogram adopted and intensified in the mid-90s and beyond. That kind of stuff appeals to old ladies who are thinking of getting something "neat" for their grandson, while saying nothing to people who actually build. I want big colourful pictures of what is in the box with lots of views and angles, chassis shots, interior shots, and show us or tell us about optional parts/build iterations, etc. Love how Revellogram started including chassis photos on their boxes a few years back. Love how Round 2 continues to depict parts silhouettes on the bottoms of their boxes. Manage expectations. Let buyers know that 64 Galaxie is a curbside, that 57 Cadillac is a multi-piece body from 1000 years ago, and that 48 Lincoln is an old Pyro tooled up from stone knives and bearskins. People are more forgiving when they are shown/told upfront what to expect, ahead of time. Great box art informs more customers, ensures many more smiling faces when they open up the box, and sells more kits.

I constantly marvel at how technical model tooling and manufacturing has always been. In the early days, much of this stuff was considered temporary, and ultimately disposable. OK, this is probably super-naive, but gotta ask anyway. Just curious, what if the model companies, in an effort to identify old things they rediscover, were to simply push playdoh or something into the halves, take pictures, post them online, and get us, the community, to identify them? There are so many smart dudes here, we're a literal encyclopedia of model car history. Just imagine: "Hey, that one is MPC's old Chevy Monza. Boom. This one is MPC's 74 Super Charger. Boom." Me personally, I'm super happy to be getting so many old kits back into our hands. And I'd be even happier to help them bring back even more. I'll buy myself a flight to any warehouse, comb through the archives, catalogue it, and post it here. You guys will work your magic.

Thanks, @stavanzer, this is awesome. I'll track down all these kits, remortgage the house, and build myself a whole fleet of AWB gassers, dragsters, and floppers, heh.

After reviewing the Psyclone instructions linked above, just remembered that HPI Guy did a video a few years back on what appears to be a "clone" of the Psyclone; Dyno Don's Eliminator II kit:

Thank you so much for all this info, @stavanzer, @Raoul Ross. I have a sudden urge to build ALL of these classics. While I don't have the Tempest instructions to add to the above, here is a RoR video, which features the leafspring front suspension:

Wow, you guys are legends! I learn so much from you cats, every single day. Just found this 58 Edsel AWB instruction sheet on Worthpoint. Looks like the Olds Streaker is fait accompli. Well done, gentlemen.

Was thinking the same thing, @larman. From rewatching HPI Guy's Falcon and Nova AWB build videos, they appear to use very similar chassis setups, plastic tires and all. I wonder if that same AWB chassis was used under the original Streaker kit.

Totally agree, @stavanzer; just rescanned HPI Guy's convertible and 442s parts overviews, and seems like between the two of them, most of the Streaker's parts are already covered. Looks like the convertible has the tonneau/chopped windscreen, the 442 has the rear spoiler, and both have the bulged hood for the twin Judsons. I do remember quite awhile back someone mentioned the possibility of bringing the Streaker back to life, and with all the talk about the Moebius 65 Novas and MPC 68 Coronets, I'd totally forgotten.

I do hope it's the Streaker. As much as I want both the convertible and 442 hardtop, this altered wheelbase drag car is the one I really have my heart set on.

That's a nice buildup, @unclescott58, thanks. My skill is good enough these days that I can build just about anything, though as a graphic designer, box art can still be a big influence. For me, the early 80s MPC kit boxes were the best. I love clean box art with bold, bright colours and graphics/logos, no backgrounds, and comprehensive views of what the kit really looks like. As a kid, when I could not afford to buy, I'd stare at the box to be able to visualize it in my head, which made me want it even more. I love big pictures, lots of them, and the box art should be able to sell the kit inside. Looking forward to Round 2's Sod Buster reissue. I love nostalgia. Also very much enjoyed building their recent-ish Mountain Goat, Bad Company, HighJacker, and 78 Pacer, which all featured near-perfect reproductions of classic box art. Awhile back, I started a thread here encouraging Round 2 to reissue older kits with that early 80s MPC aesthetic. New box art, new Harry Bradley-esque decal designs, new colour schemes, with cool new names, and new logos to boot, all done with that early 80s MPC pastiche, but all molded in white this time, and included with pad-printed tires, coloured/tinted glass options, enhanced decals, etc. I'd be happy to play Art Director on such a project.

Awesome topic. Skimming through, doesn't seem as though anyone has mentioned Lindberg's 1948 Lincoln, which came out in the late 90s or early 00s. In the 90s, Lindberg came back from the grave, and despite lackluster box art, created some truly amazing kits. Their box art typically featured a single photograph of a real vehicle, which was repeated on all sides. IIRC, they did not use photos of real models, and did not include any other views. Not of the rear, the engine, chassis, interior, or anything. We just had to go on faith, and judge by the photo, and the subject matter. After an onslaught of amazing all-new kits, Lindberg was riding the crest of the wave, and could do no wrong. They'd earned our trust by making hit after hit after hit. That all changed when they [REDACTED] the bed on the 48 Lincoln. I was looking forward to this thing, picked it up, opened it, and was horrified to discover it was a total piece of BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH. Turns out, it was an old Pyro. In the past, box art has influenced many of my purchase decisions. Thought not so much these days, as HPI Guy breaks down pretty much everything on the market. If anything, his reviews make me want to buy everything, regardless of the box art.

Ha ha, @blizzy63, right you are! Totally forgot about this one, and yes, yes, yes, this is more like what I have in mind.

This may be the ugliest thing I've ever seen in my life. Me wants, so I can challenge myself to make it look cool. Slam it, stuff the engines inside the coach, trash the entire front section, chop the roof, equip fatter Firestone Drag 500 meats out back, simplify the lines, turn it into a 4-wheeler.

Nice builds, @iBorg and @Classicgas, thank you both. While I never fully appreciated the Deora growing up, it certainly has grown on me.

Thank you for your awesome info, @Mark. I have two gorgeous Hemis from two Revell 32 Ford 5-window coupes, and a sad gluebomb Deora. Time to start hacking.

Hello, @unclescott58, I didn't realize AMT had not created a separate convertible body for that release, thank you. I suppose either regular or convertible versions may have been released in the last couple years and I just missed 'em, though I don't recall HPI Guy or Round 2 featuring Deoras in any of their recentish videos. I do have a gluebomb Deora I plan to build as a dual-Hemi dragster, and would be interested in getting a second kit, thanks!

I remember seeing here ages ago that the Dodge Deora drag convertible kit was coming back out, and realized just now that it never materialized.

Totally vibing on this Bronco, though I'm REALLY looking forward to the ex-MPC 81 Bronco returning, last seen in 2007, IIRC.

This looks pretty neat; loving that grille. Slam it, add a back window, tweak things here and there, and it would be a badass custom.