ChrisBcritter

Picked up an original issue '68 GT-500 chassis with a complete partly built SOHC dual quad engine; valve covers are on backwards as usual - hope they'll come off easily. This will go into the '58 Ford; it was really my first choice but I didn't have a complete one in my parts stash. Also got a batch of vintage peel-and-hopefully-stick upholstery, both flocked and vinyl.

I really like what you've done with the suspension, especially the front axle setup. That Willys part would be my next choice for my '58 if I can't turn up a Dodge A100 (Little Red Wagon) setup; it doesn't have much drop and looks like it could be made steerable without too much scratchbuilding.

Hank Borger had a creative use for that bubble top - he made a hood bulge for the Monogram 1/8 Corvette with it (this was in the '70s when he had a model column in Rod Action). I have a couple partial kits that I'm using for parts for my Hubley '61 Country Sedan (engine, tires, front suspension and rear axle).

About the only good use I got from my Auto Cutter was using it to flare wheel hubs/stub axles and tie rod pins, and cutting up old models for my junkyard diorama (looked like somebody used a blowtorch in a hurry - the effect I wanted). It also taught me about second-degree burns - good thing it happened in the winter, as I had to reach out my bedroom window several times that night and grab snow off the roof to dull the pain in my thumb.

Stopping at the bagel place this afternoon I saw a '67 Chevelle base model four-door sedan; zero rust (!), in the ever-popular color Flat Metallic Beige (aka Sierra Fawn) with '65 Impala SS wheel covers. Owner had his head buried in his smartphone so I didn't bother him.

I was looking at the '50 Ford at Hobby Lobby yesterday, checking out the parts diagram on the bottom of the box. It looks like the chopped hardtop is missing but the wraparound rear window is still on the clear parts tree - can anyone verify, and could someone post a photo of the straight axle setup?

Looks a lot like a headlight from an AMT '58-'60 Thunderbird - it was part of the front bumper and the lights came through holes in the front end:

Thank you Rob and Mark! Off to the hunt... So was the Blue Crescent Mustang's engine a different tool?

I went to the Deerfield, IL store this afternoon and noticed a bunch of kits on the 40% off shelf, including the 1/32 Avanti, the Revell snap '63 Vette coupe, the '53 Studebaker, and various others - plus one last '36 Ford on a double markdown to $8.38. The 1/32 Ranchero was on the main shelf along with the '50 Ford convertible, but no Surf Woody yet.

I've pretty much settled on the Ford 429 Shotgun (IIRC?) engine for my '58 Ford project; I know there's one in the '70 Galaxie police car, but did AMT borrow that engine from another kit? The rare Blue Crescent Mustang seems to have the same engine and I like the low-rise dual quad setup. Is there another source in 1/25 for that engine in a street-ish configuration? Thanks for your help.

I actually took a whack at repairing a windshield with it for fun; the Bondic really wouldn't flow into the crack so I drilled a 1/8" hole through it, covered it with a piece of a clear plastic bag on one side, and filled it with Bondic from the other side. Sadly it wasn't an invisible repair even after polishing it; oh well...

(...Actually it's from the May 1958 issue of MAD Magazine )

It's been reissued several times under different companies (Entex and Minicraft). You can still get them pretty cheap, usually under $20: http://www.ebay.com/sch/Models-Kits-/1188/i.html?_sac=1&_from=R40&_nkw=rolls royce silver cloud&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc&_trksid=p2045573.m1684 Were you thinking of building the car from the Ron Howard movie Grand Theft Auto?

Just got back from the DuPage show very happy - picked up some PPP 7" wide 6-lug Chevy racing wheels for my '67 Chevy pickup, a wired distributor, two full sets of American Satco wide whites (for a buck a set!), a set of original Dodge Deora chrome reverse wheels, a full chrome tree from a Revell '60 Chevy (I'll use the door handles, mirrors, etc. for my '59 Pontiac convertible), and best of all, a non-gluebomb, unpainted Hubley Renault Dauphine for only $13! Lower bar on the front bumper is broken and the steering wheel and rear bumper are missing, but nothing was even glued. Plus when I went over to the guys from D.R.A.G.'s booth, they had a mint Dauphine body and told me they were going to repop it and would sell me the replacement parts. So now I have yet another project... It's now in the purple pond having a bunch of decals removed.

See you there tomorrow - I'll be wearing my Tulsarama shirt.

I can see Moebius doing this, if there were enough variations available for the basic tooling. Best chance would be a car with a well-known racing version, like a Lee Petty '57 Olds 88, that could be tooled up alongside a stock version. Same thing with a '57 Pontiac; stock fuel-injected Bonneville and Cotton Owens NASCAR Chieftain. Buick might work if there could be a stock '55 Century hardtop along with a police version Century two-door post sedan (which was only built for the California Highway Patrol).

Good going Tommy! Jo-Han goofed with the grille that year; it's got New Yorker horizontal grille bars but they're flush with the grille surround like a Windsor/Saratoga. Modelhaus makes a corrected grille/bumper unit, with the bars inset, if you can get an order in when they reopen (might as well grab a set of clear red taillights while you're at it). The '62 Chrysler kit will give you a correct unibody chassis.

Did Palmer ever release that 1/25 '40 Ford? I've never seen an image of a Palmer-boxed version. I've only seen the 1/32 '40 Ford sedan that they sort-of-cloned from the AMT All Stars kit.

Same here (40/40) - confirmed a couple things I wasn't too clear on.

I would imagine Cadillacs, Continentals and Imperials had more attention paid to fit and finish back then as opposed to your usual Corvair, Falcon or Valiant. Occasionally a "special" customer would get preferential treatment. I've seen and ridden in Fred Astaire's '81 Imperial and that car was supposed to have been specially hand-rubbed at the factory to give it a deep smooth look (for sure it's the best I've seen on a malaise-era Imperial).

Cycle fenders, if that's the kit you have - then buy a reissue and build it full-fendered.

Art, can you confirm or deny the story about the AMT '59 Buick tooling having been picked up in England by another company, and if so was it the same type of deal?

'64 Pontiac Catalina 2+2 convertible. I'd have to cut up two very expensive kits - a Bonneville 'vert and a Grand Prix - and scratchbuild a trunk trim panel, plus recreate the upholstery patterns. Doable but more than I want to take on right now with all the other stuff ahead of it.

Good luck with it! I have a vintage builtup that was done nicely so I may leave well enough alone. Is your kit molded in dark maroon?