Ragtop Man

Short answer: Yes. In fact, I can think of a few ways to go - there are a ton of parts in the poorly packaged, but VERY comprehensive 'yellow box' issue.Minilite and Basset wheels, Cragars, a few Stock promo wheels, standard, road race and drag engine options, they just reamed out the gates and let it flow. As you noted, tho, stock interior is MIA, windshield is cut for the blower, and no CJ scoop for the hood. Older iteratations of the MPC kit have a mess of parts, too. The early 80s' "Mach 1" and "Boss 351" issues have a good haul of parts, including a tunnel ram 429 Boss, the big hood scoop (Similar to Ford Drag Team) platform build road race interior with a cage that can be accurized with bits from the MPC Cyclone. I doubt you win very many contests, but when we had a lot of fun doing this with our friends, there would be a ton of wild possiblities. I'm leaning to an SCCA sportsman type A/Sedan build with a Boss 429... but I'm a little loopy that way.

Agree - but it makes a kit much easier to recommend, choose for a 'same subject' club build night, etc. when it's slam on the 1:1. While we are on the subject, how great would it be to have a PE template that would lock in the opening and give a nice clean scribe guide? The GM shapes were very subtle, and replicating them can be a challenge. None of mine are ever symmetrical ...

That turned out to be a narrative with these kits - same issues with my 300 and Starliner. But I enjoyed the heck out of the rest, engineered to be 'built' and detailed along the way.

Are we modelers or assemblers? Hate like hell to have to roof swap, but how hard could it really be to find a proper F body (which was kitted so frequently is was a cliche) to stab in one that is correct, or reshape the one that is already there? The last do-over by GM for this platform is one of the few things from the era that truly holds up in the light of history. (The ugly log bumpers, not so much.) I take issue with the POVs from the fringe: "This [thing] is wrong, therefore it is BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH" and "Take it and like it or we have nothing else." If you feel that way, fine. "Do, or do not," as the great philosopher said. I think the more nuanced take is that had the Z been truly corrrect, more get sold to serious modelers who might not otherwise have had interest in the subject, and could not care less about the series (me, especially). I think they clear the shipment with no problem, and they get shelf space in the 'craft' retailers they never would have otherwise. And it that is the end of the planning rainbow, they made objective. But seeing the really strong entries - the Blazer, in particular - it feels like a miss, and the hobby has more than enough for one lifetime.

Nice kit that doesn't get nearly enough recognition. Super build, clean as new money. How did it go together for you? I have a few but never threw the glue at it, at least not yet.

The Blue Crescent 'guts' went to the '71 - 73' AMT Mach 1/Road Racer/Street Machine/#31 Tope release; body and some of the chrome insert went to Mach Won. Roll pans were scissored off the chassis and included with the FC. Glass permanently altered, and no one is sure about where the louvered glass insert went. Pushing the pieces around to re-release Blue Crescent is not out of the question, but down the road a ways given locations of said molds and need to retool certain bits if the interior cannot be located. Definitely a "juice-to-squeeze ratio" question for current money men. FWIW, seeing the mockups here, I'm fine, there are a few of each donor type already in my stacks.

Annnnddd the need for a Snickers bar before typing is obvious. What interior did you use with the Revell CJ Chassis? That is a great move for more detail without driving yourself crazy with fiddly detail.

Well, damn, son! There it is! ^^^^^^^^^^^^ Digging the hell out of that mockup.

^^^ Welp, there it is! ^^^ Not having a really good '57 Nomad (vs. "it'll do with some bashing" ) is one of the inexplicable gaps in the hobby. I think there were a few other resin conversion, but this one sings.

Picked up a '70s version that was a partial build. Fiddly, but like any kit with this much detail, take your time and get good reference. FWIW, tho, the front clip is 'jowly' (mainly, bumper) and needs rework to use the better AMT Trophy front bumper, or the surprisingly good MPC flipnose bumper. In the mid 60s, when the kit was released, Revell was ready to pressu the button at the priniting plant on the boxes, when someone realized the Skylark wires were NOT in the kit. IIRC, this was a revolutionary bit of merchandising to use a pic of the 1:1 on the cover vs. illustration. (The '62 Revell ChryCo annuals pioneered that idea...) After a mild panic attack, they found a set of chrome reverse and the art department shot what is known as a "match angle strip" in the parking lot, then retouched the wheels into place. Presses rolled, day saved.

Welp, there you have it. More's the pity, but I'm not surprised; the bit about the Fairlane just put those snappers/promos on my radar. The Edsel... ya never know when one turns up in a junk box or FleaBay. So - wide open door for a caster to snag one and send it for a silicone bath. IIRC, the original did NOT fit very well, was a joke-y hokey way to get another run out of the Chevelle / F85 tool. I was rather underwhelmed by the new-tool Eddie vs. being floored by the Starliner / 300. Still, it's about the only game in town until the 3D verse gets to work on one.

MW Elky - need to see more of THAT build, looks really great so far.

They are all very cool - in fact, I drove a Malibu identical to that sedan when I was washing cars at the Chevy dealer's used car lot. But that Plymouth gasser is just killer, in the best way possible.

Never mind that I couldn't tell you where my keys are today without an AirTag - but - I recall picking up this kit box off the shelf at the little mom-n-pop hardware store a few blocks from our house in Dearborn in 1967. Showed it to my Dad (Ford engineer) who came as close as he ever did to rolling his eyes as he said 'nope'.

I doubt it, too, but we've been surprised before. Would be a layup for a resin caster, might be one out there already, but I'm a bit out of that swing lately.

Assuming R2 would have to retool the body....? Or does the tool live in a dusty crib somewhere? IIRC, AMT once consulted Dennis Doty on the possiblity of an Edsel re-release in the early '80s to commemorate the 25th anniversary - but don't think it went anywhere. Another boomer moment - thinking the 80's were only a few years ago.

https://www.heller.fr/en/50328-gordini-racing-set-1000503280?tags=vehicle Saw this and it looked very intersting - didn't AMT release it here in the US in the late '60s? FWIW, Heller has some very cool and unusal subjects, a few look like they would be fun to build.

I think a '68-9 Impala HT / Caprice / Bel Air mix of some type would be very commercial and cross a lot of boundaries. Street custom, low rider, light commercial, etc, etc. It would be quite a sell to the decision board to say we need a '68 after we did a '67, versus a other unserved subjects. However, I doubt you get there by modifying existing tools, handsome Impala sport sedan notwithstanding. Even 'new tool' designs were late 90's products - pushing or over 25 years old now. Even if they were done in CAD, the software has changed radically for the better. It is less expensive and more effective to simply cut a new (albeit simplified) tool where the bulk of the design work can be applied where it really counts, getting the body interior and chrome really correct and clean. Let the detail freaks do their thing frame swapping, etc, just get the outside right and the rest will follow.

FWIW, to bring the topic back - with gates opened, a number of parts to restore a '67-68 Galaxie are also in the box. The cammer 427 is excellent and could go a long way to helping to build a Here Come De Judge '57 T-Bird.

I've cast the Buick engine and underhood parts from the '69 Wildcat to convert the engineless '70 Wildcat in all its releases. Can also be used for the '69 Rivvi to get a TH transmission instead of the kit 4-speed. Runs about 44 pieces last time I counted But the site said the topic is gone... hmmmm... will check back this PM

Seeing a lot of interpretation and speculation about my intent, so let me clarify - Every brand that is successful in any category has thier "space," a place where their product is known and understood. Markets mature over time - and managing through it is a challenge to continue what you are good at, but leverage the reptuation to bring new customers in the future. My comments were mainly about the R2 empire, and their current ownership and funding. They have several income streams including plastic and diecast. The fact you STILL see the AMT and MPC logos says the brands still have selling power with distributors and hobbyists. We are a bit egocentric, here, thinking that we ARE the whole market, when in reality, military of all types, aircraft and sci fi are huge players. For R2, leaning into fantasy sci-fi is how the brands maintain relevance and guaranteed recovery of their investment. Their all time best seller is not a car, it was and remains the first Star Trek subject. Could have knocked me over like a jar of Testors chrome silver when I heard it. With AMT, MPC and JL, R2 holds the cards as the "nostalgia" brand in the hobby, and given their primarily North American distribution and customer base, the direction makes sense to me. That is not to say there is no future or further investment worthwhile in the 1:25 automotive sector. I doubt it will be the majority of their spend, given all the opportunities available. They are smart to selectively choose new subjects (Bronco, Charger) where licenses align and the base kit has 'legs' to provide multiple issues, but keep the fires lit with simplified issues like the '65 GTO and '64 Malibu that fit their wheelhouse\swim lane with an aging, but still profitable corner of the market. Now, back to the bench.

Rwarrr.... just right.

Core vs. outreach is the never-ending battle of the legacy marketer, especially with deep roots in The Way It Was. The primary issue here is that 1/25 automotive models are a yesterday proposition for domestics kit companies. The future is in Sci-fi / fantasy /gaming / superhero, which encompass all forms of gaming and entertainment. They compete to see who has the newest coolest anything...their love of the genre crosses EVERYTHING. They have money to spend and don't hestiate to indulge, NOW. This is the culture and builders can't get enough. Go to a ComicCon event some time to see how deeply immersed people are... and the relatively low percentage of gray hairs on mobility scooters with oxygen tanks. Our end was big when new cars WERE the culture. They were featured in movies, splashy shows, hit songs and TV series - you couldn't turn around without being bombarded by automotive messaging. Today, the automobile is the enemy. It's a daily from A to B. Zero excitment or anticipation except in groups... about our age getting giddy over a pre-runner special or the umpteenth limited edition Mustang. Automobiles are a side show in the culture, an appliance. The hobby reflects this, generally.

So, how much of a lift to convert this to a '69 - maybe with new tool Revell parts? I really like the '68-9's kind of the middle child of A-Body history. Am grinding my molars a bit, cos when I packed up for our move, I couldn't find the excellent '67 Chevy street machine version parts - with the RamJet intake that I got to see built and tested at GM Performance a jillion years ago. Not 100% sure, but I believe the M&M era Chevys had largely interchangable engines and accessories.

FWIW, the original Revell A's don't bring big money - and a LOT of them never got finished due to the complexity. Wondering if there is a 3D Model A wheel solution out there that could get a stocker in the bag for a builder?