Ragtop Man

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?

Ultra sharp! Great build of that kit, brings out its best.

If you don't have the R2 '65 or '68 GTOs, you are missing out, IMO. Both extremely well done, fixed a lot of details that AMT and MPC got wrong in the day. The '64 Chevelle was either a rare resin or you paid through the nose for a Craftsman. None of those annuals or the AFX were accessible or affordable in their original iterations, if you could even find them.

Assume you have seen the Revell '68 and '69? Plus the '70 Snap WOF from a few years ago? Chevelles are the last thing I'd say are being ignored.

Amen to both - the '77-8 is the icon TA, but had the 7" honeycombs, and not the deeper offset 8" included in the kit. (That said, in the day, anyone with an SE who could track a set of the WS6 wheels down would do it in a heartbeat.) With the turbo wheels in the '79, and a decal sheet, you have the 10th Anniversary, last of the red hot lovers, so to speak. The Turbo 350 is not correct for the Pontiac engine, but again, 3D. Have contemplated reproducing the '80-81 Turbo specific parts, but, that is not a cheap date. Requires a LOT of mold rubber and knocking a bunch of parts off the trees. Not sure the market is strong enough to make it a breakeven proposition.

This would probably be a great place for Steve G. to step in and give a little testimony to what has been cleaned up / updated on the SSlasher and Weekend Warrior. I'll also go out on a limb to suggest the 3D industry will be on the case for grilles and decals to do the many versions of these classic Chevys (if they are not on the water already.)

Late to this party, but yes, the '64-5 are completely different than the '66-69. No shared content in either.

First build I've seen of this, and you knocked it out of the park and on to the beach. The real wood "sticks" are fantastic! Where did the decals in the windows come from, I loved seeing those in car windows when I was a kid - usually on a family car trip.

Crispy clean, nice work on an under-rated kit. I think more of these got blown up to be donors for other A-Bodies than actually got built as Oldsmoboogies. Have had a mind to chase down a predec (I know, I know) to build one of these knowing my fat fingers were not in alignment with flimsy decals. FWIW, the guy who striped the early cars was a local Dearborn Heights painter, Paul Hatton. Lived a few miles down Cherry Hill Rd. from our house, had a garage door with an ENORMOUS old english "H" embellished in gold leaf. Always something cool in his driveway.

You did a great job with it, looks tight and clean. Great color choice too, friend of the family has one in a similar shade. Question, tho: Have you built the Revell new tool E-Type? How did it compare to the Gunze? I recall the H-Tech kit being out for a hot second, passed cos I had several others that I'd never touched, and now regretting...

Seriously: I washed an IDENTICAL 'Bu when I was a porter at a Chevy dealer back in the late '70s. That is as close as I've seen, superb job with the conversion and scratchbuilding! Made my day!

Really nice! Love the 308s.

Like taking an umbrella to a ballgame, or sunglasses to the beach. That said, I know Steve is a fan of the T-Bird and HCDJ, so anything is possible with support and funding.

Hey, can we get back to what is currently announced and in progress? Maybe wish lists could be its own thread.

Kevin Lutz, to the Big Bad Blue courtesy phone please!! Check this build out, it really sings.

I love the coupes, but would dig that even more as a Roadster. Your speculation is spot on - and I really like how it turned out. Scooping up Blue Banditos wherever I can find them...! One question tho - Are there other Monogram-sized wheel covers for the insert whitewall tires beyond the Olds Fiesta (last seen in the '58 T-Bird) and the excellent Dodge Lancers in the '59 2-in-1 Revell kit? (or was it the '60?) I'm briefly excepting the T-Bird spoke wheels in the pickup... but they might be interesting at some point.) I really enjoy the look on an early rod, very "roadsters in roto" look of quality home built rods, where real "mag" wheels were just out of sight even for a bucks up guy.

Strolled through That Outlet Place and happened upon a stack of the tankers, figured it would be a good slump breaker at some point. Shaking my head going through the kit - if it had only been 1/25 or even 1/24 it would have been a sensation at the time. Anywayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.... the markings in the Atlantis kit are uninspired. Thinking something like a Texaco, Gulf, Mobil, etc. would be much more rewarding to build. Esoteric, to be sure, but gotta change it up now and then.

Imma take a wild guess that when AMT was knocking out the Craftsman / Trophy Jr. series the toolmakers and job setters were working to get product out and might have just grabbed the Coupe/Convertible insert. Wondering how many production runs the Craftsman version of this had before the tool was scrapped (Which Steve G. confirmed in my discussion.)