RatRod

This was a "must build" as soon as I opened the box. It's great to see this one make a comeback, but it really needed a little extra help to become right. Minor detailing, a JoHan bug catcher from the parts box, New rear wheels, and slicks that are period correct to replace the ones in the kit. I also scratched up some new spindles for the kit axle so the steering can be posed. Here's a peek.....

She's a beauty!!! Maybe not a color combination that they would have done in '57, but I love it!!! I think this kit still rivals with anything out there.

Holy cow, that is a wonderful display of talent!!! Very nice interior work, and attention to detail throughout. This looks like a high dollar kit!!

Man, that is sweet Marco's!! I wouldn't want to give it away either.

I agree, drink enough to forget '09, and hope that '10 is a much better year!!! Like Peter said, don't drive. CHEERS!!!!

Very cool John!!! As a big bike fan, I love it!!! Here is a few pics of E.J. Potters bike, he ran an injected small block Chevy with direct drive, they would let him wind it up, and push it off the stand, thus the moniker "The Michigan Madman"

That's awesome!!! I've seen the 1:1 too, and you did fantastic!!!

Wow, I haven't paid that much attention lately Bill. That seems kinda steep to me. I picked this one up at a swap meet a few years ago for $13!!! As found... After restoration... Yep, it does have cool box art... Speaking of other "insect" cars, just picked up both of these... The Blue Beetle was an eBay find @ $77.99, and the Boss A Bone was $80 shipped from a buddy. The Beetles have been going for around $75-80 on the Bay, heck a factory sealed one just went for $107 recently. Keep watching, patients will pay off!!!

That looks great on the base Bill!!!! Mustang, what base do you have? I need a base for the Tognotti T, it's the only thing missing from my kit.

Another great Roth build Charles!!! I like the new decals, but don't care for the color to much. The kit decals on this one are a bear....I recently did one too.

Man, that looks nice Bill!!! I like the look with the smaller front tires. I have the original double kit in the AMT box, and someday will build it. My good friend Chuck Darnell has built both kits, here is the only pic I could find on my computer...

Man, that is awesome!!! Fantastic build, and great idea with the decals!!!

Built these two a year or so before the new Revell kits hit the shelves. Both were done using the Monogram kits. I've built several Revell 3 windows, and all have takin' up residency in other collections, and this is the only one I have pics of. This one was done as a more modern Hotrod look. I chopped the top, smoothed and blended the running boards to look as one piece, and bobbed the rear fenders, keeping the body line all around the lip. This was also my very first automotive lacquer paint job (I've never went back in 12+ years ) I used the wheels & tires from the Revell Prowler with detailed photo-etch "Ford" centers. The engine is from the AMT Mustang Cobra, as are the bucket seats. The headers are from the Matt & Debbie Hay T-Bird, and fit this engine swap, and frame like they were made for it!!! A couple old AMT Vickies, both are gone, but I have several more of the kits to replace them!! The last one I have pics of is the AMT Phantom Vicky, built pretty much box stock, and as a "Study in black" . I only used black paint, and colors based on black. Very minimal chrome, carbon fiber valve covers and oil pan, and a scratch built fuel injection system.

It's really great to see the BIG TUB make a comeback!!! It would have been awesome if Revell could have found the six carb manifold that was originally found in the kit, but after writting to them about it, their reply was "We can't find the molds for it". I wonder if they remember that the six carb manifold was offered in a separate "Parts Pack" kit? I really wish they would dig a little deeper to see if the blower, and drag parts are still around to bring back the BIG DRAG, and the correct headers for the BIG ROD as all the rest of both kits were included in the last issue of the BIG T. Anyway, here is a fresh build of the reissued BIG TUB by a good friend, and fellow modeler Paul "BOOM" Burke. Paul custom mixed the redish orange paint to match the original BIG TUB plastic, and did a masterful job building this......

Hey buddy, I take offense to that sign.... Really cool bus Lyle!!!

Very cool Deals Van, love the turbo!!!

Amazing?!?! http://www.57classicchevy.com/789-chevy.html

Very cool Bob!!! I did the very same thing with the body when I built mine. Another good modification is remove as much of the rear axle width as possible to get the rear wheels as close to the frame as you can. It's pretty self explanatory when you look at the assembly how to get it done, and your a smart guy.... Keep at it Bob, it will be interesting to see what you do with it!!!!

WOW!!! That turned out fantastic!!! I agree, this is your best yet Bernard.....

Ya know Bill, that would have been cool to have seen the Big Drag in 1/24, along with the Big Rod. The Little T side box art does show some hints that maybe monogram was seriously thinking along these lines (check out the colors...) Here's a larger pic of the options on the instruction sheet....

Thanks for the compliments!!! Bill, yes this kit has been reissued several times, but after the 1964 issue the molds were changed to do the Tom Daniel Sweet T version, then numerous versions of the T with the trailer. Gone from the kit after 1964 are the nicely done drum brakes, six carb manifold, and the headers. It would take some doing to recreate the original from a reissue.

After many years trying to get an unbuilt Monogram Little T kit, I finally did a trade with a fellow internet friend, and modeler, and got a good enough to restore Little T. This kit was done in 1964, and supposedly scaled down from the Monogram Big T kit. When I received this one, it was a little dusty, and grimy from sitting on a shelf for some 40 years, and in a house with smokers (of course everybody smoked back then.... ) I was amazed at just how well built this model was considering it was built back in the day. All the chrome was scraped before gluing, and it was not a glue bomb. The original builder had actually taken the time, and effort to do a nice clean build. After a careful bath with a soft tooth brush, and detergent, it came out nice.... Even though it looks pretty good in the pictures, it still needed much more cleaning. I really contemplated doing a restoration, but in order to get all the parts clean, it needed to be taken apart. I very carefully disassembled most of the car, but the axles, and tire & wheel assembly's were left together. After all the pieces were were washed, and a fresh paint job, oh and locating a new windshield (the only missing piece) I carefully reassembled it....

Finally finished this vintage kit a couple weeks ago. This is probably the rarest 1/8 Triumph kit Revell did. This kit was done in 1972 as a companion kit to the 1971 release of the Harley drag bike. The box art prototype is a complete disaster, but we never paid that much attention back then..... I've had this unbuilt kit in my collection for about 7 years, and after building the Harley, I figured it needed to be built too!!! There were quite a few things that needed to be addressed with this kit to get things to work right, and I did scratch build new fork tubes to replace the kit forks as they were tapered at the top, and the hand controls didn't fit at all. Here's the final product....

Nice clean build!!! You have to remember that the tie rod on this kit needs to be shortened to make it track right, and you also need to sand those tire treads down. I like the way you did the wheels!!! I did one as a "study in black" awhile back.

Jada went from the #1 lower end diecast manufacturer in the world to the "biggest losers" in a short period of time. I think Battle Bots, or battle machines are the stupidest thing they have ever done......period. You did a nice job doing this "custom" version though, and I like it, kinda a modern Mad Max type.