Robberbaron

I've probably bought about 14 of the Monogram '86 Monte Carlo SS kits (although it's really an '85 with '86+ mirrors and wheels)

There's an awful lot of it out there now, though. Unfortunately, it seems like the majority of the American public either doesn't pay attention or just doesn't care. I suppose to most millennials, the Vietnam War might as well be ancient history, never mind the Korean War and China's role in that.

Pretty much sums it up. This is another reason I keep adding to my kit stockpile. All it takes is one spark to set off the powderkeg, and it's really only a matter of time. Manufacturing in a communist country really is equivalent to making a deal with the devil. The smart countries like China play with the rules of capitalism just enough to bend it to their advantage, but when push comes to shove their government can and will change the rules at their whim. Don't expect to ever see any of the classic American-made kit tooling shipped out of China en masse for a company to shift production elsewhere. Once the manure hits the fan, it's dunzo. Seeing more and more products made in Vietnam now, and even Cambodia. As a kid during the eighties, I never would have believed we would see that. Imagine it's all just a different side of the same coin, as far as dealing with those regimes. Just today we learned we are getting new Carhartt company coats at my workplace, with 2 styles to choose from. Went back to our warehouse to check out which style I wanted. The classic black denim style is made in America, as I'm used to seeing. The gray style (weird polyester-type material) is made in Cambodia of all places. Guess which style I picked...

For the record, after the Sox & Martin version with the corrected distributor, they did at least one more run of the 2n1 version, which now also has the corrected part. I got mine about a year ago when my local Hobby Lobby finally decided to start carrying it (they never got in the first run version, which actually worked out well for me). Chances are that any brick and mortar retailer that has one of these on the shelf will have this newer version. Buying online or at swap meets is always a carp shoot, you might still get a first run with the 7 nubs. (Maybe there's a way to tell by a code on the box somewhere? Never researched it because I'm not planning to buy any additional ones)

My grandfather had a wood-grained Matador wagon just like this, but metallic blue instead of yellow. Lotta fond memories of riding around in it when we were kids. Funny thing is that I never thought it was ugly or wierd looking. I've been car-obsessed as long as I can remember, and back when all these AMCs were common, the Pacers really did stand out because of their styling (and I thought they were ugly as sin). I also thought Gremlins were ugly because of their rear styling, but not altogether bizarre like the Pacers. Now I appreciate the idiosyncrasies of both designs. Maybe because a family member owned a Matador, I was just so familiar with it that I didn't think anything of it? Looking at objectively now, I've got to admit it's a bit fugly. Still, in the Matador's defense, aside from the front end restyle they gave it in 1974, the rest of the body styling was pretty conventional.

Tim, really like this, especially the "corrected" roof opening and wood work...

Really nice. This is what an A coupe should look like!

Outstanding build as always! Gotta agree, nicest version of this kit that I've seen, I believe.

One other source that I know of for a pair of Spyders (NOT a full set of four) would be certain versions of the old Monogram 1/24 scale (bad) 1969 Camaro. These versions came with a pair of Spyders for the rear, and what I believe are supposed to be Motor Wheel Flys for the front. I never had this version myself, so I can't speak regarding how decent these wheels actually are. Being an old 1/24th Monogram kit, there may be a size difference as well, although some older Monogram kits seemed to have underscale wheels that do interchange with 1/25 kits. Not to sidetrack the discussion too much, but this wheel combo (Motor Wheel Spyders in back, Motor Wheel Flys up front) was high dollar equipment on early '70s Pro Stockers. For these applications, Motor Wheel custom built all-alloy Spyders (no steel rim like the street versions). The Flys were also race-only magnesium wheels that were too fragile to run on the street. Bogart Wheels patterned their Fly Star wheels after them, and they were also the inspiration for the Weld Pro Star design. Whenever I see pics of these early Pro Stockers running Motor Wheel Flys, it's jarring to me because it looks like such a modern design, even though it's not...

Cool! I always thought this generation of T-birds were very sharp. In HS one of my buddy's dads had a white LX V8 very similar to your red one, cornering lights and everything. I always liked the LX's of this generation a bit better, since they still had the chrome grills.

Very nice!

Another nice one, probably the nicest build.of this kit that I've seen. Almost missed the white pinstripe along the sides, nice attention to the details....

Nice job - tough looking little car!

I have a soft spot for AMCs as well, my Grandpa always bought AMCs, along with several of my uncles, actually going back pre-merger to the Nashes. My mother likes to reminisce about teasing my Grandpa and Uncle Bob about their "Nash cans", which is what the younger kids called the bathtub Nashes, since they thought they were so ugly. My Grandpa eventually switched to AMC wagons. His Rambler wagon survived (barely) the infamous 1967 Oak Lawn tornado. My mom recalled looking out their basement window and seeing the back wheels actually briefly lift off the driveway as the tornado passed nearby. Last car my Grandpa bought was a Matador wagon (guessing it was about a 1977), complete with woodgrain, of course. Last AMC in the family was my Uncle's Concord coupe.

Thanks for confirming, Scott. I also always thought that Pacer wagons had better proportions than the coupes. This is another kit that I love just for the absurdity of it. Back in the day, a Pacer wagon was just about the most "uncool" car you could imagine (even more so than the Pacer coupes). Kind of amazes me that it was kitted. Nowadays, Pacers are so unusual and bizarre looking that they really are kind of cool. Of course, if you try hard enough, you can make anything cool:

Dont forget that the fourth monster truck in the series was the El Camino, with the original "standard" flat front end with chrome front bumper. That one of course wasn't really "restored" back to its previous version. Instead Ertl converted it to the AMT-branded SS, complete with poor-fitting nose with unevenly spaced grille bars (then reissued by Round 2 as an MPC). About the only plus is that they finally updated the dash to the 81-85 style.

Also picked up one of the MPC Pinto wagons today. Not sure what it says about me, but 4 of my last 5 kit purchases have been these old MPC reissues. My LHS also had the AMT Pacer wagons, but figured that might be a purchase for the next visit. Scott, does the AMT Pacer have a promo type chassis like the MPC Pacer, or is the drivetrain and exhaust separate, similar to the AMT Gremlin kits? Don't think I've seen pics posted yet of the AMT Pacer kit contents.

Harry, just heard about your situation in one of the other threads. Thoughts and prayers for you as you fight this. Sorry to here about your experiences with the new healthcare bureaucracy, unfortunately it's now the new normal. As my mom has gotten older, unfortunately she has had to be hospitalized multiple times over the last 10 years. She's been in 3 times in the last 2 years alone, and let me tell you the last couple hospitalizations have been a 180 degree bad turn from just a few short years ago. One key factor in the Obamacare scheme is denial of coverage to try to keep costs down, so your physician's recommendations are often no longer good enough to qualify you for coverage. I'm also in charge of my family's finances, which includes monitoring health insurance statements, paying bills for our copays and deductibles, etc. With me, my wife, and 3 kids, it sometimes feels like a second job just figuring out what you legitimately owe and making sure the insurance is paying what they should. I'm in the middle of fighting my insurance right now for my wife's hip surgery this past June. They're currently refusing to pay because they've deemed it "medically unnecessary". Because of course there's an epidemic of people getting hip surgery purely for the heck of it...

I had the same thoughts, Mark. Though I never bought one, I recall the Street Machine version had Halibrands, while this new box art sure looks like big and little Torq Thrusts. I believe Mike Wherry (Pack Rat on this board) advised that the new TT's in the '64 Plymouth Lawman are also included in the AMT-branded (former Lindberg) '61 Impala. Wonder if they're also including those same wheels in this one? I suppose optional wheels/tires would be enough (technically) to describe it as a 2 in 1, but if there aren't any other optional parts, it'll be a tough to get me to pry my wallet open for this one, as cool as the soap box car is (since I have several of the first issue Ertl stock version). Just too much cool stuff coming out, with finite finances...

Oops, sorry for the bad info. I think in my mind I was merging the AMT '58 Impala engine (which DOES have a separate crank) with the Revell engines. That's what I get for trying to go off memory instead of actually digging a kit out of my stash to confirm visually. Hate to spread misinformation...

Forgot to mention: in the few (older issue) built up '56s that I've seen posted, it seems like there's something not quite right about the c-pillar profile and the quarter window shape. IMO, unless you can get these old issue tri-5s dirt cheap as a parts source, there's not much reason to seek them out when there are now new tool versions of the subjects that are so much superior. (Except the '57 Nomad, I suppose) I guess it could be a nostalgia thing for some, or maybe you like sado-masochism...

All these old Revell tri-5 kits have some different issues. I think out of the box, the 55 hardtop probably looks the most correct of the bunch. One thing I've noticed is that the headlights/bezels don't look quite right. I think the headlights mount a bit too low under the fender "hoods", due to the top of the bezel being too thick. Gives the car a "wide-eyed" look compared to the 1:1. If I ever get around to building my Skip's Drive-In version, I think I'll shave some material off the top of each bezel to try to tuck the lights in a little better under the hoods. FWIW, the Skips version also does not have stock wheels/tires. It's molded in black, but mine seems warp free. Unlike my Hot Rod issue '56 sedan, which is hopelessly warped like everyone else's. Avoid this version like the plague, as I have yet to hear of anyone purchasing one that had a useable body. It's possible that the entire run was warped, from packing the bodies too quickly. Chrome in all these Revell kits of this era was also VERY poor quality. Such was Revell QC in the mid to late '80s. I bought mine at a swap meet long after it was out of production (only a year or so before the new tool '56 sedan came out), so was SOL as far as getting a replacement body or a refund. Because I'm a pack rat who can't stand to part with anything, I still have it. Only use I've thought of is to build it as a late 60s/early 70s circle track car that's been seriously battle tested, which would allow me to use the existing warpage as a starting point. From what I've seen in pictures, I believe most racers preferred to use sedans as opposed to hardtop for circle track cars, so that would at least make sense. One nice aspect of all these tri-5s is their overdetailed engines, with separate cranks, piston detail, etc. I believe others have stated that they're pretty much equivalent to the Revell parts pack engines as far as detail, and could look great partially disassembled in a diorama. I seem to recall the '55 has both the SBC as well as a big block W motor. I believe the top is a little "chopped" in both the '57 hardtop and Nomad, although I'll admit I haven't bought either. My brother did build the Nomad when we were kids though, and I remember he had a heck of a time finishing it. I specifically recall him struggling with the front suspension and steering, trying to get everything together using Testors tube glue. He did finish it, but it wasn't one of his "front row" builds... ?

Outstanding! I agree with Kevin, your red convertible was gorgeous, but this one is even a step beyond! Great color combo, that Tamiya really does look like that green they used for these Cutlasses. Seem to recall seeing quite a few in that color when I was a kid. What puts this over the top for me is the rolling stock - I'm a sucker for pie pans on muscle cars, and I don't think I've ever seen anyone replicate Uniroyal Tiger Paws on a build before. Once again, great work!

Clean build. Did those wheels come with the kit? Looks like they're a pretty good representation of ET-III's. Don't think I've seen those before...

Awesome build! I wore out our VHS copy of Ghostbusters back in the '80s from watching it constantly. I always thought this original version of Ecto 1 looked cool when it first appears in the movie. From everything I remember, you nailed it, down to that one green light on the roof! Think I might pop that DVD in tonight for a little nostalgia!