Robberbaron

I seem to recall that was the main criticism of this kit when it was first released. They got the body contours correct on one side, but not the other. That and the chrome badges for the front fenders are blank, but should have "GT" engraved on them. General consensus at the time is that it is a very nice kit that they seemed to rush a little too much to get released before they got all the bugs out (see, it's not something new )

Stopped at Hobby Lobby the other day with a trusty 40% off coupon. No new releases that interested me, but I didn't want to leave empty handed. Ended up getting another Lindberg '34 Ford pickup. $16.99 list, but with the coupon it was $10.90 out the door. That's for a brand new, still Made in America kit, folks! If you can look past the awful '90s era box art, what you're getting is really a Trophy series AMT kit that still probably has 90% of the original parts in it. Once you open the box, really the only demerits in my book are the awful 2-spoke '90s custom wheels and accompanying low profile tires. When Round 2 purchased Lindberg, they made a point of mentioning that they would eventually return this tool to the AMT fold. Whenever they get around to that, I'm sure they will restore it to its complete, original configuration, and definitely use some retro box art. But you can bet you won't be able to drop $11 bucks on it, either. If you can live without better custom wheels/tires and nice box art, the current kit seems like a steal right now. I say get 'em while you can.

Looks gorgeous! Glad you took your time and got it right.

Unfortunately, more than the grille would be required for an accurate conversion. The entire front clip on the GMC is different, so a new resin cab and front bumper would also be required. At least, that is the case for US spec GMC Sierras of this generation. Not sure about exports to the UK, but good chance this also applies to yours. I don't know of anyone offering the conversion parts, unfortunately. I'd like to do this conversion myself, since my daily driver is a Sierra. Let us know if you turn something up.

"...his father managed to keep him from actually stopping by the house in person for the last 10 years..." Not in the know enough to comment as far as the family dynamic. Does seem surprising to me, since they both shared a common bond in hot rodding, his son was someone who could truly appreciate what he had. Come to think of it, that might have been the reason he tried to keep his son in the dark. If he knew how his dad was storing some of these cars and parts, he might have tried to make him sell some of it off, or at least store it better. An example is a complete, factory dual quad small block Chevy out of a Vette, that was literally just sitting outside in the dirt. As they progressed through the property, he was shaking his head at some of the things they were discovering. He did seem to keep the exotic stuff indoors (Porsche, Ferrari, Pantera).

A buddy of mine at work recently told me about a longtime friend of his, whose father recently passed away. The son, Dave, lives up here in Indiana, but he grew up in Florida, where his father remained until he passed away last year. His Dad’s story is pretty interesting: Bob grew up in Gary, Indiana, built a Model A hot rod (Buick nailhead power) in his youth, went to college, got married, moved to Florida, worked for NASA, daily drove a Ferrari, and basically collected anything automotive that struck his fancy. Along the way he rubbed elbows with the likes of Smokey Yunick. When Dave went down to Florida to take care of funeral arrangements and to settle his father’s estate, he discovered his inheritance: http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2015/01/15/a-lifetimes-collection-of-hot-rods-and-parts-heads-to-auction-in-florida/ The sheer scope of what Bob had amassed is amazing: rows of Tri-5 Chevys, including 7 Nomads and 4 ’57 Bel Air convertibles. Scads of pre-war Fords, mostly roadsters, 3-windows, and 5-windows. Remains of a 1958 Corvette, a semi-restored 1958 Porsche 356, a 1973 Pantera with 3800 miles (bought from an astronaut), the still running 1978 Ferrari. Stacks of vintage speed parts, including Smokey Yunick experimental /prototype intakes. From what my buddy has said, the articles that have been posted online are pretty accurate: Dave knew his father had quite a bit of stuff, but he had no idea how much his father kept acquiring after Dave moved back to Indiana, and his father managed to keep him from actually stopping by the house in person for the last 10 years. Most of the cars were stored outside, and the Florida coastal climate hasn’t been kind to many of them (especially a ’57 Nomad whose roof has basically disintegrated). Frankly, however, I’m amazed how good some of this stuff has remained, since some of it has been outside in the salt air for 40+ years. Dave is keeping his Dad’s Model A, and a 1935 Ford Roadster. I’m sure he’s also cherry-picked many parts. Everything else is getting auctioned off this April: http://www.vanderbrinkauctions.com/auctions_details.php?detail=165&allimages=NO I don’t know Dave personally, but he is quite the hot rodder himself, and has had several magazine features on his own cars, so I can only imagine how hard it must be to sell off some of this stuff.

Nicely done! Really like your choice of the Z wheels.

Very nice, as usual. I've always liked this kit, even though it's somewhat basic. Your build proves how good it can look.

Nice job! I especially like the choice of the drag stars. I always liked this kit, since it allows you to build the car as a sedan (post car).

Diggin' it. I also seem to recall seeing this one back in the day. I was just hitting junior high when the Pro Street movement was peaking, so it had a major impact on me as a car crazy "yout". I think pink, aqua, and peach served as the basic colors for the Pro Street movement. I agree, eventually there will be a better appreciation of some of the '80s trends, including well executed pro street cars. I agree regarding gassers: up until at least the mid-90s (when the billet revolt began), a gassser-style car was about as out of fashion as possible.

Never would have guessed that started life as a Hasegawa! Nice job.

Good color for a sleeper, also like the cop wheels (very nice job on those caps). What was your source for the baseline (non-340 sharktooth) grille?

Great build. Good call on the Rally II wheels and no skirts.

Nice save. A friend of mine had a 1:1 '72 hardtop with the 400 small block in a similar shade of blue, and my brother has a '75 Caprice convertible, so I have a soft spot for these full sizers.

Can't say much that hasn't already been said: incredibly clean build, perfect paint, great color selection, and outstanding photography.

The Michael's nearest me does carry kits, but probably has only a quarter of the shelf space compared to Hobby Lobby, which is in the next complex directly east. That Michael's also seems quite disorganized compared to HL. The next nearest Michael's is slightly smaller, and did not carry any model kits the last time I stopped in there.

Hit and miss - some of them still had chrome plating, others didn't. Not sure how Revell decided which Advent kits got actual chrome. My brother's Advent 1957 Ranchero also had actual chrome.

Very impressive!

Great job on a very unusual subject! I especially like the "Fuel Injection" emblems you made for the front fenders, which are a very important part of the visuals on this car. I was lucky enough to see a black '59 Impala fuelie years ago at Chevy-Vettefest in Chicago. Up until that time, I hadn't even known that F.I. could still be ordered on a non-Corvette in 1959.

Nice job! Really wish I'd gotten one of these back in the 80s when they were still available new at the local hobby shop (along with the '62 Dodge and the '63 Plymouth).

Outstanding, right down to the color selections. Very believable as a 1:1, your work on the headlights also makes a huge difference.

Very nice job!

Mention the Plymouth Prowler, and most people will immediately picture the metallic purple that was the only available color when they were first introduced.

Now that LRW poster is some killer artwork! Kinda surprised that Round 2 didn't tag their recent rerelease of that kit as IMC, instead of Lindberg, since they have retro artwork on the new box. Maybe they don't have rights to the IMC name, or maybe they don't need another brand in their arsenal, since they're already juggling 5 different model kit brands. I've always loved that full IMC name: "Industro-Motive Corporation". Just a perfect mid-century, non-descript corporate manufacturing name for a company that could make anything. I seem to recall that IMC actually produced 1:1 automotive parts before branching out into model kits.

Great job as usual, love seeing these unusual Mopars.