Mark

There were two '64 Galaxies: one promotional model and one kit. The ex-promo is still stock, the kit was converted to the Modified Stocker and has remained that way.

If you have both an early (stock parts) version, and a later (Early Iron or later) version of the same car, check the parts trees against one another. You'll see that, not only are the newer trees smaller, but the parts are arranged differently relative to one another. That's true with the stock-only '30 Phaeton kit that I once checked against an original multiple-version Phaeton. That would tell you that the original tooling was cut apart and rearranged, and the original parts not used were likely discarded. That's in contrast with AMT or MPC kits, where parts thought outdated were just blocked off leaving the trees intact with bigger spaces between the parts. At the time those alterations were done, the thought process didn't take into account that anyone would want to see those old, outdated parts again in the future.

In fact, that's a better Cadillac wheel cover than the ones Jo-Han put into their Cadillac annual kits during that period...

After Revell reworked their '56 pickup to 100% stock (which the original never was), I was kind of hoping they would have done the same with the '40. It would have been nice...

The Quicksilver version is tough to find now. Wanting one but being too cheap to spend what they actually go for, I started piecing one together from a couple of junkers and a Street Fighter II. With pieces from both bodies, mine won't have a sunroof OR that huge clear panel at the back of the roof.

The dark one is a mashup of a '62 Corvette (front half of body, custom rear window turned windscreen), '57 T-Bird (rear half, its rear window could be that windscreen too), and a Double Dragster (two of the three engines). The other car is an AMT (produced by MPC) Car Craft Dream Rod. It was later modified into the Tiger Shark, which was recently reissued and could provide a lot of parts to rebuild this one.

That, and if I remember right, this kit was first issued in 1972 after Top Gas had been abolished. At the time, this was a relatively cheap way of getting a "new" kit into the AMT catalog. Only the body, and a part or two to link the two engines together, were new. They pretty much molded two Ivo dragsters, and threw one complete kit in the box along with a second plated tree and engine parts. The original issue (not the Model King one) had two complete plated trees in the box.

Yes. That issue (first one) has stock hub caps and engine parts but is not 100% stock; it has custom interior door panels and seat. Not sure if it has a custom headliner in the cab; I might be confusing it with the Revell '56 pickup which definitely had a custom headliner in the first issue.

The '65 Plymouth Fury is a fullsize car while the Satellite is an intermediate. The windshield frames are different widths and different shapes also. There's nothing currently available that matches up with a '65 Fury, unfortunately.

Nope, AMT and MPC were competitors when these kits were first issued.

Its value as a promo is pretty much gone. If you really want a Road Runner, then go for it.

But the factory-backed Ford/Mercury cars didn't use Chrysler transmissions!

Don't see why you can't whip a couple of small pieces of sheet plastic on there to get the shape you really want. I'd probably lop off the nose section too, I might be wrong but I don't remember too many Top Gas dual-engine cars as having had bodywork forward of the cowl. Another thought: the Digger 'Cuda uses the same chassis...what about a two-engine 'Cuda?

The Too Much is based on the Tommy Ivo dragster Round 2 reissued years ago (probably one of their first reissues). Finding a partial, started, or built one of those might be an option.

Thanks, but I've got a couple of them already.

The Revell '69 Camaros might just be the best series of kits that they ever did, right in there with their '32 Fords and '68-'70 Chargers. And, there are so many versions they could yet add to the series.

Straight six with tube headers? If the block/oil pan is split down the middle, it might be from the Monogram '53 Chevy hardtop. The headers seem to be a good fit on AMT Chevy sixes, I've got a couple of those headers that I fished out of parts boxes for just that reason.

It will fit, but you will have to use the Chevelle interior. The Nova/Tempest front axle will look narrow under the Chevelle also.

The spindles were modified or retooled too. Like other working-suspension MPC 'Vettes, the spindle had an upside-down "L" shaped upper that hooked into a hole in the upper A-arm. You might be able to copy it with a piece of stiff wire from a paper clip, then epoxy or super glue it into a hole drilled in the spindle. It's hard to explain, but if you have an intact working-suspension kit, just copy the relevant parts to restore the feature to a later kit.

When Round 2 includes color-tinted clear parts, 99% of the time they are included in clear also. That's 100% when a stock version is involved. Don't like tinted parts, then don't use 'em.

I too have a '66 annual, should check it against a S&C instruction sheet to see if any of the custom stuff carried over. If I were to try to piece those together right now (ha!) I'm short one hood among other things. Casting the hood is something I was expecting to do though, and won't be a big deal. I should check my casting supplies and order fresh material if needed, before the snow flies...

Good deal on that '66 Mustang lot! One thing about the annual kits is that they have single exhaust pipe detail on the chassis. Lose a little bit of Y-pipe detail towards the front, track down the straight six engine from the '62 Falcon or Comet, and you're good to go on a six-cylinder car. I gave an engine to a buddy of mine who did just that with a '66 convertible, I believe he built it as the Night Stalker car because he liked the show. Not much shopping here lately (got enough stuff already, and then some). Last week's drive to the AMC car show in Pennsylvania triggered a forty-mile side trip to a hobby shop I used to stop at when I worked for a construction company. Everything was full retail, but I did pick up a Jimmy Flintstone '59 Imperial body and a couple of other things. Today's stop locally netted me a Trumpeter panel scriber, a sealed-box Seventies issue Revell '60 (actually '59) Corvette (for five bucks!), a Round 2 Drag 500 tire/slick pack, and an empty but pristine AMT '65 GTO annual kit box (again for a fin).

Thanks for the picture, I should hang on to that. I've got some extra pieces that I fished out of parts boxes, but still there's a long way to go. The Monogram wheel might be coincidence. Daniel usually designed everything on his cars, on some of the show rods even things like rear axles are "styled" and not based on any production car part. The '55 is a more "normal" car though, so it would have more off-the-shelf parts than an all-out show rod would.

Whatever it is, to get the true scale you have to put the ruler to it. Some Monogram 1/24 scale kits are on the small side and closer to 1/25. All Jo-Han AMC promos and kits from 1961 forward are actually 1/24 scale (kit boxes read 1/25, promo model boxes are correct). And a lot of 1/25 scale kits, even some not based on promo models, measure out smaller than 1/25. I won't get into old Japanese kits, except to say there's a series out there with two "1/24 scale" Mitsubishi Galant (Dodge Colt) kits. The coupe measures out to about 1/23, while the four-door is closer to 1/26. And these are in the same series, you're supposed to put them next to one another on the shelf.

I've got a couple of built AMT Sonny & Cher Mustangs (the '66 annual body was altered into that) and one of those has the same style wheel. I'm trying to piece together two of these cars without having to buy a complete kit (unless I trip over a cheap one). I'm pretty certain the S&C issue had two sets of custom wheels, two sets of grilles, and two each of whatever else differed on the two 1:1 cars. That said, I think the Monogram Badman '55 Chevy has a similar mag wheel, though on the front only.