Mark

I've seen a few of them with sunroofs...

Different trim levels?

The Monogram '41 Continental kit has a much better V-12 engine. It's 1/24 scale, and simplified (parts like oil pan and exhaust manifolds molded as a unit with the block).

I've got one Car Model Contest Annual (centered around the first Revell contest in '63), and three compilations of CAR MODEL articles. One is called "The Big Book of Car Modeling" , it's probably from about 1965, and two other compilations dated 1967 and 1968. All of them have reprints of articles from the magazine (some are in all three!), a few are edited/updated, some have the original writers' names deleted. I don't believe any of these have any totally new/original material. Probably a "quick buck" thing for CAR MODEL; the writers sold the articles for a one-time payment, and signed over the reprint rights when they did that. I'm not claiming to have all of these; there may be more. In fact, I'm hoping there are annuals for the second and third Revell contests. The '57 Chevy build is covered in one of the 1964 issues, and it's on the cover as well. It was entered in the '65 Revell contest, which I don't know whether or not they did an annual for like the '63 contest. The original build had wheels, tires, and slicks from the Revell '57 kit. As it sits now, those have been switched out for AMT '55 Nomad mags, slicks, and front tires, and a custom grille bar was added from an AMT '56 Ford kit. Other than that, it's pretty much the same. It's in good shape, though the seam between the wood section of the roof and the front part of the original roof is now visible. I've got all 133 issues of CAR MODEL magazine; the one with the first half of the Dodge article is the only one of the lot that hasn't got the cover. I guess I'll be keeping an eye open for one on eBay and/or NNL East. The second half issue (December '65?) does have two pictures of the car on the cover. I do plan on posting all three as soon as I get the data stepped up on my phone (which is a better camera than my camera). Between this stuff and a job search, the thing is pretty much overwhelmed right now...

I saw the Malco Gasser Mustang, but passed on it because I've got a pile of parts to build one better than the kit (AMT annual kit body, first issue MPC chassis, and other "better" parts). I figured whoever got that one would know what it is, and take care of it. I did get the Coronet. There are two articles on it: one outlines the altered wheelbase conversion, the other shows how to do hand lettering (hence different themes on opposite sides of the car). The third was a chopped and sectioned '49 Mercury. I knew it was an article car, but forgot about the cover shot until I dug out the magazine. The build is so-so but looks interesting. It's obviously rushed for a deadline, looks okay on top but not so hot underneath. I've got enough original Coronet stuff to build another one, but might use a Polar Lights kit just because. Maybe do two, one with each lettering scheme on both sides. The Merc is chopped "wrong" in that the roof is stretched (using a second kit) and the rear window opening is cut. I'd do the new one the same way, just because. It was built in 1966 using two Mercury kits molded in black. I'd bet Auto World (then connected with Car Model) still had a bunch of those early production black kits in stock, and supplied them to the builder in hopes of stirring up demand for them. Interesting stuff which makes collecting fun...

I got the one you are referring to (as well as two other Car Model cover/article cars); I do intend to preserve all of them as-is (and build copies of the other two). They have tangible history with the documentation to back it up. After sneaking up on the first one and bagging the second, the bidding on the contest car jumped from around $15 or so to the $57 figure, where it stayed for a couple of days. I noticed there were two $57 bids from different bidders, meaning there was "no slack left in the rope", that at that moment it was maxed out. I had the guy ship the other two not figuring on getting that one, but at the end I thought it was "within reach". Collectors talk about how rare a '66 Valiant promo or '69 AMC Rebel kit is, but how many documented early/mid Sixties contest/magazine article cars are left? One of my buddies has another car that appeared in a small photo from coverage of a contest, he got it from the guy who built it who still lives in the area.

The fanatics would go nuts over it...problem is, there aren't enough fanatics to cover the costs involved.

You don't know if you lost it by $1, only that the high bidder's bid was higher than yours at the end by that increment. He might have been willing to pay a lot more than that, it's just that nobody stretched him out more than you did. I've never used a sniping program, but on the other hand I try to throw my bid in as late as possible. You only have to be high bidder for one second, just as long as it's the last second.

Back then, the pro stock (and most funny car) kits were based on stock annual kit bodies. When the bodies were updated to next years' cars, the chance to reissue the drag version was lost. The Leal Duster body is now a '75-'76 Dart Sport.

And, should you meet them, they won't want to shake hands with you...

The body from the '32 sedan was issued once in the mid-Seventies as a stock/street rod kit. The interior, chassis, fenders, etc. from the Phaeton kit were used in that kit.

Revell's kit came first ('63). I'm pretty certain AMT's double kit was first issued in '64. There's a photo out there of John Mazmanian's Willys in front of the AMT offices in Michigan. It's been said that AMT originally planned its Willys as a replica of the Mazmanian car. The Willys in the AMT double kit is nothing like that car, though.

Things have definitely changed over the years; I guess I'll be finding out again. In 1978, you "had to have" a resume that stretched into two pages, even just out of business school. Now, it's "keep it brief" at all costs. Last time around, I had people at employment agencies telling me that giving two weeks' notice was an "outdated" concept. That wasn't one place, which I would have considered unusual. If I need to do so, that is definitely still happening, as I've got a number of benefits that don't kick in unless proper notice is given. Too, as far as I'm concerned, it's just the right thing to do.

Do people still wear a suit to a job interview, or is that making a comeback? I guess it comes down to the position. I didn't wear one last time around, in 2005. I'll be finding out again soon...

The Falcon is one of the most heavily altered kits in this series. Some of them could be returned to something approaching "stock", but for a Falcon I would try to find a rebuildable stock kit, or see what is available in resin.

The '49 Ford engines (both the flathead and the Cadillac) have the axle hole eliminated. Ertl did this about 25 years ago.

The Sturm car was a '64, later it had a '65 front clip. I believe he later cut that car up and used its frame as a starting point for his first Corvair funny car. Malcolm Durham likewise probably had a '64 turned '65, but he's overlooked in terms of subject matter, except maybe in the case of his Corvair. Another guy to look into might be Pete Seaton. He also had a AWB Chevelle, I believe he was the son of a GM exec so his may have started out as a Z-16.

I'm pretty certain the hood on the right is from the AMT Blazer/GMC Jimmy. The pickup hoods never had a cut line on the underside.

There are three or four Dodge logos included for the tailgate, in different colors. "Custom" scripts are included on the decal sheet also!

I'm not 100% certain as my "earlier" pickup kit has been messed with a bit, but that issue does include a three-carb intake that is designed for a flathead application. I believe the stock cylinder heads are included too (not everyone ran finned aluminum heads back in the day). The headers in that kit are three-into-one on each side, but they attach to the ARDUN heads and not to the block as they should on a flathead. The port spacing might not match up with the ports on the block also. The newer (yellow) truck does have the better parts. It may still have the flathead three-carb intake, but I'm not certain of that.

#3 are definitely from the G&R Pinto. That's the only kit they were ever in. #4 might be the fronts from the Monogram Tom Daniel Dragon Wagon (reissued as the Circus Wagon). #5 (the small one) is from one of several AMT '61 or '62 compact car kits.

First version has the truck on the box with scallops, whitewalls, and flipper caps (forget the color, I just took the box downstairs). It's a Monogram-branded kit, "Custom '50 Ford Pickup". Second version is Revell 85-7203, yellow truck on the box, " '50 Ford F-1 Pickup 2 'n 1". The second version includes some larger diameter custom wheels, but also still has the flipper caps and whitewalls. The ARDUN heads in the second version aren't terrible, still I wish Revell had done a better one when they were still doing variations on the '32 Fords...

Yes. The '23 roadster shares some parts with the delivery van and depot hack (another one-shot issue). The rod version chassis parts were shared with yet another one-shot kit, that awful, awful '34 Ford three-window coupe...

The first version of the custom pickup DOES include a flathead intake for the ARDUN conversion. That kit also has headers with three pipes on each side. The rocker covers also have one corner lopped off, to fit the flathead's upper radiator hoses. The second version (yellow truck on the box) does have different (better) head/rocker cover units, a different intake manifold with ports that extend to the heads, and headers with four pipes on each side. I stand corrected on the intake, as I hadn't looked at the newer version prior to posting.

Besides the drive-in airport, I'd be surprised that the Renault actually ran long enough to get there...