Mark

A lot of people don't seem to realize that there are other people, let alone other countries...

The Atlantis slicks won't fit without radiusing the rear wheel openings. They also won't fit the wheels provided in the Chevy kit.

'64 and '65 Chevelle wagon and El Camino.

Even the X-Acto ones loosen up when you switch back and forth between sizes. If you have a couple of "favorite" smaller sizes (like for ignition wiring, or wire to pin parts together) you should consider having pin vises dedicated to those sizes. Even a cheap one will do, provided it is concentric (sometimes a big "if") and used with only one size drill.

Around here, the smokes are buried behind the counter. If there are massive amounts of cancer sticks being pilfered, they aren't being reported.

Not having to deal with cash isn't a bad thing, as long as customers still have a choice. They still do, in a roundabout way: if the place won't take cash, you can go somewhere else. I remember back in the olden days, you'd watch the local news and every day there was at least one gas station robbery. I can't remember the last time I heard or read anything about one in the area, even though many more dollars cross the counter between gas and cigarette sales. Nearly everyone uses a card nowadays, less temptation out there for a gas station stickup.

But if it were in Australia, it would be spiraling in the opposite direction...

I'd still like to see a variation with plating on the suspension parts tree, but not having it in this kit isn't a problem. The wheel pack does have ejector pin marks on the faces of all but the dragster spoke wheels, so not having plating means you can get right to cleaning those up. All but the spoke wheels would be magnesium in 1:1 anyway, so paint is in order. The frame in this kit is single round "tube", roughly the diameter of many parts trees. If you cut the frame between the notches for the radius rod tabs, it would be pretty easy to stretch the side rails. I'd use styrene tubing, and drill the cut ends and use a piece of music wire for strength. Lengthened, it might make a decent show rod chassis.

I'd expect that of a tank, in fact that was in the back of my mind as I had heard and read about "gallons per mile" in several Second World War programs and books. I'd expect it of this truck, too, but then again the guy who could afford to build it probably gets double cheese on his pizza...

Other than the body and glass, none of the parts from the custom sedan ever surfaced again after the double kit issues. Once the Willys was changed to include the pickup version, that was it. Some of the Gasser series (cartoon box art) Willys kits include the Ford, others include only the Willys but with the pickup version. The box art shows only the Willys coupe, nothing else is shown or mentioned.

The version that imitates the Revell Orange Crate, or the one that mimics the Monogram Li'l Coffin?

The parts pack Buick engine has a bunch of parts that aren't on any of the four engines in the Showboat. Stock oil pan, transmission, things like that.

He's fishing. That's what happens when eBay dishes out free listings and re-listings in order to prop up their numbers.

How many gallons per mile?

I would never soak resin in anything in order to remove paint. Is it just a poor paint job that you'd like to re-do, or do you want to change color? For the former, would it be possible to clean it, scuff it, and re-shoot? Or is there too much paint on it now? If it's the latter, and the paint on it now is good, I'd leave it alone. Just my opinion though.

The kids building back then often wanted to build racing versions, mostly drag cars with the occasional NASCAR build. NASCAR did have a convertible division through about 1962, but the hardtops were more popular. I don't think drag cars were allowed to race with the top down...so with no raised top included, no drag version. Most guys wanted hardtops for customs too. All that would explain the convertible kits being leftovers at years' end.

The Mustang II parts are from an MPC annual kit. The GTO is the Super Stocker (dirt track car). There was a pro stocker but it was a '72 drag car, totally different thing. The kit you have was recently reissued so you should be able to locate a hood. The reissues do not include the "pony" or "floater" tire (left front tire that looks like a grooved drag slick).

Right in the instructions, step 1: "locate engine to chassis". Last time I looked, it only fit one way...

It all depends. With built or started kits, they're all over the map. At the last pre-Covid local IPMS meet, myself and two friends always get three tables and set up. Naturally we rifle through each others' sale stuff the day before, and while waiting for everyone else to set up. I spotted a built/unpainted AMT '63 Stingray. Looked it over, it looked really clean and was all there. Three bucks. I said to my friend "you did know this one is an annual, right?" He said yes he knew, but at that time he wasn't able to get more than $5 for a built one regardless of issue. He had it at $3 because he'd brought a carload and a half of stuff to sell, was blowing everything out because he didn't have the extra half carload of space to get back home after the show. So, for $3, I snagged a decent, clean, annual issue Corvette. I myself prefer early issues of many-times-reissued kits...sharper detail, (usually) harder plastic, (usually) molded in opaque white. I try to steer clear of issues molded in black, yellow, orange, or red, and anything with satin finish or gold tint plating. Just my preferences though.

I'll see what I can do regarding photos...I've already taken a number of parts off of the trees! But I thought some of the trees have already been seen here. The Ford and Cadillac engine packs, for example. The suspension parts, wheels, and slicks are included in the Mooneyes dragster, and the chassis pack in that kit (included for only one part) is somewhat like the one in the Fiat coupe kit. I also got another kit yesterday (new tool Porsche Carrera) and was thinking about a few pictures of that one also. That one might just be the highest quality "regular kit price" car kit I have ever seen...just my opinion, but it's 90% or more of a Fujimi Enthusiast Series kit at a fraction of the price, and with what looks like easier assembly...

Depends on a lot of things: condition, popularity, content of one versus another. Many times the newer issue has better tires or decals, or is molded in a different color, making the finished build better. Sometimes newer issues aren't molded as crisply, leaving some details softer than the originals. It all depends on the particular kit.

Essentially, yes, a big box of parts packs. Some of the assembly isn't explained well (like how the lower body pan fits the chassis) and some hand work, pre-fitting, and alterations will be necessary during assembly. Don't take any of this as complaining...I knew precisely what I was getting, as will most of the other people who buy one. But this is not one of those "shake the box and it all falls together" kits.

Looking through a 1964 Auto World catalog, they did carry prior years' annual kits. They may have bought leftover warehouse stock from AMT or a wholesaler. The '64 catalog includes no '58 or '59 annuals, and one '60. Most are 1962 and 1963 annuals. Most are convertibles. In instances where both a hardtop and convertible version of the same car were manufactured, there is not a single instance where Auto World had prior year hardtop kits but not convertibles. In some cases they had both, and of course they had a few hardtop or sedan kits in cases that no convertible was offered in 1:1. But, when both were made, the last ones left unsold were always convertibles. That would seem to bear out Tim's assessment of the situation, and would explain why not all of the convertibles made it into kit boxes starting with the '65 model year.

The instructions don't show a lot of things, like the inner rear fenders that come with the body or the floorboard that comes with the frame. Those parts won't necessarily fit without alterations though, and the kit overall is probably more of a do-it-yourself project than the average kit. But those who like the subject matter will likely know all of that and will buy more than one copy anyway.

That pack is included in the Mooneyes dragster kit. The dragster uses only one part from it: the tow bar (or maybe the push bar), which was repurposed as a suspension piece for the dragster. The Fiat coupe kit includes the tubular frame pack, not this one.