Snake45

I've heard that's a nice kit, from some people whose opinion I value. Will have to get one. Lessee, I've got 1/48 P-51Ds from Hawk, Monogram, Revell, Bandai, Nichimo, Tamiya, ICM, Hasegawa and I'd swear at least one or two more. Guess I can make room on the shelf for an Airfix.

What scale are these?

Very interesting! I'd think that it would be much easier to tool up bodies in this multipiece way than to do it with big molds with sliding inserts for one-piece bodies. If someone would issue 1/24-1/25 cars that had never been kitted before, done this way, would you buy them? I sure would. Been building model airplanes for more than 50 years and multipiece assembly doesn't bother me in the least but I'm wondering what everyone else thinks about the idea.

Monogram 1/24 '69 Camaro, Monogram '66 Chevelle, AMT (ex-MPC) '57 Corvette flip-front "gasser." Maybe the AMT '72 Nova. These kits are all IMHO unusually difficult to build and have come out looking halfway decent. AMT '62 Corvette isn't difficult to build, but its too-small headlights take it off my "good" or "serious model" kit list. Maybe one of the first-gen AMT funny cars? ('66 Mustang, '67 Comet, '65 Nova, etc.) How about the first-issue Monogram 1/24 '70 AAR Cuda? The roof is so horrendously misshaped that IMHO it's a complete waste of time to try to make a serious replica out of it. BUT what about whacking off the hideous roof and do it as a convert? Oh, the AMT/MPC '69 Firebird is pretty bad, too. Not quite as bad as the Camaro, but still pretty bad.

Interesting. Kinda reminds me of the Aurora Thunderjet HO Riviera I had as a kid. There was an article in the model car rags of the day on how to "convert" it to a '66 or '67 Chevelle. And I did.

Steve, those are both beautiful! Don't believe I've seen either one of them before. You are DA MAN!

The MPC '69 Camaro would rate very highly on my "Worst Model Car Kits of All Time" list. And I've earned the right to say that; I've built five of the wretched backbirths. A guy in Model Airplane World just finished one of these, and posted lots of build pics. He's an airplane guy, not a car guy, but the thread might be interesting to you: http://www.network54.com/Forum/232723/thread/1514489390/last-1514538200/(View+All+Messages+In+This+Thread)

That's kind of a cool little kit. Has an unusual top you might like. One thing I don't like about it is the front suspension. They've got the spring sitting right at the level of the frame. Most of these things had a hanger bracket on the front crossmember that raised the front axle, thereby lowing the front end of the car. Fortunately, such a thing isn't too difficult to make out of scrap plastic. That's what I'm gonna do with mine.

I was wondering the same thing myself. I call those "Escapes from the Shelf of Doom."

Or you can click on the little arrow at the far right of the bar in each forum's title box. I routinely keep the Truck section condensed. All others have at least one subforum I like to check on regularly.

Nicely done. It's fun to build one of these old retro classics right out of the box every now and then, isn't it?

Got mine today. Kinda sorta interesting article in some ways but the words "styrene butcher" went through my mind more than once. Most of these things were the scale plastic equivalent of rat rods. At least he's not cutting up rare old kits.

Very cool project. Many of us here have never seen this kit in 3D and probably never will. I'm looking forward to the chance to follow along with you on it.

It's really not difficult, and unlike paint, there's never any danger of "burning through." The hardest part is finding good plastic to polish. First, it has to be in a color you like/want, and then it has to be opaque enough that it won't have that translucent/plastic-y look when done. This one is marginal in the latter aspect, and it has some of the infamous metallic swirls, but I went with it anyway. But I don't think I have any other polished silver plastic in my collection.

Nice build of an old classic, and I bet you enjoyed the stroll down Memory Lane!

Absolutely outstanding work. One of the very best replications of a real car I've ever seen.

I see what you mean. I'm currently trying to get the wheels off a '63 Sting Ray diecast, and they ain't budging. The weird part is, I can get the wheel to turn on the axle, with some effort, which you'd think would loosen it up, but it ain't moving outward a bit.

Possibly. I think one of the recent(ish) reissues was in those markings. I have the Car Craft magazine with a full-color spread on the real car, and have considered building it.

That's another way to look at, and I like your interpretation. Thanks for "getting it."

Not my thing at all, but no denying that's a very clean build.

Come to think of it, that IS a nice color and very close to '69 Chevy Lemans Blue. You forgot to tell us what the paint is.

I went looking for it online, found it listed as ERTL 2012 issue. I was thinking of stripping off all the lettering and redoing it as a Mach I or even a base Sportroof Mustang, but the Boss 302's unique lack of quarter fender fake scoops kinda precludes that plan. So I might go with my standard fallback plan of a late-'70s daily driver, when these cars weren't worth much (due to rising gas and insurance prices) and were modified and driven with abandon by a few hard-core reprobates. (I know. I was one of them with a '69 Camaro.)

Well I'll have to get one of those '66 Fairlanes just for the retro-cool 1966 box. Probably a Polyglas Gasser, too. I've never owned any '62 Pontiac kit but am starting to get the urge. Now, what's up with the '69 GTX box? Doesn't look like any '69 AMT or MPC box. Are they going for a little bit of a JoHan vibe with that?

And set a few years letter and with way better cars. IMHO, of course.

Lessee, they'd only have to change (or new-tool) the body, hood, grille, interior, complete engine, and wheels. But hey they could use the chassis, wheel backs, and tires. Actually the tires in the '67 kit might be more appropriate to a '63 than a '67 (being originally tooled for the '57 Chevy).