Dave Darby

Looking good so far! I drilled my headlights out, and added the reflectors from the 56 Ford kit, with lenses from the 50 Ford Convertible. Good call spacing out the taillights. Way more realistic. Here's my review of the current version of the kit. https://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/187750-round2-57-thunderbird-amt-139712-2023-complete-detailed-review/

In most areas, I find the Monogram 56 better than the AMT 56. Proportionally however, I think the AMT 57 beats both of them.

The roof by Drag City Casting is based off of the Craftsman kit version, which is much better than the glue kit version that was added to the second issue in 1966. It's really nice. Both of these roofs are from Drag City Casting.

According to what I've read, and According to the instruction sheet pictured, the 57 kit from 1962 was derived from the promo tool. In fact, if you compare, most of the promo parts will interchange with the glue kit. There were actually more than one 57 Tbird promo tool cut. That may be what the Craftsman version was derived from.

Looking good! Definitely following this build.

Next time you're at Hobby Lobby, pick up an AMT 63 Impala. It has a whole set of those American Daisy mags.

The rear piece is from the AMT 1961 Falcon Ranchero Styline kit.

The engine in these kits is closer to an FE engine, so the closest bet is the Y block from the one issue only Revell stock 56 F100. Following that, there's any number of Y blocks, from the Revell 57 Fords, and the AMT 56 and Fords. But they will need the exhaust manifolds with the front crossover pipe added or made. When dual exhausts were added, they'd either run a pipe off the front left manifold, use headers, or the rare 57-64 C Series cabover Rams horn manifolds. Regular LH passenger car manifolds dumped into the steering box.

I'll second that they are some fantastic builds. As far as Atlantis having the tools, at least as far as the 1/24th stuff, that isn't too likely. Revell Monogram just reissued the 32 Roadster a couple of years ago, and I think both the T and A (last seen as the Blue Bandito) are still with Revell/Monogram as well. Maybe they can be convinced to run some retooled parts, although the Boss A Bone, being a Tom Daniel design is likely out of the question.

I'm in the Midlands (Columbia). What city are you in?

The top is too tall, and the front wheel openings are too long. The grille looks off to me as well. The Monogram 57 Chevys share those issues. That was a definite low period for the Monogram design department. Funny part is how many toys that were mastered off of those kits, that share the same inaccuracies.

I very much agree with that. That's one reason I did not use the word "just". I have built plenty of models "out of the box", especially during my box art building days. And, it is relaxing. I actually have a few that are simply polished plastic. But I've been kit-bashing since I started building, at around the age of 6. The whole point of building models is to have fun, so basically, "you do you". My point was that if you are an out of box builder, it's going to be rare that a manufacturer is going to build precisely the configuration of kit you are looking for. Hence, perhaps people should spend less time bashing kit contents, and more time kit-bashing. It's fun.

That is so very true. And for builders like me, a kit is just the raw materials of a project. I don't just see what it is. I see what I can make it into. When I was in art class in Junior High, we got to pick our own projects to work on. My best friend and I picked model cars, and our teacher told us "Absolutely not!" as his view was that they were like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. My friend and I were able to make the case that we didn't build straight out of the box, and that we cut and swapped and customized our projects. He let us do it, and we both got A's. That said, the changes Revell made to the 32 Sedan made it even closer to what I would want than before. But again, are you a builder or an assembler?

I don't recall seeing anything about Budd Anderson in my mockup/draft I got from Tim K. Other than my mention of him at the top of the column. Should be all you. For you other guys, what I am talking about, is this month's Vintage Workbench is devoted to a profile of our own Tim Boyd. I'm pretty excited about it.

The trim on the 40 Ford hood was never all that well pronounced to begin with, and that is actually for a reason. Unlike the body, which has sliding side inserts, the hood is a two part mold set up. All molds have to have a a draft angle to facilitate the part coming out of the mold. If the trim was more pronounced, it would get stuck in the mold, similar to tongue and groove construction in wood working. The Revell hood benefits from the sliding side inserts on the tool, and allows for the more pronounced trim. But that tool is also about 35 years newer. The Street Rods issue indeed had a nice set of finned heads. I'd like to see those come back, myself. Even cooler would be the side exiting headers, chrome Buick stock style valve covers, skirts, and and cone disk wheel covers and flames of the original.

I'd love to see the MPC 1974 Ford Van (1/20th scale) cloned down to a 1/25th scale kit.

You will probably want to create a slot in the front crossmember to accommodate the mounting tab. Just drill 3 or 4 holes next to each other and cut the dividing material out. Then it will be a drop-in. I hadn't seen those Iceman axles before. I like that they are beam axles. If you have a stash of extra kits, the Revell 32 Fords all come with chromed dropped axles, as do the AMT 27 T Touring, and the EX MPC Switcher 32 Ford kits.

You have to remember that this kit was designed during a very low point in AMT's history. I believe that engine is purported to be a 360. (Albeit a very inaccurate one.) It lacks the scalloped rocker covers of a poly, and few people ran polys in the 70s. I think the design team just didn't do their research. The whole kit is a bit on the crude side, especially the chassis and running gear. But it's the only game in town if you want a 48 Plymouth, and it certainly is workable.

I hope they fix the headlights on the 72 Chevelle. They're a little bug-eyed after being restored from the NASCAR version.

As bad as it may be, it's light years better than the Monogram 1/24th scale offering. That thing has a way too tall roof, and elongated front wheel openings. The rest of the parts are rather toy like. I can work with the ex Revell kit. I wouldn't touch the other one with a 10 foot pole.

Great job on a kit that does not get the respect that it deserves. For one thing, it has arguably the best dropped beam axle and hydraulic brake backing plate detail of any put to 1/24th scale. One of the best proportioned as well, especially before the release of the Revell kit. Very cool build.

That is awesome. What scale is that? Was the original the same scale? The detailing also really brings it to life.

I think that was a custom touch, rather than a mistake. It's a great way to tell a real Little Deuce/Son of Ford from a clone though.

Looking really good, stance and wheels, color, accessories, great package. This points up what a great potential this kit has for kit-bashers, and what a great kit all-around it could be if Round2 were to tool up a few new parts.

Major Art & Hobby in Davenport?