tim boyd

Sounds like the '64 Comet kits first shipment has or is about ready to hit the shores here. Sorry, don't know which version it is. Given the time to get it into the distribution system and to dealers, shouldn't be too much of a wait left.....TB

Highly unlikely IMHO. Meanwhile, you can actually get perfect reproductions of these wheels - the originals that were only present in flawless form in the very earliest production of the c.1961 release of the AMT Trophy Series 1936 Ford - from Norm Veber at Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland (and as shown on the cover of the current issue of the magazine covering all forms of scale modeling)....TB

Thx for the added commments Bill For those not familiar with the genesis of this product, the 2004 GTO was a "quick/hurry up" US market federalization of the GM Australian Holden coupe, a very well regarded and successful product for that market which was also sold in small numbers in the U.K. and other RHD markets. GM had just hired former Ford and Chrysler leader Bob Lutz as their new Vice Chairman and he was looking for a signature product for GM's pending rebirth in the US market.. For that, a GTO-badged Holden looked to be the ticket. However, converting to LHD and US market regs was a difficult and time consuming lift, and as much as the team wanted the 2005 hood scoops and separate left/right rear exhaust outlets, plus the extra HP for the first year product, there was just not enought time to do that, combined with the need for GM to counter the all-new S197 Mustang launch occurring soon thereafter,. So the 2004 version came to market without those features, which were then placed into production for the 2005/2006 model years. I just checked my 2005 drift car kit and in addition to the hood scoops and new exhaust/rear fascia components, it has two sets of plated wheels, one being the factory five spoke mags. Strikes me that the 2005 kit additions would be a relatively simple project for some of the resin aftermarket vendors, as in both the 1/1 and 1/25th world, the 2005 GT) is preferred over the 2004. TB

The original "Swoopy Coop" from the pages of Street Rodder Magazine Modeler's Corner c. 1980.... This model was a Modeler's Corner built-up that took advantage of the "tubs" incorporated for whatever reason in the original AMT 1940 Ford Trophy Series 1940 Ford Coupe kit fender unit, just as the fat back tire Pro-Street look was startiing to take off in the 1/1 scale Street Rod world back then. I added OG Testors Gloss Black enamel paint (which back then was a "trophy in a can" product (as my modeling bud Steve Perry likes to say)), flames from a Monogram kit, 351 engine and front suspension from a mid 1970's MPC Pinto kit, a narrowed frame out back, super deep wheels with 1950 Ford hubcaps, gold reflective window tent (a big trend back then), simulated brushed aluminum floor pan, and MPC low-profile/diameter "wide'n'much widers" from the MPC 1976 Volare kit (and found in other MPC kits back then as well). Even to this day people still comment to me about this project....thanks for looking....TIM *****

You've seen coverage of this annual event in the Muscle Car mags for nearly three decades. This album covers the 2025 event. Cars competing at the drag event must be 100% stock appearing on the exterior, interior, and under the hood, including tires. But over the years, participants have fine-tuned the mechanicals and launch strategies to the degree that a few cars at the event were turning E.T.s even into the 11s - this from cars that in original factory stock form were 14 or 15 second quarter mile performers, While all the muscle car makers are represented here, you will notice a real preponderance of 1968-1972 Buick intermediates at this event, particularly 455 Stage 1's and/or GSX's. Ever since the infamous Muscle Car Review magazine Mopar Hemi/Buick Stage 1 showdown in the early-mid 1980s, the world has learned about and remains enthralled by the ultimate sleeper performance of these cars - often equivalent to or in a few cases exceeding the 426 Hemi. There are a few Christmas tree/starting line shots in this album, but most of the images are from the Pits, and they are intended to help anyone putting to together a factory stock muscle car model replica. Those of you doing so may want to bookmark this album for future reference. So, get ready for lots of screeching tires, the smell of rubber in the air, and a blast of fun at this album link....TIM

Bill makes some excellent points here. Given the other kit topics that are already on Round 2's "clone" possibles list, as much as I might personally like to see a '67 Galaxie make it to the top of the list, the other possibilities would have a much higher chance of business success in the marketplace. TB

My understanding is that it is the factory stock 2004 GTO version. The original second version was a 2005 GTO with year 2 factory updates, but only produced with some very ugly (IMHO) tampo printed drift car graphics. My preference was for the 2005 GTO (without the graphics) to be the release but apparently there were some issues with that. Maybe down the pike, I hope. But still, great to have this kit back even in 2004 guise as both the kit and the 1/1 were unduly ignored in their respective worlds, in my opinion. I've long thought about building the 2005 after getting rid of the graphics, but also with opened up rear wheel wells to replace the "big butt" appearance that was so prominent in GM's design studios in the 1990s and earl 2000's. IMHO that would have made the 1/1 far more desirable in the auto marketpalce back then. I'd also paint mine in '67/'68 Verdero Green Metallic and use it as a tow vehicle for my Verdero Green Kindsvater (Hull Raiser) ski boat, in a visual nod to original AMT combo kit with a custom firebird tow vehicle. TB

The `1970 Cyclone was originally planned to include the Boss429 as an option. IIRC, the brochure noted that the hood on that version would have a secondary bump, IIRC, approximately above where the power brake booster would be. While the MPC annual kit only included the Boss 429 as the engine, it did not include that secondary hood bump. Yeah, I admit, useless trivia....:) TB

Regular AMT, MPC, and Revell kits K-Marts in Michigan were always $1.44 in mid to late 1960s. $1.44 in 1968 is equivalent to $13.34 in 2025 due to inflation. Having said that, the model kit business is much different today than in 1968....back then average kit production runs were often 200,000 units a year; some of the most successful kits sold over a million units (and a few, well over a million) in their total initial production runs (which continued over several years). Today's kit production runs are often 5,000 units....which obviously drives much different economics. New tooled kits are also far more complex and detailed than average kits back then, making tooling costs a much bigger factor (percentage wise) in kit pricing. Which kinda means comparing prices then and now, even after adjusting for inflations, is pretty much apples and oranges...though undoubtedly still a topic that always drives conversation and observations....TB

Strongly agree....in fact a factory stock '70 Cyclone based on the Torino/Cobra tool was proposed a number of times to the Revell-Monogram team in the past. Since the company was sold to German interests, I really no longer have a connection there so I have no idea whether this idea is still on their list of possible projects, but my guess would be no. TB

Thanks everyone for your comments and thoughts. Interesting to note the increased interest in scale "Street Freaks". Encourage everyone who has that interest to try a Street Freak model of your own, if you haven't already done so. It will be a blast...please trust me on this! As to that trailer hitch...here's why.... Thanks again for your interest and feedback...TIM .

Very, very sharp!!! TB

Interesting discussion on the flaws of the MPC Road Runner. While I don't disagree with the accuracy critiques, I still think the original annual kit and the 1987 reissue could turn out a very passable scale replica, as seen here with both 1971s and a 1972 annual kit...TB

Scott...looking really good. I have had trouble with the Tamiya Maroon color but looks like you really nailed it. Please keep us in the loop as you finished this project, and great to know you were inspired by my earlier project. Thx for the update, too. TB

Been watchin' & groovin' on Quiet Eric's Street Freak GTO recently posted here Those who know me know that I love scale comparos - that is, looking at two different models that interpret the same theme in their own way - in this case, that theme is Street Freaks, and specifically, 1967 GTO Street Freaks. In that vein, a few pix of my own '67 GTO Street Freak. It was done as a how-to after a suggestion for same from the other magazine's then- publisher (Terry Thompson) who remembered Street Freaks from his younger years. Being a magazine how-to, I was somewhat limited in scope in terms of how much kitbashing was involved and how many different kits could contribute parts. I recall using the chassis/suspension from the MPC 1957 Chevy Street Machine kit along with parts of the Pontiac engine from the Revell 1968 Firebird kit and other sources and adding a faded paint with lace underlay paint scheme. That being said, I was fairly happy with how it came out. But 'what I super-cool to me about Eric's car is that he went ahead and actually did some of the things I considered for my project - including the flip front and sourcing the underbody gubbins from the Monogram 1966 Malibu street machine kit. So with a very big nod of the hat to Quiet Eric, a few images of my '67 GTO Street Freak from about 15-20 years ago or so.. Thanks for looking, and let's see some more Street Freaks in scale...either old builds or new projects....TB

Eric...really well done. Love the flip front, too! Way to go...TIM

What a project to finish all three of these, and to such a standard as well. Way to go Kari! Cheers...TIM

Claude NAILZ it yet again! Great choice to use the Chezoom chassis, too. Way to go, Claude! TB

And for all this time, I thought #3 was 1970 'cuda kits! TB

I don't have the original Jo-Han '66 kit, but a trait shared across a number of the original Jo-Han's mopar annual kits was that they featured the "mainstreamer" (e.g, Fury III, Polara, et al) exteriors - lifted from their promo tooling - paired with the "heavy metal' (sport subseries like the Sort Fury and Polara 500) bucket seat interiors tooled for the assembly kits only. Apparently, they thought that the bucket seat interiors - even when incorrectly paired with the promo-based mainstreamer exteriors - would have greater appeal in the then-1960s marketplace, and my view is that they were probably correct. Thus, if the new kit has the Fury III exterior and the Sport Fury bucket seat interior, it is probably a straight rebop of the original annual kit offering. I'm sure someone will correct me if my guestimate is incorrect....TB

CatPack68 hit the "like" button on this one yesterday, roughly eight years (!) after this thread on 1940 Fords was started, whikch showed up in my notifications just now. I had long ago forgot about my posts here so did a breeze through this entire thread again...some really cool stuff from you all here, including some new builds posted just in the last few days. \ Well worth a revisit, for sure! TB

Chris...in all my decades of modeling, this is the first I've ever heard of an AMT 1969 Mark III project. Yes, Tom Gannon reportedly killed the Porsche 911 project (I later saw the 1/10th scale Porsche 911 wood master in the AMT Engineering Dept. in the mid 1970s) but a Mark III? I don't really think that would have fit AMT's MO at the time, but again, who knows for sure. I was told the 911 cancellation was to help generate funds for the Peterbilt Conventional/Cabover project, FWIW. TB

Bob is correct here. Further contributing factors were AMT's extension into being a parts supplier for 1/1 scale automakers, the entire 1/1 scale "Piranha" and 1/1 scale AMT Speed and Custom (located in Phoenix) adventure, and the general problems that are typical of small enterprises that experienced phenomenal growth in their early years in an industry that is faddish and just as likely to contract as to grow in successive years. And by the very late 1970s, some unrealistic demands and a strike by the UAW represented work force, and some very questionable business decisions by the "Office of the President" with its (IIRC) three leaders. Factors which helped AMT stick around during some very difficult years included the loyalty and creativity of much their staff, particularly in the product development area, the 1968-ish hiring of Tom Gannon as President, who took a no-nonsense businessmen's view of the industry and AMT's role in it, and the entire Class 8 product range as Bob mentioned. TB

Big, big congrats on bringing this one home. Era correct mods, creative kitbashing parts and sourcing, super-clean assembly, added detail without getting carried away on months-long modifications, and a really sharp result? This is exactly the type of modeling project that I so enjoy reading about and looking at, and that I try to encourage others to try. Judging from the followers on Dennis' work thread elsewhere on this forum, many others also share that view. If I was still writing the old Modeler's Corner in the now-moribund Street Rodder magazine, this is exactly the type of project that would have justified a coverage in a full-featured, standalone column. Thanks, Dennis, for the inspiration and for sharing with us...TIM