tim boyd

Welcome as you join me and others viewing these photos as among the first "civilians" (non-Round 2 employees and contractors) to open the box of their new AMT 1970 1/2 "Full Bumper" (non-RS) Camaro Z-28 kit. My view has long been that this basic kit tool was among the best to emerge from the "John Mueller and team" product development era at AMT-Ertl. And although I am not, and never have been, a Chevy fan, I have always felt that the 1970 1/2 and 1971 Camaros were the very best Camaros of all time, and equally among the best pony cars of any make for all time. While others may see the above differently, I think it goes without saying that there is a great deal of interest in this new kit release. It would seem that adapting the non-RS (non split bumper) front end to the AMT-Ertl Z-28 tool would be an easy thing to do, but due to differences in how kits were developed back then (c. 2000) vs, today, and given today's high expectations for fit/finish of model kits, this was a major challenge to the Round 2 team. Click this link and then use the "Roll View" feature below to see my comments on the 34 overall and detailed images and pictures. This is a very well done addition to the Round 2 kit catalog, and overall, is the best execution yet of the AMT-Ertl tool dating back twenty years now. I highly recommend it for Chevy fans and for anyone who enjoys building muscle cars of any make. And thanks for looking! TIM Full Disclosure Note: This production sample was sent to me by Round 2 personnel at their discretion. There was no implied or actual promise of any publicity for the kit by myself, nor any financial exchange by either party. PS - check back later when I will post overall and detailed images of my prior two assemblies of the original AMT-Ertl Z-28 kit... PPS - if you have any questions, please post them in the comments section below the applicable photo and I will do my best to answer them post-haste.

Carl...as you may know, both Bill Coulter and I owned factory-new '74 Road Runners ourselves (both were black, mine with red stripes; Bill's with white ones. As it turns out, right now I am about 2/3rds done with my own model replicating my real car. Your's is an inspiration to keep going....and I like your choice of wheels as that was what I was running on my own 1/1 RR back then....congrats on a cool model. TIM

Noel....sources tell me that Scale Auto's circulation numbers and ad revenue were trending nicely up recently; not surprising given the improvements under the current Editor, and other sources tell me that model kit sales are booming right now because of all the "stay at home" orders here in the States and globally. However, the pandemic and shutdowns have created an impossible climate for all types of businesses, and apparently SA/Kalmbach got caught up in that too and had to make some very difficult decisions about several of their magazine titles. It may be semantics to some here, but it wasn't the hobby or the magazine itself that caused the magazine closure, it was the lingering and continued impacts of the pandemic and shutdowns on this and many other business enterprises. More comments on this from me in the other thread about SA closing if you want to search it out....TIM

What Tom (Geiger) said. T Tom (at Spotlight Hobbies) has been working on the sale for some time now. The announcement a few days ago is totally unrelated to Kalmbach's SA announcement. timing wise. Tom Carter will continue to advise the new owners, who have been involved in the business for a long time and apparently have plans for expanding the business going forward. TIM

Steve, I was going to suggest you look at the April, 2020 issue of the other mag (p. 53), but Dan's pictures above tell the story much better. I have not built the kit but looking the parts and the instruction sheet, it certainly looked like a comprehensive and interesting kit. Good luck with your project.... TIM

Once again, thanks to every one who looked, and thanks to all who commented. Now onto my replica of my real 1/1 1974 Plymouth Road Runner E58 360 HiPo.....a project that has been planned for, oh, just 50 years! Best Regards All...TIM

Alan...sorry to hear this, but I understand. The advice to hold onto a few key things is good; I've heard similar advice from others who left the hobby. I always was interested in reading your perspective, even when I did not always agree! I wish you the very, very, best, and I thank you for your enthusiasm for and contributions to the hobby over the years. Best wishes, best of luck, and Best Regards....TIM

Guys....I feel like I've lost a best friend who has been a major part of my life for most of my adulthood. I wanted to see how others were viewing this very sad news, and so I've read through this entire thread. Here are some of my own reactions and my thoughts about some of your thoughts. Keep in mind here, I am not an employee of Scale Auto/Kalmbach, or any other publication for that matter. It is not my responsibility or my role to represent that magazine or company, My views express what I do know to be fact, based on my 40+ years as a freelance journalist, my general impressions of the hobby, my knowledge of the publishing biz in general, and the broader impact of the economic challenges facing the world right now. First, much of the information voiced in this thread about the decline of magazines in general in today's online world is correct and spot-on. However, to then apply that directly to Scale Auto in its most current form specifically is not entirely correct. Under the last two Editors, and specifically under the most recent one, apparently all the key metrics of a magazine (circulation, newsstand sales, ad revenue, feedback, et al) were moving in the right direction. With the plans underway by the current Editor and his team, I believe this momentum would have only increased over the next several years. (The latest issue had a full page ad from Revell for the first time in what, ten years or more?) The hobby kit business in general has experienced a surge under the country-wide lockdowns, and there are some very exciting developments underway in the kit world in terms of both existing makers and newcomers. However, the Covid-19 debacle has created an worldwide economic calamity that has made all businesses have to decide to either cut it to the bone or call it quits entirely. Beyond our own worlds of model cars, you will soon see many of your favorite consumer products in all categories disappear from the shelves of your favorite stores. Sad. Under these circumstances, only the most profitable current business endeavors will survive; companies are no longer able to make bets on business units that are improving but not yet at the top of the house, so to speak. My guess is that applied to Scale Auto as well. There are many opinions expressed here, well, thoughts my be a better word than opinions, about the content of the magazine. My reaction is that many of these thoughts are based on the magazine as it was over say the last 10-15 years, rather than what it was becoming over the last several years. If you actually look at the breadth of topics, coverage of techniques, variety of writers, etc, over the last couple of years, and yes, the enthusiasm that permuated from thos pages, I think some of you might have formed a different view. Or not. But some of the comments seem to suggest that people had walked away from the mag for various reasons, including a preference of some to source their modeling fix from the internet, and had not given the current version a closer look. It is what it is, though. Perceptions are reality for many, and you certainly get a sense of that from some of the comments here. One point of misinformation I do want to address. Robby, the last Assistant Editor at Scale Auto, told me moved on to a better job in California that was more in line with his long term career interests as well as his personal interests in real cars vs. scale replicas. He was very excited about this move. Based on what I know, he was not pushed out the door. Did he ruffle some feathers while at Scale Auto? You bet. But good Editors sometimes need to do just that. Did I agree with him always? No. But he was a fresh voice with a good, different, and valid perspective. My own belief is that the current Editor did an even better job of mixing the interests of long term readers with those of younger readers and newcomers to the hobby. For example, the recent June issue had topics I did not even know about, but clearly they were topics that resonated with many modelers who are, shall we say, not as mature as my own generation. As far as the need for new authors and writers, there are many new talents in the hobby doing incredible things. You've probably seen their work at the shows, and possibly online as well. The challenge for magazine Editors was not only to get these people interested in writing, but to then get the submissions into a form that could actually be used in the magazine. Taking pictures, writing articles, selecting and captioning the photos, and organizing and submitting the package to that magazines takes a bunch of time, and a bunch of time away from modeling. Most modelers just don't want to do that, and for the quality magazines that actually pay for that work, the effective hourly rate is poor. It has to be a labor of love for the hobby to make sense. The authors that you are reading in the magazines are the ones who have been able to figure out how to do all this in a way that the Editors can use, and who are willing to make the commitment it requires. It's just not that much of an interesting proposition for most model builders. Last two thoughts. First, with the information above, I hope you can be open to changing your perspective a bit. The model car hobby is not on the way down at the current moment, and the sad discontinuance of Scale Auto is not a sign of that, either. We still have many bright days ahead of us. They would be even brighter with a bi-monthly magazine dedicated solely to covering us, and our hobby, but we will get by. Lastly, on behalf of both myself and all the people who have worked on and/or contributed to this magazine for its 41 1/2 year run, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your interest, your feedback, your encouragement your ideas, and yes, your criticism and critiques. Yes, I feel as though I've lost a very best friend, and the sadness will be with me for a long time. But I'm also grateful for what we had, and very hopeful for the future of our hobby. Looking forward to seeing you all at the shows and here on the modeling forums.... TIM

Alan....as I said when you previewed this to me a while back....great job and a wonderful, period correct interpretation that just sings in my view. And I love the color combo. I take it that this has now appeared in your magazine column...? Bet the readers loveit too....TIMj

Bill....lotsa cool memories in your post. The factory bodyside molding in your pic above is, as you probably know, very rare for a '70 'cuda. And I had a brand new, factory ordered '74 Road Runner with the E58 360, so I can certainly identify with your comments on that subject. Finally, I thought the Satellite Sebring Plus, for '71 and again for '73/'74 was a way cool car. In fact, i would have probably ordered my '74 as a Sebring Plus had the E58 360 been available in that car, and had the net price difference vs. the Road Runner been a little smaller....TIM

David....yep....just as you've surmised, l used the optional lowered suspension in the front from the Hemi 'cuda kit. As for the back, I used the suspension as in the kit, Using the rear axle as a fulcrum and with the reduced ride height in front, this raised the rear bumper/tail panel just enough beyond the original Hemi 'cuda kit configuration so as to deliver what I believe to have been the original Plymouth Studio "Design Intent" as designers call it. And your memory of the stock kit stance in the Hemi 'cuda kit is spot on... Thanks for the comments and questions....TIM

Mark....very , very sharp and creative. Great that you used something other than an SBC in the engine compartment, and the rust/patina effect is very convincing. Cool! TIM

John...You sound like a guy that reads Mopar Action.magazine ...(smile)....thanks for noticing. For those of you who didn't follow this exchange between two confirmed old Mopar fanatics, Mopar Action magazine has been on a 20+ year campaign to get Chrysler muscle car restorers to properly black out the outward facing surfaces of the radiator core support, so that you don't see a paint color when you look through the grille... .just as Mother Mopar did in all her assembly plants back in the day. You might be surprised how many "expert" restorers get this wrong.... Cheers...TIm '

Heh John....true confessions time.....that black is intended to replicate the factory applied undercoating applied over the gray primer to the driveshaft tunnel, front and rear wheel wells, and area underneath the rear axle, which is what I''ve seen on some restorations. Unfortunately, my airbrush was misfiring for that application and things got really sloppy! Thx for the comments on the body/interior color combo. I originally was thinking the EB5 with the mid-year White with Blue interior, then the White with Black interior, which is really better for model cars as the interior details are easier to see, but then I went with the Black as that is without question what I would have ordered for the real car. Why not the White with Blue or Straight blue interior? I already built the Revell Hemi-'cuda back in 2013 in the black exterior with blue interior combo, and didn't want another one in the display case. Best....TIM l

Richard....got 'ya....that term "resto" I used was intended to apply to a model built to replicate a 1/1 scale car restoration , fresh from the shop. Sorry for less-than-clear use of words! Best....TIM

One more view for those who didn't check out the photo album link in the original post...thx. for looking! TIM

Thanks everybody for your comments and feedback. David...agreed this one skews to the understated side...which was always my preference in the muscle car world. That's also probably why I felt the 1971 version of the 'cuda was a complete and utter failure....overstated in every possible way. Of course, collectors to day love both versions, but supporting your point, the '71 seems to be a bit more highly valued even now... Glad you guys liked the car and the build....Best Regards everyone....TIM

Hi Richard....it's a kitbash of the new Revell AAR and (2013 issue) Hemi 'cuda kits, with a lot of refinement to the body to more closely replicate the proportions and body surfaces of the real car....thanks for asking ....TIM ////////////

And for those who might have missed it, here's the link to all the details of my complete reconstruction in 2019 of the 4th place nationwide 1968 MPC/Car Model/Dodge Funny Car Contest winner, conducted just about 50 years to the day from when the original was essentially destroyed during a photography session for the contest.....TIM https://public.fotki.com/funman1712/tim-boyd-on-line-mo/tim-boyds-car-model/ And here are a couple of pictures from that album.... January 30, 2019: April 25, 2019: Very glad to know you guys are still interested in this type of stuff....TIM

A model I've been wanting to build for what...just about 50 years now. Just finished last week and never seen outside my workroom until tonight. A 1970 'cuda built just the way I would have ordered it from the factory had a been a few years older when it came out. 14 other overall and detail shots at this link...and thanks for looking....TIM PS - thanks to several of you, particularly Bill Geary and Bill Coulter, for body refinement ideas and approaches; those thoughts largely paralleled my own thoughts and helped to reinforce my work plan ....TB

Earlier this week I got a look at some pix of the newly retooled parts for the 1932 Chrysler kit....they look very sharp. Notable improvement over the originals....TIM

The AMT Rabbit tooling still exists. And FWIW (given the memory is now 42 years old), I put together one of these right after it came out, without paint, to assess whether AMT had made progress in improving the quality of their newly tooled kits of the late 1970's. My recollection was that the kit went together really well The kit was tooled as a joint project with the AMT Scirocco kit of the same era; much of the underbody is shared parts trees. Round 2 reissued the Scirocco within the last several years, so we know the tooling exists. Those of you who read the other model magazine should check out my fairly recent "Classic Kits" column review of the AMT Rabbit, it contains some pretty interesting "insider info" about the kit from back in the day, and a published quote from the soon-thereafter AMT-Lesney-Matchbox product manager discussing the market (non)results of the kit.... TIM

Interesting to see this thread and train of thought is still alive. Domestic model company personnel are aware that there is interest in a '68 Coronet R/T. Getting there from here, though, is not easy. I agree that a sci-fi connection would be a big plus, but lacking that would not totally rule out a newly tooled body to go with an existing kit tool innards. Especially if there were other spin-off kit versions that could be merchandised with the new body. Bottom line, in my personal view this one has transferred from the "never will happen in a million years" to category to the "unlikely, but these days you can never say never" category. Or stated another way, this would be an interesting thread to resurface five years from now and read again, to see what if anything has materialized. TIM

Guys...if I am remembering correctly, the original AMT Courier "Minivan" kit could be built 100% showroom stock, in the Ford "Free Wheelin'" package livery. I built the kit when it came out and it's was a pretty decent effort in the context of late 1970's AMT kit development.....TIM PS - here's my build which was a combo of the original "Minivan" kit and some parts from the slightly later "Firestones" kit release....