tim boyd

Actually, among the street rod/hot rod kit builders out there, there is enough difference in the real '30A/'31A cars to justify future kit variants. But I totally agree with you that getting the the '30A Coupe back on the market first is where the effort should be placed, and it alone should generate sufficient volume to satisfy Revell's new owners for several years before another kit spinoff is developed. And if/when it is developed, I would bet on the '27Turtledeck and a '27T Roadster pickup as a much higher priority for Revell than additional '30/'31 A variants. TIM

Round 2 has just surprised me (you too?) with a new kit based on the old MPC 1979-1988 Fox Mustang tool. Fresh box art and an all-new decal sheet are the main revisions, but what I had long ago forgotten was just what a comprehensive building experience was inside this box. Looking at the instructions (also copied page by page at the link below), the kit's design and construction reminds me of the MPC 1982-84 Supra, one of their best kits ever in my opinion. When I learned of this reissue, my immediate thoughts were that this body combined with the guts of the Revell 1990 Mustang LX kit would result in a cool model, but now I'm thinking that degree of kitbashing is largely unnecessary. Check out the photos at this link along with the captions provided with each image. Thanks for looking, and good luck to those of you who choose to buy and assemble this new kit! TIM (Kit sample sent to me by Round 2 at their option, I did not request this kit sample nor did I make any promise about posting coverage of the kit and/or making any favorable comments).

Personally, I'd like to see a '30/'31 Roadster and a '30/'31 Roadster pickup. These bodies are different enough from a '28/'29A Roadster to make it a major kitbashing/bodywork project to make accurate replicas from existing kit sources. (Remember that the Monogram 1/24th '30/'31A is a Cabriolet, which is a significantly different body than a Roadster). I'd also like to see a '26/'27 T Turtledeck to be used with the channeled chassis in the '29A Roadster hot rod kit. TIM

Daniel.....very, very impressive .... and great job on fixing those bodyside moldings, too. Will be watching as you make further progress.....TIM

Alan and the rest...good news ahead. I now understand that the motorcycle is indeed included in the new kit release. Further background: Early this year the Round 2 team did a pretty deep dive into the bike tooling and as part of that, they corrected some inaccuracies in the wheels configurations and added detailing to the headlamp lenses that was missing in the original kit version, as these parts had to be retooled from scratch. At the time, they consulted me (others too, I suspect) on some of the elements of these redesigned parts. In my case, I provided photography of the original (1966 kit issue) parts trees to help them determine where the cycle parts might reside in the tooling, as well as Concours event photography of similar Ace and Henderson restorations to help them in their decisions on how to configure the retooled wheels. They also sent me screen shots of the CAD files of the proposed updates for my review. Don't want to unduly raise expectations here, but to be candid I was a bit surprised at the level of detail they went into while determining how to proceed on what are admittedly were very minor details in the big picture of things. It is also a worthy counterpoint to the views held by some that all Round 2 does is reissue (***Insert pejorative noun or adjective here***) from ions ago. Editorial comment: Always good to hear both sides of the story before making up your mind on a subject.... As I mentioned much earlier in this thread, while the bike tooling is relatively simplified vs. today's new tooling, with a little bit of paint detailing it can really come alive as a finished model. And it frankly amazes me that this motorcycle tooling, which apparently remained unused since 1966 (that's 54 years, guys!) was still in existence and mostly complete. Just makes you wonder what other ancient treasures remain in the Round Two tooling bank.... TIM

Just Tamiya Semi=Gloss Clear.....TB

Thanks John! Cheers....TIM

Good question. I did that build about 4 1/2 years ago so I don't recall specifically for that model, but sometimes I spray tire sidewalls with semi-gloss clear before applying the whitewall (or RWL) decals to promote better decal adhesion. Probably did so here. But I am guessing that I did not do another coat of semi gloss after the decals were applied. BTW, when I spray the sidewalls with semi-gloss I always mask off the tread area of the tires first. TIM

Uhh...actually they WERE achieved with the kit decals. It did take a bunch of Micro-Sol on the rears, applied in several rounds, to make it happen, but I don't remember the fronts being much of an issue. Thought I mentioned this in the on-line buildup, but appears I did not. So good thing you raised the question Michael.... TIM

There may be a little more to the story here than just this.....TIM PS - cool image and box art approach....hmmm....TB

Here's a 38-photo with captions on-line how-to on building the Highboy version of the Revell Model A Roadster. This is the original kit release but it is identical to the new release except that I used the Nailhead Buick instead of the new kit's SBC, and the new kit's mag wheels were not available on the original release. If you aren't familiar with the kit, you should check it out. While there are a few things I would have done differently (the rear suspension/diff and the rear fender.inner fender opening most prominently), I still think this is one of the Revell's best kits in a long, long time (with the '30A Coupe version being even better). Best....TIM

According to the kit's original engineer/designer, the design brief for the kits called for replicas of 1/1 scale hot rods that are capable long-distance drivers, like the rods built by Roy Brizio. Even today, most of those have Ford diff/rears on coil overs, as they are the most reliable, smooth riding, and non-noisy choice out there. Meanwhile, the "Traditional Hot Rod" movement was gaining steam as these kits were in the design phase, and for those, Halibrand quick changes on transverse leafs were the popular choice, in spite of some 1/1 scale operational drawbacks. So the scale hot rod Model A's came with the Ford diffs. If I had designed the kits, I'd have gone for the Halibrand/Leaf Spring setup. But as you say, it's still a 9 out of 10, and for those of us who want a 10/10 model, swapping in such a rear driveline is fairly easy to accomplish.....TIM

Hey Pete...just saw this. Looks really, really sharp. Congrats.....TIM

Got my latest issue in the mail yesterday. Major feature on the original Uncertain T and the clone built in New Zealand and shown at 2019 SEMA. And some new info about Steve Scott and the original car, plus a little new news on the original model kit origins. TIM

X2. subscriber since the second issue. This magazine consistently has authoritative, in depth info you won't find on the internet. Highly, highly recommended. TIM

Well,,,,,in 40+ years of writing about model cars, I've been called many things, but this is the first time I ever recall being called "Hypocritical" in a public forum. Ironically, at certain times that's what I've privately thought while reading comments that put import kitmakers on a pedestal reading "those who can do no wrong" while continually bashing (sometimes with full justification, other times not so much) the domestic kitmakers. You wanna talk about one piece blobs of chassis detail found in domestic kits tooled in the 1960's? OK, fine, let's compare those to the import kitmakers' "kits" tooled in the 1960's.....yes....those incredibly poorly rendered, distorted blobs with battery powered engines.....not today's newly tooled kits from all the kitmakers, be they domestic or imported. Incorrectly flipping the inner door structure ribbing on the '30A Coupe kit....well, that's a far more relevant comparison, although in my own view it doesn't quite match up to omitting an entire upper engine and engine compartment structure. Getting basic body proportions wrong...well now that's a pretty major fail that deserves every bit of criticism that applies. That makes it much less likely that a given kit will be built...just as an omitted engine compartment also makes it less likely a kit will be built (at least by some of us). Guys, I respect and even cherish the various views expressed here, and am greatly encouraged that this forum brings a voice to a diverse group of younger (relatively speaking) model builders who bring much needed fresh perspectives to our hobby. One of those perspectives is that clearly that some (or even many?) of you do not place the value on completely detailed innards - specifically in the engine compartment, that some others of us others do. Fine, viva la difference! And i am not going to begin to suggest that Revell, Round 2, Moebius or anyone else for that matter, consistently belongs at the top of the kitmaker pile. I also wish to acknowledge my appreciation for today's imported kitmakers, particularly so Tamiya, for their vast range of modeling kit topics (including some subjects that the domestic kitmakers should have, but declined to, put into kit form), the new techniques and innovations that they have brought to the hobby and the art of kitmaking, the assembly quality and fit/finish they achieve, and their unwavering support of the publications that chronicle kit building in all its forms. There is no doubt that they have been a great contributor to the success of model car building. But they, nor any of the kitmakers of this world, are above criticism when the shoe fits. And in this case, the lack of an engine compromises what this kit could have accomplished for the hobby and for the kitmaker, not to mention those of us builders out there who still believe that for the price these kits demand, they should be complete in every detail. In this forum, I readily acknowledge that I am clearly in the minority in this view, but this is my strongly held belief and I will stick to it until the day I die. Nevertheless, I acknowledge the right of other members of this forum to express their strongly held views as well. I hope we can continue this discussion, but hopefully without name calling going forward. Best to everyone...TIM

You guys already know how I feel about this so I will make it short and brief It amazes me that once again Tamiya gets a breather for omitting the engine - arguably the single most important part of a race car - from this kit. Sorry, a few pieces depicting what looks like an engine from underneath does not even get close to cutting it in my book. The rest of the kit looks just great - but without the engine it is just becomes a huge fail, and a huge missed opportunity not only for us kit builders, but for the kitmaker as well. TIM

Heh Atin....noticed your last name.....are you any relation to someone named Harish Mistry? I worked him during my career at Ford. At the time (over 15 years ago), he was working in Land Rover's design organization at Gaydon. If you are related, please tell him I said "hello".....TIM .

Most of you already know this, but I don't see it specifically mentioned in this thread. So for those that do not it, Round 2 recently retooled some of the parts that were missing for the Kart, and included all the entire Kart parts from the 1962 annuals and the 1963 F100 kit (except for the Bonneville shell and wheels/tires) in their recent 2019 reissue of the AMT/Ertl 1960 Chevrolet Apache kit. As for the kart's Bonneville shell and wheels/tires, a betting man would suspect that they will reemerge in some form from Round 2 in the future. TIM

Andy, there is not a firm date from Revell at this point for the Coupe release. From what I hear, the most probably accurate speculation (and speculation is all it is) would be early 2021. See my answer to Brian's post as to why the Roadster kit remained available after the Coupe production stoppage. TIM

The coupe and roadster kit shared roughly 75-80% of the tooling. My understanding is that whatever caused the production shortfall (insert your favorite theory here) applied to the entire tool, not just the Coupe portions. Stated another way, Revell could not have run the the roadster version without the entire tool being intact. The roadster kit did seem to be readily available for a while after the Coupe issue sold out, but I suspect that was due to selling out the roadster kit stock that was already in the distribution system, not another production run of the roadster after the coupe production stoppage Brian, that's my best understanding. I don't expect we will ever hear an explanation directly from Revell on all this, but the above is my best understanding of the situation.....Cheers.....TIM

This flyer was in some MPC car kits around 1970. Apparently it has been reissued during the Round 2 era, presumably due to the sci-fi interest. Pretty interesting late 1960's vision for manned interplanetary exploration, eventually missed by decades and still not on the plate 50 years later....TIM

Casey.....based on discussions with both the kit's designer and the team (at the time the kits were under development) at Revell.....the answer is "no". TIM

Guys....keep buying those 1960's pickup kits and I think this one just might come to pass. Personally I'd prefer to see a '67/'68 out the door first, but it does seem the majority seems to prefer the later ones in that truck cycle. BTW, I know a lot of you no longer look at either of the model car mags, but you may want to make an exception right now as there is an eight page kit history of Chevy and GMC full size pickups in the current issue of the other mag.... TIM