tim boyd

Don;t have most recent info, but last I heard the Nova project was NOT scrapped, but needed licensing sorted and finalized. I think a new Dodge pickup kit sounds remote at this time; I'm not aware of any work on such a project (doesn't mean it isn't happening, just that I haven't heard anything about it). Still, pickup kits are the hottest single topic right now in the model car hobby trade, from what I've been told. In my model car files somewhere is a note from 20 or so years ago that a complete measuring session had been done on a post WWII type 1946-1968 Dodge Power Wagon 4x4 (the adaptation of the WWII truck), along with several other projects that at the time never saw the light of day back then. This was back when Lindberg, AMT-Ertl, and Revell were all introducing several new kits a year. In more recent times, the results of several of those other measuring session projects .have subsequently been produced by other kitmakers than those who originally did the measuring sessions, so the Power Wagon would seem to me a possible topic if there indeed was a Dodge pickup kit in progress. Now how's that for starting a rumor!!! :) TIM

Sadly....the Aurora Drag Parts Kits tools no longer exist. This topic is briefly touched on in a new book that will be coming out in a few weeks.... TIM

Bill....you bet.... Thx for the note....TIM

Claude....highly imaginative and outstanding quality/finish too. This would have easily been a hands down "Best Originality" winner at any of the MPC Customizing Contest series back in the day....very, very cool. TIM

Thanks everyone for your comments and feedback. I just added some additional photos of these two; thesewere unused photos from the "Scale Showroom" section of my book "Collecting Muscle Car Model Kits" published by CarTechBooks and available at their website and Amazon.... Best regards....TIM

Thanks James for doing the research and helping us resolve the question....TIM

We should take a closer look there....the parts tree with the COPO spoiler may be a tool insert for the Baldwin Motion kit that exchanges with parts that are essential to the Z-28, in which case this approach wouldn't work. I'm not near my kits to check it out...can anybody else check this out and weigh in? TB

These two 1970 1-2 AMT-Ertl kit Camaro models represent my all time favorite 1/1 scale Camaros. With the interest in the new Round 2 "Full Bumper" (non-RS) 1970 1/2 Z-28 kit, it prompted me to pull out these two builds based on the original AMT/Ertl RS "Split Bumper" kit that forms the basis of the new kit. The yellow Z-28 was constructed as a late 1970 model year factory build, with the COPO 9796 large rear spoiler which became available for special order in April, 1970. The paint was also a late model year addition, in effect a pull-ahead of 1971 Code 52 Sunflower Yellow. It replaced Code 51 Daytona Yellow late in the production run (compare it the color to the 1969 Vette painted in Daytona Yellow pictured at the link below). Other than those tweaks, and some more accurate tires, the model was built from AMT-Ertl's 1970 1/2 Z-28 kit first introduced around 2000. The orange SS 396 was a kitbash conversion of the above-referenced AMT-Ertl kit. The 1970 1/2 SS 396 was mostly overshadowed by the Z-28 that year, but that makes the SS 396 an even more interesting model car topic. The model was painted with Code 65 Hugger Orange, paired with a Sandalwood interior. Both of these were covered in two in-depth articles in Scale Auto magazine back in the day; the applicable back issues are most likely available as back issues at the other model car magazine's web site. . By the way, yes, the Z-28 hood doesn't fit exactly right; it warped after the model was completed. A bit of after-the-fact advice is that when using real automotive paints on styrene models with thinly molded hoods, be sure to paint the body color on both sides of the hood or you risk the same sort of warping seen here. Click this link for 24 overall and detail photos of both models if you want to take a closer look. Thanks for looking! TIM

Thanks Mark...before typing the caption, I checked my original kit release and there was no side glass, and it was also missing the instruction sheet. I'll make the change in the applicable captions....Best...TIM

The following 48 photos and commentary/captions at the link below show the new kit contents, including many extra parts and the newly tooled body, then provides a definitive confirmation of the extensive rumors of what will come next from the revised kit tooling. Finally, a series of images compares the new kit to the original early 1970's original issue kit. In its entirety, this kit update and revision thoroughly exceeded my own expectations. Check it out and form your own opinion! And thanks for looking! TIM

Dennis...this model is a poster child for the "period attention to detail" school of model car building that I respect so much. Very innovative approach to the frame and suspension. Love the fine engine detail. And as Alan says, "Pink is the new Black", at least in our world of period hot rods! Congrats on another great addition to the Lacy hot rod model collection. TIM

Thanks James....so if I understand you correctly, this suggests that the option of reissuing the old RS/Split Bumper versions remains, by simply substituting back the old core piece for the new one? Makes sense to me...and I hope you are correct. Thx again...TIM

David...thanks....check out the caption below that picture for an explanation of what those missing parts were....TIM

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