tim boyd

Images comparing the AMT and Revell '29A bodies. Like most of you, had it been my choice I would have retained the stock rear wheel openings. In fact, this was the first thing I noticed when Revell sent me the first round test shots in February, 2014. I never got an entirely clear explanation, but my takeaway was two points. In the early 2000's, there were several high end hot rod builds that moved the rear fender openings upward, and this may have influenced the project. Second, I suspect there was a desire for the opening to match up with the locations of the rear tire OD in both the Highboy and Channeled build versions. As for the firewalls on both the '29A Roadster and '30A Coupe, my understanding is that there were two different positions here - the desire of the kit designer to be true to the 1.1 scale original, vs. the desire of the kitmaker to retain the possibility of the addition of hoods to future kit updates. In this case the kitmaker had the final decision. Again, not the choice I would have made, but in comparison to how much good there is in these kits, really it is a minor nit. Comparison photos for your viewing follow below. TIM

Russell....that came out great! Congrats.....btw what color is the paint? It is perfectly matched to the build era of your model...…. TIM

Thanks guys for the comments....much appreciated. TIM

Claude,...you're most certainly welcome. Cheers...TIM

In some ways, the Revell body is actually more accurate of the two. One example is the ribs inside the rear fenderwell. AMT got it wrong, Revell got it right. The best of course would be to combine elements of both bodies.....just my 2 cents.....TIM

After all these years, finally got around to photographing my scale Corvette model collection. 118 photos, almost all new studio photography, of my 10 Corvette models build over the last nearly 50 years. Each model includes chassis, engine, and interior (if visible) images. Some are detailed kit builds, others are kitbashes. Basic descriptions of the models in the first ten album photos. Hope you like 'em, and thanks for looking....TIM C1, C2, and pre-Catalyst C3 Corvette models album Here's a preview of each model....

Extensive portfolio of about 30 Model Car Events here....including NNL Nats from the last 10+ years with all builders identified......have fun! Cheers....TIM https://public.fotki.com/funman1712/model-car-events-co/

x3 what Keyser said....TIM

Great News, James, thanks for the update! TIM

Thanks Danno...as of this afternoon they have now found a usable box....so they are all set. Thanks for your offer, though.......…...TIM

AMT LaFrance "Ladder Chief" kit in good or better condition? If so, Round 2 would like to borrow it so that they can use it to recreate the original box art and packaging for this kit, for a reissue release planned for the next few months. They already asked me, and several others that regularly help them with this type of request, and we've all come up short (my oldest was the c.1975 release with the Ladder Chief in Firetruck Lime against a white background, and the don't want to use that version for the new release), nor do they want to use the one with the red truck against a white background. . The original box art that they are seeking was the Ladder Chief in illustrated in red in a firefighting scene. Typically Round 2 would send you materials to pack the box up and ship it to them at no cost to you, and then you get the box back a few month later no worse for the wear (and I can firsthand vouch that is how it has worked for me on the boxes I have loaned to them). You don't get paid per se, but you do have the satisfaction of knowing that you helped to recreate an original-type AMT kit that model builders and collector can acquire the kit once again in new condition. If you have an original issue (1972 ish) one that you'd be willing to loan to Round 2, please send me a personal message at the "funman1712@aol.com" email addy and I will pass your name and contact info onto the project manager at Round 2. Thanks....TIM

Yep, didn't mean to suggest that they could be restored to stock. To add to Mark's point, AMT's new President at the time, Tom Gannon, was a hard-nosed businessman who according to several people I've interviewed over the years probably saved AMT from going out of business. The Modified Stockers series was an attempt to redeploy unused assets to generate new sales revenue. The other alternative was to scrap these old tools for tax writeoff purposes. That's what happened to other old tools like the AMT 1963 F100 and Apache pickup tools. TIM

Chris asked: Tim, can you add any details, like whether the glass was redone, and will it still have clear red taillights? Any chance it will have a raised convertible top? ******************* Chris....sorry.....my knowledge of this project was at just the very most basic level. I did ask the follow-up question about the Judson blowers when the project became closer to reality, but beyond that, nadah…...my biggest thought was just hoping the project would progress from "we're looking at this" to styrene flowing through the molds..... Best regards....TIM

Actually I disagree here with some of you guys....I haven't seen all of these kits but the ones I have seen are mostly minor redos of old annual kit tooling. The one that stands out as a "step beyond" is the '65 Chevelle Modified Stocker. That was my take after reviewing this particular kit in the Modified Stockers series here. I know it still falls well short of the standards for a fully accurate kit today, but the degree of modification on this kit went well beyond the scope of the other Modified Stockers kits, again, at least the ones I have seen. So Cab, my recommendation would be to try the Chevelle kit....TIM

Excellent point Ron. To build on this line of thinking, earlier this PM I pulled out my original '64 Cutlass annual kit and the engine block/tranny assy appearance very closely matches some Powerglide documentation in my files. I don''t know for sure how close the "Jetaway" F85 two-speed tranny was to the Powerglide (both overall and just in exterior appearance), but the tranny in annual kit sure sure doesn't look like a 4 speed manual from what I can tell. Sounds like your plans for a kitbashed '64 442 using the AMT-Ertl '66 kit is the way to go here... Best...TIM

Uh-oh....if they specifically said "muscle car" in the video and meant that in its true definition, the new Cutlass kit wouldn't be the future kit that they were referring to. I was answering in a more generic way. Stated another way, I know of no additional effort by Round 2 to do a 442 version of the new Cutlass kit. Not so say such a project might not be underway, only to say I am not aware of such an effort. And FWIW, I don't know anything about an Impala wagon conversion. Again, not so say it's not possible, only that I don't know of it. TB "

Casey, that's new news to me! But John G. would be the subject matter expert....err...the one to definitely know the subject. And Alan, maybe this is where you heard about news about this subject....TB

Mike, I didn't have the patience to sit through the entire Round 2 webcast (if that is what you are referring to) due to the amount of time spent on non-auto projects, so I don't know what was said there, and I certainly don't know all that the Round 2 team have up their sleeve right now. But a reasoned guess would be "yes". As always, time will tell! TB

Yeah, I checked this out a couple of years ago and I think the 442 badges can be lifted from the decal sheets of either the AMT-Ertl 1966 442's or the 1967 Lindberg 442. Whichever kit it was (or maybe it was both) the badge decals looked exactly right. My thought at the time was that a '64 1/2 442 would be one of the easiest and painless kitbashes of all time.....TIM

OK guys, finally time for me to spill the beans on the new Round 2/AMT 1964 Cutlass convertible kit. Here is my understanding..... 1. This project has been underway for several years (I recall posting an intentionally very vague hint about it here...what....2 or 3 years ago???) 2. The project involves a newly tooled body, patterned off the original annual kit, that matches up with the rest of the original kit tool. The body is not a modification of the Streaker funny car body, it is all-new tooling. 3. The remaining features of the original annual kit, including that way, way cool Judson supercharger unit, are to be included in the kit, again based on what I have been told. ******************** Now...two comments: * I acquired the original annual AMT 1964 Cutlass convertible annual kit sometime in the mid-late 1970's and always thought it was a cool kit of a really, really handsome car. Never in a million years did I ever dream it might be available again as a new kit. Is this a great time to be involved in the hobby, or what? * Reading the comments from some who post here, the assumption seems to be that the model companies do not listen to kit buyers and don't understand what we want to see in kits. That is completely, utterly wrong. My observations are that nearly all ideas are looked at, and the ones that are judged to be viable are added to an existing list of project ideas. Many variables determine which of those ideas are then prioritized at the top and slated for development, and then development can take many months, or sometimes years, to bring to the market, especially when one factors in the quality expectations of today's adult kit buyers. And while this is going on, the model companies generally remain mostly or completely quiet about their plans. And anyone from outside the companies who might be advised about the project must also remained tight lipped as well. Just some things to keep in mind when your favorite pet project idea doesn't hit the stores six months later...... ************************* Cheers....TIM

Alan, you're welcome. And I agree, for instance wouldn't it be way cool to see that Massey-Ferguson Tractor kit for sale again? TIM PS - check the thread on the AMT 1964 F-85 for the answer to your question on that (I think it was you who asked)….the answer is "yes". TB

FWIW, all those farm tractor and farm implement kits were pictured in my article referenced above....might be worth digging out the mag to check it out....TIM

Ben....those 1/32nd (and also the AMT 1/43rd) truck kits were all AMT-developed tools. The only original Ertl-tooled 1/32nd truck kit was #8050, an International Eagle COE with the new, larger grille design that incorporated the headlamps.....it was introduced around 1984 and featured the snap-fast assembly approach. I don't recall the kit myself, and I suspect it did not sell particularly well when introduced. Thanks for the question...TIM

Alan....I wasn't the source of that info, at least to the best of my recollection. Remember that Ertl acquired the AMT tooling back in the early 1980''s, not the other way around. When Tom Lowe acquired the rights AMT-Ertl tooling bank from RC2/Learning Curve aournd 2008 or so, to the best of my knowledge it included all of the original Ertl tools. The article, btw for anyone interested, was in the December 2017 issue of the other mag and it was called "Ertl before AMT: The Kit History". Also, the John Deere 4430 tractor and 310 Backhoe Loader kits have been reissued in the recent decades, but I don't think they sold all that well, which is probably one of the reasons you haven't seen them in more recent times. I would imagine that if Round 2 does do OK with the PayHauler, maybe some more of that old Ertl-orginated construction and farm tooling might see future reissues. Hope that helps, at least a bit. Best...TIM

Michael.....sadly I understand this one is out of reach. There were so many changes made to do the Eagle II update that I'm told it is unlikely the tool could ever be returned to the original version. Still, never say never, particularly with some of the surprises Round 2 has pulled in recent years. But to be clear I know of no plans to actually do this.....TIM