tim boyd

Claude....I have often wondered about this myself. I know Mark Gustavson has at times bid for notable historic models that have appeared up for auction, but I don't think the prices to date have reflected the historic value of those artifacts. Maybe it will change in the future.....hope so. Thanks for the thoughts...TIM

.....ummm.....yeah, that would be correct. Fortunately, I have yet to be "restored" myself...and hope it stays that way! Best...TIM

John....I had no idea that our Michigan Rockers had these interests. I do know that these guys were in other ways really normal guys. My former boss sat next to one of the original members of the Stooges on an overseas flight to London a few years ago, and J later commented to me something to the effect of what a normal guy he was. And of course, I knew where the "flop houses" were near campus for some of these groups....amazing that they accomplished what they did given those surroundings.... Best...TIM

Jerry....I've always said that a slightly flawed model that is completed and in the display case is worth so much more than an otherwise perfect, but incomplete model (because of some new flaw during the build process) that is sitting in a box somewhere. Of course, sometimes that is easier said than done. This one really challenged me to hold to that goal, but glad I eventually did so, and even happier to see that my fellow model car builders see value in the restoration effort. Best of luck with yours! TIM

Thanks Eric for the comments. Particularly interesting coming from you, as I personally see you as one of the most innovative and accomplished model car builders of your generation of model car builders, and I think that you represent a very bright future for our hobby. Best Regards...TIM .

Back to Greg's original question....the '29A Roadster kit and '30A Five Window Coupe kit both share the same tool set. The '29A Roadster is just a few weeks away from the hobby store shelves (the other model magazine posted a video review of the kit last week). So....the tool set has either been repaired or restored (depending on whose version of the production interruption you chose to believe). Thus, this would suggest to me that the '30 5W Coupe kit is ready to run when Revell decides to do so . IIRC there was about a one year gap between the original '29A Roadster and '30A Five Window Coupe production starts, so if the same timing applies this time that would suggest that the 5W Coupe would be produced starting about this time next year (early 2021). Like many of you, I am sure, i would have much preferred to see the '30A Coupe go down the molding line first this time, not the Roadster, but we are where we are. At least we seem to have some implied level of certainty now that we will see the '30A Coupe eventually return to production, albeit later than we would like. That's a much better outlook than before! Best...TIM

Lots of good info in this thread; one thing I have learned is that among business professionals in the hobby industry, Round 2 owner Tom Lowe is (and has been, for about 25 years now) highly regarded for his expertise in identifying subjects and negotiating licensing agreements that can be monetized through the sale of kits (auto, sci fi, et al). While he may have come from a family with financial assets, it appears to me that much of what he has accomplished over his career has been based on his own business savvy, intuition, and experience. Most importantly, from a perspective of model kit buyers and builders, over the last 15 years or so he has assured the continuation of the product offerings of most of our domestic kit brands. ************ One thing I learned myself in the mid 1970's, when I first started doing contract work for AMT and would meet semi-regularly with their management team, was that these companies are run with the goal to be profitable businesses above all else. In recent years as i have done investigatory work on the business history of the auto hobby kit segment for various projects here, that point has come across time and time again, and helps mightily to explain why the model companies sometimes do things that seem way out of touch from the singular perspective of model car kit buyers and builders.... TIM

Fascinating thread...thanks for pulling forward. Just a caution here. The Curbside Classics website - and most specifically, the factual content of some responses posted there - can at times be a somewhat controversial source of truly accurate historical automotive information, or at least it is considered as such among some of the truly knowledgeable automotive experts and historians that I know. While I did not note any inaccuracies in Mr. Niedermeyer's introductory text on X-frames, (and I did not read the responses, which on this website often contain incorrect information), just a word to the wise to always cross check key information you read there with other authoritative automotive reference sources before you take it to be fact. TIM

Francis...."long live this wonderful pastime" are words that capture my sentiments exactly. And very, very glad to know that you found the info to be inspiring....Cheers....TIM.

Brad....yes, from what i recall, I put together the setup from a grab-bag of HO gears that I ordered from Auto World. I didn't (and still do not) have soldering skills, so I used some industrial strength 24 hour epoxy from my Dad's workshop in the basement.....it took forever to setup, but once it was dry , it was indestructible. The setup still works somewhat today, although it has a couple of what I think must be broken teeth in the gears. This model was carefully packed and sent of to Car Model Magazine for the 1970 MPC finals, but returned several months later in many pieces without any packing material for its return trip. I was able to rebuild most of it but it was never the same as it was under original condition. Needless to say, I was appalled that the people that ran the finals - who of all should have known better - would pull a stunt like that! Thanks for your feedback on my articles....really good to hear! t...TIM

Cal....now i remember. That model was terrific! I need to dig out my old copy of the mag and check it out again.....great to hear it is still around and in restorable (although it sounds more like all it needs is a minor freshening) form. And great to hear my old Track Roadster is still a favorite of yours. 41 years later, it may still be my most favorite of all the hundreds I''ve built over the years. Thanks for posting and for the update! Best,,,,,TIM

Thanks everyone for your inspirational comments and your enthusiastic reaction to this project!!!!!!. Makes me very glad I went ahead and took the time to document it and share it here. The Best to you all....TIM

James...no it was purely copied after a second-tier 1969 Mustang Funny Car, featured in, I believe, in one of the East Coast drag racing mags back then. I saved most of my mags back then but this one has eluded me.... TIM

Steve....Yes...you caught my MC5 reference. Cool! I more or less grew up in Ann Arbor, and back then (late 1960's) the MC5 frequently performed at the Gallup Park Sunday afternoon concerts (or at least that's what I think I remember), along with SRC, The Rationals, Iggy and the Stooges, and maybe even The Frost although I think they were more Grande Ballroom in Detroit (I was a little too young then to travel that far!) TIM

Heh guys....thanks so much for your comments. Too be honest, as I was posting the pictures in my Fotki album, and then typing out the missive above along with its photos, I was really wondering whether anyone would find all this to be evenly remotely relevant in today's context. For many years, the widespread view of the model car community (at least the view held by the magazine editors at the time - we're talking 10-20 years ago here) was that modelers didn't care a whit about the past history of the hobby. I always thought that was a bit short sided, but the evidence at the time seemed to support their view. Thankfully, you guys (and many others) have ultimately proved them wrong on this subject. I suspect all modelers have stories of their early years not unlike mine above; I do thank my lucky stars that I was able to save some of my earliest modeling endeavors and finally get to a point where I was able to invest the time to return them to their original "glory days" status. It is really gratifying to hear that you guys share my sentiment for this part of our model car legacy....TIM

Roger....thanks for the comments. In response to your question, here's what I wrote under that picture at my Fotki album presentation on the model...."(As far as that future architecture career mentioned in the text, I worked in an Architect's office over the summer of my Junior [high school] year and quickly determined that wasn't what I wanted to do for a career. I ended up working 35 1/2 years in the auto industry in a number of executive level positions in marketing, strategy, and design, and thank my lucky stars to this day I went that route instead of architecture!)" Now about that stereo equipment....not long after that magazine appeared, I took out a loan (still as a 15 year old, with I think my father as a co-signer) at the Olsen Electronics Store in Ann Arbor and bought their AM/FM Stereo receiver and two Utah 3-way floor speakers with 12" bass cones. I still have both; the speakers positioned (along with two other smaller, more recent ones) in my basement rec room setup. Within a few months of starting work at Ford, my first big purchase newly enabled by my pay checks was two JBL 4311BX Studio Monitors; generally considered the best speakers in the world at that time, and notably used as the studio monitors in most professional studios where rock artists recorded and produced their albums (they were the commercial versions of the consumer oriented "JBL 100" speakers which included geometric cube foam speaker grilles - mine blessedly omitted that feature). These now 42 year old speakers are still rockin' in my first floor family room, and man do they still kick out the jams. It was a ridiculously expensive expenditure back in 1978, but has proven to be well worth it over the ensuing years. Then, starting the in mid 1980's and continuing through today, my stereo equipment has all been of the Kenwood brand, originally bought new and more recently, through acquisitions of used/renewed Kenwood components. I know, I know, way too much info but you asked! Thanks again for the question....TIM

Way back - in fact, 50 years ago this month, I won "Best Detail" at the 1970 Detroit Cobo Autorama MPC Model Car Contest...an event later hyped in Car Model Magazine (August, 1970) cover story as the "Biggest Model Car Contest Ever Held". It was actually a dual award - my first winning model was a 1969 Charger Funny Car with a working drivetrain (turn the real tires, the driveline worked and rotated the engine's blower drive belt and pulleys). It had won "1st Senior" at the MPC Flint Michigna contest a month earlier, and would later on go to win "Best of Show" at the 1970 MPC Indianapolis Contest. It still exists in my showcase, having undergone a reconstruction after the model was returned in many pieces after competing as a mail-in entry in the MPC National Finals (but not winning) later in 1970. My other winning model was newly created just for the Detroit contest. It was a 1970 'cuda funny car, paired with a unique working "Hydra-Slide" chassis inspired by a real 1969 Mustang funny car that had a chassis that moved the engine/tranny forward or rearward on the frame, to address varying traction and strip conditions at match races across the country. While the frame and powertrain were very robust and have stood the test of five decades intact (and still operates to this day - as seen in the photos at the link below), the 1970 'cuda body was a "hurry up" build that was hastily constructed from the just-introduced, new MPC annual kit. I was finished just in time for the Detroit contest. The bodywork was rushed, and as a result had already started to deteriorate by the time of the Detroit show. (Some well placed, last minute decals along the edge of the hood partially obscured the flaws.) After the show, I repainted the 'cuda body, hoping that would address the issue. The repainted body, now Candy Blue with the Revell Anglia kit's "Skippers Critter" livery, was entered with the rest of the model at the aforementioned Indy MPC Contest and won "1st Senior' at that show. After the Indy show, the body, particularly the hood area (where I had replaced the kit's "shaker" hood scoop with a flat panel) showed profound distortion and wavy surfacing. The A pillars supporting the drooped roof - never entirely correct from the beginning - broke apart at the beltline. Frustrated to put it mildly, I stuck it all in a box ... ....and built an entirely new body for the chassis - a much modified Mustang based on the MPC 1969 version of the Ohio George Gasser. That Mustang body has remained with the chassis all these years, while the original 'cuda body resided in a forlorn box for the next 49(!) years; with the optimistic label "1970 'cuda funny car resto" printed on the box end. Finally, in 2019 during my restoration of the "Dominator" funny car model that won 4th nationwide in the Dodge/MPC/Car Model magazine contest, I was inspired to dig out that old box and at least try to strip the 'cuda body of the paint and see what the potential was to restore it to the original 1970 Detroit MPC appearance. Photos and captions at the link below cover the many challenges I faced in trying to restore the old 'cuda body. Here are just a few of those images.... It took until January 30, 2020 to complete the restoration, and some issues remain. After two restoration attempts, there are still some minor undulations in the hood surface and one small surface crack. I had to use 50 year old MPC decals to replicate the original appearance, and they proved to be very problematic during applications. Finally, I had to accept that in restoring any 50 year old model, there will be flaws that would be unacceptable in a newly-build model today. But finally, the model that shared the "Best Detail" award at what was then the World's Largest Model Car Contest - has now been returned to its original appearance. You can see full details of each step of the restoration of the concept, along with more photos of the completed resto and images and details of the chassis/engine, including images showing the actual operation (still works today!) of the Hydra-Slide chassis, at this link.... Whew! Thanks for looking, and thanks for your interest....TIM

Guys....all of you who have received the offer from TEN for digital subscriptions for the remaining portions of your subscriptions to Hot Rod DeLuxe, Street Rodder, Muscle Car Review, and the like....please be aware that you have ANOTHER option which they cleverly failed to convey to you. Call the number at the bottom of the notice for customer service and DEMAND a full refund check for the value of your remaining subscription period that you paid for. This id the clearest way of saying to TEN and the new owners of the now-discontinued titles that you strongly disapprove of their decision to drop this titles (which were, I am told by insiders, still profitable), and that (if you are like me) you have no used for digital subscriptions in their place. Best....TIM

A really impressive conversion/kit bash, and great pictures, too. Congrats....TIM

Hope I am understanding your question correctly.....so here goes... No....the 1965 Coronet pre-paints were originally from Polar Lights tooling, now owned by Round 2. The were also factory stock model cars, not the AWB Coronets suggested above. The (again) presumption implied above is that Moebius/Model King eventually would do a second Coronet body to fit on their Golden Commandos AWB tooling that is just becoming available now. To my eye the Polar Lights Coronet bodies were never quite correct. If Moebius/Model King ever did one in the future, I suspect the body would be much more true to the real car..... Again, I apologize in advance if I've misinterpreted your question.... TIM

What Mr. Mopar said...!!!! TIM

I did a complete two-part build on a C-800/AMT Race Car Transporter (with an extra tow-behind trailer) in Model Cars mag circa 2014 or so. Use the kit version with the Delivery box as Ralph mentioned above (the Stake and Tractor kits have short and shorter wheelbased, respecitvely) It's not a 100% unmodified parts swap special, but can be completed with some mild kitbashing. In those articles there were also a few hints on avoiding longtime inherent assembly issues with the AMT C800, and adding the factory cab-back sleeper upgrade. The current issue of Classic Truck Modeler magazine also has the assembly issues covered (using similar but not the same photography as in the Model Cars two-parter). If you can get a hold of the two Model Cars back issues, it would give you a good head start for the project.... Best Regards....TIM PS - here's a shot of the completed C800 chassis and cab before the transporter body install....

Heh Casey....the info has more to do with the leadership/management of AMT as a corporation....and I kinda think this is not the best forum for that type of business-related info. Appreciate the suggestion, though...will consider it. TIM

Heh Eric....your Trike model looks very, very cool. Thx for sharing! TIM

I've subsequently learned some more on this subject from others at AMT during this period. Hopefully I or one of my writing buddies will get to share it some day, when the proper opportunity arises ...TIM