tim boyd

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

The original .c 1975 Ertl Co. instruction sheet for this kit - which I gave to Round 2 a few weeks ago as part of this reissue project - is an incredible piece of work. As is the entire kit. So needless to say, I support Rick's statement above 100%. I can't say for sure that's the sheet....errr….. book (and that is really what it is) that Round 2 will use, but I sure hope it is. TIM

Yikes! I said that? Maybe that wasn't too long after I visited Monogram and the team there showed me their Tim Boyd kewpie (sp?) doll with needles stuck in it....that visit was shortly after I had taken them to task in my SAE '57 Chevy kit comparison article for the proportions (or lack thereof) in their first 1957 Bel Air kit. I never quite figured out if they were trying to be funny or instead send me a message. Details of the whole episode are more than a bit foggy, some 37 or so years after the fact. Still, relations improved (fortunately) a great deal later on.....TIM

Yep, and its going to include the original (c.1975) box art and instructions as well.....TIM

Actually, that never crossed my mind, but since I went through again yesterday and deleted a few dupes and images with extraneous people in them, I need to revise the title anyway. Thanks for noting! TIM

Yep, that is exactly what I recommend too....thanks for noting....TB

I had suggested this exact kit derivative to Revell several years ago (before the Hobbico bankruptcy), and IIRC also noted the 1972 componentry on the car along with the suggestion.. Don't have any idea whether my idea was what caused them to go ahead with the new kit, but glad to see it nonetheless. TIM

David is absolutely correct about that article in the new Hemmings Muscle Machines.....check it out if a COPO Chevelle build is on your radar. TIM

....are now posted at the "1/1 Scale Car Reference Pictures" section of the Forum, or click this link. I also saw Howard Cohen there today taking pictures, so I'm sure he'll soon post his there as well, and others probably too. Don't miss it! Thanks....TIM

....hope this photography/coverage inspires a new model idea or three! Enjoy...TIM PS - just one example...a phantom Bumpside Era Big Bronco...

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There is some very good historical backup for the "fact"/bullet point that several factory-built 1965 Dodge Coronets were run down the line with "Street" Hemi engines (not A990 Hemis), though none were sold to the public. And if you know in detail the content of the AMT (engineered and produced by MPC) 1965 Dodge Coronet 500 annual kit, you know why it is my suspicion that the 1965 426 Hemi Coronet 500 2 door prototype referenced in the article is in fact the exact car the MPC scaled for their annual kit.... But as for the commenter who insisted in several follow-up posts that his cousin had a factory built 1963 426 Hemi Fury, ah...well...uh-huh. Must have been converted at a later date, as there is no documentation in the Mopar community to suggest such a car ever existed, plus even the race 426 Hemi did not exist in final form until past the start of the 1964 model year, much less the Street version which came even later..... TB

I was going to suggest MCW 1972 Mustang "Bright Lime" as that is essentially the same color, but then I saw the posts above with the actual Fire Engine Color from MCW.....guess that's an even better solution! TIM