tim boyd

Dave…..yes, those are the exact same ones. They include one tree just as you show above, and then one wheel cut from another tree after plating, to equal five per kit. AKA, they're running five of the "597" wheel tools for every four of the '34 Ford reissues to be sold.....TIM

Dave...don't know. I'll try to check and get back to you.....Best Regards.....TIM

Thanks Richard....I will check that out.....Best Regards.....TIM

As noted earlier, the new kit still has the old Lindberg "billet" wheels as the option, and new, simplified chromed reverse wheels as the choice for the top box art version. Those old custom wheelcovers are nowhere to be found......TIM

Rob...after reading your website critique, last night I checked the bodies of my in-progress '71 and '72 Mach 1 projects. The MPC '72 kit as the vents in the hood as shown in your website images.....but the AMT '71 kit has the smooth hood (no vents). Both of these bodies are original issue annual kits. I might have misread your web pages.....I thought you said that both the AMT and MPC kits had the vents.....anyway, thanks for a highly comprehensive and excellent /informative review of both the AMT and MPC tools..... TIM

Rex...thanks for the comment and also the link. One point in the link I noted was incorrect myself. The AMT 1971 Mustang Mach 1 kit has the lower molding along the bodyline because the standard Mach 1 version in 1/1 scale had a flat black lower rocker panel treatment, and the horizontal molding served to cover the factory paint break between the body color and the flat black lower rocker. Still,,,really interesting info and comparison of the AMT and MPC '71 kits. I've painted both bodies (the AMT in '71 Grabber Lime and the MPC in '72 factory Bright Lime) and I have finished the interior on the AMT kit as well....someday hopefully both will be finished! TIM

Everyone....I was just notified by the Publisher that they are planning to reprint the book. As part of the reprint, they will be accommodating my ongoing list of minor corrections and clarifications. I have already noted the suggestions/feedback previously voiced in this Forum thread and will add those as appropriate. If anyone else has noticed any errors or areas that would benefit from a minor tweak to improve understanding or accuracy, please let me know by replying to this thread or by PM to me by Tuesday, January 15th. And a very big THANKS to all who have already bought a copy of my book.....much appreciated! .....TIM

The Ford Ranger (the contemporary one sold in all world markets except the US) is now the best selling pickup in Europe....I realize that's not a full size pickup but it is very popular in most worldwide markets (outsells Toyota in many) and it would seem that as a kit subject might have more international appeal than the full size pickups??? Just wondering....TIM .

Keith,,,,this is a project near and dear to my heart as I owned a real one, a factory ordered '74 RR with the E58 360 hi-po. I still hope to build a 1/25th scale replica someday. My advice is to try and find the most recent reissues of the '74 RR kit, because as Mark points out the issue above uses an incorrect post-1974 B-Body chassis (with incorrect single exhaust) and interior instrument panel. (To the best of my knowledge It also does not have the correct '73/'74 RR body graphics (even though they are illustrated on the box art)). The last two releases of the MPC '74 $$ added back the correct 1974 chassis and interior parts and a more correct set of bodyside graphics. Between the two (the Dukes of Hazzard Daisy Duke kit and the metal box version with the Lucerne Blue Metallic/White Stripe illustration), the latter has the most complete and correct decal sheet. I do think the AMT-Ertl '71 chassis and driveline are the way to go. If the 400 or 440 Wedge is not the engine you want to use, you can get a reasonable facsimile of the '74 RR E58 360 small block in the AMT-Ertl '71 Duster 340 kit, which has just been reissued. I showed the conversion in my Mopar "Muscle V8's" story in the other mag a few years back. Be aware that most '74 E58s had an orange air cleaner (along the Mopar Blue engine paint), but a few (my 1/1 included) had gloss black air cleaners instead. As for the interior, the '74 RR kit is a must to get the correct front and rear seat upholstery sew style. Might be easiest to use these seats in the '71 Charger interior setup, and kitbash the doors to a more accurate facsimile of the real 1974 RR. Good luck with the project! TIM

There is an interesting point of view on a subject tangential to this thread (specifically, new kits that would actually interest and involve the Millennial generation), written by the associate editor of the other model car magazine, in the new February issue (page next to the back cover). While I don't fully agree with some of his points, there is plenty of food for thought in his essay.....TIM

I just painted an NHRA style "competition coupe" body with the new Testors color shift paint. I was very pleased with the outcome - almost no orange peel, excellent gloss, went on perfectly with two light coats. What I was much less satisfied with was the current formula of Testors Gloss Black enamel which you are to use as a basecoat for the Color Shift paint. Sags, uneven coverage, slow to dry, et al. This is a shame as the original 1960's/1970's Testors Gloss Black spray was fabulous - nearly foolproof, no orange peel, quick to dry, and terrific glossiness. I noticed the differences in the Gloss Black enamel spray paint starting around the early-mid 1990's, and it has gotten worse from there. I suspect that the EPA regulations among other factors, have caused the decline. Very sad Fortunately today we have both Testors and Tamiya spray paints that work far better than the current formulations of spray enamels. And at least for me, ring my trial, the enamel based Color Shift paint also largely shared the favorable lacquer-like characteristics. Hmmm...... TIM PS - the talented model builder who goes by the name "Bone" (based in NW near Seattle I think), recently did a bunch of test bodies using the Testors Color Shift paint over other color basecoats, including bright red IIRC. The result looked, well, terrific to my eye. TB

Tom....see my post just above.....TIM

OK guys, just got a look at the final release an hour or two ago. Of the "missing" parts Casey shows above, the only flares and the fire extinguisher appear to be missing in the new kit. The cement blocks, tire rack, and gas can are on a separately packaged runner (non-plated), while the jack and the trophy top (a miniature 1934 Ford pickup) are on a second, separately packaged small runner of plated parts. And yes the tonneau cover is there as well. The instruction sheet is a rebop of the original c.1962/3 AMT Trophy Series sheet; of the page Casey showed above only the fire extinguisher and flares are missing from the instruction sheet. The instruction sheet also includes the "Kustomizing Hints" attributed to George Barris from the original kit release. The chrome reverse wheels are on a new, separately packaged plated tree; they are slightly simplified in detail vs. the 1936 Ford Round2 kit parts illustrated earlier in this thread. Five wheels are provided (including one for the fender mounted spare). The 1980's style pseudo billet wheels from the Lindberg releases are still there on the large plated parts tree, but not mentioned in the instructions. The decal sheet appears to be largely an enhanced rebop of the original....I believe the colors for the Ford service oval are new on this sheet vs. the original. The tires are five pad printed wide whitewalls. The box itself as illustrated above, is of the typical large Round 2 size, not the narrow/smaller size of the Trophy Series original. The kit is molded in white styrene. Nice to have this kit back in circulation; with some of the original flavor restored, too! TIM

Oliver.....very cool project and how-to photos so far....looking forward to your future progress......TIM

Guys.....just want to clarify that the kit as you see it from Bill's images above is 100% the work of the "old" Revell product development .....this is exactly what I saw (except for the decals and box art) when I visited their "old Revell) offices a little over a year ago. Same with the Boss 302 kit. Also, there were additional spinoffs of existing tools that were well underway at the "old" Revell that have yet to break cover....should they actually materialize we need to make sure the proper team receives the credit. Like many (most?) of you, I had my frustrations with some of the work of the "old" Revell (such as the 1967 Camaro kits), but I also think that that product development team rightfully deserves the credit for the "right" work they did...and I think it is a huge loss to the hobby that the Revell team was disbanded just as they seemed to have reached a new level of competency in their kit development. Just my 2 cents....TIM

For what it is worth, the subject of model car kit box art, how and why it has developed, is addressed in considerable detail (including input from industry insiders) in my latest book...TIM .

Folks....there are many angles to this story. Automotive News, the respected worldwide tabloid covering the auto industry, is a good source on the latest developments (www.autonews.com). One angle being alleged by some, not mentioned in the thread above (and covered extensively in Automotive News) is that the entire episode is a "coup" engineered by Nissan leadership to revisit the terms of the Nissan/Renault/Mitsubishi alliance on terms more favorable to Nissan/Japan. The Wall Street Journal has also extensively reported on this series of events, including speculation that Ghosn was headed to Japan for a Board Meeting where he planned to fire the recently promoted CEO of Nissan. There is probably yet much more to surface on this (on both sides of the issue) in the weeks and months to come. TIM

Bill.....the wheel lips were also at the top of my list. I also included your comments about the intersection of the roof with the leading edge of the C-pillar (at lest I recall you as being the first one to notice that). I've also pondered the location of the body crease vs. the real car.... Given the difficultly of tweaking body tools these days (as explained to me by those who understand the Chinese tooling approach vs. the US/Windsor Canada tooling sources used previously), making even minor refinements to bodies is a far more involved (and expensive) process than it used to be. I'm not expecting much, if any refinements, but hope to be surprised. TIM

Ah....the always observant Luc breaks news once again. This one has been in the works for at least a couple of years....I had provided Revell with an extensive list of possible refinements to the body casting and it will be interesting to see if they incorporated any of them in this latest extension of the kit tool (I was told they would not, but....). TIM

I saw it in built-up form. The front end was much, much better. TIM

John.….and I didn't know that the Air Grabber hood was not available with A/C....don't recall reading that in the Salesperson's Guide info either, but it does make sense and I bet I'd find it listed if looked close enough. What I meant to say on the standard SuperBee tailamps is that, as you mentioned, they were shared with the (base) Charger and Charger S/E (my personal favorite), but when the painted bumper group was ordered on SuperBees, the tailamps were changed to the Charger 500 and R/T lamps, thus meaning that those of us building the AMT/Ertl "SuperBee" kit in factory stock form need to paint the car in one of the colors available with the Elastomeric bumpers, and dechrome/paint the front and rear bumpers as well. (Not to mention correcting the engine back to 383 or 440 magnum/six pack or swapping in a "correct" Hemi) The stripe issue I was referring to is that in all but the latest "Dirty Donny" kit, the stripe had an incorrect jog where it crosses over the base of the C-pillar. It could be massaged during decal application but most builders missed the error and applied it as it came from the kit. The Dirty Donny version corrected the decal with a smooth and correct sweeping curve over the rear wheel well opening/below the base of the C-pillar. The fix on the front tire alignment was detailed in a how-to in the April, 2002 issue of the other mag. It still shows available here. Thanks again for the tip on the A/C and Air Grabber!!!.....TIM

John....I presume you are referring to the "Hemi" engine....from what I recall being told by an AMT/Ertl insider, this was patterned after a real 1/1 conversion setup intended to allow engine builders to make a 'pseudo Hemi" (my description) out of an R/RB engine. Agree with you on the Air Grabber hood and "Bazooka" exhaust outlets.....those would have been in the R/T version of this tool if I had been in charge. The kit was also flawed in that the split bench seat was not a factory option on the R/T version that was the first release of the tool (although it was offered on the Super Bee), and the rear taillamp setup is wrong for a SuperBee unless the car building built was painted one of the several colors that included the painted front and rear elastomeric bumpers. Finally, though the manual driver's side rearview mirror is technically correct, virtually every R/T and Super Bee I've seen since the day they were introduced has the dual racing mirrors upgrade from the factory option list. Those building the model should be aware that it positions the front wheels/tires too far forward in the wheelwells. It's an easy fix, detailed in my two articles on these kits in Scale Auto and Car Modeler Annuals circa 2001. And the side stripe in the R/T version of the kit is wrong, which was finally corrected in the "Dirty Donny" kit reissue in recent years. Tim

Fascinating thread; thanks for posing the question, Tom. After well over three decades in the auto industry, I was considering retiring for several years before actually pulling the plug. At one point, Tom (who at that point had just recently retired himself) told me one of the biggest changes vs. the working years was sometimes waking up and not exactly knowing which day of the week it was. I have experienced that myself a number of times after finally retiring five years ago after 35.5 years at Ford, and working another eight years of part time jobs before that including high school and college jobs. Of course, I still do magazine articles and to a little bit of an extent that is work, but it is also a really good motivator to get in the shop and pound/paint some plastic. The book project (Collecting Muscle Car Model Kits") was the exception; that was pretty much of a 30+hour a week job for nine months last year. As several of you have done, during the first month after the big day, I sat down and inventoried my partially built projects. As I recall (now five years later) it was around 65 partially finished projects. Nearly all of those are still partially finished (little or no progress) but a few have made it to the finish line, along with many other new projects that started after that date. And like others have mentioned, I am amazed at how my time gets eaten up with other things, most especially, household tasks, upgrades, and repairs. I had largely ignored my the new home during my working years, and now have finally completed many long-planned tasks and repairs, along with some much needed remodeling and updates. And I have much more time to share on the various model car forums; I have learned so much more about our hobby and those that love it from my participation here/there. Thank you all for that! Overall, I am glad to read of your continued enthusiasm for modeling, and the various ways each of you interact with the hobby and find joy doing so. And for those of you facing health and other challenges, let's keep you in our thoughts and our prayers. TIM

In my recent book, I have a section at the end of each chapter called "Missing in Action". This includes both muscle cars that have never been kitted in 1/24th-1/25th scales, and muscle cars that need a newly tooled kit (due to past kits being poorly rendered, permanently out of production, or otherwise unavailable at any where near reasonable prices to today's collectors and builders). Chapter 4 covers Pontiac, Olds, and Buick muscle era car kits. Don't have a picture handy, but below is a copy of the text of the "Missing in Action" box at the end of that chapter:. The 1967 GS-400 discussed in this thread is, of course, one of the "MIA kits in the list below. MISSING IN ACTION A> GTO/442/Gran Sport kits yet to appear in any 1/24th-1/25th scale kit * 1970 & 1971 GTO Judge Hardtop and Convertible (1970 with optional RA-IV engine, 1971 with the 455 HO engine) * 1971 GT-37 w/400 4-bbl * 1973 GTO or GrandAm Coupe with (for extra credit) the planned – but not produced – 455 Super Duty engine ***** * 1964 & 1965 442 * 1968-1970 F85/Cutlass with W-31 package * 1970 Olds Rallye 350 ****** * 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971 & 1972 Gran Sport, including 1969-1972 Stage 1 * 1967 GS-340, 1968-1970 GS-350 B> GTO/442/Gran Sport kits that need a new/modern kit offering * 1965, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, and 1972 GTO (1970 to include RA-IV engine; 1971 to include 455 HO engine) * 1968 442 Hardtop and Convertible * 1970-1971 442 Hardtop and Convertible with W-30 package Also....FWIW I hear that there may be at least one kit released next year that falls within the 1964-1972 GM A-Body BOP category....hope it actually materializes! TIM

History of this excellent MPC kit, including the original c.1971 box art and the kit's linkage to the "BearCats" TV program, was detailed in the "Classic Kits" feature of the February 2017 issue of the other model car mag. Check it out! Cool kit buildup, Dominik; great to see you took the effort to build this kit in fine form.....TIM