tim boyd

Sure looks like it.....(both kits)... but I'm sure the Polygasser 2 is based on the AMT/Ertl 1962 Catalina tool, not the original AMT 1962 Bonneville as was the c 1969 PolyGlasser release....TIM

"Wide whites" were still factory equipment in the 1961 model year. The switch to thin whitewalls occurred industry-wide at the start of the 1962 model year....

Exactly. Rightly or wrongly depending on your own modeling POV and preferences, the buyer appeal of such a kit in today's market would be the hot rod angle, uncompromised in its execution. But I would advocate for a stock body shell (at least for the Roadster and Roadster Pickup versions), so that a kitbashing builder could use the AMT'27 T Tub chassis/engine/suspension as the basis for a showroom stock build. A stock roadster interior might require some kitbashing, but it could be achieved by a moderately experienced modeler. Believe it or not, the manufacturers, particularly Revell in this case (with their '29 Roadster/'30 Coupe Model A tool) do design some of their kits with kitbashing by their customers in mind....TIM

I've had this happen to a significant portion of my Testors Model Masters lacquer spray paint cans - both the "One Coat" metalfllakes, and the muscle colors series. I have not noted it in my Tamiya cans I have other Testors Enamel cans, Pactra, even AMT 1960's spray paints that to this day have never leaked like the Testors lacquer cans have after just a few years.. I'm generally a big fan of Testors lacquer paints, but I'd sure like to know what (and why) is going on here. TIM

This is a small production run by Model King, geared to sell out quickly and not result in a bunch of leftover kits for either the manufacturer or the retailer. Dave's heads-up is simply to let everyone know that this is a one-time run, and if you want one, buy it when you see it; don't hesitate because it may not be available weeks or months later. TIM

Scott....you can add the '48 Ford Woody version to that list if that appeals to you....I did a kitbash of the chassis/engine of the '48 Custom Coupe with the Woody kit a few years back.... For those of you who aren't familiar with the kit Scott is describing above, here's an on-line kit contents review I did when the '48 Ford Custom kit first came out....TIM

Dennis...ah yes, Steve's '27T Turtledeck. I believe that Mark Gustavson did a full article on that model as it was a big winner at one of the GSL's. As you said, Steve made a wood master, vacuformed the body from that, then detailed out that body by adding moldings and details to achieve the final appearance. The remaining build content/style was somewhat out of step with late 1980's/early 1990's hot rod design sensibilities, but from today's "traditional hot rod" point of view, it wast totally spot-on,. Last I heard, Steve still did not have email capability so he was/is not contactable in the digital world for any follow-up questions. But yes, that was a spectacular model at the time. Thanks for reminding us about it. TIM PS - thanks for the hint on the Bad News coupe...I'll look that up. .

This is one of the most memorable '27T Trad Hot Rods I've seen in the last few years. These images were shot in the Autorama Extreme basement at Cobo in March, 2015, poor lighting and photography angles notwithstanding.... AT least 15 more images (mostly closeup detail shots) here.....TIM

Dennis.....I also have inventoried at least five or six different resin Turtledeck bodies. I'm doing this from memory, so don't kill me if this turns out to be incorrect, but I believe that most of the resin offerings descended from the Ron Cash master. The All American Models version was somewhat different, at least the one I got. Again, from memory, a version from Tim's Resin Rods (out of NorCal) was one of the best in terms of proportions, but the quality of the resin and casting was not as good as some of the others. Yet again from memory, one of the issues with the Ron Cash derivatives was that when viewed from the top, the curvature of the rear passenger bulkhead/interior cutout at the rear had an inconsistent sweep from side to side. Yet another resin body offering came from Randy Frost in Canada; I recall that one as being very sharp but since it was designed for a Fuel Altered application instead of a Traditional Rod, it wasn't really usable in this context. I took a picture of all these bodies together a while back for a future magazine article; if it ends up being used it will be an interesting adjunct to this topic. So yes, I fully agree, we need a truly accurate '27 T Turtledeck body from the kit manufacturers! I have been advocating (for years) for a Turtledeck/Roadster Pickup combo with a certain kitmaker, but the idea of an additional (five window)oupe variant is fresh thinking and that might be enough to push the idea over the top. I will included it in my future discussions on this topics. BTW, really like both the real car and the model in your post above! TIM

Actually, it's the Phaeton kit interior that is closest to the interior in the 1975 Street Rod Series release. I've never built this kit (my example is still in the clear bag inside the box), so I can't say if it is exactly the same as the Phaeton kit piece. The Vicky interior is too short (lengthwise) to fit the Tudor body. TIM

In looking at the '65 "Gasser" 3D printed display sample and the earlier CAD file Dave shared with me, it has always struck me that this kit is very much designed in the current idiom of the word "Gasser" (what you might see today at a GoodGuys event or the Meltdown Drags), rather than the historically rules-correct Gasser class racer from the 1960's. In fact, based on my understanding of Gasser classes in the 1960's, I don't think a 1965 Chevy II could have been campaigned as a Gasser until very late in the decade, if at all. TIM

Bill got me going here...it's always (at least for me) risky to trust my memory of a kit I built 42 years ago (this one was a "clear the desk/first weekend you could buy the kit" start to finish build back in '75). Here are some photos of the engine in the engine compartment. The engine compartment (including the steering column extension into the engine compartment on the driver's side, and the alternator on the passenger side, just barely clear the hood sides. You can also see that from underneath, this is a very tight fit. Any added width to the engine would have made it not buildable. Added length to the engine might have worked - possibly - although pushing the front cover/fan belt forward would have probably caused interference with the alternator/hood side. But what really intrigues me is that I pulled out a Revell '32 Ford 302 Windsor V8 to compare. I don't have a Revell '26T 289 complete engine as a stand alone build, but comparing the 302 to the 289 short block only, the dimensions appear essentially identical. Which leads one to speculate - if the '26T 289 is undersized, is the '32 Ford 302 also undersized? Guess I need to do a full build of a new full standalone build of the Revell '26 T 289 and compare it to the 302 W in the last photo....

Those are both excellent questions - in the first case, the '34 body was downsized to fit the shorter '26T wheelbase of the Buttera kit tool. I recall thoroughly chastising Revell for that at the time. Not only that, but the original box art issue of this kit did not show the body that was actually in the kit, it was a faux buildup cobbled together from prior '34 kits from other manufacturers - I believe it was the Monogram but I don't have the box handy to look at right now. (Update - I see Mark already pointed this out above....) In the case of the second question, on this one you and I are in 100% agreement. I pointed this out in a kitbash article I did using this kit a few years ago for Scale Auto (I made mine a fenderless coupe with a corrected wheelbase). The too short front clip and the very misshapen grille shell are hard to fathom given how nice the rest of the body is in this kit. TIM

Bill....OK.....as has sometimes been the case in the past, we agree to disagree. But thanks for relaying your experience; next time I have the two kits out I will try it for myself. TIM

For those that have not already seen this, some photos of the '65 and '66 F100 models under development (3d printed from CAD files) are at the link below...please note that there are myriad corrections/updates to the CAD files that have been implemented after these files were printed.....TIM Moebius Models early development projects on display at 2017 NNL Motor City

Couple comments..... 1) the AMT announcement of a '27T Turtledeck first appeared c.1960 in the instruction sheets of several of their kit introductions that year. The kit that actually materialized, of course, was the '25T Double Kit, not the '27 Turtledeck. (I've not seen the 1963 sell sheet Art referred to above, which eventually resulted in the '27T Tub/XR-6 Double kit...). .. 2) while I would agree that some Revell hot rod kits have missed the mark to varying degrees (mostly minor, but a few significantly), my view remains that two of their prior kits - the original Buttera '26T (undersized engine notwithstanding) and the original 3 '32 Ford street rod kits from 1996 and 1997 were incredibly spot on as new kit introductions at that time. As regards that oft-criticized Buttera 289 V8, keep in mind that in the real car, that engine is a very tight fit in a 1/1 scale T engine compartment. Given the scale thickness of the hood side panels formed in styrene (instead of sheet metal), a kit development designer could either undersize the engine or oversize the body. They made the right choice. TIM

According to Dave Metzner at Moebius, this is a highly limited release....around 1600 made and the Golden Commandos "team" has grabbed some of the production for their own use. Dave's advice,,,if you see one, buy it, because you probably will not see another, and there are not plans for additional kits to be run.... Here's the kit and model as displayed at the Moebius booth at the NNL Motor City earlier today....TIM

Check them out for great model building ideas.....such as this '29 Roadster from Harold Helzer, displayed at the NNL Motor City on November 12, 2017 - TIM

The model car display at the NNL Motor City continues to grow in size and quality each year. This year's themes were Camaros and Firebirds, and Long Roofs, with excellent turnouts for both themes. Jim Drew, Ted Lear, and several other modelers had very large displays of their work. A big buzz was that the models of the late Jack Pennington resurfaced at a vendor yesterday at $50 a piece, and in some state of disrepair. Fortunately, they were hastily grabbed by several modeler/caretakers who knew exactly what they were. They repaired some damage, and put them on display toward the end of the morning. His work looks every bit as stunning today as it did years ago when he created them. Thanks to you guys for this high-stakes rescue!!! As many of you know, I place a high value on identifying the builders of the models I photograph. This time, rather than listing the name under each photo, I did what we (the staff of Street Rodder magazine) used to do when we photographed major events like the Street Rod Nationals. After each photo of a model, the next photo that follows is a closeup of the entry form with the builder's name. Hope this ensures credit where credit is due. Here's the linky to the coverage.... While I've attended the NNL Motor City since its beginning, this is the first time I've photographed the model display. I saw entries from Wisconsin, Canada, Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, and there were probably other states represented as well. Congrats to the DAAM (Detroit Area Auto Modelers) and all the participants in the NNL Motor City this year. As usual, I recommend using the "Roll" feature so you can quickly scroll through the pictures and builder credits. (The image below, conceived by Ron Harris, is selected in honor of the automotive preferences of our host here at the MCM Forum.) Thanks for looking....- TIM

Dennis....sharp, sharp, sharp! Your changes add authenticity and give it a "real" (in miniature) vibe to my eye. TIM

Bill.....my understanding is that both kits feature a 283/327 V8.....TIM

From earlier today, images of the Moebius display. The two new Novas and '65/'66 F-Series pickups are 3D printed from CAD files, they have not been tooled yet so there is no official announcement date. 24 images in total at this link. Dave Metzner emphasized that there is further refinement underway - including a new roof panel for the pickups with added curvature, and a repositioned and reshaped rear window on the back of the cab, both applicable to the 1965/1966 F-Series. Three images below are the first takes of the 1965 Chevy II two door sedan Gasser. More NNL Motor City photos will be posted tonight - some really cool models on the table this time. TIM

Some of you may recognize the name Bill Bozgan. He wrote a number of articles for Scale Auto and is a Ford fanatic to the nth degree. He's now retired from the company but works part time with the Ford Archives activity. Bill was a key behind the scenes shaker on the Revell Model A project, and he (like me) thinks a '26/'27 T Turtledeck is a slam dunk kit idea. He is a highly respected historic Ford expert in the eyes of the model car companies, and you can be sure that he has (and will continue) to advocate for this idea. TIM

Well, that didn't take long! A few comments... yes the Nova SS Hardtop is a '64, and the post sedan is a '65. Both have V8's under the hood (the Trumpeter kit was a six). I've seen the CAD work on both, and they appear very well executed. The Gasser is a full fledged effort, not a mild takeoff on a showroom stock car. There is a third version of the kit tool planned, and possibly others later.. No firm production date yet that I know of. Round 2 will also be there, but not Revell. Round 2 will definitely check out the Charger III idea - if the tooling exists in usable original kit form they would consider it for a future kit release. Also want to reiterate that several other guesses in this thread about what might be revealed today .... err...last night, are under active consideration by a model kit company. So keep those ideas coming, including those that can be configured in multiple kit releases (just as what you've seen today from Moebius.) We're having the early stages of ice storm where I live in SE Michigan this morning, so all you guys heading to the show, PLEASE DRIVE CAREFULLY ... TIM

If done correctly (e.g. original OEM parts breakdown) this could be done both as a '26/'27 turtledeck and as a '26/'27 roadster pickup kit. That's one of the angles I've been pushing.... TIM