tim boyd

For anyone who wants to build a '28/'29 Five Window Coupe, this folder has a bunch of detail photos of 1/1's that show the info you need for a conversions.....TIM http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/correcting-or-kitba/192829-model-a-coupe/

Knowing that many of you do not look at the magazine...still wanted to mention (for those of you that do) that there was a fairly extensive 1/25th scale boat kit history article in MCM back around 2007 or so....I'm pretty sure it's still available via the back issue department.....TIM

Guys....Art is right on this one. It's not that Revell is against stock-only pre-WW II new tooling, it's simply that they have to commit to projects that will sell in adequate volume to cover the investment and eventually get a modest return on their investment. Hot Rod themed model kits have a much broader market appeal today than 100% showroom stock versions, and the buyers of these hot rod kits generally demand accuracy that cannot be achieved budget-wise with the volume of kit parts that would also be required to support a completely stock-only kit version. Like many of you, I am hopeful that eventually Revell will be able to do additional versions of the new Model A tool. Personally, I would love to see a '26-'27 T Turtledeck body to go with the channeled, "Z'ed" frame parts in the existing tool. I'm not the only one who has proposed this idea to Revell, either, and I recall from other threads on this Forum that many of you have suggested this as well. But for now and the near future, we need to give Revell time to get the original two Model A hot rod kits back on the market, and (hopefully) enjoy the resulting sales success that will justify/support the investment for future derivatives of this kit (and the '32 Ford and Rat Roaster tools, too). TIM

They are continuing to work on the reissue(s). No insider (or external) info on the timing, though, beyond what they said in the initial announcement about the reissues. TIM

Ron.....great progress and cool photos, too. If anyone else is interested in a C800 transporter and trailer project, this general topic was covered in a two-parter article in Model Cars mag about three years ago. It's not a specific replica like Ron's, but gives you some additional detail on building the base C800 kit and some of the detailing and final assembly. TIM

Jim...that is one super-sharp build. I see you still have every bit the touch....after all these years!!! TIM \\\\\\\\\\\\\\

From a different thread on this forum.... More on the Chip Foose F100 body mods (from a June, 2006 special one-off magazine issue called "OverHaulin' from PriMedia: Body * sectioned 2" from cowl * tipped the roof forward * pie-cut the hood * pulled front fender openings forward and adjusted angle to match newly-sloped roof and hood * raised the running boards * shortened pickup bed with 1936 Ford stake pockets Additional build details * Art Morrison rear subframe; C5 Corvette front subframe * Corvette suspension parts * BFG g-Force T/A KDW tires with Y-speed rating (up to 186mph) * Roush Performance 451 ci crate motor based on 427 FE Side-Oiler. * MagnaFlow stainless steel exhaust system * Bowler Performance Transmissions Ford C6 tranny * Ford 9" rear with 3.73 gears Chip's intent with this basic design was to take the iconic 1956 Ford F100 design elements and tweak them into a more idealized design vision, not constrained by the practical work aspects and 1950's design and assembly technology. I think he (and his father Sam Foose/the build team) did a masterful job on this. It's probably tied with Chip's '65 Impala build (recent Cobo Autorama Ridler winner) as my two favorite Foose projects. TIM

Really, really well done! TIM

Way nicely done, Alan! Thanks for bringing us up to date....TIM

There was a magazine in the early 2000's called "Scale Auto Modeller", pubished by SAM Publications based in Bedford. I wrote a number of articles for the publication. It was eventually folded and incorporated into (I believe) Scale Modeller magazine, at which point I lost interest for the same reasons you list! If you can find back issues, it was a well done magazine in the style of other UK/European modeling publications.....TIM

More on the Chip Foose F100 body mods (from a June, 2006 special one-off magazine issue called "OverHaulin' from PriMedia: Body (confirming above info with some additional details) * sectioned 2" from cowl * tipped the roof forward * pie-cut the hood * pulled front fender openings forward and adjusted angle to match newly-sloped roof and hood * raised the running boards * shortened pickup bed with 1936 Ford stake pockets Additional build details * Art Morrison rear subframe; C5 Corvette front subframe * Corvette suspension parts * BFG g-Force T/A KDW tires with Y-speed rating (up to 186mph) * Roush Performance 451 ci crate motor based on 427 FE Side-Oiler. * MagnaFlow stainless steel exhaust system * Bowler Performance Transmissions Ford C6 tranny * Ford 9" rear with 3.73 gears Chip's intent with this project was to take the iconic 1956 Ford F100 design elements and tweak them into a more idealized design vision, not constrained by the practical work aspects and 1950's design and assembly technology. I think he did a masterful job on this. It's probably tied with his '65 Impala build (recent Cobo Autorama Ridler winner) as my two favorite Chip projects. TIM

Wow Dave,,,,,best picture I have ever seen of the Y-Block fuel injection setup. Gotta put this one in the file......TIM

I've been reading the commentary here and wanted to comment. I think Luc is to be commended for his efforts to inform the model car building community on some of the considerations kit manufacturers must address in deciding which topics to commit to scale models. The key takeaway from Luc's project? Yes, it is a ton of work to put together a viable model kit topic proposal. About giving away your work for free? Yes, I struggle with that one as well. I've been going through my model car files archive this last week in week in preparation for a model car book project I was commissioned to write and photograph (it will be coming out about this time next year). In going through this stuff, I've been surprisingly reminded about how often I was contacted by the model companies for "advice" on future kit topics and my feedback on their ideas during the last two decades. And believe it or not, a surprising number of those ideas have eventually become reality. Was I paid for any of this? Not a single dime. (The only model project I've been paid for since the mid to late 1970's work I did for AMT was a project for Revell to assemble and document the issues out of the first test shots of the Revell Model A project several years ago.) Now that I am retired, I could use the extra money that would come from my currently unpaid "consulting" work for Revell, Round 2, and Moebius. But you know what? Given the economics of the model car kit business these days, it ain't gonna happen. ( I know the model companies also have others they contact for this type of feedback, and while I don't know the individual arrangements, I suspect that they went unpaid for ideas as well..) So are we better off sharing our ideas and thoughts "for free" and having the possibility of an actual kit result in the years to come? Or not making the effort and never seeing a kit of our idea? That's a decision each of us must make ourselves, and I have no issue with those who decide it's not worth the effort. After all, our first priority here is to build and enjoy model car kits, not put together business proposals....right? Still, I really, really encourage those of you who haven't yet read Luc's project posting on FB to read it and digest it. It will give you a much better idea of why certain kit topics actually get produced, while others somehow never seem to see the light of the day. TIM

Steve....that is one gorgeous model you built there.....TIM

Dave's post here includes some new news that I think has not been previously announced. Note that he said Comet B/FX as well as A/FX. We've seen photos of the A/FX test shot build and I think most people were very impressed. Quite some time ago, Dave shared his B/FX early test shots with me....that version is pretty differentiated vs the A/FX and seems to me to be a very interesting future derivative of the Comet series. Of course, what I saw was very early test shots, and lots can change from then to production. But yet another very exciting potential product from Dave and the Moebius team......TIM

The info above on the origins of the Ford CD4 platform is wrong. The Ford CD4 platform was all-new from the ground up from what I recall as retired Ford employee. While new, it built primarily on the lessons of the prior European Mondeo/S-Max/Galaxy platform that was also used for the Volvo S80, not the prior shared Fusion/Mazda platform of 2005-2012. I see that one source you quoted has flagged this info as lacking attribution on their website. The info posted at that website is misleading in this case. While I am not entirely sure of the following, my understanding is that the current Mazda 6 is also a new from the ground up platform, not one derived from the prior shared Mazda/Ford platform of the prior decade. For one thing, the vehicle architecture (dash to axle and such) is entirely different than the prior generation Mazda 6. Having said all this, I concede that it's not really relevant to our enjoyment of the new Revell NASCAR kit, so probably best that I leave it to sit at this point. Best regards...TIM

Actually the current generation Fusion is built on the Ford Global CD platform; it shares nothing with Mazda. (It was developed after Ford sold its share in Mazda). The current Fusion is sold in most of the rest of the world as the Mondeo, but they are the same car, developed and styled as one global program. It's the prior (first) generation Fusion that shared its platform with Mazda. TIM

That's really interesting. I'm trying to recall what happened with my factory ordered E58 '74 Road Runner I ordered it with the Radio Delete option because the only factory radios did not include eight tracks, were prohibitively expensive (vs the aftermarket), and on the'71-'74 B-Bodies had a strange setup with both the tuning and volume dials on the left, which as I recall prevented a straight swap into the bezel of an aftermarket radio (with the knobs on either side of the tuning screen). Plus the B-Bodies only had only a single front and rear speaker setup for "stereo" , as opposed to the 2--3 front and 2-rear speaker setup in the Mopar C and E Bodies with factory stereos, and the rear speaker was a puny 5x7 vs. the 6x9 it should have been. Right after I took delivery I hung an aftermarket (Pioneer?) AM/FM Stereo 8-Track unit below the dash, wired it to two Utah 6x9 two way bass reflex speakers mounted on the back package shelf, and rocked away. Until the stereo got stolen (twice) Still....it was far, far better than the factory stereo at less coast. And the Rallye instrument Cluster looked far cooler without the radio/dial setup. What I can't recall is ordering a radio setup package, nor paying the dealer to install a radio antenna. I wonder if by 1974 they had added the R20 equipment as standard for all cars? TIM

Sam....that looks really sharp! Thanks for posting.....TIM

Just to reconfirm, a number of authoritative books on the Three Hundred Series all confirm that Copper Brown Metallic was one of the five factory color choices for '57 Chrysler 300C's. MCW's paint matches the color chip manual perfectly. It's the color I painted my own partially completed 300 C kit. Really sharp job building that kit, Geoff. Congrats....TIM

Rodney.....that came out great! Superb choice to use the Ardun engine, too. TIM

x2.....just what I was going to suggest. Either grille/radiator shell approach would be "correct" as far as I am concerned, but whichever it is, my view is that the top of the grille/radiator shell should be no higher than a line drawn forward from the cowl area of the body. Depending on how much you've channeled the body, a sectioned grille might be the only way to achieve this alignment. Sounds like a very cool project.....TIM ;

Jonathon....thanks. I wondered if you remembered my earlier note. Full disclosure - I knew the announcement was coming but didn't have even a clue about the Nascar kits. When I saw the announcement earlier Friday (before it was posted here), I did a double take and had to study the graphics layout around the Nascar kits to see if they supported what appeared to be a full detail kit. Then I thought of you and smiled. Needless to say I hope these kits live up to your and others' expectations. Best....TIM

Yeah Baby!!!! TIM

And now for some real news..TIM