tim boyd

Guys....as John notes, Round 2 is well aware of this request and they will check out the possibility....but they have many things on their plate and expecting a quick answer or announcement just isn't realistic Important thing is that they now know the interest, and quite frankly, in my view the good, well reasoned, and responsible dialogue in almost this thread goes a long way in making a good case for the possibility. After all, they are in business to make money, and if a way exists to reissue a kit within an affordable affordable capital investment/profitable return on investment scenario, it's in their best interest to look at it as a future business opportunity. I don't know anything more than this....so don't be expecting an announcement or a favorable answer any time soon....but at least it's on their radar screen. TIM

Kevin...cool picture and cool car! Interesting to note that the 5mph bumper blocks and guards have been removed on the rear bumper....something I always wanted to do on my 1.1 but never got the chance.....TIM

OK Randy, here's mine at the three year mark (just before Mopar's patented "swiss cheese" (rustout body integrity) took over..)..with added factory bright moldings ('73-'74 Sebring Plus Rocker Moldings and top of grille opening molding), Mopar B-Body trunklid luggage rack, lowered front suspension (loved those Mopar T-bar adjusting bolts), and the BF Goodrich Radial T/A's (F-60-15 and G-60-15) I won for taking second nationwide in the 1976 MPC National Customizing Championship (I could have never afforded those then-big-buck-tires on my own back then)....inside I was on my second or third FM-Stereo Tape Deck (the others having been ripped off in my college parking lot....grrrr....) and the Utah two-way bass reflex 6x9 speakers (the factory Mopar package shelf steel undershelf had openings for 1 5x7 factory speaker on one side, and a non-factory 6x9 opening on the other side..... I adapted..). The factory E68 360 hi-po (245 net horsepower, which equated to roughly 310 gross horsepower under the pre-'72 rating system) was really the best of both worlds back then - excellent performance including low-end torque, combined with reasonable (for the time) gas mileage as I was commuting to college and work at the time.... The deep black paint was polished with "Classic Car Wax", purported to be the only 100% Carnauba wax available at the time, while the Mopar Tomato Red Roof/hood/side stripes were already starting to fade despite multiple coats of wax and care..... Mechanically the car was excellent (accumulating 145,000 miles over 16 years) but the body rot was, well terminal. If it had not been, I would probably still have the car today.....TIM PS - I see on that rear view the red pinstriping I designed and added (that may have been a little over the top), the Lincoln Mk IV license plate frame I bought from the LM dealership where my friend worked in the new car prep department, and the dealership ID for Highland Chrysler Plymouth in Grand Rapids, where I ordered the car and had it serviced (Highland was just down the street from several muscle car era renowned dealerships for the other brands, and just as famous among the Mopar crowd as those others were for fans of Chevy and the like....) TB

Lovin' it Marc....so good to see you back at the bench! Cheers.....TIM

The '62 Dodge Dart 440 (equivalent to the non-sport Fury) received an optional additional side trim package, based in part on the Polara 500 version, at mid-year. It was not widely advertised (I recall first seeing it in my Dad's Business Week magazine, in an ad targeted at fleet buyers), but it was intended to address the "chopped up" side view that concerned Dodge Dealers and others after seeing the original Exner design. I recall reading that the Plymouth Fury got a similar optional treatment at mid-year, again intended to make the car look longer with a full front to rear side molding. I believe this info may have been conveyed in Collectible Auto magazine. Perhaps the differences in the cars above can be traced to that mid-model-year trim option on the Fury. TIM

From the latest pictures and description, it almost sounds like Testors Sapphire Blue Metalflake, which in reality was less a metalflake than an overly-enthusiastic Metallic. That color, of course, is still in Testors' lineup (though with a much-altered formula, it appears, most likely courtesy of our meddling government bureaucrats....don't get me started on that one!). TIM

Most of the people reading this board already know this, but for those that do not, GSL is the longest continuous running national-level model car contest in the history of the hobby. The first successful one took place in 1981 (the 1980 even was cancelled at the last minute). It ran annually for many years, then in more recent years, moved to a bi-annual format which seems to work well. More than just a contest, it is really a gathering of some of the world's best model car builders, as well as many aspiring and up and coming builders who are treated as equals and welcomed with great respect. You will occasionally read negative comments about GSL from some who attend the first time and don't understand what it is all about, but for many of us this is one of the premier events in the hobby. If you are reading this Board, you owe it to yourself to attend at least one GSL in your lifetime. TIM

Richard....if I am remembering correctly, Pactra had a very dark blue but it was in their "Diamond Flake" line, and it may have been called "Star Blue"???? But I agree with you and Bill that it was mostly likely the AMT dark blue pictured above.....TIM

Walter....as the former owner of a 1/1 scale factory-ordered-to-my-specs E58 (360 hi-po, dual exhausts, Carter Themoquad, et al) '74 Road Runner, I agree that this version of the MPC Road Runner kit is the best one ever, including the original 1974 annual kit. For those who are not as close to the details as Walter and I, this release has the best assortment of factory-correct '74 model year graphics and decals, it includes the correct dual exhaust and no catalyst as per the factory car, and the correct `71`-74 instrument panel. And rest assured, the model companies are well aware of the interest in reissuing the '71 GTX (Monogram and MPC) and '71 Road Runner (MPC). Have fun with the project and I'd love to see it when you are done....TIM

Bernard....just "discovered" this thread due to its location in a forum section that I generally do not visit daily. I better rethink that decision... Anyway....yet another fascinating BK build, I see. Great proportions and really encouraged to see that some builders like yourselves are still way into what I call "extreme kitbashing". And I think the weathering powder was exactly the right step to bringing this one home. Will be checking back for updates....but congratulations so far! TIM

Chuck.....a very cool project, excellent component choices, and an engaging writeup to boot Also like your "real background" photography. Really well done! TIM

I'm no expert on first gen Broncos. However I have first hand experience on how Ford allowed trucks to be ordered in the 1970's. That's because one of my first jobs at Ford was as the Truck Scheduler at the Lansing (Michigan) District Sales Office in 1978. I don't really want to remember much from back then, but let me summarize it quickly. Ford would let customers spec their trucks to almost any configuration, trim levels were not series like they are today but stand-alone options that overlayed other options and equipment. So I am not too surprised to learn that the truck the team at Revell measured might be spec'd the way it is noted in FJ's note directly above. TIM

Bob....that is totally killer! Really sharp. Sorry we missed each other at the NNL Nats....would have been good to catch up....Cheers....TIM

Russell.....now that is outright cool! A 1966 Blazer, ,right in front of our eyes. Somebody needs to build this (including kitbashing the 4x4 drivetrain) with tne Subby kit hits the market. TIM

There were additional reasons that the all-new B-Bodies were postponed one year to 1971. Relying on memory here (rather than having the printed documents in hand - always a little dangeroust), one of the business magazines (memory says it was Fortune) ran a very negative article on Chrysler Corporation in early 1969, suggesting that it may have been on a track to a future bankruptcy. This was following a major railroad company bankruptcy that had recently taken place and shaken the business world as a result. That article caused waves inside Chrysler, prompting a plan to reduce/postpone capital spending. Secondly, the all-new '69 C-Bodies did not start off selling very well. The bodies looked radically different with their high beltlines, and were off-putting to Chrysler Corporations's conservative large car buyers. The accountants reportedly forced a cheapening of the interiors for the new C-Bodies, and it was in some cases shockingly obvious, again off-putting repeat buyers. The proportions were somewhat awkward with the Dodge Polara/Monaco, with a too-long rear end, and a carryover rear axle with a too-narrow track width that hid the tires way inside the rear wheel wells affected all three makes but particulary the Dodge C-Body due to the mildly Charger-like bulging rear fenders The Chrysler C-Body sold fairly well, but the Dodge and Plymouth versions retracted from the excellent 1968 model year volume. Many of these design/content issues were somewhat addressed in 1970, and the 1970-73 C-Bodies sold somewhat better, But the damage and internal loss of confidence at Chrysler Corporation was palpable in corporate decisions that followed. It's interesting to speculate what would have happened if those B-bodies had hit in 1970 as originally planned. They certainly would have sold better than the carryover '70's that eventually came to market, but they also would have cannibalized sales of the all-new E-Body Challengers and Barracudas. Hmmmm..... As for the '71 Plymouth B-bodies being a ripoff of the '68 GTO Design language, no. If anything, they are in some areas mildly reminiscent of some of the Oldsmobile Toronado and Cutlass design themes of the late 1960's, but given the three-year window between the time designs begin developing to when they hit the market, the basic design theme of the planned '70/eventually '71 Plymouth B-Bodies would have been well underway before any of the '68 GM A-Bodies hit the market. TIM

The 1971 Plymouth B-Bodies (Road Runner, GTX, Sebring, Sebring Plus) were landmark vehicle designs that were largely ignored when brought to market in 1971. Only recently have 1/1 scale enthusiasts and collectors begun to realize just how important and significant these cars were. They are certainly in my top five favorite Mopars of all time, and if I was inclined to own a 1/1 scale musclear, one of these would be at the top of my list alongside the '71 Charger SE w/ 383 or 440 Magnum V8's. I've built both the Revell-Monogram and MPC (1987 reissue) '71 B-Bodies and they are both very good at capturing the magic of the 1/1 scale originals. If forced to choose, I'd give a slight edge to the MPC version. So needless to say, I'd love to see it reissued, and the idea of a secondary parts tree with the '72 exterior trim items makes it all the more desirable. Plus the recent surfacing of what appear to be a couple of solidly authenticated 1/1 scale '72 B-Bodies with the Six-Pack 440 engine (IIRC, that's what is in the MPC '71 tool) just add to the "rightness" of this proposal.. I'd love to see it happen. TIM

Alan, try issue 174 (January 2013) for the Tub and issue 190 (November 2014) for the XR-7/////TIM

Tom....GREAT touch with the license plates on the inner door panels! Love it! TIM PS - I'm a big fan of what appears to me to be the 1/1 car you show as inspiration, starting with the use of the small block Ford instead of a generic SBC. There are a ton of pictures of this car on my 1/1 reference photo album....TIM

Paolo, sorry for the delay in answering your question; my mistake You are exactly correct, those blocks are magnets and the base they attach to is also part of a magnetic jig setup I got a few years ago from Micro-Mark if I recall correctly. I used this background when I first posted pictures of the Revell '29A Roadster version of this kit tool, and I liked it so much that I've continued to use it for other builds since then. I think it gives a bit of character to the pictures vs a plain white background sweep. Best Regards.....TIM

Dennis....thank you very much for the comments and feedback. The engine color was chosen to be roughly reminiscent, rather than a precise copy of, the old Ford Flathead engine color It's actually Tamiya TS-78 Field Gray, which is not gray at all but an olive/gray/green combo. It comes out of the can in a flat finish, so I gave it an overcoat of Tamiya Semi-Gloss Clear to be more realistic. As for the dark metallic orange version, that was a build straight out of the box, with no mods at all. I think the channeled version of the coupe makes for a far more presentable model out of the box, than the channeled version of the roadster. The color is Tamiya Metallic Orange (a recent addition to the Tamiya paint range) with Testors Wet Look Lacquer Clear overall). Cheers....TIM

As a post-script to this discussion, some of you may not be aware of the XR-7/'27T Tub Double Kit. It didn't sell very well when introduced in 1963, and was never reissued. I did buildup/kit review stories on both versions of this Double Kit for Model Cars magazine a few years back. Most recent was a buildup-review on the XR-6, which appeared roughly three years ago. Prior to that, I did a buildup-kit review on the original "hot rod" version of the '27T portion of this kit for Model Cars magaine. This first version contained a good number of parts that never made it to the first reissue of the '27T as a stand-alone Trophy Series kit in 1967. If you are not familiar with these kits, probably well worth your time to go through your MCM back issue stash and did out these articles. Best ....TIM PSS - here's an outtake from the original MCM article on the '27T version of the Double Kit....note the parts that never made it to the reissue including the entire front suspension, grille shell, quad headlamps, and front wheels for starters....

Luc is exactly right here. Round 2 has invested considerable time and effort, including hiring the services of the most knowledgeable people, to do an extensive inventory of their tooling bank . The success of that effort is the reason we have the original California Hauler kit back, for example, a tool long thought to have been scrapped but one that turned out to share the Peterbilt Cabover tool parts but with the Conventional Cab parts trees welded off. This only became evident based on Round 2's efforts to fully understand their tooling bank. Round 2 has also been pretty good about disclosing what they have. When they say the do not have something left in the tool inventory, I for one tend to give them the benefit of doubt. Having said all this, I suspect that they have a few surprises yet to come out of the AMT/MPC/ etc. tooling bank. As Luc says, whether they see the light of day will depend on what is required to make it a once again a salable product. You may see at least one such example some time in the next year. TIM

Revell made a trip to the GM Heritage Design Collection in Warren, MI, a couple of years ago to scale the Suburban, so unless someone knows the specific truck in that collection, my guess would be that the vehicle will wear factory stock equipment, perhaps followed later by a more street-machine orientation. But this is just 100% speculation on my part. I would imagine will see the Revell quarterly flier with an image very shortly now. which will probably provide more visual info. TB

Thanks Andy and Hector, and the rest of you. Glad to know this captured your attention. This kit can support so many different kitbashing ideas....hopefully I've inspired a few ideas for you to build on.....will be watching to see what all of you do with it......Best Regards...TIM

Michael....thanks for your comments. As regarding your question above, this is going to sound incredibly lame....but it is just the kit grille/radiator shell, with the Ford oval from the kit's decal sheet, and Tamiya Flat Black brush paint in the recessed grille area. I was going to say perhaps it was the lighting in the picture, but the Cult Theme table is over in one corner of the room and my camera/flash unit struggles with high-res/high depth of field photos in a non-tripod setup. So I can't offer much of an explanation, but sure glad it looks good to you. Best....TIM