tim boyd

Andrew...that flat out rocks! Cool! TIM

In talking with Revell during writing my book on Drag Racing Model Kits (this woud have been around 2019) it was revealed that they were doing some preliminary investigation of what would be required to update their Rail Dragster tool to today's configuration....but that died when the Hobbico bankruptcy debacle took place....too bad for all the obvious reasons...TB

Great to see you do a dragster like this Clay....it certainly showcases very well your many modeling skills! Bravo...TB

Very, very cool. Luv those megaphone headers, too! TB

Interesting....however the newly tooled 1963 F100 Unibody "clone" kit I built a couple of months ago had no flash that I recall, and the surface development/quality, and especially fit and finish, far exceeded any of the original 1960s annual kits i have built over the years. I was building an original 1963 F100 kit when Round 2 announced the new one, and let me tell anyone who will listen, there is just no comparison in any of these areas between the old and the new.... Not sure if that is directly relevant to your comment, but wanted to pass it along anyway. Best...TB PS - your gen 1 Corvair sounded like a blast!

Steve....correct you are. Best...TB

This one really sailed along undetected (sorry for the water clichés, I can't help myself..) Round 2 reissued their 1968 Kindsvater hulled drag/ski boat for only the fourth time ever, paired with their Chevy C30 van and freshened box art replicating the rare 1975 "Aqua Rod" Van/Trailer/Boat gift set. Hidden in that box was a spectacular, newly designed decal sheet which not only redid the 1975 Aqua Rod livery, but included a second whole set of boat and van graphics based on the illustration of the upcoming kit in AMT's 1975 1/2 announcement bulletin. The result, which was printed in Italy, by the way, was an 8" by 10" decal livery that is among the highest resolution, glossiest and detailed work I've seen in a model kit (the image below doesn't even begin to do it justice...). You can read more about the reissue here. But if you think of boating in scale when the summer arrives and the sun is shining, think about tracking down one of these kits. I think you'll have a blast building it. Best...TIM **** PS - many of us have wondered whether any of the old AMT Rayson-Craft Trophy Series ski/boat parts were lurking past unopened gates in this kit tool. We now know the answer...it's mentioned in the review above...TB .

Just got my MCM #224 yesterday and was astounded to see six pages of coverage devoted to the contents of this thread. To all of you who participated in this thread over the last several years, to all who posted your modeling projects, to Dennis who got the whole thing going, to Wes and Paul at GSL, and to the entire MCM Editorial team, thank you from the bottom of my heart! This will be one of the proudest moments of my life, for sure! Very best to you all!!! TIM

Blown Ardun works for me too! Great choice....TIM

Thanks Al! Cheers...TB

Bill...glad to see this one progressing. And to see your original from back in the day, and just how contemporary and just plain cool that that it remains. Glad to see you are looking at different rear end alternatives as the AMT Ertl Phantom Vickie rear end would not work in 1/1 scale...there's no upper links to locate the rear axle along with the lowers, which I always felt was the one big error of an otherwie very nice kit (and really cool set of frame crossmembers!). Will be watching this bad-boy come together...best of luck with it! Cheers...TIM

Love the idea of doing a Y-Block. Best wishes for a very fun and enjoyable build! Cheers....TIM

JIm, big, big congrats on the progress. Paint looks excellent, too! I can feel the finish line coming up just ahead! Cheers...TIM

Whoa Michael...those are really, really cool. Terrific flame job, too! Best....TB

Yikes! Yet another stalwart of the hobby moves on. I echo the thoughts of all above. Godpeed, Sir Richard! TB

Dave and all....can't wait to see it! Thanks a very big bunch! TIM

Really???? Thx for the reply....TB

All....check out this six-minute video imbedded in the AutoBlog.com post at this link.... Kenworth SuperTruck 2 is a conceptual 10-wheeler of the future - Autoblog Personally, I find this to be a highly innovative, and possibly much more relevant solution to improving Class 8 product emissions and efficiency, than the Tesla Electric Semi. Plus the video does a really good job of describing the development process any truly revolutionary automotive project goes through. Not to mention that the result itself looks super cool! Cheers...TIM

Guys.....Steve has many way cool ideas under investigation, and I'm pretty sure I don't even know a fraction of the overall portfolio of projects he is considering. But please keep in mind, too, that he is working in a world of limited constraints (people resources, availability of funding, supply base constraints, et al). All of which is to say that please don't be disappointed if your ideas are not the next ones out of the shoot. And that your best insurance policy of making sure some of these actually come to fruition is to continue buyng the new Round 2 products that have just hit the market or have been announced earlier this year, even if in some cases they are not 100% within your own personal areas of intterest... And Steve, thanks for keeping in touch with those of us who read these forums....very much appreciated by us all. TIM

Rob and Rob....give us a read on what the issue contains.....please.....especiallly for those of us who are two weeks away from getting ours (per Dave's info above). Thanks! TIM

Could have...yes, no doubt. Easily? Not quite, especially when it comes to changes like the rear suspension/axle layout that we'd all like to see. Go back and read the explanations from those how have worked in our have in-depth knowledge of the industry. Frustrating, no doubt, but also the truth. Especially when funding and human/supply base resource limitations and return on investment considerations are factored in, as like it or not, the modeling companies are businesses first. Best...TB

Michael,,,,I know this explanation from James is pretty much a buzzkill, but he is exactly correct in his explanation of the complexities of model car kit tooling and developing derivatives of same. As someone who has built probably 15 or more of these kits over the years, I sure share your desire for new bodies and new parts based off the tooling set, but I don't believe that is going to happen for the exact reasons James explains above. The thought that crosses my mind is that if Revell Germany were to do new '32 versions, they would be well advised to look at the Rat Roaster tooling set - as modified for the most recent reissue - as the basis for additional derivatives. That kit tooling has a number of upgrades over the original 1996 tooling set that make it a better build and a more accurate result to begin with. And perhaps there is the flexibility in the tool for additional parts as was the case for the original 1996 tool. One other consideration is that Revell's '32 Ford series was driven in large part by their VP the late Roger Harney, who was a 1/1scale hot rodder at heart and knew the subject very well. While Revell Germany's remaining US based staff is capable of great work (e.g. the 1971 Boss 351 kit), to the best of my awareness they are not hot-rodding experts. Revell's successful update of the Rat Roaster kit was largely based on input they solicited from non-company sources; they would need to follow a similar approach for any new '32 subject. BTW my choices would be a Vicky, a Phaeton, and/or a Roadster PIckup body. A Model A rear crossmember, transverse leaf spring, and Halibrand Quick Change would be great, but I suspect this would be too much of a tear up for the tooling set (I had suggested that to Revell as part their update of the Rat Roaster, btw). But I'd stick with a small block Ford V8, as it is still a very popular choice in the 1/1 scale hot rod world, but do it with updated componentry including the front accessory drive and intake/exhaust systems. I'd take anything, though, other than an SBC. In reality, I don't expect any of this to actually happen, but it is fun to speculate and dream about it nonetheless. Best....TB

Me too....your experience may vary (and apparently does for many...) TB

Pat....looking good so far! TB

That's been my experience as well, Pete. TB