tim boyd

Dennis...I hear you, man. Nothing like having the piece in your hand, right now.. Even if it takes a little more work it keeps the project momentum moving forward.....Cheers...TIM

Craig....bingo....that's the one! Thanks...TIM..

Dennis....excellent, excellent progress. Really love to follow your builds and your building style/how you explain it. And the choice of the Sombreros to go with the Caddy engine is inspired! One idea for you to consider - Replicas and Miniatures offers a Duval/speedboat-style windshield frame specifically designed to fit the '29 A Cowl. It replicates a rare and valuable 1/1 scale component design with a name that I cannot recall at the moment but you would recognize it if you saw it. It would be a much easier adaptation to the AlaKart than the DuVal frame from the AMT/Ertl Phantom Vicky Phaeton, possibly requiring no tweaking at all. It was probably based on a Rik Hoving master, too. As far as I know, it's still in Norm's catalog. Here's the only photo I could find of one of my projects with the windshield.... Cheers...TIM

Nice! Extremely nice! TIM

Yes, it takes time to make sure a kit is as correct as possible, and sometimes that means multiple delays. Just as was the case with the '61 Ventura, I expect any delays will be well worth it once the final product arrives (sharing just my own point of view here)....TIM

Curt....we'll be watching for yours, too. For what it's worth, my own view is that the kit instructions are very straight forward. (I realize not everyone agrees with me on this). Just remember that for the channeled version, it uses the same floorpan (part #62) as the highboy vresion. I had no other issues during assembly at all. The instructions say to use part #13 for the channeled version; it's shaped entirely different and does not fit at all. (Part 13 is for a second, future version of the basic tool that has a different body). Once I figured this out (and checked with Revell to confirm I was right), I pulled out the instruction sheets for every kit I bought and made the change so I wouldn't forget even if I built the kit years later. Cheers...TIM .

Bernard....so glad to see you finally digging into this kit...whichever way you end up going I know it is going to deliver a killer result. Earlier this week I did a "double Z" to the rear of the Model A frame with the start of my sixth build of this kit. I did it by gluing a 2nd '29A roadster frame on top of the first, then cutting away the lower back half of the original chassis, but the result is very similar to yours. I also did a "Z" on the front part of the frame rails (just ahead of the engine mounts), again gluing the front of the second frame on top of the first frame, then cutting away the far forward portion of the bottom frame. Haven't decided how I plan to go forward from here yet...but possibilities include a Navarro flathead, a blown early Olds, or maybe just the Nailhead with the intake/carbs/spark plug covers from the old AMT Trophy Series "32 Ford Custom/'40 Willys" kit. Most likely it will also include a Model A rear crossmember and full Quickchange/transverse leaf spring setup...probably based on the Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland parts catalogue. Can't wait to see how your project evolves. Cheers....TIM

and another view....from the left....box stock '29 Highboy on '32 rails, kitbashed '29 A Highboy on '29A Z'ed rails, the box stock '29 Lowboy (Channeled) on '29 Z'ed rails, and a ktibashed '29A Lowboy (channeled) on '29A Z'ed rails.....Umm....gee....ya think maybe I like this kit???? Thanks for looking...TIM

John....here you go....TIM As delivered from the factory (except I cranked the torsion bars to lower the ride height ever so slightly...) Three years later...this was just before the body rot started to manifest itself....I had added some Satellite Sebring Plus chrome pieces, and the 15" mags were running the G60-15/H60-15 BFG Radial T/A's that I won for finishing second nationwide in the 1976 MPC Customizing Championship. (For those that don't know, BFG Radial T/A's were huge bucks up tires back then,,,,I could have never afforded to buy them as a college student with a car loan to boot). Here,,,,those Bazoooka tips, and yep, that was a Mopar luggage rack too (a factory option on the '71 B-Bodies like the Charger SE, but accessory only by 1974)... And here's the window label....note the speed control, Interior/ExteriorDecor Groups, and radio delete (Mopar radios sucked back then, and I could get a hot underdash FMS/*-track plus dual Utah 6x9's for less than the Mopar Am/FM alone....). The "Sold Car" line at the bottom was a note to the receiving dealer that this car was a specific customer factory order, and not be to sold to someone else when it arrived at the dealer. This car was actually just perfect for what I needed back then. The E58 was much better than the B-Blocks on mileage, and it had mid-range torque that the 340 could only dream of. The rest of the car was much quieter and rode better than the '71/'72's (which is what I really lusted for but was too young to buy at the time). The interior decor group sew pattern even exactly matched the '71 Charger S/E (which was and remains to this day my single biggest holy grail from the musclecar era...but only if equipped with the 383 or 440 magnum engines!) Thanks for your interest in this....Cheers...TIM

John....I've noted the same issues re the Street Machine version Hemi....which I'm told actually replicated a 1/1 scale aftermarket "conversion" for Mopar B-Blocks to a pseudo street-Hemi configuration. But without pulling out my old kits...I thought the original factory stock R/T kit had the Noise Reduction Package exhausts, and the "Street Machine" version had the rudimentary representation of the "Bazooka" style exhaust tips we all love.... As an aside here, I had those Bazooka tips on my '74 E58 factory-ordered Road Runner. Within a few weeks of delivery, the orange paint on the inside of those tips was gone (replaced by typical black exhaust stains).... and the orange paint visible on the outside through the Bazooka tip side slots was pretty much replaced by rust within a year. When I did an amateur "restoration" in 1979 (Mopar bodies back then were notorious for disintegrating in midwestern rust belt environments), I ordered two new tips through the local Chrysler store. The Parts Manager had to put them on back order....when he eventually delivered the parts six months later, he told me that one of the tips had come all the way from a Mopar dealier parts department in Hawaii....a long way from Lansing, Michigan, where I lived at the time!. TB

Fred.....Hmmm....maybe more like 2031???? Build/Kitbash # 6 is already underway (with an extreme Z'ed chassis...) - Hmm....I wonder when passion for a kit and/or build topic (e.g., Model A Hot Rods) becomes an obsession??? (Smile) TIM

Hmmm....interesting.....the guy that did the parts breakdown and much of the engineering for the Revell '29a kit is indeed QUITE familiar with real cars....in fact he has his own '34 Ford Five Window Coupe Street Rod, that he built in his own garage....and it's a very sharp looking piece, too. I've seen the photography of real Model A Hot Rods that he and his associate did during the kit development, too. Highly extensive reference material it was. Thus, the most likely explanation is the one in Art's post above. Personally I would have exchanged the plated differential for four plated brake backing plates...but that would have taken up too much space on the plated parts trees. These are examples of considerations in the development of a kit that do impact the final result. TIM

Harry...these days these model kits are largely reflect the effort of just a few dedicated people, unlike the large teams that used to be at Monogram, AMT, et al. This is particularly the case at Moebius and Round 2. Not to mention the challenges of overseas suppliers, 12-13 hour time differences, language barriers, etc. I won't make excuses for the companies here, but from my own personal point of view, I am sometimes amazed at just how much they get right given the challenges they face today. Best...TIM

John G. confirmed that the R/T side graphic has been fixed for this reissue, as described it no longer has the incorrect "hump" under the C-pillar, but instead a constant radius curve in this area, as the 1/1 car has. He also mentioned that Round 2 is pursuing an upgrade on the detail of decal sheets, although probably not in time to have this kit reflect the change. TIM

I just looked closely at the turn signal area of the front bumper. The forward facing turn signal surfaces appear to be represented in the casting (not as a clear lense, but as a plated, lightly recessed surface). The recessed surfaces do not continue round the corners (as a recessed surface) to the sides of the bumper., as the 1/1 scale pictures clearly show. However, it would take a modestly experienced builder about two minutes to accurately paint the surfaces - front and sides - with silver/white paint that approximates the appearance of a pre-1963 model year turn signal lenses. My view is that this is a really minor point of concern, and very easy to fix. Others may see it differently. Certainly everyone is welcome to their opinion/view as long as they have their facts correct. On the other hand, it is also important to keep in mind the context of any potential "issues" relative to the overall technical achievement and finished appearance of any kit. TIM

James2 said: "Very nice Tim, any pix of the chassis?" ******************* James....see images #30 at this link: http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/tim-boyd-on-line-mo/tim-boyd-on-line-mo-2/tim-boyd-on-line-mo/page2.html Thanks for asking....TIM

Aaron....just handled. See images #32-34 at this link: http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/tim-boyd-on-line-mo/tim-boyd-on-line-mo-2/tim-boyd-on-line-mo/page2.html Thanks for asking....TIM

Thanks Mark for the tip on the injectors in the Prestige Series and subsequent reissues....took me a bit of looking to find them, but yes, there they are. Drilled 'em and painted 'em last night...will mary them to the manifold later today....then.....where to put 'em? Gasser? Jr. Fueler? Hmmm.....Thanks again. TIM t

Excellent, well thought out and methodical approach to your chassis modifications....yielding great proportions and a very clean result. Count me as continuing to be impressed. Nice choice on the Caddy engine, too! TIM

Most excellent!!!! TIM

Thanks to Dave Metzner at Moebius Models, a package showed up on my porch yesterday, unannounced. Gee...could it be the final production version of the much-anticipated 1961 Pontiac Ventura? Ripping open the box....yep, sure is. Fresh from a salon photography session this morning, click on this link for 48 full size images with commentary for each image (use the "Roll" feature to expeditiously review each image and the caption that goes with it.) I think you guys are gonna really like this one....but take a look and form your own opinion. Thank for looking....TIM

That is some seriously cool period funny car work there, Bob. Did you ever enter any of these in the old MPC Model Car Customizing Contests at the Hot Rod shows back then? They would have been very competitive entries, I am sure. Thanks for sharing your pics....TIM

To Everyone that responded here....Guys...thanks a bunch for all the comments and feedback. Much appreciated. Just remember to share the credit here....as a number of you inspired this build with the changes you did on your own projects involving this kit. I would have probably ended up somewhere like this on my own, but your ideas and suggestions helped me focus my thoughts and certainly egged me on to get on with it and start/complete this project. Specific comments back at 'ya... * Chris...I agree that the orange/bronze metallic and all-black interior might be even more period correct for a build started/completed in the early 1960's....might I suggest 1961 Chrysler Cinnamon Metallic as one choice back when hot rod builders picked their colors from the latest OEM color chip manuals...(All: watch for more on this topic in your favorite model car mag (Model Cars) soon...) * Bill...yeah that low angle rear 3/4 might be my favorite view too....I need to re-shoot that with the corrected exhaust tip alignment... * Aaron and James...let me see on those photo requests....keep your eyes on this thread.... * Dennis....this one might be my favorite of the Revell kit roadsters too so far...either the favorite or tied with the original turquoise build of the box stock highboy version back in August... * Bernard....needless to day I am highly eager to see what you do with this kit. Bring it on, Man! Also...my next build of this kit will also feature an increased Z. Cool thing about this kit is that with both those chassis designs in one kit, the extra parts stack up quickly, making that Z operation a breeze without scratchbuilding or having to buy yet more kits. As regards the sectioned Deuce grill vs. the stock Model A grille, I actually mocked up the A grille on the nearly-completed model, and it looked very cool too. (This is the way the 1/1 scale Hammond car, pictured in the Andy Southard book and mentioned in John's note above, was configured). Of course, the non-sectioned A grille was nearly touchin' the ground, but that's OK too! * All.....glad you guys like the Miss Deal wheels and tires. I've used this combo on a whole number of builds over the last 15 years or so, but mostly on drag fuel altered or gasser-themed builds. .But after looking at all my old car mags from the 1960's, this style of wheel and rubber combo started to come into play on (semi-) street driven hot rods as well. And as you noted, the rubber rake helps the overall stance, beyond the suspension lowering. To bring this model to the shelf actually required more work than I expected. Much of it, though, would have been avoided by sticking to the kit Nailhead (maybe with the tri-power manifold and spark plug covers from the old AMT Trophy Series 1932 Ford Custom/1940 Willys Double Kit) rather than jamming in that FE V8. The FE swap actually fit surprisingly well as a basic swap without mods/kitbashing, but lots of little tweaking was required to make it fit 100% the way I wanted. Again, going with outside the frame rail headers - instead of the factory exhaust manifolds - would also have avoided the frame rail tweaking and steering gerar box relocation, further easing the swap, but the inside frame rails exhaust setup was much more common on 1//1 scale hot rods built during the early-mid 1960's, so that's the way I did mine. Again, thanks guys for your enthusiasm and comments. And keep posting your own work, be it just-started or well underway projects, or completed models, It inspires all of us. Cheers...TIM

It has been very well documented that Chrysler was developing other versions of the 426 Hemi for street use. Specifially, for use on the Mopar C-Bodies (Plymouth Fury, Dodge Polara/Custom880/Monaco/Monaco 500 and the entire Chrysler lineup) A 1966 Chrysler 300 "M" letter car, with the 426 Hemi, was in the approved 1966 production cycle until it was cancelled in the middle of 1965, and a similar Dodge Monaco 500 was also in the plan (with, at one, point, the "fastback" C-pillar treatment lifted from the '66 Chrysler 300). These were both to be limited in production (500 units each), but were to be more broadly available in 1967 when the Hemi engine was to be modified to add A/C availability, as well as a tri-power carb setup to replace the dual quads for these C-Body applications. That program, too, was cancelled before production started. There are a few 1/1 scale prototype parts floating around that were cast up to support these applications, in particular, driver's side exhaust manifolds modified to fit the C-Body application. Oh, what might have been! Cheers...TIM

Walter...yes I dug out that kit and looked at it. I didn't like it that much for this application due to (hope my memory is correct here) the very short split wishbones, and again, if memory serves correctly, the layout that placed the transverse leaf spring atop the axle (Model T style) as apposed to behind the axle, which lowers the ride height accordingly. . What I am going to do soon on one of my kitbashed of this kit is to use the Replicas and Miniatures Model A Highboy/Halibrand Quick Change kit which has its design roots in the early 1960's Revell Roth Kits and Revell Parts Pack componentry . Also, in my earlier kitbash of this kit into a chopped '30A Five Window Coupe, posted here a couple of months ago, I used the entire transverse leaf spring/Halibrand Quick Change layout from the old Monogram "Little T" (reissued many times including just this last year). This is not the complete "transverse leaf spring behind the axle" layout that I prefer, but it was a quick-to-build adaptation to get a QuickChange/Transverse leaf spring execution using parts in most builder's stashes. Thanks for the idea/suggestion, though. Cheers...TIM