tim boyd

Wow. Excellent analysis Bill. YOU should have written that article instead of the author. Talk about comparing apples and oranges....comparing the very narrowly focused Z-28 302 SBC vs the mainstream 302 Windsor. Seriously? How about the equally focused Cleveland head Boss 302 V8 vs. the Z-28 V8? That comparison would be far more precise, and oh by the way, would also show both engines as being highly competent and mostly equal adversaries (some would even say Ford would win that one). I'm amazed something like that could even be put in print...err...online. TB

What with all the attention around Revell's '29A Hot Rod Roadster, we all may have overlooked the concurrent introduction of Revell's new 2017 Ford F150 Raptor Snap Kit. Those who disregard this kit due to its Snap-Tite format are doing themselves a dis-service. I finally got around to opening the kit I bought about six weeks ago, here is what I found.. Thanks for looking, Cheers...TIM .

Alan...I'm guessing the problem is the steering columns what is making the the body ride high. Push it/bend it down a bit (on the steering wheel side) before you locate the body on the chassis again. It may also help to slightly enlargen the steering column hole in the firewall.... WAIT! Forgot your steering column is on the opposite side. Retract all of the above (smile!) Cheers...TIM ....TIM

Alan...well now that certainly came out sharp! Congrats, and thanks for taking the time to figure out how to post the images. Needless to say, like the flat firewall conversion as well....TIM

As promised earlier, I have now updated this presentation with extensive photography and commentary about the Moebius Belvedere compared with the Lindberg '64 Dodge 330, and the JoHan '63 and '64 Fury. Please me sure to read the captions as well as look at the pix (easiest way to do this is to use the "Roll" feature). The new images/captions start at Slide #19.... Cheers...TIM

In case any of you reading this thread missed it, more Deora reissue is posted here: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/106995-regarding-your-questions-on-the-amt-dodge-deora-kit-reissue/ Best regards...TIM

Wow...what a pristine build. Just the way I love 'em. Great choice of wheels/tires, stance, and paint too. Cheers...TIM

Guys....I have built the AMT and concur with all comments above. (Granted...it was buit nearly 40 years ago, but I remember the experience very well.) ..(more pix of this here) . As for the Revell kit, I have built only the engine at this point, but let me assure you, it is amongst the finest of all "W" Chevy engines ever found in a 1/25th scale kit. Count me surprised, astounded even. If the rest of the kit is half as good as the engine is, you really need to buy and build both kits. Please do not dismiss it due to its DieCast origins alone (which I did for years myself)...there's much to like here as well as the AMT kit. Cheers...TB PS - congrats to all who posted your pictures of these built kits, they look really, really sharp. And as for yours, Bill....truly spectacular. TB ..

Excellent points Dave. I have often thought this myself. On my build of this kit, I got around the sink marks with some two-part filer...but the point is, I (we) shouldn't have to. And I generally prefer to have my kits sans vinyl roofs - thus giving the builder the option of doing this himself (often with better scale appearance as a result). Also, little known is that the Street Machine version of this kit had a different pickup bed with mild tubs added - done very tastefully. This is a great example of the type of detail and attention to detail of the Mueller-AMT/Ertl era kits had, that the AMT-Ertl/Racing Champions era box art approach totally failed to convey. TIM

Thanks for the reminder about Thomas V.'s Bonediggers site. That was amongst the best researched and most entertaining of the early model car websites, and I was very sad when he stopped updating it many years ago. A really first class effort. And an excellent backgrounder on the Deora kit.

Tom...no, I built one that was a better rendition of the earlier mid-'70's AMT box art with the strobe-style side decals. My memory is pretty foggy on this one, but it says that the AMT Art Dept. slammed together a kit quickly for the box art, then commissioned me to do the kit properly for their annual sales meeting coming up. I never took any pictures....memory says might have been silver with orangish strobe style graphics, but I'm sure you guys will quickly correct me if I'm off base here. (Update...memory correct..it was the "Vantasy Camper" version illustrated in the Bonediggers link in Keyser's post above). BTW, your buildup looks really sharp, whomever built it did do a very nice job. Cheers....TIm .

Joe...lookin' good so far! Can you clarify your exhaust system issue? I've had no problems whatsoever with the exhaust system assembly on the three Highboy versions I've built to date. Thanks...TIM

.. Per John Greczula at Round 2, he has confirmed our speculation in earlier in this thread that the '70 Monte is indeed a straight reissue of the late 1990's tool as designed by John Mueller. It turns out that this truly spectacular, all-new new box art, first unveiled at the 2015 NNL Nats a week ago, was developed by former AMT commercial artist Don Greer. As John told me, "I'm very excited to be able to work with an original Kat from AMT."... I've always felt that the "Mueller era" (as John G. calls it) AMT-Ertl kits were heavily compromised by poor box art from RC/Ertl that didn't even begin to convey how clever and well-engineered these kits were. It seems oh-so-appropriate to me that the Monte Carlo tool is now getting this retro-box-art treatment (along with other previous Round 2 reissues like the '60 Starliner, the '62 T-Bird, and the '62 Catallina), and I hope other Mueller era kits (such as the excellent '68 El Camino in both its restored stock and street machine versions) get a similar treatment in the future. Best regards....TIM .

Our friends at Round 2 have clarified what will be contained in the new Dodge Deora reissue pictured in my NNL Nationals Coverage. In addition to that gorgeous original issue box art.... * The Deora will include the clear "bubble" bed cover (with top trim piece) and also the tonneau cover. Putting those original trim and tonneau cover pieces back in the tooling will replace the "camper" parts which have been in the kit since the late 1960's. * Get this - The kit will include pad printed tires with gold Firestone lettering and pinstripe, as the 1/1 scale truck first appeared with back in the day. * The clear parts will be included in duplicate, the second set in smoke tint. * The decal sheet now includes "pre-cut" woodgrain panels instead of the thick adhesive-backed yinyl "shelf paper" in the original. Apologizing in advance for those who have heard this story before, I've always had a special place in my heart for the Deora. Imagine this...one day walking home from junior high by the neighborhood Shell station, and seeing, in primer without glass, a super streamlined compact pickup custom sitting on an open trailer. It actually happened...to me. Of course, I asked, and was told it was an Alexander Brothers custom, headed to California from Detroit (this gas station was just off M14 in Ann Arbor, the then-new Freeway connecting the Western Detroit suburbs to Ann Arbor and I-94, the exact route such a project would follow on its way from the Alexander Brothers facility to the West Coast. Only months later did I learn the whole story, and that is was to be called the Deora. Others of you may recall that Car Model Magazine circa 1966 (IIRC) had a contest for their readers to name the new custom....and that Deora was the winning name. (The details of this recollection are pretty vague, and I don't have my collection of Car Model Magazines at hand right now to fact-check this, so please forgive me if I've got a few of the details on this wrong.) I've built this kit twice before - in 1966 when I helped my younger brother with assembling his kit, and again c. 1977 or so when I did a commissioned buildup for AMT for their annual national sales rep meeting. With these changes above, I think I will be compelled to revisit putting together the original kit....and getting it right this time. Cheers....TIM Best regards...TIM

I think Bill and Craig make very good points above. To me, a '27T Turtledeck hot rod is the most obvious next extension of the new '29A tool. Bill Bozgan and I did some exploration on this about nine months ago; the same roadster passenger compartment casting could be used with both a turtledeck and a '27T Roadster Pickup bed option (probably shortened from stock). They'd need to be tuned for the Channeled version 'Model A Ze'd chassis (this is how many '27 T hot rods were done in the '60's). but would most likely not work with the Deuce frame (in 1/1 it's too wide for a T body unless it is narrowed, which would add an unmanageable level of complexity to the Revell tool). For an all-new tool, the '33/'34 Ford is just crying for a true full detail hot rod model kit. The future body derivatives are obvious, as are the employment of both Highboy and Full Fendered versions. Years ago (actually, more than a decade ago), I tried to get Revell to consider pantographing down the 1/16th '34 Ford kits, which really were well done for the time (except for some funky front end machinations on the HIghboy version). But I was told this was not possible. Plus the 1/1 scale design represented by the kits is now, regrettably, way out of date. It needs a new, fresh effort, executed with the same innovativeness as the '32 Ford series and the new Model A Series. Just my two cents worth...>TIM

Wow...that is one terrific looking build. Congrats....TIM

A small block Ford! YES! The SBC mafia would like us to think that all hot rod Fords from the late 1950's on ran Chevy V8's. Just ain't so. As a matter of fact, if you go back and read the hot rod mags from the mid 1960's on, notwithstanding the packaging challenges and higher costs, the 289 Ford V8 was THE trick powertrain for many 1.1 scale hot rod projects. Needless to say, Drew, I (and I'm sure many others following this thread) would love to see what this one might look like! Cheers...TIM

Chris...the deeper offset is on the outside, so it will be noticeable when the model assembly is completed. For those of you who are not aware about this, deeper outside offsets were the norm for wider tires until the 1980's when suspension handling became a big selling point. Today, offsets are a carefully managed consideration to make sure wider tires can stay in the wheelwells and provide optimum suspension geometry. They also allow much bigger brake packages, and in some cases (IIRC), factory usage of the same wheels on both FWD and RWD applications. But back in the day, deep offsets on rear wheels were an object of car guy car lust, just like bigger engines, custom paint, etc....TIM

Ken..really well stated. I think this sums up my view very nicely as well. TIM

Richard...just let me add my comments to those of everyone else...this is some highly inspired work! Congratulations!!!! TIM

Thanks Bernard...I am going to order one now. Cheers...TIM

I'm sure you guys know that Norm Veber at Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland has a Hallock windshield frame that is designed to fit the '29 bodies...right? And thanks Bill for clarifying the sources for those way cool wheels and tires. Yow!!!! Best Regards...TIM

Dennis...that is sweet! Great work so far. I guess I better check out that Altered States body as I really like '27 T Turtledecks, but every resin version I've seen (other than Randy Frost's Perry's Resin version, which is setup for use as an Altered) is lacking in one or another way. But boy, your stance, the parts you're using.....brilliant! TIM

Drew,...while I do disagree with your conclusion about the kit, for reasons I've stated before, I sure like the way you finished this one out. That looks just flat terrific in every way. Way to go! TIM

I have forwarded a link to this thread and a similar one on the Spotlight Hobbies forum to my colleagues at Revell. They are very pleased with the initial reaction to the kit and, I think, very impressed with the work that you guys are doing. Way to go! TIM