tim boyd

Bob...I'm just about done with the kit. In my opinion, it actually goes together better than Revell's '32 kits. Positive tabs and locaters about - fit is nearly perfect...pretty much a breeze to assemble once parts are prepped and painted. Best part? Can't wait to build another one, something else it shares with the '32 kits. Everyone - Thanks for the comments! ....TIM

Bill. my info comes from the 1971 Dodge Car and Truck Showroom Color and Upholstery Selector Book, Charger tab, page 22. My book appears to include all the mid-year updates. It states "Charger R/T and Charger Super Bee Accent Stripes, Flat Black Only Code V6X (available all exterior colors)." However, as we all know, what Mother Mopar said vs. what they did was not always in agreement. Best Regards...TIM

Chassis is finished..... ..and includes probably the best dropped I-Beam front axle yet found in a 1/25th scale kit.... Please note that I have yet to do paint touchups. And yes, those holes through the shock mounts are just the way they come in the kit! Ten new pictures (as of Tuesday evening) at this link http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/tim-boyd-on-line-mo/tim-boyd-on-line-ho-6/ Start at picture #14 for latest updates.... TIM

Mike...that's great news. I had requested this correction a number of months ago in my correspondence with Round 2. Perhaps others did as well (including you?). As far as colors go, for '71 the Charger R/T side stripes, door "gill" inserts, and hood blackout were only available in code V6X Flat Black only. Cheers...>TIM

Chassis assembly is just about complete. Photos hopefully later this evening. TIM

Several of you have asked about whether the hood from the AMT '29A would fit the Revell '29A Roadster kit. I did some mockups yesterday, and here's the answer. 1) the fit of the AMT hood to the cowl of the Revell kit is pretty good, as seen here. . 2. The fit of the front of the hood to the Revell radiator shell is good, not quite perfect but passable (no photo) 3. The one issue is that with the longer wheelbase of the '32 Highboy frame, the distance between the radiator shell and the cowl/rest of the body is increased. This means that, just as in a 1/1 scale '29 on '32 rails, a stock '29 hood is too short in length to fit the new, longer engine compartment space. And the AMT hood reflects that fact in scale. It was a little difficult to measure the exact length of the shortfall in my mockup, but it was probably about 3/32" too short. Best Regards...TIM

Thanks Steve (Muncie) for the info. My source of the info on the engines Revell measured confirmed last night that the cylinder head with the circular ports that I measured was indeed one from a 1954 Buick 264/322 engine, not the 425 as I had previously understood. This source also measured his photos of yet another head that was photographed (a '61-'66 364/401/425, according to his info based on the casting number in photo), and his measurements from the photograph/ruler were 4.5" ports one to two, 8.0" two to three, and 4.5" ports three to four. Essentially identical to Steve's measurements above, except for a difference of 1/4" between ports two and three. As I stated in italics in my post yesterday, "there is still some conjecture on my part on the info posted above", this due to the lack of cylinder head info for the 425 version in the Peter Sessler book, and my own understanding (I'm not an engineer but reasonably well informed about engine design considerations) that all other factors being equal, a circular cylinder head exhaust port will flow better than a rectangular exhaust port. Clearly that conjecture proved wrong. Thanks Bill and Steve for finally setting the record straight with hard info sources that remove any need for further conjecture. Now, having said all that, I finished the Nailhead engine last night. I dare ANYONE to look at these pictures and claim that this is not a Nailhead Buick, and a very nicely done one at that. And here are the parts before assembly For those that are still bothered by the exhaust port spacing, I have an idea for a simple operation to align the headers more closely to the specs in Steve's post. I'll give that a try when I can get a second or third copy of the kit at hand. In the meantime, the rest of us will celebrate that we now have a new, really well done 1/25th scale replica of one of the coolest Hot Rod V8's out there. Cheers...TIM

Engine is finished....seven updated photos at the link....TIM http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/tim-boyd-on-line-mo/tim-boyd-on-line-ho-6/

Exactly correct. Compare the photo of the painted '32 Ford frame from the new Revell '29A kit (see link at my "quickbuild" thread also posted in this "New Car Kit Reviews section) with the Revell Street Rod Deuce kits and you'll see they are completely different kits. For one thing, the floorboard on the new kit is completely separate from the frame, vs. the combined frame/floorboard in the Revell '32 Ford Street Rod series. Cheers...TIM

I'm going to post some photos as I build the Revell '29A Roadster kit. This is not really a "On the Bench" build, rather a quick build to see how the kit comes together when assembled straight out of the box, without modifications. I've posted the first six photos here http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/tim-boyd-on-line-mo/tim-boyd-on-line-ho-6/ Included are photos of the painted engine block and front cover, all the engine components just before assembly, a gorgeous set of painted Buick-style finned brake drums. interior components, and a view of the two frames included in the kit. Check back often for updates! Thanks...TIM

Greg that is a gorgeous, super-sharp looking build. Congrats! TIM

JB...theoretically the kit you picture, plus all '28-'31 1/25th scale Model A bodies, should adapt to this kit with relatively minor changes. This includes the AMT '28A Tudor, the Revell '29A Pickups above, the MPC '29 Pickup/Woody, and the Revell '31A Tudor/Woody/faux Sedan Delivery kits. Given time, I'll also try the 1/24th scale Monogram Model A bodies, as sometimes Monogram's 1/24th scale bodies can appear almost identical to 1/15th scale bodies in size. Bottom line, the kitbashing possibilities here are endless....TB PS - I need to stop typing and get back to building. I'll check the AMT '29A roadster hood fit when I get the Revell kit done.

Yesterday I received a photo of one of the actual engines that Revell's researchers scaled. From the photo, the exhaust port spacing is 3.5" first and second port, 8.5" second and third port, and 3.5" third to fourth port. This spacing places the first and second port, and the third and fourth port, 1" closer together in each instance than the engine Martin ("59 Buick") measured (he reported the same measurement dimensions being 4.5" apart) . Even more interesting, the exhaust ports in the engine Revell measured were exactly circular, vs. the rectangular ports in the one Martin measured. So these are clearly two very different cylinder head designs. What does this mean? The Revell Parts Pack engine, which apparently matches the engine Martin measured, was tooled in 1962-ish, meaning it represented the Buick Nailhead cylinder head design at that time. The parts pack engine represented, then, either a 364 or 401 cubic inch engine design (even though versions of the parts pack packaging referred to it as a "467" (IIRC) engine). (It probably was scaled off the 1/1 scale Tony Nancy '29 Altered.) Stated another way, the 425 Nailhead did not exist at the time that Revell tooled the Parts Pack engine. The 425 cubic inch Nailhead was introduced in 1963 and ran through 1966, and it is the engine reportedly replicated by both the the Revell '29A, AND the AMT-Ertl 1966 Riviera kits. As mentioned above, the cylinder head exhaust port configuration and port spacing are clearly different than the engine Martin measured (which has to be the engine replicated in the Revell Parts Pack). This might explain why the outer two exhaust ports, and headers, would appear closer together on those model kit engines than on the Revell Parts Pack engine. Bottom line, it would appear that both camps here are correct - earlier 364/401 Nailheads had the outer two ports spaced farther apart than the late 425 Nailhead. Thus the Revell Parts Pack engine is correct for the 401, while the Revell '29A kit and AMT-Ertl '66 Riviera are correct (or very close to correct) for a 425 Nailhead. Imagine that. I have not taken these new 425 dimensions and compared them to the actual Revell kit piece - as I said earlier, I've got to get a second kit to make that comparison. I also checked my definitive source on early OHV engines, the Peter C. Sessler book "Ultimate V8 Engine Data Book 1949-1974", and while it contains a detailed chapter on all the Nailhead V8s, and the cylinder head casting numbers for the '59-'63 401, it curiously omits any mention about differences in the 425 cylinder heads vs. the 401, and it does not give the cylinder head listings and casting numbers for the '63-'66 425. So while the cylinder head exhaust port shape and spacing is clearly much different between the engine Martin measure and the engine Revell measured, there is still some conjecture on my part in the info posted above. TIM

Thanks Dodge...I'll fix that. Cheers...TIM

Mike....did some looking while I was painting the interior parts over the last half hour. For plated versions - As Gerald mentioned, the Revell Tony Nancy Double Dragster kit has the stamped valve covers for the '29 A Altered. These are my top choice for stamped Nailhead Valve covers. - The original (1960 issue) ONLY of the AMT '40 Ford Coupe Trophy Series has plated ones. All issues thereafter (including the "woodgrained box" version), apparently replaced these with the familiar ribbed valve covers. These original issue kits are very rare and go for big bucks. The Revell Nancy kit is a much better choice, not to mention a fraction of the cost. - The Monogram Orange Hauler engine has a 1/24th scale Nailhead, and it includes plated, stamped valve covers and also the very cool spark plug covers. Unfortunately, these are all cast together as a single part along with the intake manifold and top of engine, and looks a little toy-like to me in the box (maybe it would look better built up). For non-plated versions - The AMT 1963 Riviera annual kit has non-plated stamped valve covers for the stock version's engine. I don't have an AMT '64 Riveira kit but I believe that also has the same valve covers for the stock version's engine. - The AMT 1964 Buick Wildcat annual kit has the non-plated stamped valve covers for the stock version's engine. I checked the follow-up 1965 Buick Wildcat engine, and it has the ribbed valve covers only. I presume the '66 annual kit also has the ribbed covers only. I built a '29 A channeled roadster (heavily kitbashed) a few years ago using the Revell Tony Nancy valve covers, but I don't have any pictures posted in my Fotki album. It was a buildup, I believe, in SA a few years ago. Hope that helps...TIM

Sorry guys...I've been involved with family-related responsibilities the last 24 hours. First, thanks Martin ("59 Buick") for measuring an actual engine as well as JB for his dimensions measured a different way, and thanks Bill for converting Martin's dimensions to 1/25th. That's all helpful info. Right now, my focus is on finishing the model so I am going to take a pass at this moment on trying to measure my kit (the engine is already painted and partly built), Hopefully I can secure another kit in the next few days, and I'll repeat the earlier photo exercise with the dimensions drawn in. In the meantime, for all of you reading this thread, I have two salient comments. 1) I too know a little about Nailhead V8's. While I've never assembled one in 1/1 scale, I've actually built the majority of them ever made in 1/25th scale. I've also been photographing and looking at Nailhead powered hot rods for nearly 40 years. This new kit's engine is unmistakably a Nailhead. Not only that, it may - underline may in totality be the best Nailhead ever put in a kit, whether the cylinder head exhaust port dimensions turn out to be close or not so close. I'll soon have one finished, and then you can form your own opinion on these these two statements. 2) In fact, at this point, my view is that this entire kit in totality, may - again, underline may - be the best hot rod kit ever offered in 1/25th scale. I want to finish it in its final form before I make up my own mind, and then, even more importantly, I want to listen to what other people who have actually built the kit have to say about it vs. the other hot rod kits that have been offered over the years. Bottom line - for most of you reading this thread - please don't let your initial opinion of this kit, be swayed by whether the cylinder heads are exactly correct, almost correct, or turn out to be dimensionally inaccurate, I mean to offend no one, particularly those who have posted here, but there is much, much more to an engine's, and a kit's overall goodness, than just that single series of dimensions. Instead, buy the kit yourself, build it, and form your own opinion. And then, if you like it and you had fun building it, buy a few more! TIM

Bill...thanks for the update....TIM

Andy Lemble (1930FordPickup) said on page 1: Now if we could just get the tire and wheel sets in a parts pack. How close are these tires to the rears in the Black Widow? ****** Guys...bit of an update here/correction of earlier info. Turns out the front tires in the '29A kit are the same as those in the Rat Roaster kit. The '29A rears still appear to be new tools. Neither of these match the reissued Black Widow tires (for one thing, they are the old school design with no hollow centers). However, the front tires in the Black Widow are near exact to the height & width of the '29A rears, and their tread pattern and sidewalls are near exact matches for the '29A front tires. This means if you adapt a set of wheels to fit both tire designs, you can have a matched set of tall'n'taller fronts and backs with the same side engraving and tread pattern. Beyond that, the Black Widow rears are much taller than the '29A rears, but the also have a larger wheel opening that you would expect from an old school design Monogram 1/24th scale kit. But, if you could find a set of rear wheels that fit the opening, these Black Widow rears would be great to work on the '29A Highboy, as they would put it on a rake, vs. the nearly flat front to rear ride height of '29A Highboy right out of the box. But what wheels would work? HAH! I've got an idea that might work...stay tuned. Thanks Andy for the question. TIM

Quick update....I started building the kit yesterday afternoon/evening. Most of the components are painted now, the engine is awaiting final assembly, and the body will be rubbed and waxed tomorrow. I can't believe how fast it is coming together. I'll post a build thread later, maybe starting tomorrow, so those that are interested or planning to buy the kit can get a hint of what fun is to come... Cheers...TIM

Bruce....that looks pretty darn sharp to me! TIM

Thanks JB....if I can find the button I'll definitely do this. TIM

Dave...your plans sound cool....and I hear ya regarding changing of the build plans. I started mine yesterday, the body and frame are painted (although it may need another coat or two as the paint shrinked a bit), and I've got the engine block assembled and just painted that about15 minutes ago (after changing the planned color three times). I'm doing the Highboy straight out of the box, but also buliding the second Z'ed A chassis up as much as possible from the kit parts, before I jump into the parts box to finish it. Probably going to slap a '27 T Touring body on top (with the rear seat removed to make way foro the Z'ed portion of the frame, and a leather tonneau cover added over the former rear seat engine area). Anyway, hope you can share pictures as your build comes together (and that goes for anyone else reading this thread who is planning to start a build project. Cheers...TIM

Snake...just fixed that! I have a problem here at Boyd headquarters. A few days ago, i did something on this computer that makes the print on this forum incredibly small. I have an extremely hard time reading the posts, and writing new ones. Usually spell catcher tells me I made a mistake, but "regards" and "retards" are both legal spellings. Oh well....and if anyone knows how I can reset my Desktop so that the regular size font returns, I;d sure appreciate knowing how. TIM

Bill, .would it be possible for you to provide the actual 1/1 scale dimension (e.g. centerline to centerline for each of the four exhaust ports)? Also...just curious if you looked at the other six pictures on this subject at the link I provided? Thanks TIM