tim boyd

Matt...my bet is that it will fit...as you say, with little or no work. The AMT and Revell bodies look very similar to my eye, except for the modified rear quarter openings and correct engraving on the rear wheel well inner fenders, as referenced in my original post back on page one.... TIM

Gotta agree with Lee on both these points.....TB

Nate...while I'm not someone 'with influence" (this is especially the case now that Roger Harney has passed away), I've still made this suggestion several times already. The Corvette and Muscle Car Nationals would be another place to find a pristine '70 GTO Judge HT or CV for these purposes. But in some cases (particularly if we can convince the model companies that the up front investment in digitally scanning historic muscle cars would more than offset the costs having to redo already- cut tooling, and the avoidance of lost sales due to incorrect proportioning of body designs), it might be better to get an "under restoration" car than a 100 point completed restoration. (Some scanning processes involve a silver-like dust that can be a little difficult to clean up after the scan is completed). it's also vitally important to get a 1/1 that is correctly restored (some of the kit problems have been attributed to incorrect restorations being used as the basis for researching kits). If you and others agree on the '70 Judge idea, (and it sounds like you for one completely agree), never hurts to drop a note to Revell, Moebius, Round2, or anyone else that you think might be interested in such a kit. Just a suggestion....(smile)!. And glad to hear you're on board with the '29A Ford Roadster kit....TIM

Thanks Guys for the additional feedback and comments....much appreciated. TIM

Riley....just as Scott says, they're from the Monogfram '30 A woody kit....thanks for asking...TIM

Smile...! Yeah...anything but an SBC would do just fine, actually.....but a SOHC 427 or a Boss 429? NOW we're talking...TB

Here's one I did with the Track Nose from the Revell '29A Pickup kit. For this one, I glued the hose to the hood, then recut the nose farther forward (making the nose shorter in length, and the hood longer in length). The entire buildup was featured in the old Scale Auto Enthusiast, #116, August 1998. 15 more pictures of this car (including detail closeups) here starting at picture #93...: http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/from-the-pages-of-y/all-my-fenderless-m/page4.html That Revell '29A Pickup track nose is a tricky piece. I did an earlier build of the AMT '29 A Roadster with that track nose (featured in one of my early Street Rodder Modeler's Corner columns, c. 1980 or thereabouts); it was really ugly. So ugly my modeling buddies called in "The Pelican", and it wasn't intended as a compliment! Thanks for looking... TIM

Scott...I couldn't agree more about the "Ford in a Ford" sentiment. Thanks for the feedback....TIM

I did an article on this topic (with much help from Gary Schmidt) including the box art illustrations, sometime back in the 1990's in my "Model Car Chronicles" semi-recurring feature in the old SAE back then. It underscores/confirms most of info in Keyser's post above. And the Piranha box art pictured in Pete's post directly above looks to me like the '64 Corvette/Fireball 500 trailer, with the dual axle rear treatment mentioned in Keyser's post. The upturned outer edges of the ramp, and the cross bracing of the trailer, are reminiscent of that trailer rather than the AMT Blueprinter version and its many other releases. Best regards...TIM

Skip...I was wondering the same thing about those airliner decals. Building Airliner models seems to still be a popular sub-genre of aircraft modeling, so one would thing that those decals - or something similar - would still be around. Thanks for remembering the original articles - good to know that it made in impression! Best regards...TIM

Thanks guys for the comments and feedback...TIM

...here are some photos I took there during my last visit in 2009. This is a spectacular museum and does great justice to the early years of our hobby that seem to be otherwise totally ignored, to our lasting detriment I am afraid. If you call yourself a serious model car builder, you need to check this out in person. Until then, 187 pictures from the museum are at this link....Cheers...TIM http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/model-car-events-co/international-model/ The excerpt below is part of the extensive Don Emmons model collection at the museum...

OK team, here's a full (31 image) review with text of the new Round 2 reissue of this kit... Use the "roll" feature to quickly scroll through the images and commentary here... http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/first-look-at-all-n/amt-piranha-super-s/ ...or just try this link, which hopefully will take directly to the "roll" presentation.... http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/first-look-at-all-n/amt-piranha-super-s/?view=roll And...thanks for looking! Cheers...TIM

Revell's 1950 Olds Custom, first issue in the latter half of 2013, is in my judgment one of the finest kits ever rendered in 1/25th scale. Click on the link for an on-line tutorial on building this challenging and enjoyable kit. Thanks for looking....TIM http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/tim-boyd-on-line-mo/tim-boyd-on-line-mo/

Thanks Guys...really appreciate the feedback & comments. . Joe - glad you got some good tips out of all of that...and appreciate the comments on the other cars. Yes, most of those were built 45 years ago using the ultimate in super-detailing techniques available then (did anyone notice the intake manifold pop-off valves on the '70 Charger funny car???) ,,,,they don't hold a candle to some of the projects underway in this forum folder right now, but I also think they hold their own pretty well considering.... Cheers everybody...TIM

With all the interest in the old AMT Funny Car kits, thought I would post this OnLine How-To from my Fotki On-Line Model Car Builds album. This is a quick, out of the box rather than a detailed project, so those looking for a super-detailed model should probably pass on the attached link. But for those who want a quick overview of the model, and how I built it and added some basic details, click on the link below. I recommend that you use the "Roll" feature, so you can quickly scroll through the pictures while reading my captions below each photo. Enjoy...and thanks for looking...TIM http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/tim-boyd-on-line-mo/tim-boyd-on-line-ho-3/

Tom's been photographing and posting pictures of some of his primo model car builds from his 55+ year career of building model cars. Here's a favorite of mine from around 1980 or so...make sure to use the "Roll" feature so you can read his captions below each picture. Enjoy.... http://public.fotki.com/misterNNL/high-top-model-t-co/ On behalf of Tom...thanks for looking....TIM

Tom's been going through his fantastic display case of of 55 vears of model building, and photographing and posting some of his favorites. Here's his Screenside Delivery....one of my own personal favorite Tom Woodruff model builds. Click on the link and use the "roll" feature to read his captions that go with each picture... http://public.fotki.com/misterNNL/1927-ford-screen-si/ On behalf of Tom...thanks for looking...TIM

I built this kit, from the red/maroon box art directly above, and it was outstanding - no flash or any other issues that I recall. But mine was purchased and built around 1974 or 75, before JoHan's quality started to slip. Mine was also molded in a deep burgundy plastic color, very similar to the illustration, rather than the red of Skip's purchase. So if you are considering buying the kit in the version directly above, I'd recommend a close inspection of the kit contents so you don't find the problems in the version that Skip found in his....TIM

Joe...thanks for the clarification...makes perfect sense. No apology needed, not even close. Sorry you had to read through my diatribe, but at least everyone now knows my philosophy on these subjects.... I just checked out the Big Kahuna build and I really liked the chassis/engine detail, particularly your paint detail. Outstanding. I also liked where you were headed with the bodies. The paint fisheyes problem is really perplexing in that it occurred twice. When it has happened to me (and it has...) it's been because of a reaction between different types of paints being used, or some sort of grease or other type of contaminant not being removed before the clearcoat was applied. The advice that others offered you is exactly how I would go after solving it as well. My only other comment would be to suggest using the Testors Wet Look Clear, with just several mist coats first, then you can lay on heavier, "wet coats". All the while watching for any further evidence of fisheyes. If you see them, you can try sanding the clear already applied down to a uniformly flat surface, and/or "pooling" clear paint in the fisheye areas, then doing the sanding. I've done both myself. I would very much like to meet you....one of these days I need to get back to the NNL West as I have a long and vested interest in that show, and the predecessor event that went by the same name. It would be great to see all my NorCal modeling buddies (although I hope we'd recognize each other...it's been 16 years since my last visit to the show...), so if I ever make it back out there and you see me, make sure to say "Hey". Gene....thanks for the feedback and looking forward to the next report....all I can say is you've sure captured my attention with this build and it's great fun to see how you are overcoming the challenges and having fun too! Cheers...TIM

Joe...I'm not quite sure whether you are agreeing with me, or perhaps suggesting that I'm advocating short cuts that compromise accuracy and correctness. Either way, maybe I need to explain myself a little better... I'm a big believer in adapting each model car build to the goals you have set for yourself. If you are building a model as a shelf model, a model to show to your fellow club members, or to proudly exhibit at the next NNL in your neck of the woods, I would allow myself the option of "insert the wheel spacers, move the front axle forward on the existing leaf springs, and call it a day." On the other hand, if I'm building for the next GSL or to push the limits of my own building skill, or to set new standards for drag car models as several of the builds underway on this board right now are doing, then the extra effort to find a wider axle, extend the wheelbase via an insert to the frame, and adapt everything else to fit is well worth the added effort. My point is that as modelers, we should have both options open to us. I've been buidling models for over 50 years now, kitbashing for nearly as long, and I've been a judge at model car contests large and small, from several stints as a judge at the earliest GSL's to a member of a judging panel for the MPC National Championship one year when I wasn't a competitor, to local contests at the Riders Hobby stores in Ann Arbor, Flint, and Grand Rapids. I've also had close modeling buddies over most of this period. What I've observed is that some model car builders get so engrossed in adding details and correcting kit errors that their projects never reach completion. And that's a big shame if it then discourages them from continuing in the hobby. (Some builders, by the way, don't get as much fulfillment from finishing models as much as they do from spending months or years adding superdetailing to a given, single model, and that's great too if it fulfills them, is fun for them, and encourages them to remain in the hobby). I've also observed that in a local contest or at NNL's, getting the overall appearance of the model correct, along with good quality workmanship, is a lot more important than spending weeks or months correcting one part of a model kit, but then having to rush to finish the overall result. The great thing about model car building today is that either way - the easier way I advocated for Gene above - or the more involved process he pondered in his earlier post - is an OK way to go. It's his choice, and I for one will enthusiastically endorse whichever way he decides to go forward. I've also noticed- and I've been guilty of this myself on numerous projects, that what starts off to be a relatively quick and simple model build, becomes more involved and detailed and time consuming as the project goes along. I try to avoid this, but when it occurs, I just kind of smile and move on. And I'll also support anyone else who encounters this pheomonen ( my modeling buiddy Tom Woodrufff has always called this "over complicationitis") because, again, we've got the freedom to do this as model car builders. Don't know if any of this makes sense, but at least I tried...(smile)...TB

Sharp! Maybe I need to dig that kit out and give it another look myself. TIM PS - kudos on your choice of engine bitbashing too! TB

Gene...all a question of how much work you want to put into it. The simple way to widen the track is to insert a spacer between the backside of the wheels and the axle unit. (This would be the equivalent of switching from regular Chromed Steel Wheels to "Reversed" Chrome Steel Wheels. It's OK to increase track width, but on a 1/1 scale car it increases front bearings wear and makes for some strange supension geometry.) The more involved way would be to scour your parts box for a wider axle and use that. As for extending the frame/wheelbase, the easiest way to do that would be to buy a second kit and use the two front end portions of the frames, cut in such a way as to extend the effective length. I've demoed that in magazine articles over the years, but not in this specific application. If it were me, I'd insert the wheel spacers, move the front axle forward on the existing leaf springs, and call it a day. Cheers...TIM

Gene, you're right on the money about the too-narrow track width of the front axle on most of these AMT AWB/A-FX/Funny Car kits. I've had to fix this as well on most of the ones I've built (it is really noticeable on the box art photography of the Mustang and Tempest versions of these kits issue by the Model King). TB

Gene...when you do the front axle mockup, make sure to check how the wheels and tires are centered (or not) in the wheel well openings. Every single one of the AMT A/FX-Funny Car kits I've built (four of them so far over the years) results in the front tires being too far rearward in the wheel well openings, unless you move the axle forward on the leaf springs. In the CheZoom model I built last month, I needed to move it forward about 3/32' to get the right appearance on the finished model. You can spend a lot of extra effort to make this change (new axle mounting pads, etc), or just do what I did - glue it in the forward position with no other changes. Still following your build....keep on keeping us updated! TIM