tim boyd

35 photos and captions at the link below, including a comparison with other previous versions of this kit.... http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/first-look-at-all-n/new-round-2-amt-65-/new-round-2-amt-65-/ Thanks for looking! TIM

It was at my local hobby store this Tuesday....TIM

Randy....glad to have helped out, and as many others have said, great result! As for the body proportions....all the points you make above correctly reflect the difficulty in comparing a model car body to a 1.1 original. When I did my 1/1 to 1/25th scale comparison, I used the same camera lense and same lense setting (other than to adjust for lighting differences), and the body does look somewhat closer to the real thing than in the comparison shots above (great side view profile photo from the internet, btw!). With apologies who might have seen my opinion on this subject already posted, I don't believe the Revell body is perfect by any means, but I do believe it is a very workable effort and that for all but the most ardent purist, it will get the job done. I would like to see Revell correct some of the items that have been noted here and elsewhere, starting with the overly-flared wheel lips, then the drip rail molding engraving and hard-intersection at the C-pillar (as pointed out by Bill G.), and moving on to about ten other items - mostly minor; some more involved. One addition that would seem to me to be very easy would be to add the racetrack moldings around the rear tailamp cove. Randy, you did a superb job replicating that with BareMetal, but it is a very difficult task (I did the same operation on my original build which has not yet been published). Adding the engraved molding would not only help with the BareMetal, but would also help with the masking operation to apply the Organisol Black insert. If someone could send me the link to the discussion on this subject at the other board (referenced above), I'd appreciate seeing what others have to say about this subject. Happy Holidays all! TIM

Steve....when I was doing research for my 'cuda reviews, I ran across descriptions of this option in several Mopar sources but thought maybe that it was a cancelled option, as I have never seen one in person or even pictures. Recently I saw a post on another board with the scoop but not the blackout treatment....so until this picture, I have never seen one in its fully factory regalia including the blackout lower panels. Really appreciate you posting this - just points out why with Mother Mopar, you never say "never"....THANKS!!!! TIM

...or you can use the new AMT Round 2 Goodyear Polyglas GT F-60-15 RWL tires - they are a direct swap onto the Revell 'cuda Rallye Wheels....TIM

Thanks Jens...I wasn't fully clear on that. And I have read many articles stating that the '70-'74 E Body and '71-74 B Bodies shared the entire engine compartment including cowl structure .... although as you note, the area in front of the radiator wall is different. I'll check the PM...don't know why mail would not have gone through...TB

Great pictures, Dave. thanks! Also...the new (Feb 2014) issue of Vintage Trucks (I buy my copy at Barnes and Noble) has a neat four page full color article on a stock restored '50 Merc - it's gorgeous! Lotaa detail shots too. TIM

I believe the design of the front fenders being located to the interior walls may have to do with the assembly process. That big 'ol honkin' Hemi would have a difficult assembly operation if you were to try to place the body with the front fenders already molded in, on top of/over the chassis with the engine already located in it. Of course, for 1/1 scale cars the engines may have been top-loaded into the engine compartment on E bodies (Mopar experts, beat me up if I'm wrong here), which would be impossible on a 1/25th scale car unless the transmission mount was made a separate part. In any case, I actually prefer the new Revell approach, because as Casey notes, you get a much more definitive final assembly result with the hidden tabs and the secure mating of the fenderwell tops to the body itself. Casey....great shot of that "cuda roof - I was looking for images like this that would show the drip rail moldings, but I never found one that showed it as well as this image. This image also describes visually the "racetrack molding" that needs to be added to the body for the rear cove blackout panel. TIM

I believe the axle pins are in the same piece of clear plastic as the clear window parts, in a separate "compartment" if you will. TIM

Randy...great job on the red grille stripe....exactly how did you do that again???? Also...excellent catch on the lower front roll pan opening insert being painted silver...I bet most 'cuda builds will miss that step. TIM

Note that this seller is also selling Goodyear RWL tire decals...G6015 is the closest he has to the factory correct F6015 lettering...I just ordered several sets. Thanks for the link Marcos. TIM UPDATE...he's just added F60-15 Goodyear Polyglas GT RWL tires to do with the 'cuda kit. I ordered those too....TIM

That's a great series of links....thanks! And looking forward to your ModTop decals...TIM Correcto, of course, I meant the first effort for a truly correct 'cuda kit! TB

Bill....great to hear from you and I would love to see you tackle this kit and take what is a pretty respectable first effort (in my POV) from Revell and make it 100% correct. Just want to say that in my comparisons with the MPC, JoHan, and Danbury Mint 'cudas, as well as a series of 1/1 scale 'cuda photos I shot for this purpose, I have come to the same conclusion as you about the Revell body having the edge over the MPC and JoHan bodies. I always considered the MPC body to be the Gold Standard for '70 'cudas, but in comparing it to the Revell and JoHan bodies, and - this is the most important step - against the 1/1 scale photos, turns out that the MPC body is laughingly wrong in several areas. My take is that none of the three model bodies is correct in all areas, but if I was doing a 100% accurate build now, I'd start with the Revell body now, rather than the MPC. That was a real surprise to me. A number of people (including myself) have commented to Revell on the roof drip rail moldings, it would seem to me that this would be a fairly easy fix on future issues, and it is a fairly easy fix now for anyone who is so inclined and has the skills. One other change that no one has commented on so far: I'd like to see the "racetrack" moldings for the rear tailamp blackout cove engraved in the body, which would help in masking off this area for the blackout treatment, and in trimming the BMFoil that should go on the molding. Best regards...TIM

Chris = what's wrong with the shape of the dash? I believe the Revell steering wheel replicates the color keyed interior steering wheel, not the Rim Blow or woodgrained wheel. Accordingly, the fish emblem on the decals sheet is correct for that wheel, unless you are building an interior in one of other, non-black trim colors, in which case the black background on the emblem doesn't work. I thought most 'cudas had the optional woodgrain steering wheel, but going back through my library when I did my two builds, most 'cudas had the color-keyed wheel that is in the Revell kit. Thanks..TIM

Randy - terrific job on the BMF - particularly around the tailamp blackout cove and the wheel well moldings. I am thoroughly impressed! TIM

Hmmmm.....TB

The two kits I built all had this issue on the driver's side; the passenger side was much better. I chose to ignore it and the completed model looks good. I have advised Revell of this, by the way. TIM

In both the kits I built, the Shaker scoop was slightly too high when I lowered the hood onto the completed engine compartment/engine. I fixed that by shortening the tabs on the bottom of the Shaker hood but you could also "chop" the carbs for a similar result.

Several trusted sources in writing confirm that all nine colors became available on elastomeric rear bumpers effective with production starting 1/5/70 (up until then, only Rallye Red was available on elastomeric rear bumpers. This is not a well-known fact and occurred relatively later in the 1970 model production so it is not reflected in all the resources/references I checked (e.g. V2 of the Peter Sessler book). TIM

That looks really sharp - terrific that you put the work into duplicating the correct factory colors and all that chrome! TIM

The Bonediggers link didn't work for me (too bad, it was a great website) I remember hearing back in the day was that the 1/10th scale wood masters for the Garbage Truck body were under development just as AMT began a prolonged strike with the UAW who represented their Troy, Michigan work force. While the factory was shut down, the HVAC was shut down, and the wood master in the engineering department warped in the humid Michigan late spring weather. That combined with a less than stellar reception from the wholesale distribution channels served to kill the project. TIM

Me too, John! TIM

Mark...interesting info in your response about that AMT Porsche 911. When I was doing commissioned work for AMT in the mid 1970's, I saw the 1/10th scale wooden buck for the 911 sitting on top of a desk in either the Engineering or Art Dept. I vaguely remember an explanation of a cancelled project. Porsches at the time were of little interest to me so I didn't ask any further questions. In later years, I just presumed it was planned as a continuation of the Trophy Series lineup (300 SL, Avanti, Cobra et al), which would have put the intro sometime in 1966. but your quote above is the first definitive proof I've read that links it to that specific time period. I think my earliest AW catalog is 67 1/2 or '68, so I just probably missed the 'announcement' by a few months. Thanks..TIM

Guys...apologies to any of you who sent me PM's on 1/1 scale '70 'cuda specifications and build restrictions - just saw your messages today. I have now responded to all messages that were in the PM in-box, so hopefully you will see those responses now. Again, apologies for not getting back to you earlier. TIM

To all of you who sent me PM's on the 'cuda kit build - sorry for not responding, I just "discovered" your messages today. I have now responded to all PM's that were in the cue and hopefully you now have your answers. Thanks for your interest and best regards....TIM