tim boyd

The 1/1 Dusters and Demons, prior to the 1973 Model Year, had a smaller bolt pattern and as a result, the Magnum 500s (at least the factory installed ones) were not seen on the A-bodies best to my knowledge. Starting in 1973, the normal Mopar bolt pattern was adopted, at least for disc brakes on V8 A-body cars (not sure about the others), but even then the prior Mopar Magnum 500s would not properly mount to the Duster front suspension (I tried to do this exact swap to mount a set of winter tires, only to find (after i had already bought them) that something prevented them from mating properly at the front....my very vague 50 year old memory on this was that the larger front disc brake hubs did not mate to the smaller hub opening on Magnum 500.) Good news is we are building in 1/25th, not 1/1, so I say have at it, Guido!!!! TB PS - my setup (on my 1973 Duster 340, about five months after buying it) was Applicance mages, 14x6 up front and 15x7 out back, with the factory E70-14 RWL Polyglas up front and a new set of G-70 RLW Polyglas out back (and lots of simichrome polilsh to keep them shiny.) Also, the latter year (1973-76 A-bodies) had a wider track up front (due to the new discs/suspension) but Mother Mopar never widened the rear track. That was great as it allowed me to mount the new wider rear wheels/tires without raising the ride height, while getting a slight forward rake due to the taller rear tire OD and some minor T-bar adjustment bolt tweaks up front. I know, way, way too much detail. But had to share anyway...(scroll down to see the 1/1)TB

Thanks again, for the kudos. Very, very appreciated....TIM

Actually, I recall having planned the project for many years dating back at least to the early 2000s), but never had the time to really pursue until I was nearing my retirement of ten years ago. Before I actually started pounding plastic, I compiled a notebook full of pictures and references of similar 1/1 scale projects, and I'm pretty sure this one (or variations that are similar) was included among the references. So, the project was not initiated by this image, but it most likely had some influence (along with the other images) in the details of how the project was completed. I also recall seeing another builder's model project that was along the lines of mine, but this was after I had finished mine, and that modeler's project was far more comprehensive in scope and achievement than mine. I remember being highly impressed....it may very well have been Steve's project referenced above....TB i

Del...that sounds like a way cool project. My (admittedly unsolicited) advice is that you might want to try the Bantam roadster body in the "Bantam Blast" kit just reissued last month by Round 2. I've built models with both bodies and the MPC body is much better defined in surface development, etc. It's also available right now....I am hoping the Revell body gets reissued by Atlantic sooner than later, but I have no definitive info on when//exactly how that might occur. BTW,, do you have any pix of that Sanger flat bottom... love those old drag boats! TB

Got mine here in Michigan yesterday. Judging by the posts here, my issue typically arrives a few days to a week later than most subscribers. Not sure why mine was earlier than normal this time, but a happy camper nonetheless....TB

R3, those bad boys look way sharp. And send the message that you had a blast building them, too! Cheers...TB

Wow is that sharp! Beautiful work, Louis....TIM

Pete...big congrats on the coverage of your Harry Luzader inspired Gasser in the "Forum Finds' section of the new issue (#222) of Model Cars Magazine. Way to go!!! Cheers....TIM

Travis...my project got finally completed (that's what magazine article deadlines are good for...LOL...) and is in the new issue of Model Cars Magazine (#222) with six page how-to. Didn't quite get everything I wanted but pretty close. I made a general reference in the text that other MCM forum members were working on similar projects....and looking forward to your updates when they become available...TIM

If there is a general thread that runs through the AMT AWB versions that I have built, it is that the front suspensions place the wheel/tires too far rearward in the fender openings. When combined with the fact that AMT did not move their front wheel wells forward (as occurred in most of the 1/1 AWB cars, these two factors together definitely deliver the visual receipt of the wheelbases being too short. Fortunately, the first issue can be addressed during the build phase and it alone (as seen below) at least goes at least part of the way to improving the appearance IMHO>...TIM

Correctamundo. The 245 hp was a net rating. For comparison purposes, under the old (prior to 1972) gross rating system, the engine hp was actually somewhere in the 310-320hp range. It had all the internal goodies from the 340 and (when compared to my '73 Duster 340) didn't quite wind on the top end, but had low-mid range torque the 340 could only dream about. Mine lasted 16 years and 140,000+ miles with only one repair (the heat crossover passageway in the intake manifold needed to have accumulated carbon chipped out when the coldweather starting became a big iffy). Would have probably gone alot further but the Mopar rust-loving body disentragrated to the point of no return....TB

I saw this at the NNL Motor City and was very impressed.....but I am a whole lot even more impressed having seen your build photos above. Great choice of topic, and some tremendous scratchbuilding skills on display here! Great job Tom! TIM

As noted above, the '57 300C was actually available in five regular production colors including Parade Green. It was '55 300 that was restricted to three colors, the ones you list if I am recalling correctly...TB

John...that came out great! Your Parade Green just looks terrific. Regarding some of the comments above, the '57 300C was actually restricted to five (not three) regular production colors only, of which Parade Green was one. The others were white, black, Copper Brown Metallic, and Gaugin Red - which was an organgish/peach solid (non-metallic) shade. A few special-order colors slipped out of the factory, including one painted in the dark hunter green that was part of the broader paint palette available for other 1957 Chryslers. The AMT/Ertl pre-painted kit dark green mentioned above is actually a very close, but not quite exact, representation of that color. Guys, also note that John applied the Parade Green to the areas around headlamps, which are plated in the kit but need to wear body color paint, as he hasd done here. Given the configuration of the kit, that is very difficult to do. John....big, big congrats from this corner, and thanks for sharing with us...TIM

Thanks for the HeadsUp on that, Dave, ordered mine yesterday and given Spotlight Hobbies excellent record of immediate shipping and delivery, might have it in my hot little hands days ahead of the subscription copy....(my zip code tends to deliver the mail mag here days after many of you get your copies in the mail...) TB

Yep...plus clear styrene headlamps to boot. The original 1963 kit grille engraving detail is very shallow, too, will be interesting to see if SG directed any tweaks there as well... Also note the separately molded and plated hood badging, and the factory stock dog dish hubcaps, which were not in the original annual kit. Not to mention the correctly engraved 1963-only F100 upper body side moldings, which were a hot mess on the original annual kit body. This one is shaping up to be clearly superior to the original in every dimension....TB

I've always thought this MPC 1960 Corvette kit was among the better Corvette kits in terms of body accuracy, et al. The build pictured below is box stock, built in the 1990s, and tweaked only with wheels and tires from the Revell '32 Ford Hot Rod series and a flocked interior carpet. The kit was originally introduced in 1968 and was a second variant of the original MPC 1956/57 Corvette kit tool first introduced in 1956. The original '56-57 kit was promoted as a "6 in 1" if my memory is correct, and as mentioned above, the differences in the versions were pretty slight. It was really more of a 'mix and match" type kit than six distinct building versions. In addition to the 1956-57 interior tub, this 1960 kit also included the 1956-57 dual air cleaners while the real car had a single large air cleaner in 1960 when equipped with the dual quads IIRC. Still, a fairly cool kit IMHO, particularly given the age of its origin....TB

Not to mention the 850 on my factory ordered 1974 Road Runner E58 360....TB

x2 from this corner....TIM

Hi Tim....thanks for the comments. As regards those questions, back then I never thought about the future in any terms, much less those involving modeling or the technologies that we enjoy today. Kinda makes you / me wonder what the next round of "the future" might hold for us, doesn't it? Your comments about beauty in race cars are spot on, too. Formula 1 cars from the 1960s and 1970s vs. those things that race today? No comparision, either! Best...TIM

Adding to Graham's and some of the other comments above, the AMT AWB kit program was a key business proposition for AMT at the time. While I have not had this confirmed. it may have taken place just after the arrival of AMT's then-new President Tom Gannon, who was 1000% focused on the bottom line (sales and profits). As outlined in my "collecting drag racing model kits" book, the AMT AWB kits program was an attempt to get AMT sales in the new and quickly developing funny car kits segment. MPC had just introduced two very detailed funny car kits - an exact replica of the 1967 "Color Me Gone" Charger complete with an accurate Logghe funny car chassis, and a spinoff GTO Dick Jesse "Mr. Unswitchable" kit with an accurate body that (inaccurately) shared the Logghe kit chassis tooling. Revell countered with their "Miss Deal" Stude and "Revellion" Dart funny cars, the latter using the body of their original 1962 Dart annual kit and the dragster chassis from their Tony Nancy kit. Both of these were highly compromised in terms of 1/1 scale funny car accuracy, but they got Revell into the segment and sold reasonably well, too. AMT's AWB kit series not only got them representation and retail shelf space into the funny car kit segment (albeit lacking the authenticity of MPC's offerings), it also allowed them to repurpose old annual kit body tooling that (as seen at the time) would otherwise have been a largely useless business asset going forward. Finally, it bought them some time to engineer and tool their first fully accurate funny car kit, the longnose Gas Rhonda 1969 Mustang .... Of course, also at the time, no one could have seen the ongoing contribution these then-short-term actions would deliver to AMT and its successor enterprises as these products continue to see some 55 years after the fact!!!! TB

People would be surprised about the number of executive level luminaries in the auto industry who owned and drove (primarily) Dusters and Demons at previous points in their life. I know of three Design Execs who had Duster 340s specifically at my employer alone! TB

I'm liking...a lot! TB

Me too! TB

I was in a rush at the NNL Motor City last Sunday and missed the table occupied by the team behind the new company organized under the Jo-Han USA Oldies LLC name. However, Todd Sargis was there and took several images of the material at the subject table. Apparently, this new group is not affiliated with the JoHan company (note the different spelling) that did the 1959 Rambler wagon kit some time back, as well as some other projects including most recently, a proposed Powell pickup kit. With Todd's permission (these are his photos) and Todd's reported concurrence from the Jo-Han USA Oldies LLC team, here are a couple of information images. Apparently, they also had a display at the NNL Undercover event in Akron a couple of weeks ago. The Utility Trailer shown above is their first product, and reportedly their first run of that product is already sold out. As stated above, I did not talk to the principles so I cannot relay any further information or answer questions. Sorry 'bout that. But it certainly sounds interesting, to say the least. Thanks again to Todd Sargis for the information and for providing the above two pictures....TIM