tim boyd

Thanks to everyone who has commented on this thread. Here is the full text of this sidebar from my 2020 book "Collecting Drag Racing Model Kits". It includes an introductory explanation of how I arrived at my list, which I thought might be interesting to some after seeing all the excellent commentary posted by you all here. Thanks for checking it out....TB ************** The Very Best Drag Racing Kits of All Time… What were the very best kits that moved the drag racing model car kit game ahead when they were introduced during each decade of the last sixty-plus years of drag racing scale assembly models? Here are my thoughts on this subject, along with those of several of the hobby’s most respected drag racing kit builders and historians: revered drag racing model car builders Jim Kampmann and Guy Beaudette, Model Kit Retailer and former drag racer Tom Carter, and model car kit historian Mark Budniewski. Which of these would make your list? In 1/24th-1/25 scale: - 1960’s – AMT Double Dragster, Revell Orange Crate, Revell Tony Nancy “22 JR” Dragster/Altered Double Kit, Jo-Han 1964 Fury/Polara 426 Max Wedge Super Stock annual kits, AMT 1965 Coronet 500 annual kit, AMT Don Garlits Wynns Jammer, AMT “Ohio George” Montgomery’s 1933 Willys, MPC 1967 Color Me Gone Charger, Jo-Han 1968-69 Funny Car annual kits, AMT 1969 Gas Ronda Longnose Mustang, MPC Dick Harrell Camaro Funny Car - 1970’s – Jo-Han Gene Snow Challenger and Mickey Thompson Mustang/Pinto Funny Cars, Jo-Han Sox and Martin ‘cuda Pro Stock, Monogram Don Prudhomme/Tom McEwen Rear Engine Dragsters, Revell Drag Racing Team Scale Funny Cars and Rear Engine Dragsters, MPC Pinto Pro Stocks, and MPC’s Bantam Blast/Wild Wille Borsch Fuel Altereds - 1980’s – Monogram 1984 Camaro and Thunderbird Pro Stocks; Monogram 1985 Funny Cars, Revell Don Garlits Swamp Rat XXX - 1990’s – Revell Pro Sportsman kits, Revell Rear Engine Rail Dragster kits, Revell Oldsmobile Cutlass Pro Stocks - 2000’s – Polar Lights Funny Cars, Revell Chi-Town Hustler and Hawaiian 1969 Mini-Charger Funny Cars - 2010’s – Moebius Models/Model King 1965 Cyclone and Belvedere A990 A/FX kits In other scales: - 1960’s – Monogram 1/22nd scale “Sizzler” Dragster/Altered, Monogram 1/8th scale “Big Drag” Model T - 1970’s - Aurora 1/16th scale “Racing Scenes” Pinto and Vega Funny Cars (the most detailed drag racing kits ever); Revell’s 1/16th scale “Drag Racing Team” Funny Cars and Rear Engine Dragsters (1973-1976) - 1980’s - Monogram’s 1/32nd scale Snap-Tite Funny Cars - 1990’s-present – None

As of March 2023 you can now access my buildup of this kit at FineScale.com without having a subscription there. 21 images with info, how to, and building advice. Hope you find it helpful if you are building this kit, or the companion 1964 442 Hardtop kit....TIM Full detail kit buidup - Round 2 AMT 1964 Olds Cutlass Convertible

....a name we recognize for his contributions to this forum and prior to that, his work as an engineer at Revell, Don is the now the new EDITOR of Collectible Automobile magazine. Following previous editor John Biel's retirement after a r28 year run as Editor, Don has now been promoted to the lead position at this premier automotive magazine that does a terrific job of covering the automotive industry. Big congrats, Don, and best wishes as you steer Collectible Automobile toward its 40th anniversary in a few years. TIM

Thanks Craig....much appreciated. TB

I presume that the box art will be a redo of the original c. 1967 kit release....but until we know for sure, here's another photo of a test shot buildup from the NNL Motor City last November....TB

Craig....I also will be watching thsi one. I am also planning a '32 using the drag city casting body and the new '32 Highboy Roadster (ex Rat Roaster) kit. Mine will probably be Y-Block powered. BTW, how do I order parts from Maple Leaf Modelworks? Thanks...TIM

Thanks for the info Paul. Very creative choice for that rear tire, too! TB

Terrific!!!!! TB

Again, my understanding from the owner of Atlantis is that the Parts Pack Buick tooling or a clone of it, in its entirety, is being readied for a future release of some sort. At this point, I'd say we can count on it, only unresolved points being when and in what kit form it appears. In the meantime, if you are building a scale Nailhead for street use (other than 100% factory stock), my own personal view is that the overall Nailhead in the first issue Revell Model A Roadster Hot Rod and second issue Revel A Five Window Coupe Hot Rod, questionable exhaust port spacing notwithstanding, is still the best kit source for that application. For competition use, I'd place the Revell Parts Pack Nailhead and the unobtanium Monogram Uncertain T at or near the of the pack..TB Best...TB

Just a heads-up to anyone building this kit who is not familiar with the 1/1, unlike the model in the video, the real car (in factory stock condition) has no chrome wheel lip moldings and no chrome moldings on the horizontal roof ribs, either. Didn't watch the video so not sure if this was an intentional builder-added modification, but I don't recall ever seeing a 1/1 drag or custom Nomad with these alterations, either (but I suppose one never knows for sure.).......TB

Craig is correct, and Atlantis is aware of the differences as Craig states. TB

Paul - Lovin' that Bobber so far....where did you get the frame for it (or did you scratch it???) (Maisto die cast???) TIM ....

Very, very impressive! TB

Eeerrrr...go back and check my previous speculation and comment in this thread.....and see if it lines up with this one. Hmmm....check....check....check....I can't say for 100% certain but I would say this is a very astute and likely guess. If so, it will be great, as while it is among the least known drag racing kits of all time it is also without a doubt one of the best rear engine rail dragster kits to have ever sat on a hobby store shelf...TIM

Paul....no. Further, fwiw, I have no knowledge that any kitmaker has those Renwall tools around at this time, or even if they still exist. But sure would be cool if they did! TB .

Dave...not about the topic I am thinking of....TB

Oh how I wish that was true! TB i

Good Catch! Thanks Steve...I no longer have complete 1969 and 1970 Charger annual kits, but I do have a complete 1968 annual kit, and when I opened the box, yep, there they were, just staring me in the face! TB

Del...sorry about that. Difficult decision when it comes to sharing generalized info that I think is beneficial to the hobby, without divulging in too much detail some info that I don't think the manufacturer would be glad about. Fortunately, I am not in the "cue" of insider info for most of what is going on in the hobby these days. As for "lower life forms", my view is that we are all in this hobby together...so if that is the case, that makes me a "lower life form" too. BTW, sometimes I get future kit releases wrong too. If/when one future kit announcement I was hinting at last year (but actually turned out to be a completely different kit) does actually get issued at some point in the future, I will have to fess up. Yep, that makes me a lower life form, for sure (smile...) Anyway, very best from this corner....TIM

Minor correction noted here...(at least to my knowledge). In the review of the new '68 Coronet R/T in MCM #218, there are a couple of sentences expressing some displeasure over the standard wheel moldings in the kit. These are not intended to be Magnum 500's as is suggested in the review. Instead they are very accurate reproductions of the 1968 model year Coronet R/T "mag type wheel covers" (per the 1/1 Dodge brochures), not the optional Magnum 500 wheels. These same "Mag Type Wheel Covers" were also in the original 1968 MPC Coronet R/T annual kit. Pretty cool choice, too, as the only other 1/25th kit with these wheel covers was the Revell 1968/1969 Dodge Dart GTS kits. In 1/1 they were widely seen on Darts, Coronets, and even Chargers/Challengers in 1968/69/70... FYI only...TB

Heads up...in the review of the new '68 Coronet R/T in MCM #218, there are a couple of sentences expressing some displeasure over the standard wheel moldings in the kit. These are not intended to be Magnum 500's as is suggested in the review. Instead they are very accurate reproductions of the 1968 model year Coronet R/T "mag type wheel covers" (per the brochures), not the optional Magnum 500 wheels. These same "Mag Type Wheel Covers" were also in the original 1968 MPC Coronet R/T annual kit. Pretty cool choice, too, as the only other 1/25th kit with these wheel covers was the Revell 1968/1969 Dodge Dart GTS kits. In 1/1 they were widely seen on Darts, Coronets, and even Chargers/Challengers in 1968/69/70... FYI only...TB

What Mark said...TB

Sounds to me like Atlantis will be reissuing one of the very best (and also very little known) kits of a particular model car genre/category .... not sure if it will be in this next round of "15" announcements or later on, but presuming it actually happens, it will be a "must purchase" for those who like to build those types of models....TB

Very, very sharp build of a very cool funny car kit.... congrats. TB

Thanks Steve for stepping in early on this one and providing the straight scoop for us. ***** For well over a decade now I have been nicely lobbying Round 2 to reissue the two MPC Pinto Pro Stock kits. They are in my judgement by far the most thoroughly accurate of all the MPC Pro Stock kits of the era, and not surpassed in that regard by any 1/25th scale Pro Stock kits (only the JoHan S&M 'cuda was in the same league) until the Monogram pro-stocks released in 1984. I recall at least ten years ago sitting with John G. in my basement going through these two kits parts tree by tree and hearing that many of the tool inserts for the MPC Pintos (not just the Pro Stocks) were missing, and thus the chance of a reissue of those two kits being unlikely. I'd suspect that is still largely the case today. But given what Steve and John and Tom do have up their sleeve that is actually being worked on, I would not bet big money against any past AMT/MPC/Lindberg/Polar Lights kit being reissued at some point in the future. Just as long as we all continue to buy what they are actually releasing... TIM