tim boyd

While it escaped the reviewers in both of the model mags (at the time), Revell fixed the incorrect lower rear quarter panel treatment in the Torino GT (green cover car) reissue a few years ago, along with some other minor corrections. I would imagine those changes would also carry over to this release. TB

Hi David....thanks for the comments. Believe it or not, the MPC Monaco kit actually had an engraved vinyl top as produced from their tooling. IIRC, the MPC 1965 Monaco kit also had the engraved vinyl top. These were among the first - and possibly the first??? - kits to have this feature. The engraving was actually pretty heavy. One could file/sand away the engraving to build a painted roof model, but it would take a major effort. However, having said that, like you, I generally prefer 1960's cars without the contrasting vinyl roof feature. I need to check my Mopar reference file. I don't recall a vinyl top being standard from the factory on these two cars, but if it were, that would explain why it was tooled that way by MPC. Best....TIM

Thanks....TIM

Dave....really nicely done. Congrats! TIM

For a really interesting comparo to my build, check out this model by Dave Sproul....TB

Bernard...somehow, I missed this one. A fun, fun project, with really cool theme carried all the way through. Congrats! TIM

Wha Scott said x2. I also like that this build has been recognized and appreciated over the last what....15 years now? All models are cool, including those that were build years, or in this case, over a decade ago! TB PS - the famous model car writers Hank Borger and Bill Coulter together picked this Jo-Han kit as the all-time best model car kit ever at the time (which in this case was the early-mid 1970's). This model really shows the kit at is ultimate potential. TB,

Steve., saw this posted elsewhere too and been meaning to add my kudos to those above. Great idea to do the Chevy-based Canadian Pontiac theme. I particularly like your front grille and the color you chose for the main part of the body. As well as sticking to your chosen build theme throughout the build. Congrats! TIM

Scott....a very tasty re-interpretation. Especially like the Revell '48 Ford Caddy grill and the wheel/tire choice. Well done! TIM

Here is a look at two models based on the MPC 1966 Dodge Monaco 500 kit. This is a MPC Monaco 500 built to a replica stock design brief. It uses the 1966 Dodge Mauve Metallic (via MCW Automotive Finishes). MPC's kit retained the fendertop moldings of the 1965 Monaco, which was not factory correct, while omitting the new for 1966 lower front fender accents that framed the rear edge of the bumper and ran along the fender bottom to the wheel well opening. Both those errors were fixed on this model. The body itself was a restoration of the MPC kit I built as a sixth grader when the kit first came out. It's done as a curbside, with the hood shut and the Modelhaus Mopar engine insert filling the engine compartment from below. An article covering the restoration process was included in the one-off Kambach publication "Muscle Cars, Retro-Mods, and Pro Touring" from 2021. This one is a representation of a planned and later cancelled limited production 1966 Monaco 500 that was to have a new version of the 426 Street Hemi, along with a different, more streamlined roofline lifted from the 1966 Chrysler 300 (and later offered on the 1967/68 Plymouth Fury and Sport Fury). The existence of a Chrysler Product Letter detailing the plan is well documented by Chrysler historians, The plans may have been to support a C-body Nascar entry before the sanctioning body relented and allowed B-body Hemi Mopars for the 1966 racing season. There are also a few documented unique C-body Hemi driver's side exhaust manifold castings out there, further reinforcing Chrysler's one-time plans. In addition to the Monaco 500 Hemi, there was to have been a similar Chrysler 300 "M" letter car continuation, also with the Hemi engine. Both were to be low volume offerings, but further plans were underway to develop a slightly detuned 1967 C-Body Hemi engine with the tri-carb intake/carb setup that eventually reached production in 1969 1/2 on the B-bodies, as well as the capability to offer Air Conditioning as a C-body Hemi option. Since this was a prototype build, I retained the MPC 1965 Monaco trim (omitting the moldings behind the front bumper and leaving the top of fender moldings that were eventually deleted on production 1966 Monacos). I painted it the Mopar C-body Haze Green (light green) metallic (from MCW) and included what was called the "Citron" interior trim color (production Monacos did not allow those exterior and interior colors to be built together.) The 426 Hemi came from the Revell 1967 B-body kits, while the hardtop roof was lifted from a Jo-Han 1967 Fury kit. The engine was fully wired, but in retrospect I should have fixed the engine compartment side walls, removed the screw receptacles on the radiator wall, and fully detailed the rest of the engine compartment. Like the other Monaco, the interior of this one includes a representation of the gold-colored wicker-type materials featured on the door panels and front seat backs of all 1966 Monaco 500 hardtops. Additional photos/details on both cars follow.... thanks for looking. TIM ********************8

Thanks guys for all the comments. Glad you appreciated the little details....I love adding these to model projects.....and I agree, they do add character and flavor to these builds. Very best all....TB

Thanks Bill., much appreciated....TIM

Bernard, knowing your build style and creativity from your past work, I personally would love to see what you come up with on the project you describe!

A.T.....that is one cool looking truck! Question (very much showing my lack of knowledge on this subject), where did you get the characteristic KW cabover black striping? Looks just like I remember the real ones... TIM

Robert....I believe that those are the largest of the three sizes of headlamps that come in all of the recently tooled Revell Model A Hot Rod kits. For some reason, painting them black seems to make them look bigger, at least to my eyes.... Best...TIM

I posted a couple of images of this project about a year and a half ago, now I want to show it here in detail. This was a summer/fall 2020 project, showing an extreme Z'ed frame and a radically channeled frame but unchopped 1931 Model A Tudor sedan body. The engine is a flathead Ford with the characteristic Thickstun boat racing cylinder head covers and air cleaner. Many of the engine parts came from Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland. This was originally in process as a feature article for the other model magazine, but the mag was shuttered before it could be published. It eventually surfaced as an in-depth 8-page how-to with full illustration of the construction steps in the May 2021 issue of Fine Scale Modeler magazine. If you wish to build a similar scale hot rod of your own, a look at the following 21 pictures and captions will tell you much of what you need to know. However, this was by no means an easy project to complete. If you need more specific, step by step build instructions, that May 2021 back issue is probably still available at Kalmbach's web site. So....with no further ado.... These 2 images illustrate the Extreme Z'ed frame and fully channeled body positioning. Note the single Model A tailamp.... Those tall'n'narrow whitewall slicks are from a Galaxie Limited reissue of one of the old, super simple Monogram rail dragster kits. Wheels are, IIRC, the wires and caps from Replica and Miniatures of Maryland. Added tall rear outer rims were cut from a sidemount spare tire carrier from the MPC 1932 Chrysler Gangbuster kits. The front tires are from the AMT-Ertl 1934 Ford Five Window Coupe kit.... The sectioned 1932 Ford grille shell and horizontal grille bars came from Model Car Garage. Note the green-tinted acetate windows. The next few images show some of the building process. Here you can see the Revell Model A Hot Rod kits Model A frame, after the Z'ed operation behind the front cross member and the added Z'ing at the rear frame rail kickup.... The fully detailed and wired engine, prior to installation. Note the fuel pump gas bowl, a part of the fuel pump assembly from Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland. The gas bowl is molded in clear resin and was painted with Tamiya Clear Orange to look like Gasoline. R&M of Md. also supplied the Thickstun cylinder head covers, while the hi-riser intake and carbs came from Model Car Garage if memory serves me correctly. The front wheelbase was extended forward and ride height lowered by mounting the leaf springs to the radius rods instead of atop the axle itself. The transverse leaf/Halibrand Quick Change rear end layout was based on parts from the Revell Model A Tudor sedan, the Revell Model A Hot Rod kits, and Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland. The completed chassis and drivetrain awaiting final assembly. The interior includes parts from the "Skeleton Interior" option in the Revell 1930 Model A Five Window Coupe kit, real leather seat bottom pads, and a stained real wood floorboard. Underneath you can see portions of the Revell 1930 Model A Five Window Coupe floorboard, plus the bottom side of the black-stained real wood tonneau cover over the rear suspension. A fuel tank was added below the tonneau cover before final assembly. The completed interior and engine, alongside the bare frame and partially completed body assembly.... The major component assemblies,, now completed and awaiting final assembly. The completed underside. Look closely and you might be able to see the gas tank tucked up above the rear axle assembly. A closeup of the engine with its Thickstun marine cylinder head covers and dual carbs air cleaner. Yes, everything fits. Just barely.... Those zoomie exhausts are from the Replicas and Miniatures conversion kit to backdate the Revell Hemi Hydro back to the original and very rare 1963 "Show and Go" V-drive boat kit. The paint was Black Gold House of Kolors Candy Organic Green over a flat black base, interspersed with HOK Clear with multicolored flakes, overcoated with polished and rubbed out Gloss Clear. Unfortunately, these HOK aerosols are no longer offered by Black Gold. One reason I am posting these images here and at this time is that this model shares quite a bit of thematic synergy with an all-new 1/1 scale 1930 Model A Tudor featured in the May 2022 issue of Modern Rodding. That's the new 1/1 scale magazine edited and published by much of the team from Street Rodder after that title was killed in December 2019 by the then owners of that and 18 other auto enthusiast titles that met a similar fate on that very dark day. The Modern Rodding article, on pages 54-60, show a similarly channeled and flathead powered Tudor owned by Tim Garner. While both that car and this model share much in common, that car is also chopped unlike mine, and he runs the modern "salt flats" style Halibrand mags instead of the whitewall/wires on my car. It's definitely worth checking out if you like this type of 1/1 scale hot rod. OK, if you've waded through all of this and are still here, just wanted to say "thanks for your attention" and I hope you like the results, and maybe one or two of you are tempted to try something similar but with your own touches and creative thoughts. I'll do my best to answer any questions. And best regards all....TIM *******************

You guys are right. I was thinking the AMT-Ertl 1993 Ranger STX 4x4 was the assembly kit and the STX 4x2 was the promo type version, but it was actually exactly the opposite. And yes, the AMT-Ertl Explorer assembly kit had the later mid-cycle updated chassis. However, if someone was building the 4x2 version of the Bronco II (as referenced in my earlier note), presumably the AMT-Ertl 1993 Ranger STX 4x2 kit - which has the Twin I-Beam chassis - would be a good place to start your build using the 3D printed Bronco II body.... TB

Thanks, guys for all the cool comments. Interesting that several of you commented about the pickup side boards. Those were a late addition (at least 10-12 years after the model was originally completed). I like sideboards for my rod-based pickups as they add visual interest, and as Riley noted, in this case the decal echoes the other color applications elsewhere on the model. I also think they visually offset the otherwise spindly look of model T pickups where most of the bed resides rearward of the rear axle. Tim....those ribbed oil filters were in a number of kits, as well as aftermarket including both resin and turned aluminum parts. The particular one used here is somewhat unusual as it was mounted to the engine cylinder head as opposed to mounted to the firewall as in most applications. I don't recall specifically where this one came from but perhaps it was the Monogram '50 Ford F1 pickup custom kit version. As for the 35k+ views of the "Tribute" thread, I think it relates to the interesting inspiration and approach Dennis took for his 1980's themed pickup build, and how well that resonated with the readers of this forum, some of whom then jumped in with their own builds of a similar nature. As for the number of those forum views, I also understand that has attracted the attention of the forum Mods, and that this may not be quite the end of the story on this particular subject (yes, that is a hint of what might be coming down the road - time will tell!) Best...TB

Interesting comments on the Bronco II. It actually sold relatively well and was really liked by many buyers, including women who otherwise might have ended up buying cars. Toward the end of the production cycle there were some pretty popular Special Value Packages that really appealed to willing marketplace. At that time, I was the Southeast US Regional Marketing Manager for Ford and I really pushed our dealers and dealer advertising associations to order and merchandise the 4x2 version of the Bronco II for two reasons. 1) it was a really good value with lots of advertising appeal and less expensive than many similarly equipped cars at that time and 2) the Explorer was in the late stages of its product development and I knew it was going to be a smash hit (although I had no idea at that time just how BIG of a hit it would eventually become), and I wanted our SE Region dealers to build their sales history of Bronco II's because that would help them earn a bigger share of Explorer production when it launched in 1990 1/2. Both reasons played out exactly as I had hoped. So at the end of the Bronco II production, the next generation was enlarged, substantially upgraded and improved, and rebadged Explorer, with both 2 and 4 door versions And over the next 10 years, it (and to a lesser extent, the Grand Cherokee) pretty much owned what we called the Compact SUV segment back then. Now back to modeling, I'd love to see some of your builds using that 3D printed body and suitably modified underpinnings form the AMT/Ertl Ranger STX 4x4 kits... TB

This is a 1927 Model T Roadster Pickup kitbash sitting atop a highboy frame sourced from the Revell 1932 Ford kit series.The frame had to be narrowed to fit the Model T body. The body itself and the interior was based on a resin kit from Tim King (Tim's Resin Rods) out in the SFO/Bay Area. The engine came from the first issue of the Monogram 1950 Ford Custom Pickup. It was supposedly an Ardun V8 but without the correct cylinder heads or exhaust port spacing. I substituted the Ford finned cylinder heads from the aftermarket, along with the correct exhaust headers from Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland. The grille insert also came from the aftermarket. The model was completed about 20 years ago and was a buildup feature in one of the Scale Auto Contest Annual specials. (Note that out of simplicity in the article, the rear end layout was not backdated to a transverse leaf/Halibrand Quick Change configuration.) The wood bed side extensions are a more recent addition, with the "So-Cal" livery coming from the model car decal aftermarket. Can't help but think how better this one would look with a set of Tim Slesak's hand laced hot rod wire wheels (which you can see in Tim's post in the Dennis Lacy "Tribute" thread with over 30,000 views in the PIckups....WIP folder in this forum.... Also, some of these images show some tape over the front headlamps that started to come off, a leftover from some late tweaks to make this one comply to the requirements and the associated NNL Nationals Cult Theme of about five years ago... Thanks for looking. Many more photos follow....TIM

Outstanding! TIM

Scott....really nicely done. I particularly like the paint detailing in the engine compartment, showing your meticulous attention to detail. While the kit was intentionally designed to the modern idiom of Gasser content, like you I think many others are taking the opportunity to "backdate" the kit to mid 1960's A/FX and match race style themes. TIM

The Ford fastback was a design that never entered production as many of you noted, but according to sources, including madsmotorcitygarage.com, the fastback Lincoln was a production offering for 1949. It sold poorly vs. the notchback style sedan version, as fastbacks in general were rapidly falling out of favor with the post WW-II American car buyer, so it was discontinued at the end of the 1949 model year. Yet another interesting factoid from this generation of big Lincoln products....TIM .

Craig....sorry I do not know what Dave used for that rear bulkhead, and looking at the picture again, I don't offhand recognize that as a piece from any other kit I know of right now. Having said that, if Dave scratched that from sheet plastic (and he may well have done that), he did one heckuva job making it look accurate and believable! TIM .

Oh yeah!!!! TB