tim boyd

Just a quick note/reminder that there was a two-part race car transporter/trailer article in Model Cars magazine around 2013 or 2014 that included info on fixing the fit/build problems on the AMT C-Series Tilt Cab models, as well as the addition of the factory sleeper cab option. I presume that these two back issues are still available via the MCM website....TIM

Claude....oh man, how tasty that bad boy is! Be still my heart! Huge congrats on your creativity and execution. Best...TIM

On a note of further good news, from what I am hearing there are several new kit projects/topics underway that are not in the public domain as of now; in at least one case there isn't even any speculation that I am aware of on that particular kit topic. While it will be a while, I presume, before these new projects become available for sale, in seems to me to be a development further in support of the now-upward trend of model cars and trucks, as commented and reinforced by many of you in your comments above in this thread. This seems to me, at least, to be in stark contrast to just a couple years back when things were looking very dark in the category of new kits - the Revell/Hobbico bankruptcy and its fallout, Moebius sold by Frank Winspur to a new owner and kit development seeming, at least at the time, to have stopped, and various grumblings about the heavily reissue based Round 2 business model (since upended by newly tooled replications of old kit topics like the Nova wagons, 442 Olds, IH Cabover, and now the Garbage Truck which apparently is pursuing new levels of accuracy). Not to mention all the newer smaller-volume kitmakers here in the States and abroad, who are bringing old kits back to us that have not been availablefor decades, and new kits and kit topics that are appearing for the first time ever. Best all....TIM

Respectfully disagree. Not perfect, but neither was the MPC body, it turns out. With minimal mods the latest Revell '70 body can be made to a much more accurate appearance, as detailed in an article in the "Muscle Cars, Resto-Mods and Pro-Touring" one-off mag available earlier this year, and in two concurrent on-line articles at finescale.com. Most of these mods can be done by any reasonably experienced modeler, and they go a long way in eliminating what someone called (pretty accurately in my book) the 1969 Camaro "fat front fender look" of the unmodified Revell body, all while preserving the outstanding accuracy and detail of the chassis, powertrain, interior, and underhood of the Revell kit which blows away the original MPC kit. As for the JoHan kit, yes it is well done, but it's an early Pro-Stock, not a factory stock replica. Again, and as I've mentioned in the past, I realize many readers of this forum disagree with me on this subject. That's fine, viva la difference; and to each his own. Here is a kitbash - incorporating the body mods in the articles mentioned above - of the latest Revell '70 Hemi-'cuda and AAR kits into a 340-4bbl B5 Blue car representing how I would have ordered the real car had I been old enough (and had the financial resources) back in 1970....If interested, see more images here... Best...TIM

That Monte Carlo kit bike is a Honda 750 based Chopper with a 1970's era "tombstone" style gas tank. Appears to share the same engine part tooling masters with the MPC "trike" kits with the Honda engine, except more of the parts in the Trike kits are plated. Pretty cool stuff in my book....btw this bike was built 100% box stock with only paint detailing added.... Best....TB

I was told by an ex-executive of Monogram that, yes, they often did slightly exaggerate the size of engines in their kits, as they felt this provided a more authentic appearance when viewed as a scale replica vs. the real car. This was in the 1970''s and early 1980's tooled kits; I doubt they would do this today. TB

Me too, Kit, me too! Strangely enough, in recent years 1/1 scale Rayson Craft boats have become somewhat collectible, and nothing says 1960's car show more than a fully decked out V-drive mixed in among all the rods, customs, and drag cars. The original AMT Rayson Craft was a great effort on the part of the company and would be a wonderful topic for a reissue. But given the amount of changes they made to convert to the Kindsvater Hull and the "Hull Raiser" format of 1968, doubt we will ever see that happen. On the other hand, there still seem to be a number of Rayson Craft gluebombs out there, and they can be kitbashed with the Hull Raiser reissues for a very accurate model. At least a couple of my RC models were done that way.... TIM

Alan....I recall that somewhere in a conversation with Revell's late VP of Engineering Roger Harney that he expressed to me a view similar to yours on that intake manifold. I suspect that if he was still with us, we'd have seen an improvement in that part this time around! TB

And if we are really dreaming here, we would add Alan's boat/car to the display here in the States....TB

Tim, Tim, you keep hiding your terrific work from us! When did this one get going? Your motivation and creativity....must be something in that Vermont well water???? Somewhere, somehow, I'd love to see your Suburban/boat, Pat's (above) Suburban/boat, and Fred Farrand's Suburban/trailer all lined up together at a TBD future NNL event. Very Best....TIM

Pat.....very, so very cool! Great idea and a very engaging build project to go with it. Your photography (and backgrounds) only adds to the scale realism. Big congrats from this corner....TIM

Not even close to being an insider, but I would suspect that the near to mid-term focus of Moebius kit development efforts will be to continue the derivatives of the mid-1960's to early 1970's Ford light duty trucks. My own guess is that as a next step they would move to the 1967-72 Chevy pickups before the 1961-71 Dodges. This, based on the broader number of various derivatives that would be subjects for scale replication, and the (presumed) broader kit sales appeal of Chevy vs. Dodge pickups. (If they eventually ended up going the Chevy route, I would personally hope that the 1967/68 versions would be at the top of the list as the original AMT/MPC kit versions for these years have never been reissued). Take this for what it's worth (very little!), and as always, time will tell.....TB

Dennis....Oh yea! TB

Yes, the original issue kit was molded in tan-beige color IIRC, essentially the same color as the real car that was photographed for the box art....TIM

Thanks Gerry for the review. Good to see the engine included, too! Missed your build of the Lusso, I would love to see that one come together! Best....TIM

Thanks, guys, for the comments on the model. It was a fun build and it is good to know that you like it! Cheers...TIM

Michael....very, very sharp model - and thanks for sharing. Which kit did you source the 340 from? If I had bought a real one back then, it would have had a 340 instead of the 383, for sure! Best....TIM

Hi Stan.....I can't recall whether #103 was before or after the Revell Dart, but I may have been referring to the 1969 Dart Swinger body in the rare MPC Charlie Allen Funny Car kit released only once back in 1969. The body was not entirely stock, as the front wheel openings were moved forward and some exterior trim was omitted, but if you could have found one, it could have provided the basis for a replica stock conversion (after lots of work!). As you probably know, that body tool was updated for a similarly non-stock 1970 Dart Swinger "Ramchargers funny car"), then irretrievably altered in a not very nice way for the Bill Shrewsbury LA Dart wheelstander kit that was released around 1973 or so (and has seen various reissues since under different kit names). Not sure if this helps at all...but thanks for asking anyway....TIM

Terry, it is my understanding that such projects are being looked at, but I didn't get a clear read as to what their actual status might be. I think it would be safe to say that Moebius is looking at, and will eventually produce, a number of other body derivatives based on their 1965-66 and 1967-72 Ford truck tooling. As long as the new kit variations based on that tooling set continue to sell well, that is. Best...TIM

Tony.....you guys are headed in the right direction. Just keep doing what you are doing....word will get around. On the model tables I saw a great deal of entries from Ohio, some from Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and even Oklahoma (Fonzell Brown, an immensely talented builder of street machines and street rods). Best wishes for next year's event....TIM

Here's the latest update/news on the new NHRA "Factory Experimental" ("F/X") drag racing class, per the online mag "Dragzine"....TIM

12 models that were my overall favorites at the show, at this link, with short commentaries and builders identified. Congrats to each of you for your outstanding work, and kudos to all who displayed at the event. You can see my full coverage (400+ High Res images) posted at the Contests and Shows folder at the bottom of the MCM Forum here.... Thanks for looking....TIM

Tony....I presume you are including the Model Cave in Ypsi, MI, and the Nankin Mills Hobby shops in Westland, Farmington Hills, and Ann Arbor/Ypsi in the "8" listing above? TIM

KK&RRR....that is quite a story, and a really inspiring piece of work. With four pro builders involved, no less! I myself confess to being a stingy modeler (as well as a "scale bigot" per Mike Siegman, said with a smile but more than a bit of truth, that). So I've never passed on one of my unfinished projects. (There were over 70 of them when I retired 8 years ago, several since finished but even more started....). I did however take an unfinished model from my longtime modeling buddy Chuck Helppie and complete it. It was his John Buttera-inspired highboy. Chuck, the 1977 MPC National Modeling Championship Grand Champion, was ever the perfectionist and wanted to start over with his Highboy build, so I convinced him to give me his castoff so I could finish it. I recall putting a new paint job on (but repeating his choice of decal graphics), and finishing the interior and wheel/tire choice, but most of what you see here was Chuck's work. He later told me he regretted giving it away after seeing the finished result. But I think he was happy to see it reach a finished form. And his own finished model, the second version, was a spectacular piece itself. Here's a picture....hard to believe, this one is just about 40 years old! TIM

Steve..I don''t know the model count; if forced to guess I would say maybe 400 or so. It was not the size of the old NNL Nats, and probably not much bigger than the most recent prior NNL Motor City in 2019, but the overall quality of the models, and the number of outstate entrants, showed a major jump in my judgment. My take is that it is a show on the move, and likely to grow much bigger over the next couple of years.... There were a few more trucks than I photographed. Many were by the same builders that were shown in my photo album. Heavy trucks are difficult to photograph sometimes when they are arranged in rows like 1/1 scale truck stops. But I'll try to be a bit more inconclusive next time I photograph a show. Appreciate your question....TIM