tim boyd

Mostly box stock build of the c. 1993 AMT./Ertl issue of the old MPC 1970 Super Bee body and interior combined with the chassis/suspension/driveline/engine compartment of their 1968 Road Runner/1969 GTX tool. Factory "Top Banana" High Impact paint, with white/black guts and the factory "C" Scat Pack stripe. The tires were the major departure from kit content. The engine compartment was fully plumbed. This model was built sometime in the mid-late 1990s. Sorry about the somewhat shallow depth of field; I had to shoot these images at F/16 (instead of my preferred F/32) due to poor residual lighting.... Thanks for looking! TIM (Yep, put the removeable air cleaner back on backwards when shooting these images, fortunately it can be corrected with a quick lift and replace.....TB)

Ron. I know this will sound trite, but in my mind I was picturing that as a '41, or possibly a '42, rather than a '48, but I wasn't sure enough to write that. I remember it being a way cool model. And thanks for saying thanks on that Modeler's Corner feature; you and all the other modelers our there building great street rod modelers out there made my job doing that monthly column an easy one. So I could just as easily say thanks to you for letting me feature the Vicky or that article. Look forward to seeing your de-Foosed F100; I've mentally toyed with doing something similar and it will be very interesting to see what you come up with...Cheers...TIM

Bruce...best is to purchase it by the web....search for "Collecting Drag Racing Model Kits by Tim Boyd". It's immediately available from CarTechBooks.com, the publishers. You can also find it on Amazon.com, though some buyers have told me that they seem to keep having issues keeping it in stock. I also recommend buying it from ModelRoundup.com, AutoWorld.com, Pasteiner's in Birmingham, MI, and from the Kalmbach magazine hobby website. Also, signed copies, if that is important to you, are still available from ModelCave in Ypsilanti, Michigan to the best of my knowledge. It is due to be available, eventually, at Barnes and Noble but due to the pandemic business disruptions, it could be months before that happens. Retail is $36.95 for about 180 pages with nearly 400 color pictures over 13 chapters. Thanks for asking, and if you get the book, hope you enjoy it! Cheers....TIM

Thanks Jesse for posting the box art for the Corvette Gasser kit....Cheers...TIM

Steve....you're very welcome.....Cheers....TIM

Revell-Monogram Pro-Modeler 1969 Charger R/T, built with a kitbashed upgrade to the SE (Special Edition) interior. Careful matching of interior colors to real 1/1 scale interior colors. Exterior airbrushed in 1/1scale correct color using MCW Automotive Finishes materials. Full paint detailing of chassis and engine compartment using latest available (at the time) 1/1 scale restoration research. Built with the standard 440-4bbl Wedge, and the R/T racing stripe delete option (replaced by hard badging on rear quarter panels). A full buildup with kit detailing and correction advice appeared in the other model car magazine in the very late 1990's or very early 2000's. Thanks for looking! Cheers....TIM

Yes. the Borsch model came first. But there's somewhat more that is different between the two kits than it first appears. Top hat, injectors, valve covers, underbody panels (IIRC), grille shells, airfoils, front wheels, firewalls - and the Moon tank on the Borsch car. (And as noted in the new book "Collecting Drag Racing Model Kits" the MPC (C3) "Corvette Gasser" kit also used the common, chassis, and engine block parts of the other two kits....). Can't recall if I mentioned earlier, but the butterflies on the Bantam Blast kit operate, too. Here are a couple of comparison shots.... In case anyone is interested, more photos of both are here.... TIM

George....that's a really cool model (and that's from someone who is not particularly a fan of the '55 Chevs....)....and the paint looks really sharp to me. So glad to hear you are revisiting old projects that got disrupted by something that didn't turn out "perfect". To me, personally, a not quite perfect model that is finished and proudly displayed is worth so much more than a half-completed project wasting away sitting in a box somewhere, just because something didn't quite go perfectly during painting or assembly. And "I build to enjoy" is such a right on statement of what this hobby should be, above all else, for all of us. Way to go, my friend. And looking forward to your next blog update....TIM

Hi Ron....thanks for the kudos and glad you enjoyed seeing this one. I do recall meeting you back at the GSL, and I also vaguely recall associating a black woody of some kind with light colored wood....picturing it maybe as a '48 Ford cowl and front???? And I need to go back into those old Street Rodders and find the pix of your '34 Vicky.... Best....TIM

Kenneth, Not sure if this is what you are looking for, but Monogram did a very, very detailed series of 1/32nd scale funny cars in the early 1980s, with updated versions in the early 1990's. More details and pictures are in my new book "Collecting Drag Racing Model Kits". I had pretty much forgotten about these and when I opened them back up when I was researching the book, I was quite frankly astounded at the level of detail in the kits. Again, suspect funny car kits is not what you had in mind, but if it is within your interest range, I highly recommend these kits... TIM

Thanks Tim for the followup note....for others with an interest, Tim's full text description, including some WIP images, is poasted in the "Model Cars" Forum section below....TIM

Tim....that is one impressive piece of work, and I love the back story about how it came together. The brass body substructure is one (perhaps the only!) way to get that multi-piece Revell body to behave, and the working piano hinges, in scale no less, are quite an achievement. But amongst it all, I find you adaptation of the chassis/framework to be most interesting of all. Overall....an inspirational achievement. Mega-congrats....TIM

Tim....that looks like a mighty intriguing model there. Without disrupting this thread, have you posted pictures of the entire model elsewhere on the Forum? If so, can you send me a link. If not, would you consider doing so? Thanks....TIM

What Alan said. The 1975-ish 3 window coupe kit was a disaster body wise, and the grille was right at the top of the list. Here' are several images of models built from the c.1995 AMT-Ertl '34 5W tooling... . Best....TIM

Guys....don't sell the AMT/Ertl 1934 5-window short - it has a really well detailed showroom stock version and the proportions are actually quite good....plus it avoids the two=piece man body casting of the original Monogram kit. The street rod version is somewhat compromised (biggest issue being the out of scale IFS as well as the super-generic SBC engine), but more up to date in that context than any of the Monogram kit variants . I actually think it is the best of the existing and historic '34 kits....but of course, as Larry suggests, I'd still like to see Revell do a series of new tools with the '32 Street Rod Series/'29-'30 Model A Hot Rod kits. Regrettably, I don't see that happening under the current regime; hope some day I can say I was wrong here! Cheers....TIM

Interesting comments above from Mike, Michael, and James. Not too surprisingly, I'm sure, I have a somewhat different view on some of these points. Round 2's business model is nearly 15 years now since they took over licensing, and ten years on since they bought the tools. Their business model is well established, apparently profitable, and it is certainly serving a part of the market. James' points on the new Camaro kit are exactly on point, too, but my view is that Round 2 placed their bet on the wrong car to kit. With today's hindsight at hand, had Round 2 chosen the S550 Mustang (2015 to present) instead of the Camaro, I believe the tool would have been far more successful for them. I base that on the relative sales success and broader societal appeal differentials between the 1/1 scale cars, where the current Mustang has pretty much buried the current Camaro in sales with this latest generation of products between the two manufacturers. The current Mustang is also sold globally now with considerable success, which would have surely enhanced overseas kit sales vs. the Camaro kit (by how much, however, is a subject worthy of debate, I suppose). Finally, there would have been more potential derivative kits based on the number of derivative 1/1 scale S550 Mustangs over the last six years (Eco Boost 4, GT, GT Performance Pack 2, Bullit, Mach 1, GT350,. and GT500, as well as mid cycle freshenings and convertible versions of some of those). To Round 2's defense, while all this is very clear now, it was not so clear back when Round 2 was choosing the subject of this kit series. Ironically, it appears that one of the Round 2 considerations in choosing the Camaro over the Mustang was the already introduced Revell S550 Mustang toy kits. I see these as entirely different hobby kit markets, but from Round 2's perspective and placing a bet on the subject, they apparently saw the two as overlapping too much tp justify both curbside and full detail Mustang kits of their own. I still believe that there is a reasonable chance we'll see one new tool kit from Round 2 in the next year or two; I know it is under serious consideration but do not know whether it has been committed to funding or cutting metal, as they say. As for Revell, yes I think agree that were on a modest bit of a roll, but I also know that a large portion of their tooling budget in recent years was diverted to projects that were targeted at pre-teens and producing replicas of mass appeal subjects like the latest Star Wars movie toys. This was a strategic, long term bet by Revell's top executive to both build a new market for toy and kit replicas and to secure short-mid term sales spikes tied to mass market cultural events. Whether it was successful I do not know, however I do recall reading that sales of all the latest Star Wars toy lines, regardless of subject or format, were very disappointing. Historically, placing bets on hobby kits tied to mass market events like movies has been very much a hit or (primarily) risk proposition. When it works (Monkeemobile, Dukes Charger, original Star Trek products) it is huge, but when it fails to gain momentum, the negative effects on the kitmakers have typically been far reaching and long term. Meanwhile, the Hobbico debacle and its aftermath has fundamentally changed Revell's present and future plans. I do not believe we will see much new car and truck kit tooling from them as long as the current investors are in control, but we will see occasional further modifications of existing kit tools to broaden the product line. The upcoming 1971 Mach 1 (and presumably, a Boss 351 to follow) kit(s) are the one exception to this conclusion, and if they sell well, it could open the financial spigots for other kit topics targeted primarily for the North American market. Finally, although I have been retired from Ford for seven years now, I am surprised to hear that they reportedly funded the "Build and Play" kits. James, do you have firsthand info that confirms this? (Ford is a very big company, and even when I worked there, there was much I didn't know.) Not saying this is not the case, just looking for how certain that info is, and what the source was.... Best all....TIM

Alan....sounds really cool. Wondering if a thin coat of DullCote or Tamiya Flat Clear on that gray plastic might give a more lifelike appearance....but then again, maybe not! Good luck with the projects; anxious to see how they turn out. TIM

Oh man, that last picture is to die for!!! Really great work, Tim. TIM

Heh Michael...looking very sharp already. Like Dennis, I really like the approach you took with the cab chop. I also applaud you for using the Revell Buttera series chassis. This (both the 1/1 and the 1/25th scale kit) was way ahead of its time when first introduced in the mid 1970's', and still has one of the best overall IRS setups in scale. I used the same chassis for a Revell '29A Roadster pickup kitbash built in the mid 1980's, but I left i in the kit crossmembers (as pictured below). I think your approach of removing those and starting over is going to yield a much better result. Will be watching for further progress.....TIM

Maxx and all....to further reinforce Richard's point, not only is the Bantam Blast a more accessible and better starting point, it's a terrific kit in its own right. Perhaps one of the most unsung drag racing model car kits ever. If you like old school (1960's to 1970's) drag racing, grab this kit if you ever see it. Trust me on this....TIM

Tim...that is one spectacular piece of work and a very innovative and creative execution to boot.....great job! TIM

Final Update of this thread, which was originally posted in response to a request from Forum member Randy C. who was at the time building a similar project. This was a major kitbashing project. The central plan was to develop an “Extreme Z’ed” Model A chassis by further “Z-ing” the Model A frame in the Revell 1929 Model A Roadster and 1930 Model A Five Window kits. As most of you know, the Revell frame was already modestly Z’ed in the rear, but in response to a question above from Bob, with this project the vertical “Z” dimension was increased to 7/16”, or about 10.5 inches in 1/1 scale. At the same time, the front of the frame was also underwent the “Z-ing process, with a vertical dimension of 1/8” or about 3 inches in 1/1 scale. Other changes include a reversed Model A front crossmember and the arched style Model A rear crossmember. As the Revell Model A Five Window Coupe kit presently remains out of production at this time after only a short period of availability a few years back, I built the model with the “unchopped” 1931 Model A Tudor body from Revell’s circa 1965 tooling of that body style. The chopped 1932 grille shell and horizontal bar grille is from the Model Car Garage, and the cut-down firewall is from Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland. The paint is (sadly, no longer available) Black Gold House of Kolors Candy Organic Green over multi-spectrum flake Clear. The simulated roof covering is Tamiya British Racing Green with a semi-gloss clearcoat. The tinted windows are cut from Office Supply transparent green report covers. The interior was cut down from the “skeleton” interior for the channeled version of the previously mentioned Revell 1930 Model A Five Window, which will hopefully be reissued early next year. Among many tweaks are a stained real wood floorboard and back seat area tonneau cover, real leather lower seat cushions, and a sprint car style cowl mounted steering box. The chassis features front and rear suspensions with parts from the Roth Revell Outlaw kit, the Revell Model A Hot Rod kits, Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland, and the Revell 1931 Model A Tudor. And yes, the rear suspension is a transverse leaf with Halibrand Quick Change. Old style Friction Shocks are used throughout, and the transverse front spring shackles attach to the split wishbones instead of the front axle itself. The wire wheels and front tires are from the AMT-Ertl stock versions 1934 Ford Five Window kit; the rear slicks are similar to those in the 1998 reissue of the Monogram Long John dragster. (Image copyright Tim Boyd 11-20, all rights reserved, may not be used except with my express permission) The engine is a Revell Ford Flathead V8. The Thickstun cylinder head covers and air cleaner, plus the intake manifold and carbs, coil, crab-style distributor, fuel pump and oil filler, exhaust headers, and generator all came from the Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland catalog. The engine compartment received ignition wiring, fuel and oil plumbing, and an abbreviated carb linkage. (Image copyright Tim Boyd 11-20, all rights reserved, may not be used except with my express permission) (Note that the paint below the cowl mount steering link in the image above is reflecting the rust on the base; it is not orange peeled or otherwise flawed (whew!)). This is the most extensively modified model I’ve built in many a year. As I mentioned earlier, it fought me every step of the way. There are many areas that I would do somewhat differently (and better) if I built the same model a second time. But it’s done and I am still really pleased with how it came out overall. Comments and questions welcome. Cheers….TIM

Michael...no worries. You are correct; there is a reason I am being a bit restrictive in my coverage and it will play itself out later in a few months. In the meantime, I do plan to post one or two photos of the completed model in this thread when I get it finally done. Best Regards....TIM

As of Friday evening, the car is done other than mounting the headlights and the cowl mounted steering links.....TIM

The following info and pictures are from Norm Veber, proprietor of Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland Co., and used here by permission from Norm. As background, when Atlantis reportedly announced plans for a reissue of the uber-rare Replica Mooneyes Dragster, I noted that I had built the Bantam Bomber from one of the other kits in this 3 Double Kit lineup from Revell, and I had noted a number of revisions to the Parts Packs that were included in the Double Kits, vs. the original stand-alone Parts Packs. Norm recently did a deep-dive to document the specifics of this comparison. Here's his report: ******** "I did a heads-up comparison of the Revell Parts Pack (PP) trees with the same one in the Scarlet Screamer/Bantam Bomber kit. Here's the differences I found. Differences noted are in the Double Dragster (DD) kit. C-1130 Dragster Frame 1 Part - "Motor Mount" (This is for the front of the engine and has a dropped, 'C' shape in the center to go around the oil pan.) C-1127 Tubular Roadster Frame 2 Parts - "Roll Bar Supports" (These are shorter in the DD kit & both ends are angled, with a mounting pin on one end.) 1 Part - "Roll Bar" (Mounting pins on bottom, new sprue points.) 2 Parts - "Tubular Motor Mounts" (Shorter) 1 Part - "Tubular Frame" (Has four holes for Roll Bar and Firewall Support mounting pins.) 1 Part - "Firewall Support" (Has mounting pins.) C-1132 Roadster Chassis Speed Equipment 1 Part - "Drag Link" (w/ Solid Steering Arm, link is longer.) 2 Parts - "Shock Absorbers" (One pair is longer.) 1 Part - "Round Steering Wheel" (Smaller in diameter. To make room for longer Drag Link.) 1 Part - "Drive Shaft/Torque Tube" (The 2 in the PP are the same, long w/ one end tappered. In the DD kit, one of these is shorter, w/ no tapper & a new mounting pin.) The rest of the PP trees are the same in the DD kit as in the PP's. C-1107 '63 Corvette Sting Ray V-8 Engine C-1105 Cadillac V-8 Engine C-1125 '32 Bantam Roadster Body C-1141 Competition Wheels & Mags The tires in my kit are a mixed bag. The front roadster tires and dragster motorcycle tires are Revell, but there are 2 different pair of slicks, whereas the DD kit had 4 - M&H Dragster slicks from one of the tire PP's." The following pictures illustrating the above points are also from Norm. Norm also took the time to graphically highlight the areas of difference between the Double Kit and Parts Packs parts trees: ******* Finally, here's a picture of the Revell Bantam Blast, built from the applicable Revell parts packs, but with the applicable parts modified to match the revised parts trees in the Revell Bantam Blast Double kit: And thanks again, Norm, for the great and detailed report !