Chuck Kourouklis

I'd say that's just about right. Some things grabbed you right from the previews, like muffler dimension, suspension simplification, is-that-really-how-the-frame/floorpan-looks, those sorts of things. The exhaust pipes still seem a bit wispy to me, but I say that with the caveat that my observation is based on pipe diameters in other kits, and not a good 1:1 look at whatever was strangling Fords in the mid-'70s. The flip side, though, is that what is here - little warts like the front axle pin issue aside - should be pretty easy to work with. You can hack that rear end right down lickety-split; you're gonna spend more time measuring twice than cutting once on that. The intake-molded distributor ain't optimal, but it does provide a stable base for wiring. Got big, honking pins on the bumpers, trunk trim and grille, so those should cinch right in and stay where they're put. Thinking about it with all that in mind, Scott, I'm also coming around a bit more decisively to the idea that you should just go for one of these. What's the worst that can happen? Revell comes out with a stock version after all, you'll either A ) have done something you like with the S & H, or B ) be able to flip that S & H right around on evilbay. Hold onto it long enough in that case, you might even clear a profit.

Well, we had it mentioned here earlier that Windsors weren't used in '75, and that's what I was responding to. My own knowledge of engines available in that series of Torino is incomplete.

Hear ya, Andy. Wonder how the movie cars played into Revell's research, though - 'cause if you follow the starskytorino.com link Dave posted earlier to the 2004 cars, what do you find but that the two hero rides had built Windsors in 'em. Not quite outfitted the way Revell has it, but it seems the W found its way into a few striped tomatoes, anyway.

Ask away! Ain' no thang. Let's drop the Android and iPod shots for a bit and go to the more pro setup. Stance mockups: And while we're at this vantage anyway, full frontal for Andy: The chassis is not fully settled, so you can expect an incremental drop at the rear, maybe twice that up front. Did uncover a possible, ah, focus area as I was working thru this: the front suspension does not seem adequately drilled for the axle pins (the rear is fine). Because the outer wheel halves now have projections to press against the heads of the axle pins, that may result in a front track that's too wide, since the pins can't settle in enough to seat the wheels tightly. Maybe count on a bit of work with a pin vise there. We're really not seeing a lot new here except the naked plastic in color now, relative to the preview shots. Just now, I'm still gonna let the pics speak for themselves.

"0609" has no apparent bearing on the stock number of the kit (85-4023), so maybe it's an internal inventory number for the mold or tree. First chrome sprue I grabbed from the '29 A has a tab reading "0809 B", fwiw. To follow up on some promised shots - Front 3/4: Radio: Beacon: Instrument panel: (go back to the hood hinge shot and you'll see the top pad matches Andy's reference pretty well.) More to come...

Y'all too, gents.

Sho' 'nuff, Jesse!

The larger top sprue is only missing the hood. The lower one had its left side vacated to mock up the door panels for the interior tub. If you look to the left of where the IP is positioned, you'll see the mirror housings. Chrome tree has reflectors lower left in that same pic, I think. Litte red sprue top left has corners for the front bumper filler area.

Tree arrangement, guessing. Hood is on the same sprue as the dash, steering wheel & column. And since they're red, prob'ly a little strange for the rest of the interior to be black.

I think I can get a fair amount of it together without anything permanent.

Don't wanna trash the kit, but I was toying with a suspension mockup anyway.

Don't know bang-off, but I'll put a dash close-up on the menu for a bit later.

Kool, and thanks!

So Dave - don't suppose you might know what the color and code is for the paint? Bein' lazy 'fore I google...

On the sched. Close-ups 'round 8-9 PDT tonight. As fer "strobe", yup, that's what I meant by leaving it to those who really know.

Yes! Don't know anything about whether or not they're fixed in the 1:1, but they're there as separate parts. Think their placement will be pretty important to the way the DLO comes across.

Think we got a winner. Beats that crow, huh?

Just realized you wanted front 3/4 too - will handle that later tonight.

Yeah, I think this block has that timing cover casting that's a visual tell for the Cleveland. 351C just seems like the sexier, more obvious mill anyway. Gonna stop a bit short of a declaration right now, though. Might try zooming in later.

Yup, Scott, only the one set-up for now: dual carb 351, hiked rear end, big 'n little slot mags. Revell's worked over some previous tooling pretty good to make for stock versions, though, and 'cept for the grille, all the chrome hop-up bits do seem to be grouped to one side of the tree. I'm betting Tamiya primer should seal it okay. Model Master Acryl primer shoots pretty nice when thinned right, and since it's water-based, I'd guess it shouldn't leach too much pigment from the plastic. It seems to dry tough enough to accept some relatively caustic top coats (but I'd mess around on plastic spoons first).

LUGS, heh. Biggest lug around here is me - I didn't even catch that till you pointed it out, Casey. Yeah, 56 is rear, 54 is front, Lee. Man, all the rakes I'm stepping on 'round here, I might not live up to my image of having to be right all the time - maybe I'll keep my next oversight on the d/l. Hate to make a right jackass out of anybody about that. Yoooooo DAVE! I lied. Fair amount of adaptation there for different m y bumpers, it seems. Also points up the trough to accept the rear of the floor pan in just such a way: Those lateral extensions plug the rear chassis in pretty securely, but they also prevent you feeding that area from the rear wheel arches to the back as you can with more conventional chassis plates. The front frame mounts: But now I really don't have access to the kit till around 8pm Pacific tonight. Anybody wanna see anything else, just ask and don't worry about whatever "history" you might have with me - thinking about it on the way to work, I decided I should hit the strobe and radio next for the service cognoscenti, by way of f'rinstance.

'Round 11 or so your time tonight, Dave...

Well, we did make it to post 30, Lee, but yeah, it's anybody's guess. A closer look at wheels and valve covers: And nope, the covers aren't stock. Intake is dual-carb, and you can see those and the air cleaner housing here as well. Angle change on wheels to try for a better look at how they're dished, see if plating affects perception any. Shot's muddy, but tires are definitely the Streaks as seen in your most recent Revell Deuce reissue, Case. Get your requests in if you'd like to see more, but I'll need till later tonight to get to that. Ebayed a JoHan '72 Torino stock car for just such an experiment and dumba$$ me has lost track of where I put. Model King stock car reissue shows a wheelbase shorter by about 2-3mm (scale inches), fwiw. Anybody who wants to re-post photos from the closed thread is welcome, to the point of me asking "pretty please." And like most, I'm not too worried about the whys as long as Revell's coffers get fattened on this one. Geiger's explanation sounds about on point to me.

And with a subject from a 40-year-old tv show? Got me, JC. Just the one plastic plate frame for the rear, Rob. Left on your own for the front.

Well there are modern tells - the sliding molds to get you the dash top detail and the axle pin bosses for the front and rear suspensions - but yeah, there's a distinctly retro flavor going on here. We may see this sort of thing again if those '80s Cutlass kits ever surface as we saw in those plans a while back...