Casey

The Pop Corn Wagon included Cragar S/S style wheels, Darrin, and it was reissued not too long ago:

This is the image I believe was sent out by Round2 before the box art and packaging was finalized, and is the "stars" box you are referring to: I don't think any boxes were produced like this. If you Google the image and follow one image hit to Omnimodel's 'site, the image actually changes to the current box art, so to me that means there's an old image link still around, but it has been updated to show the actual box art, rather than a pre-production image of the box art. I do find the box size to be curious choice on Round2's part, and it seems to me the box's size was directly determined by the size of the print included. Don't get me wrong, the print is very nice, but there's enough room inside the box to fit two or three complete Gremlin kits. I suspect this large box and the included print is a test run for Round2, and its success (or lack thereof) will dictate whether future "Original Box Art" releases will follow suit.

Has anyone cast a first generation Dodge Caravan or Plymouth Voyager, perhaps based off the Brookfield Collectors Guild die-cast bank?

I've always been a fan of mastering the basics before taking on more challenging projects, but not everyone learns the same way, so you've got to find what works for you. I think Mark Taylor's basic building tutorial would've been a good starting point, so maybe there should be another such tutorial written. FWIW, I don't think this is limited to "younger" members, and I doubt you intended to segregate younger from older builders, but we all can benefit from mastering the basics, regardless of age or how long each of us has been building.

Wow, I don't know how I missed this one, but I love it. I think I've seen the engine sold separately on eBay Australia, but the entire model look to be very nicely done. Does Icon make other big scale stuff?

I think that may be the image Round2 sent out for retailers, and not an actual box image. I have seen the star-bordered image on eBay.

Here's the one I just got:

After a little more work, one of the Gremlin body sections is now attached to the AMX shell. I decided to keep the entire AMX rear wheel arch intact, though I did need to remove the crease behind it, and the lower rear quarter panel areas will need some trimming and re-shaping: The red area is where some C-pillar material will be removed to both lower the rear edge of the roof and decrease the height of the rear window, the purple line shows where the rear quarter window openings will need to reshaped, and the areas edged in orange are where the window opening and pillars need to be thinned.

The Gremlin body section is going to need widening in order to more closely match the AMX body (which will comprise 70% of the body as a whole), so I've cut the tail panel vertically and lopped off the rear body areas on both bodies: The windshield surround is going to be tricky, as it looks like the top of the windshield just barely wraps up into the roof, the A-pillars are leaned back and slimmed, and the roof is not all that close to either donor body's roof.

Cole- are the frame rails parallel to the rocker panels on the body? Are the "glass" and interior tub properly positioned? You can use a piece of masking tape to hold the glass to the body, and another pice to hold the rear edge of the interior tub to the body when you mock it up.

The Gremlin body has arrived and will be going under the knife shortly.

Nice work, Alan. I've always had a soft spot for the GM H-bodies, especially the hatchbacks.

Now, the bad. Oddly, the catalytic converter shell is one of the more nicely detailed parts, and what I would call "good". The intake manifold is not nearly as good, and the super narrow battery doesn't even look like a car battery: If you're doing some moderate to heavy kitbashing or straight customizing with this kit, it will work well. If you're building it out-of-the-box stock, you may want to pass on it. The subject matter is incredibly enticing, but the execution will probably leave you disappointed or frustrated...and maybe both.

I agree, they're far from perfect. I was commenting specifically on the area where the sidewall and tread meet, as the AMT tires seem to have been based of an existing radial tire.

I had the part completely submeged for 24 hours and it did nothing...except get the paint really clean.

Someone asked if there could be a narrower version of the M/T tires from the AMT B-M '70. Camaro kit which you are reproducing, and the MRC set provides both wider and narrower tires. They have a very nice square shouolder, too, which is very true to the shape of the real bias-ply tires, whereas the AMT tires seem to have lost that detail.

Not to derail Frank's efforts, but I think the Arii/MRC M/T Indy Profile S/S tires already come in big 'n' little sizes, don't they?:

Yeah, that's kind of why this has always been one of Roth's bittersweet creations I think. It's an interesting concept and the competition with Barris was probably great for the shows, but I don't think either man's forte was engineering. Ahyhoo, keep us updated on this build. I'm looking forward to seeing it progress. IIRC, this car had two paint schemes, but I think the first was more true to the original concept and the second more of a show repaint.

Are the 392 and 417 based on or copies of the Aurora engines? mark, can you post some pictures of the engines you make, please? I'd especially like to see the BBC as I have a project waiting for one. Altered States is the only place a 1/16 Ford Cammer is available AFAIK:

I'd also suggest keeping the engine bay body color. As for the red car, the front tires look small when the body is dropped that far over the tires, so I'd suggest you use at least 18" wheels/tires. There is a ton of chrome on this body, and BMFing the side trim is no picnic, either. The orange looks great, Mopar color or not.

True, but at least with having a FAQ, they have the option of reading it before just posting a question. Whether they chose to read the FAQ is another issue entirely.

I think this forum could greatly benefit from having a FAQ (frequently asked questions), where we could direct, well, frequently asked questions such as "How do I strip paint", "how do I post pictures", "how do I delete a post", "how do I paint", etc. I suppose this would require adding an additional forum section, so maybe Gregg can comment on that aspect. Yes, I will volunteer to help write some FAQ answers if needed.

No it wasn't, but I don't think James was implying it was, just mentioning the TD kits since they are related. On a related note, Revell has discontinued the Tom Daniel series of kits- Rommel's Rod, Dragon Circus Wagon, Tijuana Taxi, etc., so get 'em while you can. Revell has done a great job reissuing many of the TD-designed kits, even recreating the Rommel's Rod when the original tooling was long gone, so let's hope they look into doing the same with a few of Tom's other designs which have been modified (Sand Shark, Lil Van, etc.), so that we can build the original versions of the kit again.

I'm not sure if you're allowed to do this as part of the Revell contest, but it would be a subtle yet different mod to remove the B-pillar and make the model a hardtop, like so: At any rate, have fun building the kit and thank for taking and posting pics of the kit's contents. It's a great reference for others considering buying the same kit.

The "neon" graphic decals and 12-hole wheels could stand to be changed/updated, but the kit is still typical of Monogram 1/24 musclecar kits- lower parts count with some sub assemblies molded as one part, but it still builds into a nice looking replica of the real car. What color are you painting it, Cole?