Casey

1/16 Revell '34 Ford 3-Window coupe...sorry 'bout the slight hood and hood side panel misalignment:

I think guitar string would work well for replicating steel brake line armor, like so: Less ideal for replicating the sheathing for parking brake cables, which has a flatter profile: The key is finding the correct O.D. for the scale you are working in. Much like spark plug wires and, well, any other tubing, line, or cable, getting the size correct and in scale makes a big difference. Using the 3rd string as an example, /025" x 25 = .625", or 5/8" outside diameter...probably too thick for 1/25 scale, but closer to correct at .400" in 1/16 scale. Here are some Martin & Co. guitar strings I happened upon at my local Habitat for Humanity store, with the outside diameter for each listed on the package. the 1st and 2nd strings are smooth stainless wires, so not really braided nor spiral wrapped wires like the 3rd through 6th strings are: Below, the 3rd string, radially wound with brass wire: Below, the 2nd wire, which is unwound, bare wire:

AMT or MPC kits...or are they one in the same? Just wondering if there were multiple different wheel covers from both, which might explain some variances...or add more confusion.

Ha! Just jaded in my middle age, I guess. This kit has always intrigued me, but I decided to pass on the molded-in-blue 007 release, and now I'm glad I did. I can deal with yellow plastic, and as David's brown build above shows this kit works well when built as a that car you inherited from your Grandpa, decked out with a set of wheels and tires which are worth more than the car itself. ? Good content pic of the older, Hobby Heaven generic reissue:

Are those the same? I don't think they are, as those in the AMT Chevy van kits are more like the '60-62 Chevy pickup hubcaps. This might be a better image: Right after I posted I dug through my wheel stash and found three or four variations on this same wheel cover: Top row is from the AMT(?) '72 Chevy pickup, presumably the most recent reissue, but not 100% sure on that. Row two, very similar, but lacking the Chevy bowtie logo in the center Row three, the concentric rings appear, but now the center cap is very short Row three-and-a-half, with protruding (assuming here) 4WD hub Row four, smoother center are, similar to your pic, Chris, but not quite accurate in all the details...maybe from a promo?

Which would be these Custom hubcaps?: The AMT or MPC kit's wheel cover doesn't have the concentric ring detail as on the real wheel covers and they seem a bit shallow, but otherwise they appear to be fairly accurate to the real part:

This eBay seller was offering a bunch of different 3D printed 1/25 scale motorcycles: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-25-3D-printed-resin-Harley-soft-tail-custom-motorcycle-kit-/363244568994?hash=item54931041a2%3Ag%3AZK0AAOSwX2pf8gy8&nma=true&si=yzuKnimeATEx%2FZXWtarHjQVcT44%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Beautiful work, Thomas, especially all the bare metal foil. ☺️

For reference, Ron Cash 1959 Chevrolet Biscayne 2-door Sedan: Not mine, currently on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/RON-CASH-RESIN-1959-BISCAYNE-POST-1-25-R1/123890165335?hash=item1cd86de657:g:VHYAAOSw6ZRdZvGP

I swear All American Resin did a '50 Chevy Panel Truck, but maybe not. Perhaps a perusal of Rocketfin would turn up some possibilities. Perhaps Herb Deeks and/or Ron Cash made one?

The vertical rub strip I mentioned above is not present on the full-bumper version: I wouldn't even feel same assuming the grille surrounds are the same, considering the differences between the real versions, not to mention the heavy tweaking Round2 did to the front of the body on the full-bumper version.

On second thought, I should've asked which AMT '70.5 Camaro Z/28 grille you are asking about. While the Z/28/RS style grill is the same style as the '70.5 Baldwin -Motion SS 454 kit's grille, save for the differing emblems, the more recent full-bumper AMT '70.5 Z/28 kit's grille is slightly different, and I'm not sure the Model Car Garage photoetched grill inserts will fit inside the grille shell properly. Not sure if anyone has actually tried that yet, but if you have, let us know how the parts fit, please. The split-bumper Z/28/RS and Baldwin-Motion SS 454 grilles have a vertical rub strip over the center peak, like so...: ...while the '70.5 split-bumper Z/28's grille does not: I'm guessing the MCG pieces will be a bot short where they meet at the peak, but maybe the designed accounted for removal/elimination of the center rub strip when using these pieces?

The problem is the emblem goes the full depth, so once you remove the emblem down to the level of the grille bars, you still need to remove the remainder from the openings which the emblem covers...which means opening all the holes. As John suggested, I think hogging out the entire grille mesh and replacing it with the photoetched piece from Model Car garage is the best solution: https://www.modelcargarage.com/eshop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=291

Tried and failed. It's like they took the '74-'78 grille center section, added them to the balance of the '79+ style high-end grille, and called it good, which, it wasn't. At all. The MPC Dodge Van is too far gone to bother backdating it to the '71-'77 bodystyle, and it wasn't horribly accurate to begin with. Best option is to pony up for an original and enjoy building it. I don't see Joe Average wanting to build it stock anyway. Just keep pumping the custom version out every few years with different wheels and decals, and it'll sell.

Noticed this on the side panel of an older Pyro TeeNT kit (same basic kit, some parts variance), which lists the various custom parts:

Wonderful...worried about that seat back, though. ??

Are we sure this wasn't an Astre? ? Very cool, both the model and the real thing.

Kits they never issued A new kit of a subject never offered. The 1/25 AMT '66 Mustang coupe has been reissued many times, so it doesn't qualify as a kit never issued. AMT annuals from late '64 on, Monogram 1/24 kits from '64.5 through '66, the Renwal/Revell 1/12 '66, the AMT 1/16 '64.5, the 1/32 scale versions....literally one of the most popular subjects which have been issued.

I'm hoping so. Half doors do nothing for me, so despite this kit's major shortcomings, I'll pick one up if it has the full top. Accurate stock Rallye decals in two(?) colors would be a nice bonus, too.

Yes, please. Anything with a Pontiac-ish split grille is certainly welcome, even if it's from north of the (U.S.) border. ? I think someone once offered an Acadian Canso conversion for the AMT '66 Nova kit, but I am guessing it's long OOP by now. Not sure how I feel about that fender mounted trim, but the grille is definitely an improvement of the Chevy version. Wait, the wagons were labeled Acadian Invader?!!! ?

There's just so much going on visually with these Revival cars, it's hard to form one cohesive image after looking each one over. Looking at the Jordan Playboy (?) above, what's going on with that quarter panel indentation? You've got this beautiful, elongated, bladed front fender (agree it's a bit too long, but...), then the eyes flow back along the upper edge to that kink in the rear quarter window opening, then they start to go back over the quarter panel and *eerrkk* (record needle stopping abruptly sound). What the heck is that shape doing there? It's like Exner had a pile full of wild design ideas he never got to use on a 1:1, so he decided to use at least on an each of the Revival cars. You kind of understand where he was going and what he was hoping to do, but the end result doesn't quite look all that cohesive and unified, at least to my eyes. I get the elongated nose, hinting back to the days of V12 V-16 engines, like Wayne Kady did, but I guess I just feel it's hard to pull off: Maybe that was the point of these models, though, and Exner had carte blanche to head in whichever direction he wished?

Additional images and measurements for these AMT tires: O.D. -- 1.328" I.D. -- .614" Width, sidewall-to-sidewall -- .425"