Chris V

Fireball Modelworks does - Worth every penny!

It was indeed a dark time under the previous-ownership, before Round2 took over and turned things around. I think, the worst case I've ever seen was the "Buyers Choice" reissue of MPC's 1969 Dodge Charger 500, issued around the millennium: The box art car had obviously been kitbashed from parts from AMT's 1969 Plymouth GTX and wheels of unknown origin.

Thanks - that gave me exactly the information I was looking for! My mistake not checking Ebay-listings before asking...

On a side note: If you want to build it as a '40 you may want to grab one of Drag City Castings resin '40 Ford Deluxe Hoods while they're still available. Over the years part the molds for both the 1940 Coupé and 1939-40 Sedan have become very worn, most notably the hoods for both kits. Drag City Casting made a mold from the hood from a mint first-issue kit with the side detail intact - A vast improvement over most the hoods included in most reissues since the seventies. Like most other kits, the tooling for the Sedan kit was also modified over the years. At some point the original plated headers for the optional Oldsmobile engine were replaced with some ill-fitting new headers, which appear to have been sourced from an early 1970's AMT Chevrolet Camaro kit. However in AMT's 1928 Ford Sedan you'll find an extra set of headers for the optional Chrysler engine, that bear a striking resemblance to the headers originally included in the 1939/40 Sedan, and thus are a drop-in fit for the Oldsmobile engine.

Back in the late 00's "Dirtrack Racecars" commissioned AMT to do a series of "Jalopy" themed kits from their range of 1932 Ford tooling. The kits were criticized for their misleading boxart featuring extensively rebuilt models with numerous parts not included in the kit. However I was wondering if anyone can tell me, if this particular version of the 5-Window Coupé is molded in grey or white styrene? (It might sound utterly ridiculous, but the plastic color is actually important for a vintage themed kitbash-project I'm currently contemplating)

The rear axle is a somewhat simplified 1957-64 Oldsmobile/Pontiac unit. The best source by far is AMT’s 1962 Pontiac Catalina.

They’re literally the same kit. The body is only completely right for building a 1940 as the windshield wipers are located at the bottom of the windshield frame (the ‘39 had the wipers mounted above the windshield)

Essentially yes - The model started out as a quite accurate replica of "Ohio George" Montgomery's famous Willys gasser as it was run in the 1967 season. Some minor adjustments have been done to the tooling over the years, but apart from the main body and glass, the Coupé and Sedan Delivery kits are identical.

Has the oversized grille script issue from the first production run been permanently addressed?

Though somewhat similar in appearance there’s actuallya number of subtle differences between those engines: Just like the ‘39 Chevies (Coupé and Sedan Delivery), there’s two different versions of the ‘66 Malibu engine: The “red” version with Slot Mags has a nicely detailed blower, whereas all other issues with Centerline style wheels have a dual tunnel-ram intake.

You could possibly use it to cut Tamiya masking sheets into masking templates and spray the graphics on…?

It’s a reissue of a vintage “annual” kit. It’s not bad for its time, but if you want a fully detailed kit I’d recommend AMT’s 1966 Riviera which was originally tooled around 2000.

"Ghosting" is a common phenomenon caused by differences in the density of the plastic from the injection molding process: As the molten plastic cools from the outside, microscopic pores form towards the centre of the part. By trimming/sanding off bodywork details, you expose material that was originally further from the outer surface and thus more porous/vulnerable to solvents in the paint than the immediate surrounding area. By giving the area a gentle wash of liquid cement you essentially saturate the porous plastic with solvent and binders, causing a controlled "collapse" of the area prior to paint. This allows you to fill in any cavities left as the cement evaporates and sets. Always allow the plastic ample time to thoroughly dry and set before proceeding with the surface preparation and paint. The severity of the ghosting varies a great deal depending on the type of plastic and the paint you use. Some automotive type lacquers contain highly volatile solvents, and in some cases ghosting can even happen on surfaces which have been thoroughly prepared: Edit: These images illustrate one of the most extreme cases of ghosting I've ever experienced. The surface had been meticulously prepared, using the liquid cement method described above, and then left to cure for several months. However in this case the unusually "hot" solvents in the lacquer (Zero Paints automotive lacquer basecoat) were able to penetrate the primer and react with the brittle old sixties' plastic underneath.

If you mean the staggered offset Cragar wheels, the answer is no - They’re unique to this kit. Other kits have similar, but not identical mag wheels. If you’re referring to tires, the Firestone Wide Oval front tires are available in a multitude of AMT kits - especially those issued in the mid-late nineties. As another member has alteady pointed out, the Mickey Thompson rear tires have only appeared in one other kit: The “Allison Thunderland” late sixties’ T-bird.

You and me both! Also the dual carb fuel blocks…

The Drag City Casting "flipnose" body you got is based on- and intended for use with Revell’s “New” line of Willys kits, which was originally introduced around 2000. There’s a Pro Street and several different Gasser versions - All with blown 1st. Gen Hemi engines. The Pro Street version has a short tailshaft Chrysler 727 automatic transmission whereas the gasser has a B&M “Hydro Stick” (GM) transmission. The Pro Street has a nicely detailed “tubbed” chassis and modern interior. Some people prefer to modify the suspension in order to drop the car lower to the ground, though. The gassers are all identical parts-wise - Except for the “Big John Mazmanian”-version, which inaccurately has all of the windows and headlights molded in dark red translucent plastic (tinted windshields weren’t allowed per the class rules). Neither of the gassers are truly accurate representations of the actual cars the depict, and all are incorrect in the sense that they only include a single seat (passenger seat was required as well). Don’t let any of these minor flaws keep you from basing your build on either of the new Revell kits, though: Their accuracy and parts fit is miles ahead of both the old AMT kit and Revell’s own old Stone Woods & Cook “Swindler B” Willys kit from the sixties. The new Revell Willys kits also lend themselves very well to kitbashing, and I've even thought of building an improved version of the old Revell SWC Willys based on the body and frame from the new gasser kit and the engine/transmission from Revell's 1950 Oldsmobile Custom.

Though widely regarded as one of Revell's worst kits in terms of bodywork proportions, this one has EXACTLY what you're looking for:

It was never kitted, and to my knowledge the body and decals have never been available from any of the aftermarket suppliers.

Good catch! Looks like the old AMT kit still has some relevance for those of us wanting to build the Jack Chrisman Comet.

It entirely depends on how you want to (re-)build the car. If you’re looking to do a more or less box stock restoration, grab a copy of the fairly recent MPC “Streaker Vette” reissue. It even appears to be based on the same basic tooling as the original “Cosma Ray” kit. If you want to do a full detail build, the Revell ‘67 is your best donor, but be prepared to modify the parts to fit the build.

Me too! I'm really keeping my fingers crossed that they'll include a flat/stock hood as well...

Besides the finnish Air-Trax resin kits, there are several 3D-printed Volvo kits available. "Entz Hobbies" on Ebay has several different bodies available in various scales: https://www.ebay.com/str/entzracingcomponents Theres also the swedish company "Ghostman 3D Parts and Models" on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084534827752) and swedish auction site Tradera.

I recently acquired another one of mine: The original issue Revell “Highway Pioneers” 1:32 1932 Ford Roadster from 1954:

Only the 1963 Corvette Convertible annual kit and "The CAT" custom Corvette kit had swiveling headlights. In an effort to save money, the tooling for the annual kits was usually updated to reflect the changes of the 1:1 cars. The bodyshell for the current AMT 1963 Corvette Convertible kit was tooled up in the late eighties if I remember correctly.

The "Tan and Tron"-series 😂