Ron Hamilton

Strange. I have one of the AFX in scale '71 Demons, and it is a nice transkit. I haven't had ANY problems getting my items from AFX in scale, other than they are very slow. I planned to combine it with the latest '71 Duster kit here and there for accuracy's sake. I have some Demon decals to go with it. I had one of R & R resin repops, but I cannot find it now. (Somewhere in my Basement) If I could find it, maybe we can make a deal, once I can find it, and determine it's condition.

I have to build mine now after seeing yours. I'm going to kitbash mine with a 78 Pace Car for the aluminum wheels, windshield header and t-tops, clear glass,better chassis, exhaust system and engine block. I cannot replicate the glass t-tops correctly, I may have them Plated, or smoked. Between the '78, and '82, I can fill a few holes, as I like the Monogram 1/24 body better than the MPC 1/25 bodies.

Jairus, You did a wonderful job mastering that one. I have to get one of those for myself. Now, will it be a straight Replica Stock, or a street machine (Arter-Lowered, on a set of Pegasus' American 5-Spokes, or MCG Caddy Sombreros on Wide Whites). Black with the wood trim, and either Tan, or Red & White guts. By the way, Paul's model is exquisite. I wish I could afford one for my collection.

I know you got the last laugh on that one! I have a '62 Falcon kit I bought a few years back. I haven't made my decision yet, but I want to do a showroom of '62 Fords. That one was the missing link. Of course mine will be Replica Stock, but I am diggiing what you are doing with yours. Maybe I'll pick up a resin kit, and go that route.

Lookin' good Cruz. I finally got some paint on my long term '70 (it's fighting me in all directions). I hope to put the vinyl roof on it in the next few days, so I can finish the interior. Lots of work to change a AAR into a '70 Gran Coupe.

I love your work.

Ismael, Your restoration is going to be great. I've always liked the "shark" Corvettes. ime I walk into the basement, I see my disassembled 1/8 scale 1982 Collectors edition corvette, which I built in 1983-84. I painted it with a deep brown, with a tri-tone brown interior, and the kit decal stripes. IO'd love to get a set of those 1/8 scale stripes, strip the brown off, and get some Champagne Paint (a lot of it), and re-do the car. I may even leave it brown (if I can rub the Pactra Enamel out), as it doesn't look terrible, and I believe it's all there. The prices of those kits have been pretty high on Ebay. I also have a '65 to restore, that belongs to my mom. I painted it with Pactra Candy Orange. I haven't seen it in about 20 years, but I think I can resurrect it. I had a set of 1/8 scale American 5-spokes, but I misplaced them. If I can get a set of steelies and dog dish caps for my 1/8 scale deuce, I'll purloin the Americans from that kit for that one.

And I thought I had work to do.

Between you and Bob Downie, that kit looks state of the art, but everything came from the builder. I am still trying to figiure out what to do with mine. I plan to de-bling it, and make it look more like a real car, instead of a charature. I would be proud if mine came out half as good as yours Ismael.

Didn't you tell me you were installing power windows and seat in this one? I can't wait to see it work.

I LOVE that Javelin, and the Marlin doesn't look too bad either. I followed the build of the Javelin, and your work really paid off. I was able to get my hands on a '68 promo, and a '74 unbuilt kit. The '68 Promo needs re-doing, as the paint had a big blemish on it, and I do not really care for the color (Green). I grew up near an AMC dealership when I was a kit, and I had a fond appreciation for those cars. If I can get my hands on a dilapidated Marlin (all I need is the roof and deck lid), I may try my hand at the Tarpon, as I have a ratty, but restorable '65 American Hardtop. I was going to do it as a convertible (there was one I passed on my way home from work), but that Tarpon is saying "Build Me!"

Great Job on the Fairlane. Great minds do think alike. When I restored my '67 Fairlane, I drilled out the headlamps and used clear lenses. I really like that car. It captures the bracket racing flavor of the 60's and '70's excellently. Ron

coooool!

I got my kit today, and it is as nice as I expected. A full review may come later.

Harold, I like the work you're doing with the Lincoln. The finished car should be outstanding. I bought a case of the '62 T-Birds cheap, and I intend to do a few projects using that kit as a basis myself. I'm considering a 1961 Continental Sedan, a '60 T-Bird Convertible, or a '65 T-Bird Convertible (resurrection) using that chassis, and using the 430, and Lincoln Transmission for the Lincoln, or '60 T-Bird, or a FE Motor for the '65. At the present time, I am finishing up a couple of projects I hope to have done by the M.A.M.A. Mid Atlantic NNL in a couple of weeks.

‘70 Ford Mustang Mach1 Revell Kit #4203 1 2/4 Scale Modified Reissue 134 Pieces plus Decals The new Revell-Monogram Company has done it again. This company seems to want to cater to us “Baby Boomers†with either reissues, or new tools of significant automotive subjects that would normally appeal to modelers in this demographic. Even though I am not officially a “Ford Guyâ€, I am impressed that this company saw fit to reissue their ‘70 Mustang Sportsroof kit, this time with parts newly tooled to build an accurate ‘70 Mach 1, which was probably the best selling version of this car. I am also impressed by the way the manufacturer accomplished this, by adding extra parts to their ‘70 Boss 302 kit, and including the “newly tooled†parts in the same box, so the builder could choose which version they would build. A ‘70 Mach 1 has not been available in kit form from a major manufacturer in the American market since AMT marketed the annual kit for the 1970 model year. I took a hard look at my AMT ‘70 Mustang Mach 1 kit, and the new Revell kit is superior in every way. In comparison, the old AMT tool looks “toy-like†in comparison to the Revell tool. From the proportions of the body, to the interior, to the engine, to the wheels and tires, it would take a ton of scratch-building and body work to make the old AMT kit look half as acceptable as this new kit from Revell. I tried to find fault with this one, and while it is not “perfectâ€, it is damned good. According to the directions, the kit has enough parts to build either a Replica Stock Mach 1, a Replica Stock Boss 302, or a Custom Boss 302. I can take this a little further, in that a “Standard “ ‘70 Mustang Sportsroof can also be done, by mixing and matching the appropriate kit parts. There are two separate engine assemblies in this kit, a 351 “Cleveland†4-Barrel V8, and a Boss 302 V8, with either a 4-barrel carburator, or the rare Autolite 4100 in-line carburator with it’s attendant parts. These engines are excellent examples of each, needing only proper paint, aftermarket products, and building skill to do a contest quality example. The 351 Cleveland engine cannot be built as a Factory Stock engine, as a set of “Ford Motorsport†Aluminum valve covers are included in the kit, whereas the factory issued this engine with a set of “Powered by Ford†stamped steel valve covers. Maybe the aftermarket can come through for us for this part. The chassis is a simple affair, with a well engraved front suspension moulded in, a separate dual exhaust system, staggered rear shock absorbers and a separate rear axle/leaf spring system. Proper detail painting and aftermarket products will make this one stand out. If the modeler wanted poseable steering, a lot of scratch-building will be required as the front suspension is moulded as a single unit. There are two basic interior assemblies, one being correct, and the second not correct, but workable. The first version is the “Mach 1" interior, which is correct for this car. There are separate door panels, which represents the “Mach 1" and the “Decor Group†interior, with the proper upholstery pattern and the panel for the wood grained insert, which is represented by a decal. The second interior tub has the “Decor Group†interior front and rear seats, with the “Standard†door panels, which is not a correct combination. A “Decor Group†interior could be accomplished by swapping out either the door panels from the “Mach 1" interior to the “Boss 302 tub, or the whole rear seat area by swapping the “Decor Group†rear seat and interior tub to the “Mach 1" front tub. Both versions use the same dashboard, which is well engraved, with decals representing the woodgrain and the gages, as well as the Hurst 4-speed shifter with “T†handle, and the “Rim Blow†steering wheel. The two-piece front bucket seats for both versions are well proportioned, and with the proper upholstery pattern engraved in it for the version as intended. Each interior tub had the center console and rear seat moulded into the floor. The pedals are also moulded into the interior floor, which in my opinion detracts from an otherwise fine interior tub. The bottom side of the interior tub is engraved like the chassis of the real car. Nice touch. Each version has its own radiator unit, the Boss 302 Version adding a separate oil cooler. The rear view mirror mounts into the glass unit which mounts into the body. The head lamp and tail lamp lenses are clear. The outboard mounted front shocks mount into the front fender wells, after the area is painted. The export brace is also included, and is to be attached to the shock towers. There is also a separate battery in the underhood area, which the has the firewall and its components moulded to it. A very simplistic approach, which needs a little work and detail painting to be credible. There are two rear tail treatments for this kit. The first is the “Mach 1" treatment, which has a patterned center insert, which is to be painted black, and the “Boss 302"/ “Standard†treatment, which is to be left body color. The tail lamps are moulded clear, so they must be tinted red, before they are mounted in the tail light bezels on the rear bumper, which should have flat black flowed into the recess in the bezels on both sides. Each version has its specific gas cap, the one for the “Boss 302/Standard†should have a black wash added for clarity. Separate chrome back-up lights, which need to be detailed, are also furnished. On the face of the rear deck lid, there are M-U-S-T-A-N-G letters engraved onto it. These letters should be removed, and replaced with the proper decal if the Mach 1 is the version being built. A separate rear spoiler, and optional well engraved rear window louvers are included. There is a front body panel, where the grille mounts. There are two front grille/headlamp units. The “Mach 1" unit with its fog lamps and specific grill treatment is included, as well as the “Boss 302"/ “Standard†unit. Do your research and paint the unit properly for clarity. A separate front license plate, and front spoiler is also included for this assembly, which must be carefully mounted to the front of the body before painting and mounting the appropriate grille and spoiler. There are two sets of wheels and tires included. The first is a set of “Sport Wheel Covers†mounted on black, no-name F70-14 ‘70 series bias ply tires, which are new to this kit, and are meant to be used with the “Mach 1", and could work with the standard version. White letters or a “Pin White-wall†could be added to the tires for added clarity. The second is a set of 15" x 7" “Magnum 500 wheels†mounted on black, no-name ‘60 series radial ply tires, which are meant to be used with the “Boss 302" version. They were often seen on the “Mach 1" version also. A set of white letter decals would dress these tires up nicely. Both sets of wheels need the appropriate detail painting for accuracy. Curiously, there is no brake detail on the wheel backs. The tire manufacturers should allow the model kit makers to put their brands on model tires at no cost. It’s free advertisement, and the kit tires look too toy-like without them. Two separate hoods are included. The first is a hood with a “non functional†scoop on it meant for the Mach 1. There is an opening in this hood , which should be filled in with a piece of sheet plastic underneath after the scoop is installed. The stripe decal should be installed and mounted on the hood before the scoop, which should be painted flat black by the way, is installed.. Twist type hood pins are also included for this hood. The second hood is a flat hood, which is meant to be used with the “Boss 302" has it’s own decals unique to that model. For this hood, there is a custom hood scoop, which is to be meant to used with the Autolite 4100 inline carburator system, after the appropriate hole is cut out. A “Standard†Mustang could use either hood, without striping of course. There is a moulding engraved on the front edge of the hood, which should be chromed. The body of this kit, which by the way, is the best rendition of a ‘70 Mustang “Sports Roof†in scale, is not perfect. I find that the rear quarter windows are cut a little short, and look triangular. The real car has a flat area of about 3 ½ inches across the top, and this is not represented on this kit. Curiously, the annual AMT kit had rear quarter windows that were too wide, and the original MPC kit didn’t have pillar posts. It’s up to the modeler to deal with this issue, as most will just leave it alone. Dual sport mirrors with separate mirror faces are included. Curiously, the body lines depicting the fender to cowl panel separation is not there. For the “Mach 1", the lower ribbed mouldings are represented by separate chrome parts, which attach to the lower door panels. The recesses should be painted with a deep flat charcoal, with only the fins, lettering, and the upper edge moulding left chrome. Each version has the appropriate stripes and emblems rendered as decals. All in all, I really like this kit, and plan to buy a few more for various versions of the Mustang Sportsroof, one being a “R†Code sleeper with a 428 Cobra Jet, which can be sourced from the Revell ‘69 Shelby GT 500, or the ‘69 Mustang Mach 1 kit. If I were the kit planner, I would have included a shaker scoop, hood, and 428 Cobra Jet from the Revell ‘69 Mach 1, along with the appropriate decals. Keith Marks does a comprehensive decal set for the Mach1and the Boss 302 in Black and White, as well as the rare regional “ Twister Specialâ€. Now if we can get some decent photo-etch for this kit. Highly recommended. Ron Hamilton

You know I like that one. As a collector of T-Birds, I have an unbuilt-original '69, which will be a Town Landau. It will be a while before I do this one. The next one will probably be a black '67 Hardtop, with a red interior. I saw it at Fords at Carlisle, and I have to do that one.

I posted this one before, but in light of the "gas crunch", I downsized to a Malibu Wagon, with a 327/300/Powerglide. Not quite the kick of the Impala, but pretty respectable. This one was converted from the Revell Street Machine, using parts I either mastered, or sourced and are now available from Replicas and Miniatures Co. of MD in a transkit. The paint is Model Car World '66 Chevrolet Aztec Bronze Lacquer, and features the Model Car Garage Photoetch Set, and Satco Firestone Supremes.

One of my favorite cars is the 1965 Chevrolet. The Revell-Monogram kits of the '65 Chevy are pretty nice, even though I have yet to build one straight out of the box. One of which I did was the Modelhaus Resin transkit for the Impala Station Wagon. I did mine as a 396/350 Turbo 400 loaded wagon. I painted it with a custom mixed Orange Pearl Lacquer, with a Red-Orange "Flip-Flop" top coat, as I liked the color. Also, I used the MCG Photoetch set. It's a little hard to see, but I had the entire dash chromed for better detail. The steering wheel rim came from Replicas and Miniatures, and it is real wood. The wheels are the wire wheels from the Revell 1964 Impala Lowrider Kit, and the tires are Satco Firestone Deluxe Champion Pin-Whites. I should have added a trailer hitch, as this would have been quite a tow vehicle. This is one I will never let go.

Is it plastic or diecast? Did you strip and paint this one, or is it moulded in white?? Ron

Go get 'em Bill. That one is looking good so far. Ron

That is sooo sharp Cruz.

Art, That's the way the factory did it. From the photos I have been able to find, these cars are pretty accurate, except for the hash marks on the front fenders, and the fender ornaments on the two tone green one. The Biscayne didn't come from the factory with those in 1958 from the Info I have. Now have you ever known me to not do my research??? Ron

I think the "Desperado" box art car on the original AMT '67 Fairlane was one of the best one's I have seen also. On the contrary, the original kit was a replica of the GT version of the 1967 Ford Fairlane, which did not have the lower side mouldings like what is in the photograph in your post. The side mouldings came on the "500" and the "XL". Keith Marks has a pretty comprehensive '67 Fairlane decal set in his line, with the side mouldings included. When I built mine, I was going to do it as an XL, but installing the body line was not all that hard, so I took the plunge. Maybe on the next one, I may do an XL as a convertible to be different.

This one was a conversion from an AMT 1966 Mercury Park Lane hardtop. I removed the body side moulding and Park Lane emblems. I had to re-shape the entire deck lid area and built up a tulip panel to mount the convertible top boot. The sun-visors are hand made, and the boot is a '66 Ford item from The Modelhaus. The paint is Model Car World '66 Mercury Candy Apple Red enamel, with a white interior and boot. The wheels are kit parts, while the tires are Satco Firestone Deluxe Champions.