Dennis Lacy

For those that don't understand what all of the complaining is about, look at it this way: Say you hired a contractor to paint your house for $5000. The contractor shows up, doesn't wash the dirt off the walls, mask off any windows, trim or doors and just blows paint everywhere, packs up his gear and holds out his hand. Would you stand back and say, "Well, they did paint the house", call it good enough and hand him the money? Hell no. You'd tell him to make it right or go get bent. Too many people in this world settle for good enough. It's sad, really. If consumers don't demand a quality product, what incentive do manufacturers have to make one?

I just added to the comments on Facebook. I wonder how many people would buy this kit thinking all is well because they don't know the real cars well enough to know there are glaring problems with the body?

Nice pair of Cobra's. The wheels look so much better painted than the kit chrome. If the exhaust on that black one really turned that blue I'd say you have some serious tune issues, LOL!

Don't lose any sleep over it, man. As a consultant you can only lead the kit engineers and desk jockeys to water. It's their fault it's A.F.U., not yours. I'll probably still buy one of these. At minimum the engine would look good detailed out and in a street rod.

Installing the glass is not going to change the fact that the dimensions of the roof are totally and obviously wrong. The roof has been too short since the first test-shot pictures showed up on-line. I saw it immediately and it hasn't got any better. What's worse, the short roof gives the optical illusion that the rest of the body is too big. It throws all the proportions out of whack. It's easy for the non-5.0 Mustang enthusiasts to chalk this kit up to "it's better than nothing". But, for a long time 5.0 Mustang enthusiast like myself and several other guys posting, the errors with this body are an insane let down. So what happens next? I highly doubt Revell will do anything about it and it will be "the kit that could have been." Probably, some resin company will come to the rescue with a corrected body and it's gonna end up costing and extra $20-$30 to build an LX Coupe that should have been done right from Revell. Total B.S.

I've had an '88 Mustang LX Coupe for 14 years and I could tell the second I saw the very first public pictures that the body is just flat out wrong. The top looks like it has been chopped 3 scale inches. Ordinarily I think that a lot of the complaining about new kits is a little over the top but there is no excuse for THIS. It's not like they got the components of the car wrong and a little re-working can make it right. There has not been a '87-'93 Mustang model made to date (resins and diecasts included) where the body is rendered correctly. Proportions are always WAY off and the noses are always F.U.B.A.R. Is it really impossible for a model company, with today's technological advances, to get a Mustang body made correctly? Apparently, the answer is yes. Just look at those pictures above comparing the model body to a real car. It's not just a little, it's a HUGE difference. Simply disgraceful. And those "frost bands" around the front and rear glass that are a scale 6" wide? What the hell is that all about? Whoever was in charge of this project within Revell and actually okay'd this must be blind. That sad thing is it would have taken just as much effort to make it right. I would love to built some '87 - '93 Mustang models but as a 5.0 Mustang enthusiast for 20 years I can't get past how aweful every single kit is and now this one, sadly, can be added to the list.

With this new program in effect, if the buyer reports that his item was never received (presumably lost) does the buyer then seek a refund through this 3rd party shipping company? If the records show that the seller sent the item and it was successfully received by the 3rd party, sent to the buyer by the 3rd party but ended up in oblivion, that sure as hell isn't the sellers fault. After several pain in the butt experiences with international shipping I have refused to do it for years. This could be a game changer.

I build hot rods and most of them are as far from "out of the box" as it gets. I stash kits that are proven to be good parts donors. I try to keep the quantity within reason because I honestly don't want hundreds of kit boxes stacked all over. Typically, as I use up the parts I wanted the kit for I will turn around and sell what is left of the kit for a few bucks. I don't buy kits for collector value. I'm just as happy to pull parts out of a 60's vintage mint kit as one I bought from the hobby shop today. It's only plastic.

FYI: The height of the side windows on a Victoria are 1.25" shorter than a 2-door / 4-door sedan. If AMT scaled the windows correctly then the body should appear slightly chopped. The Victoria used the same windshield frame as a sedan. Too account for this the edges of the Victoria roof have more crown than a sedan so the windshield works out and head room isn't compromised. There are a bunch of subtle changes going on with a Victoria vs. the sedan models. Ford really did put the work into it to make the Victoria, IMO, the most ellagent looking of all of the 1932 body styles.

After you painted the grill black, what did you use to wipe the paint off of the bars a perimeter? Did you let it dry or wipe it off wet?

Maybe, because that is where his passion is? That is the only style I build in too, because it is what I'm passionate about and don't have an interest in building anything else. I don't find I'm putting a limit on myself. PERSONAL PREFERENCE How about this: Mind your own business and YOU build what you want to build and WE will build what we want to build.

I have about 60 kits on-hand so I always enjoy threads like this and seeing the guys that have hundreds, or thousands of model kits. Huge stashes are fun to look at but at the same time I feel it's better them than me. Thanks for sharing, everyone!

If you have glued the body to the fenders good luck getting the interior installed! The underside of the floor and fenders are supposed to be textured as it represents a spray-on undercoating that is used to protected the underside of the car and prevent rocks from getting thrown up by the tires and causing a small dent from the inside out. Very common on full-scale street rods. Of course, if you wish it to be smooth that is okay as some street rods are this way too. Just pointing out it was intentional, not a quality issue. This kit was orignally tooled in 1987 and at that time was conisidered one of the best street rod kits ever made with detail not previously seen. Even so, that was 25 years ago so the production techniques have no doubt improved since then. Good luck with your project!

Awesome 5-window, Bernard! It really captures the look and feel of a purpose-built land speed coupe perfectly! Just for the sake of some friendly advice, I have noticed in your builds where metallizer is used there is often evidence that they have rubbed off and sometimes bare plastic is showing. You know that I use a great deal of metallizer paints on my builds and I have developed a proven technique for applying them and never having to worry about them rubbing off: 1. I use Duplicolor gray sandable primer on any and every part I'm going to paint with metallizer, I don't care if they are the size of a speck. Having the primer makes the metallizer grab onto and flow out over the surface much better. It also helps add some texture to the part as often times the parts I am painting represent castings. (Valve covers, intake manifolds, superchargers, etc) 2. Spray or brush on the metallizer paint. I almost always brush them on because it adds to the texture and offers a little inconsistency in the texture because of the brush strokes. Castings from 40+ years ago had a rougher appearance than castings from current days. Since you and I typically build vehicles to represent the 40's, 50's and 60's this helps our cause. 3. I apply a minimum of 2 coats and usually 3 or 4. I minimize handling the parts with my fingers by holding them with tweezers or attaching them to low-stick blue painters tape looped over itself. Use a big enough piece of tape so that you can hold one edge of the tape while the part is on the other edge. 4. I allow the painted parts to dry over night in a safe place. 5. I clear-coat every part with Tamiya spray clear. Depending on the look you want for the part, you can use flat, semi-gloss or gloss. 6. Tamiya clear is impervious to Testors enamel brush cleaner/thinner. If desired, I use Testors flat black cut with Testors brush cleaner to create a black wash for further detailing. I put a dab of paint on the brush then dip it a minumum of 2 times in the the thinner, it just depends on the consistency I want. The great thing is that this will not damage the clear or the metallizer underneath it. And, if a couple days later you decide you are not satisfied with the black wash you can go back and thin it out or remove it completely by using a brush with brush cleaner on it.

We'll wait here.

This Fiat Altered was built as part of a community project on a Facebook group for drag racing. It started life as the veneriable Double Dragster kit with some personal touches added. I really enjoyed this one, the DD kit is just too much fun! - Small Block Chevy engine from the FED in the Double Dragster kit. - B&M Hydro transmission and shifter linkage from Revell's parts pack 283 Chevy. - Finned timing cover, valve covers and oil pan from AMT's parts pack 283 Chevy. - Scratchbuilt injector pipes, fuel block and fuel hose added to Double Dragster's otherwise boring Hilborn fuel injection. - Kit magneto wired. - Cut the kit header tubes off their flanges and made new header tubes from styrene tubing so they're not only free of mold lines and beefier, they're actually round too! - Gauge face decals and photo-etched bezels added to gauge bracket on steering mount. - Modelhaus T110 front tires and vintage AMT Firestone slicks. - Tamiya "Mica Silver' with a mixture of Double Dragster decals.

I think this set is definitely worth getting at least one of. There are some very nice competition engine parts, much nicer than Revell's parts pack Chevy and Pontiac engines. Here's an example of the supercharged Pontiac engine I put together earlier this year: And, the altered roadster body is definitely in this set because I used it, also earlier this year, to make this: The roadster body includes a parts tree with a radiator shell, roll bar parts, seat, steering wheel, dashboard, parachute and a helmet. These parts drop onto the Fiat chassis from the Double Dragster kit.

I've had projects that started out to be one thing and ended up being something different, but not that many times! It's an interesting evolution this car has taken but where it's headed now is relly cool. The deep dish rear wheels look killer!

Sand, Fill, Primer. There, the stupid things on the hood are gone. Pretty simple, yeah?

My pleasure, Bill!

Are you still in need of Riley 4 Port reference pictures? I just realised I have a bunch of close-ups that I took at our local Antique Nationals this past June.

I have to agree with this 100%. While it's true there's going to be a lot of people who don't care for the look of this car as it comes (I don't), the content can't be ignored as an incredible source of new hot rod parts. If it turns out this stuff will interchange with the existing line of Revell '32 Ford kits then we are going to have one hell of a winner on our hands. Imagine having a ready-to-go small block Chevy that will drop right into the other kits! A streetable super charger setup (water pump, alternator) for a Chevy is long overdue and if a person doesn't like the blower then can it and add the top end components of your choice. Some proof here that this kit may be a continuation of the current line of 32's is that there's some obvious carry-overs from the most recent 5-Window version. The Moon auxillary fuel tank, hairpin radius rods and '50 Pontiac taillights. It looks like the same front suspension is in place too simply with painted shock brackets and headlight buckets. Are there any pictures of the parts trees laid out like the other models are??? I'm in disbelief that Revell came through on the tires. Early reports indicated that they were not going to do them and simply use something that already exists from their tire bins. Can you guys imagine how stupid this car would look with those wide Goodyear tires or those lowrider Dunlops the other '32 Roadster kit has???

He's not the only one. As I type this I am looking out my back window at a rear 3/4 view of my 1:1 '88 Mustang Coupe and to say I'm excited is an understatement. The great thing about this new kit being 1:25 is that there's a fistfull of awesome donors out there to modify this car. Like the Vortech super charged engine from Revell's '98 Saleen Mustang. The nicely done FMS GT40 intake found in Revells '32 Ford Speedwagon street rod. The Cobra intake from AMT's '95 Cobra Mustang. Mod-motor swaps. Not to mention all the wheels from the '94 and newer Mustang kits. Everything the 1:1 guys ar doing we can now do! The possibilities are endless! Now I gotta get on Ebay and step up for a Tamiya '95 Cobra R kit so I can harvest the wheels for a replica of my own car.

I'm sure my customers appreciate it that I obsess over every year-to-year detail. LOL!

Well, I gotta throw my 2c in here too. It was 1938 when the 24-stud engine appeared. Some very early 38's did receive the previous year 21-stud engine as supplies were used up but the majority of vehicles received the 24-stud. B (4cyl) / 18- (V8) = 1932, 40- = 1933/1934, 48- = 1935, 68- =1936, 78- = 1937, 81A = 1938, 91A = 1939, 01A = 1940... The 1937 engine is kind of a bastard design since it still has 21 head studs but has the water pumps down on the front of the block and center water outlets on the heads like '38 - '48 24 stud versions. The cool thing is that the '32-'36 21-stud heads will install and Ford issued factory block-off plates to cover the water pump impeller holes in the front of the block so that this engine could be retro-fitted into the earlier years when an engine replacement was necessary. I have a '37 crack-free engine waiting to be rebuilt one of these days. I plan to run the early heads on it as I have a pair of '34 aluminum heads that have been polished. However, I will keep the water pumps on the block and fabricate elbows to come off of the heads as the block mounted pumps are a way more effecient design since they push the coolant through the block rather than pull it. Much less prone to cavitation and steam pockets. Oh, and the 8BA engine was first available in 1948, in trucks only. Passenger cars then received it in 1949.