Eshaver

Bill, I'm honestly quite surprised that at least Revell or Mobieus hasn't done one

We have a couple of AC Moore stores here in Richmond Va. One store has the models and they're the garden variety Revell pieces . As Bill mentioned , they do have craft supplies Michael's does not . I do primarily dioramas and thus , most kits and the excitement I see here on this forum are from model kit adddtics

Here is a shot of the Triumph bike , sans Cafe shield . The complete bike was a part of AMT's 1963 Chevrolet Apache PU kit

I bought that kit wayyyy back in the 1990's cause it looked like a perfect college student car . I massaged the front to look as though the car had been in a front collision . I need to dig it out so I can share the Doug Wilder for governor bumper sticker I did . I still owned a wrecker business then .

Heh heh heh ......

Rex, I will ONLY state publicly that it's I P M S .

I've followed this story since the beginning because I have longggggg wanted to do my own line of Vintage service station pieces . Years back , I went to Oil company heads and pump companies trying to show them my idea . You're doing a Full size family sedan is filling a void in many a model builders collection . I know I'll be eyeing one as I work through a list of diorama projects that could certainly use a early 1980's piece .

Never again ....

The MPC Transporter has always been a very curious piece , well to me at least . I remember the Pontiac OHC well and as for it's Base line configuration , well , it was so -so in traffic . One HAD to buy the upscale Sprint option to get any REAL performance out of it . I remember a member here taking the Oldsmobile 455 Toronado powerplant and really doing a "NUMBER" on the body . I saw where the model hit the floor and thus , we will never see how this piece came out . Meanwhile , with some SLIGHT modifications , this FANTASY piece could really result in a Show stopping display too !!!!!

Pat , that was a popular engine choice in that car . I was buying and selling such cars to make into Taxi cabs in Ft Worth during that time

You're referring to a 351-M or modified block . These TURKEY motors were put in F-350 trucks , Station wagons , even Broncos . Yes, they are NOT at all the same as the 351 Cleveland or 351 standard .....

Ask around . If I tellls ya sumthin , ya can cash it at any bank

Yep, course there are many here who NO use bein in the position I have seen them in too ....

Steve , if ya make it to the Virginia , N Carolina border , look me up as I owes ya a lunch for this one !

Indeed , it did Michael !

After over 2,000.00 in materials , a year and a half of work, I'm finally putting the final touches on a 1894 Queen Anne Victorian that was built as a residence , became a Parrish House for an Episcopal church and now houses an apartment for a church elder and offices along with the former Coffee house being turned over as an NA meeting place . Among some celebrities , Bruce Springsteen , Robin Thompson , Elizabeth Cotton , Richard Leigh, and Barry Fitzjerald who played this place sometime between 1967- and 1975. I've been connected with the maintenance , Board of Directors and served as Emcee once .

First , I'll second Alan's idea . Second , I was an accessory manufacturer in Houston when this van was new and people were always dropping by my place with new ideas of parts they wanted . A good many ideas really DID make into production too ! I liked being innovative because Houston was sort of it's own market for vans . One could spot an East coast van as they would an LA van . One more thing Cruisin van people . Ford NEVER offered that van with the slide side door .

This is why ya won't see me on EVIL bay and KRACK list

Marty, check with Norman Veeber at Replica Miniatures of Maryland .

Rare is subjective , well to me it is . Two years back , I ran into an old High school acquaintance who knew I still built and collected model cars . She offered me a cash deal on a collection of partly assembled 1960's kits . This was a 1963 Chevrolet C-10 P U which thankfully had the Triumph Bike parts and MOST of the stock pieces to assemble a truck . The truck and the Bike will now become a part of my latest diorama , The Crossroads Coffee house , a Queen Anne 1894 Victorian turned into office space for a church .

Only Revell comes to mind as this has the look of an old Ford F E engine block look to it . Even then, I'm only 50% sure .....

DECENT !!!!!!!

Stepping back to 1963 , a brief revue of AMT's 1963 Chevrolet PU kit : After a successful sales year with George Barris as a "Customizing " authority and the merger of SMP , a smaller modeling company in nearby Detroit . AMT was beginning to be the Gorilla of sorts in the 3 in 1 kit markets . Jo-Han of course was AMT's only real competitor . One can see how the idea of Build it YOUR way had taken off like a satellite rocket into space . AMT was now alone in the Light truck markets as none of the plastic kit competitors had done anything comparable , save for Revell and to a tiny extent , Paul Linburg. . The folks at AMT had the "Promotional " market tied up tight as they did Chromed Ford truck award models for outstanding Ford sales personnel and kits for we "Budding " motorists yearning for our license to drive . For 1963 , the Chevrolet had been down graded a little from the premiere Apache series to a rather vague form of Custom Cab , Custom rear window and Custom Chrome options . Previously, the 1961 and 1962 Chevrolet Apache truck kits had the engraving for the Custom Cab's on the "B" panel along with the side trim. Now for the "Custom " crowd , this is is a Time saver . It was still considered KWELL to have a No chrome look . Sure Chrome Grilles , bumpers , well Nerf bars , Rolled pans were still very much in vogue . Amt kits of the era were Chock full of various Custom options like two Grille options including a giant "V" which attached to the Custom piece . Out back , a matching attachment with sat in a body colored Surround pan with what appeared to have been 1959 Pontiac Bonneville tail lamps . An optional Tailgate Filler panel could have also been chosen to have blocked off the Chevrolet stamping . Because these Chevrolet Trucks were referred to as "Pinch - waist " trucks , The AMT customizing members decided upon a set of Exhaust pipes at the rear most ends of the Eight foot bed or more Filler panels so as to eliminate the exterior character line . The interior choices were limited to some add on under dash gauges , a floor shift and a dash mounted rear view mirror . The engine , a dubious looking 327 Mouse motor had three Rochester 2 CG's on a cast iron intake which also served as a mounting point for the valve covers . I guess we weren't all that inspired as to separate starters , distributors in that time . Hey, the big deal was , it had an opening hood with an engine ! Optional wheels were Full Moons or the stock Dog Dishes along with the Vinyl White wall "Stick -on's " Service accessories consisted of the red Bubble Gum lamp , gas cans and a tool box . Now in previous years of AMT annuals , one could have found pieces to build a Go Kart or a Motorcycle . Of course you HAD to buy ALL of the annual cars along with the Trucks to have done either . For 1963 , that all changed ! The Ford had a "Bonneville " . Go Kart surround for the kart . The Chevrolet featured a Triumph Motorcycle with a fiberglass Cafe shell. Replica's and Miniatures of Maryland now faithfully reproduce BOTH the Motorcycle and the kart separately . I'll be building this truck as a "Shop truck " with my company logo, Art Forms design on the doors .

I'll second the motion ....

Wow , this is the first I have heard of any of this and I've been building models since 1960