Art Anderson

I'm always reminded that it was high-dollar market research that gave the world the "Utopian Turtletop", AKA the Edsel. Art

A well-known modeler whom I have known since the mid-70's propounded to me 12-13 yrs ago about the coming demise of this hobby--little did he understand that our hobby goes on and on and on. Old modelers die, new modelers enter the fray (albeit at an older age than we kids were, growing up with the hobby in the 50's and 60's). Old companies go out of business, only to be replaced by new ones. I refuse to lament that we aren't in as large numbers as we were 40-50 years ago--those were the years when model car building was a fad of immense proportions--times change, other interests have entered into our lives--but still, there are styrene kits being cranked out, and the paints, glues, tools and aftermarket (50 years ago, we didn't even know what an aftermarket was, let alone the very word!), for some odd reason: Geez, there's a market out there for the stuff! Art

I guess it all comes down to whether or not one is a modeler, or a "kit assembler". Frankly, considering the age range of members of this forum, this kit is like an old friend coming back home again. I first built this kit (chopped top version) right at 50 years ago this month, had a blast with it (street rod) and have built several stock Model T's from it since. And contrary to some peoples popular opinion, this is a very eminently buildable model car kit, back in the day they had to be or nobody would have bought them to start with. Art

http://www.vccc.com/...s/1923Ford2.jpg http://www.flickr.co...ren/3913527027/ http://static.howstu...d-model-t-7.jpg http://forums.aaca.o...t-coupe-156.jpg As I said, the AMT Tall T Coupe, from the mid-60's, is a lot closer than you might think to the real thing. Keep in mind, AMT was in Troy Michigan, no more than 20-25 miles from the Henry Ford Museum--which has an incredible archive of Model T's. But of course, 45 years ago, the "art" of creating a scale plastic model kit of any subject was nowhere what it is today. Art

Actually, for straight panel lines, I've had tremendous success with using an Xacto razor saw (fine tooth version) backwards, starting say, a door line on a high spot on the body side, so I can get a straight groove started, then using the back end of the razor saw to extend that straight line to wherever I need it. Art

DD, I think we are missing the connection here: A B-400 certainly can be made from the Revell '32 Ford Tudor Sedan, even though the real body shell might not have shared any sheet metal with that particular sedan. However, the shapes are there from which to work with: For example, the B400 would have the very same cowl and firewall as the sedan, the A-posts are the same, but with a straight windshield header across the top (just like on the Sport Coupe (soft, non-folding top) and the Cabriolet (soft folding top). The tops of the doors are squared off, and likely (along with the windshield, slightly) chopped in appearance. The rear quarter windows would have to be made of course, but you can still use the kit B-post, and the lower edge of the window framing, just have to fabricate the C-pillar that curves forwward to meet the line of the tops of the doors. It may also be that the doors themselves are longer than on the sedan, but still, no major problem, a couple of saw cuts, move the upper B-posts back to as close to the length of the door as you can. This is one of those projects where Evergreen gets to be a very good friend. In the interior, the dash will be the same as in the sedan, as will the seats. Art

Chuck, here's a pic, rear 3/4 shot, of a '25 T Coupe (stock). The rear deck of the Tall T body looks pretty good to me. Keep in mind, a Model T Ford isn't a very large car (100" wheelbase), in fact the same width, wheelbase and overall length as the original VW Beetles (Dr Ferry Porsche used the Model T as his dimensional parameters when laying out the orginal Volkswagen--bit of trivia for you). Art

It's an OLD tool, goes back to what, about 1963-64? Frankly, it would be far less expensive to do an all new tool for this subject, than to try and correct all the issues typically found in tooling that's nearly 50-yrs old. Art

Bear in mind guys: Any reissue of an older kit (and consider that there are model kit tools out there by the hundreds, literally!) will have tooling technology from a time period 40-50 years ago, and it's virtually impossible at anything like a reasonable cost to change them. So, when looking at a kit that comes from tooling that old, be a bit gentle--you get what the toolmakers saw as possible decades ago, why cry about that, huh? Now, if anyone here wants to pony up a hundred grand or more for a new tool of any of the subjects mentioned....be my guest! Art

With styrene plastic, there are two ways to color it, pigment, and dyes. Due to the changes in the materials allowed to be used, in both paints and plastics, dyes have, more and more, replaced pigments (which are solids, unfortunately many of them being deemed as hazardous to poisonous). Anything that will "seal" the plastic surface will prevent bleeding of colors into paint coatings on plastics. The suggestions offered here are all good ones. Art

For starters, everyone seems to be looking for that "magic bullet", which has not happened, in fact it may never happen. Battery power will always have its limitations. Solar on a car? Not unless one is willing to put up with a very small car, and drive that only in the daytime, and on days when the sun is out. Trouble is, and something nobody seems to realize is, that solar panels deteriorate very quickly as they get dirty, even snowflakes can diminish their effectiveness (I saw that in a paper written by a Purdue research professor and a couple of his grad students just this past week!). That said, electric cars do have their use, especially in medium size cities like Lafayette, where I live. The commutes are not that long--40 miles on a charge will cover most urban use here--but not if you live in a suburb of say, LA, San Francisco, Chicago, New York City--where the distances can be MUCH greater than the battery range of any electric known to exist even today. More promising is hydrogen, which can equal the portability of gasoline or diesel, even though the energy cost going in to making hydrogen is a LOT higher, at least this gas has the potential of meeting not only the portability of gasoline, along with zero emissions (the only byproduct of hydrogen combustion is H20, WATER). But in any event, the infrastructure for delivering whatever alternative fuel source has to be in place before it can find universal acceptance. That means charging stations that are readily available, or at least battery change out stations (they are working with those in Japan now). Biofuels you say? Frankly, there is not nearly enough farmland available to produce enough feedstock for all the biofuels (soybean oil or ethanol) to fuel all the vehicular needs of this country, and I don't see that changing at all. But that said, even biofuel will have its place. Of course, nobody ever considers gasoline made from coal, which the US has several hundred years supply of--but it's not at all politically correct to even mention that, so I guess I am politically incorrect. Art

Yeah, open up his lid, he goes "flip-flip-flip-flip!" (heehee). Seriously, Harry does a great service to modelers here. Art

I've standardized on the cordless Dremel, with the carbide 1/8 cylindrical cutter for most all my Dremel work. Love it, very controllable, and the carbide cutters NEVER go dull in styrene, unlike the cheap high speed (HSS) cutters.' Art

Baking powder, baking soda, same stuff.

You are good here, with a couple of exceptions: Biscayne seats were a combination of cloth and vinyl. The seat cushion and backrest had cloth inserts, with vinyl (GM called it Morrokide) bolsters, front skirting, end caps and of course, the back of the seat itself (I owned, from 1994-2005 a 30,000 mile Biscayne 4dr sedan--it was factory equipped that way). The 4spd tranny was optional of course, but I never saw one hooked up to a 6. In fact, a 4spd transmission was a rarity in 1959, very few came from the factory so-equipped (the 4spd was offered in 1958, but as late as 2004, no one could find any evidence that even one was installed in a passenger car--although the factory assembly manual shows the installation). El Camino was offered with the Biscayne side trim, but apparently very few were so-equipped; and if Impala trim was installed, it was a dealer installation. Interior colors were keyed, by the factory, to the exterior colors: Two-tone grey interiors were standard on white, black, and blue cars, green interiors in yellow or green cars, and the tan/brown interior on cars which carried such colors. That was standard. Anything else was either done after-the-t by a restorer, or perhaps a COPO. (Biscayne only--the rules at Chevrolet varied when offering a Bel Air or Impala) Standard equipment on all 1959 Chevrolet's included the 235cid inline 6 with oil-wetted aircleaner, no oil filter, 3spd transmission, and dog-dish hubcaps (full wheel covers were dealer-installed options--which likely is why Mint Original dogdishes can still be found at swap meets all over the country (Chevy built something like 1.2 million cars in '59). Art

Odd that you would say that. The Polar Lights '64 GTO compares FAR more favorably to reference pics than the Revell Monogram kit. OK, so it's a snapper, so what? Scale and shape wise, it's pretty much right on the money. Same with the original AMT '64--but that one is in mega-bucks territory. Art

Headliner surely would have been fabric, same as with all '59 Chevy passenger cars.

I based my comments on the very informative soft cover book I have (long out of print) "Chevrolet Book of Numbers, Vol 2", which is made up of factory dealer information and order forms, 1954-62. Covers all Chevrolet passenger cars for those years, including the El Camino. One of my most useful reference books, for sure.

Not quite so fast: 1959 El Camino came in two trim levels, roughly corresponding to Biscayne and Bel Air. The kit as produced by AMT has Bel Air side trim, and interior upholstery pattern. For all full-sized Chevrolet passenger cars 1959-60, the standard equipment engine WAS the 235cid inline 6, with all V8's being optional; standard equipment transmission was the column shift 3spd. Standard wheel trim was the "dog dish" hubcap. Dashboard trim on both levels is the same, same as Biscayne or Bel Air. Interior colors: Three interior color schemes were offered, but were keyed to exterior colors, and were two-tone: White. red and black cars got the 2-tone grey/silver color scheme; yellow and green cars received the two-tone green interior, Blue cars of course, got the light blyue/dark blue interior. If the buyer (or the dealer, in order to "jazz" up the El Camino on his lot) wanted, the knifeblade front fender ornaments that were standard on the Impala could be added by the dealer (my '59 Biscayne 4dr had them, dealer installed). Standard equipment tires on ALL 1959-Chevrolet passenger cars were blackwalls, whitewalls were an extra-cost option. Art

Revell Monogram's kit is of the 2dr "post" sedan, where the Polar Lights version is the hardtop. As for accuracy, Monogram's kit is a bit off proportionally, and much too squarish, boxy. The Polar Lights kit, while a snapper, has a much more accurate body shape to it, and it's 1/25th scale. Art

For as great as Norm's resin parts are, he does not offer these plated (unless he's changed in the last couple of years. Here's a direct link to the Modelhaus '54 Buick headlights--they are plated, and Don Holthaus' resin work is above reproach in my book. Art

The factory stock B400 (body by Murray Body Company) has the same basic shapes as the sedans, but of course has the shorter quarter windows, and from appearances, a longer side door (don't have a Tudor sedan handy right now to check that for sure). Of course, the windshield is shorter, with straight header, more than likely shared with the Cabriolet. Factory picture: http://www.carpictures.com/media/images/400/11EOG422811803AA.jpeg Art

From this factory picture, I would say that B-400 has the same basic overall dimensions of the Tudor sedan, although it does appear that the doors are a bit longer, resulting in a shorter quarter panel. The "so-called" B400 street rods seem mostly to be aftermarket bodies, having a forward-swept rear panel, where the actual, stock B400 body has the same shape to the rear as the Tudor and 4dr sedans. Also, being an open car, it more than likely used the same windshield frame as the Cabriolet. Art

The B-400, just as with the 1030-31 A-400's, was built off the Tudor Sedan, in order to have the extra rear seat room. Art

The front axle in this kit is a '37 Ford tubular unit, which Ford installed on V8-60 powered cars. It can be built without the wire axle all the way though it with a bit of work--try 1/16" brass rod for stub axles, with a thin "plate" of Evergreen styrene (I'm thinking .020" sheet stock here, mounted to the outside of the backing plates on the axle (file the outer sides of the "backing plate" on the axle smooth, thin it down a bit, to make a true and flat surface, glue on a disc of .020" stock, drill a 1/16" hole in that, in the center, use a bit of JB Weld epoxy to hold the brass axle stub in place? As for the idea of a closed cab pickup: There really isn't any model kit that has a correct '25-early '27 T closed cab in it, BUT AMT did tool up a C-cab for the "Fruit Wagon" version of this same '25 T double kit, about 1966. If memory serves me right, Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland did repop that C-cab unit in resin at one point, may still have it available. Won't hurt to ask! On another note, I know that for many modelers (particularly if you are under the age of 60!) are not aware that this series of kits first appeared about this time in 1961--50 years ago. It represents one of the best, most popular model car kits of that era, but it also shows how primitive some of them were by 21st Century standards. Still, with a bit of modeling work, neat models can be done from it still. Art