Art Anderson

OK, I'll play! Revell: '32 Ford B-400 '32 Ford Victoria '32 Ford Station Wagon '40 Ford Station Wagon (either Standard or Deluxe, doesn't matter!) '57 Ford Ranchero '57 Ford Courier Sedan Delivery AMT: '27 Model T Roadster '27 Model T Coupe Reissue '28 Model A Tudor Sedan '25 Model T Touring Reissue '67-'69 Cougar? Lindberg: '53 Ford Country Squire Anyone: '55-'56 Mercury Monterrey Hardtop (with Sun Valley option perhaps?) Art

What I hear you saying is something like "they modified the existing Tudor body tooling to do the station wagon. If that is what you meant, then I'd be almost positive that isn't what happened: Injection plastic model car kit tooling is almost universally done in hardened steel--very difficult to re-cut, re-grind that existing tooling to an all new shape. It's sort of possible to "weld up" engraved details, such as scripts, side chrome, but even that is very IFFY indeed, as it can lead to the existing tooling slides cracking, becoming useless. Any serious modification of an existing tool core or slide to make something different is very nearly as expensive as simply tooling those cores from new blocks of steel. With most all modern-made model car kit tools, the mold cores that make the body shells are almost always removable from the tool base--the portion that makes the inside surfaces of the body, AND the portion that makes all the upper surfaces can be, and often are, made to bolt into the larger mold base, while the 4 sliding cores (front, rear, left side, right side) which make the vertical suraces (they move in and out in the mold cycle, hence the term "slides" or "slide cores) are of course, separate sections of the tooling. To do a different body style, or even to change the trim level? Make new cores and slides, install in the mold base--it's that simple (but still costly!). Of course, with the change of both trim level and body style, new interior panels, and most generally, new seats have to be tooled, but then those can be done as either new tooling inserts, or just cut in an otherwise unused area of the tool base (any parts unused in a particular release of a model are simply cut away at the factory, the plastic ground up, and sent right back through the injection molding presses for still other kits--the ultimate in "recycling"!.) In any event, you can bet that the tooling for the '57 Ford Custom 2dr sedan still exists as cut. so no need to go back to the CAD's and cut it all over again for another run of Tudor's. Art

Actually, Revell more than likely did NOT just "re-cut" the tooling for the Tudor body! Model car body tooling is MULTI-PIECE, meaning at least 6 different tooling sections that come together to mold a body shell. Thus, all that was necessary was to design and make new tooling for the Del Rio body, interior, and any other parts that differ from the Tudor Sedan--install those in the dies, cosmoline the Tudor mold slides for future re-use. Art

Except that it's the upscale-trimmed Del Rio. Art

The GTO was one of the last Polar Lights kits to be released--developed by Dave Metzner, who now does product development for Moebius. I was at Playing Mantis when this one was done--fun to have sat in on it (Oh, and I developed the same car in 1/64 scale as a Johnny Lightning diecast) Art

The SMP 1911 Chevrolet Prototype is a rare kit. It was produced both as a promotional model for distribution to Chevrolet Dealers as well as a kit, again for Chevy Dealers--and was NOT available to the hobby shop trade. Upon the completion of production, the tooling was destroyed, to protect that exclusivity. Both the kit and promotional models were not readily found back in 1961-62, and tend to be rather scarce today as well. The late Mike Watgen (Mike's Miniature Motors--Mike passed away in early May 1994) cast the kit in resin, and Missing Link Models is in the process of bringing one of the kits back to life in resin once again. Art

Excellent video, Bill! It simply goes to show that even with all the advanced technology available today, there is still room, and a need, for artisans who can do it the "old fashioned"way. It seems to me that even with the coming of the likes of CAD, 3D printing, all of that, there is still a need for the skilled human hands of a true artisan, though. While I do not consider myself all that much an artisan, I have done some seemingly minor corrections on model test shots as a way of communicating quickly to the toolmakers just what correction is needed--found that works faster frequently than any flurry of emails, corrected CAD can accomplish. Working, as I do, in the Physical Facilities area of the University, I still see, on occasion, architectural models, done the old-fashioned way, and certainly in the area of bronze sculptures (which seem to decorate many college/university campuses, those begin "life" as clay or even wooden sculptures, created by human hand and eye--and I can see the value of that sort of thing in the area of making movie props as well. Witness the Millennium Falcon--you can bet that creating something like that, as was done in studio, from a box full of model car parts along with a basic wooden shape, would take far less time just going from the idea to wood, then adding details from whatever source--and in that area, time is money. Even with CA-designed and 3D printed model car tooling mockups, there is still a pretty fair amount of good old hand work involved--I've seen too much of that to be convinced that it all hangs on computerized, computer controlled technology, when creating tooling mockups that are presented for approval. Art

Actually, The wheels on the Revell Midgets are right out of the 1950's (Halibrand made that style of 12" mags for years) and the tires? Those could have come from Firestone in 1957 as well. Art

IF that putty is solvent-based, it's more than likely a very thick lacquer primer. With that in mind, any of the paint strippers we modelers use may very well soften the puttywork to the point that it will have to be redone. Wish I had a better answer! Art

No, Hudson's pickup was not like a Ute at all. The pickup box is completely separate from the cab (even though the cab was derived from their 4dr sedan, it has it's own back panel, just like any other pickup truck cab. What may confuse some is that Hudson used passenger car rear fenders on those, along with passenger car running boards and splash aprons. Ute's pretty much had truck boxes that were integral with the cab, much in the same manner as Ford Ranchero's and Chevrolet El Camino's. Art

It your Tamiya putty is the solvent type (one part putty), more than likely Purple Power will at least soften it. Art

'58 Edsel wagons were all based on Ford station wagons. FWIW, an Edsel station wagon should be a relative breeze to kitbash, as the AMT/Ertl '58 Edsel front clip will graft right on to an accurately done '57 Ford wagon body. Of course, the side chrome is Edsel, and Edsel's "Boomerang" taillight bezels would need to be scratchbuilt, but it's all quite doable (I did a '58 Edsel Bermuda in resin almost 20 years ago). Art

The 4dr wagons are not all that different, body-wise than the 2-dr versions, Lee. The only differences are the sides, shorter front doors, added rear doors, and of course, a B-post in between the doors. Same with the interior side panels. Art

I think that's what millwrights are for? Art

Not yet, test shot comments come first, then tooling corrections, then hopefully all is fixed and ready to go (but that's virtually always the case with new model kit tooling).

Was the entire floorpan of the station wagon different, or just the rear portion? The reason I ask is, pretty much standard back in the day was for a carmaker to use as many existing sheet metal components across their entire line as possible. Also, most generally, for years the floor pans were at least two-piece--the main floor panel extending back to the frame kickup, and a trunk floor simply welded into place a that point. Many station wagon bodies had a rear floor panel that was different (due to spare tire placement) than the trunk floor panel of sedans, hardtops and convertibles, from what I've seen. Art

At 70 years old, I've been around the hobby (and hobby shops, even been involved in the model kit industry a time or two) long enough to have seen LOTS of changes, both in product, and in those who buy the product. As a boy, I was enamored not only with model car kits, but those early Aurora, Lindberg and Revell plastic model airplane kits--the latter to which my favorite uncle chided me for not building REAL model airplanes (balsa and tissue paper) so I could learn how airplanes were built and what made them fly. In the 1950's (my growing up and coming of age years) THE iconic Christmas toy for boys was an electric train set (Lionel, American Flyer or Marx), but not many kids progressed into scale model railroading. And of course, model cars--while huge numbers of boys back then at least tried their hand and building them, only a percentage ever kept on with it. I've seen the model car building fad (or "craze) of the early 1960's get whipsawed by slot car racing (which in many ways it was), the slow decline of model car kit sales (and the building thereof) in the 1970's as the later Boomers latched onto other activities, such as the rise of organized sports for kids. I've also seen the introduction of those early video games that fascinated kids by the early 1980's, along with an even bigger attraction, model car wise--radio controlled cars--those were a craze even bigger than slot cars--perhaps the ultimate video game for kids who were car crazy--in 3D, live action, all of that--almost like the slot car craze of the 60's on steriods, even though that hobby went through almost a free-fall in the late 80's. I've also seen (and experienced as a hobby shop owner) the amazing resurgence of model car building, beginning about 1980 or so, but not with 10-15 yr old kids (who drove the hobby to those legendary heights in the 1960's) but a lot of those kids, now all grown up, wanting to return to a hobby they'd been fascinated with just 20 or so years earlier. In short, I've seen this hobby mature--no longer simply a boyhood pastime, but a truly passionate hobby for an awful lot of builders. Along the way, I've also seen this as a hobby having an "entry level" that has moved from say, 10yr olds to now guys (and a few females as well) in their early to mid-20's. In short, this hobby, just like any other leisure time activity, has changed, "morphed" if you will, as times have changed. Over the years, both in the business, and as strictly a hobbyist, I've also come to a realization that just because I see only a couple of hundred modelers at a contest or show, and perhaps a dozen or so fellow modelers who come to the monthly meetings of Lafayette Miniature Car Club--somebody (A LOT OF SOMEBODY's!) is buying up all the model kits that I see being turned over in our LHS, as well as at Hobby Lobby and Michael's. I've seen, with my own eyes, guys of all ages perusing, picking up and buying model car kits at these local stores here--faces I have never seen before, people that I don't know, and likely will never see again (regardless of whatever casual contact or conversation I might try to engage them in)--but they are buying--and I would assume building the model car kits they have been looking at. In short, this hobby, this activity or pastime, has been in a constant state of flux, constantly changing with regard to manufacturers, subject matter, and the age group(s) involved. But the bottom line is, IMO, the hobby and it's supporting industries is quite viable, rather lively--and probably going to continue to be so for quite a few years yet. One thing I cannot really imagine, however, is that somehow, all this modern technology seriously changing how model car kits get made or marketed. 3D printing, for sure is a change, and one that will get even better as time goes on--but really! Just how many modelers are going to spend the serious money on a 3D printer, along with the computer and software (never mind the learning curve necessary) to buy into that on a personal level? After all, aren't the topic areas in this very forum filled with worries about the high cost of such almost staples of model building, such as airbrushes, compressors and spray booths, just to name some examples? However, I do see current technology being an addition to what we enjoy, while not supplanting say, injection-molded plastic kits, etc. I also see online merchandising as being a real force, but will that every replace brick & mortar retail stores--more likely it will be what it is today, an added way of distributing merchandise--very much the same as the old Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs which were in virtually every American home a century or so ago. Again, times change, interests change, and business (the economy) changes as well. Art

A good rule of thumb (for those who would post replies to someone else's work: Why not think of just what sort of response would YOU prefer? Art

I'd almost bet on a Courier Sedan Delivery, as all that would need in order to convert the body shell tooling would be new body side slide cores (of course, the correct interior parts as well). Art

From the beginnings of factory assembly-line station wagons (Model A, 1929) onward, Ford traditionally outsold every other carmaker, and in some years, outsold all other American producers of station wagons combined. Remember that Ford advertising slogan "Ford, America's Wagon Master"? They truly earned that title. Art

Well, here's an all new kit--posted a couple of hours ago on Spotlight Hobbies! From Revell: 1957 Ford Del Rio Station Wagon ( the car that so outsold the Tri-Five Chevy Nomads, that the body style disappeared after 1957). Now, how about that, sports fans? Art

Ford or Chevy chassis and drive train, take your pick. Grumman built just the bodies, were adaptable to either make of light truck chassis. Art

There really is no pickup kit out there that will give you much that's usable for the late 30's Hudson pickups, as those were passenger car based (4dr sedean body, cut off at the B-posts, with a rear cab panel stamped to fit. The pickup box is considerably wider than any stepside pickup of the era (or even later for that matter--the floor between the wheel wells is at least 4' wide on the real thing. Art

Whiile it's a stock-only kit, has anyone mentioned the Tonka 1/25 scale 1913 Model T Touring car kit? Yeah, Tonka Toys actually did a small series of plastic model kits about 40 years ago--and the '13 T Touring was in it. Just think of a T Touring car body as simply a "double bucket" T body. Art

For that matter, a Mercedes SSKL. Art