Art Anderson

Tom makes some excellent points here. For decades, and most understandably (as Tom Geiger has pointed out) "yesterday's" model kit tooling was that, yesterday with tomorrow becoming today and then it too became yesterday. "Last Year's" model kit tooling used to be about as useful as the stamping dies for a '57 Chevy were once production of the '58 began--essentially worthless in the eyes of just about everybody in the industry at that time. However, as the 1960's progressed, it appears to me that model company management began to see that someday there just might be potential for dusting off those old tools, either for modification into some other version (the stock car racer versions of several 1964-65 car kit tools done by AMT in 1969, for example), or perhaps more severely modified (the pirate ship version of the Beverly Hillbillies truck comes to mind here). Tooling wise, conversions such as those kits could be done at a fraction of the cost of doing something completely new from the table top up, which helped keep model companies such as AMT and MPC going strong in what otherwise was the 1970's decade of decline in the plastic model car kit business (which the 70's definitely were, BTW). I have here, buried in my files someplace, a pair of tooling inventories sent to me during my 6 months on RC2's payroll after their buyout of Playing Mantis (the company which produced Johnny Lightning diecasts and Polar Lights model kits prior to 2005 BTW). The AMT tooling inventory list is very unorganized, being as it was merely a listing of what Lesney's (the owner of AMT from 1978 to 1982's bankruptcy) receivers found, listed as found, and in no particular order (that tooling had gone through a rapid and probably disorganized move from Michigan to Baltimore MD about 1977), and apparently was in considerable disarray. The bankruptcy officials had no reason to keep the stuff in any sort of order--their job was to simply inventory the stuff probably at scrap value, with perhaps some being listed as having some real value as viable model kit products. That is pretty much what Ertl got in the late summer of 1982 when they were the successful buyer of all of AMT's tooling, designs, and all rights therein. And, that is more than likely what Round2 acquired as well--a large number of tooling bases,, with wooden packing crates of smaller (but still quite heavy) tooling inserts for God-only-knows-what-kit-they-were-for. Fortunately, AMT's principal and longest-serving tooling and design engineer, John Mueller is still around to ID that stuff! By contrast, my tooling inventory sheets for MPC tooling are VERY organized, by kit number and name, and I would assume that this stuff is still that well sorted out, as MPC was sold to AMT/Ertl outright in 1986, while still a viable operation, up and running. As such, it's amazing to read that listing, see what truly did/does exist as identifiable MPC model kits. But, old model kit tooling that has not been used in years (even decades) does not mean "found money". Somebody has to investigate each tool to ensure that first, it is complete, and second--does it even look like it is produceable still (time and humidity can render steel tooling unusable if it wasn't properly put into a preservation mode--rusty tooling will not a decent model car kit mold in other words. Another issue is cost: While not anywhere near the cost of an all newly designed model kit and tooling, it's still not cheap to dig out a couple of thousand pounds of injection molding tooling just to open it up and see what's inside. Nor do tool & die people come cheap either (in fact, tool & die makers are in VERY short supply in the US these days!). In addition, there also is that issue we all love to hate here: Licensing! What passed muster with licensors 30-50 years ago may well not meet their standards today--so there's another cost--negotiating with licensors to get that old model kit back into production for us. Oh, and just how much AMT, MPC and Ertl plastic model kit tooling is/was there? In a press release from Racing Champions upon their buyout of AMT/Ertl in 1998, the number 2,700 was thrown out there. But how many of those tools are seriously produceable today? That's a question only Round2 can answer, if they even yet know. Art

This version of the Ford Panel Delivery did have a name! Those were called "Ranger", starting with the very first ones built in 1933-34 for the US Forest Service. Those Ford Rangers also give a lie to GM's claim of having built the first all steel station wagons, as those 1930's Ford Rangers had all steel bodies, with no structural wood in them. only the thin wooden bows to support the PVC impregnated cloth roof insert, which was also the case with Chevrolet's Panel Deliveries and their first Suburbans. Unlike Chevrolet however, Ford did not completely build Rangers on their assembly lines. Rather, Ford farmed out the installation of side windows seats and interior appointments to the Detroit conversion company, Proctor-Keefe, who was better known for commercial vehicle bodies and fire equipment cabs. Art

Yes, they were amazing kits for their time, and certainly neat subjects, however some bits of their engineering always seemed to be just a bit too "out there", and with later reissues, often tooling alignments weren't paid a lot of attention to, leading to mismatched surfaces at what we call parting lines. Along those same lines, while very precisely designed and manufactured, Monogram's series of antique and Classic car kits had a tendency, certainly those tooled in the 60's, to have more than a bit of rather toy-like locating points for parts that we adults today can find to be a bit off-putting, even though I'll still crack open a Duesenberg one of these days just to build it up. Art

Check me if I'm wrong here, but the GM collection in question here has never been exactly a secret, now has it? Is it not what at one time was called the General Motors Historical Collection, and as such, was open as a museum to the general public? I seem to recall GM closing that down sometime in the last 15yrs or so, as a cost issue, not for any sort of "secrecy" or clandestine assortment of secret vehicles (although I'm sure GM, just as with Ford, Chrysler, FIAT, Toyota, Nissan and just about any automaker one can name will have concept mockups that they have never publicly shown (for whatever reasons). Art

Just to put another spin on the JoHan story here: I was in the hobby business back in those days (as the assistant manager, and plastic model kit buyer and department manager for a pretty large hobby shop here). JoHan's kits were not generally (in my experience from back then) considered all that awesome--they sold rather poorly, compared to the then-offerings from AMT and MPC--in fact, JoHan kits tended to be the biggest portion of the model car kits we put on the tables for the then-traditional July Sidewalk Sale which covered the entire downtown business district of Lafayette IN for two full days in July every year). That's not to say that JoHan didn't have some neat kits, they did. However, JoHan products just never did achieve the sheer popularity of what was coming out of AMT and MPC back then. Of course, we now know and feel much differently--but that was then, this is now. Art

Easy to do a '41 Plymouth pickup! First, kit the Dodge, then do one with Plymouth scripts! (That's what Chrysler Corporation did). Art

91% Isopropyl alchohol (nearly pure rubbing alcohol) will liquify Tamiya lacquers, in my experience. Art

I based my comment on what I've always known as "denatured alcohol", which must contain, by US law, at least 10% non-drinkable alcohol or wood naptha, plus an ingredient which makes it very bitter if tasted. If it contains a poisonous alcohol, chances are that's methyl alcohol (AKA methanol) which can soften styrene. I guess the best advice would be to check the ingredients on the can just to be sure (or Google the brand for the MSDS sheet. (Methanol used to be the most common of paint removers, was mixed with paraffin wax for a slightly "pasty" texture". You just brushed it on a painted surface, watched the paint wrinkle up, and then scrape the mess off with a putty knife. I tried that once on a model car body as a teenager--it ruined the body shell in a heartbeat.) Art

That is the AMT kit, which was at least marketed by AMT Corporation for MPC (who created the tooling) in that year. JoHan never produced a model kit or promotional model of this subject. Art

Trust me, I don't worry about it! I just close the door on it! Art

Ditto! While DOT-3 brake fluid can be messy to dispose of, it does strip almost all paints off of styrene. Art

I'd be careful about that term "denatured alcohol", as technically, that means Methyl (or so-called "wood alcohol") alcohol, which will destroy polystyrene and ABS. Don't you really mean "Isopropyl Alcohol", which is ordinary rubbing alcohol, which can now be had in concentrations of 90% and higher? That will not damage polystyrene. Art

I guess I feel as I do given that Dodge was pretty much the "Fourth man (truck if you will) on the match", so-to-speak. While I can certainly remember seeing Dodge pickups of this era (I was 12 or 13 when the Sweptside came out), the Sweptside was a most obscure truck--not NEARLY as visible as the Cameo, where just about every Chevy dealer of any size at all had at least one in the showroom to pull customers in the doors. Harry P. made an allusion to the experience with the Hudson kits, and that's OK to a point. Where the '52-54 Hudson was concerned, that was first and foremost a pretty serious high-performance car for its day, and racked up a tremendous racing heritage (I've read where it took Ford Motor Company all the way to 1972 just to EQUAL Hudson's victory record in Nascar--which covered the years 1952-54) as well as presenting a ton of customizing possibilities for modelers. All that said, I'd love, personally, to see not only the Dodge Sweptside, but also an International Harvester KB pickup as well as their 1957 Centennial wide body--and even more, a series of 1950's Studebaker pickups, all to go along with the Sweptside. Would God that I live long enough to see something like that! Art

Ideally yes, but "practically"? Not really, at least for me. I still come from that old school where "the best cakes come from the messiest of kitchens." But then, being an apartment dweller, my work space cannot really be what I'd choose if it were my own house I guess. Art

I've always wished for a classic, 1946 Dodge Powerwagon! Art

The Liberty Classics diecast is at least 1/28th scale, which was not uncommon for them at the time they introduced it. As for why no Sweptside model kits? Probably because, at least for much of the last 57 years, that was a forgotten, almost forgettable truck, I think. As for the future, who knows? (I sure don't). Art

Uh, so far, I see nothing but station wagon kits being mentioned (with a couple of pics of the real thing to illustrate). Art

Oh, and PMC (Product Miniatures Company) produced very basic, knocked down promo's with no glass nor interiors in kit form: 1957 Ford Country Squire, and 1959 Ford Ranch Wagon. Art

I've got one, but never have put calipers to it, but in just scoping it out, it appears to be VERY close to 1/24 scale (of course, the '60 Ford was the biggest (widest) Ford produced up to that point in time. Art

Add a '60 Ford station wagon to your list as well (Hubley), AMC Pacer station wagon from AMT, '48 Ford station wagon from Revell, all three years of Tri-Five Chevy Nomads, '64 Chevelle station wagon from AMT, '23 Model T Ford station wagon from AMT, Jeep Grand Cherokee from Tamiya. Art

And not long after Miami Vice hit its peak of popularity (ratings) Ferrari came down pretty hard on the shop that was producing those Daytona replica bodies for Corvettes, ending that product. Art

The TV car was a Corvette with a fiberglass replica Ferrari Daytona Spyder body. Art

And have them come back at me for 18 years of room & board? Hmmm! Art

Well said, Chuck! Along that line, I never, EVER thought I'd shell out nearly $60 for any 1/24 or 1/25 scale model car kit, but when I spotted the ICM Opel Admiral, I just knew I had to bite that bullet. Along those lines, I have been involved, to varying degrees in assisting with the development of a few model car kits--and it's interesting how much effort gets expended in making a model car kit "down to a price-point", so as to be at least somewhat competitive with what other companies are doing. I suspect, for example that here in the US, price competition is more a factor than in say, Japan. After all, Tamiya (for example) has almost never brought out any model kit to fit any sort of narrow price point, unlike US companies were doing until fairly recently. Tamiya, Hasegawa etc. have introduced model car kits all over the place pricewise, have they not, and not just recently, but going all the way back into the 1980's (I still remember having to explain that to customers in my hobby shop back then. It appears that they tended to design model kits up to a standard, rather than "down" to some artificially determined price (remember when AMT, MPC, Monogram and Revell 1/25 scale model car kits used to all be the same MSRP?). Nowadays, it's more a matter of deciding what price a model kit can be sold for given that there is more of a price range as opposed to a rigid price point (as it was from the late 50's clear out to about 10 years ago), in reasonable numbers, then figuring out how to get all the features into the tooling that one would really like to see produced, and still have a profitable kit. Art

Kinda like a lot of model car builders, of course. (Yep! I'm a-gonna build that model one of these days!) Art