Brett Barrow

1 - only hot rod engine parts, but the block has a Hydra-Matic. Kitbash with original kit to get a stock auto. 2.- I think the stock suspension rides a little high, especially with those balloon tires. This version looks like it has a better ride height with the stock tires. 3. No custom interior, it's just plain stock.

Revell's Tony Nancy 22 Jr. Double kit.

I recently spoke to Peter Vetri of Atlantis Models, one of the most knowledgeable folks in the industry when it comes to the location, condition, and viablitly of old tooling (especially Aurora) and he confirmed the Racing Scenes tooling is gone. Sold for scrap by Monogram back in the 70's.

The Glasses Gasser II? Pretty sure it's black. I think the dash is body color with a black pad. I've got some pics somewhere, I'll check. EDIT: found 'em. Real car has a non-stock custom interior...

I like it because it keeps the sprue attachment point away from the visible rim of the wheel. Many times I've taken a chunk out of a wheel rim or chipped the chrome or sanded a flat spot smoothing out the sprue gate. Works well when using the tires they're designed for. But yes, they are a pain when it comes to fitting other tires. And the ones on the Olds are overkill, there's way more flange on them than some of the other wheels that use that system.

Thanks, I didn't buy one, just peeked inside . I'll get one eventually. Snagged the 62 Vette gasser instead... Are the stock valve covers still in there? I didn't notice them.

Ummm... I'll just leave these here (from ebay auctions, not mine): I agree with the others, you're probably thinking of Thom Taylor.

Agree on Cop Out. It was just in the "Basic Builder" series a couple years ago. New box art is cool and all, but I'd rather see it back with Tom McEwen Mongoose decals. At least the Paddy Wagon has the new pre-painted figures to add a little value, but it's still a bit over priced at $35 MSRP.

Revell said a few years ago, I don't know if they made it public, that they were going try to re-release 2 or 3 Tom Daniel kits every year. I don't know how much of the tooling of the ~80 Tom Daniel kits is still viable, though.

I just hope they get around to scaling up their 1937 Packard Twelve (Stalin had one with armored doors and bulletproof windows, thus its relevance to WWII armor modeling). But it's one of the newer 35th kits, so it'll probably be a while before it makes it to 24th. They seem to be following a similar schedule as they did for the original 35th scale kits.

Yeah, I ended up finding one of him in 67 at Le Mans wearing one, too. Even found an earlier one of him in his chicken farmer overalls and cowboy hat. So lemme rephrase that - "Ol' Shel didn't wear a cowboy hat all the time during the GT40 years..."

50,000 is the break even number that usually gets thrown around. But that could mean 50,000 over several variants , take the 57 Ford Custom for instance, they would only need to do 25,000 in the stock form, then 20,000 of the Fireball Roberts version, 5,000 Model King Police cars, there's your 50,000 right there. All those versions were designed and tooled up from the start. Now there's very likely another variant that was designed but not fully tooled (like a Ranchero or wagon) that could be done in the future for relatively little money since the design work and bulk of the tooling was already done.

Both are discontinued now, but there is still stock in the supply chain. They were good sellers when they came out (just like most new models) then tapered off after that (just like most new models). The Midgets were someone at Revell's personal pet project, I don't think they ever expected them to set the world on fire, but since there were two versions, they're splitting the cost between two variants. That's pretty much a standard requirement these days for a new-tool car kit, they need to get multiple variants out of one basic tooling. There are a few exceptions, like I doubt they'll be able to get two versions out of the new re-worked Sizzler dragster, but based on the buzz it's getting it should sell well on its own.

Peeked inside one today, pretty nice. The new intake and headers are provided on both the chrome and regular white sprues*, so you'll have extras for the parts box. You also get a custom taillight treatment by filling in the tail fin mounting holes and using decal tail lights. Might not look that great, but the stock tail fin/ taillights are still in there. If fact all the stock body trim, wheels and suspension parts appear to be there, the motor and exhaust look like the only things that can't be built stock. *edit - apparently they're slightly different parts - even better!

You're exactly right. It was the loss of Walmart as a principle buyer that allowed Revell to try something different and release the Midget kits. It was one of the first projects the new Revell/Hobbico ownership group began work on after they took over. I've said ever since it happened that the loss of Walmart and the big-box-stores was one of the best things that has ever happened to modelers. we're getting unique kits that we would have NEVER gotten during the big-box years. You think we would have ever gotten a 50 Olds (now 2 with the "custom" version out) 52 and 53 Hudson Hornets, low-end base-model 2-door post 57 Chevy 150's and Ford Customs, 55 300 and 56 300B's... shall I go on?

Well, most of that time was spent shelved or on the back burner, so it wasn't 10 years of continuos development, but the concept and initial research and drawings were done together with the 48 Ford woodie.

I don't think ol' Shel wore a cowboy hat back in the GT40 era.

That particular kit is actually a collaboration between Tamiya and Ebbro. It combines the original Tamiya Citroen 2CV parts with new parts by Ebbro for the panel van. The guy who runs Ebbro used to be a kit designer for Tamiya. I have it, it's pretty nice. I plan on doing the one Inspector Clouseau drives into a swimming pool in one of the old Pink Panther movies. I have to agree with the OP about Eduard, they've really come a long way in a short time to now being one of the top aircraft model companies. I have several of their recent kits, including their 1/48th Spitfire IX, which has been done by several manufactures but had never been done accurately until the Eduard kit. It must have had some sort of curse which they finally broke through.

As I understand it, Revell's Kurtis Midget kits spent well over 10 years in development, it was originally conceived as a companion to be released together with the '48 Ford woodie.

A baseline price of $250,000 was the figure that always got tossed around when I started in the business, and that was over 10 years ago, so I'd say it's closer to $350,000 today. And it's around a two-year process to get a kit from concept to store shelves. Most companies don't announce a new kit until it's well underway. I know of one new series of kits that tooling began back in January that still haven't been announced (but I think the first one will be real soon...).

And it'll have an automatic transmission.

They were measuring customer response, not consumer response. Wholesalers, distributors, and retailers are their actual customers.

I know there's another Revell 57 Ford in the works, just not sure if it'll be a Ranchero or Ranch Wagon (I'm leaning Ranch Wagon). It could be couple years away, though. And I've got a pretty good feeling there will be another 50 Olds as well, I'm leaning towards the fastback, but a Holiday hardtop would not surprise me. I doubt they'd do the regular sedan, since it looks so much like the coupe.

Oooh, nice, I need a set of those...

Exactly. And now, thanks to the internet, the general public gets to know about it instantly. There's a difference between announcing a new release and advertising a new release - like Carl said, the announcements are made primarily for the benefit of wholesalers, distributors, and retailers, while advertising is aimed towards consumers. Revell doesn't advertise new releases until they're just about to hit the shelves, for instance they've just started advertising the new 70 Cuda in November and December issues of magazines (I heard from someone that saw an ad in the current issue of Car Craft, and the new issue (Dec) of Scale Auto has an ad as well).