Carmak

Random thoughts on why the FE was not available in light duty F series trucks in the early 60’s. Twist: The 57-60 F series and 61-64 F series trucks used a similar frame design that is prone to twist. The failure of the Uni-cab in the marketplace was partially the result of frames twisting enough under the stiff cab-box units that the front cab mounts would tear out. The FE series of engines are not necessarily known for their HP but they are known for their torque. It is POSSIBLE that Ford felt the high torque FE series was a bad match in a vehicle with a frame that was prone to twist. Supply: It is POSSIBLE Ford could sell all the FE’s it could make in high profit margin cars like Galaxies. The F series trucks were a good way to get more use out of the Y-block tooling.

Nice looking builds! Get those cars behind some glass. Hot rods are the hardest to dust.

How would you define what a "best kit" is? There are multiple 70 Challenger kits out there and each has strengths and weaknesses. Are you looking for most detailed engine, most detailed chassis, body with best proportions, kit that builds most easily out of the box? Also does it matter which body style or version of 70 Challenger it is?

Nice build! The color has a good MOPAR vibe - great choice. Nice stance, good wheels and tires. Like the custom intake. Overall, very nice!

Very cool custom van!! The "vibe" is right on man!

Have you had a chance to see how the Black Widow air brush worked?

Very nice conversion! A few years back my son bought a 62 GMC half ton long box the still had the original 305 V6 and 4spd trans. He then bought a 62 Chevy half ton as a parts truck only to discover how different the two trucks are. He ended up putting both trucks back on the road and then selling them to get a really nice first gen Cummins 12 valve. As part of working on them we discovered the modern (5+ years ago) Dodge Durango V8 radiators are tall and narrow and fit perfectly in the trucks. The hose arrangement is perfect for a SBC. An aluminum radiator for $30 .

I really like the look of the tail lights/trunk trim panel. Really makes the car.

You really nailed the look of the cloth from that era!!! Wow!

I have a couple display cases that I have to move slightly to open and close. My survivor models roll with very little effort and move whenever I open or close the case. I have used small spot adhesive tapes with limited success. I am looking for 2'-4' long clear strips of material with adhesive to attach to the shelves to keep my survivors in line. I have not had any luck finding anything like this. Also open to other ideas. Thanks. Carmak

Dan, That looks more like a Brazilian built F-100. Ford of Brazil got the tooling for the 67-72 Ford light trucks and built them up until at least 1990. In 1990 the University of Iowa engineering department imported a brand new 1990 Brazilian F-100 with a straight 6. At the time Brazill was trying to fuel all car with 100% ethanol and the engineering department had a group of students investigating ethanol as a fuel. I was in engineering school at this time, and I got to see the truck up close and talk to the students on the project. The straight 6 had 14 to 1 compression and the carb was jetted with a fuel ratio of 9 to 1. A unique feature the truck had was a very small fuel tank under the hood that could be used to prime the engine was gas to start it when the engine was cold. Other than the grille the truck was essentially unchanged externally from the 67-72 Fords.

Other options to share some existing tooling: * 65 Comet * 65 Belvedere I know drag racing versions of a particular kit really get people interested so I found a couple A friend in high school had a really nice 63 Lakewood. Very cool and quirky car, drove like nothing I had ever driven before.

Sure do wish you would make this one

I would agree that the 65-66 Chrysler were the pinnacle of post war design! This is my 66 Newport.

I would not call it a typical Hollywood happy ending. He wins a court case for a fraction of the value after decades of fighting, losing his family and destroying his life. I am really not trying to sound like a grump

I was traveling east on I-80 in Eastern Iowa on 05-04 and I passed over a dozen “Lap One” cars heading west. I was really hard to get pictures but there were lots of modern sports cars. I managed to catch one sports SUV at a gas station.

I work for a smaller med device company that is owned by a significantly larger company. I have been in new product development for 30+ years, and I am on a dozen or so patents. I have been involved in defending a patent legally. On one occasion a person used my own drawings (shared under a confidentiality agreement) to patent something I designed and already had a patent for. A patent or copyright is of little value unless you have a team of lawyers to defend it. Even our large parent company occasionally decides it’s not worth defending a patent. We don’t even try if the infringement is in China or parts of the former Soviet block. Even in America it’s tough. Watch the movie “Flash of Genius” which is about the person that invented delay wipers and had them stolen by Ford. Seriously, watch it. I am not trying to be a grump, I just want to be pragmatic and possibly save you the time and cost involved in filing and maintaining a patent.

I was at the meeting where he showed it "as a survivor??". I was waiting to see how bad it looked under the paint.

So, you ended up with Chuck's nasty green Malibu! You are the perfect person for this. Do you have a plan for the rear? If not, you are welcome to dig through my stash of vintage custom front and rear ends. Craig

My thought on Round2 buying Hasegawa's tooling is that could involve a lot less capitol and resource time than a clone tool. I would rather have a readily available but flawed 66 Bonneville than hold out for a clone 66 Bonneville that my never come.

An interesting option: Round2 could attempt to purchase the Hasegawa tooling for the 66 Bonneville (and 66 Cadillac). The Hasegawa kit needs improvement (interior, chassis, interior and interior ?), but the body is a fairly nice copy of the original MPC body.

Let the record show that I am a full size (B-Body) Pontiac guy. I have owned multiple 65-69 Pontiac B-bodies over the last 30+ years and I still have a garnet red 69 428 Bonneville convertible. The only kit I would like to see more than a 66 Bonneville is a 67 Bonneville (or a 2+2). With my business hat on I think a 67 Galaxie would sell better than a 66 Bonneville.

I would also say the Lindberg body and interior are comparable to MPC kits with the following exceptions: * Super nasty hood shaker thing. Harts Parts has a nice twin scoop hood for this kit. * Caricature of the front fender side trim. Just sand it off. * Oversize/oddly shaped taillights. You can live with these or get a trans-kit from Harts Parts. In general, the body lines and proportions are good. The attached picture is a PSM 71 Challenger. The Lindberg kit is a modified version of this kit. The engine and chassis kind suck but it you are building a shelf model they will work. If you would like a better chassis the AMT 70 Challenger is a good source.

Round@ was showing the MPC 72 Chevelle at NNL East. This is completely different tooling than the AMT/ERTL 72 Chevelle. This is the tooling used for the 72 Chevelle promos. This body was modified into a stock car in the early 70's and restored to mostly stock in the 80's (SSlasher kit molded in black and another version molded in red). This kit correctly has a portion of the fender extension between the headlight bezel and the hood.

I would love to see a 70/71 Cyclone clone but.... My concern with the 70/71 Cyclone is that was no promo and the kit has a fairly complicated chassis/interior/engine compartment (the chassis and engine compartment are similar to the 71-73 MPC Cougar). The complicated aspects of this kit require more engineering and tooling investment than some of the other clones. Additionally the complicated chassis/engine compartment in the Cyclone kits is less than great. Effort is required to eliminate the wheel sag and to get the car to sit correctly. I have a 71 rebuilder in the pipeline and it will sit on a Revell Torino Chassis.