Carmak

One issue with the modern AMT 67 Mustang chassis is that the front track is too wide. This issue shows in your pictures as your tires are out past the wheel lip. I pulled the spindles in a bunch (look at the relationship between unmodified tie rod end and the moved in location of the ball joint. I also lowered the front ride height to achieve a neutral stance (level).

First off, I have no problem with farming out paint jobs. My first thought would be to attend and possibly joint a local chapter of the IPMS (International Plastic Modelers Society). These chapters are essentially individual model clubs. They are open to all model builders (cars/trucks/military/ships/aircraft/space/fantasy) and they typically tend to be more military oriented. Aside from the in-person comradery the chapters often have build sessions and/or training sessions. I would be cautiously optimistic that you could find someone at an IPMS meeting that could either paint your camo jobs or show you how to do it yourself. I belong to two local IPMS chapters and have made many great friends and learned a ton.

The Monogram 34 Ford kits are works of art. Just as good as it gets!

1937 Studebaker coupe express.

I can address your question about any styrene kits for a 71 Chevelle. Both AMT and MPC both issued 1/25 scale styrene 71 Chevelle kits in 1971. The mold for these kits were both modified to produce 72 Chevelle kits in 1972. The AMT and MPC 71 Chevelle kits have not been available since 1971 and are therefore fairly uncommon and valuable when found. The AMT and MPC 72 Chevelle kits have been available off and on, multiple times since 1972 and are therefore fairly common and of reasonable price. If I remember correctly Southern Motorsport Hobbies (SMH) or Vic's Resin offers a resin cast 1/25 scale conversion kit that works with the common 1972 Chevell kits. I hope this helps.

I love adult size sleds from the 50's and 60's. My wife and I have collected a few over the years. In a world full of pickups these cars easily fit wherever I need to get them.

For 8 years in the 2000's I daily drove this 65 Pontiac Star Chief 4drHT (in Iowa) and put 20K on it. Both of my kids learned to drive on it. I only parted it out because of extensive rust (it actually had extensive rust when I started driving it) and the ball joints were starting to make cool noises.

That is a 71 or 72 Buick Electra. I had an all black 72 Electra 4drHT in the 90's.

The story goes that there was a stillborn project at Plymouth in 1969/1970 to build a Superbird version of the 71 Road Runner. It is possible that some of the designs were shared with MPC and it's possible that MPC just did it on its own. The bummer is that these noses are too narrow and generally don't fit well on the Monogram Satellite/GTX kits. The 72 Road Runner also comes with a custom front end that looks a little like the RTS 71 Road Runner (it's the front end shown on the box cover).

Count me in for multiples of these!!

A 64 T-bird...you are a glutton for punishment my friend I have owned many 61-66 T-birds (these are all essentially the same under the skin) and they have some very interesting quirks.

Now you need the recently available AMT 59 Imperial to keep it company

Thanks for the pics, Keith! I am now fairly sure that is resin. Look at the difference between the interior posts on the kit and the posts on the failed body. Also look at the flash around the inside of the taillight opening. Essentially no flash on the kit. Two part hand mixed resins are chemically quite different than thermoplastics like ABS and Styrene. Cast two part resin can often have internal porosity (micro voids) that can create weak spots. The failed body looks to have visible porosity issues.

With the influx of 3D printed 60’s Mopar full size / C-body bodies mixed in with people looking to build more accurate versions of 60’s Mopar full size / C-body kits I have seen a lot of questions about their construction style. I am covering 1960 – 1973 full size Dodge, Plymouth and Chryslers (not Imperials and not 62-64 Dodge and Plymouth B-body lean size cars). From 1960 to 1964 full size is just called full size, in 1965 the term “C-body” comes into use for full size. The construction style of these cars is defined as “substructure with unitized body” but it is commonly referred to as a “sub frame”. 60’s Mopar full size / C-body cars are not unibody as the unitized body ends at the firewall. The front frame section of a sub frame is bolted to the body (with rubber isolators) and it can be removed. The front inner fenders and radiator are bolt on and are not structural. This is a 1960 Dodge print ad showing the new for 60 substructure design. A late 60’s C-body with the sub frame being removed. A 60-64 assembled sub frame. A 60-64 bare sub frame (from the rear). I have parted a couple 1:1 cars and it was hard to tell if the sub frames had ever been painted (everybody paints them when they are restored). A 60-64 sub frame car engine compartment. The inner fenders are body color. The inner fenders are somewhat similar in shape to 57 Chrysler inner fenders. A 65-68 bare sub frame (from the rear). I have parted a one 1:1 car and it looked like at least part of the sub frame had been painted black. A 65-68 sub frame car engine compartment. The inner fenders are body color. The inner fenders are barrel shaped similar to 65-66 Ford full size . A 69-73 bare sub frame (from the rear). A friend has a couple 1:1 cars and they look to have been painted black. A 69-73 sub frame car engine compartment. The inner fenders are black. The inner fenders are barrel shaped similar to 65-66 Ford full size. For everyone building 60’s Mopar full size / C-body kits I hope this is useful. I welcome your comments and corrections.

I agree. That looks like an old resin casting.

Just an interesting anecdote about this kit. I took this kit to an IPMS meeting last week and showed it (open box) to the members. I was a pleasantly surprised at the interest from the military guys, much more interest than I get from other model kits I have shown over the years. A couple of the military guys are now planning to get one.

I hope this kit leads to a series of square body variations the way that Moebius has been releasing variations on the 65-72 Ford F series. This has the possibility to be a kit with wide interest. People my age (late 50's) to my son's age (late 20's) are all generally into the square body trucks. I am looking forward to getting one (or more).

I will reiterate what Alan said - Networking! I was a 60's car nut growing that hit modeling age in the mid-late 70's. I used paper route money to buy built/box of junkers 60's vintage models at garage sales and flea markets in my relatively small Iowa city. I did get the occasional unbuilt kit and promo but they were the exceptions. I would then rebuild/restore them. This background helps me when hunting vintage models as I prefer built/junker models over MIB kits (I also prefer the much lower cost). Community networking: I find roughly 50-100 50's-70's vintage models (mostly built) a year locally at very reasonable prices. Almost everyone I talk with knows I am looking for old models. When the people I talk to are also looking for things I keep my eyes open and pay it forward. For example, I know someone into mid-century lamps. I have sent a few lamps their way and they have sent some vintage models my way. I am also willing to literally work to get vintage models. Last year I spent hours helping a friend clean out a house. I spent about 15 hrs. total helping to empty the house with 8 hrs. of that in a tiny attic to get 35 models all 64 and earlier (see pictures below including a pic of the attic gap I had to get through to get the models). Model collector networking: Many collectors rarely sell but they will trade. I don't buy vintage models specifically to trade but when I get a collection I will often trade with what I don't want or need. Honestly the hardest part is finding other local collectors. I have collector friends that are local and online. It has taken years to develop trusting friendships with other collectors but it is worth it. Lastly join a local model club if possible and go to local swap meets. May areas do not have a local model car club but they do have a local IPMS chapter. The IPMS is a club for all scale model builders so there is typically a mix of model car, airplane, military, ship, figures and gundam builders. I belong to two IPMS chapters and one kinda local model car club. I hope this helps.

I also just started restoring a 65 Imperial rebuilder. Since I plan to retain the original metal axles I am going to use the original block and trans (nasty sink marks in the trans pan). I am using the heads, intake, manifolds, timing cover and other details from a Revell 69 Charger 440 on the original Imperial block (I had to cut off the original Imperial block's timing cover). Interesting that the Imperial had the fuel pump and something that was meant to resemble an oil filter molded to the block.

I like the thought of using the engine as a structural member of the chassis. Strategically cut a funny car chassis in half near the front, attach the rear section of the chassis to a rear engine plate and attach the front section of the chassis to a front engine plate. Whatever you decide to do please post pictures.

Unlike the other annual bodies used for the AWB kits the Edsel wheel openings were not changed. I forgot about the taillights and hood ornament hole being filled but those types of modifications are very subtle. I feel my point that the modern Edsel body/hood could be used to make a fairly close replica of the Unreal Edsel is still valid.

A common practice in injection molding is to install runner blocks or runner switch to allow part of a mold to be shut off. If Round2 were to look into this option, they could use or add runner blocks or switches so that only the body and hood are molded and there would be no waste. There would be elevated cost involved in running the fairly large Edsel mold only to produce a body and hood as a mold of this size requires a large molding press. The Unreal Edsel did not have any Edsel chrome or glass.

There is one legit benefit to 4 wheel steering that has not been discussed. If you pull a trailer a tag along style hitch, 4 wheel steering almost eliminates "cracking the whip" during a highway speed quick lane change.

If someone wanted to replicate this kit it would not be terribly difficult. The original kit was the unaltered 58 Edsel annual body, the 65 Chevelle AWB chassis/engine/interior tub, cruiser skirts and an outhouse door. Put a modern tooling 58 Edsel body on the cloned 65 Chevelle AWB chassis/engine/interior tub, find some parts box or E-bay cruiser skirts and make a real balsa wood outhouse door. TA DA - you have an Unreal Edsel! Possibly Round2 could do what I describe above for us in a single kit and tool up some cruiser skirts and an outhouse door? I personally would rather see Round2 invest in other kits that are not so easily replicated.