Mr. Metallic

Thanks Tim. I know Steve won't confirm it until he's allowed to. But I thought I could steer the speculation towards what it actually is, rather than everybody's want list, especially when their wants don't fit the criteria set from the beginning. ?

That's why i said "or vice versa" But I think Rob is on to the real deal, that it was build much earlier, just shown here in 68. so it could have inspired the AMT designers if that's the case.

Because i'm a glutton for punishment, or simply because this thread has gone off track so many times I'll make one more attempt to get it focused. Here are the original parameters for this post, Round2 said they were working on this: Clone of old tooling Can't be built stock Then Steve chimed in with this... So, here is the list of ALL the guesses that fit the set criteria, prior to Steve's statement on Page 10. Let the speculation commence on which one of these it is... THESE ARE THE ONLY CHOICES SINCE STEVE SAID IT'S ONE OF THESE

Here's the real car that may have inspired the AMT designers, or vice versa. Not everyone's taste, but it was the style at the time. BTW- if anyone has the 348/409 out of this kit, or at least the supercharger intake setup, i'll take 'em.

Good thought in your post. With regards to this one, the transport truck was out about 10 years ago, and the Ramchargers dragster just last year. So, while it's cool to have it all in one box, both kits have been available recently. Now, when the 63 Nova and 64 Cutlass were announced, which hadn't been released in stock versions in over 40 years, that DID create a quite a stir.

I look forward to you getting back to this one. Something has always bugged me about the B400 body from Flntstone, but I could never put my finger on it. I think it's the way the top overhangs the sides of the upper body or something. I was also thinking about removing the top just as you have done. Glad to see that's the right route to go because yours is looking great.

In my opinion, being surprised by what's IN the box in this day and age for anyone over the age of 12 is inexcusable. There are so many online avenues to research a purchase before you buy it. I could understand back before the internet that the kits would be available well before any sort of review in a magazine was available that someone could be shocked by what was in the box. And even in many cases the print media got advance review samples that usually got them in the magazine at the same time they hit the shelves. But now just about everyone at least has access to the internet somewhere, be it in their pocket or at the local library. So not knowing what's in the box is pretty much willful ignorance. Even if you are the absolute FIRST person to buy a kit out of the case at the retailer, most kits have been thoroughly dissected before they even make it to retail outlets to at least get a gist of what's included. If you have any consternation about what is included, maybe put off your purchase until your questions are answered. Sorry if that comes off as a bit harsh

Just because it isn't a "selling point" or "feature" to you doesn't mean it isn't to other people. Some people do buy the kit as art. Sure they probably intend to build the contents one day, but still displaying the box in some form. Others will toss the box in the trash. but why does any of that matter? It's not hurting anyone to have retro box art. If anything, it helps with sales, and that's why Round2 will continue to do it. And that's why Moebius uses that style of artwork to market some of their brand new tooling kits. If the choice of box art is deceitful in any way that is a bigger issue. But Round2 has been pretty careful to make sure what is pictured is what is in the box, with a possible couple of exceptions over their tenure. Previous owners of the tooling were much more guilty of that deceptive marketing.

Of course I'm very stoked for the 32 Roadster (former Rat Roaster tool) with all of it's more conventional new parts. I'll be certain to buy several of those. Hopeing they decide to bring back the Tudor sedan someday soon, that one hasn't been seen in 15 years. The Mustang and Olds look great. Debating on whether to wait for street machine versions of both.

Thanks for sharing these pics James. if I see your uncredited pics floating around social media I'll be sure to steer credit your way.

here we are talking in the Rumors thread about the Raiders Coach, which was dragged into the conversation by posting the video of the kits release. Not a rumor at all I would say ?

You're in the home stretch. Don't stop now!

Sorry Steve, no offence intended. There is often lots of confusion with regards to lineage with these showcar kits, and Dave is my go-to guru on this stuff, along with Mark B. Forgive me if I offended you. With so much misinformation floating around I was just looking for a little confirmation.

I knew the Outcast spawned from the Fire Truck, but I thought the Firetruck is where that tooling started. Didn't know it came from the Tognotti T tooling. I though that morphed into a different showrod? @Dave Darby?

I could use those monogram PW parts if you are still offering them up?

This is such a cool concept Rob, nice job. And thanks for turning me on to that engine. I have that kit and plan to go full custom with the body and slip the AMT 66 Riv frame under it. But knowing that engine is lurking in the box is good to know.

Let me start off by commenting on the most recent pics. The satin body with gloss black steelies is...AWESOME! especially with the lug nuts eventually picked out in chrome (hinted at by the current grey?) I've been spitballing one of these in my mind for awhile, similar to how you're building yours. SBC with rams horns. I'll definitely be keeping your mods in mind.

@Don Sikora II, now would be a great time to share your old-tool Revell 57 builds here

He certainly does a catalog. There are even a couple on my fotki page, but they are older, so you're better off asking for a new one. Buy with confidence. His stuff is some of the best in the business and his customer service is second to none.

This album is mine. If you read this disclaimer at the top of the album it states that any of the products pictured are from my personal collection and provided for reference only. Everything in the album was purchased and photographed by me. For price/availability you need to contact Rep+Min directly. Norm is one of the best casters in the business and has been so consistently busy for the last 30+ years he doesn't have time/inclination to be bothered with a website. Sure, it's not the most convenient way to order as we have gotten used to, but his business is not suffering for it. It will be a very sad day when he decides to retire like Modelhaus did.

In this area aftermarket companies and buys showcase their products. The link is for the "trucks" area, but there is a corresponding area for cars too http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/forum/57-truck-aftermarket-resin-3d-printed/ And here is a handy list of links to aftermarket companies points-of-sale

No coupon required, they've been running a 40% sale on model kits every other week since the 40% off "anything" coupon went away early last year.

Pretty sure RoG has the tooling for both. I'll have to look when I get home, but they have both been released in the last 15 years so they were probably produced in China, which would mean they will forever be there.

What if... when Monogram was designing the tooling for the Little Deuce they actually stuck closer to options and features of the Big Deuce? There are quite a few differences between the 1/8 Big Deuce and it's 1/24 brother, the Little Deuce. Most people probably don't even realize there are differences. The most obvious one is the wheels, but the rear suspension, and air cleaners are different as well. Plus there are several features of the BIG kit that were left off the smaller counterpart (probably due to cost, ease of assembly, etc) that in my opinion should have been included. The biggest of which is the molded plastic color. The other 3 kits in this series (Little T, Woody Wagon and Blue Beetle) all came molded in a primary color for the body and white for the rest of the parts (except the Woody which actually had the wood body parts molded in a third color). However, the Little Deuce (LD) got stuck with being molded in all white. A blank canvas for sure, but kind of boring for a kid who didn't have painting skills yet. I have been planning this project in various forms for about 18 years now. It started out as my attempt to clone an LD because at the time I didn't have the money for a true LD kit. So I was going to scrounge the LD specific parts and throw them at a Revell 32 Roadster kit. It has evolved through several forms over the years, the biggest step being overcome when I mastered the correct LeMans wheels and Drag City Casting offered them in their product line. What finally pushed it onto the bench was all the fun I've been having the last 18 months with building models featuring polished plastic as opposed to painting. I had an 80's issue of the Monogram 32 Ford roadster (saw tooling as the LD, but has been modified into a street rod configuration over the years) that is molded in yellow. I thought this would fit the bill perfectly for my little Big Deuce. And so it began in earnest. The body and fender unit itself is untouched other than getting polished with The Treatment polish. I deleted the wing windows from the windshield, added bumper brackets from a Revell deuce and hit them with Molotow to match the items in the BD. I used a set of copies of the LD taillights that were cast in clear red resin by Replicas and Miniatures of Md, a horn from a Blue Beetle and other LD specific parts from my stash of LD glue bombs. To match the optional part in the BD I took the covered spare tire and bracket from an AMT 32 Ford Vicky and painted it white to make it look like it was molded plastic. Moving on to the engine, I used an original issue LD Pontiac block, valve covers, fan belt, exhaust manifolds and intake. I hit the exhaust manifolds with Molotow to match the BD. I took the air cleaners from the Revell 29 Ford Model A kits because they are an exact match for the BD items, mounted to carbs from an AMT 40 Ford kit. Since the Big Deuce offered engine wiring when it was released i took a little artistic license and installed a Morgan Automotive Details wired magneto to finish things off (I know, I need to add the radiator hoses) I also improved the firewall, partially out of necessity. I didn't have any viable LD firewalls to use, so I traced the shape onto Evergreen sheet, clipped off the upper portion with the molded in gages and then used Evergreen 1/2 round to add the pleats to the lower portion. I then wrapped the piece with .020 strip to simulate the prototypical flange on the 1:1 part. I kept the insert as a separate piece so I could apply Molotow and reinstall later, matching the BD feature. The interior was a more straightforward affair since it hasn't been modified since the LD issues. I added parts box seat belts since the original BD offered seat belt material as a feature, and a big FOOT gas pedal. The biggest change was making the recessed chrome gauge cluster like the BD. I did this by removing the molded in cluster from the yellow dash and taking the cluster from another dash and mounting it from behind after I hit it with Molotow. Here's a look at the LeMans wheel which matches what came in the BD. it has been paint detailed a bit. I have addressed the fit issue since this pic was taken. Also note that at the rear the tires are now treaded like the BD as opposed to the slicks that were offered in the LD. Two blade knock offs are from the parts box to match the BD option. Wheels are "chromed" with Molotow The frame features a few subtle changes that may not be readily apparent. The big change is the swapping in of the Quick Change rear end as opposed to the stock item in the LD to match the BD. This required removing a portion of the gas tank to accommodate the QC, and swapping in a different rear crossmember. Since this was a "no-paint" project I had to get creative with the rear crossmember but cutting it from a molded in yellow 29 Ford pickup and grafting it into the LD chassis so it it wouldn't be noticeable. To finish off the rear I added arms from a Revell 37 Ford pickup and a scratchbuilt torque tube from Evergreen. The front suspension was left mostly box stock, and I added a brake reservoir from a Revell 40 Ford since the LD didn't offer one. I did replace the molded in mufflers with Evergreen tube since the molded in items had huge recesses molded into them. Glad to finally get this one out of my brain and on the shelf. I think I will go ahead and add the Little Deuce decals to the cowl, and I think I'd like to create my own license plates for all these Monogram builds I'm doing. Have to figure out how to get some vintage California plates made up, possibly with MN0G4M as the letters? Thank you everyone for your comments and questions are always welcomed.

We need to remember, this kit wasn't even properly announced until recently. The only reason we knew of it's existence prior to a few months ago was an "unauthorized" release of a pic of the 3D scanning of the subject. In normal kit development all the things that have taken place in the last two years on this project would have been done well before we even knew of the project. Add in a global pandemic and I'd say we're on track for test shots maybe by the end of 2022. Patience