Chuck Most

Indeed. Not as time-consuming as converting the Earnhardt T-Bird to a street version, though.

There you go. Guess this means I've met my "try to enlighten one person every five years" quota. See you in 2019, everybody!

I'm gathering parts to convert the old Monogram Dale Earnhardt Wrangler Thunderbird into a factory stocker- the chassis will be a modified Monogram Fox Body Mustang piece. The interior might be the "fun" part. I've got a Revell Lincoln in the works which will be quasi-stock, but that kit can't be built as an accurate replica stocker without a few body mods. (chassis and interior changes aside!) Revell made the body slightly shorter than it should be to fit an existing Pro Stock Thunderbird chassis. A lot of people think the body had oversized wheel opening, but they're actually pretty close to correct- they just look too big because the overall length of the body is shorter than it should be compared to a 1:1 MK VII.

The Monogram engine would be a good start. If you're really a stickler for scale, the engine from the Revell '70 Torino could be used too, it's also a 385-big block.

I love this set, I'm known to hoard them as I find them. I used the S20 engine in a Datsun hot rod, based on a BMW 3/15. This was a car based on the Austin 7, and I built the car based on the urban legend of the first Datsun being an illegally copied Austin. This model also uses the steering wheel and a few decals from the parts pack.

The Wrangler doesn't look like the Tomb Raider diecast/ "Trucks" series plastic release. It's tough to make out in the small pic, but the snap kit to be released appears to have stock wheels and tires, fender flares,front bumper, and a hard top- while the current Wrangler Rubicon kit has Mickey Thompson tires, custom wheels and fender flares, a front bumper with brush guard and winch, and no top. Assuming the photo shown is representative of what the kit will feature it might be worth looking into if the Tomb Raider version doesn't "do it" for you. The fact that the current plastic kit requires glue for several parts would lead me to believe it's a mostly new kit. The decision to do an all-new kit of the six-window Crown Vic when one already exists does baffle me a bit, but I'd like to get at least one of them, just to see how it stacks up against the Lindberg kit.

I do like the first one, but these are a bit more up my alley- This one really has some kind of bizarre charm to me... This one's just too goofy for me not to like-

I'm guessing it'll be a curbside, but I don't care- I'm more than a little intrigued.

Ten years ago or so, this would have been how I spent my typical Friday evening. Very cool!

Shhhhhhhhh..... I'll be using those hubcaps on the long bed version of the kit to disguise the fact that my "F-250" only has five-bolt wheels, but don't tell anybody.

They should- these kits and the Tuff Truck are based off the same tooling.

Love it! Same color I want to paint one of mine once they're out- like this one only in nicer condition.

Believe it or not, that is a fully functional vehicle- you drive it lying down.

The truck is sold, but the pics are still up! To update to 1984 specs the AMT kit would need the Ford lettering and "Gear and Lightning Bolt" emblem removed, the latter replaced by a Blue Oval. Widen the wheel openings slightly, and find a different powerplant- the 534 had been out of production for a couple of years by the time this one was built. The CAT V8 from the AMT Louisville would be a good choice- this one does have a 3208. I believe 1984 was the first year the C Series used the Blue Oval on the nose... feel free to correct me if I'm wrong there. http://www.purplewave.com/cgi-bin/mnlist.cgi?100429A/5476

I still think it's a logical enough idea- what you're proposing could be done for way less than tooling an all new kit, and since the aluminum wheels would already have been in the original version of the kit, they could just throw those in as an option. I'm sure some people would feel miffed if they only suggested cutting the kit frame rails rather than providing shorter ones, but who here hasn't shortened or lengthened a frame? If the idea is to appeal to the dedicated truck modelers that would be a small concession, since they're probably familiar with the ins and outs of modifying a kit frame.

That would be a great stand-in for the AWOL ram head on my '40 Dodge.

One in every crowd, right? Sure there's all sorts of aftermarket stuff- resin, PE, decals, what have you, and it is fun finding and buying stuff like that. Waiting 4 to 8 weeks for it to arrive? Not so much. And since you're on this whole affordability shtick, consider how much any of that would add to the total price of the project. A kit, a set of resin Budds, a day cab panel... you might have a hundred bucks tied up in a project with just those three purchases. I know. I've done it. Let's face the facts- the days of buying a kit with the money you saved mowing lawns Saturday mornings are long gone, unless you own a successful groundskeeping business. I did screw up the pic, but my point remains, you can build an eye-catching semi tractor without resorting to shiny stuff and wild paint. And come on, Mitchell... doesn't the idea of a kit that includes a set of Budds appeal to your "no-bling" sensibilities? Even a little bit? They wouldn't need to offer many options beyond that, if any at all- just a kit that could serve as a base for something less flashy than your typical lux owner/operator rig. Less is more!

I certainly don't object to that idea- a few choices never hurt anybody. If it could be done in a cost effective manner an optional feature or two would be nice.

Bling and top-end equipment might sell models, but I do think it's about time the other end of the spectrum got a little more attention. Besides, you don't need to have a bunch of fancy polished parts and wild graphics to make something that's an attention-grabber (if that's your thing). Even a bare-bones fleet tractor can look pretty good with the right paint scheme. May I present Exhibit A- Nothing even remotely "blingy" about an Estes ProStar, but it sure does stand out in a sea of refrigerator-white examples, does it not? (And not that it's anybody's business but mine, yes, I do intend to build a Moebius LoneStar as an Estes day cab. Got a problem with that? ) While it's true I do like custom trucks, and when it comes to car models I'd gladly have a Shelby GT500 instead of a base model V6 Mustang, when it comes to Class 8 trucks and tractors my expectations are a bit different- I'd really like to see some more workaday subjects. I'd love to see a kit that comes with two-hole Budds and less chrome than a Model T. I like seeing realistic looking (if fictitious) markings, not the tacky graphics you find on many kit decal sheets that look like something out of a '70's van customizer's drug-addled nightmares. Not that all graphics are bad (the yellow Italeri DAF XF 105 comes to mind ), but I'd rather just see duplicates of factory stripe graphics, when applicable. I'm more of a "casual" heavy commercial modeler, I only started building them about five years back, but even I can see the appeal of offering something that wouldn't exactly be Large Car Magazine material if built out of box. And it looks like the "hardcore" guys agree. Give us something basic... we can handle it from there. Even if they did a "decontented" modified reissue of the ProStar like some have suggested, I think even something like that would be a great start.

Dude, wrong forum. I think it goes here- http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/forum.php

It's the kit Cummins, and the paint is Cummins Beige by DupliColor. I think I got it at O'Reilly.

Yep, that's mine. So far the thing has done nothing but amaze me. After sitting dormant for so long I was stunned by how little work was needed to get it back up to operating condition. Take a brand new backhoe and leave it out in the elements for a year, and the electronics will have been chewed up by mice and the engine will be seized. Not so on an old girl like this one.

Thanks again guys!