Chuck Most

I like this kit, even though it is a little crude in spots and has an incorrect engine, but I think this is the nicest example of one I've seen built up in quite a while. Kudos for going with a more 'civilian' style on this, too- most of them are police (of course) or even Taxi builds.

That's an FE.

Revell '70 Torino has a 429, and the Monogram F 350 is a 460- both are 385-series big blocks. The Torino is 1:25 scale while the truck is 1:24. Depending on what vehicle you plan to use with the engine, you might need to do some up/back dating to get the engine to look right.

I wouldn't say that... look at the '29 and '31 Model A kits. Those were done in the early 1960's, and other than the molded-in lenses, they still hold up pretty well by today's standards, detail-wise. They require a bit more effort on the modeler's part to build, but the detail more than makes up for it. I often wonder if Revell were to kit a Model A today if it would be any better than those old warhorses. Simple fact is, most any kit developed in the '70's wasn't as good as the kits that were developed in later decades, or even before, in some cases.

You can still find the 'less than loaded' versions out there... thing is you just have to live near a high volume dealer. There are a couple dealers 'near' me (less than one hour), Vanderhyde Ford and Cook Chevrolet, who are pretty well known for stocking a little bit of everything. Want a pickup with manual windows and a bench seat? Or an Impala without a leather interior? Or anything with a manual trans? If they don't have it in stock, they can ususally get one within 48 hours. Even so, nobody EVER pays full sticker price for a vehicle anyway- there are almost always rebates and incentives going on.

Wiper blade might be a tick too long now, but the windsheild looks awesome!

Who here doesn't have a stash of Revell/Monogram wide whites? (Crickets chirping.) Thought so. I see the lack of stock tires as a benefit- if I want to build it stock (or more likely as a period custom) I can grab a set from my spares box and thin out my junk pile a tad, rather than add to it with another set of Revell wide whites. Stupid question- is this the kit that has the drive-in dinner tray, or am I thinking of the '55 Bel Air?

Aboot time! Now I won't need to conjure up my own every time I need one.

Ford panel is my favorite- looks like it's been sitting in a weed choked fencerow for the last 40 years. And I mean that as a complement. Not saying I don't like the others, but that one and the red Ford pickup stick out to me.

Now... Would somebody PLEASE cast up a Jocko Flocko figure to go with this and the Flock Hornet? (And I'm only partially joking there. )

If you decide you aren't so hot on the Gremlin... you can always 'regift' it.

Dave- I promise I'll buy a Lonestar daycab... when the D-series pickup and Travelall are ready!

Hey- why not a '55 DeSoto. They have the tooling for a '55 Chrysler, after all... I'd be all for the Lincolns and the Auburns... and I wouldn't be so sure about guys not wanting to hot rod them, the Lincolns anyway. I'm sure a few would buy the '48 just for the V12.

So, Lanny- are you saying building this kit looks like an uplifting experience?

Seriously- I can see Buick becoming a 'China-only' brand. They've been an 'old man's' car for too long, but in China they seem to have established an image similar to the Buick of old. I suppose we'll see. GM's decision to make each brand 'everything for everyone' is what got them into their current sitiuation. Instead of diluting a well-known brand such as Saab, why not strenghten and maintain it, instead of making it into something it isn't. Thing is, GM has cut back so far I think that's a lesson they don't need to learn. I'm fairly sure one day it will be just Chevrolet and Cadillac- main line and premium line. That setup seems to work pretty well for the Japanese manufacturers (Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura, Nissan/Infiniti).

STILL haven't finished any of mine. This one's making me feel bad about it.

I think Modelhaus sells a set of 1-ton truck tires like that, or something similar in tread/sidewall design.

Then again, it could just be a one-off made specifically for the commerical from an existing product or toy.

I have mentioned I'm working on a '78 Cutlass, but that might be a while. (Just ask Chris how slow I can be sometimes! ) IF that happens, and IF it gets cast, and IF there is enough interest/sales, I will ABSOLUTELY do an '81-88 variant. I do hope Revell at least considers 'fixing' this one (suspension/wheels wise, anyway) and eventually releases it. Even if they do it as a curbside with a sealed hood and 'coaster' chassis, I'd buy more than a handful.

Bob- I think you have the '76 Chevy C-10 glue kit. It is similar to the GMC Wrecker snap kit (a few parts do interchange) but that one comes with an open engine bay and a full engine. Kitbashing that one with the Wrecker wouldn't be a big deal, same goes for the AMT/MPC '84.

They say the same thing about supercars... but Tamiya just trotted out a Lexus LFA, and new Ferrari kits are brought out on a fairly regular basis. You tell me- what do you see more of at constests and shows, European super cars or light trucks? I know a lot of guys would love to see that Tucker... but really, how many ways are there to build a Tucker? They made, what, 50 of them? And how many of them were painted the same colors? Not to mention the tooling could not be used to produce other kits. I know there's a bit of hatred toward diecasts, but there are a few late model trucks and suvs available as either factory-built models or kits. That's the only way to get a Super Duty Ford- although the Maisto kit is a bit under-detailed, even for a cheap diecast kit. You can even build it as a single rear wheel pickup or a flatbed. Same deal for a first-gen Lincoln Navigator- there is a 1:24 diecast, but it's more 'cheap display model' than 'replica' quality. And if it makes the guys who hate diecast but still want a pickup kit- hey, the chassis plates and interiors in them are usually plastic. Call it a 'multimedia' kit if it makes you feel better. If you are willing to look past the 'standard' 1:24/1:24 scales, the choices grow a quite a bit more, though those choices skew more toward the smaller scales. I'd say about the only current truck kit that has even the tiniest chance of being kitted (well, the most obvious one to me anyway) is the SVT Raptor. I have every other SVT model ever produced. Even the Focus. Even if it were done as a 'promo' style kit (no engine, sealed hood, etc.), I'd be up for a few of them. And a little plastic surgery could turn that Raptor into just about any '09-up F-150 variant you'd care to model. I have to think the F-series kits have done fairly well- as far as the '97 style goes, only AMT has not reissued theirs, but last I checked the Revell and Lindberg kits were still available.

The other half of it is that they see what they are doing not as reinventing Buick, but trying to restore Buick to its former glory. IE, an 'entry level premium' make. That might be workable, but I still see the same types of buyers behind the wheel of Buicks- can't think of a single person in my age group that has any kind of modern Buick on their shopping list. Even in my area, where there are quite a few current and former GM employees, you are more likely to see an Acura than a Buick- and the owners range anywhere from late 20's on up.

Awesome job, Lyle! Only thing better than a Hudson Hornet is a period custom Hudson Hornet.

Well... ALMOST had a kit ready to do for this CBP. Got a Tamiya Nissan Skyline GT2000 GT-R in the mail last week. Trouble is, when it arrived the box looked like it had been backed over by a dually five or six times. Good news is the guy refunded me, paid to get the mangled kit shipped back, and says I have first crack at the next example of that kit he gets... and he's not sending it UPS next time. Long story short... might end up digging out an AMT Opel GT just to have something on the bench in the meantime.

Or the Oldsmobile 'let's reinvent the brand and try to sell it to a totally new market' tack? Or the Pontiac 'niche market' angle? Can't wait to see how Buick is dealt with.