Chuck Most

The way the suspension is set up in that kit doesn't lend itself well to modification. I'd say use 'dropped spindles' (play along! I mean move the wheel back pins up higher on the spindles), and 'cut the coils' (Or air bags, rather) down, and trim/bend the control arms to suit. You won't be able to lay it flat on the rockers without some serious cutting and pasting, but that ought to get it a bit closer to terra firma, anyway.

Even though the Chevy Impala Dale Jr. zips around the track is about as close to your grandma's Impala as Mississippi is to the Klingon homeworld, they still call 'em 'stock cars'. The newest totally un-stock stock car, the COT ("Car of Tomorrow", or since it's current now, "Car of Today"), is now available in kit form, thanks to the boys at Round 2. Let me be quite clear on one thing first- this IS a snap kit. But I don't see parts count or skill level when I check out kits, I only consider what can be done with those (possibly limited in number, possibly simplified) parts. In that respect, you get a pretty good curbside model of a modern NASCAR 'stocker'. The hood and trunk on this snap kit are separate pieces, but held in place with small tabs- if you were so inclined, I'm sure you could take this snap kit, easily open those panels, and slide a modernized '90's/'00's AMT-Ertl Cup chassis underneath this, and adapt the snapper's interior bits and cage to it. Then you'd just need to figure out how to replicate the new NASCAR spec GM V8 to cap it all off. Of course, this really only applies if you simply cannot wait for the full glue kit, or don't want to spend a bucketload of money on resin and decals. I suspect AMT will use this exact same body on the glue kits. When I built this, I tried to approach it as I would have as I did at age 10- "Just blast this thing together and on to the next one! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is on in an hour!" Since it was a snap kit- I didn't encounter any significant assembly issues. I've spoken to a couple of local modelers who built the Dale Jr. version, and said the rollcage fit was a bit fussy- I can't confirm that, for me at least, the rollcage was a cakewalk. Some of the ejector pin divots had weird, spear-like plastic flash growing from them, but this was easily dealt with. The runners attaching the seat to the sprue did seem a bit thick, but nothing even a newbie modeler should have much trouble with. The only real problem I had was breaking two of the struts which support the chin spoiler- they're very delicate, and even after cleaning the flash (not much, but it doesn't take much on a part the size of a flea's waist) and 'chasing' the holes with a small drill bit, two broke while I tried to install them- I'll probably make up replacements from styrene rod later. I really only have two gripes about the kit, and one may be my fault... First, thought the factory applied paint is very nice, it was applied over a body which was not prepped- mold lines and flash stick out like a sore thumb on the 48's dark blue paint. Second- and I'm not sure if this was a huge oversight in the kit's design or if I overlooked something in the instructions, but there's nothing to fasten the rear of the chassis to the body- pick up the car by the roof, and the rear of the chassis just flops out. The front is fastened with two screws, hidden by the chin spoiler. I chose the #48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Impala for three reasons. First, the other guys all had the Dale Jr. Car. Two, his sponsor is Lowes, Round 2 is owned by Tom Lowe (not sure if there's a relation), and third, my brother H-A-T-E-S Jimmy Johnson, as I guess many other NASCAR fans do. Assembly took about 45 minutes, not counting the half hour or so I spent looking for a screwdriver thin and long enough to fit into the tunnels to mount the front of the chassis. I still haven't decided to use the decals or stickers- I'll probably go with the decals, just because I know AMT's new sheets are nicely printed and lay down well, AND look way better than stickers ever could. I did no detailing or paint whatsoever on this one, what you see is what you get.

Oh... duh! Right... wasn't used widely in Fords, I guess...

And that's a 'negative' on the new C-600 including the tractor framerails, though all the other vestigial tractor parts are still there.

Five pages....AND several months ago! I felt it good enough a joke to bear a repeat!

The fifth wheel is still there, as are the mudflaps- I'll have to check and see if the framerails are included, too. The most recent MPC reissue had the correct tunneled rear window, if that's what you mean- I can't imagine why Round 2 would go back to using the old 500/Daytona body on this one, even for a somewhat cheesy reissue like this.

Wow.... now there's an answer for ya!

Looks like another beauty in the works, John!

I see... lead us in with the Humvee then, bam, hit us with the jeep! Love 'em both!

A man and his buddy were out golfing on a course near a highway. A funeral procession rolled by. The man took off his hat, bowed his head, and said a prayer for the departed. "Wow", his buddy said, "that's the most touching, and considerate thing I've ever seen you do." The man nodded as he watched the procession go by, put his hat back on and said, "Well... I was married to her for 35 years."

I have to wonder,though, if in that particular case, it was the woefully ill-proportioned body which killed the kits appeal to replica stock fans. Still, I do see (and believe) what you are saying!

The lack of stock parts and a stock height roof will NOT be preventing me from buying the '48, though I do agree with my rep-stock brethren that I wish it had a stock height roof. Judging from the Kustom Kontent in the photos posted, I won't be too disappointed by the released kit. I'm just glad Revell is in a position to keep up with the modified reissues and new tool kits- they keep 'em coming, and I'll keep buying 'em... provided I like the 1:1 subject of course! In this case, I do.

Just to clarify- the MEL engine was never used in Fords, it was used in big Mercs for a few years, and in Lincolns exclusively up until 1967. Other FoMoCo's ran the FE as the biggest engine. But now that you mention it, yeah- I've never seen a big Ford V8 with a cross ram setup, either!

I keep telling him he should've let a resin caster borrow that beauty before he finished her up!

Best use of a Daisy Duke kit I've ever seen, Terry!

Yep- the AMT C-600 is a '71-'74 model, though you could easily up or backdate it. The OLDEST it could be is '57, the first year for the C-Cab so... yeah... the truck is a bit 'futuristic' compared to what it's hauling!

Dencon also makes a very sweet HD Flathead! I don't think Ford issued factory-built diesels until the late '50's, but I'm sure you could get one converted before then.

And now that we have an "Other Models" section, you'll have a place to post this when you finish! Along with that Tamiya Triceratops!

Kind of the opposite of what I had in mind (grafting a '53 nose to a '97 F-150 Supercab), but still pretty cool. Are you going to run the blown Mod motor, too?

What about the old E-body Mopars, the '70-'74 Barracuda and Challenger? Same 'platform', different wheelbase? Granted, only a 2" difference, but still a difference. Or a modern Ford Expedition, which is available in two wheelbase lengths, or the old Scout II (100" or 118"). And even among various platforms, all the hard parts being completely interchangeable isn't always a given- quite a few parts won't directly interchange between Ford's various 'Fox Body' platforms. I think the 'platform' thing may have more to do with who engineered the chassis, and when, than what intechanges between the vehicles the plaform underpins, at least in today's context.

Meh... not a great deal, no. Seriously though, that's pretty much how I remember it attaching!

Very cool! I've always wanted to try out one of those Jolly Roger kits. Fun fact about the Red Baron... after MPC kitted Chuck Miller's Fire Truck T show rod, Mr. Miller sort of 'returned the favor' and built a 1:1 version of the Red Baron kit using a Pontiac OHC I-6 for power.

Bingo!

If I recall, it's just a big ornate air cleaner- I've never seen a '60's fuel injection plenum that big and cumbersome. I think it fits over the dual carbs, but I don't recall- I usually just use the round air cleaners on that engine, or add another intake.