Dave Van

e-mailed you at your contact info addy.....

Just for fun......from MMIII Tina Turner's Chariot. Made much like the real vehicle from a Ford truck chassis.......and tons of parts box stuff!!! Thx

OK.....I took new photos of my 1983 build of the Mad Max Falcon. But first some dis-claimers! I built this in the pre internet era. I had one magazine article and a fuzzy VHS copy to work off. Very little hard info on the car. It was what was going to be the first of a series of builds from the movie. The other cars I found were much harder to create. It did spawn builds from all the movies in the end....which continues today. This build was going to replicate the Falcon as it might have been the day they acquired the car to lure Max. So keep this all in mind when looking at this build!! I still like the model as it has a somewhat nostalgic quality to me!!! It is a JoHan 1972 Gran Torino promo with MPC 1973 Mustang hood and fenders. The Monza nose is sheet stock with BMF headlight covers. Crud but still works in a way! Wheels and tires are Otaki which are the same ones in the kit now out! Chassis id the promo unaltered...the interior the promo altered to RHD and Mad Max details. The engine is just the blower and scoop.....kinda predicting what the kit would do years later!!! The scoop was hand made....doubt I could replicate it today! the spoilers are sheet stock. Two tone black paint. Tag was dry transfer lettering. Thanks!!!

Well....I'm 3000 miles and a month away........I'll be in LA most of Oct....but too late.

I have a resin TNT Mad Max Falcon from the first movie. The detail is not fantastic.....about like the 4 door you have. If you are interested in it or a trade contact me and I'll send photos etc. BTW I built a MM Falcon from the first movie from a 72 Torino, 73 Mustang and lots of sheet plastic. Not 100% correct but I built it back in 1980 or so and was the best I could do at the time!

Two out of three anyway......... Bo Hopkins was in AG and More AG......not Jerry Reed. You are correct Milner's tag was THX 138 and not THX 1138 as CA in 62 did not have 7 digit tags on private autos. And if I had to pick one Lucas film it would be AG......but he did some other decent films.......like Howard the Duck!!!! AG means a lot to me as I grew up in So Cal. And While I was too young to drive in 1962 I did like to go up to the 'Holly House' drive in off Whittier Blvd and see the 'older' kids and their hot rods. I went to AG opening night and fell in love with the film. I have an original opening day theater poster and many of the cars from the film in many scales. Great film.

I missed a number of details when I did mine.....looks like yours will be more correct....I'll be watching your build!! Mine is the Revell kit........

Agreed....but I think it was more....'what do we do with these molds we cut??' In an attempt to get back SOME of their investment they converted to plastic and released them. I'm still happy they did....warts and all. Thx

I think Revell did a pretty good job on the body accuracy. A few items were not engraved as it was a 'custom' Caddy....but overall good reproducton.

It's a plastic kit. Revell designed it to be in their line of die cast cars but converted it to plastic. And the very simple aspect is why I picked it to break the ice. Thx

I have been on a bit of a dry spell. Last car model was Feb maybe. Been building some model train stuff....but I had NO desire to build anything automotive at all. Been doing work for some model companies and was jusr burned out. But caught the film Matrix Reloaded the other day. One of the best car chases of all time. Reminded me I had a Revell Caddilac STS kit set aside for this movie. A long time back I had found a set of wheels and tires close to stock to replace the masive kit wheels. So other than that I had not done anything. First thing I did was glue the doors closed. I have altered them in the past to open regular style....but wanted a better fit. Sheet stock of .010 was used in the door frames to bring the doors out for a good fit. The kit is box stock other than the toy wheels. A really nice kit when you look at it.....under rated in my opinion. Nice interior and the chassis is great if very simple..... The chassis was painted hot rod primer and weatherd with various metallics and blacks. I did leave the opening hood and trunk as is because the fit pretty well....and the 3 part engine by is simple...but looks like the real car so I'm OK!! This was a perfect kit for me. Get back building, a car that we don't get many kits of (full size American) and a movie car....my favorite category! A really nice and overlooked kit. Revell could tool up stock wheels, add door handles (I just made some) and they'd have a nice kit.....but those big wheels!?!?!?!?!? Thanks for looking!!

Tim would be proud of that build!!!

They made a nice kit....just add brass tube and go.....but I think R&D is shutdown at this time...Might check with some online suppliers.

NEVER had an issue with them over the MANY orders they have filled for kits not available here or only at double the price HLJ has. It's a little slow sometimes because basic shipping is by the cheap method unless you pay for air ship. But never had an issue being filled correct.

I still see nothing wrong.....then or now.......

The 78 Pacer kit is due Wed at dealers....mine anyway.....others soon!

We're still amatuers in that dept!!!!

It was the best combo that could be put together at the time. MK wanted to recreate some of those old combo kits....but many tools were out of service or not usable at the time.

That IF is the biggest IF ever written!!! I also do a little work in the model railroad hobby. There are some things not made there. I've pitched it to the powers that be....no go. Even if I had the cash.....that's only a quarter of the battle. The connections in Asia or where ever you decide to do this, the extensive engineering that goes into the most simple project, test shots, revisions even shipping.....all cost money, time and effort. It's a lot harder than it looks! Just trying to inform....not fight.

I have met and worked at some level with all the folks in control at model companies today. ALL of them are doing their best to walk that line between wants and what will sell. ALL of them put 100% into the hobby. I don't always agree with them myself......but they are playing with their own money so they make the call.....don't like it??? Take a large fortune, a year or two, LOTS of work ( a few trips to China or where ever) and produce a kit......prove them wrong!

My answers would echo pretty much whats been posted already......I'll ad a few notes. 1. Mass market like vinyl and it's easier to mold and manufacture. 2. Try and run a small business, real job, family life, cut the grass etc etc. Not enough minutes in a day. 3. As stated been tried....didn't work. BUT I too love tractors and construction equipment. I found a R/C off road Quarry dump truck. It's 1/25 scale (still BIG) decent detail and weathered.....makes a nice model! I also have a few of the die cast models. One is a dual engined CAT scraper...another huge model....and one reason we don't have many kits. There are shovels and bulldozers, backhoes etc made......many in 1.25 but lots of other scales too. Lindberg did 3 kits in smaller scales....the scraper is cool....don't have the others.....for as rare as the kits are....not expensive. And then there's always toys you can convert............

The AM McLaren kit is a great little kit. It got somewhat slammed when it came out due to the vinyl braided lines. I build a number of the kits for AM. I was living in Charlotte and knew most of the folks there....so they had me build a few kits for hobby shows and some went to the UK for McLaren home office. You can see on this build the fuel injector lines are missing....as they were on all my builds. The engine cover interfered with them if you used them. It's too bad the kit will never be seen again....although id you really want one you can still find them. This kit was the first kit in a planned series of roadracers......but the only one made. From what I understand the tooling was scrapped after AM went under so a short lived kit for sure. The 'new' AM located in Concord had a box of parts bags, enough to make 3-4 complete kits....they were tossing them so I grabbed them. But still burnt out on all those I built before. NICE to see someone do a great job on one......

When did BP buy Castrol??? Or has it always been this way??? I use Valvoline but Castrol is 2nd choice. Dad worked for Valvoline for 25 years that helps but they do have a good product.

I always thought the Thunderbird was the worst of the 3 but I did not know the Mercury had the incorrect front end!! Great work!