khier

You can finish it in India Ivory/Harvest Gold combination. A very nice combination IMHO http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Archive/Event/Item/1955-CHEVROLET-BEL-AIR-2-DOOR-HARDTOP-43962 Or if you cannot stand that kit at all, Revell released a new Bel Air HT version a couple of years ago. http://www.revell.com/model-kits/cars/85-4295.html#.VP2Z6deSFI8

How would you replicate the grains in the trim? I did not notice the problem with the door panel. I guess it would be easier to scratchbuild the complete door with styrene strips using the original door panel as a template.

It seems everything below the front side window frame and frontwards, to be precise, the door panels and fron clip, have to be replaced in the mercury by the Ford parts. The wood trim has finally to be introduced to the front door panels. This is might be not bad because it will help hiding the traces of the surgery. However, I cannot imagine how to match the door trim with the original trim of the kit. Now wouldn't it be clever if Revell used the parts for a '49-'51 Ford wooldy? That would save me a lot of work.

The question itself is too general to have a conclusive answer. We have first to better define how the "best" is evaluated. Is it about accuracy? Interesting subjects? Number of released models/year? Kit details? Level of exclusiveness? For example, Japanese kits have probably the best quality when it comes to injection quality and fit accuracy. But they are usually simplified and rarly have under hood details. Trumpeter's 1960 Pontiacs are probabaly the most detailed kits ever made (except for Fujimi EM Porsche 356 series). They are also the biggest joke in the history of model car kits when it comes to accuracy and proportions.

Indeed. I hope the whole thing does not end replaced by this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/MOTORMAX-1949-FORD-WOODY-BEIGE-1-24-New-Without-Box-DIECAST-CAR-/400594595618?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d454c6f22

Probably too late now: http://korkutvarol.com/camino1.html

Thanks for the feedback. What didn't you like about the R&R kit? Accuracy, detail or quality?

Thanks all for your replies Apart from the R&R '49 I am not aware of any resin model. If only JF does not waste his time and energy on phantoms

Did the '49 Mercury and ford woodies share the same body? As far as the front door is concerned, teh answer is No. But what about the rest of the body. Background (although I guess everybody guessed it already): to use Revell Mercury to convert AMT 1949 Ford. If the answer is no: Any recommendations?

The replies confirm somewhat the connection between pets and model car building. However, still no explanation My experience with stray animals are not positive at all. Something like 10 years ago I tried to take after a litter of baby kittens, something like 10 days old. I firmly believed its hopeless for them to survive without their mom. So I kept them outdoor hoping she will show up sometime. Meanwhile I tried to feed them with MILK. As you may have guessed I did every possible mistake. They started to look better but shortly afterwards started to loose power. It was not easy at all to see how they became weaker with time. Each time i pushed a silent one to check for life they moved with great difficulty and lost the ability to make a sound almost completely. And each day one of the four did not respond. The drama took almost a week. At the end I lost all four. I was scared to approach any kitten for a couple of years. After that I tried to take after stray kittens outdoor because I beilieve they belong to nature. However, nasty neighbours used to get rid of them behind my back. Seven years ago I decided to take whatever I find indoor, and release them when they are strong enough. I found a kitten about 6 weeks old, kept her for a while, but when it had to be released my nephews and nieces were as sad as if they watched the Titanic. She is living now with my 84 years-old mother and my 92 years-old aunt.

Very difficult question. I like almost every Cadillac built between '48 and 1976, and many post 1976 also, like the doomed Alantee. But starting from the '90s Cadillac design started to fade and loose its brilliance.

I got the sedan roof from him. It was a direct copy of Jo-Han '59 Cadillac roof. Did he send you a different roof adapted for the Impala? Too bad you do not want to prepare and copy it

Well, I did not talk about me casting it. I meant we can send it to Tom to cast it. In case everything else fails I may do the casting adventure myself. But I know in advance it will not be the same level as TC. To be precise I tried to make a flat top 4DR hardtop using a Modelhaus top, which is a copy of a Jo-Han top, and a Revell Impala convertible. My attempts with a sedan roof were very limited in comparison with the flat top. However, both tops come from Jo-Han kits. The biggest problem was the differences in size and shape of the windshield, especially the corners, between the Revell kit and the Jo-Han roof. The Revell parts are more suare than the Jo-Han parts, and also slightly wider. I read somewhere Art Anderson, who made siimlar conversion, had to widen the roof about 3mm to get it fit properly. I was thinking to try again using an SMP kit instead of Revell hoping to have a better fit. However, SMP kits are scarse.

I noticed in many posted pictures that pets are available togethr with the models. This made me, a cats lover, to wonder whether there is a special relation between the hobby and loving pets. As a first step I wanted to investigate the matter in a statistical way. How many of you have already a pet? As for myself I always wanted to have a cat(s), but never had the courage to experience the moment when they pass away.

Mr. Zombie I failed totally when I tried to follow the same route: Revell Impala+TC resin roof. Could you please save your model in "standard" conditions and consider using it as a master for a resin caster? I do not think Tom coolidge will reject the idea. Knowing him, he is a '59-'60 GM fan too, but with very limited time to realize all his ideas. Please please please Mr. Zombie come back to life and hear my call. Me, too, have special memories with '59 Chevy 4DR sedan, but with an Impala rather than Bel Air.

W-O-W

Art, who is talking about the sixties and its kids? Regardless of what the historical facts are, history is history. I am talking about the present time. I gave several examples of models that have been highly desirable over the last 10 or 20 years, but appeared very late, and there are many never appeared. If the kids of 1960 did not like a 59' Dodge Lancer, the adults of 2000, 2010 and 2015 are butchering each other on Ebay to get one. If the major force of model building in 1965 did not care about the slow and heavy Imperials, they are digging in each hole searching for one today. Practical examples, like Moebius Hdson, prove there is interest in these subjects nowadays. We have seen how Moebius was motivated by the initial success to bring the '54 model in two versions,not only one. What did keep Revell, AMT and the others to go with a similar pace after similar success? Instead of going to fill the gaps, Revell went to make another '58 Impala, Although the market is full of resin custom '49 Mercuries, Revell made a custom '49 Mercury while the modelling world was begging for a woodie (which eventually came but after years). I can go forever, but i will stop with this couple of examples, and I hope I could make my point.

yes, 2015 will be a busy year

From the comments I could figure out there are several definitions of "darkness". The first considers the amount of new model kits released. The other is based on their quality and level of detail. The third is a measure of acceptance and popularity. A sound balance of the three is needed for a happy modelling environment. It does not help if you have tons of uninteresting subjects released each year, while icons and milestones of automotive design and model kits are absent. How do to define the popularity of a subject? Have a look on Ebay wars for 196X Jo-Han Imperials, for example, and you will understand what I mean. Higher kit quality is certainly desirable. But if I will have between improving the quality at the cost of new releases I prefer to have ehatever quality we had for decades than rare, high quality models. Clearly, I am more than happy with the current trend. However, I still unable to understand how we still do not have a '61 Corvette, but two 1962 (I know I know, the Revell kit is waaaaay better than the old AMT junk). I still do not understand how we do not have any of Mitchell's 59-60 masterpieces except the Impala and Eldorado, or not a single Bonneville of the sixties (The Trumpeter kits do not count). I do not understand how we have only the '58 Plymouth and '57 Chrysler 300 out of Exner's fleet of boats. We do not have a single Toronado. Also I cannot get how it took so long to make a Del Rio, a DS, Hudsons or early 300X Chryslers.

I presume you are talking about the saloon not the wagon. In this case you may use the Modelhaus Custom 300 2DR Sedan. Conversion of the Revell Custom kit to 4 DR is available here: http://www.madmodeling.com/store/ccp0-prodshow/57fordcustom.html

You can save the conversion effort and use this: http://jimmyflintstonestudios.com/?product=nb200-1957-ford-4-dr-country-sedan-wagon

Although the kit has not been released yet, I cannot keep myself from thinking about the next hit, and whether it will/should be a Ranchero or a '58 Rdsel Wagon.

They had longer wheelbases. Series 66 Olds had 119" while a chevy was 3" shorter. The extra length was in the front part. I do not know how to extend the sloped nose to make an Oldsmobile, besides scratchbuilding the grill. This can be perhaps taken from a Revell '48 Ford.

Probably too late now, but what about a camper? or perhaps there is a station wagon resing body somewhere.

Does the kit come with the girl? I am talking about 1:1 scale