mike delamar

I believe the exhaust pieces I was looking for are from the revell beatnik bandit. cheers guys Mike

Hi guys Im wondering if someone could be kind enough to post a photo or 2 of the revell bubble dome custom car pack for me please. Ive never seen a good shot of whats in the kit and would like to eliminate it from my search many thanks Mike

they where one of the earliest people to do it, they later used the technique in star wars and films like that to dress up shapes without having to make each individual part. saves on time and kit parts are cheap. In Thunderbirds they did build the 1/25 car kits standard too, remember this was 1965 when this was made,they where thrown together quick, ánd they where only meant to be seen for a few seconds on screen, the days before video and dvd they bought loads of the kits of the time, the exhausts I need will be from one of them, just havent found it yet, and need you guys help. some blu ray screengrabs of 1/25 kit cars in Thunderbirds. the ford thunderbird I believe is the 3 in 1 monogram kit. I quite like it in the Police car colours and may do one some day. Mike

Thanks David heres something else you guys may be able to help me with for another project.... Im pretty sure the bubbletop dome on this was from the revell mysterion kit, the dimensions are pretty close although this is a little flat at the rear and doesnt have the lips either side, the profile is pretty close. the kit was released in 1964 so it could be it. Im just wondering where there any other kits from this time that had a similar type of bubbledome? and if anyone thinks it could be from the mysterion. does the 60s version differ from the later re-release? i think it has a slight blue tint to it also. the chrome parts on the side im pretty sure are from the AMT allison engine parts kit. thanks guys for any help cheers Mike

Hi guys Im still looking for those exhaust manifolds, in the meantime Ive built a truck from Thunderbirds, I even displayed it at a recent convention along with some of my other replicas where I met the creator of the show Gerry Anderson, he was very kind with his comments on my models, which havent been recreated for around 45 years. here are some of my work in progress models, some are finished such as the fire engines which featured in a few episodes, took me 2 years trying to find the original style of 1960s kitchen spice canister they used on it! including the large industrial bulbs, original toys they canibalised and kit parts.. can see the yellow fire engine still in wood in the background which I want the v8 manifolds for.. my truck at the con, worked out the majority of the bits on this but theres still a few im looking for although I have used similar pieces for now.. Mike

heres a better pic from a screengrab, taken later on when some of the other bits had fallen off Im not asking for anything for free, will certainly pay if anyone has any, although itd be nicer to still know what they where from, as the same kit may give clues to some other mystery bits Im trying to find, as if the original model maker had the sprue from that kit in front of him, he'd be likely to stick other pieces from it elsewhere on the model which would be impossible to identify otherwise. cheers Mike

just found a pic of the double whammy, it aint that, but close although definatley getting warmer Mike

no problem, would you be able post a pic of them please? just trying to narrow it down, the show was filmed late 1964 early 65, so thatd rule out anything later. do you think it could be the double whammy kit? have you had one of those? if theres any suggestions to throw into the hat please do thanks Mike

Hi Dan would you be willing to part with them? Mike

Hi guys one kit I think it could be is the AMT Double whammy, although I cant find any pics on the net of the parts, only box covers. can I ask if anyone has this kit, could they maybe post a pic of the exhaust parts or maybe an instruction sheet or similar please? or if they think it could be any other kit please say cheers Mike

Hi guys, Ive got a revell 1965 catalogue, and so easily managed to work out that it wasnt anything from Revell. would like to try and get hold of a AMT, Monogram and others it could be from, having trouble finding those. If someone has a catalogue from around 1964/65 could someone either please tell me what dragsters AMT and Monogram produced around back then, maybe post a list or maybe a catalogue page pic? thanks for any assistance cheers Mike

The SPV in the first episode when it appears, is hidden in a truck... some of you may recognise it, as it was a large Topper Johnny Express toy truck Im not sure how popular that toy was here in the UK but believe it was popular in the states? the SPV and SPC where big models, the best replicas of them Ive seen are by this guy... http://homepages.tesco.net/d.sisson/spv.htm http://homepages.tesco.net/d.sisson/spcar.htm cheers Mike

few more shots of 1/24 1/25 cars. Stingray, not sure what kit. the AMT silhouette pops up again E type jaguar some more american cars.. note how theyve used a cut out of an AMT box as an advert on the magazine booth Mike

Steve, thanks, I hope it is that, that would leave only the piece behind it with the red painted dots on. and the chrome bumper piece underneath it.. also the mesh, but I dont think thats from a kit. Paul, Ive got a fab1. Imai do a kit of it, its around 1/25 but I think its slightly small, they do a recent one with clear bubble dome, the old kit it was blue, nice kit, only thing I did was to add the white piping on the seats. everything else you get in the kit Mike

thanks again heres some behind the scenes shots of the crablogger before filming in 1966... the sidewinder was a huge model too, I dont think theyres any behind the scenes shots of it.. the helicopter is around 12" long, so that gives some Idea of the size, also the arms are metal cake tins some more big uns. big Thunderbird 3 and puppet size Fab1 Rolls royce, I think this one looked the best, they did build a full size one but it didnt have any of the shapes and curves or a proper bubble dome roof, there was a few smaller scale ones too, 1/25 and a larger one of about 15inches. sorry if this is going wildy off topic of 1/24 plastic car kits cheers Mike

Thanks Paul, If the Johan kit is rare, is there any pics of the contents on the net? basically because I may recognise a part from it I need, or if theres nothing in it I need, can cross it off the list. what Machines would you like? I can bore you guys with the ones Im building next.... this tractorcat vehicle,which got rescued from a cliff edge in one episode. Ive got nearly all the bits for it, including marx toy tractor parts, model railway bits and some chrome trim which was from the amt silhouette and revell custom car parts pack. but Im not sure on some of the other chrome bits, in particular the chrome wheels in the centre big yellow fire engine, it was originally built as a rocket carrier for another episode, then canibalised and made into this fire engine, probably why the scales are all out basis for this will be wood, but the kit bits on it were hard to find (revell rocket,airfix ship and aurora b-58) as was the old fashioned hozelock garden hose connector and rimpax model aeroplane wheels, which are 2 1/2" diameter. also has soda syphon canisters stuck on has been quite a journey trying to work out what all these bits are and then get hold of them. can see the bits for the tractor, and the yellow fire engine lined up in this shot. and finally another big un, more famous than the others dont know if Ill be making a replica of this one, but I do like it. cheers Mike

thanks again Jim just been doing a bit of a google search and I think the monogram one is the one to go for, as you say, the wheels, opening doors and the fact they had different build variations in the kit, which they seemed to have used ,hardtop for the police car, convertible for the woman driver who causes the crash you also get a futuristic bubble dome with it. Id like to know if possible, the basis of the cadillac with the bubble dome. which theyve probably got from one of these kits. any idea what year, possible kit manufacturer etc that the cadillac is? cheers Mike

thanks Jim, I can see what you mean about the doors, Ill give the monogram kit a go, are these particularly rare kits? I always try and go for later releases if possible. would you say the police car based on the thunderbird is the monogram kit too? lots of the Ford Thunderbirds turn up, just wondering if they could have used more than one kit make? heres some more 1/25 car kits... Mike

a lot of the main Thunderbird vehicles and main aircraft,fireflash etc were specially built by a specialist model making firm,usually out of fibreglass. reason they had them specially built was they had the most film time and had to look good. the rest was all made in house, rescue vehicles such as the mole and firefly etc. although these ones usually had 1/25 car kit bits stuck on to give different shapes and chrome bits to shine. the later programmes such as captain scarlet the cars,vehicles and sets got bigger and more realistic. although theyd still usually use different scale cars and vehicles in the backgrounds to give perspective. in the background here we can see corgi cars, such as the corgi ambulance. id like to build some 1/25 ford thunderbirds,cadillacs and ford galaxies, and paint them up as the police cars, does anyone know what kit they would be? Ive already got a silhouette to do as a police car Mike

cheers Tony Ive got a thread in the help section. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=32471&pid=324271&st=0&#entry324271 Im trying to work out what kit these 1/25 dragster exhaust parts are from, hoping someone might recognise them. Mike

yeah a lot of it does look rough, especially now with it released on bluray, you can see brushmarks etc. main reason I always liked it, not so much the puppets, but that we knew they where toy and kit cars being blown up and looking realistic although it was only meant to be seen quickly on the screen in the days of black n white not scruitinised like I do theyd build these very quickly, and throw things together, theyd always weather and dirty the models too to make them look more realistic, not like a shiny toy. I think its cool that they used these plastic kits, the same stuff we like to build and play with now Mike

thanks Guys, Owen, I know what you mean about that book, I got it about 3 years back and it was brilliant, learned so much. I had these toy amphicars in the loft for years, as I knew they where used in Thunderbirds,I wanted to use them to make replicas. when I got it on DVD I was able to do screengrabs and try and work out all the bits they used. and use the pieces I knew to measure up and do plans. they used lots of airfix model railway kit bits which where easy enough to get hold of, revell custom car parts which were a bit tricky to find, and plastic spice canisters and a ladder from a toy fire engine which took about 2 years to work out and find,lot of frustration. the trailers were built from scratch out of wood with model aeroplane wheels. the other fire engine started life as a toy bus, with sideskirts added, kit bits, and the roof of a friction toy mini cooper how it started. original 60s toy amphicar theyre nearly finished now, going to weather them like the originals were theres a few more Im in the middle of building, the big yellow one from the same episode. just want to work out what chrome 1/25 kit bits they used on it can see the fire engines, and the 1/25 cars from above in this clip... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS-eJjQ2b8Q cheers Mike

I love this car park set up.. does anyone recognise the blue pick up on the right?? if you want to see what happens, watch this clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q68kNVn9gQ8 Mike

thanks guys, some more pics. I believe the basis for this ambulance was a AMT 1/25 ford f100 pick up, although Im not sure, anyone recognise the grill? it had a bubble dome over the windscreen, a rear part made, and the sideskirts where a bomb part from a Aurora B-58 bomber kit.... can make out the distinctive forward sloping window/door and moulded door handles. some more of the AMT silhouette as a police car, the rear headrests have been stuck on the roof some more Ford Thunderbirds. and this is a rare photo, showing the AMT silhouette police car, cadillac police car(maybe a johan kit?), and Fire engine which I have built a replica of using the exact toys,kits and household items they used... Mike

Hi Guys I thought you may be interested in seeing some of the model kits used in the 1965 tv show Thunderbirds. some screengrabs, Im not sure of all the cars and kits, Id imagine you guys will know it was set 100 years in the future but they used lots of 1960s cars. Im not too familiar with American cars, mainly british I know. I love this show, I build replicas of some of the vehicles from it, using as many original kits and bits I can find. I love how they brought these model kits to life. they were pulled along on a wire, with sponge suspension, filmed fast so when played back it look realistic, and a dust trail from underneath these are either revell, amt or monogram kits anyway, enjoy... AMT silhouette and Stingray Ford Thunderbirds as Police cars Cadillac with bubble dome roof, not sure what model or kit the jaguar on the right is a mk10, I believe it was a friciton toy rather than a kit, the other cars are 1/25 kits. can post more if you guys are interested cheers Mike