1972coronet

I, too, have fond memories of the Tom Daniel kits (and their later issue iterations with name changes). Even his name brings me back to GEMCO (discount store in the Los Angeles area) -- especially the Vandal (and its offshoot Vanbulance) and the topics of this thread; even the S'cool Bus [et alia]. I'm no fan of so-called 'Show Rods'; but, for some reason, Daniel's designs don't arse me like the stuff from MPC. I even built the 1986 reissue of the Pie Wagon when it was released! Me older neighbours had the original issue (1968? 1970?), and that thing and its box art fascinated me. but, by the late seventies, it was long out-of-production... I'd dig on reissues -- hopefully Atlantis does have the moulds -- of any and all of Tom's crazy works. heck, they'd be a GREAT way to introduce a first glue kit to interested kids.

Ugly enough to cause a miscarriage

Considering that that steamer was built in c.1977, it likely has a cassette player. The seats are carved Bondo and stuffed with cardboard and business cards. Firestone Fire Hawk originally. Product placement, indeed -- and super authentic. I wonder if the new owner of Grease Bondo put a better paint scheme on it?

Never been a fan of that schlockfest. Even as a kid when it was new, I thought it was a poodle show -- especially that godawful "fifties" custom.

While I haven't any applied theories in this respect, I have been playing with the idea of a dead-flat aluminium paint, a mist of flat white (primer, likely) from a distance, and the dullest top coat I can find. I may even give Tamiya Pearl White 'TS' a try vs. the primer, that way some semblance of metallic sparklies will hint at a rough-cast metal finish. I'm planning to try it on the Tarantula intake of the 1970 Chevelle Baldwin-Motion kit.

Does the '55 suffer from sub-sized windscreen and backlight like the '57 does?

Grease Bondo

That's the one I built that summer! I remembered it being blue and white, but that was all. Not sure why I hadn't built any after that one... it was a fun kit to build, especially in me 12 year old hands.

Thanks for your detailed response! I didn't realise that the R-M connection dated to a few years prior to the "on-paper" merger. I built one of the IMSA Mustangs back in summer 1982 (I don't recall its livery -- may've been Motorcraft, definitely a blue motif). It was definitely marketed under the Monogram banner (I'd have avoided any Revell-branded kit at that time!). Was this c.1982 Monogram IMSA a different animal vs. the c.1986 kits you're speaking of?

I hear what you're saying, but at least the Bronco didn't receive ad infinitum reissues like the pickup did.

I have not seen any recent postings from Gæreth a/k/a @doorsovdoon -- no updates on 'is 1971 Charger R/T WIP since 06/06. Has anyone heard from him or seen him?

Back in early calendar year 1988, I remember seeing ads and reviews for "Revell" kits (truly, in name only) which were obviously modified Monogram kits. The first one which pops out in me mind was the Shelby 1970 GT 500 kit (moulded in yellow). I remember my 18 year old brain thinking, That's the Monogram nineteen-seventy Boss four-twenty-nine kit! No big deal; but, I pondered a couple of 'discrepancies': 1.) They were listed as being 1/25 scale 2.) The Revell name applied to an obvious Monogram kit When the 1988 Motorcraft Thunderbird Pro Stock kit was released (ca.summer 1988), I immediately recognised it as an updated Monogram P/S 'Bird. So, I grabbed me a copy, and built away. Great kit! However, a brainless dipstick of a friend of mine argued that it was a Revell kit because of their moniker being emblazoned across the box lid. He , like me, was NO fan of Revell! All of those impossible-to-build kits from our youth (1970s) soured us for a very long time on the brand. However, he wasn't seeing the bigger picture: Revell and Monogram had merged (c.1986, IIRC), and were ostensibly attempting to undo the image of those pieces of it kits of the recent-past. Enquiring Minds Want To Know! What was thee last 100% Monogram engineered/designed 1/24 scale kit? I seem to recall the 1986 Monte Carlo SS, and the 1987 Turbo Coupe Thunderbird, being the last of the ages-old Monogram organisation. Morbid curiosity here is all. Please share your thoughts and whatnot.

Thanks for the retrospective! I don't know how many of those gold-coloured-plastic 1984 MPC kits I'd built back then -- just such a fun, easy-to-build kit of a then-radical design of a vehicle. Those stinkin' B.F. Goodrich tyres were a bummer , as everyone knew that the Corvettes were shod with Gatorback VR-50 tyres on 16" wheels (big for that time). When the Gatorbacks premiered for the 1989 models (Corvette, and Taurus... maybe others), it was a godsend! Same with glass that wasn't limousine tint black...

Grooming is a feline's way of showing affection, whether it's with another feline, another animal, or one of us bipeds. Molly used to lick the dry patches on my forehead (haha). A nice salty treat for her, and free exfoliation spa treatment for me.

Something delightfully sinister about black 1968 LO23 Darts. Yours looks nice and clean and mean!

Those tail lamps/reverse lamps look GREAT! Huge improvement over the kit pieces. If you pour a few extra ones, I'll buy them from you. Instrument panel upgrade is coming along nicely. Another tremendous improvement! It would be nice if someone would offer a resin knock of the Rallye Dash for the Monogram [et al.] 1971 Hemi 'Cuda kits. Keep up the fantastic work!

Are those three love bugs from the same mum?

AMT 1968 Z~28 has the F-60 and L-60 tyres.

Which dialect of English? ? My companions had quite a few "pet" names: - Molly Anne Mc Calico: Sugar Heart, Super Girl, Candy, Puma, Cougar, Multi-coloured Mountain Lion. - Oliver Sabastian: Bratty Brit, Orange (pronounced "Oh-Ranj"), Nathanel Hawthorne, Moon Fruit. "Fmeep" sounds like 'trilling' or 'chirping', I'd imagine. FWIW, I constantly make fun of my Celtic heritage, especially the dominate Cymræg (Welsh), and the famous "thrifty" nature therein.

Ah! I recall it being a COPO/dealer conversion replica, but thought that the B-M was first. Thanks for the clarification.

Comparing tomatoes to grapes here: That ~$46 price tag for a 1971 Mach I of all-new tooling is still less expensive than a comparable resin kit... same with the 1968 Coronet. You simply can't beat a styrene kit -- better than resin in every manner. With that being said: I am exhibiting immense self-restraint insofar as chiming in on the "Why-make-'x'-in-China-when-the-price-isn't-cheaper" topic. Suffice it to say, that's something I was griping about before that Titan Arum started to bloom.

IIRC, the separate exterior door handles came along when the convertible was introduced. All of the coupes still have moulded-on door handles, but the chrome tree includes separate items. The green Phase III kit was the first in the series of the Mark IV powered Camaro; the Zed was thee first of the then-new '69 Camaro from Revell (c.1990). Kind of surprised --and perhaps a little disappointed-- that a 350-powered SS was never produced; only the 302 Zed.

That was here in California, in the northern part of the state somewhere. The station manager set the prices to $0.69/gallon (ostensibly instead of $6.90), sending prices back to the 1980s.

Super looking Jeep, Mike! Good call on the tyre swap.

Needs a system update: