Swifster

I'm looking forward to these kits. The Chrysler will have me jumping up and down like a little kid on Christmas morning. To me, the Hudson(s) are a fun teaser for the main event. I have a client who has 6 Hudson's of various vintages between 1949 and 1954 including a '52 & '53 Hornet. I've already told him I'm showing up for pictures. He's also offered me a chance to drive them. So looking forward to this good stuff. Dave, let the chrome parts rub on everything else and the box. It'll make it look like Korean War chrome...LOL!

Thanks Joe. The pictures are great, but I really think the scope of this project is missed until a few will see it in person and in operation. I laid out two yard sticks and that sucker is huge!!! This isn't a complaint. I just think until you truely see the footprint this thing has... it incredible!!!

As an insutance adjuster who does vintage cars, I have the original 'crash books' the body shops and insurance companies used to write estimates. On the 1971-1972 cars, the front clip is completely different except for the radiator support as has already been mentioned. Pieces for the front end are list as 'with Endura bumper' or 'with chrome bumper'. There were three hoods. Base LeMans, Base GTO and Ram Air. The hood in the kit is the ram air unit. Unless someone is making a resin casting of a chrome bumper car, your scratch building skills will get a test. A LeMans Sport could come with either bumper assy. The endura bumper was an option.

The Dodge was available as a L-600 and L-700. The tractors as far as I've seen are single axle. To make the truck more 'heavy duty', Dodge offered a Cummins V8-185 in '69 & '70.. The also offered a deluxe cab with 5 windows instead of 3. The L-600 was avilable with...every engine known to man and in Chrysler's catalog including the mighty 225 slant 6 (I'd like to see that pull a 40' reefer trailer).

Hey Joe, this is an absolutely awesome build. Just curius; what is the length, width and weight of this beast?

The thing I look at with the Hudson is that with the car in production or close to, there are not going to be anymore changes until secondary kits come out. And really, until you have the kit in your hand, I don't know that critiques are valid or not. There are pictures and there are PICTURES. I've seen a lot of crappy kitsbut first impressions are good.

The rest of the car is soooooooo beautiful, I'll gladly deal with those supports and tap dance all they way home with as many as I can carry. I can't wait to get a bunch while I wait patiently for the C300. Art, I don't suppose as their is no need to make a C300 drop top, will there be a 300B? I'm getting giddy over these cars... Just thinking that the engines alone are worth the price of admission.

I may try to put the frame together tonight. Any ugly surprises I need to worry about other than the stance? I'm just looking at getting this going and will work with leveling the suspension at another time. I also want to find a 1:1 A100 to see what is behind the grille. I'm looking at opening the grille and not just painting it black. I have an idea of what it's like, but I want to see a real one. While I'm thinking of it, is anyone aware of a photo etch set of this truck? I did see a vintage picture from the 1960's for the trucks/tractors used by Publix here in Central Florida. It's hanging in the grocery cart area at the local store. While this one is B & W, I think I'll call their Public Relations Dept to see if there is a color photo. The truck in the picture is a conventional day cab, but this truck would be representative of the time.

Jim, nothing wrong with the patio. Just try to work something out between October and April... Will try to make it if I'm in town. Only 1-1/2 hours away (from Lakeland).

This doesn't go together like the Monogram '59 Impala???? Whaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! OK, so I'll give it a shot. I do have a question for those who took this wrist-slicing challenge. These have the appearance of a hot rod (tail up). Has anyone lowered the rear to even out the truck (as with a load)? I'm thinking of a loaded reefer of a local grocery store chain.

I couldn't help it. Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted this kit. And the prices have dropped into the low to mid $20 range. I really don't plan on starting it just yet, but I started looking for some reference pictures and wham! Slapped in the face with reality. Most websites that popped up, and I'm paraphrasing here, said this kit is a P.O.S. Is this really that bad?

Depending on how you make that junker, that's only 4 kits. Are car without an engine...is a donar.

Early cars from '54-'58 used DeSoto & Chrysler hemi's. They switched to 383's in '59. Nice cars, but good luck getting parts. Never have seen one in model form.

Only because I had one... 1971 Plymouth Sport Fury GT, with all the stripes... If a '70 was done, two sets of stripes...GT and S/23

I'm glad to see the '59 Impala back out. I'll need to pick up a few.

I had heard about the roof issues on the 2-dr sedans. I was hoping there were options I hadn't seen. I'd like a 4-dr sedan and a 4-dr flatop hardtop. A 4-dr sedan would be great for cop cars. I know there are '59 pick up trans kits and the Corvette isn't that hard to get. Thinking of a dealership project, but dealers usually carried far more 4-drs that 2-drs.

With Monogram's excellent '59/'60 Chevy kits, has anyone worked on making other models? And by models, I'm talking Biscaynes and Bel Airs, 2 doors, 4 doors and wagons? I think I saw someone making 2-door sedans though I can't remember just who.

A 2006 Camaro? I don't know about kit makers, but GM didn't make a Camaro after 2002 until the current model in 2010.

Lanny, definitely an awesome build. Just one suggestion from personal, real life experience. Where there is a junk yard dog, there are junk yard dog landmines...EVERYWHERE! Maybe too realistic?

I remember seeing many of the Canadian models while growing up in Detroit. I know that the 'import' tax for bringing stuff into Canada was behind the 'hybrid' cars. Plymouths with DeSoto front ends, Ford's Meteors and GM's Pontiacs using Chevy engines with different names. This was also the reason Studebaker used GM engines in '65 & '66 at their Hamilton plant. I think this all ended in the early '70's with Canadian and US government cooperation.

On the Studebaker front, I just wanted to add my .02 worth. The '50 & '51 Bullets were huge sellers in their day. Studebaker was very profitable from those cars. It was the sleek '53 models that doomed the company (you can look it up). As for doing a '56 to '58 Golden Hawk, these cars were built to compete with the Chrysler 300 and were just as fast. The only big difference between the models was the Packard engine in '56 and the supercharged Stude motor in '57 & '58. If a Stude was to be considered, I think a Golden Hawk would do rather well. As versions of the years not modeled could be brought out with minimal fuss. I'm hoping when the Chrysler comes out that the '56 300B isn't far behind.

Michael, I like your avatar. It makes me want to get some 7-Up. I think you'll find that getting the master done will be your biggest challenge. Even when starting from another GM 'C' body, there are enough differences to require a LOT of scatchbuilding. A lot of small parts would also have to be mastered, such as the instrument panel, seats and trim, wheel covers, grilles, tail lamps and bumpers. Obviously resin casters want to specialize in something that will be 'sellable'. Make a convincing case that a Grandville kit is sellable, and you'll get one. The effort involved for a kit really wouldn't translate into a 'one off' unless you threw a lot of money at someone.

Well, if I were to put down my Top 3, I'd go with a '64 Daytona, an accurate '56 or '57 Golden Hawk and a '55 or '56 Packard Caribbean (part of the Studebaker family).

Nice job, but... The steering wheel is on the wrong side...

Actually, that orange convertible is an actual Chrysler mule. As the saying goes, on again, off again.