bisc63

That's a mean looking rig, and judging from that grin, someone is proud of ol' dad's build! Good work.

Glad you can use 'em! Which scoop are you using? Different folks have different ideas what a snorkel is! The long curvy one from the 'vette kit is what I would think of. As for the wheels, I have enough in my stash that neither set will be missed, and they're not my personal favorite, so good timing for your needs!

I would like to see them offer those decal sheets, maybe as sets of 2 sheets, up-scaled to 1/25 for those who like to kit bash or scratch build in the one true scale for cars. Actually, including such a sheet in each kit would be a sweet bonus, and bring the value more in line with price.

That's what I'm suspecting, as it sure appears shorter than stock in photos posted above. Hoping Anthony H. will measure his and post here.

Pictures ahoy! Nice work there. That would have been the height of cool way back when!

Liking the strong yellow, a no-nonsense muscle car color!

Very interesting stuff! I don't think I've ever seen an original Monogram '55, and to be honest, I didn't know there ever was a "stock" version of a '55 from them! I would absolutely LOVE to see those custom parts all re-popped. They open up all kinds of possibilities with the Monogram '56s and '57s too, as well as ... If ever there was a way to re-ignite interest in these older, nostalgia kits, finding and restoring those long forgotten options would be a great start. That being said, the top is definitely short. A '55 hardtop has a windshield glass that is 18 inches in height in the center, measured along the surface of the glass. That's 3/4" in 1/24 scale. A generous measurement of the Badman version (quick and dirty) shows a full 1/16 under that, and actually is a bit more. That doesn't sound like much, but in 1/24 scale 1/16" is one and a half inches, a noticeable chop to most any eye. I feel safe in saying that by precise measurement, the Daniel design model has a 2-inch chop. I'm curious about the measurement on your original model, from before the top was permanently added. Judging by the vent window proportions, Monogram already had the windshield too short. Could you measure and share? Also' keep in mind when you alter yours to a sedan, the sedan windows, both windshield and back glass, are 1/2-inch taller than hardtops.

Very nice build of the iconic racer's ride. Fantastic details in that engine bay; highly realistic. Well done.

Clean little car. Nice save!

Ahhhh, that's NICE! Very clean, tastefully done mild custom. Excellent use of color, just looks RIGHT.

I was impressed right away with how the blue painted wheels just popped against the dark primer. This thing can look cool any number of colors, but keep the wheels as they are; they are jewels on this piece!

I think the consensus is about a 1 to 11/2-inch chop explains the proportions on this kit. Tom Daniel just couldn't do "completely stock" bodies, I think! Even race cars had to have a few custom touches. This one has a chopped top, tinted glass all around (best releases) the '60 Sedan deliveries ( Bad News, Quicksilver, etc..) had slanted B-pillars, custom grilles, extended rocker panels enclosing side pipes, etc. I think it's part of the charm of Daniel's kits; they seem to be cars of a car guy. A drag racer doesn't need custom grille tubes, or tinted glass, or button-tufted boat seats to go faster, but man-o-man does it look COOL! TD himself refers to the Badman design as having a chopped top: http://www.tomdaniel.com/85_kits/frm_85kits.html

An issue with all old kits, NOT a chronic problem for 99% of the builders on this forum. Like Plowboy said, it's a fun kit for a no-pressure build. If it interests you, try one, that simple. Great nostalgia build, takes you back to being a kid. Tom Daniel's designs were good like that; high on the "cool" factor.

That's a pretty car! Nice model, too!

Decal number 6 goes on your oil filler tube cap, it tells you the correct weight oil to use, I believe.

I would display that under glass in its own case, just like you show it. What a beautiful piece of model history! Thank you for sharing that.

Should drop right in, but might need tweaking where the quarters meet the tops of the tubs, but maybe not.Every other dimension is fine, wheelbase same or close enough.

Cool find, good save, great display! Well done all around.

Krylon Pistachio is almost a dead ringer for that color, find it at Wal-Mart. Also, for future reference, there is a forum section for "Model Building Questions and Answers", you'll get more responses by posting general questions like this there.

Nice work. Your changes make this already large car look sleek and 2 feet longer!

VERY nice! That color works beautifully for this car. Has a great muscle car vibe, and that engine bay detail is sweeet!

VERY appealing custom idea...

The Hurst "his and hers" shifter came with the automatic and console cars, so your dad's could have had the new TH400 automatic. (Nice picture of one in the article I linked above.) Muncie 4-speed cars also had a Hurst shifter included.

Very nice! Excellent craftsmanship.

Pretty sharp; love the gray/silver bird on the black.