Fabrux

Well that's interesting! I've tried fitting these Tracker A-T tooled rims in other tires without much luck; does the kit come with a different set of rims for the Desert Dogs?

I actually have the contents of that kit in a Mad Mudder box, minus the bed and leaf springs. I have two of the original '77 issues as built-ups; I compared the two and they're the same. Actually, the blue issue I have doesn't have the gun rack in it; did it come with that?

The Blazer tooling was revisited in 1982 to represent a pulling truck. This issue, boxed as the Pulldozer and number 2295 was molded in yellow plastic. Modifications to the original tooling include raised suspension with ladder bars; omission of front bumper, stock seats, removable roof and glass; front support frame, weights and tank; hole cut in hood for direct headers, high-rise intake manifold with dual carbs and individual air cleaners; rear pintle hitch; single racing bucket seat, and; a roll bar with lights and fire extinguisher. Wheels are incorrect 5-bolt chrome wagon wheels specially tooled for the Ground Hawg tires. With a monster truck craze sweeping the nation in 1985, the GM pickup tooling was revisited again. The first kit issued was the Monster Mash, kit 2420. This kit uses the styleside bed from the GMC and the cab and grille from the Chevrolet. A new hood was molded to allow the high-rise intake manifold to stick out. Suspension was modified to depict a typical mid-80s monster truck. Options include roll bar with lights. Molded in red plastic. Wheels are generic monster truck rolling stock. The second monster truck for 1985 was the Hammerhead Shark, kit 2421. This is a straight reissue of the Monster Mash, molded in blue plastic and different decals. Keeping with the monster truck craze, the Monster Mash kit was reissued twice in 1990. Kit 2426 was molded in yellow plastic and issued as the Demolisher; a second issue, kit 2427, was molded in pink plastic as the Ground Pounder. The tooling sat dormant until 1992 when Monogram decided to reissue the original stepside tooling once more. Boxed as kit 2963, this issue seems to have had two runs; one in blue plastic and one in aqua plastic. Box contents are identical to 1977 and 1980 issues with the exception of a new decal sheet. After the purchase of Monogram, Revell decided to revisit the Blazer tooling in 2000. This was boxed as the "Mad Mudder" Chevy Truck and is a straight reissue of the Pulldozer with a new decal sheet and molded in white plastic. Revell kit 85-2584. And finally in 2012, Revell revisited the tooling once again to release a stock GMC styleside pickup. Options are the same as the original 1978 issue, with the addition of an optional snow plow and the Chevrolet's tailgate mounted spare tire carrier and jerry can. Revell kit 85-7222, molded in white plastic. Wheels are GM 10-hole mags and blank sidewall tires (Goodyear Tracker A-Ts). If anyone that has the kits in this list can confirm/deny the box contents, please let me know and I'll adjust accordingly. Also, if I've missed a reissue, let me know!

In doing some research on reissues of this tooling, I ended up compiling what I believe is a complete history of the basic tooling from its introduction in 1977 until today. The information in this first draft is going by my limited exposure to these kits; I've mostly conjectured based on box art. Anything I'm not sure of is in italics. The tooling for the squarebody GM pickup was introduced in 1977, representing a 1975-1977 model Chevrolet K10 stepside.This is kit 2228 and is molded in black plastic. Represents a stock pickup with an optional winch, sunroof, gunrack (with guns), tailgate-mounted spare tire carrier with jerry can, and roll bar with lights. Wheels are 6-bolt GM rallye rims and Goodyear Tracker A-Ts. For 1978, the tooling was either modified or appended to represent a 1978 GMC styleside shortbed pickup. Kit 2236, molded in a red/orange plastic. Options include a roll bar with lights and bed rails. Wheels are GM 6-bolt, 10-hole mags and Goodyear Tracker A-Ts. Also in 1978 a separate but related tooling was created to represent a 1975-1977 Chevrolet Blazer, kit 2238. Molded in red plastic, this kit builds up as a completely stock truck with a tailgate mounted spare tire carrier and jerry can. Wheels are incorrect 5-bolt chrome wagon wheels (most likely those shared with the Jeep CJ-7) and Goodyear Tracker A-Ts. For 1979, the Blazer tooling was modified and appended to make a GMC Jimmy. Modifications to the original Blazer include the grille and a bulge in the hood. Options include a bull bar, roof-mounted lights, sunroof, and fender flares. Kit 2248, molded in white plastic. Wheels are 6-bolt, 5-slot mags and Goodyear Tracker A-Ts. For 1980, the Jimmy tooling was reverted back to a Blazer to represent a generic law enforcement vehicle. This issue retains the Jimmy's 5-slot mags and optional parts, as well as a set of headers. Kit 2249, molded in red/orange plastic. This issue seems to have been run at least twice. Options include roof-mounted light bar with siren horn and decals for Big Horn County Sheriff's Department. Tires are Goodyear Tracker A-Ts. Second run replaced the Goodyears with PCV Desert Dawgs; an instruction sheet insert was issued indicating the tire change. Also in 1980, the original 1977 tooling of the Chevrolet stepside pickup was reissued. This kit, 2264, was molded in yellow plastic and retains all the original components. Wheels are GM 6-bolt rallye rims and Goodyear Tracker A-Ts. For 1981, Monogram introduced their High Roller series of kits with lifted suspension and big tires. The only GM pickup representation was the GMC styleside pickup from 1978. Modifications to the tooling include raised suspension and lengthened driveshafts. Kit 2273, molded in red/orange plastic. Box art shows 6-bolt, 10-hole GM mags with Ground Hawg tires. Box actually contains 5-bolt chrome wagon wheels specially tooled for the Ground Hawg tires. To be continued...

When I was living in Whitecourt, AB the Radio Shack there had a rather large kit section. It was the first time I had ever seen anything close to a hobby shop. There were lots of OOP kits and even a Testors paint rack. This was back in early '07; no idea if they still sell kits.

No problem

Believe it or not I would say only the various Mustang II kits. There haven't really been any all-out custom kits released since the Mustang II IFS swap became popular.

I just did a quick check and even if you were to use a 1:24 Mustang kit, the chassis pans don't switch very well; the Thunderbird has a bit longer wheelbase. Also, the T-bird's chassis pan has the rear wheel wells molded to it where the Mustang's doesn't.

From what I understand SEMA is actually open to the industry only and not the general public. But, if you know a guy that knows a guy, chances are you can get in.

Are you going to build the trailer into a hauler for this as well? Not sure how good an enclosed trailer would be for a boat, but I look forward to seeing what you do!

Kijiji score! Some of these are built, all of them are at least started. There's a guy in town that's moving out west and doesn't want to haul all his models with him anymore. If he doesn't sell off all his 1:25 stuff (he has a bunch of larger scale he's keeping) then he's going to let me know and I can probably get what he has left for dirt cheap.

My LHS owner posts here, so I'll wait for him to put up a picture. Aside from him, though, there's only a Michael's in town and they're not very good at all. The only online purchasing I do these days are for OOP kits. And even for those I get them sent to a place across the border to save on the ridiculous shipping to Canada. I usually wait until I have a few parcels waiting before I go down. Most new Revell kits that come out are priced between $20-27 at the shop. By the time I get them online and get them either shipped to my door or across the border and I pick them up, I'm not saving anything. I mentioned to the shop owner the other day that between my stash (350+ kits), his stash (800+ kits) and another member's stash (500+ kits) that we could open a franchise of his shop in my city (he's 1.5 hours away); he argued that none of us would want to sell anything from our stash!

MPC Datsun won't do as they have the round headlights. You need the later style Monogram or Aoshima kits with the square lights.

I know that for 60-66 crew cab bodies were coach built for construction and railroad companies, so its not too much of a stretch to see that extending back to 55. Those would, however, be strictly work trucks and would come with the standard bed only. I believe the Cameos were special trucks and only came in white/red (someone correct me if I'm wrong!).

I'm hoping that someone on here that buys the RoG issue can scan in the instructions. I'm hoping that RoG made up a proper instruction sheet instead of the vague instructions of the Moebius version...

I actually have 2 unused '69 442 bodies if you want one of those.

This car was apparently based off a British car, so the resemblance isn't that surprising.

One of these was raffled off at my club's last show. The winner was an armour guy and had no interest in the kit at all. He was trying to sell it for full price!

Yes, of course, but the Datsun grille is close to that pictured.

The roof on both the GTO and the Chevelle isn't a uniform line when viewed from the side; they both have a dip in them. The Cutlass's roof is a uniform curve from the roof all the way down to the tail lights. I think, at the time, each GM division had its own fastback roof and they were all slightly different from each other.

You might have have some luck modifying the Monogram or Aoshima Datsun 720 grilles to suit; they look pretty close. Not sure where you'd source wheels like that as anything that would be close would have 5 lugs instead of 6.

Yeah, the Pussy Wagon is actually an 88-98 version:

I love John Payne's work. He's come up with some really good ships.

I would love it if Pegasus came out with some new styles. I already have at least one of every style they currently have that I like.

Where's the NSX?