Greg Myers Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 Tim Boyd has posted on another thread there may be more to come. A new chapter awaits on the AMT (really MPC) '28 A Tudor. I have heard fairly recently, from both reputable sources within the company, and externally from those whom I trust, that much to everyone's surprise, major pieces of the '28A Tudor tool still exist. Apparently there's not enough of the tool intact in current form to make a kit release imminent, but...should the market demand it, well....theoretically, anything is possible. Yet another reason to buy the Revell '29A Roadster kit, if it meets your expectations.... TIM But this got me wondering, as many have pointed out waxing nostalgic may not be a good thing. I built one of these when they first came out, copying a Don Emmons Sedan Delivery Surf build from the old Rod & Customs Models Magazine, so my memory may be a little cloudy. So, let's have a look at the instruction sheet from Drastic Plastic.
Greg Myers Posted July 13, 2015 Author Posted July 13, 2015 Chassis looks a little bit more stout that some of the Revell kits of the time.
Greg Myers Posted July 13, 2015 Author Posted July 13, 2015 (edited) The rest of the kit looks a lot like the Revell 1931 Model A Two Door Sedan. And buy the way that big ol MOPAR 426 wont fit in the engine bay with the hood on. Edited July 13, 2015 by Greg Myers
Greg Myers Posted July 13, 2015 Author Posted July 13, 2015 (edited) You can see some similarities http://manuals.hobbico.com/rmx/85-4259.pdf Says Monogram, but it's the same old Revell kit. Edited July 13, 2015 by Greg Myers
Ace-Garageguy Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 I have a couple and think it's a decent kit. To me, the only downside is the frame molded as a unit with the fender assembly, rather like the old Revellogram 1/24 '32 roadster kits. The Mopar cast-iron headers for the optional engine were pretty heavy-handed too, if I'm remembering correctly. Gotta look in one...
mike 51 Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 Thanks Greg...I hadn't seen the 28 tudor since they were new. Kinda fun to see what I remembered and what I didn't. I'd love to mix one with a Revell 32 or the new 28.
pharoah Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 Does the Tudor share parts with the old AMT Model A Roadster from the Ala Kart kit?
ChrisBcritter Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 (edited) NOTE: Two extra door hinges are included. A very nice thing for them to do! I have an unbuilt one and other than the frame molded with the fenders as mentioned, it looks like an excellent kit that captures the look of the real car as well as the AMT '29 A roadster did. They did gild the lily a bit by chroming the stock wheels - but IIRC that was copied from the restored car they used for reference. Edited July 13, 2015 by ChrisBcritter
Ace-Garageguy Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 Does the Tudor share parts with the old AMT Model A Roadster from the Ala Kart kit? Nope. Nothing shared, but I'm fixing to see how well the body shell from the Tudor fits the Ala Kart '28 frame/fenders (and its reissues)...right now.
Art Anderson Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 Does the Tudor share parts with the old AMT Model A Roadster from the Ala Kart kit? Actually, the "AMT" '28 Model A Tudor was the very first release (and once only!) done off the tooling that became the MPC '29 Model A Station Wagon/Roadster Pickup--because the Tudor was tooled up by MPC but produced by AMT in 1964. On my MPC Tooling inventory sheets (given me in the short 6 months that I was an RC2 employee back in 2004), the '28 Tudor tooling sections ARE listed in it. Art
jbwelda Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 be nice if they brought back the Kandy Kolor lacquers in those giant cans. jb
JTalmage Posted July 14, 2015 Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) A model a Tudor with foldable seats, opening doors, and posable steering.... I'd buy it. Edited July 14, 2015 by JTalmage
Ace-Garageguy Posted July 14, 2015 Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) OK...I checked. The body shell from the '28 Tudor in the OP photos fits on the AMT '28-'29 roadster fender unit very well. The rear of the roadster fender unit needs a little mod to adapt it to the differently shaped Tudor body...that's all. The roadster hood is the right length and height, and the curvature matches the Tudor exactly. All this means is that it you want to do a more detailed, separate frame version of a '28 Tudor (or maybe a Tudor A-V8) all you have to do is use the AMT '28 roadster fenders and frame. It also means that both MPC and AMT's tooling designers got things measured and scaled right, way back then. How interesting. Edited July 14, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy
Art Anderson Posted July 14, 2015 Posted July 14, 2015 OK...I checked. The body shell from the '28 Tudor in the OP photos fits on the AMT '28-'29 roadster fender unit very well. The rear of the roadster fender unit needs a little mod to adapt it to the differently shaped Tudor body...that's all. The roadster hood is the right length and height, and the curvature matches the Tudor exactly. All this means is that it you want to do a more detailed, separate frame version of a '28 Tudor (or maybe a Tudor A-V8) all you have to do is use the AMT '28 roadster fenders and frame. It also means that both MPC and AMT's tooling designers got things measured and scaled right, way back then. How interesting. Or, at least measured "the same"!
Ace-Garageguy Posted July 14, 2015 Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) Or, at least measured "the same"! ...you mean they copied each other's homework? Edited July 14, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy
Art Anderson Posted July 14, 2015 Posted July 14, 2015 ...you mean they copied each other's homework? Well, considering that MPC was started by a team who had been at AMT, knew what was going on, product development-wise, not much doubt there--although the two Model A Ford kits in question here do each have different features. Art
Can-Con Posted July 14, 2015 Posted July 14, 2015 Art, I have a built-up'29 2dr sedan I got in a bunch of builts years ago. It's definitely Revell parts. I know Revell didn't do a '29 Tudor, looks like the builder used parts from the '29 pickup [cowl, hood, rad] and '31 Tudor to build this car. My question is, is the '31 body accurate [or at least pretty close] for making a '29 Tudor like this builder did?
Art Anderson Posted July 14, 2015 Posted July 14, 2015 Art, I have a built-up'29 2dr sedan I got in a bunch of builts years ago. It's definitely Revell parts. I know Revell didn't do a '29 Tudor, looks like the builder used parts from the '29 pickup [cowl, hood, rad] and '31 Tudor to build this car. My question is, is the '31 body accurate [or at least pretty close] for making a '29 Tudor like this builder did? Only if you HAVE to have one. There are numerous, quite visible detail differences between the 28-29 and 30-31 Model A Fords. Art
Ace-Garageguy Posted July 14, 2015 Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) My question is, is the '31 body accurate [or at least pretty close] for making a '29 Tudor like this builder did? Only if you HAVE to have one. There are numerous, quite visible detail differences between the 28-29 and 30-31 Model A Fords. Art Actually, the '28-'29 Ford uses entirely different sheet-metal, body panels, fenders, grille, etc. To the best of my knowledge, nothing on the '28-'29 Ford (body-wise) interchanges with the '30-'31 Ford. Other than the basic chassis, running gear and engine, they're two entirely different cars. '29 '31 Edited July 14, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy
Eshaver Posted July 14, 2015 Posted July 14, 2015 I built this kit way back in 1965 . I wish I still had it today as I have worked on several 1928 Model A's . My primary interests in automobiles wans after 1953 . I am a Freelancer for the Early Ford Club of America and Ford's Fours and V-8's were just magic to me
Skip Posted July 15, 2015 Posted July 15, 2015 Appears to be a much better rendition than one one AMT's other Model A kits the '29 Roadster which had the everything molded into the frame bit engine, front and rear ends. from the instructions it doesn't appear that this kit was any better with the frame molded to the fenders. Looks like you would have to get a Revell Model A pickup or Tudor to make a decent '28 Tudor out of it. The last '29 Roadster that I built On my way! Model A rails went on a Revell chassis. The one thing that stands out is the pose able front end, though somewhat clunky looks like it could be pared down to make a nice front end, though the Revell is better out of the box. Just from the instructions the banger engine looks like it could be enhanced to make a pretty nice Model A 4 Banger, seats look like thy might work in the AMT '32 Vicky. That's a whole lot of money at collector prices for parts or to kit ash a nice '28 when you could take the Revell '31 Tudor, backdate it and have a really nice '28. Just my two cents! Oh, back to those everything molded into the frame AMT frames, seems like from a tooling standpoint that it would have been a whole lot easier for them to have molded the bare frames on the '29, '32, '34, '36, '40... And molded the wood detail to the bottoms of the interior buckets or even a separate piece. Tooling would have been cheaper to do that way too. Maybe the esteemed Mr. Art Anderson can fill us in on the logic that gave us the everything in one frames.
Ace-Garageguy Posted July 15, 2015 Posted July 15, 2015 Appears to be a much better rendition than one one AMT's other Model A kits the '29 Roadster which had the everything molded into the frame bit engine, front and rear ends. from the instructions it doesn't appear that this kit was any better with the frame molded to the fenders.... Oh, back to those everything molded into the frame AMT frames, seems like from a tooling standpoint that it would have been a whole lot easier for them to have molded the bare frames on the '29, '32, '34, '36, '40... And molded the wood detail to the bottoms of the interior buckets or even a separate piece. Tooling would have been cheaper to do that way too. Maybe the esteemed Mr. Art Anderson can fill us in on the logic that gave us the everything in one frames. Actually, the AMT '29 roadster frame isn't bad. The only things molded-in are the lever-action shocks and battery box. The '34 5-window and sedan have very nice frames...no blobular stuff whatsoever...while the '36 and '40 frames have only the exhausts molded in. This is a far cry from AMT's MUCH earlier '32 roadster, which has the entire rear suspension and exhaust system as part of the blobular mess. The AMT '32 Victorias and Phaetons, by the way, have separate rear suspension.
Art Anderson Posted July 15, 2015 Posted July 15, 2015 Appears to be a much better rendition than one one AMT's other Model A kits the '29 Roadster which had the everything molded into the frame bit engine, front and rear ends. from the instructions it doesn't appear that this kit was any better with the frame molded to the fenders. Looks like you would have to get a Revell Model A pickup or Tudor to make a decent '28 Tudor out of it. The last '29 Roadster that I built On my way! Model A rails went on a Revell chassis. The one thing that stands out is the pose able front end, though somewhat clunky looks like it could be pared down to make a nice front end, though the Revell is better out of the box. Just from the instructions the banger engine looks like it could be enhanced to make a pretty nice Model A 4 Banger, seats look like thy might work in the AMT '32 Vicky. That's a whole lot of money at collector prices for parts or to kit ash a nice '28 when you could take the Revell '31 Tudor, backdate it and have a really nice '28. Just my two cents! Oh, back to those everything molded into the frame AMT frames, seems like from a tooling standpoint that it would have been a whole lot easier for them to have molded the bare frames on the '29, '32, '34, '36, '40... And molded the wood detail to the bottoms of the interior buckets or even a separate piece. Tooling would have been cheaper to do that way too. Maybe the esteemed Mr. Art Anderson can fill us in on the logic that gave us the everything in one frames. Actually, I think it was pretty simple wny those frames were molded as they were, indeed the chassis for all those Annual Series 3in1 kits! For those of us who have now reached "Seasoned Citizen" status, we were KIDS back then--some of us were teenagers by 1960 (Your's Truly included), but behind us were a number of years of much younger hands coming into this hobby, and they weren't all that ready, nor enamored with such as "every single part should be a separate piece" mindset we have as adults. So,model kits of all sorts back then, if they were going to sell in large numbers, develop a popularity for their manufacturers, simply were "simplified" to meet the primary age group then building. It's one of those things where, if you are under say, age 50 or so, you might not really quite grasp that. Art
Can-Con Posted July 15, 2015 Posted July 15, 2015 Actually, the '28-'29 Ford uses entirely different sheet-metal, body panels, fenders, grille, etc. To the best of my knowledge, nothing on the '28-'29 Ford (body-wise) interchanges with the '30-'31 Ford. Other than the basic chassis, running gear and engine, they're two entirely different cars. Thanks for the replys guys. I thought although it looked pretty good, it wasn't exactly "correct". I'm no expert in these old cars. I dug it out and took a few pics and I'm thinking it's an AMT '29 with the body of the Revell '31 Sedan Delivery grafted on. I think I might rip it apart , clean up the bodywork and rod it out. I just started working on a revel '29 pickup so it'll wait a bit longer though. Here's a couple pics of the subject,,
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