A discussion about the Monogram '58 Thunderbird

[gtx6970]

Isn't the Monogram kit the only game in town for a 58 Bird ?

I think the 1st AMT Bird was a 1959

[Greg Myers]

Don't remember. But I do remember building that kit right out of the box back in 1960. Then later thinking it would look good painted orange. Now you know mom wouldn't put up with that. So it was off to the closet. We had a big one at the end of the hall with a light in it. Great secret hidie hole. I remember just finishing it up when the door opens, "MOM!" "What?" 

[JTalmage]

I wish the modern release of the 58 Bird had the stock roof too...

[unclescott58]

I wish the modern release of the 58 Bird had the stock roof too...

Doesn't it? The last one I bought, ten years ago or so, did.

[Sport Suburban]

Isn't the Monogram kit the only game in town for a 58 Bird ?

I think the 1st AMT Bird was a 1959

AMT did do the 58 Thunderbird Promo only. No kit was offered. AMT did offer the 59 and 60 in both kit form and promo. They offered both hardtop and convertibles. You can make a 58 from AMT parts. Here is Mine.

I grew up around Squarebirds. My dad has 5 of them so I know them well. Three of them are 58's and that is his favorite year of them. To make this 58 I used Modelhaus 58 bumpers, and wheels. The body is from a 60 as it's hood opens and has an engine. The interior is from a 59 kit as there is no difference in the patterns from a 58 and 59. Only color options and black gauges for 58 and white for 59. The 60 body I used had all the emblems already sanded off so it was perfect for this. I then foil cast the 58 emblems from a 58 promo and applied them to this build. Also the convertible up top is from the AMT 65 Thunderbird and fits like it belongs on this car. The only thing I couldn't change was the 60 chassis is incorrect. 59 and 60 Thunderbirds have rear leaf springs and 58's have coil springs. Since the AMT 58 promo had a metal plate for a chassis no correct AMT chassis was made for a 58.

Edited March 9, 2016 by Sport Suburban

[JTalmage]

Doesn't it? The last one I bought, ten years ago or so, did.

Nope. Just the crazy bubble top and the piece to make it a 2 seater.

[Bob Ellis]

True, AMT didn't make a 1958 TBird kit, or a 1958 Lincoln kit or 1958 Corvette kit (SMP).

[FordRodnKustom]

AMT did do the 58 Thunderbird Promo only. No kit was offered. AMT did offer the 59 and 60 in both kit form and promo. They offered both hardtop and convertibles. You can make a 58 from AMT parts. Here is Mine.

I grew up around Squarebirds. My dad has 5 of them so I know them well. Three of them are 58's and that is his favorite year of them. To make this 58 I used Modelhaus 58 bumpers, and wheels. The body is from a 60 as it's hood opens and has an engine. The interior is from a 59 kit as there is no difference in the patterns from a 58 and 59. Only color options and black gauges for 58 and white for 59. The 60 body I used had all the emblems already sanded off so it was perfect for this. I then foil cast the 58 emblems from a 58 promo and applied them to this build. Also the convertible up top is from the AMT 65 Thunderbird and fits like it belongs on this car. The only thing I couldn't change was the 60 chassis is incorrect. 59 and 60 Thunderbirds have rear leaf springs and 58's have coil springs. Since the AMT 58 promo had a metal plate for a chassis no correct AMT chassis was made for a 58.

WOW! Beautiful work there. Great looking conversion. Well done.

[Deathgoblin]

I wish the modern release of the 58 Bird had the stock roof too...

That's odd.  I've got the more recent reissue of the 1958 T-bird 2-in-1 (the purple one with the bubble top and the scallops) and it had the stock top in it.  I built it with the stock top. 

[JTalmage]

really? wow maybe I'm just blind now I will have to double check because thats the one I got too

[unclescott58]

Picked up AMT's 1/32 '61 Ranchero last night. I love AMT's 1/32 scale kits. And in that series they did a a '60 Thunderbird. I wish Round 2 would bring that one back too. Squarebirds are kool!

[Jantrix]

My father finally ponied up the '58 from his stash, he's been sitting on since I was a teen. Looks like an original issue, flat box, molded in red and black. I opened her up and was stunned to find the chrome tree in perfect shape. The instructions say 1964 but the catalog says 1966. With all these awesome custom parts I can't wait to build it.

 

Edited June 6, 2016 by Jantrix

[Edsel-Dan]

Interesting that the clear in this one are CLEAR and Not tinted!!

I have one of those originals in the black body/red chassis, interior, etc

The clear parts were green tint.

Sadly it is a wreck.

Dad mounted the headlight lenses BACKWARDS!! (face glued to bezel!!)

and flipped & reversed the lower rear suspension arms!!!!

 

I used the Bubble top, and other Wild Custom parts on a Special Interest Stock Only re-issue

And NO the parts do NOT match!! (black hood scoop extension, roll pans, etc on red body)

I need to Paint it!!!!

[Eshaver]

I've built Mongram's '58 Bird a few times over the years. The first time, I found one in the box Greg posted first above. I was blown away. Here it was sitting, new in an unopened box on the shelves of our local Spartans store in the early 1970's! Bought a lot of models at the Spartans store in the past, but where this one showed up from when it did I'll never know. I think that first release, the one I found at Spartans, was from 1964. Cool kit.

Besides the great box art, in a fairly flat box, there are several things I remember about that kit. Loved the instructions. If I remember collectly they used photographs showing you how build the kit? Cool custom parts. Didn't really know who Darrel Starbird was at the time, though I'd seen and admired his work in a couple of books I had seen by that time. And, I remember the kit was molded in a fairly nice, shiny black plastic for the body. And I think it may have had red plastic for a lot of the other parts? I do know I built it with out painting it. And I built it with the bubble top.

I remember them reissuing it without the custom parts, sometime in the 1970's. They showed the car in red on the box. I can't remember if I bought one of those at the time or not? I think not. I do know I bought and built one in the late 80's, molded in Seafoam Green. Again the plastic was so nice, I decided not to paint the body, but leave it as is.

The last one I built, and the only one I still have, is the one they reissued in 2002 with all the custom parts back. Despite the those cool custom parts, I built this Bird stock. And was very happy that this time they decided to mold it in white. Despite liking the Seafoam Green, I preferred and painted my present '58 a nice Light Blue.

One last thing about this kit. You've never been able to built it 100% stock. The wheel covers are '57 wheel covers. Not 58's. No big deal to me. I this love the kit.

 

Scott

 

I can't add much to Scott's remembrance's . To me this is one of those kits that surpasses most and has never been equaled in several areas .

[Bob Ellis]

Isn't the Monogram kit the only game in town for a 58 Bird

I think the 1st AMT Bird was a 1959

AMT had a 1958 promo but not the kit. So trying to find a 1/25 1958 TBird not warped is a job