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Posted (edited)

Other than showing your rump to birds flying how are you supposed to get in this thing?Or does the section between the headlamps open like a swing out station wagon gate(or an Isetta)?

Edited by ZTony8
Posted

Yep, but it doesn't look easy! Witness Mike Alexander going through the contortions back in '67:

By my guesstimate, Mike was about 5'6", and it looks pretty cramped.

Yea, it was all about style!   :P  Many of us wouldn't fit in there at all!

Posted (edited)

Makes you wonder why they didn't do the whole nose section as a lift gate, instead of leaving the lower part in the way.  

Probably the technology limitations, or maybe just style, of those times.  Your solution jumps out at us since we lived through the hatchback era and the tailgate of my Dodge Caravan flips up and sits erect  on two small pistons.That lower part just screams for the early 1970s Chevy station wagon treatment where the entire thing just slid under the floor.  It may not have occured to them back in 1966

Edited by Tom Geiger
Posted (edited)

From what I've read, Tom has hit the nail on the head, as to why they made front gate/door the way they did. If you see Harry Bradly's original sketches, his plan was for the whole door to lift like a more modern tailgate. One of the problems they had with the idea was with the Ford station roof, frame and window not being able to take the weight of the whole thing. The swinging door was a compromise. Also, there are pictures on the web showing how the door intruded on passenger side when open. The setup was done for show. More than practicality.

I've wondered several times why they didn't do the door like on AMT's model. Over the years, as I've thought about it. It dawned on me. How would you close the lower gate once your seated in the vehicle?

Another problem with getting in and out the real Deora is location of the foot pedals. The pedals are in the stock A-100 location. Have to climb over those.

Let's face it. The truck was built for looks. Not practicality. Maybe with modern technology and materials, one could overcome the problems the original Deora had. But, you know what? As impractical as the original Deora was in real life. It's still one of my all time favorite truck designs. I would love to own the real thing. But since I can't. I'll stick with AMT's almost as equally cool Deora model kit.

Edited by unclescott58
Posted

interesting stories about this cool custom! I have two ready built bought in my showcase (Deora and Camper), never built one by myself.

I have to get one.

Posted

A masterpiece of the Alexander Brothers. I've always liked this truck a lot. It's awesome that it's still around and still so appreciated

  • 1 month later...
Posted

Was disappointed last night. We have a member in our local model car club, who also a dealer in old and new kits. Every month I brings in the latest releases for sale. I was hoping he would have gotten and brought in the new Derora reissue last night. I guess I'll have to wait another month? Bummer! ?

Posted (edited)

tower hobbies,omni hobbies ,Flameout is out too! And it's on EBay .

None on eBay that I saw when I checked last night, just before I posted my comment. I would have bought one if there was.

Edited by unclescott58
Posted (edited)

Okay, I just went back on eBay. There are none of the new reissue there at all. There are several previous reissues. But, not the new one with the original parts! like the tonneau restored. That's the one I'm looking for.

Edited by unclescott58
Posted

I'm not too worried about a rerelease, I still have a bunch of these from years ago! Back in the early 1990s my first big purchase from Hobby Heaven was a case of these for the slant sixes.  That was the only one on the current kit list back then.  My new "Go To" slant six is now the Lindberg Dodge / Plymouths and I pick those up whenever I see them cheap at shows.

Still the Deora is one of my favorite show cars, along with the Surfite.  I like the odd stuff

Posted

Still the Deora is one of my favorite show cars, along with the Surfite.  I like the odd stuff

You and I both. But, Surfite only recently became one of my favorites. The "Big Daddy" Ed Roth figure got me to finally buy the Surfite. As I built the actual model, I really began to like the car itself. But, I've loved the Deroa from the first time I saw it. Bought my first one in the summer of 1972, while stay at my cousins house up in Cloquet, MN.

That summer in Cloquet, I also bought the AMT's Open Road Chevy Van and JoHan's '72 Cadillac Eldorado. My cousin picked up the JoHan '66 Ambulance. Man, there are three more kits I wish I could find today.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Had a look at the contents of the New reissue ,it has very nice gold line Firestones tires ,molded in white ,smoke tinted glass ,and clear glass, more decals on the sheet, the only thing that is differant is the original rims are not in this kit ,you get the baby moons,and four hole slots .oh and yes the tonneu cover is there .nice kit glad to see it back with all the parts in it.it would be nice to see someone make a Photo etch set of emblems for this kit!

Posted

You and I both. But, Surfite only recently became one of my favorites. The "Big Daddy" Ed Roth figure got me to finally buy the Surfite. As I built the actual model, I really began to like the car itself. But, I've loved the Deroa from the first time I saw it. Bought my first one in the summer of 1972, while stay at my cousins house up in Cloquet, MN.

That summer in Cloquet, I also bought the AMT's Open Road Chevy Van and JoHan's '72 Cadillac Eldorado. My cousin picked up the JoHan '66 Ambulance. Man, there are three more kits I wish I could find today.

Scott...I hear you there..those old and odd kits were cool.  I have the Chevy open road camper van from my dads old stuff but its missing all the raised roof and camper parts(already has the huge roof plate cut out on it)...need to find those for it...shame they cant re-issue it someday for us all its a great kit.

Posted

Alright! I just got home not long ago, and I picked up at our club meeting the Deora! I've cracked open the kit, and I'm VERY IMPRESSED by what I see! Those tires are some of the nicest I've seen come from Round 2! I also give kudos to them for including what looks to be nice color pics of what the truck looks like today. The "regular" and tinted glass for the kit are nice pluses, and everything seems to be molded well for what is quite old tooling.

Looking through the kit, the center console is conspicuous by its absence------although I don't think the original issue ever included this. 

Hmmmm............now to figure out how to tackle that opening lower door and support "beam" down the road. ;)

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