`55 Chevy 150 Bel-Air_Two Lane Black Top Flip-nose

[69NovaYenko]

 I`m looking for a 1:25 scale `55 Chevy 150 Bel-Air sedan . I`m toying with the idea of building the Two Lane Black Top flip-nose `55 Bel-Air.

 

Is the only build option I have is the AMT `55 kit.

 

I do have an original old MPC `57 Chevy flip-nose kit.

Thinking I can scavenge the flip nose part from it. Any advance advise or thoughts on this chassis swap out will be appreciated.

[mike 51]

It's not all that important I guess but....there were NO 150 Bel Airs.  1955 Chevorlets were available as 150,210 or Bel Airs.

You had to pick one or the other (The 150 was the base model had no side or window trim, the Bel Air had chrome trim on the front fenders and rear quarters as well as the window surrounds)

To make a replica of that car you'll have to sand off all the side trim from that AMT 55 kit. 

Edited December 18, 2015 by mike 51

[69NovaYenko]

Thanks for the correction. As I said all advise or thoughts are appreciated.

[Sledsel]

That is a good looking clone. I used the AMT for the one I am doing. Not making it a flip nose though.

[Greg Myers]

The AMT kit is it. What more could you ask for ?

The rest is up to you. Gathering all the parts, cutting out the trunk, cutting and hinging the front end. Radiusing the rear wheel openings. Bending up that hood scoop from the bottom of a frozen pie pan ( cuts easily with scissors).

Man you're on your way. 

[RAT-T]

A QUESTION ABOUT THE MONOGRAM '55 STREET MACHINE, WOULD ANYONE KNOW IF THIS IS A STOCK ROOF HEIGHT KIT? THE ROOF LOOKS A LITTLE SQUAT TO ME. ALSO, DID WERE THE POST CARS ROOF TALLER THAN THE HARDTOP CARS?........SORRY FOR THE HIGHJACK QUESTION GREG

 

THANKS, TOM

[Greg Myers]

Probably not, as it is based on their earlier Custom 6 in 1  kit that had several top options. 

[espo]

As mike mentioned, the AMT Street Machine would make your best starting point. In addition to the removal of the body side moldings you will need to create new rear wheel openings. You could use the tires you are using as a guide as to how big an opening you want. Also on the front flip nose you could look at different hinges used in other models or see what you can create on your own. If you notice the front gravel pan (between the grill and the front bumper) on the 1:1 is the way it would look without the bumper. On this kit AMT has a rather large drop that would not be on a real car. I think they were thinking that that would help support the front bumper on the model.  You might want to trim it to match the photos of the real car. This model offers two bumper options and provides the '55 station wagon style rear bumper without the bumper guards. This is what I believe is on the model you're trying to create. This way you can have the trunk lid smooth and the license plate mounted on the bumper, a common modification at the time.   You might try and look at the movie American Graffiti. This '55 was the one driven by Harrison Ford in that movie. As I understand the only major change was to install a big block Chevy in place of the small block used in Tow Lane Blacktop.  

[Muncie]

stock '55 Chevy sedan (post) roof is two inches taller than the hardtop... but the Monogram Street Machine Roof is something else

I also recommend the AMT, best to glue the hood in, reinforce the seam, and let it set before cutting the fenders loose

yeah, I want to see this project!

The skinny and wide American racing 200S wheels used to be easy, both Replica and Modelhaus sold them but I didn't see them in their current catalogs.

[Mike999]

Get online with Santa right now!  Tell him to bring you the Criterion 2-DVD set of "Two Lane Blacktop."  One special feature on it, “Performance and Image," covers the restoration of a TLB ’55 Chevy.  Another feature, "Color Me Gone," is publicity photos and other PR material from when the movie was released. IIRC, that feature has many still photos of the car. 

You also get a digitally remastered high-def transfer of the movie supervised by the director Monte Hellman. And a Dolby 5.1 soundtrack, making all the cars sound extra awesome.  Especially that Hemi Cuda in the opening scene. Definitely worth the $19.99 Amazon is asking.

 http://www.amazon.com/Two-Lane-Blacktop-James-Taylor/dp/B00R244D00/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450457469&sr=8-1&keywords=dvd+two+lane+blacktop

[Greg Myers]

Funny thing, the Badman has some 200S Daisies in the rear, not too good, but , just saying.  

Edited December 18, 2015 by Greg Myers

[Greg Myers]

Been here before.  http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/89486-two-lane-blacktop-1955-chevy-replica/?page=1

[Nova-ss]

I to would love to watch the build....Chris 

[dodgefever]

Yes, the AMT '55 sedan body is the best starting point.  The old Monogram is a hardtop, so wrong roof to being with, and the proportions are way off in any case.

I have two stalled TLB replicas, one 1/25 using the AMT sedan and one 1/16 using the hardtop with a lot of mods.  I'll get back to those one day.

 

[Snake45]

For those interested in a shelf/curbside model of 2LB Chev without getting into the weeds of engine, suspension, etc., the Revell metal-bodied AG '55 is a good starting point. I compared the body to the AMT '55 sedan and it was nearly identical in size (i.e., it's 1/25, not 1/24) and is actually a little more accurate in shape in some areas.

[Longbox55]

As mike mentioned, the AMT Street Machine would make your best starting point. In addition to the removal of the body side moldings you will need to create new rear wheel openings. You could use the tires you are using as a guide as to how big an opening you want. Also on the front flip nose you could look at different hinges used in other models or see what you can create on your own. If you notice the front gravel pan (between the grill and the front bumper) on the 1:1 is the way it would look without the bumper. On this kit AMT has a rather large drop that would not be on a real car. I think they were thinking that that would help support the front bumper on the model.  You might want to trim it to match the photos of the real car. This model offers two bumper options and provides the '55 station wagon style rear bumper without the bumper guards. This is what I believe is on the model you're trying to create. This way you can have the trunk lid smooth and the license plate mounted on the bumper, a common modification at the time.   You might try and look at the movie American Graffiti. This '55 was the one driven by Harrison Ford in that movie. As I understand the only major change was to install a big block Chevy in place of the small block used in Tow Lane Blacktop.  

A few corrections. The rear bumper is not a "station wagon" bumper. The guards were an option. On the Graffiti car, they did not swap the engine. Both of the cars used in TLBT have big blocks, the primary car (which is still in TLBT form) has an LS6 454, the AG car, which was the secondary unit used for the racing scenes, has an L88 427. Both cars still have the engines in them from TLBT.

[Force]

Yes, they didn't open the hood in the AG movie as the engine in the car was too new for the time period the movie was meant to be wich was 1962 and the Generation 2 Big Block didn't come out until 1965:
So Revell did some "free interpretation" and put in a 348/409 under the hood in their American Grafitti 55 Die Cast model, and it had no flip nose or straight front axle either.
I have done some research in the TLB subject as I plan to build one myself one day. 
Richard Ruth built three cars for Universal Studios and the TLB movie, two indentical cars with a straigh front axle and coil overs, Muncie M-22 "Rock Crusher" gear box, Olds/Pontiac 4:88 geared rear end with ladder bars, Hurst Airheart brakes, fibre glass doors with sliding windows, trunk lid and flip nose,  and one stunt car never used in the movie.
Ruth got three new big block engines from GM, two 454 LS6 and one left over 427 L88, the Main Car for outside scenes got the 427 L88 wich from the factory produced more horse power than the 454 LS6, the Camera Car for inside scenes got one 454 and the stunt car the other 454 but had an automatic transmission and individual rear brakes.
The Camera car originally had the same tunnel ram intake and two 4bbl Holley 4160 carburators as the Outside Scene car did when it left Ruth's shop but it was changed to a single 4 bbl on a low intake for it to run better and be more reliable, and a dummy carb was mounted up in the scoop so it would look right from the inside, that car also got AC to cool the cast down, I have a picture of that setup.
The Outside Scene car and the stunt car was repainted and used in the AG movie and the camera car was sold after the TLB movie and disappeared for a time but was found by Walt Bailey and was restored back to the original TLB state by him and Ruth and was sold at Barett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale AZ back in January this year...and I belive it's the car on the second picture in the first post.

[espo]

I stand corrected ! As Bill pointed out on the matter of the rear bumper on the A/G car, I now believe it did in fact have the license plate mounted on the trunk lid and had bumper guards. I did a Google search on the cars of American Graffiti and using only the clips from the movie and not all of the other photos shown. It seems that there have been many clones of this car and it is easy to get lost in it all. It was an interesting search all the same. There is even a YouTube clip of a person who now claims ownership of the TLB car and it now has a very glossy Black paint job. The point I was trying to make to Greg ( remember the guy wanting to build the model?) was that the kit would need some modifications to the front gravel pan if he was not going to have a front bumper and that the kit also had the option of smooth bumpers if that was a direction he was thinking. Now that we've dug all the fly s@#% out of the pepper maybe we should all let Greg get on with his own vision of this '55.  

[Greg Myers]

 . . . and thus is the beauty of this board, pointed out on another thread a few days ago, "there's always a little more to learn on any given subject." 

[Longbox55]

So Revell did some "free interpretation" and put in a 348/409 under the hood in their American Grafitti 55 Die Cast model, and it had no flip nose or straight front axle either.

Ertl did something similar with their 1/18 scale version (this was during the RC@ days, not long before they got closed up) with both the AG and TLBT versions of the car. While the correct flip nose hood and front axle are present, the engine in both versions is a W head 348/409 with a somewhat awkward looking tunnel ram intake. There is also a Hot Wheels 1/64 scale version, back when they were doing their high end cars, that came in a 3 car set with the Milner Deuce. It is also done with a "free interpretation", having a regular hood and a blown 409. That particular version has been reissued individually a few time during the run of that line of Hot Wheels, with no changes but color/paint scheme. They did not do a TLBT version of it, though.

[69NovaYenko]

 All the various responses have brought to my attention all the various nuances that need to be taken into account as i contemplate this build. Thanks one and all for valued input and insight.  Happy holidays:-)

[Snake45]

Yes, very informative thread.

Personally, I'm planning to do a 2LB-ish "tribute" car. It'll look like the 2LB car on the outside (wheels, tires, paint, radiused wheel wells), but will have stock front suspension and a mild small-block. In other words, something you could actually use today as a daily driver, if you were so inclined. And if I owned such a thing, I would be so inclined, I assure you.

[Craig Irwin]

I started building one a while back, I'll start a build thread after Christmas. AMT 55 sedan, Revell 56 chassis, Revell big block and 4 speed from the 68 'Vette street machine kit, and I'll scratch build the axle.