How did Lindberg end up with AMT's '34 Ford pick up molds ?

[Junkman]

1977 is the last issue by AMT. 

1992 first issue by Lindberg. 

This info is from the Directory.

That is a long time for a mold sitting in a shop with an unpaid tab on it. Makes you wonder why it was not scrapped out before that and how many more that might have been scrapped. 

15 years is considered swift in the model car industry.

[1930fordpickup]

I was just referring to the bill at the shop. 

[Mark]

Come to think about it, I seem to recall now that it was MPC that did the '40 Coupe, and rather poorly as well.

The MPC snappers ('40 Ford coupe, '50 Mercury, and Willys panel truck) are all simplified copies of AMT kits.  On the Mercury chassis, you can see traces of the seam in the AMT kit's oil pan, and traces of trunk mat detail on the top side.  But MPC did do some unique touches: the Willys panel has '34 hood side panels, a separate grille, and stock running boards.  The Mercury has 1950 side trim (but a 1949 grille like AMT's).  Round 2 now has three 1/25 scale '40 Ford coupe tools: AMT, PSM/Lindberg, and MPC snapper.   

[Robberbaron]

The MPC snappers ('40 Ford coupe, '50 Mercury, and Willys panel truck) are all simplified copies of AMT kits.  On the Mercury chassis, you can see traces of the seam in the AMT kit's oil pan, and traces of trunk mat detail on the top side.  But MPC did do some unique touches: the Willys panel has '34 hood side panels, a separate grille, and stock running boards.  The Mercury has 1950 side trim (but a 1949 grille like AMT's).  Round 2 now has three 1/25 scale '40 Ford coupe tools: AMT, PSM/Lindberg, and MPC snapper.   

Mark, you beat me to it regarding those 3 different '40 Ford coupe tools now all being in the Round 2 fold.

Since that MPC Mercury already has the 1950 side trim, seems like Round 2 could fairly easily tool up a 1950 grille assembly to make that kit a bit more unique and set it apart a bit more from the classic AMT '49 kit.  Would probably spur some better sales.

[Robberbaron]

I found that motor in this kit. Ollies had it a while ago for seven bucks.

 

I guess we're straying a bit further off the '34 Ford topic here, but anyone know the story of this '25 T kit, as well?  I've never heard it mentioned as being an old Palmer or Pyro tool.

Seems like maybe something similar to the Lindberg '40 Ford coupe: a rip-off by Lindberg of the AMT Tall T?  Definitely are differences, since it has a flathead instead of the AMT's Lincoln V8.  I was also surprised a couple months ago to hear that they decided to throw that T-Bird engine into this reissue.  I was kind of thinking of getting one of these just for a parts source, but I don't know if any of the parts are decent enough to bother using on anything else (aside from the AMT T-Bird engine, maybe).

Edited February 26, 2016 by Robberbaron

[Johnt671]

There were some odd parts in the kit that looked like it was made to be motorized. If I remember there was a gear and what looked like a battery holder in the kit. I'll get a picture tomorrow. I didn't intend to to sidetrack the thread, and posted the picture because some one sounded like they were looking for a T-Bird motor in chrome, and this kit has that motor.

[Mark]

The T coupe was a Lindberg kit from day one.  Early issues included an electric motor that had to be assembled (!), later ones cane with an assembled motor.  Later ones yet did not include a motor.  The body and fenders are a little bit smaller than AMT's '25 T parts.  That last issue included the plated tree from the '34 pickup, along with tires.  The stand-alone T coupe, motorized or not, had plastic tires and no plated parts. 

[Tom Geiger]

The T coupe was a Lindberg kit from day one.  

that body would be tiny if it was described as 1/25, never mind 1/24!  Nowhere near that size.  In fact it's a perfect kit to put a huge motor in because it will look like a Zinger.

[Robberbaron]

that body would be tiny if it was described as 1/25, never mind 1/24!  Nowhere near that size.  In fact it's a perfect kit to put a huge motor in because it will look like a Zinger.

So in other words, nix the idea of using it as a parts source (except maybe the tree from the AMT '34 truck)...

[Tom Geiger]

So in other words, nix the idea of using it as a parts source (except maybe the tree from the AMT '34 truck)...

Bingo!

[Mark]

I just checked a Lindberg T body against an AMT one...the AMT is longer by maybe 1/4", and a shade narrower.  The fender unit is about 1/2" shorter, but probably narrower by the same amount.  I didn't compare the height of the bodies, as I checked against the chopped version of the AMT body. 

[Art Anderson]

I just checked a Lindberg T body against an AMT one...the AMT is longer by maybe 1/4", and a shade narrower.  The fender unit is about 1/2" shorter, but probably narrower by the same amount.  I didn't compare the height of the bodies, as I checked against the chopped version of the AMT body. 

Something worth considering:  Back in the 1950's and 60's, Lindberg, and Paul Lindberg the company President, was interested primarily in low budget model kits for low retail price--their products tended to be the stuff of dime stores, or low-price kits at hobby shops.  As such, with only a couple of exceptions, Lindberg really did not do much in the way of reference and research on their model car kits.

Art

 

[Mark]

A lot of those Lindberg kits are cribbed off of AMT kits.  There's a custom '32 pickup that has a cab that looks like the front half of AMT's '32 3-window coupe.  The engine and cut-down hood resemble optional parts from the same kit.  There's a fenderless rod that looks like a combination of parts from the Ala Kart/'29 Ford roadster double kit.  The engine in that one is very similar to the Ala Kart's Dodge engine; even has the lettering on the rocker covers.  There are a few others like that, for the most part "inspired" by other companies' offerings.

[Johnt671]

The chrome parts in the T kit had a nice assortment of custom parts and tools.