Lindberg '52 Chevy Fastback 1/32

[Lunajammer]

While laying the groundwork for a project that uses this kit, I decided to share an up close look what this kit is, so that others may learn and grow in wisdom. It's a simple but good kit and fits together pretty well.

 

[Lunajammer]

It's hard to make out from this photo but door detail is etched into the back side of the door piece.

The multi piece body fits together really well. No fuss. Proportionately, it looks pretty good. Don't let the simplicity of this very old offering deter you from considering it for a pretty fair 1/32 project.

The Lindberg 49 Ford that's part of the same series, is also an okay kit but proportionately I never thought it measures up as well this one.

Edited April 2, 2017 by Lunajammer

[Mike999]

Nice look at this oldie, thanks!  That surviving inner door detail is really amazing considering this kit dates back to the early 1960s, when it was released by the long-gone Pyro company. 

The link below goes to a history of Pyro, with box-art photos for all their kits.  I really wish Lindberg would unearth some things like the '32 and '34 Plymouth 4-door sedans.  I'm always looking for interesting old cars to use in 1/32 dioramas, so I have quite a few of these Pyro, Life-Like and Lindberg kits stashed away.

Pyro also issued a '52 Chevy station wagon, shown below.  I really wish that one would turn up, too.

http://www.oldmodelkits.com/blog/plastic-model-kit-history/the-kits-of-pyro-plastic-company-an-illustrated-guide/
 

 

 

[Lunajammer]

What a great link. I didn't know there were so many 1/32 offerings of some great subjects. Some others in there I'd long forgotten about. I still have the '57 Chevy convertible half built from when I was a teen.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Nice topic. The body does indeed look pretty good. I'm not much of a fan of 1/32 for cars, but some decent models could look great displayed with aircraft in the same scale.

[unclescott58]

Just built the Lindberg Chevy 2-door a few weeks ago. Over all not a bad kit. I had fun with it. The model seems a little small for 1/32 scale. But that's okay. I'd love to find the station wagon.

Scott

 

[Edsel-Dan]

I have the Wagon Body, but need the Interior!!

I also Wish More of these would get re-issued!!

[Mark]

I have the Wagon Body, but need the Interior!!

I also Wish More of these would get re-issued!!

The wagon interior consisted of the front seat, plus the floorboard forward of that.  No rear seat or load floor.  I've got a Fleetline interior to cut apart for the rear seat, will have to scratch the load area.

[Mike999]

Here's a link to a discussion about the '52 Chevy 1/32 kits, on a vintage (real) Chevy forum.  One guy built the current Lindberg '52 and it looks pretty good.

The station wagon kit has some errors, which are also discussed.  The biggest error:  it's a 2-door wagon, and Chevy didn't make any of those from 1949 to 1954. And the kit instructions show a rear seat in the wagon...but it still has the package tray attached!

http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/340271/

 

[Edsel-Dan]

I have 2 of the Fleetline kit I built Way Back when too!!

only got the Wagon body a couple years ago

[unclescott58]

Here's a link to a discussion about the '52 Chevy 1/32 kits, on a vintage (real) Chevy forum.  One guy built the current Lindberg '52 and it looks pretty good.

The station wagon kit has some errors, which are also discussed.  The biggest error:  it's a 2-door wagon, and Chevy didn't make any of those from 1949 to 1954. And the kit instructions show a rear seat in the wagon...but it still has the package tray attached!

http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/340271/

 

Interesting thread. It makes me rethink whether I really want a wagon kit or not? If Round 2 Lindberg chose to reissue it, or I could pickup an unmolested one, I probably would. But, knowing what I know now, I'm not going to go out of my way to hunt one down.

Scott 

[Dave Van]

I have a real soft spot for PYRO kits and have collected a number of them. As a kid it was much easier to talk Mom into a 39 cent PYRO kit than a $1 AMT kit at PIC N SAVE. I didn't like the kits at the time....no chrome was the biggest issue. But now I'd buy them all again if R2 decides to run them all again. Great thread. 

[stavanzer]

I've seen the PYRO '52 Chevy in a diorama with a 1/32 Scale F-86 Sabre Jet.  Painted in Strata Blue with USAF Staff Car markings. It looked great.

[blunc]

The 1/32 scale '52 Chevys and the '49 Fords released by Pyro etc make my brain scream "SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT" when I see them built.

Nothing that the builders do is amiss...it's the front of the cars.

It seems like the mold makers were working from the box art rather than measurements from real cars.

The front of the model is too flat and the chevy hood "nose" is too far back...with a similar frontal and hood issue on the '49 ford and it feels like the front clip is too long with the rear quarters being too short.

These issues have put these kits way down in my list of kits/ideas to build.

Don't get me wrong, I have a couple of each but I need to figure out a way to resolve the manufacturer issues before I will feel like working on them.

The Pyro '34 Victoria is about fourth or fifth down in my list and while it looks like the '34 Vicky has some dimensional issues, the discrepancies lend themselves more to street rodding in a way that I can ignore and move forward.

[Mike999]

Here's a Chevy of that vintage still in daily use as a taxi, when I worked in Egypt from 2005-09.  I saw it every morning, going from village to village packed with people.  If it's like most old American cars in Egypt, it's probably running on a Russian truck engine.  Or maybe the original block with modified Russian internal parts.  Every village in Egypt still has a blacksmith with an old-fashioned forge, and they do some amazing mechanical work.

 

[Lunajammer]

Here's a link to a discussion about the '52 Chevy 1/32 kits, on a vintage (real) Chevy forum.  One guy built the current Lindberg '52 and it looks pretty good.

http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/340271/

 

Here are the finished shots posted from that site. Thanks to RAM_51 who posted them.

[unclescott58]

Interesting to note. The box for the wagon version does state that is a "'52 Custom Wagon." I'm guessing that's how they explain the car as having only two-doors and the exact same interior as the Fleetline kit. It is obvious the only difference between the two kits is the center body section with the roof. Pyro was saving some tooling expenses in doing a variation off of the '52 Fleetline kit. I'm sure they thought that most kids did not know that Chevrolet did not offer a two-door wagon at the time. Or would care. And if they did. Like I point out, it states that it is a Custom Wagon right on the box.

Scott

 

[Lunajammer]

Pretty easy conversion to 4-door wagon. Just rescribe the panel lines, cut off the package shelf and add a panel behind the rear seat. Since the interior is sparse anyway, I'm not sure how crazy I would get into detail beyond that. It still wouldn't be accurate, but that ship sailed before you opened the kit anyway.

Edited April 5, 2017 by Lunajammer