Vintage 1:32nd Revell/AMT 56 Buick

[ChrisBcritter]

Probably because Jo-Han brought out their USA Oldies kits at the same time, so the Dodge, Plymouth, and Chrysler were already hitting shelves - which already happened to Revell in '62, so once bitten...

Edited February 13, 2021 by ChrisBcritter

[Classicgas]

2 hours ago, bisc63 said:

I'd build that Buick in a heartbeat if they just scaled up the tooling to 1/25. I wouldn't be deterred by a multi-piece body if I dig the subject. I even like that the Buick is a 4-door hardtop, an under-appreciated genre. This is one I didn't know even existed; thanks for posting!

I'm getting both the 56 Buick and 57 Cadillac  that Atlantis is reassuring even if 1/32. I highly doubt we'll ever see 1/25 variants. 

[bisc63]

5 hours ago, Classicgas said:

I'm getting both the 56 Buick and 57 Cadillac  that Atlantis is reassuring even if 1/32. I highly doubt we'll ever see 1/25 variants. 

Is the Buick for sure being reissued? Yeah, if so, I'll get one, too. I have the Cadillac and the 56 Ford, and maybe a Chrysler of some sort in the ol' stash.

[Classicgas]

  Yes sir.  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CRqSqF_mHGS3uH42XKNk0Q5Nb64g-ebkuMZ16M6WoNo/htmlview

Edited February 13, 2021 by Classicgas

[Rob Hall]

8 hours ago, bisc63 said:

Is the Buick for sure being reissued? Yeah, if so, I'll get one, too. I have the Cadillac and the 56 Ford, and maybe a Chrysler of some sort in the ol' stash.

Atlantis 1/32nd '56 Buick and '56 Cadillac are listed on Stevens, along w/ the 1/25th '57 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham.

Edited February 13, 2021 by Rob Hall

[Dave Darby]

With those simplified 2 piece tools, it would be as easy for Atlantis to unchop the 57 Ranchero as it was for Revell to chop it. 

[Dave Darby]

And who wouldn't mind seeing this come back with stock wheels? 

[stavanzer]

Dave, if we're Dreaming about the Ranchero, lets go all the way and Dream about the Country Wagon. Should be do-able.

 

[Dave Darby]

8 hours ago, alexis said:

Dave, if we're Dreaming about the Ranchero, lets go all the way and Dream about the Country Wagon. Should be do-able.

 

Absolutely. 

[#1 model citizen]

It’s been nearly a year since anyone has posted here. I haven’t seen the ’56 Buick listed in the Atlantis catolog so far. 🙁

[#1 model citizen]

I have completed the’49 Ford. The proportions are atrocious! The bumpers are too wide for the body and the front, especially the grille, is too flat (for lack of a better description). Deck lid appears to be way too short as well when compared to the Chrysler and Aurora’s Cunningham.The wheels are from the’56 Ford. I found the kit wheels too confusing to detail!

Edited January 24, 2022 by #1 model citizen

[#1 model citizen]

On 9/5/2020 at 3:38 AM, ChrisBcritter said:

It all comes down to quality of engineering, doesn't it? Revell's '55-56 cars were intricate and pretty good representations of the real cars - if you could get everything lined up during body assembly. The Chrysler has issues with the fit of the roof and worse issues with the hood - if you line it up at the cowl, it's crooked in front. I'll get the thing tamed eventually. The later multi-piece Revell kits seemed to go together better - especially the '59 Skyliner and Vette.

I have been working on 2 ‘56 Chryslers and didn’t experience this issue. The hoods required no more tweaking than most kits. I did switch the rear deck  pieces - the original issue deck with the last issue deck for a more compatible fit for both.  (Go figure) However I don’t think that anything to do with the hood fit. There is a small gap along the leading edge and I can live with that. The green (original issue) glue bomb was part of an ebay lot of Revell 1:32 built ups. It appears that the fenders are pinching the hood out of place. It also seems to be a little too long.The gap where the deck, side and roof meet seems to be the big issue for this kit. It must be filled to look decent. Had it not been for this gap on the right side one could paint a tritone color scheme with minimal masking before assembly as the body pieces are mated along the color breaks. Only the top part of the doors would require masking. I couldn’t live with that gap!As you can see I still need to foil the trim to bring out the details. But no gap!

 

 

Edited January 24, 2022 by #1 model citizen

[#1 model citizen]

The 1956 Mercury. (From the glue bomb lot) It’s only missing the bumper so hope to resurrect it some day maybe using a Ford bumper (?) Posted it to show the division of body parts.

[#1 model citizen]

Aurora also made multi piece bodies. This is their Cunningham. I believe they did several foreign sports car kits. 

[#1 model citizen]

On 8/24/2020 at 9:49 AM, unclescott58 said:

I'm wondering if they still have the tooling for the '56 Mercury, or a stock variation of the '56 Chrysler? The last time the Chrysler was reissued in Revell/Monogram's SSP program, it came out as a custom version only. I suspect tooling was modified sometime in the late-50's, early-60's, to make it not practical to reissue in a stock variation. 

 

The custom version of the Chrysler lacks only the stock grille and wheels. You would think that with all the custom kits out there a resin caster would be offering these stock parts individually or perhaps as a “conversion kit”.

If Atantis has all the tooling (stock and custom) they could come up with a two in one kit (with glass!)

 

[Casey]

11 hours ago, #1 model citizen said:

You would think that with all the custom kits out there a resin caster would be offering these stock parts individually or perhaps as a “conversion kit”.

If someone would try to sell it, they'd never sell out of them. They'd probably only sell one.

[Rob Hall]

 

 

12 minutes ago, Casey said:

If someone would try to sell it, they'd never sell out of them. They'd probably only sell one.

Apparently, the custom version of the '56 Chrysler was reissued 26 years ago. I don't remember it, but I wasn't really very active in the hobby in the mid 90s (busy busy busy in grad school).

[#1 model citizen]

45 minutes ago, Casey said:

If someone would try to sell it, they'd never sell out of them. They'd probably only sell one.

😟Am I the only one? The stock kits were selling for some strong money a few years ago. And the custom kits were and I believe still are dirt cheap. (I don’t know what the current market is) I would have to assume that presence of or lack stock parts is a lot of the reason. There seems to be some interest in the pending reissue of the stock ‘56 Buick. I would think a stock Chrysler would generate the same interest. I will say the whole series would be exciting in 1:25 scale!

Edited January 26, 2022 by #1 model citizen

[Mark]

If I remember right, someone did offer the stock Chrysler parts, as well as bodies cast as a single piece.  I'd estimate that they sold enough parts to wear out one set of molds, which would be a yardstick of sorts as to whether or not something is worth doing.

 

[Casey]

20 minutes ago, #1 model citizen said:

😟Am I the only one? The stock kits were selling for some strong money a few years ago. And the custom kits were and I believe still are dirt cheap. (I don’t know what the current market is) I would have to assume that presence of or lack stock parts is a lot of the reason. There seems to be some interest in the pending reissue of the stock ‘56 Buick. I would think a stock Chrysler would generate the same interest.

While I think the '56 Chrysler New Yorker is a beautiful car, I wouldn't want to be the one investing the time and money into offering two specific aftermarket parts which fit only one model, and a multi-piece bodied 1/32 scale model at that.

I don't know, but these 1/32 kits have a few strikes against them:

1. Not 1/25 scale. 1/32 kits are much smaller, and...
2. Not much appeal to anyone under the age of 60+, and those in that group tend not to have great eyesight, good dexterity...not good for a completed model which only measure 6" long.
3. Multi-piece bodied kits. Not many like them.
4. Four-doors. Despite the lunatic fringe claiming they'd buy a case, to try to pull one of these off requires something extra, like a movie, TV show, or YouTuber tie-in, (like the Supernatural '67 Impala) to give it wider sales appeal.
5. '56 Buick doesn't have a lot of pull nor recognition, IMHO, so not sure how much better a '56 Chrysler (though being a two-door helps) would fare.

While I think the '56 Chrysler New Yorker is a beautiful car, I wouldn't want to be the one investing the time and money into offering two specific aftermarket parts which fit only one model, and a multi-piece bodied 1/32 scale model at that.

 

31 minutes ago, #1 model citizen said:

I will say the whole series would be exciting in 1:25 scale!

The '56 Chrysler and '56 Lincoln Continental Mark II (which was also reissued in the '90s IIRC) would've been most welcomed in 1/25 scale.

[#1 model citizen]

I would have to agree with you for the most part however Atlantis must think there’s enough interest to consider the reissue of the Buick (unless they just like teasing us old fogies!)

[Brian Austin]

Slot car guys like 1:32 kits.

[Mark]

People who are into the subject matter (like someone who owns a 1:1 car) will buy every replica in every scale.  The train guys buy 1/32 scale kits too.  The kits will be cheaper than the diecasts those guys usually buy.  Between all of those people, the slot car guys, and anyone else who appreciates these kits, Atlantis will sell enough of them to make it worthwhile.

[Oldcarfan27]

On 2/13/2021 at 8:17 AM, Dave Darby said:

With those simplified 2 piece tools, it would be as easy for Atlantis to unchop the 57 Ranchero as it was for Revell to chop it. 

If it was so easy, why didn't Revell do it? Question is, why did they chop it in the first place?

 

On 2/14/2021 at 8:38 AM, alexis said:

Dave, if we're Dreaming about the Ranchero, lets go all the way and Dream about the Country Wagon. Should be do-able.

 

If Atlantis were to do tool work on this "backbirth" (as Snake says), my vote would be to go all the way back to this. This was the best rendition the tool had.

The Ranchero is wrong anyway, as the roof and doors are too short. But the doors are exactly where they're supposed to be for the wagon.

Revell never had confidence that the Country Squire restoration would bring a quick return on their  investment, but sales show that their 2 door wagon has been a consistent seller since it as released 5 or so years ago, so seems to me there is still a market for these longroofs! Market it side by side with the 59 Skyliner and they'd have a winner. 

On 1/26/2022 at 9:05 AM, #1 model citizen said:

There seems to be some interest in the pending reissue of the stock ‘56 Buick. I would think a stock Chrysler would generate the same interest. I will say the whole series would be exciting in 1:25 scale!

I agree to that! Especially the Lincoln Continental Mark II, an absolute classic! But all of them would be great to see.

[Dave Darby]

5 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

If it was so easy, why didn't Revell do it? Question is, why did they chop it in the first place?

 

If Atlantis were to do tool work on this "backbirth" (as Snake says), my vote would be to go all the way back to this. This was the best rendition the tool had.

The Ranchero is wrong anyway, as the roof and doors are too short. But the doors are exactly where they're supposed to be for the wagon.

Revell never had confidence that the Country Squire restoration would bring a quick return on their  investment, but sales show that their 2 door wagon has been a consistent seller since it as released 5 or so years ago, so seems to me there is still a market for these longroofs! Market it side by side with the 59 Skyliner and they'd have a winner. 

I agree to that! Especially the Lincoln Continental Mark II, an absolute classic! But all of them would be great to see.

When I visited the Revell plant back in 2002, I suggested they unchop the top on the Ranchero. I don't recall getting a response. Why they did id it and why they didn't undo it is beyond me. I agree completely about the accuaracy issue. Yes the doors are too short. If Atlantis has the tool (where was it produced last?) They could do one of four things. Reissue it as is, Unchop it, make it a plain fordor wagon, or re-engrave the squire paneling.