Trumpeter Bonneville

[RichCostello]

I just got a Trumpeter 60 Bonneville convertible. It looks like a cool kit, it was open, and has 2 complete chrome trees(1 dull-1shiney).

I haven't gone through it  real close yet, but I didn't notice the metal transfer emblems(not sure what I'm looking for).

Does anyone who has built this kit have any tips, tricks or things to look out for?

Thanks                                              ''

[High octane]

1 chrome tree that was dull was a factory mistake and was replaced with a new chrome tree that was acceptable.

[MrObsessive]

I'm not 100% sure about this, but I thought that the convertible didn't have the correct interior in it. I don't have this one (I have the hardtop), but it was something to do with it not having the right pattern, or it was a custom or something. It's been so long that someone mentioned this kit I may have 'em mixed up with something else.

Now the hardtop..........I could go on for hours with the issues on that one!

[SfanGoch]

8 hours ago, RichCostello said:

I didn't notice the metal transfer emblems

That's because there aren't any. Never were included despite what the info on the box indicates. 

A lot of guys who actually build this kit will opt for a complete roof transplant, using an RM '59/'60 Impala roof. I went the other way. I just cut the Trumpeter roof, extended it by 2 mm and reworked the shape of the A and C pillars. Works for me and the result is more than acceptable.

Another way to correct the Trumpeter roof is to measure off 25  mm from the edge of the windshield frame and make a cut at this point. Remove the rest of the roof/backlite, making a straight cut along the tulip panel along the rear window frame and 2-3 mm from the C pillars. If you have a 'RM '59 Impala body, mark off 26 mm, measured from the upper window trim toward the front, and make a cut along there. Make a straight cut along the edge of the lower window trim in the same manner as on the Trumpeter body. The reason for the 25 & 26 mm dimensions is that the roof length is supposed to be exactly 51 mm front-to-back. The RM roof section will essentially drop in. I prefer the '59 Impala roof over the '60 because the vents found along the bottom of the '60's rear window weren't found on the Bonneville and the '59 roof sheet metal was also used for the Pontiac. That location for the vent on the top of the '59 Impala's roof is a lot easier to fill in than trying to remove those vents at the base of the '60's rear window.

[RichCostello]

Yeah, I know the hardtop body is a mess, but my kit is a convertible, and it looks pretty good to me.

Bill, I think you might be right about the interior, so I'll just do it as a mild custom. That way I won't have to worry about the interior, or the emblems.

Does anyone have any pics of one built, or in the process of being built?

[SfanGoch]

Bill, I've read the same thing about this kit at automotiveforums.com some years ago. If that was true, explain these photos I found. The interior for the convertible seems to have the correct pattern. I'm looking at the parts on Sprue "C"  from the convertible and the photos below of actual cars, found on a couple of auction sites, with full bench seats. The kit upholstery and door panel patterns match the photos. The rear seat pattern can be easily adjusted to match the first picture.  All three cars are restored to factory condition and not customs, BTW. 

[MrObsessive]

3 hours ago, SfanGoch said:

Bill, I've read the same thing about this kit at automotiveforums.com some years ago. If that was true, explain these photos I found. The interior for the convertible seems to have the correct pattern. I'm looking at the parts on Sprue "C"  from the convertible and the photos below of actual cars, found on a couple of auction sites, with full bench seats. The kit upholstery and door panel patterns match the photos. The rear seat pattern can be easily adjusted to match the first picture.  All three cars are restored to factory condition and not customs, BTW. 

Every 1960 Pontiac Bonneville I've ever seen (in person and on the 'net) had some kind of 'tri-tone' color and the pattern/stitching in the door panels and such reflected that. That was kind of a trademark for Pontiac during that era. I'm not sure what that's supposed to be Joe, but that's not like any '60 Poncho I've ever seen. In fact, it looks a lot like that Trumpeter kit's interior, and for all we know it could have been the very car they used.

If you take a look here, you'll see what looks to me a totally restored '60 Poncho Bonneville, with that tri colored interior. Also doing a quick and dirty search here, yielded a ton of pics with practically all of them having the same patterned interiors.

As I mentioned I don't have the kit, and the interior isn't why I never bothered to pick it up. It lacks an uptop which to me with any convertible kit is always a big turnoff. One could use I guess the Revell '59 Impala's top with some tweaking, but it drives me crazy when the kit makers will go through the trouble of tooling up a convertible kit, but for whatever reason leave out the uptop.

[SfanGoch]

Those are photos of three different cars, Bill, not a single example. If this was a "custom" pattern, I really don't think that one would find the same upholstery pattern in three different cars from three different locations. This particular pattern can be found in the 1960 Pontiac Color & Upholstery Dealer Album; but, I'm not going to waste $350 to corroborate this. I do know that it was available in Catalinas from that same period; so, it was obviously available for Bonnevilles too. I appreciate your automotive knowledge; but,  you haven't seen all 17,082 '60 Pontiac Bonneville Convertibles manufactured. I'm not going to belabor the point because I'm not going to change your mind on this. How about looking through the 101 photos of the car in the second picture I posted? If you read through the overview, the following pretty much says it all:

"Recently out of an extensive private collection where it was owned for 27 years, this car is in museum quality shape."

 This car wouldn't be described as such if it was customized in any way.

Here are more shots of the interior. You couldn't ask for a better pictorial reference for this kit.

 

Say what you want. The pictures don't lie. Trumpeter actually got it right, down to the last stitch.

Edited September 15, 2018 by SfanGoch

[RichCostello]

That's good news. I guess I can do a correct stock interior.

[modelercarl]

I have attached a picture from the 1960 Pontiac Dealer Brochure that spells out the stock interiors offered for the Bonneville that model year.  As you can see the picture shows the tri-color interior as a stock offering (five colors available) and then in the word descriptions it say that you can get an "all Morrokide in four colors"  So both a tri-color and a solid single color were standard options.

[espo]

The example of the interior in the 1:1 white convertible looks like a very nice semi-custom interior. You might look at www.oldbrochures.com and see what the original sales brochures show for interiors. I think that a majority of the images you will find on line and else where are of cars that have been modified in many ways, and the interiors are often done in this fashion. 

[dodgefever]

On 15/09/2018 at 1:58 PM, SfanGoch said:

Those are photos of three different cars, Bill, not a single example. If this was a "custom" pattern, I really don't think that one would find the same upholstery pattern in three different cars from three different locations.

Three different cars, three different door panel upholstery patterns too.  The Barret-Jackson car pictured is described as having a custom interior.  The obvious conclusion is that Trumpeter copied a restored car with a non-stock interior.

[Can-Con]

9 hours ago, modelercarl said:

I have attached a picture from the 1960 Pontiac Dealer Brochure that spells out the stock interiors offered for the Bonneville that model year.  As you can see the picture shows the tri-color interior as a stock offering (five colors available) and then in the word descriptions it say that you can get an "all Morrokide in four colors"  So both a tri-color and a solid single color were standard options.

Where it says "all Morrokide in four colors" I'm pretty sure it means 4 of the color combos in all vinyl [Morrokide] as apposed to the vinyl and cloth, not one solid color.  

I was thinking that maybe the convertible was available with a different pattern for it's all vinyl upholstery or maybe it was a Canadian car they had for reference [even though Bonnevilles were not sold in Canada] but I can't find any evidence of either of those being possible either.

I'd tend to agree with Stu about them copying a car with a custom interior and not knowing the difference.

Edited September 16, 2018 by Can-Con

[mike 51]

Sure looks "custom" to me...too plain for a Bonneville.

[Bucky]

This one appears to be in a '59 Pontiac:

 

http://www.autopaedia.com/en/galleries/Pontiac/Pontiac_Catalina/Pontiac_Catalina_2nd_generation_1959-1960_(1959_convertible_2d)_(01)_-IN1-.php

[MrObsessive]

Test.........trying to comment but getting 404 errors.............

 

[StevenGuthmiller]

I suppose that anything is possible, but I have never seen anything other than a tri-tone interior in a Bonneville.

 

On 9/14/2018 at 9:34 PM, SfanGoch said:

Bill, I've read the same thing about this kit at automotiveforums.com some years ago. If that was true, explain these photos I found. The interior for the convertible seems to have the correct pattern. I'm looking at the parts on Sprue "C"  from the convertible and the photos below of actual cars, found on a couple of auction sites, with full bench seats. The kit upholstery and door panel patterns match the photos. The rear seat pattern can be easily adjusted to match the first picture.  All three cars are restored to factory condition and not customs, BTW. 

 

My information is showing that this is a photo of a Catalina.

This doesn't even look correct for a Catalina.

 

Steve

[MrObsessive]

Ok, let's see if the third time's the charm.

My initial comments about the kit was due to talking to diehard Pontiac guys, and how they were quite disappointed in how Trumpeter did the interior on the convertible. Some of them were convinced they used a car that did not have the factory interior, but used one that may have been a 'custom' or aftermarket. They got it right on the hardtop (I have that kit), but the hardtop has its own issues as far as the roofline shape. Fixable, but not without some somewhat extensive surgery.

Now, because a museum or prestigious car dealer has a 'restored' car for sale, that doesn't always translate into that car being correct per the factory. Estate sales come to mind where they have to rely on the survivors knowledge of the car, and without the proper paperwork and such, who knows??

I still say that I've never seen any '60 Bonneville with that plain of an interior, and even though Morrokide did come in solid colors, that still doesn't explain away the incorrect door/seat patterns of the cars pictured. One could build that kit and be correct, but according to A particular car, and not to what Pontiac offered in 1960.

[RichCostello]

So, I'll have a 60 Pontiac with a custom interior. Really not a big deal to me.

I trust Bill, and Steve on the fact that it isn't stock.

[Mike Chernecki]

Do a search on Mecum.com for 1960 Pontiac. Several past auctions come up, nearly every one has the Tri-Tone interior. Btw, Mecom.com is a great research site.

[Ron Hamilton]

When I built my Trumpeter 60 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible, I had the interior from the hardtop kit cast in resin, and modified those parts to fit in the convertible. I redid the rear seat to fit. It took a little time but it worked for me. I had to do it. My dad had a triple red 60 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible. I built a model to replicate his car, except for the Modelhaus 62 Pontiac 8 lug wheels and Satco Firestone Deluxe Champions, which I used on my build to replace those horrible parts supplied by Trumpeter.

I have a hardtop in my collection to build. I have not decided on the color combination. Also I am rebuilding an AMT hardtop that's currently in primer.

I only wish that I had gotten my hands on a Modelhaus Resin Vista Hardtop roof.  I would have loved to turn that Trumpeter hard top into a four door.

[Bucky]

And......while searching the Googlenet for Pontiacs, I ran across this:

[MrObsessive]

11 minutes ago, Ron Hamilton said:

I only wish that I had gotten my hands on a Modelhaus Resin Vista Hardtop roof.  I would have loved to turn that Trumpeter hard top into a four door.

Great minds think alike Ron..........that was one of those MUST HAVE items from Don and Carol I got before they shut things down. When I'll get to it who knows, but that is a future project I have in mind.