Promo style chassises

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, Richard Bartrop said:

Unnecessary rules are part of the fun.  It's those necessary ones that are a drag.

I can't disagree with that.

 

 

Steve

[Tom Geiger]

Considering that I just finished up a '63 Valiant with an AMT '71 Duster chassis under it! 

It all depends on the project.  I've built my share of curb sides, and kits with the promo style chassis.   But if there is a nice modern kit chassis available, why not?

 

Edited December 22, 2018 by Tom Geiger

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 hours ago, Richard Bartrop said:

...It's those necessary ones that are a drag.

Yeah, like the one that the singular "chassis" (pronounced "chassee") is still "chassis" when it's plural (pronounced chasseez).

Ain't Englush funn?  

[StevenGuthmiller]

4 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Ain't Englush funn?  

Nope!

 

 

Steve

[Richard Bartrop]

7 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Yeah, like the one that the singular "chassis" (pronounced "chassee") is still "chassis" when it's plural (pronounced chasseez).

Ain't Englush funn?  

But everyone kicks and screams when you try to switch to something nice and rational like Esperanto, so what can you do?

[Ace-Garageguy]

8 minutes ago, Richard Bartrop said:

But everyone kicks and screams when you try to switch to something nice and rational like Esperanto, so what can you do?

Jes, ĉi tio aspektas racia.   

[StevenGuthmiller]

16 minutes ago, Tom Geiger said:

But if there is a nice modern kit chassis available, why not?

Absolutely!

Right now I'm working on my '67 Galaxie which has a pretty fair chassis under it, (separate springs, shocks, rear axle, exhaust) and while it's not optimal, it will do just fine.

I'm hoping that my next project will be an AMT '64 Pontiac Grand Prix.

If so, I might possibly use the AMT '62 Pontiac Catalina chassis which basically drops right in like it was made for it!

There will likely be some transmission tunnel clearance issues, but it should be a relatively easy swap.

Now, on the other hand, If I should decide to start my '64 Bonneville convertible build instead, I will likely just use the original chassis.

I probably won't want to mess with stretching the chassis.

 

Steve

 

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 minute ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Jes, ĉi tio aspektas racia.   

Uh, yeah.......I'll stick with English.

 

 

Steve

[Ace-Garageguy]

I really prollyobly otter build a couple of curbsides on blobular chassisseezez just to get something under glass before I die.  

Edited December 22, 2018 by Ace-Garageguy

[Snake45]

26 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I really prollyobly otter build a couple of curbsides on blobular chassisseezez just to get something under glass before I die.  

HAHAHAHAAHA! Yah, if you never finish one, what difference does it make what chassis is under it anyway? 

[russosborne]

On 12/22/2018 at 10:01 AM, Snake45 said:

Now you have two friends in that category. 

Add another one here. I only build for nostalgia. Hopefully a bit better than when I was 8 or 9, but I just want that feeling again.

I build strictly for myself. And I just want something that looks good when it's done and on a shelf. This applies to other areas such as accuracy as well. If someone were to see it and recognize the make and model, close enough for me.

I've got one kit I've been working on for almost 20 years. It's the 56 Chevy Nomad that I am converting into a back halved tubbed Pro Street model. This is really the only kit I can remember doing more to the chassis than detail painting, and mostly that is flat black with red suspension and silver exhaust. And that might be why it has been so long, I pull it out, redo the tub as I've learned/read of a better way of doing it using a different kit source, and then get frustrated and put it away.

Thanks,

Russ

 

Edited December 24, 2018 by russosborne

[Reegs]

Yeah, I hear ya, Greg, blob undercarriage. That's why, back in the day, I could never get too worked up over the annuals. They were just unassembled promos - not that I knew what a promo was. At the time I couldn't understand why they did it, but now I do.   

But still ...  Maybe if the weren't making kits for "the kids" ...

Can't get worked up over the re-issues, either.

Edited December 27, 2018 by Reegs

[Tom Geiger]

38 minutes ago, Reegs said:

Yeah, I hear ya, Greg, blob undercarriage. That's why, back in the day, I could never get too worked up over the annuals. They were just unassembled promos - not that I knew what a promo was. At the time I couldn't understand why they did it, but now I do.   

But still ...  Maybe if the weren't making kits for "the kids" ...

It is what it is!  Model building started out as a pastime for kids.  Same kids today, only we got old when nobody was looking!  As both the hobby and injection molding technology matured, we've come a long way to the kits that are being produced today. We owe a lot of this to the Japanese manufacturers who led the way to amazing kits. The new Revell has been described as "Tamiya-like"  on this board.

The collectibles hobby hadn't evolved back in the day.  That's why the early Hess trucks and Hot Wheels are valuable today. They were just toys then, adults weren't collecting them in that era.  Today we have the best of worlds,  due to business inefficiencies of the past  all this glorious tooling somehow survived, stored willy nilly in dead warehouses. That wouldn't happen in today's fast paced, computerized business world!  So we have the privilege of buying and building the kits we remember building as kids.  AND we have the ability to improve them to modern standards with the chassis and assemblies from more contemporary kits.  Life is pretty darn good!

[Deathgoblin]

I'll build anything at least once.    Might make some adjustments along the way.

[Jantrix]

When I decide on a model and how it will be built, I come up with a plan. If a one piece promo chassis doesn't hinder said plan, it's all good. Simple as that.

[Ace-Garageguy]

42 minutes ago, Jantrix said:

When I decide on a model and how it will be built, I come up with a plan. If a one piece promo chassis doesn't hinder said plan, it's all good. Simple as that.

Works for me.  

[mikemodeler]

On 12/22/2018 at 6:27 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

I really prollyobly otter build a couple of curbsides on blobular chassisseezez just to get something under glass before I die.  

That is exactly why about half my finished builds are Revell Snappers! And for the glue kits that I have finished, the chassis detail depends on the kit and what came in it. With little exception, I am using what the manufacturer gave me. Some paint and I am good to go!

I have done a few chassis swaps, but it was to get what I wanted, like using the 84 GMC Deserter kit to give me a 4x4 chassis to put a 72 Chevy pickup on. Swapped a couple of pro street chassis too.

I struggle to get em finished, with a shiny paint job and some decent foil or chrome pen work to boot. I look at the hobby as a form of relaxing and expressing my artsy side and try not to get caught up in minute details and historical accuracy. Some have a different opinion and strive for accuracy that I will never achieve and I am okay with that.

The Modelhaus crew cab 64 Dodge pickup that cost me $105 has an accurate (to my eye) body and decent interior. The chassis Don supplied with it is a promo style and somewhat disappointing but understandable. I might explore using something else when the time comes to build it as I would like to alter the ride height or possibly make it into a 4x4.

 

[Carmak]

As most annuals from the golden era (1958 to 1980ish) were derived from promos the fact that there were any with non-promo chassis is surprising.

Take the 65-70 full size Fords: 65 - Very detailed chassis for the era, 66 - Promo style chassis, 67-69 Similar to the 65 level of detail and 70 - Promo style. An argument could be made that the detail was needed to sell the full size car models as their popularity in the 1:1 world fell, but why go back and forth.

MPC Corvette chassis detail was very good for the era but all of their Mopar chassis were promo style. Looking back there looks to be no rhyme or reason to what got detail or what did not.

 

If given the choice between chassis (or even under hood) detail or body proportion I will take a properly proportioned body every time. A detailed caricature is a non starter for me (Revell 69 Mustang for example).

JoHan had some of the best proportioned bodies on some of the worst chassis (except the Turbine car, and front drive Eldos and Toros) of the golden era and I don't need to say anything about how desirable their kits are.

[Oldmopars]

On 12/27/2018 at 8:03 AM, mikemodeler said:

That is exactly why about half my finished builds are Revell Snappers! And for the glue kits that I have finished, the chassis detail depends on the kit and what came in it. With little exception, I am using what the manufacturer gave me. Some paint and I am good to go!

I have done a few chassis swaps, but it was to get what I wanted, like using the 84 GMC Deserter kit to give me a 4x4 chassis to put a 72 Chevy pickup on. Swapped a couple of pro street chassis too.

I struggle to get em finished, with a shiny paint job and some decent foil or chrome pen work to boot. I look at the hobby as a form of relaxing and expressing my artsy side and try not to get caught up in minute details and historical accuracy. Some have a different opinion and strive for accuracy that I will never achieve and I am okay with that.

The Modelhaus crew cab 64 Dodge pickup that cost me $105 has an accurate (to my eye) body and decent interior. The chassis Don supplied with it is a promo style and somewhat disappointing but understandable. I might explore using something else when the time comes to build it as I would like to alter the ride height or possibly make it into a 4x4.

 

On your 64 Dodge, the chassis of most 4x4 trucks are close enough that you could steal the chassis from a Chevy 4x4 (Like the Deserter) and put it under the Dodge, as long as the Diffs are on the correct side and you use the right running gear, you will be the only one to know.

AS for the topic, I like a nice detailed chassis and engine, but I have done 2 Ghost Busters Caddy's and had a great time with them. No engine and a promo slab chassis, made one a GB car and the other an Ambulance. So if I like the subject it does not matter.

Edited December 31, 2018 by Oldmopars

[Justin Porter]

Because the "construction" of the model is really the part that I enjoy most of all, I like complex sub-assemblies and all the parts that give me a chance to sit back and go "Ah, so that's how that part of the car went together."

I genuinely dislike promo or motorized style chassis because they do rob me of the building I enjoy most, and quite frankly when compared to some of the full-interior armor kits on the market by Takom or Rye Field, a full detail car kit is a doddle. 

[mikemodeler]

17 hours ago, Oldmopars said:

On your 64 Dodge, the chassis of most 4x4 trucks are close enough that you could steal the chassis from a Chevy 4x4 (Like the Deserter) and put it under the Dodge, as long as the Diffs are on the correct side and you use the right running gear, you will be the only one to know.

AS for the topic, I like a nice detailed chassis and engine, but I have done 2 Ghost Busters Caddy's and had a great time with them. No engine and a promo slab chassis, made one a GB car and the other an Ambulance. So if I like the subject it does not matter.

Thanks for the tip. I will probably try to cut out the front and rear suspension and graft in the 4x4 drivetrain if I go that route. It will take some scratch building to do that but probably easier than making a new chassis, we will see.