Monogram Chevy Luv Coming soon

[disconovaman]

Yes!!!!

[stavanzer]

Lousy Wheels, but you can swap wheels from any of the old Monogram (Revell) '55 Ford Pickup kits, or the Monogram (Revell) '40 Ford Pickup kits. Gives you better choices.

I'm wantin' one.

[Luc Janssens]

IIRC the wheels and tires were similar to those in the Chevy Black Gold Van.

 

[1972coronet]

Perhaps a set of 6-lug steel wheels from Scenes Unlimited would work as well . 

[Casey]

3 hours ago, Luc Janssens said:

IIRC the wheels and tires were similar to those in the Chevy Black Gold Van.

Yes, and the '55 Ford Panel truck kits, too.

I like that Revell is (correctly, IMHO) labeling this one a Monogram kit, too.

[martinfan5]

4 hours ago, alexis said:

Lousy Wheels, but you can swap wheels from any of the old Monogram (Revell) '55 Ford Pickup kits, or the Monogram (Revell) '40 Ford Pickup kits. Gives you better choices.

I'm wantin' one.

One of the comments for the news video I did for it suggested the wheels from the AMT '51 Chevy kit( he said thats what he used)

 

[Luc Janssens]

7 hours ago, Casey said:

Yes, and the '55 Ford Panel truck kits, too.

I like that Revell is (correctly, IMHO) labeling this one a Monogram kit, too.

Interesting also, that it says, "molded in the USA" which means not all of the tooling left the country or was sold.

[Mr mopar]

Would be cool if the Mojave Mule parts were in the box too ?

Edited February 15, 2020 by Mr mopar

[niteowl7710]

11 hours ago, Luc Janssens said:

Interesting also, that it says, "molded in the USA" which means not all of the tooling left the country or was sold.

Blitz only disposed (via sale to Atlantis) the oddball, off scale, and scratch and dent stuff they had no use for, the rest was transferred from Elk Grove Village to the facility in Chicago Heights that had been running their US based tooling for several years prior to Hobbico imploding.

[Casey]

I was wondering what was embedded within the quarter panel stripe...:

Plenty of reference images here, too: https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2018/04/16/luv-for-sale-at-texas-classic-auction/

Edited February 15, 2020 by Casey

[Russell C]

My one original gripe with the Monogram kits is that I think the headlight diameters are too big, which narrows and heightens the grille. Pic below from my thread on the Revell choptop kits, where a reply mentioned the Monogram ones.  That's my old high school era '73 that I'd put a '77 bumper on and a homemade air dam.  The Monograms are '73s with the horizontal rectangular taillights, but in this new release, I'm wondering if the well-intentioned decals are too new for the kit. So far, I only find the "Mighty Mike" decals on '77s, but my search results might be letting me down, so someone might correct me on that. "Mike" being short for the Luv's Mikado trim option for the years before '77, I think.

[highway]

I'm happy to see this coming out because it has been one I've wanted but not wanted to pay the crazy prices to buy to build, and even happier that I didn't sell a resin Outlaw style hood I got in a resin parts lot for this kit! It was going to hit the chopping block because I thought I'd never have this kit but thanks to the reissue it will find it's way to the shelf. 

[kurth]

This is a welcome reissue. I really like the small pickups of this era, and the desert sunset scene depicted on the decals for the camper shell really look cool to me.  I might do something different with the wheels, but that is easy, having the kit is the important part. 

[Deathgoblin]

Sweet!  Going to get at least one of these. 

[Casey]

On 2/15/2020 at 11:06 PM, Russell C said:

I'm wondering if the well-intentioned decals are too new for the kit. 

Considering there's a V8 under the hood, I think accurate, stock details were thrown out the window back in '77 or so. ?

Any '70s and '80s era Monogram or Revell kit which hasn't been in the regular reissue cycle over the last 25+ years is best enjoyed as it is, or considered a decent starting point. 100% accuracy wasn't always Monogram's strength, but the basic kit got you 75% of the way there. Yes, the grille and headlight are too large, the chassis and floor pan detail simplified, and the eight lug wheels on a 1/4 ton 4-cylinder pickup are overkill, but the only other LUV option is the heavily customized Revell kit with an aftermarket bed, so that whole beggars and choosers thing seems to apply quite well with this kit.

[stavanzer]

Mine will most likely get some Monogram 1/24 Centerlines swapped in, and the rest will be OOB.  I want one of these kit though. I ruined one in 1978, and I'd like another crack at it.

[espo]

I think I might buy one this time around. Just wasn't into the LUV pick up when this kit was first released, but now I'm thinking a nice little small block with a flat hood and road race stance, wheels, and lots of rubber. 

[mikemodeler]

On 2/15/2020 at 5:41 PM, Casey said:

I was wondering what was embedded within the quarter panel stripe...:

Plenty of reference images here, too: https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2018/04/16/luv-for-sale-at-texas-classic-auction/

I remember building the Mojave Mule and the Street Machine version back in the day. Didn't realize at the time just how basic these kits were but had fun nonetheless. I will pick up one of these, maybe two. Definitely will be swapping wheels and tires and if a correct engine could be found, that too! 

[stavanzer]

Here are the instructions for the Mojave Mule.

https://public.fotki.com/drasticplasticsmcc/mkiba-build-under-c/monogram-instructions/monster-trucks--pullers/monogram-mojave-mule-/?view=roll#1

The differences I can see are: Wheels, Roll Bar, Front Axle, Push Bumper and Windscreen "Buzzard Bars".

I wonder if any 'extra' parts will be in the box.

[mikemodeler]

1 hour ago, alexis said:

Here are the instructions for the Mojave Mule.

https://public.fotki.com/drasticplasticsmcc/mkiba-build-under-c/monogram-instructions/monster-trucks--pullers/monogram-mojave-mule-/?view=roll#1

The differences I can see are: Wheels, Roll Bar, Front Axle, Push Bumper and Windscreen "Buzzard Bars".

I wonder if any 'extra' parts will be in the box.

The tires in the Mojave Mule are the same Goodyear Trackers seen in the recent GMC Plow Truck . If I look through my junk box, I might be able to find a wheel or two and I think I still have the front bumper and tool box.

 

[Jantrix]

On 2/14/2020 at 2:51 PM, alexis said:

Lousy Wheels

But, they are eight lug. Which is rare and gives you options for other builds.

 

 

[stavanzer]

Yeah, Mike & Rob, those (ex) Monogram Goodyear Trackers are very Long-in-the-Tooth. Most of us should have a several sets in our junk boxes. Monogram used them in just about every truck or jeep they tooled for 20 years. I kinda wish Revell would tool up something else, but that will never happen.  I had not noticed the Eight (!) Lug Wheels on the new Luv. I'm sure that the optional wheels on the GMC Plow truck will work on the LUV.

I hope if this sells well, that Revell will consider a 4x4 version of the LUV. The Mule would be nice, but the parts from the High Roller Version would be nice to have back too.

(Bet Most Folks don't Know there was a High Roller version of the LUV)

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/monogram-2280-chevy-luv-high-roller--539172

http://www.popscreen.com/p/MTE2NDg2ODMw/CHEVY-LUV-4x4-Truck-LIFTED-HIGH-ROLLER-Monogram-124-Pickup-Kit-Model-

Possible Unique parts fro the High Roller. Lifted Suspension, Unique Wheels & Tires, Roll bar and KC Lights, and Sunroof. I'm not sure how many of these parts were in other versions of the LUV Kit. The High Roller seems to be that last Marketed Version of the kit.

Casey had a nice write up on his site, but it seems to have been removed due to Photo-Bucket Link-Rot.( I am making this assumption without any info)

[Casey]

1 hour ago, alexis said:

Casey had a nice write up on his site, but it seems to have been removed due to Photo-Bucket Link-Rot.( I am making this assumption without any info)

I switched over to fotki, deleted my Photobucket account, and not everything made the transition-- the Monogram LUV content images were a likely casualty.

1 hour ago, alexis said:

I hope if this sells well, that Revell will consider a 4x4 version of the LUV. The Mule would be nice, but the parts from the High Roller Version would be nice to have back too.

IIRC the High Roller-specific parts were shared with the '69 Camaro and '70 Chevelle High Roller kits, so it's anybody's guess if that specific mold insert(?) still exists and is usable. The Goodyear Tracker A-T tires (different from the normal Monogram GY Tracker AT tires mentioned in above posts) do still exist, and were included with the snap Humvee kits, so it might be possible.

I honestly wouldn't expect to see any more variations of the LUV from Revell. This kit was likely planned before the Hobbico bankruptcy, and I have my doubt new Revell is going to dig too deeply into the tooling vault at this point.

[stavanzer]

Thanks for the Update, Casey!  Good to know about the Tires and the info about the Luv.  I had not considered any of the Hobbico connection. That sounds very plausible..... Even more reason to get this kit and enjoy it.

[niteowl7710]

On 2/19/2020 at 4:23 PM, Casey said:

I honestly wouldn't expect to see any more variations of the LUV from Revell. This kit was likely planned before the Hobbico bankruptcy, and I have my doubt new Revell is going to dig too deeply into the tooling vault at this point.

Buuuuuuuuuut the LUV tooling is still in the U.S., which means Blitz had to determine that this reissue still had worth to keep that piece and not send it off with the rest of the misfit toys to Atlantis. I mean April will be 2 years since the sale, I doubt they've had a bunch of boxes and decals sitting around waiting all this time.

When I was at NNL East last year Ed said digging in the vault was something the new ownership specifically wanted to do to maximize their investment. See the "new" Wrangler Rubicon with "Day 2" Factory Stock parts that have been lying unused since that kit was tooled in 2004.