MPC Trike "pickup"

[magicmustang]

Got the MPC Tiki Trike kit but made a few changes. Felt the roof was to low for access so cut it off. Also felt the seat back was to laid back for driving so cut it and moved it more upright. This left an open pickup box behind the seat back so made a tonneau cover for it.  Rattle can Testors Fiery Orange lacquer. A quick fun build. 

Edited March 9, 2021 by magicmustang

[Hmann68]

Sharp! The mods you did look great. That’s a good color too! 👍

[shoopdog]

Great job, looks much more usable now!

[magicmustang]

On 3/7/2021 at 9:17 PM, Hmann68 said:

Sharp! The mods you did look great. That’s a good color too! 👍

Thanks, had to build one after seeing your Mailbox chopper build.

[magicmustang]

1 hour ago, shoopdog said:

Great job, looks much more usable now!

Thanks, was inspired by your Trike builds. Keep 'em coming.

[PappyD340]

Looks great!!

[bisc63]

Very nice and much improved.

[cobraman]

I like your version better than stock.

[magicmustang]

Thanks, guys.

[MeatMan]

Nice!

[1930fordpickup]

Nice work. Great color.

 

[skymnky721]

Looks great,,Im working on that one just now,,I was going to wire motor,,but its way too small,,so I bx stock it.  Yours looks cool

 

[ChrisR]

Very nice!

[tim boyd]

On 3/7/2021 at 9:03 PM, magicmustang said:

Got the MPC Tiki Trike kit but made a few changes. Felt the roof was to low for access so cut it off. Also felt the seat back was to laid back for driving so cut it and moved it more upright. This left an open pickup box behind the seat back so made a tonneau cover for it.  Rattle can Testors Fiery Orange lacquer. A quick fun build. 

Gerald....I came to the same conclusion about the roof when John G. issued the "Retro Hobby" MPC Trikes combo kits about 15 years ago.  I also built mine without the roof.  But I like how you revised the rear part of the body better than what I did.  Very sharp build!  Cheers....TIM 

Edited March 27, 2021 by tim boyd

[foghorn62]

25 minutes ago, tim boyd said:

Gerald....I came to the same conclusion about the roof when John G. issued the "Retro Hobby" MPC Trikes combo kits about 15 years ago.  I also built mine without the roof.  But I like how you revised the rear part of the body better than what I did.  Very sharp build!  Cheers....TIM 

Gerald, I agree that the changes that you made turned this into a much more believable trike, but you also have to understand that the original inspiration for the Tiki Trike was the work of a fellow by the name of Denny Johnson, who was also the creator of the Zingers.  Denny won Best In Show at the 1970 Detroit Autorama MPC Model Car Customizing Contest with the T’Rantula trike.  That was the same show where he introduced three little builds that caught the eye of the MPC management, called the Zingers.  Believability was never a requirement in those days. 

[magicmustang]

8 hours ago, tim boyd said:

Gerald....I came to the same conclusion about the roof when John G. issued the "Retro Hobby" MPC Trikes combo kits about 15 years ago.  I also built mine without the roof.  But I like how you revised the rear part of the body better than what I did.  Very sharp build!  Cheers....TIM 

Thank you sir. Your build was the motivation for mine. 

[tim boyd]

1 hour ago, magicmustang said:

Thank you sir. Your build was the motivation for mine. 

No kidding?  Wow, that is really cool.  Thx for letting me know....Cheers...TIM 

[tim boyd]

9 hours ago, foghorn62 said:

Gerald, I agree that the changes that you made turned this into a much more believable trike, but you also have to understand that the original inspiration for the Tiki Trike was the work of a fellow by the name of Denny Johnson, who was also the creator of the Zingers.  Denny won Best In Show at the 1970 Detroit Autorama MPC Model Car Customizing Contest with the T’Rantula trike.  That was the same show where he introduced three little builds that caught the eye of the MPC management, called the Zingers.  Believability was never a requirement in those days. 

Tim was very much the "man on the scene" at the early MPC Contest Championship series, and later became a very influential judge and contest manager for the series in the mid to late 1970's.....

Tim, I am trying to remember, did we first meet each other at the 1970 Detroit MPC show, or was it year later at  the 1971 show? 

One final thought.  I wish that model car builders in general had a greater interest in the early days of the hobby, and the people who made those early days happen.  TB

[magicmustang]

9 hours ago, foghorn62 said:

A fellow by the name of Denny Johnson, who was also the creator of the Zingers.  .  That was the same show where he introduced three little builds that caught the eye of the MPC management, called the Zingers.  Believability was never a requirement in those days. 

Zingers! I did not know that.

[foghorn62]

46 minutes ago, tim boyd said:

Tim was very much the "man on the scene" at the early MPC Contest Championship series, and later became a very influential judge and contest manager for the series in the mid to late 1970's.....

Tim, I am trying to remember, did we first meet each other at the 1970 Detroit MPC show, or was it year later at  the 1971 show? 

One final thought.  I wish that model car builders in general had a greater interest in the early days of the hobby, and the people who made those early days happen.  TB

I don’t think I was really “aware” of your mastery of this hobby until the August 1970 issue of Car Model Magazine came out with it’s coverage of the 1970 show.  In that issue, I was amazed that this 15 year old was building such advanced models.  You won Best Detail for your entries that year with things like working drivetrain, throttle, steering, and dipstick.  Who does that at fifteen years old anymore?  I made sure that I hung around the MPC booth as much as possible the following year, in hopes that I could get to meet the legendary Tim Boyd.  I’m proud to say that we developed a friendship after that meeting that although went different ways as life developed, still invokes fond memories.  So now I’m wondering, about getting you to design me a house.  

[tim boyd]

4 hours ago, foghorn62 said:

I don’t think I was really “aware” of your mastery of this hobby until the August 1970 issue of Car Model Magazine came out with it’s coverage of the 1970 show.  In that issue, I was amazed that this 15 year old was building such advanced models.  You won Best Detail for your entries that year with things like working drivetrain, throttle, steering, and dipstick.  Who does that at fifteen years old anymore?  I made sure that I hung around the MPC booth as much as possible the following year, in hopes that I could get to meet the legendary Tim Boyd.  I’m proud to say that we developed a friendship after that meeting that although went different ways as life developed, still invokes fond memories.  So now I’m wondering, about getting you to design me a house.  

T

Tim....I think it was your dragster style snowmobile model from the 1970 MPC Detroit show that made me aware of your modeling skills, so when we met in 1971 we were both in awe of each other's modeling skills; at least that's how I remember it (but then again, my memory is not all that accurate these days!) 

Funny you should talk about designing a house.  Was having breakfast yesterday with a fellow retired Ford exec who is also my nearby neighbor, and we were looking at the complete set of houseplans I created as a senior in high school architectural drafting.  His conclusion?  The house could be built today, with some updates, of course.  I was proudest of my family room elevation that showed a brick fireplace wall with a center open area that included scale representations of every MPC trophy I had won up to that point (spring, 1972).  Of course, things ended up much differently ( I worked in an architect's office in the summer of my junior year...and well....I hated it).   So much for becoming an architect!   

TB 

PS - everybody else reading this thread....check out that mug shot picture.  Can you say "geek"!!!!?????   Cheeeshhhh.... 

Edited March 27, 2021 by tim boyd

[crazyjim]

Very cool build.

[slusher]

Gerald love your version and it looks great.

[magicmustang]

6 hours ago, slusher said:

Gerald love your version and it looks great.

Thank you sir. 

[Chappy]

I will try to build a Rat Trike Pickup.  I welcome any suggestions . . .