Looking For Info On This Trailer

[oldcarfan]

Not sure where I got this picture, but I think this trailer originally came from AMT. Has it been reissued recently in any kit? I'd like to have one.

[pack rat]

It was originally in a '64 Corvette annual, later found in the Fireball 500 (should be easy to find one).

I've never seen one with those squarish fenders though.

[tim boyd]

My recollection is this one originally came in the AMT 1964 Corvette roadster kit, but I'm not in a position where I can confirm that right now.  That version did not have the dual axles of the Firebird 500 kit, and tended to be a "tail sitter" (to quote our aviation modeler friends) as the axle was placed too far forward for proper tongue weight balance.  

Here is some photography of my gluebomb resto of the original kit trailer with some mild kitbashing added....TB 

[Mr. Metallic]

A little added info, the ramps are NOT included in the Fireball 500 version.

[horsepower]

On 4/14/2024 at 5:05 PM, tim boyd said:

My recollection is this one originally came in the AMT 1964 Corvette roadster kit, but I'm not in a position where I can confirm that right now.  That version did not have the dual axles of the Firebird 500 kit, and tended to be a "tail sitter" (to quote our aviation modeler friends) as the axle was placed too far forward for proper tongue weight balance.  

Here is some photography of my gluebomb resto of the original kit trailer with some mild kitbashing added....TB 

I started working on race cars in the mid '60s with a friend in our neighborhood who had a homebuilt trailer made from those old landing strip pads that somehow appeared in his yard that were almost identical to the one that the BLM was using to make erosion dams in the area uphill from the Shasta Dam?, the mines in the area had killed virtually every kind of natural coverage and they were trying to keep the lake from filling up with silt before it could get a good chance of being full of water. I have looked about everywhere for that matting in 1/24th or 1/25th scale and this is about as close as possible. The mats he used have smaller holes that are around 1 and a 1/2 inches in diameter. It made a strong light trailer and with some old Rambler spindles it was pretty easy to make a trailer that we could load most cars without ramps by just using a floor jack to lift the tongue a couple of inches.

Edited April 20, 2024 by horsepower

[stavanzer]

The "Landing Strip Pads" were most likely, "Marston Matting". It is in a couple of 1/35 scale kits, but I've not seen it in 1/24-1/25.

You might search for Printed Cardboard Runways, as a Diorama Product.

[oldcarfan]

Just an update: I found and bought one of these trailers off eBay. It just came in. I wonder if they did a variant as this one has four wheels on a pivoting axle. It was missing the ramps, but or the price I couldn't pass it up!

[thatz4u]

On 6/22/2024 at 2:58 PM, oldcarfan said:

Just an update: I found and bought one of these trailers off eBay. It just came in. I wonder if they did a variant as this one has four wheels on a pivoting axle. It was missing the ramps, but or the price I couldn't pass it up!

looks like the trailer from this kit....

 

[tim boyd]

On 6/22/2024 at 2:58 PM, oldcarfan said:

Just an update: I found and bought one of these trailers off eBay. It just came in. I wonder if they did a variant as this one has four wheels on a pivoting axle. It was missing the ramps, but or the price I couldn't pass it up!

While the first version was a single axle trailer included in the AMT 1964 Corvette annual kit (as noted earlier in this thread), I believe it quickly changed to the dual axle setup you have here when it was included in the AMT Fireball 500 kit which came out around 1966 or so.  The Piranha combo kit, as pictured above, quickly followed. 

I am typing this from memory and not able to check my sources, so apologies if I have a few of the details not quite right...TB 

 

[slusher]

I bought one of eBay and it was cheap.  Mine also didn’t have ramps…

[foghorn62]

8 hours ago, tim boyd said:

While the first version was a single axle trailer included in the AMT 1964 Corvette annual kit (as noted earlier in this thread), I believe it quickly changed to the dual axle setup you have here when it was included in the AMT Fireball 500 kit which came out around 1966 or so.  The Piranha combo kit, as pictured above, quickly followed. 

I am typing this from memory and not able to check my sources, so apologies if I have a few of the details not quite right...TB 

 

The trailer from the Fireball, and the Piranha kits didn’t include ramps.  I made a set for this one out of brass.  Evergreen would probably work pretty well also.  It’s pretty easy to modify into a single axle.  I moved the axle back in order to change the balance .  I made a set of fenders out  of  plastic bottle caps.

[tim boyd]

50 minutes ago, foghorn62 said:

The trailer from the Fireball, and the Piranha kits didn’t include ramps.  I made a set for this one out of brass.  Evergreen would probably work pretty well also.  It’s pretty easy to modify into a single axle.  I moved the axle back in order to change the balance .  I made a set of fenders out  of  plastic bottle caps.

Tim....very nice!   And what's the story on the dune buggy?  And the bikes in the background?   Inquiring minds (at least this one) want to know. :)

All....as Tim notes, moving the axle rearward of its kit-based location on the single axle version is a "must" as it will tip rearward if built straight from the box, particularly if it is carrying a vehicular load on top...TB  

[foghorn62]

55 minutes ago, tim boyd said:

Tim....very nice!   And what's the story on the dune buggy?  And the bikes in the background?   Inquiring minds (at least this one) want to know.

 

Thanks Tim!  The buggy was my second build upon returning to the hobby about seven years ago after about a thirty three year break.  It’s a parts box build with an all brass chassis and aluminum floor.  The paint is Testors PLA Gloss Red from a bottle that was stamped 15c on the cap.  The bikes are extras included in kits.  It’s all put together with the trailer and Suburban as a toy hauler combo for a “Fun in the Sun” theme that I have put together.

TS

[oldcarfan]

15 hours ago, tim boyd said:

While the first version was a single axle trailer included in the AMT 1964 Corvette annual kit (as noted earlier in this thread), I believe it quickly changed to the dual axle setup you have here when it was included in the AMT Fireball 500 kit which came out around 1966 or so.  The Piranha combo kit, as pictured above, quickly followed. 

I am typing this from memory and not able to check my sources, so apologies if I have a few of the details not quite right...TB 

 

Thanks for the info, I wondered if the dual axles were an option or if someone had parts bashed it.

I have the vague idea of turning the trailer into a hauler for a Dakar style Porsche 911. I turned a Welly diecast Cayenne into an offroad truck and it needs a load to pull behind it. The trailer is currently in Purple Cleaner for paint removal. The black paint was surprisingly smooth for brush paint. I suspect it might have been Pactra as their paint always seemed to go on smoother than Testor's.

[oldcarfan]

5 hours ago, foghorn62 said:

Love the buggy!

[Fabrux]

On 6/2/2024 at 10:38 AM, stavanzer said:

The "Landing Strip Pads" were most likely, "Marston Matting". It is in a couple of 1/35 scale kits, but I've not seen it in 1/24-1/25.

You might search for Printed Cardboard Runways, as a Diorama Product.

I have a bunch of this stuff from KFS for a car hauler project: 

https://kitformservices.com/products/deck-plate-pe67-68?variant=42532830347502

[rattle can man]

the 4-wheel trailer that pivots was in the Fireball 500 kit. I remember thinking it did not make sense to pivot the whole trailer instead of just using ramps

[stavanzer]

2 hours ago, Fabrux said:

I have a bunch of this stuff from KFS for a car hauler project: 

https://kitformservices.com/products/deck-plate-pe67-68?variant=42532830347502

Thanks, Chris. I knew somebody had to make it.

[slusher]

There AMT trailers..