Revell 57 Rancheros

[junkyardjeff]

I seen a later chopped top version that had a bed cover and was wondering if the original had one too.

[Mark]

Yes.  It's little more than a flat piece of plastic however.

[junkyardjeff]

The one with the later version looked like a real one and want to find one for my original version.

[Ulf]

Today, with the experience and knowledge I have acquired, I would gladly take on any edition of this kit, when I was 12-13 years old the challenge was overwhelming. YouTube, The Revell 1957 Ford Ranchero - A Brief History.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awin9He74pA
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=awin9He74pA

[junkyardjeff]

Found the bed cover and yes its basicly a piece of flat plastic,will try to find one from the chopped top version.

[Chris V]

Actually Revell's 1957 Ford Ranchero started out as a 1957 Ford Country Squire Wagon.

In 1960 the kit was retooled into a Ranchero, but unfortunately a lot of corners were cut in the process: The doors weren't lengthened to reflect the change from a 4dr to a 2dr. body style, making the roof of the cab too short. The stock Ranchero side moldings were omitted and for some reason the stock front bumper/grille assembly was replaced with a 1959-Style. 

The original issue of the kit was available either with or without an electric motor. It did not include injection molded windows, but the instructions had a template to cut the windshield from transparent material. Later seventies' issues of the (sort of) stock roof Ranchero did include proper windows. 

In the mid-eighties the kit was retooled into the cartoonishly proportioned chopped Ranchero in question. Further revisions included the return of the stock front bumper/grille from the Country Squire as well as stock, albeit poorly engraved, side moldings. Unfortunately the rear cab trim and separate pickup bed trim disappeared from the chopped version of the kit. 

The chopped Ranchero was last reissued some time around 1990.

 

I firmly believe that Revell missed out on a great opportunity when they decided to shelve their plans of making an all-new 1957 Ranchero based on the 1957 Ford Custom 300 Sedan/Del Rio Wagon tooling. Considering how well those kits have sold in numerous variations, it's only fair to assume that the iconic Ranchero model would have generated more than enough additional sales to justify the tooling investment.

Jimmy Fintstone currently offers two different resin Ranchero conversions for Revell's 1957 Del Rio kit. However the finish of the castings just doesn't compare to that of the model kits.  

[ChrisR]

For interest, my 1957 Ford Ranchero. Sure it is one of the Jimmy Flintstone bodies.

[mchook]

I just sold this old built up on ebay yesterday. It had that flat cover for the bed.

[junkyardjeff]

I have two more and will try to make one out of this mess eventually.

[Sledsel]

Ironically the overall body on the multi-piece Ranchero is worlds better than the Custom 300 and Del Rio. Body lines and proportions, other than the roof, are far more accurate. The Custom and Del Rio both suffer the same issues.

The main eyesores is the bulky front end and huge dash hump for the speedometer.

[Mark]

There is one other issue with the multiple-piece body Ranchero.  The doors are too short, owing to its origins in the Country Squire four-door wagon kit.  The kit's doors are the length of four-door front doors whereas the 1:1 Ranchero doors are the same length as two-door sedan doors.

Other than that, it's actually quite nice, even the places where the separate panels join are well thought out.

Edited February 12 by Mark
Spell check

[slusher]

I have never built one of these 57 Rancheros..

[rattle can man]

I would love to see this subject in a new or even re-release.

[Mark]

I wonder if the molded styrene windows weren't added to the original issue Ranchero at some point.  I've disassembled an early one (plastic tires) and it had molded windows.

[junkyardjeff]

I am going to try to get a chopped top version to use for parts.

[RichCostello]

7 hours ago, rattle can man said:

I would love to see this subject in a new or even re-release.

I would think that Revell could easily re-tool their nice Del Rio wagon into a Ranchero. I wonder why they don't?

[Zen]

13 hours ago, RichCostello said:

I would think that Revell could easily re-tool their nice Del Rio wagon into a Ranchero. I wonder why they don't?

Was thinking the same thing ..........

[junkyardjeff]

Glue being soaked in mineral spirits.

[Ron Hamilton]

I had the stock height and chopped top multi piece Revell 57 Ford Ranchero kits in my collection 

 One was sort of a gluebomb, so I used pieces of it for other projects. Most of the stock roof version went into a Jimmy Flintstone 57 Country Sedan.

When Revell introduced the 1957 Sedan, I decided on a Ranchero project. I used the bed and Tailgate from ol' blue, some sheet and rod styrene and some scratch building, and I came up with mine. No its not resin, and I  am very satisfied with the result of my build.

 

[Chris V]

On 2/13/2025 at 12:54 AM, RichCostello said:

I would think that Revell could easily re-tool their nice Del Rio wagon into a Ranchero. I wonder why they don't?

I believe Tim Boyd has confirmed that a Ranchero based on the same tooling was planned, but the project was deemed economically unfeasible and thus abandoned.  Considering the popularity and numerous versions of the Sedan and Wagon I'm not quite sure I agree with that assessment, particularly with so many parts shared between the three models.

[Wickersham Humble]

I bought the multi-piece kit back when it was reissued; it was very cheap, as I recall.  I took off the roof, and made the b-pillar into a Targa bar.  Also long hood scoop, 289-style V-8, and very '90s turquoise paint -- bumpers, etc. -- with orange seat trims, plus a surfboard.  I noticed the '59 bumper right away; wierd.  Recalled the Revell multipiece '56 Ford Skyliner ragtop I struggled to build, c. 1957, a real glue-disaster!  Still have parts from it crop up in my stash, plus most of the flame decals. A few parts from their '56 Buick kit, too.  The taste in custom junk was sooo tasteless in the '50s, reflected on the Rev kits bigtime! OC, not much worse than the Barris 'custom tips' on the AMT cars, a bit later.  Barris should have stuck to old Mercs!  No taste at all!

The promo-style one-piece bodies that came out in the late '50s were a Godsend; I might have given up on the hobby...  I noticed that I was using the Revell box for another car just recently.  They also released a '60 Corvette multipiece that I built two of, for my two kids; red for the boy, and orchid for the girl.   Wick