So WHo Else Likes and Would Build a Four Door Sedan or Wagon Kit - resin or styrene?

[impcon]

Hey all! This is just a thought that I had following getting an email from someone in the resin industry. I wondered how man of you guys out there would appreciate having available and would purchase resin or styrene kits or conversions to build the forgotten and unappreciated old road warriors - the four door sedans, four door hardtops and 2 door sedans and - oh yes - the mundane, forgotten old four door wagons and utility vehicles? I am talking about the run of the mill, basic and functional daily drivers that we know and/or grew up with? I am talking about Mom's four door sedan '65 Biscayne or the family wagon from when you were a kid - for me, a four door '59 brookwood four door wagon. I personally think that it would be a good thing to have some of these available to build police cars or taxi's from. Or say an official U.S. Navy 72 Impala four door sedan or a '66 Suburban fire chief's command rig.

I am challenging ANYONE who would purchase a standard, normal, average family car or commercial vehicle to list what you would like to see avaialable. the big block Chevelle Super Sports and Ford XL's and the muscle cars in general are great - but the old car hobby is about memories and nostalgia. Ford and Camaro and Dodge are making that quite evident with their barrage of "replicas" thatthey are marketing and it is working well it seems. But most of us never owned a '69 camaro or a '67 Mustang GT or a Challenger. Most of us grew up being driven around in plain, average sedans and wagons and I am pretty sure that at least some of us in the hobby have a soft spot for the plain janes.

I want to state that I am not trying to steal any thunder from the other thread in the resin section - we are talking here about normal sedans, wagons, Suburbans, etc. So go ahead and list what sedans or wagons you would like to see avaialble from the people who produce the models. For me, the first choice would be a '59 Brookwood wagon with a six cylinder engine followed by a '59 four door sedan. I know that the Modelhaus has a Brookwood two door wagon - I am talking four doors here or the equivalent ... no muscle or performance cars .. just plain, normal, dull stuff but dull stuff that has soul and inspires precious memories and smiles when ever you see one on the street or in a photo.

[Roadkill2525]

how about a 4dr '62 Bel Air conversion for the new Revell '62 Impala

[Terry Jessee]

The Modelhaus does a number of really nice four-door conversions and full (curbside kits). I have quite a few:

'60 Plymouth Savoy

'57 Chevy 150

'65 Ford Custom 500

'70 Dodge Coronet

'67 Chevy Impala wagon

'73 Chevy Caprice wagon

'93 Chevy Caprice wagon

'93? Buick wagon

'72 Ford Custom 500

'81 Chevy Impala

They also have several vintage Mopar wagons.

Tom Coolidge at Promolite 2000 does '59 Buick and Oldsmobile sedans, a '57 Buick sedan, and did offer a '61 Plymouth Savoy sedan but that is now sold out.

And of course, R&R offers a bunch of stuff including a Checker cab. I prefer the Modelhaus and Promolite kits, though. They require much less cleanup and fitting.

Terry

[Van Halen]

Im all for it, but the reason they arent available is obviously because they dont sell, people buy kits of cars they love (and dont have most likely)..

But the reason im all for it, is because im british, all the cars here are tiny hatchback 1.0L things which i hate to death, and love anything huge (ie. average 70's sedans) which i like to call Titanics

[Wagoneer81]

I'd love to have an old Mercury Turnpike Cruiser or a Ford Country Squire Station Wagon... Bring 'em on!!! I love wagons!!!

[Jon Cole]

Yeah! My dad had a '63 Impala more door, I'm sure there are many others to cast 'em up.

[noname]

There are tons of wagons and four doors I'd like to see. Most any 50's GM, 60's too. Too many to list. Top of my list would be an early 60's Pontiac Tempest wagon. A few others might be a 4 dr 57 Chevy, 62 Impala wagon, early 60's Mopar wagon, etc. etc. the list could get pretty long.

[impcon]

Maybe what we should all be doing is sending wish lists to the manufacturers to show thatthere is some interest - and suggesting to other people in the hobby to do the same things. Now I know that realistically, we don't stand much of a chance simply because most people seem drawn to hardtops and to a lesser extent, convertibles. But still, if we were precise as to years, makes and models, maybe - just maybe..

For myself, I'd love a '59 Chevy 4 door wagon and a four door sedan followed by a '67 Fairlane wagon *panting, breathing rate accelerating* I still think that a '59 Chevy ambulance would be pretty outrageous too... gotta love them fins!

[Terry Jessee]

Many of the cars you're referring to are already done. Model Car World offers a '63 Pontiac Tempest wagon (and a coupe).

http://mcwautomotivefinishes.com/resin/grocerygetter.jpg

Terry

[Nick Notarangelo]

Early 70's Olds Vista Cruiser

[Kodiak Island Modeler]

I would really like to see four door versions of just about any car from the 40s through the early 70s. I really would like to see the suicide door offerings of the 49-51 Mercury, 39/40 Ford on up through the 48 Ford.

[GOTH KUSTOMS]

A 70 ford Galaxie 500 wagon, commonly referred as the country squire, with the 390 CID, would be great, wagons rule, luv'em

Edited June 20, 2010 by unforgiven

[Agent G]

I would really like to see four door versions of just about any car from the 40s through the early 70s. I really would like to see the suicide door offerings of the 49-51 Mercury, 39/40 Ford on up through the 48 Ford.

I second that and would like to add the entire 70's thru the mid 80's. I want to build one of every police car I drove in my career.

G

[noname]

Thats right Terry Jessee, I remember seeing that now. I've never bought resin kits before because they are too pricey for me. Sometimes the aftermarket companies will sell a body for a decent price , but if you have to go by the donor kit, well it still works out to be a bit of money. If money is not an issue, I must say I've seen some pretty cool and uncommon resin 4drs, wagons etc.

[Kodiak Island Modeler]

Wayne, you would have liked a car that my uncle got into his junkyard back in the seventies. It was a 56 Desoto sedan that had been owned by a Sheriff in southern Iowa. On the outside it looked stock, but under the hood was a dual quad setup. He'd also stiffened the suspension. This guy obviously didn't have any intentions of watching taillights drive away from him. It was sad that a piece of history like that should have been so extremely rusted; too many years on Iowa's gravel roads. I wonder if there is a museum dedicated to police cars?

[David G.]

Early 70's Olds Vista Cruiser

From there, it's only a short hop to the 1971-72 Delta 88 Town Sedan. Like the one pictured to the left as my avatar!

[Art Anderson]

Over time, there have been a good many 4dr American cars done either in styrene, or as resin conversions.

However, as a general rule, plastic model kits of 4drs seem to have suffered from the complaint of having 2 doors too many. What makes those old JoHan 4dr HT Oldsmobiles and Cadillac Fleetwood 6-window sedans rare isn't that they were so popular that they all were grabbed up back in the day, but rather that they were so universally unpopular that JoHan made probably just one production run of maybe 15-20,000 units of kits like that, off their promo tooling, and hobby shops had a terrible time unloading those--kits like those were "Sidewalk Sale" fodder for several years after they'd been released.

The model companies (AMT, MPC, JoHan and PMC) did promotional model cars according to the wishes of the various automakers' sales/marketing departments' whims, after all, it was Ford, GM, Chrysler, AMC and Studebaker who were picking up the tab for them. There was a time back in the day, when car dealers didn't have the mega-floor plan deals they have today, allowing for upwards of a hundred or more new cars on their lots--so a wide variety of promotional model cars helped salesmen illustrate much of what was available, along with enticing Dad to trade by giving his son(s) scale models of a car he wanted to sell their old man. Eight-twelve year old boys back 55 years ago didn't much care if the model car dangled before their shining eyes was a hardtop, convertible, 2dr sedan, 4dr sedan or a station wagon--it was a scale model car, and it looked cool.

But, when it came to building model cars, kids (and face it, back then, we kids were the driving force in the hobby!) wanted to build the top of the line, the hardtop, the convertible, with all the flash and dash those cars embodied, and besides, nobody was customizing family sedans back then, no sir!

It's been just 24 years since AMT/Ertl took a big plunge, modified the tooling from their long-running '55 Chevy Nomad kit to create---GASP!--your great-aunt Matilda's '55 Chevy Bel Air 2dr sedan. But, would a 4dr version of that kit have generated the same level of excitement in the marketplace? I think not--not very many Pro-Street '55 Chevy 4drs out there. Drag racing? Again, I think that would have drawn a chorus of yawns.

I think, based on my experiences, that when a model company looks at a new subject to tool up, they have to look at numerous criteria, not the least of which being "how popular is this car in the real world?" Revell-Monogram was apparently persuaded that the '92 Chevy Caprice would be a good subject, after all, didn't every modeler want a police cruiser? Yet, that kit laid a pretty big egg for them, so I have been told, until they modified the tooling for the far more interesting '95 Impala SS--and that one sold extremely well, so I have been told by sources within Revell.

You see, where once our hobby was populated with a heavy majority who wanted cars that spoke "glitz and glamor", performance, "the car Dad SHOULDA bought!", all of that; now we are a widely spread, very fragmented marketplace, modelers with interests as widely varied as the sheer number of different cars that have been produced over the past 115 years or so. And that, while neat, also means that we are a much more difficult target on which to score a bullseye with any new kit release. With all this in mind, to me it's little wonder that the larger companies (well the largest company, Revell) takes aim at the biggest identifiable segments most of the time--and cars with 4drs pretty much don't make the cut--they apparently feel that the aftermarket is where it is for those subjects.

Don't get me wrong here, I've done my share of 4drs over time, like them, station wagons too, but I do not see a very wide market for them.

Art

[Dave Wood]

I'm a big fan of Wagons I'd like to see a 69 Olds Vista cruser,73 Grand Torino Sport wagon....... Yeah I'd buy a Few!!!

[Agent G]

Wayne, you would have liked a car that my uncle got into his junkyard back in the seventies. It was a 56 Desoto sedan that had been owned by a Sheriff in southern Iowa. On the outside it looked stock, but under the hood was a dual quad setup. He'd also stiffened the suspension. This guy obviously didn't have any intentions of watching taillights drive away from him. It was sad that a piece of history like that should have been so extremely rusted; too many years on Iowa's gravel roads. I wonder if there is a museum dedicated to police cars?

There was an organization called Police Car Owners of America. For a while they had their HQ in Eureka Springs Arkansas. It's a quaint town just south of the Missouri border an hour or so from Branson. They folded shop years ago and I have no idea where they went.

Sadly there is no dedicated museum to the classics that served so well. But there are many who buy and restore the cars I love so much.

G

[impcon]

Over time, there have been a good many 4dr American cars done either in styrene, or as resin conversions.

However, as a general rule, plastic model kits of 4drs seem to have suffered from the complaint of having 2 doors too many. What makes those old JoHan 4dr HT Oldsmobiles and Cadillac Fleetwood 6-window sedans rare isn't that they were so popular that they all were grabbed up back in the day, but rather that they were so universally unpopular that JoHan made probably just one production run of maybe 15-20,000 units of kits like that, off their promo tooling, and hobby shops had a terrible time unloading those--kits like those were "Sidewalk Sale" fodder for several years after they'd been released.

The model companies (AMT, MPC, JoHan and PMC) did promotional model cars according to the wishes of the various automakers' sales/marketing departments' whims, after all, it was Ford, GM, Chrysler, AMC and Studebaker who were picking up the tab for them. There was a time back in the day, when car dealers didn't have the mega-floor plan deals they have today, allowing for upwards of a hundred or more new cars on their lots--so a wide variety of promotional model cars helped salesmen illustrate much of what was available, along with enticing Dad to trade by giving his son(s) scale models of a car he wanted to sell their old man. Eight-twelve year old boys back 55 years ago didn't much care if the model car dangled before their shining eyes was a hardtop, convertible, 2dr sedan, 4dr sedan or a station wagon--it was a scale model car, and it looked cool.

But, when it came to building model cars, kids (and face it, back then, we kids were the driving force in the hobby!) wanted to build the top of the line, the hardtop, the convertible, with all the flash and dash those cars embodied, and besides, nobody was customizing family sedans back then, no sir!

It's been just 24 years since AMT/Ertl took a big plunge, modified the tooling from their long-running '55 Chevy Nomad kit to create---GASP!--your great-aunt Matilda's '55 Chevy Bel Air 2dr sedan. But, would a 4dr version of that kit have generated the same level of excitement in the marketplace? I think not--not very many Pro-Street '55 Chevy 4drs out there. Drag racing? Again, I think that would have drawn a chorus of yawns.

I think, based on my experiences, that when a model company looks at a new subject to tool up, they have to look at numerous criteria, not the least of which being "how popular is this car in the real world?" Revell-Monogram was apparently persuaded that the '92 Chevy Caprice would be a good subject, after all, didn't every modeler want a police cruiser? Yet, that kit laid a pretty big egg for them, so I have been told, until they modified the tooling for the far more interesting '95 Impala SS--and that one sold extremely well, so I have been told by sources within Revell.

You see, where once our hobby was populated with a heavy majority who wanted cars that spoke "glitz and glamor", performance, "the car Dad SHOULDA bought!", all of that; now we are a widely spread, very fragmented marketplace, modelers with interests as widely varied as the sheer number of different cars that have been produced over the past 115 years or so. And that, while neat, also means that we are a much more difficult target on which to score a bullseye with any new kit release. With all this in mind, to me it's little wonder that the larger companies (well the largest company, Revell) takes aim at the biggest identifiable segments most of the time--and cars with 4drs pretty much don't make the cut--they apparently feel that the aftermarket is where it is for those subjects.

Don't get me wrong here, I've done my share of 4drs over time, like them, station wagons too, but I do not see a very wide market for them.

Art

Hi Art, What you say of course makes perfect sense and I realize that the desires out there are a varied as the number of people on the planet. I understand what you say about the major manufacturers having to focus on what will sell and I agree, not everone likes sedans or wagons. To begin with, my post was aimed more at the resin industry than the large styrene kit manufacturers. I am not so niave as to think that AMT or Revell would produce any sedans or full sized wagons because I know that few people will buy them. Having said that though, I personally get tired of seeing the same old same old on the shelves with the only difference from last time being the box art. It's refereshing to see the few new releases that come out like the '62 and '66 Impalas but my eyes grow weary of GTO's, Corvettes, Mustangs and the likes. It isn't that I don't like those cars but rather it is more a case of just wanting some REAL change. And before anyone gets on me about the economy and all of the other reasons why sales of kits are slow, I understand that. Fortunately, we are blessed with the resin industry and those incredibly talented individuals who make the masters for those kits that never were and never will be produced by the big styrene companies. I say a big "THANK YOU" to them all for stepping out of the box and producing some really, really neat and unique stuff. I am not complaining - just pinein' for some sedans and wagons.. Having said thatthough, maybe some letters to the big companies would let hem know that not everyine wants a '57 Chevy or a Corvette. Just my thoughts..

[Tony T]

4 door newer cars - mainstream stuff, like Ford Focus, Taurus. Wagons of all types would be cool too.

I've owned two wagons that I'd like to make models of someday - 1977 Ford LTD II squire, and 2000 Ford Taurus LX.

How about a mid-80s rental fleet? Ford Tempo, Chev Cavalier, that type.

Others that would be fun builds are early 90s GM wagons, like Caprice and Buick Roadmaster. How about a 94 Impala SS phantom?

Late 80s full-size wagons like the square GM, and Ford would be neat.

Early 70s big 3 4 door low line fleet cars, taxis, police cars, fire chief, etc would make for some fun too.

Okay...that's a start!!

[charlie8575]

Blue Oval resins is working on a 1988-91 LTD Crown Vic, with options to build a cruiser or a civilian car in the more common LX trim. The master-in-progress looks good. He's also putting the finishing touches on a 1978 LTD Landau 4-door pillared hardtop. I'd say it's about 90% there and looks very, very good, hidden headlights, vinyl top and all. It'll be a full-detail kit. Kenny seems like a very nice guy and is receptive to ideas, as long as it's a Ford! He's also converting one of the 1978 LTDs from AAM into a full-dress Country Squire. I ran the idea of a 1979-91 wagon by him and from what he said, he's considering it once he gets a few other projects off the bench.

I'd love to see a 1967 Chrysler Town & Country so I can build a Mass. State Police "Turnpike Cruiser." These were special-order T&Cs the staties got with air, heavy duty suspension and a 440 6-pack. FAST!

For newer cars, the Modelhaus has the 1991-93 Caprice/Roadmaster wagon. If I could figure out how, I'd buy a Roadmaster and convert it to a Custom Cruiser.

I'd like to see a Lincoln Town Car myself. Or a Taurus/Sable wagon. How about one of the new Cadillac CTS wagons?

A foreign car, perhaps? The new Volkswagen Jetta wagon seems to be very popular. Not a bad-looking little car, either.

Other nice picks would be a 1995-99 Olds Aurora and any of the 1991/92 Buick LeSabre/Park Avenue. The 1997-2005 Park Ave is an especially nice-looking car, I think.

For the record, I'm open to resin or styrene. If the price and quality is right and the money present, I'll buy one.

Charlie Larkin

[Art Anderson]

Blue Oval resins is working on a 1988-91 LTD Crown Vic, with options to build a cruiser or a civilian car in the more common LX trim. The master-in-progress looks good. He's also putting the finishing touches on a 1978 LTD Landau 4-door pillared hardtop. I'd say it's about 90% there and looks very, very good, hidden headlights, vinyl top and all. It'll be a full-detail kit. Kenny seems like a very nice guy and is receptive to ideas, as long as it's a Ford! He's also converting one of the 1978 LTDs from AAM into a full-dress Country Squire. I ran the idea of a 1979-91 wagon by him and from what he said, he's considering it once he gets a few other projects off the bench.

I'd love to see a 1967 Chrysler Town & Country so I can build a Mass. State Police "Turnpike Cruiser." These were special-order T&Cs the staties got with air, heavy duty suspension and a 440 6-pack. FAST!

For newer cars, the Modelhaus has the 1991-93 Caprice/Roadmaster wagon. If I could figure out how, I'd buy a Roadmaster and convert it to a Custom Cruiser.

I'd like to see a Lincoln Town Car myself. Or a Taurus/Sable wagon. How about one of the new Cadillac CTS wagons?

A foreign car, perhaps? The new Volkswagen Jetta wagon seems to be very popular. Not a bad-looking little car, either.

Other nice picks would be a 1995-99 Olds Aurora and any of the 1991/92 Buick LeSabre/Park Avenue. The 1997-2005 Park Ave is an especially nice-looking car, I think.

For the record, I'm open to resin or styrene. If the price and quality is right and the money present, I'll buy one.

Charlie Larkin

Brookfield Collectors Guild did the '96 Olds Aurora as a promo, in both styrene and a very crisp diecast. It was done in both factory colors and the pearlescent white IRL Pace Car. I don't think any of the versions bring any serious coin today.

Art

[jeffb]

i cast the 72 torino wagon and a 67 fury I wagon. an d i also cast a 41 plymouth 4 dr. more are in the works.

[Chuck Most]

I hear ya, buddy! I've dropped some serious coin on more than a few old 4-door and wagon kits, such as the Jo-Han '68 Fury cop car, and the '61 Olds F-85 and '60 Plymouth wagons. I also snap up any AMT '70 Ford cop car kit whenever one pops up for sale.

While everybody else is wishing for a hardtop version of the new Revell '72 Cutlass (I'd like one, as well), the little voice in my head keeps saying "Man, I hope they tool up a Vista Cruiser version!" Hmmmm... any resin casters up for that challenge?