Chi-Town Hustler

[Doughnut]

Brett and Ken,

THANK YOU for offering some positive comments. As you can see from my response on the other post, I feel it's very disheartening when all people do is blast this and the other new offerings. It's a fanastic kit and I couldn't be happier with it. This is definately one of those kits that I will complete with the body on a stand next to the chassis because I want to show it off.

Thanks again to you and Revell.

[Harry P.]

I think all of this could have been avoided if Revell would have simply stated on the box that the kit is a replica of the restored car, not the original car as raced back in the day.

At least that way everyone would have known what they were getting, instead of being disappointed when they opened the box.

[iBorg]

I did a Photoshop overlay of the two pictures posted by kitswapper (the actual car when it was actively racing) and ratnasty (Revell body). While the angles are exactly right, if you focus on the wheel wells, it is apparent that the Revell body is pretty accurate for the Hustler in its later racing career. What is also apparent from looking at several pictures is the wheel wells were changed during it career. Please see attached:http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=588431&id=100000173943608&ref=fbx_album

Mike

Edited September 23, 2010 by iBorg

[iBorg]

I published this elsewhere but I believe it deserves republishing.....

I did a Photoshop overlay of the two pictures posted by kitswapper (the actual car when it was actively racing) and ratnasty (Revell body). While the angles are exactly right, if you focus on the wheel wells, it is apparent that the Revell body is pretty accurate for the Hustler in its later racing career. What is also apparent from looking at several pictures is the wheel wells were changed during it career. Please see attached:http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=588431&id=100000173943608&ref=fbx_album

Mike

[Jim Kampmann]

I got my hands on one last night and I agree with everything said here. The kit is FANTASTIC! I'm still pinching myself that we got an all new tooling of this car! My plan is to build a replica of the original CTH.

Kudos to Revell for one of the greatest funny car kits of all time!

Oh, and special thanks to Doughnut (you know who you are) for picking this kit up for me as the hobby shop ran out due to the kit being on backorder!

Jim Kampmann

[Jim Kampmann]

Ken,

The comment from Brett about 'Tamiya-like' isn't far off. Everything is carefully packaged; the one piece frame is inside the body, windows are in a plastic bag(I know this is common now but it didn't used to be!). The chrome front axle has no visible seams. The tinwork is gorgeous! I know, how can you get excited about that?! The hinges are to scale. Everything is included on the decal sheet - including two 'remove before flight' tags! I'll admit, I wish the Halibrands were included in the box, but I have kits I can get them from. Not a big deal at all.

I can't wait for the Hawaiian, it should be just as impressive!

Jim Kampmann

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Just for clarification, the tire set in this kit is the one that debuted in the Blue Max Mustang. Maybe the fronts are a tiny bit wide, then again depending on the race, maybe not; they seem pretty clearly designed as direct replacements for Revell's old two-piece fronts and rears as seen in their older 1/25 funny cars - to such a degree that the front tires at least come across as one-piece conversions of the old two-piece tool.

Gotta echo the comments about material quality, though. For tooling refinement and design standards, this really is one of the prettiest 1/25 floppers ever.

Edited September 23, 2010 by Chuck Kourouklis

[Ben]

Ok, now I'm jealous!!!!!!!!!! I don't have one yet!

[Ben]

Which Blue Max kit is everyone referring too as far as the new style chassis and tires? I have several different Blue Max kits but I haven't opened some yet. I want to check out what everyone is talking about.

Edited September 23, 2010 by Ben

[Ben]

OHHHHH, that looks cool!!!!! I'm looking at that kit right now. I really like the wheels you chose over the Centerlines in the kit!!!!!

That MPC reissue, is it the one in the AMT box? I have two of those. I was thinking that it looked like the MPC kit but I wasn't sure? Didn't Polar Lights release a Blue Max as well? I could swear I have a couple of those and the Gas Rhonda cars as well?

I've lost track! LOL

[Doughnut]

Mark,

I response to your response of my response: I don't feel I'm being disrespectful because others have a different opinion than I do, in the same manner that I don't feel you are being disrespectful by offering your comments.

As for blasting the kit, when I read such comments as "I'll be damned if I'm going to apologize for Revell blowing this one & accept such a flawed kit.", that is indeed blasting the kit.

My comments are my own opinion and like everyone else, we are all entitled to them. Just like I have the right to say wen I am mad or disappointed. But I believe the comments on this forum (and others) that overly criticize the new kit issues from Revell are having a serious impact on the hobby. As the president of a model club, I am promoting the hobby every chance I get, but it's hard to convince people to buy a recent issued kit when I hear people say that all they've heard on the forums is how bad the kit is. And I have heard that a LOT in the past weeks. I know of several people who were super excited after reading Len's initial review of the kit, but have since backed out of buying it after reading all the negative comments about how inaccurate it is. The same could be said for the Hemi Dart, and other issues in the last year.

Edited September 23, 2010 by Doughnut

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Are you absolutely sure about that, Chuck? I haven't compared them, but, to my eye, the rears look wider and not quite as tall as the Blue Max slicks. Plus, the CTH rears seem designed to fit wheels with those funky, diecast-like inner ribs.

I think I have a Blue Max kit in my stash somewhere. I'll see if I can compare 'em when I get home.

Fairly certain, Ken - although that first Blue Max set may have some trademarks on 'em that have since been removed. And now that you bring it up, I am trying to remember if the Blue Max slicks had a one-sided bead like these latest Hustler/Mongoose slicks do. I'm almost positive the fronts are a straight carry-over, though, and that they can't really qualify as muscle-car tires.

[Ben]

The MPC Blue Max Mustang F/C is the one that was reissued in a private-label run by The Model King several years ago. I believe the MK issue did, indeed, have the AMT logo on the box, although the kit was, indeed, an MPC product.

The Polar Lights Blue Max kit was a replica of an earlier car that used a '69-'70 Mustang body shell and a Logghe chassis, rather than the '71-'73 shell and digger-style chassis that were in the MPC kit. The PL kit did, indeed, use the same tooling as the earlier Gas Ronda Mustang F/C kit, and, like that kit, it contained both a Hemi and a Ford 427 SOHC "Cammer" engine. (The cammer was added to enable to builder to built an accurate replica of the Ronda car; the 1:1 Max ran a Hemi.)

Ahhh, I see! Those kits are some of hundreds that I haven't got too yet! LOL

I like to leave them sealed until I go to build them. I wasn't aware that the PL kits came with two engines! That's cool!

[Ben]

Fairly certain, Ken - although that first Blue Max set may have some trademarks on 'em that have since been removed. And now that you bring it up, I am trying to remember if the Blue Max slicks had a one-sided bead like these latest Hustler/Mongoose slicks do. I'm almost positive the fronts are a straight carry-over, though, and that they can't really qualify as muscle-car tires.

I'm holding the Revell Blue Max tires in my hand. The rear slicks have the full sidewall on both sides but only one side has the raised "Goodyear" logo. The front tires are one piece, Goodyear "Sports Car Specials".

Edited September 23, 2010 by Ben

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Kool! I'm just about positive the Hustler tires are at most lightly modified from the Blue Max tires you're looking at right now. You've confirmed the trademarks that seemed to jive with my memory.

What I'm curious about is the inner circumference bead that locates the tire against the wheel rim. The Hustler tires only have that bead on the outer side of the tire; do the Blue Max tires have one on both sides?

Edited September 23, 2010 by Chuck Kourouklis

[Ben]

Kool! I'm just about positive the Hustler tires are at most lightly modified from the Blue Max tires you're looking at right now. You've confirmed the trademarks that seemed to jive with my memory.

What I'm curious about is the inner circumference bead that locates the tire against the wheel rim. The Hustler tires only have that bead on the outer side of the tire; do the Blue Max tires have one on both sides?

Here's the Blue Max slick on the inside.

The outside

And the front tire.

Edited September 23, 2010 by Ben

[Ben]

Here's the Blue Max slick on the inside.

The outside

And the front tire.

I hope you can tell in the pics. The inside diameter of the "bead" is the same on both sides of the tire. This is true for both the front and rear tires.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

WOW! Thanks for all the trouble, Ben!

But if you look at the inner circumference on both sides of the slicks, there's a little lip on the trademarked side which forms the outer border of the webbing you're supposed to remove, where there's no such lip on the inside wall - that's what I was referring to by the "bead".

And with that, I'm now 99% certain the Hustler tires are the Blue Max tires minus trademarks (and the inner webbing which Revell lately goes to the trouble to remove).

Only stands to reason; it's a whole new set of tires that's only seen complete use in the Blue Max and half-use in the Jegs Oldsmobile pro-stock. Might as well remove the offending trademarks and get a bit more use out of 'em, since they've been largely idle for more than a decade...

Edited September 23, 2010 by Chuck Kourouklis

[Ben]

Oh, ok, I see what you mean now. I didn't know if that bead portion was supposed to removed along with the "web" portion.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Yeah - if they follow the usual pattern, I think you're supposed to trim the webbing at the "spokes" but leave that inner rim. The Hustler wheel halves are certainly designed for this arrangement.

Thanks again for the shots!

[Chuck Kourouklis]

+1, Mark. Very well put.

People who are disappointed by what they hear in advance about new Revell kits will somehow be less disappointed if they have to wait till they lay out their 25 bucks first and then open their kit? I don't quite follow that math.

Far better that people be informed first and choose to pass; seems to me they'd be more likely to give future Revell kits a chance than would those who drop their ducats only to get burned...

Edited September 23, 2010 by Chuck Kourouklis

[Brett Barrow]

Finally ... who'd you see in concert?

I saw indie rock legends Superchunk at the Trocadero in Philly. They've been my favorite band since '95 and this was the first time I had the chance to see them since 2002. Check 'em out - www.superchunk.com The show was awesome, but I wouldn't have expected anything less!

[Ben]

With all this discussion of "new car versus old car", I'm now wanting to build both versions to put them side by side to show people the changes made when they look at them.

[Brett Barrow]

Ok, since the discussion has focused largely on the tires, I'll post the pics I took of the tires and wheels.

I'm pretty sure now that the tires are based on the tires from the Blue Max kit, the number tags are also #200 and 210. The trademarks have been removed and the webbing from the rear slick is gone. I took measurements, please note that millimeters read almost directly as 1:1 inches in 25th scale, so if the model tire is 31mm, it represents a real tire approx. 31". Easy, right?!

[Brett Barrow]

Here's the rear wheel parts and assembly. It practically snaps together, I'm very impressed with the fit and tooling, even if this isn't the right "vintage" wheel. Right, wrong or indifferent, you can fault this kit for being poorly tooled.