When I Was Young & Dumb: Building the Unbuildable '56 Chevy!

[John Goschke]

Here are some vintage shots of a circa-1977 build of Revell's notoriously "unbuildable" '56 Chevy two door sedan kit. Built in trade to the owner of the real car for a group of about 25 old, rebuildable models, including a '58 Ford hardtop. Got it finished after destroying one body trying to fix a warp. Guys who remember this kit from the '60s no doubt remember the cool artwork of a green custom with the door open that tempted them to buy, then discovered the nightmare of trying to build it!

I made the job more difficult by consenting to build it as the owner's six cylinder, Powerglide car rather than the V-8 stick the kit came with. Also made the hood, trunk, and the (out of scale) BelAir emblems from scratch. Please excuse that crazy antenna!

[John Goschke]

A few more shots...

Of course there was also this appropriately named issue of the kit!

Edited June 22, 2014 by John Goschke

[cobraman]

That is really nice ! I bought that kit back when it was first released. I got sucked in by the art work. That kit just about ended my model building hobby as I recall. I think I ended up gluing everything shut.

[Danno]

Not bad for the time, John, but very obvious your skills are vastly improved.

Just as good a build of that kit as I've EVER seen.

[GLMFAA1]

I never bought it because I had my 'bad dream' with Revell's 57 Chevy and the 56 Ford pick up.

greg

[Eshaver]

Dang FINE job !!!!!!!!!!

[Dragline]

I've never seen one built to any kind of standard, so it is also the best I've ever seen. I'm tempted to give this kit a go.

Bob

[Rob Hall]

Sharp build...the circa '77 'Bad Dream' version of that kit was my first glue kit in '77 at age 7..it was bear to build IIRC. I've preserved it in all it's glue bomb original status, though..complete w/ hand-cut shag carpeting...

[slusher]

a great build. Never seen this kit ever built..

[realgone58]

Well done, best I have seen, and 1977 no less!

Exactly! That's incredible!

[Bob Ellis]

I built the Revell '55 Chevy with no problems at 14 years old. But I have to admit the '56 didn't build as well. Didn't seem to fit, so I chucked it.

You build is amazing.

[unclescott58]

I'm impressed. The box always made this kit tempting. But, I didn't trust Revell kits of the time.

Scott

[ChrisR]

Looks great!

[Lunajammer]

Proof again that in the hands of a capable and motivated craftsman, any sow's ear can be made into a silk purse. Mmmm, silky.

[Tom99]

Awesome build!

[Robberbaron]

I agree - definitely the best version of this kit I've ever seen built. I made the mistake of buying a factory sealed "Hot Rod" issue of this kit about 10 years ago. The roof is so warped it's literally unbuildable.

[Jade043]

Excellent job

[John Goschke]

Thanks for the comments, guys! These shots bring back a lot of memories, some good, some not so good. A lot of stuff has happened since then, and I'd like to think I'm gained a bit of wisdom in the intervening years. Glad to say I'm still here and still building!

[bbowser]

Really nice model. Love the fact you did a 6 as well as wrestling the body into submission.

[Tom Geiger]

I owned a '56 Chevy 210 2 door sedan around 1978. I bought this kit and the then new AMT '51 Chevy to build a replica of my primer gray 6 cylinder / powerglide car. I didn't get far before the 'Ghosts of '57 Nomads Past' came to the top of my memory and I put the boxes away, I still have them today. Fortunately there is a much better version of a '56 2 door sedan to build from today!

My nemethis back in my youth was the '57 Nomad. You know the one with the Hollingworth Nomad sitting on the beach scene. My favorite box art of all time, that would lure me back to that box of parts never expected to got together to make a reasonable replica of a Nomad. As a kid, I'd see that kit on the shelf again, and reason with myself that I was a year older and should be able to build one this time. Well, it always resulted in disaster and I never got one done. Not even the one I started as an adult. That one is still in the box too!

So I went to my first GSL about 2001 and the big panel discussion was the staff of the original Revell. In the question and answer period I got up and chided them a bit about my youthful experience with that kit. They took it in good nature and we got a few laughs. After the event, Bob Paeth seeked me out and spent the rest of the evening telling me the entire story behind that kit, and being on the team that brought it to market back in 1968. So going back to the next GSL two years later, I brought my box top along and had Bob sign it for me. Little did I know as a kid that I'd actually meet the people behind the model kits! The little kid in me rejoiced!

[DumpyDan]

Beautiful job! I have both of those 56 Chevy issues, and as a matter a fact I was looking though both of these kits this morning. I think Revell should have had you doing there building.

[1930fordpickup]

That is one sharp car .

I came across one of these cars in a box of built up models from a family friend. I was a young kid at the time . The green paint looked good to me so I jacked it up to 4x4 level. It was the late 70'S early 80'S after all . The idea came from a 4X4 Elcamino we drove by on the way home from church. The guy was 5 years ahead of the 4X4 truck craze here.

[62rebel]

that's an extremely nice build and clearly illustrates the fact that even a bad kit can be built to a high standard if you simply have the skill and patience to work on it. it was a difficult kit even when new; but difficulty overcome is a victory.

[rmvw guy]

I remember building that kit as a youth. All the opening doors were the real challenge for me and the working steering. If I remember correctly it had all the options on chrome trim for any model 110, 210 or Bel Air. Way beyond my skill level. Parts were around in boxes for years. The top was cut off in an attempt to graft it to a Revell '55.

Yours is the best I have seen of this kit, nice model.

[Kustoms Illustrated]

I've never owned this kit or even had the opportunity to look at the contents. Did it come with a custom rear end as depicted in the box art?