tim boyd Posted February 7, 2015 Author Posted February 7, 2015 (edited) And, after all these years--still no '27 T Roadster (although that is what AMT Corporation originally advertized--but came out with a touring car instead! Still wishing! Art Art....so true, so true. And that one has been (and still is) near the top of every list of new kit ideas I offer, when ever I am asked by those who are in a position to do something about it... It seems particularly timely these days given the growing interest in that body style from the 1/1 scale "Traditional" hot rod crowd....TB Edited February 7, 2015 by tim boyd
tim boyd Posted February 7, 2015 Author Posted February 7, 2015 Kool archives! How many intresting projects did AMT management reject? especially in the 2nd half of the 70's... Always tought that from the mid to late 70s, AMT was in a very rough financial downhill, meaning many intresting projects got axed. At least the '77 Custom Gremlin "GT-op" made it! kool looking car kit for a kid of the 70s. P., you are correct, AMT was struggling financially in the late 1970's. I was nearing graduation from college and wanted to go work for them full time (i had been doing commissioned projects for them for several years) . AMT's quarterly financial statements, combined with what I heard from insiders at my visits there, made for an interesting "case study" in my junior and senior Business Strategy and Financial Analysis courses. Long story short, they built a second factory in Baltimore, which was highly automated, to crank out those truck and trailer kits which had been really good sellers for them. But with the increase in raw materials costs due to the Arab Oil Embargo and its after effects, plus the natural lifecyle of new produce categories (sales drop off when the newness wears off), they had a ton of fixed costs that made for financial struggles. Then the unionized hourly work force at their Troy, MI plant (which was not as automated) went on strike, and their management decided to take a hard stand. Eventually they decided to shut the plant, move everything to Baltimore, and things went downhill quickly after that, with the sale of AMT to Lesney Matchbox not long thereafter. I had wanted to work for them after graduation, and interviewed with them including one of their top 3 executives. Fortunately for me, with the troubles on the horizon, they declined to hire me. ( I then went on to a long and successful career at Ford) . There's more to tell....maybe someday! TIM
tim boyd Posted February 7, 2015 Author Posted February 7, 2015 Going on record here to let Revell/Monogram know that I would buy a few of this kit...if they ever got around to get it out to the public. I'm sure there are others that feel the same. Look at the success of the various dueces. I have a few of them in all the available configurations, so Revell, what do ya say? Please give us a '29 Ford roadster on duece frame! Seems to be popular request. Wayne....thanks for the support on this. Revell would seem to be an obvious source, but I'd be happy with a kit of this subject from any of the kit makers.....as long as it's in 1/25th (or 1/24th) scale... TB
tim boyd Posted February 7, 2015 Author Posted February 7, 2015 It's still a possibility if they just swapped out the Phantom Vicky body for the molds to the venerable '29 roadster kit it could be done, a little more contemporary, but still an A on Deuce rails I personally liked the Phantom Vicky frame, particularly the tubular frame crossmembers which were more current in design than those in the Revell Duece frame. But IIRC it didn't have the typical '32 Ford frame "sweep" on the frame rails, And Round 2 seems quite busy with their present business model restoring and reissuing old tooled kits... Still...it would be a very cool product....TB
tim boyd Posted February 7, 2015 Author Posted February 7, 2015 One kit I have been waiting on for more than 25 Years for AMT to reissue is the Astro 1 show car. They announced sometime in the eighties that they were going to reissue it, but never did. Just another disappointment ! Harold...I never heard that AMT was gonna reissue the Astro 1 back in the 1980's.....that would be very,very cool. I don;t know how much the body molds were torn up to do the Scorpion mid engine funny car kit... With the miracles that John G. and Tom Lowe are doing at Round 2 (along with the help of dedicated and knowledgeable contractors like John Mueller), if this is possible, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see it resurface one of these days.....TIM
Greg Myers Posted February 7, 2015 Posted February 7, 2015 Heck, just give us a few of these, we can do the rest. and no '27 Tee ? Baffels the mind. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=3485For reals
Greg Myers Posted February 7, 2015 Posted February 7, 2015 Wayne....thanks for the support on this. Revell would seem to be an obvious source, but I'd be happy with a kit of this subject from any of the kit makers.....as long as it's in 1/25th (or 1/24th) scale... TB Yes a Model A series similar to their '32 deuce series would certainly make sense.
38 Crush Posted February 7, 2015 Posted February 7, 2015 Thanks Tim for keeping My Hopes up ! Not real sure about the time frame of the eighties, but after wrestling with my mind I believe it was around the late eighties. I was real tight with our local hobby shop at the time and the owner gave me a list of new and reissues to come and I was ecstatic to see the Astro 1 on the list. But as usual, never saw it again. But it was on the list from AMT. At the time, I think I checked with the hobby shop weekly , ,
Casey Posted February 7, 2015 Posted February 7, 2015 Wayne...yeah... I probably have some stuff that people would like to see. Maybe I need to get a bit more serious about posting more of it on my Fotki site. Like the factory design blueprints for some of the AMT trade show announcements - kitbashes (or in a few cases, outright scratchbuilds) I did for them on commission back in the 1970's.....(anyone remember the three AMT '75 1/2 Ford Econoline theme kits.....or the 1977 "Custom Gremlin"....) TB MAYBE!??? Please do it. Any and all would be more than appreciated.
Casey Posted February 8, 2015 Posted February 8, 2015 ..if they ever got around to get it out to the public. If? When. The Stacy David Rat Roaster kit was just discontinued after a nice 2.5 year run, too. They say timing is everything...
mod3l Lover Posted February 8, 2015 Posted February 8, 2015 Draw the whole thing out in Crayon, maybe that will get their attention this time! LOL!! Just kidding of course, I know Round2 doesn't make new models anymore. David S.
ChrisBcritter Posted February 8, 2015 Posted February 8, 2015 Nice job of weathering and the wire wheels look almost like the real thing, but you forgot the plug wires! Seriously, though, I'd like to see a '29-on-'32 as well - but with the option for a Z-ed frame to lower it.
Phildaupho Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 Heck, just give us a few of these, we can do the rest. and no '27 Tee ? Baffels the mind. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=3485For reals
Phildaupho Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 At first I thought the Jalopy Journal photo of the blue 29 was a very well done model. I read the article on HAMB The car really reminds me of Skip Hudson's 29 which was on the first color cover of Hot Rod mag and in which Dan Gurney drove his first sanctioned competition event - Bonneville. I have been wanting to build a model of this car so hope a new kit becomes available in near future. http://public.fotki.com/phildaupho/dan-gurney-scale-ra/bonneville-express/0709sr-04-z-dan.html#media
Greg Myers Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 (edited) A V-8 http://www.roddingroundtable.com/rides/members/54av8.html Great book http://www.amazon.com/Build-Traditional-Ford-Motorbooks-Workshop/dp/0760309000 Read the book , build your own, model or 1:1. Edited February 9, 2015 by Greg Myers
Phildaupho Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 So are the photos of the 1/1 or 1/25? Either way I love this hot rod!! I am definitely going to have to buy the book.
jeff f Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Let me add a HUGE THANK YOU to RM for all of the NEW models that we have the opportunity to collect and sometimes build. I most always agree with their choices. My personal follow on release list is a 68 hemi cuda and a 33/34 ford series. Thanks jeff
Exotics_Builder Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 If you have yet to view the other post, here is the link http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=98804#entry1362456
tim boyd Posted February 10, 2015 Author Posted February 10, 2015 A V-8 http://www.roddingroundtable.com/rides/members/54av8.html Great book http://www.amazon.com/Build-Traditional-Ford-Motorbooks-Workshop/dp/0760309000 Read the book , build your own, model or 1:1. Isn't this the MikeBishop/Vern Tardell Model A....uh.....yes it is. Check out the entire book written about this project...it's called "How to Build a Traditional Ford Hot Rod", c,2000, Motorbooks/MBI Publishing.
unclescott58 Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Harold...I never heard that AMT was gonna reissue the Astro 1 back in the 1980's.....that would be very,very cool. I don;t know how much the body molds were torn up to do the Scorpion mid engine funny car kit... With the miracles that John G. and Tom Lowe are doing at Round 2 (along with the help of dedicated and knowledgeable contractors like John Mueller), if this is possible, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see it resurface one of these days.....TIM More so than the "A", I wish the story here of Astro I coming back were true. Scott
Exotics_Builder Posted February 11, 2015 Posted February 11, 2015 More so than the "A", I wish the story here of Astro I coming back were true. Scott I second that. It was a cool concept car.
Greg Myers Posted February 11, 2015 Posted February 11, 2015 Isn't this the MikeBishop/Vern Tardell Model A....uh.....yes it is. Check out the entire book written about this project...it's called "How to Build a Traditional Ford Hot Rod", c,2000, Motorbooks/MBI Publishing. Pictures are of the real car, The two links go to describing the book as well as the real car. Reading is fundamental :
tim boyd Posted February 11, 2015 Author Posted February 11, 2015 Pictures are of the real car, The two links go to describing the book as well as the real car. Reading is fundamental : OK Greg....you got me there. I was more answering another post question, but you're right, I should have checked your links before reposting the same info myself. D'oh! TIM
Greg Myers Posted February 11, 2015 Posted February 11, 2015 and a BIG thank you for that new Model A Roadster kit. Don't be shy, we know you had a lot to do with it. Nothing but better.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now