21 replies to this topic

[Rolf]

Can anybody post a copy of the Monogram Chevy '55 slot car body instructions? I didn't see them on VSRN.

Thanks.

[Gary Bluestone]

Pay special attention to fitting the windshield and roof. You may have to actually file the windshield to fit but be careful since the windshield frame is fragile.



Here is a shot of my''clone" during construction.

[Rolf]

Thank you, Gary.
 

Exactly what I was looking for.

Regards,

[Gary Bluestone]

You are welcome.

If you are building one of these or other vintage kits, I strongly recommend avoiding old school model glue which ruins the plastic. I use 3 hour epoxy which does not yellow ,however this is getting very hard to find. There are some new glues for clear parts, and maybe someone knows of an epoxy which is guaranteed to stay clear . The Lepage's company has stopped making the glue I use and I will need to source something else soon. The epoxy I use will come off completely and not destroy the plastic. In a serious crash it may come apart but the plastic is usually saved unhurt. For some cheap current production kits that are converted to slot racers, I may use old school glue because it may hold better but  I won't use it on anything rare.

[Pete L.]

Fellas,

 

 Great thread, I've been tryin' to finish up a clone using the "Badman" kit for a good while now. Thanks for posting the instructions and shots of the blue car !!!

[Rolf]

After a break, I wish to express my Monogram project to an end.
Search for 3/4 "wheels and soft 1-1/4" tires.
Search also repro decals for T-Bird / Duesenberg / Mercedes.
Does anyone know where I can buy?

Greetings and thanks from Switzerland.

 

[Gary Bluestone]

These wheels and tires turn up on the auction site quite often. Wheels are SR1101/69, tires are SR1001/59 and are usually still soft enough to use after a good sanding on a drill. The number after the slash is the original price.

 

Eventually one of the local guys here will be making urethane tires for these but for now we are using originals with great success and have done so for most of the last three decades.

[Champion 507]

Nice collection, Rolf.

 

I did a repro '58 T-Bird a few years ago using some NOS decals, a chassis mostly made from original parts, and a body from the 2000 year re-issue of the kit. 

 

 

 

[Gary Bluestone]

It looks like you still have the decal sheet or is it all used up? Just looking to scan it to try to make copies for my T-Bird.

[Champion 507]

It's used up. I was just trying to show that the decals came from an original sheet.

 

Actually, the cut-out area was the two Autolite decals. They were used by their previous owner but I had two old AMT decals that were about 95% correct.

 

The Monogram decals had been well stored over the years and came right off. My AMT decals had also been well stored but they took a lot of coaxing to get them to finally release from the paper.

 

The Chatham Ford decal is actually on there straight. It is parallel to the track surface. The way the body line slopes down at the base of the tail fin, gives the illusion that the decal is on crooked. I almost went cross-eyed trying to line that one up, deciding to go parallel to the track surface instead of the fin line.

 

The box top photo came from an eBay auction long ago. Someone was selling one and had posted a nice pic of the box art, so I made a copy and saved it until I had gathered all the parts to make the car.

[Champion 507]

The only thing I couldn't come up with at the time was a Monogram driver

 

As it turned out, the guy who bought this car found one on eBay, so he was all set.

[Pete L.]

Doug,

Nice work on the T-bird, did you paint the car white or is it molded in color?  If it's molded in white, could you please let us know which issue that was?
 
Thanks,

Pete L.

[Champion 507]

Hi Pete,

 

Back up in post #8, I indicated it was from the 2000 re-issue. Yes, it is molded in white and I did paint it white on the outside.

 

Thanks for the nice compliment.

[Pete L.]

Doug,

 

 Thanks for the info, I'll start a search for the "Great White Bird" rightaway !!!    

[Champion 507]

Pete,

 

Here's what the box looks like:

 

[Pete L.]

Doug,

 

 Thanks for posting the photo !!!

[Horsepower]

This kit doesn't have a hard top with it, does it?     

[Rolf]

Not know this kit, but with kit No. 85-4280 is hard roof.

[Champion 507]

The T-bird body comes with a roof (top) in the 2000 year re-issue I posted in posts #8 and #15.

[Horsepower]

Thank you both!     You would't know it has a hardtop by looking at the box.

[Champion 507]

I agree with you there, Gary. The top does not have any really good anchor points. It looks okay now but any minor contact with the wall or another car will probably pop it loose. The whole windshield, chrome frame and roof are meant for show, not go. If I were going to handle this as a model car, I would pick it up by the car sides, not the top. It's just not made to be picked up there.

[Gary Bluestone]

Don't worry about breaking the top off. It is only a model kit. I have been racing an original for years with no problems, I only remember busting off a taillite which reglued easily. I used regular epoxy on the originals so it doesn't ruin the plastic. On my t-bird the top is glued to the rear window and front frame and the windows add strength when glued all around. The rear sides of the top take most of the stress. Have fun with this stuff, use it but don't abuse it.