68GT

Gamera, maybe it was an older issue and they just added the new parts?

 

I have no idea, could very well be! 

Gamera

Thanks! I was a bit surprised by the sheer number of parts as well. Seems some of them are for a more stock van and aren't used here. No idea if the kit was ever reissued as a stock van later. Like the old Airwolf kit that includes parts for a standard Bell 222 as well.

John: That's looking very good!

Eagle: Sounds cool, I like it!

 

Remember back in the day when the model companies released newer models each year as well which were virtually the same kit with an updated grill and some other bits for the new model year.

It was issued in a multitude of versions, the A-Team version added a new grill and some other custom bits they tooled to make the TV van.

I think this is one of the earliest issues of the van.

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/amt-t-516-rescue-van--948517

Thanks Rob! Makes perfect sense. I'd forgotten about the weird obsession with customized vans back in the '70s.

Gamera

Thanks Rob! Makes perfect sense. I'd forgotten about the weird obsession with customized vans back in the '70s.

 

The Revell kit included a removable roof and I think it had a bed, TV and other "cool" custom features inside. It was molded in a "midnight blue" plastic (dark blue with sparkles) so no need for painting.

These were the two I had and built back in the day:

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/revell-h-1396-convoy-van--948512

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/monogram-2216-chevy-street-van--267063

For some reason, it "had" to be a Chevy van or it wasn't "cool."

Rob Gronovius

 

 

Gamera

Thanks Rob! Makes perfect sense. I'd forgotten about the weird obsession with customized vans back in the '70s.

 

 

 

 

As a kid, I had two customized van kits; one by Revell and one by Monogram. The Monogram one was empty inside and I remember it came with Chevy symbol side windows that you had to carefully cut the sides of the van to install. I just glued them in place.

 

The Revell kit included a removable roof and I think it had a bed, TV and other "cool" custom features inside. It was molded in a "midnight blue" plastic (dark blue with sparkles) so no need for painting.

These were the two I had and built back in the day:

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/revell-h-1396-convoy-van--948512

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/monogram-2216-chevy-street-van--267063

For some reason, it "had" to be a Chevy van or it wasn't "cool."

 

I was born in '69 so the '70s were kinda a blur. I only really remember kid's stuff. The only kits I had back then were mostly Snap-Fit type stuff. 

I knew a dude in highschool that had a pretty cool van.  He replaced the bumper with a really nice one he made in wood shop and had Van Halen carved into it 

\m/...(>.<)…\m/

Most young adults that had vans also had a model kit of what they wanted their van to look like. The custom van I built was kind of based on the Convoy movie and later some sort of TV show.

(I looked it up, Movin' On starring Claude Atkins)

John: Wow, now that's cool!!! 

Rob: Lol, I hear the 'Convoy' song on the radio every now and then. Gosh, could anything be more a blast of pure undiluted '70s??? (Ok, maybe if you had a Farrah Fawcett poster hanging next to your radio). 

Rob Gronovius

 

It was issued in a multitude of versions, the A-Team version added a new grill and some other custom bits they tooled to make the TV van.

I think this is one of the earliest issues of the van.

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/amt-t-516-rescue-van--948517

 

I am amazed at the asking prices for some of the decendents.  I'd like to get my hands on the police van from 2018, but not at $50 plus shipping.  It is still an AMT kit afterall... 

Firebird progress. Had a hell of a time finishing the last few steps. rear hatch fits as well as an egg in an M&Ms bag. I painted the rear lights and it looked awful so i sanded it smooth and printed a photo to stick behind it. I sharpied the weather stripping on the glass T-Tops. 

it's too big for my photo booth

DSCF9259 by aus_mus, on Flickr

DSCF9260 by aus_mus, on Flickr

DSCF9262 by aus_mus, on Flickr

DSCF9263 by aus_mus, on Flickr

DSCF9264 by aus_mus, on Flickr

more pix

DSCF9265 by aus_mus, on Flickr

DSCF9266 by aus_mus, on Flickr

DSCF9267 by aus_mus, on Flickr

Cockpit bucket completed and a quick test fit of the seats.

Wow Octane that's a beautiful job!!! Great work on the finish, I still can't get gloss to look right. And fantastic work on the interior, chassis, and those cool wire hubcaps too!!! 

Eagle: Nice work there! She's coming right along. 

Rob Gronovius

I have a kit similar to that, but after a quick trip to Hobby Lobby, I found a Tom Cat, not any Tomcat, but Tom "Maverick" Cruise's F-14 from the movie Top Gun.

The Top Gun Tomcat was only around $11 after their 40% off sale.

I cracked open the Revell F-14 Tomcat and it is a rather basic kit. Two sets of decals, one are stickers and the other the same set but in water slide decals. I ordered a set of decals from Sprue Brothers just now and hopefully they will be here in time. I spent more on the decal set ($12.77) than on the actual kit!

1:72 Furball Aero Design F-14 Tomcat Stencil & Data

Great job on the Firebird Octain.  Do you have preference of which picture to post at the beginning?

Eaglecash, that's a nice start to the cockpit. Are those decals or PE?

Rob, I have lots of builds where I spend more on the decals than the kit. Hopefully you can get a few more builds out of that sheet.

Thanks, Ed.  Those are Eduard PE panels.  Really glad I made that small investment...they look so much better than the decals in the kit.  Eduard PE stuff lacks sufficient depth in larger scales like 1:32, but in 1:72 they look just about right.

Still working on the van. 

I'm probably in some hot water for some racist thing or the other for priming Mr. T white though... 

I pity the fool who used white primer on me!

Change the ears and you have the proper color for the Night Elf Mohawk.

https://youtu.be/D1vF3-BsoxE

Rob Gronovius

Change the ears and you have the proper color for the Night Elf Mohawk.

 

https://youtu.be/D1vF3-BsoxE

 

Good thinking Rob! 

LOL guys, I've got the brown paint out. Mr. T is going to a more accurate shade. 

You just need Hannibal, Face, and Murdock to go in too.  And a couple Mini 14s with folding stocks of course.  

where are the tracked vehicles?  i need to get back into a GB or 2 other than the SHELF QUEEN GB

i still have a bunch of shelf queens to finish but i have a ЗИЛ-131 6X6 command truck from the ICM Chernobyl No. 1 that can cross over.

I have some Italeri M109 kits that I was thinking of starting one in a 4 color scheme. I'm kind of in a holding pattern though since I'm redoing my kitchen.

Robert: I wish I did have a complete set of figures to go with the van. I think I'll do some snooping around, I'd be surprised if someone hadn't put a set of 3D printed figures by now.

Wayne: That is very cool! I picked up some Soviet figures in NBC gear about a year ago. Not sure if this is the right protective suits for the Chernoybol clean-up or not though.

68GT: That is cool too! I went for the van instead of rooting though my military stuff. Most of mine is WWII though Korea with a smattering of 'modern' subjects, not sure any of them would work with the '80s timeframe or not. Love your 109! Good luck with the kitchen!

68GT

Thanks, I've had the two 109s and a M108 pulled to build for over 5 years now and just haven't started them.

 

Yeah, My Dads unit shipped out of Ft. Carson after training on the 108.  The went to West Germany in 66-67 where they trained on the 109 and then shipped down to Vietnam. The M108s stayed at Fort Carson.