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Announcing an all-new book on Model Car Kits....


tim boyd

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I am very pleased to announce the arrival of my latest book project, "Collecting Drag Racing Model Kits", published by CarTech Books and available now for pre-order at CarTechBooks.com and Amazon.com. The book's printing is now complete and it is expected to be available at book retailers in late August or September, 2020.

DSC 0098

The book features 350 full color images and 175 pages of text covering the vast world of styrene assembly kits of drag racing cars. Twelve chapters are arranged by kit subject (Super Stocks, Gassers, Funny Cars, et al). There's also a bonus chapter showing built up drag racing models from experts like Guy Beaudette, Steve Perry, the late Bud LeFevre, Bill Coulter, Don Emmons, and others.

Compared to my most recent previous book, "Collecting Muscle Car Model Kits" (also from CarTech Publishing), this new book covers each individual drag racing kit in considerably greater detail, and it also includes many reissues along with the many other kits derived from each set of set of kit "tools:. As before, I've included insights and stories from kit industry insiders. I added a list of ill-fated drag racing kits that were planned, but never actually brought to market, some of which are well known but some others that may surprise you!

The text and images were fact-checked by Mark Budniewski who is among the most knowledgeable model kit experts in the world, and I consulted drag racing experts Tom Carter, Guy Beaudette, Jim Kampmann, and Mark for their input and additions to a list of "The Very Best Drag Racing Kits" of all time.

The 22 images at this link show snippets from the book and each chapter therein, to give you a better flavor of what it contains.

If this sounds like a topic you'd like, please consider ordering the book from your favorite on-line book or model kit source, or your favorite model car hobby store or book store.

Thanks for your interest, and Best Regards, all!  TIM 

 

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On 8/15/2020 at 4:34 PM, Mark said:

I've seen it already, but still can't wait for the finished book with photos and text together.

Mark is being very modest here;  as he proofed the entire book content (twelve chapters and roughly 85,000 words, as well as 350 images) for me in record time to support a four-month pull-ahead of the completed project requested by the publisher. 

Mark also did a great job of filling in the details of a few subjects where I was, after much research, still missing a few of the finer details.  It's always a great help to have a second set of eyes read a manuscript, and having something as knowledgeable as Mark about the subject of the book was a blessing for me and, ultimately, for anyone who buys and reads the book. 

I've said it to him before, but I'll say it again here...."THANKS Mark!"   TIM  

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I pre-ordered mine today, so I SHOULD be among the first to get one. :unsure:

On 8/15/2020 at 12:55 PM, Deuces ll said:

Happy Birthday Snake!!!!!...... ???

 

On 8/16/2020 at 3:27 PM, Draggon said:

Happy birthday Snake! 

Thanks! You might be interested to know that you got me exactly the same thing one of my kids did--an e-message, :lol:

Another one called me on the phone. :unsure:

The third one didn't remember at all, evidently...or just didn't care. :angry:

Oh well, I got a card and a cake from The Lovely Mrs. Snake. B)

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Any book on model cars written by Mr. Boyd, is an automatic addition to my library. Even though the subject in this case does not interest me a lot, I'm sure it's going to well done and very authoritative, like his other books. Even with my low interest in drag racing, I've built a few over the years. So I'm sure I'll enjoy this book too.

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On 8/14/2020 at 6:52 PM, tim boyd said:

I am very pleased to announce the arrival of my latest book project, "Collecting Drag Racing Model Kits", published by CarTech Books and available now for pre-order at CarTechBooks.com and Amazon.com. The book's printing is now complete and it is expected to be available at book retailers in late August or September, 2020.

DSC 0098

The book features 350 full color images and 175 pages of text covering the vast world of styrene assembly kits of drag racing cars. Twelve chapters are arranged by kit subject (Super Stocks, Gassers, Funny Cars, et al). There's also a bonus chapter showing built up drag racing models from experts like Guy Beaudette, Steve Perry, the late Bud LeFevre, Bill Coulter, Don Emmons, and others.

Compared to my most recent previous book, "Collecting Muscle Car Model Kits" (also from CarTech Publishing), this new book covers each individual drag racing kit in considerably greater detail, and it also includes many reissues along with the many other kits derived from each set of set of kit "tools:. As before, I've included insights and stories from kit industry insiders. I added a list of ill-fated drag racing kits that were planned, but never actually brought to market, some of which are well known but some others that may surprise you!

The text and images were fact-checked by Mark Budniewski who is among the most knowledgeable model kit experts in the world, and I consulted drag racing experts Tom Carter, Guy Beaudette, Jim Kampmann, and Mark for their input and additions to a list of "The Very Best Drag Racing Kits" of all time.

The 22 images at this link show snippets from the book and each chapter therein, to give you a better flavor of what it contains.

If this sounds like a topic you'd like, please consider ordering the book from your favorite on-line book or model kit source, or your favorite model car hobby store or book store.

Thanks for your interest, and Best Regards, all!  TIM 

 

Just got back from looking at your preview you link above. As I figured, I'll be enjoying the book a lot. Despite the emphasis on "drag racing," it looks like you cover just about everything even remotely related to the subject. There is enough there for even those of us with a light interest in the subject. 

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It would be nice to see a book on the early history of AMT, Revell, Jo-Han and MPC.  I wonder how many employees of those companies are alive to even interview?  To go back even further, it would be interesting to interview anyone from National Products, Master Caster and Banthrico for the early promotional model car history.  All three of those companies were in Chicago. 

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Thomas Graham has written very good books on Monogram, Revell, and Aurora.  I haven't seen the Aurora book but have the other two, both include comprehensive history of the respective companies.  The founders of AMT, MPC, and Jo-Han are all gone, all have changed hands multiple times so it's unlikely any company records from the early years still exist.

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2 hours ago, Mark said:

The founders of AMT, MPC, and Jo-Han are all gone, all have changed hands multiple times so it's unlikely any company records from the early years still exist.

I marvel that as much tooling as we have still exists!  While a lot of guys moan about what’s missing!  Name another business where so much survives!

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Mark,

Thanks for the tips on the books by Graham.  I didn't expect anything regarding original records of the companies, but first-hand accounts from some of the people who worked at Jo-Han, MPC and AMT would be interesting (Marketing, Assembly, Sales, Prototyping).

Tom,

I agree that we are fortunate as to how much tooling still survives.  People like to complain about another reissue of (fill in the blank).  I have gotten many kits that I never would have been able to afford when I was a kid.  

Edited by Motor City
.
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7 hours ago, Mark said:

Thomas Graham has written very good books on Monogram, Revell, and Aurora.  I haven't seen the Aurora book but have the other two, both include comprehensive history of the respective companies.  The founders of AMT, MPC, and Jo-Han are all gone, all have changed hands multiple times so it's unlikely any company records from the early years still exist.

Mr. Graham's books (more than one edition) on Aurora are very good too. Written in the same format of his books the histories of Monogram and Revell. All three are well worth picking up. I do wish Mr. Graham, or someone else, would do books in the same style and in depth books on the histories of AMT, MPC, and JoHan. Maybe something for Mr. Boyd to consider? 

Edited by unclescott58
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