RatRod Posted October 30, 2009 Posted October 30, 2009 After many years trying to get an unbuilt Monogram Little T kit, I finally did a trade with a fellow internet friend, and modeler, and got a good enough to restore Little T. This kit was done in 1964, and supposedly scaled down from the Monogram Big T kit. When I received this one, it was a little dusty, and grimy from sitting on a shelf for some 40 years, and in a house with smokers (of course everybody smoked back then.... ) I was amazed at just how well built this model was considering it was built back in the day. All the chrome was scraped before gluing, and it was not a glue bomb. The original builder had actually taken the time, and effort to do a nice clean build. After a careful bath with a soft tooth brush, and detergent, it came out nice.... Even though it looks pretty good in the pictures, it still needed much more cleaning. I really contemplated doing a restoration, but in order to get all the parts clean, it needed to be taken apart. I very carefully disassembled most of the car, but the axles, and tire & wheel assembly's were left together. After all the pieces were were washed, and a fresh paint job, oh and locating a new windshield (the only missing piece) I carefully reassembled it.... Quote
mr moto Posted October 30, 2009 Posted October 30, 2009 Nice job! You did it proud. That's as classic a hot rod as you'll ever see and obviously a classic kit, too. Beautiful! Quote
Bernard Kron Posted October 30, 2009 Posted October 30, 2009 You intimate that restoration builds and OTB builds of rare and classic kits takes a well-advanced kit bag of skills to do them justice. I agree completely. In some ways the responsibility to do these kits justice would seem to be a considerable burden. Fortunately for all of us, you skills are more than up to the job! I'd love to visit your museum... Thanx for sharing! Quote
MrObsessive Posted October 30, 2009 Posted October 30, 2009 I'm not a street rod guy, but that is NICE!! Has this kit ever been resissued? I thought years ago seeing a "Little T" kit on the LHS shelves once. Quote
george 53 Posted October 30, 2009 Posted October 30, 2009 It was Bill, an it's latest incarnation comes with a trailer. A VERY nice save, it came out GREAT! Gives good credit to the original builder for doing such a nice clean built too! Looks REAL good. Quote
MrObsessive Posted October 30, 2009 Posted October 30, 2009 It was Bill, an it's latest incarnation comes with a trailer. A VERY nice save, it came out GREAT! Gives good credit to the original builder for doing such a nice clean built too! Looks REAL good. Hmmmm................. Quote
RatRod Posted October 30, 2009 Author Posted October 30, 2009 Thanks for the compliments!!! Bill, yes this kit has been reissued several times, but after the 1964 issue the molds were changed to do the Tom Daniel Sweet T version, then numerous versions of the T with the trailer. Gone from the kit after 1964 are the nicely done drum brakes, six carb manifold, and the headers. It would take some doing to recreate the original from a reissue. Quote
Modelmartin Posted October 30, 2009 Posted October 30, 2009 IMO, it would be money well-spent on Revell's part to restore this kit to its original state. I wouldn't think it would take that much to do so. I would be up for that! Nice build/resto! I have a glue bomb of this one which I would like to redo some day maybe with the cylindrical tank out back instead of the PU box. It originally came with 3 options for the back end -PU box, chrome cylindrical tank and turtle deck! Quote
jbwelda Posted October 30, 2009 Posted October 30, 2009 >It originally came with 3 options for the back end -PU box, chrome cylindrical tank and turtle deck! thats interesting because it gives you the rear end treatment, if only that, to build a mini big t (pickup bed), big drag (turtledeck) or big rod (fuel tank). pretty cool. ive never had this kit so i dont know but i wouldnt imagine it also included scaled down parts for other areas of the various "big" variants? Quote
RatRod Posted October 31, 2009 Author Posted October 31, 2009 Ya know Bill, that would have been cool to have seen the Big Drag in 1/24, along with the Big Rod. The Little T side box art does show some hints that maybe monogram was seriously thinking along these lines (check out the colors...) Here's a larger pic of the options on the instruction sheet.... Quote
Modelmartin Posted October 31, 2009 Posted October 31, 2009 I will let the Monogram original Little T box do the talking!! The date on the box is 1964. It is the glued style box which is a little older than RatRod's box. Quote
jbwelda Posted October 31, 2009 Posted October 31, 2009 see i must have read that side panel all those long years ago when i was a kid, and it just bubbled back up to the top at the right moment! Quote
James Flowers Posted October 31, 2009 Posted October 31, 2009 That looks great. I have one that is missing the windshield, Windshield frame and taillights. Now I know what kit to get for those parts. Quote
djway3474 Posted October 31, 2009 Posted October 31, 2009 There is an extra sense of staisfaction with a good restoration of an old rare kit. Great job. Dwayne J Quote
Irvin Arter Jr. Posted October 31, 2009 Posted October 31, 2009 Great Job! I bought one also that was well done. I just cleaned it up and replaced some broken chrome and detail painted a few things. I left the decals on it as is. before after Quote
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