A discussion about the Monogram '58 Thunderbird

[Greg Myers]

Found this to share with you : http://artandcolour.blogspot.com/2010/09/but-wheres-varsity-dude.html  

[Greg Myers]

What other reissues of this kit can you come up with ? 

[StevenGuthmiller]

 

Steve

[unclescott58]

I've built Mongram's '58 Bird a few times over the years. The first time, I found one in the box Greg posted first above. I was blown away. Here it was sitting, new in an unopened box on the shelves of our local Spartans store in the early 1970's! Bought a lot of models at the Spartans store in the past, but where this one showed up from when it did I'll never know. I think that first release, the one I found at Spartans, was from 1964. Cool kit.

Besides the great box art, in a fairly flat box, there are several things I remember about that kit. Loved the instructions. If I remember collectly they used photographs showing you how build the kit? Cool custom parts. Didn't really know who Darrel Starbird was at the time, though I'd seen and admired his work in a couple of books I had seen by that time. And, I remember the kit was molded in a fairly nice, shiny black plastic for the body. And I think it may have had red plastic for a lot of the other parts? I do know I built it with out painting it. And I built it with the bubble top.

I remember them reissuing it without the custom parts, sometime in the 1970's. They showed the car in red on the box. I can't remember if I bought one of those at the time or not? I think not. I do know I bought and built one in the late 80's, molded in Seafoam Green. Again the plastic was so nice, I decided not to paint the body, but leave it as is.

The last one I built, and the only one I still have, is the one they reissued in 2002 with all the custom parts back. Despite the those cool custom parts, I built this Bird stock. And was very happy that this time they decided to mold it in white. Despite liking the Seafoam Green, I preferred and painted my present '58 a nice Light Blue.

One last thing about this kit. You've never been able to built it 100% stock. The wheel covers are '57 wheel covers. Not 58's. No big deal to me. I this love the kit.

 

Scott

 

[GLMFAA1]

Scott, click Greg's link and the red conv. is also in that link

 

greg

[FordRodnKustom]

and just for fun

[ChrisBcritter]

Aurora? Oof. Multi-piece body, undersized tires and no chrome. If you need 1/32, find one of these instead and spare yourself the headache:

(from slotforum.com)

Edited July 18, 2015 by ChrisBcritter

[FordRodnKustom]

Aurora? Oof. Multi-piece body, undersized tires and no chrome. If you need 1/32, find one of these instead and spare yourself the headache:

(from slotforum.com)

Thanks for that advise. I just posted the image because of the cool box art eye candy. I'll keep your critique in mind though if I ever want to build a 32nd scale 'Bird.

[ChrisBcritter]

Aurora had some nice dramatic box art. As for AMT's, the All Stars kit's not bad, but I've seen worse...

[Charles Fielding]

I've been building models continuously since 1964, and, actually, only built my FIRST model Squarebird recently, in an attempt to try to model the '58 Thunderbird "owned" by the late Ritchie Valens. 1st minor problem: it was PROMISED to Ritchie by his manager Bob Keane, who kept it for himself after Ritchie's death. 2nd,...and bigger,...problem: although the movie, "La Bamba" shows an aqua '59 Thunderbird convertible, other sources have indicated that the Thunderbird was "silver and black". I know of ONE (1) photo that shows Ritchie proudly showing a 1958 Thunderbird to Chuck Berry. However, the photo is in black & white, and THAT caption says that The 2 rock stars are "looking at Bob Keane's '58 Thunderbird". That T'bird appears to be a hardtop, and doesn't appear to be two-tone in color.

Do any of you know of any reference photos that may exist of Ritchie Valen's ACTUAL '58 Thunderbird ?

Many thanks    

[Draggon]

It's pretty well known that the original issue had the body molded in black. Ron Savoie ( fordrodnkustom ) ran across one that was molded in yellow.

[Art Anderson]

It's pretty well known that the original issue had the body molded in black. Ron Savoie ( fordrodnkustom ) ran across one that was molded in yellow.

The original issue was, IIRC, available in either black, or red--and that was so indicated by the box art (black kit, black car in the box art, same way with the red kit).  That is something that Monogram also did with their original '40 Ford Pickup--those came in red and turquoise, with the appropriately colored box art.

Art

[gbdolfans]

Does anyone know if the Elvira version has the custom parts or stock or just the parts for the car pictured???

[Sport Suburban]

The Elvira version had the custom Elvira parts only and no other custom parts. I don't remember it having the stock parts in it either.

I also understand that many of the first 58's had 57 wheel covers on them.

I have built two of these over the years. The molded in green stock 58 and the first Elvira kit. The real Elvira car is a 59 hardtop with the roof cut off. My Monogram T-birds are long lost but I do have another Seafoam green issue to build.

 

[Mark]

All issues of the '58 have '57 wheel covers (except the Elvira version, which had its own non-stock wheel covers).

I'm somewhat certain the first issue was offered in four colors: black, white, red, and yellow. 

Recent issues are a couple of custom parts short compared to the original issue.  Off the top of my head, there's a chrome band that attaches to the bubble top that is no longer included.  A custom grille insert for the stock bumper is also gone; as I understand, that part was reworked to create the insert for the Elvira issues.

[Deathgoblin]

I've got one of the green ones.  Actually a pretty color.  Might build it like that.  

[unclescott58]

I've got one of the green ones.  Actually a pretty color.  Might build it like that.  

The green plastic in the one issue, was very nice. Over all, I wouldn't paint it.

[FordRodnKustom]

The original issue also had the green tinted "glass", the mag wheels and the custom exhaust pipes. Not sure if that was in any of the others.

Edited March 8, 2016 by FordRodnKustom

[FordRodnKustom]

The original issue was, IIRC, available in either black, or red--and that was so indicated by the box art (black kit, black car in the box art, same way with the red kit).  That is something that Monogram also did with their original '40 Ford Pickup--those came in red and turquoise, with the appropriately colored box art.

Art

Looks like there was yellow one and a white colored one too. I've never seen a red one. The hunt is on!

 

Edited March 8, 2016 by FordRodnKustom

[unclescott58]

The original issue also had the green tinted "glass", the mag wheels and the custom exhaust pipes. Not sure if that was in any of the others.

That's the one I had.

[Phirewriter]

Neat thread, I've got what I think are all the colors available from the original release, black, white/off white and yellow. I too have never seen a red bodied kit in the original box. I do have the "Special Interest" series version molded in red.

 I was glad to see many of the custom parts were put back into the latest releases. I only wish they had come up with better wheels, while the Fiesta covers are nice they don't really fit the more advanced styling of the custom version. I'm guessing the original mag inserts were lost. 

I still picked up a number of them since I would like to do a number of the mild - wild custom versions to go with my stock build. I did pick up extra bullet style grill inserts and the chrome band for the bubble top also missing from the latest releases.

Edited March 8, 2016 by Phirewriter

[ChrisBcritter]

Hank Borger had a creative use for that bubble top - he made a hood bulge for the Monogram 1/8 Corvette with it (this was in the '70s when he had a model column in Rod Action).

I have a couple partial kits that I'm using for parts for my Hubley '61 Country Sedan (engine, tires, front suspension and rear axle).

[FordRodnKustom]

A shot of an original issue decal sheet.

[JTalmage]

Friend of mine gave me one molded in red. It's missing just about everything... and is sort of a glue bomb. Thought about using the custom parts from my new one to make an "in progress" custom version out of the red one.

[Jantrix]

I've been building models continuously since 1964, and, actually, only built my FIRST model Squarebird recently, in an attempt to try to model the '58 Thunderbird "owned" by the late Ritchie Valens. 1st minor problem: it was PROMISED to Ritchie by his manager Bob Keane, who kept it for himself after Ritchie's death. 2nd,...and bigger,...problem: although the movie, "La Bamba" shows an aqua '59 Thunderbird convertible, other sources have indicated that the Thunderbird was "silver and black". I know of ONE (1) photo that shows Ritchie proudly showing a 1958 Thunderbird to Chuck Berry. However, the photo is in black & white, and THAT caption says that The 2 rock stars are "looking at Bob Keane's '58 Thunderbird". That T'bird appears to be a hardtop, and doesn't appear to be two-tone in color.

Do any of you know of any reference photos that may exist of Ritchie Valen's ACTUAL '58 Thunderbird ?

Many thanks    

Charles,

I have been unable to find any references to the color of Richies Tbird. Perhaps see if you can reach out to the Valens estate? Good luck with your build.

Edited March 8, 2016 by Jantrix