Monogram Badman

[junkyardjeff]

It's been around 1973 since the last time I had one and since it had 396 ci decals I figured it had a big block but when I opened the hood it had a small block,looks like false advertising.  I did some investigation and they could have builds big inch small blocks back then but I think decals with 327 on them would have been more appropriate,back then I would not have known what it had but I sure do now.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Numbers are hard.

[Tim W. SoCal]

De-stroked 400 cubic inch small block Chevy engine in this kit? (Just joking! 🤣😉🤣...)

[peteski]

Jeff, while I don't know about this specific kit, model kits often have wrong engines in them.  Especially older kits. They would use the same engine in several kits. It might be accurate in some kits, and not in others.

As for the decal, Monogram probably replicated actual car's decals even if the kit has a wrong engine in it.

[stavanzer]

2 hours ago, peteski said:

As for the decal, Monogram probably replicated actual car's decals even if the kit has a wrong engine in it.

It was designed by Tom Daniels. There was no actual car.

This is the Kit, that the Badman came from. It is all that is left from the PB83-198 Kit.

The Tooling still exists in 2024.

Here is the Kit today. You will note that for the first time, you get two sets of wheels and two sets of tires.

And here is the Entry from the TD Site.

https://www.tomdaniel.com/85_kits/frm_85kits.html

[JollySipper]

I'd like to see one of these built on maybe a NASCAR chassis........ Kinda pro-touring, BadMan reimagined!

[Mark]

Tom Daniel probably used "396" in the original design, as it probably looked better with the stripe.  Each number ("3", "9", "6") probably just looked better when squared off as they are, and those numbers filled the space in the break in the stripe.

Monogram probably left the small-block just to be able to use more of the original version '55 tooling.  Same reason they left the molded-in exhaust pipes on the chassis, and left the molded-in rear seat in the interior.

And they still sold millions, or at least hundreds of thousands, of that version of the kit.

Not everything makes 100% perfect sense, or, in cases like this, even has to.

[stavanzer]

1 hour ago, Mark said:

Tom Daniel probably used "396" in the original design, as it probably looked better with the stripe.  Each number ("3", "9", "6") probably just looked better when squared off as they are, and those numbers filled the space in the break in the stripe.

Monogram probably left the small-block just to be able to use more of the original version '55 tooling.  Same reason they left the molded-in exhaust pipes on the chassis, and left the molded-in rear seat in the interior.

And they still sold millions, or at least hundreds of thousands, of that version of the kit.

Not everything makes 100% perfect sense, or, in cases like this, even has to.

I would suggest that just about every Model Car Builder in America, over the last 50 Years, has built at least one copy of this kit. I've built at least 3, and have the most recent copy waiting in the stash right now. As I think Tim Boyd noted in a long ago article about the Top Ten Drag Racer kits, the Badman, just captures the Zeitgeist of the 1960's Gasser better than almost any other kit. Technically it's a Hash, but grabs the Spirit of Gasser Madness in it's teeth and won't let go.

I like the kit, and I think many thousands of Modelers do too. And somebody used to produce Badman style decals with different numbers, to get closer the SBC Cubes. (283,327,350, &383). And we have all seen Folks who have transplanted a BBC into the kit. I Just wish that Revell Could find a few more of the stock parts in the tool!

Edited July 4 by stavanzer
Spelling.

[Mark]

The Badman (and later, the black street machine version) were staple items on K-Mart store shelves for many years.  You could walk into ANY K-Mart store in the country, walk however many aisles back and across to the toy/hobby department, and there it was, provided they weren't sold out.

Monogram had a good thing going with the Tom Daniel kits.  Molded in the main color, kids had to only paint the details.  Mom, Grandma, or Auntie bought a kit, and one of those Testors paint sets with the six or seven bottles of paint, a tube of glue, and a paint brush.  Instant birthday present!

[stavanzer]

2 minutes ago, Mark said:

Monogram had a good thing going with the Tom Daniel kits.  Molded in the main color, kids had to only paint the details.  Mom, Grandma, or Auntie bought a kit, and one of those Testors paint sets with the six or seven bottles of paint, a tube of glue, and a paint brush.  Instant birthday present!

You are so right about this, Mark.

I know I got a few of those  myself, as did a couple of my friends. It was where relatives who wanted to get you a model, got models.

[junkyardjeff]

Always wondered what kit it was derived from and it might get a big block of it ever gets taken apart.

[Robberbaron]

14 hours ago, Mark said:

Tom Daniel probably used "396" in the original design, as it probably looked better with the stripe.  Each number ("3", "9", "6") probably just looked better when squared off as they are, and those numbers filled the space in the break in the stripe.

Monogram probably left the small-block just to be able to use more of the original version '55 tooling.  Same reason they left the molded-in exhaust pipes on the chassis, and left the molded-in rear seat in the interior.

And they still sold millions, or at least hundreds of thousands, of that version of the kit.

Not everything makes 100% perfect sense, or, in cases like this, even has to.

That's been my working theory: Tom Daniel did his design with the expectation that Monogram would tool up a BBC for it.  After he did his part, it was out of his hands as far as how well they followed through on his concept.

It's kind of hard to fault them considering how well these sold, despite the cut corners.

[bobss396]

I'm sort of sorry I opened mine up, I found it dissipointing, although I did build one when they first came out. I painted it metallic red, botched the decals and made it into a "MADMAN" across the deck lid.

I will either give it to someone I don't like or use another interior and chassis under it. Going stock car... it just may happen.

[Daddyfink]

It wasn't until I got older and learned more about cars that I found out that the engine was bit off. But I was a kid and didn't care, it just looked awesome when I was done!! And as an adult, I built it pretty much out the box, warts and all, simply because of the memories! 

 

 

[1930fordpickup]

On 7/4/2024 at 10:19 AM, Mark said:

The Badman (and later, the black street machine version) were staple items on K-Mart store shelves for many years.  You could walk into ANY K-Mart store in the country, walk however many aisles back and across to the toy/hobby department, and there it was, provided they weren't sold out.

 

Mark thanks for memory of walking into KMart and telling mom I was headed to the toy isle. She went her way and I went my way to window shop

 Had to wait for grandma's birthday money and I was drooling over the models I could get.

This day I took to long in the isle and when I went looking for mom she was already in the car moving. Learned a lesson. Lol 

[bobss396]

I compared the Badman body, etc with the AMT Belair.... the AMT kit definitely has better proportions.

I had a Revell '56 Chevy I built when was getting back into the hobby around 1998. There was little aftermarket parts around and the internet was just getting cranked up. I used a Testors metallic blue and painted the interior with brush paints. BACK IN THE BOX for that one), I was not happy with it. 

A few years it came apart, went into the purple pond and re-emerged as a stock car. The Badman may have a similar future.

[Mattblack]

I think 'Badman' was the first 'proper' kit I built, probably the first one I finished anyway... I was probably in my early teens. I painted it dark blue with a satin black hood IIRC so didn't even use the decals. I probably didn't Know what '396' meant anyway. I think I painted the interior silver 'cos you know, gassers have aluminium panelled interiors... 🤣. I built the black Street Machine issue some years later when I got back into modelling.

For me it's all about the 'look', of a model or 1:1. And boy, Badman had the 'look' to me then, and then some.

[Force]

Badman was not the first but one of the first car models I built back in the 70's and I also built the black street machine back then.
I have another Badman kit wich I will build eventually for nostalgic reasons.

Edited July 7 by Force

[Daddyfink]

9 hours ago, bobss396 said:

I compared the Badman body, etc with the AMT Belair.... the AMT kit definitely has better proportions.

I had a Revell '56 Chevy I built when was getting back into the hobby around 1998. There was little aftermarket parts around and the internet was just getting cranked up. I used a Testors metallic blue and painted the interior with brush paints. BACK IN THE BOX for that one), I was not happy with it. 

A few years it came apart, went into the purple pond and re-emerged as a stock car. The Badman may have a similar future.

Well, the Badman is 1/24 vs. 1/25 AMT kit. And the Monogram kit was never really that accurate to begin with. Plus given that it was also an optional convertible no doubt made it worse for the Monogram kit. 

 

 

[stavanzer]

8 hours ago, Mattblack said:

For me it's all about the 'look', of a model or 1:1. And boy, Badman had the 'look' to me then, and then some.

^^^^^^^^

This is what sold Thousands of these kits. It wasn't the proper body proportions, or the small block engine. It was "Look" and stance of the kit. That is why the tooling still exists, and why Revell Brought it out again, even if they can't call it the Badman.

[Monty]

I bought mine decades ago at...Kmart.  Being roughly 12 years old, all I had for money came from my small town paper route, so costs had to be watched.  I knew that most/all Monogram kits were molded in color, so that would help, plus I really liked the yellow/black scheme of the car.  

Once I got it home and I opened it, I was profoundly disappointed to find it had been molded in orange, not yellow.  It eventually got built, mostly out of boredom, but I didn't feel the usual enthusiasm or desire to do a great job like I usually did.

Anybody else get an orange one?

[Mark]

The orange Badman is a weird one.  Monogram did switch colors with the 1/32 scale kits, because those were molded more than one kit at a time, together.  But they were pretty consistent with the 1/24 scale kits.  The Badman kits sometimes came with clear "clear parts" instead of the usual red tint.  But the main color was (almost) always as stated on the box.

[bisc63]

Nostalgia! The Badman was the car that made me fall in love with model cars. I had an uncle that built model cars, and I'd see them on a high shelf out of reach of curious young hands...(Lesson 1: those  cars are NOT for playing. They are NOT toys.) Then one day, he hands down to me his latest build, and teaches me how to gently but firmly hold a model without damaging it. I barely heard a word he said because I was in awe of this amazing yellow machine in my hand. I was sure this thing would roar out of my hands in a blast of tire smoke and rocket-like exhaust flame.( I was little, I didn't understand how cars worked!) The strong colors, yellow with red glass, I mean, come on...RED GLASS! The bold racing graphics, the way the front and rear were lifted up, the chrome,  it all was sensory overload for my young mind. I would have my own within the next year, and even though this wasn't the first model car I  would build, it remains a favorite in my memory. This one, the Quicksilver wagon, and the Paddy Wagon, were just inspirational for me back then. Still love 'em today, warts and all.

[Fat Brian]

I built this kit last year for the first time, I had avoided it for the previous 30 years becausei knew I wouldn't like what I found. I had planned to just build it out of the box warts and all. That plan didn't last very long. The fitment, or lack there of, of the windshield was more than I could bear. I ended up cutting the windshield free from the rest of the glass which helped a bit. Once I started changing stuff it just snowballed.

 

[ChrisBcritter]

Like the rest, I built the Badman when I was a kid, and even then I knew it must have been modified from a stocker (the frame still having its upper A-arms plus the mounting points for the lower suspension tipped me off). More recently I experimented with making red and clear resin taillights for it.

The modeling masochist in me keeps nagging to take the drivetrain and other drag parts from the Badman and Frankenstein them into one of these Hachette diecast Opel Rekords:

Tough parts would be (a) sawing open the hood and (b) making the word "SCHLECHTERMANN" fit on the quarter panels.