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how do I tell the year on Thunderbirds ***RESTORED***

 
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67 Fairlane



Joined: 31 Jan 2018
Posts: 125
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

PostPosted: Fri Mar 02, 2018 9:33 pm    Post subject: how do I tell the year on Thunderbirds ***RESTORED*** Reply with quote

HERE'S A THREAD FROM MID-2009 WHERE WE DISCUSSED HOW TO IDENTIFY NOT ONLY THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE 1989 THRU 1997 THUNDERBIRDS, BUT ALSO HOW TO IDENTIFY WHICH REVELL/ MONOGRAM KITS WERE MOST CORRECT FOR EACH YEAR. GOOD INFO!


Poppy
Joined: 15 Jan 2008
Posts: 1714
Location: The mountains of
Va.

I have 2 AMT Thunderbirds, 1 Elliot and 1 Martin how can I tell what year they are?
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Indy

Joined: 15 Jun 2006
Posts: 10455
Location: Texas
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 9:07 pm Post subject:

96-97 had a semi-circular cut out (actually a T-Bird shape)
94-95 had a mail-slot like cut out
93 & before had a solid nose
If you need more, I can probably find some of the older threads about this subject...
Jordan
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Poppy
Joined: 15 Jan 2008
Posts: 1714
Location: The mountains of
Va.
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 10:28 pm Post subject:

after looking at them closer, the amt elliot coors is a 90 model,the monogram martin car is a 91 and I was wrong one is AMT, one is Monogram
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'67 Fairlane
Joined: 04 Jan 2007
Posts: 1330
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 8:52 pm Post subject: how do I tell the year on Thunderbirds?
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 12:57 am Post subject:

I find it always helpful to have a picture or two to refer to. So let's start with the last Thunderbird body style and work them backwards:
Here's an example of the '96/'97 body. This is Michael Waltrip taken in 1997.


Next we have Brett Bodine. This was taken in 1994 and represents the '94/'95 body style. Note the proverbial "mail slot".



Representing the 1989 through 1993 body style we have Todd Bodine. This photo was taken in 1994 during the same race as his Brother Brett's photo above. Note the
lack of the "mail slot" but overall the front end of the car hasn't changed that much.


Finally we have Terry Labonte in the #11 Budweiser T-Bird. Photo was taken in 1989 and represents the debut of the 1989 through 1993 style.


Except for reconfiguring the duct openings for speedway vs short track, you can see noses of the last two T-Birds are virtually identical. One other difference to note is
that in 1993 NASCAR mandated side skirts on all cars, a close look at the 89 Bud car and the 92/93 car of Todd's you'll see that Todd has skirts, while Labonte's car
does not.


A brief discussion of the available Revell/ Monogram kits would be in order here as well. As you would expect, the T-bird kits remained unchanged from 1989 through
1993. In late 1994, RM tweaked the bird with a new nose to more closely represent the 1994 model. Kit #2449 (Tide car) would be representative of this revision.
Shortly afterward RM retooled a new (better) nose piece and hood which was for the 1995 kit releases. In my opinion the '95 kits such as #2465, 2477, 2478 kits more
accurately represent the '94/'95 body style. This is of course not to say there aren't other issues with accuracy, but this design is probably the best for these two years.
Roof flaps came into use, (optional in '94, mandatory in '95) during this time period. While I've not actually seen a 1994 kit like 2449, I'd say if RM didn't incorporate
roof and cowl flaps in their first revision, they missed the mark, enough for me to chose one of the later kits to best represent that time period.


For 1996 RM came out with completely new tooling for the Thunderbird represented by kits 2471 and 2472. This kit rides on a new front steer chassis based on a
Hutcherson-Pagan design. (The previous T-bird kits were issued with a Banjo Matthews style rear steer chassis.) Not sure which chassis design is correct for which
years, perhaps someone who knows more can chime in and set the record straight.
One of the major complaints about the T-bird kits is body shell warpage. I've noticed it on my '95s. Maybe a few of you could weigh-in with some tips on how you deal
with this problem. Many of you out there are far more knowledgeable and experienced than I with regard to these kits and the cars they represent, I invite everyone to
chime in to expand on anything in the narrative, as well as correct any mistakes they see. Tips on kit construction to fix issues and make a more accurate model are
always welcome. Hope this thread generates some good discussion.
Thanks.
Jerry


Ancient Modeler
Board Moderator
Joined: 28 Feb 2003
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Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 5:34 pm Post subject:

Hi Jerry,
Quote:
In late 1994, RM tweaked the bird with a new nose to more closely represent the 1994 model. Kit #2449 (Tide car) would be representative of this revision.
I just opened a #2449/Tide T-Bird kit, even though it was *marketed* as the '94 car, it still has the '89-'93 body. No mail slot air intake in the nose at all.......
Mongo
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'67 Fairlane
Joined: 04 Jan 2007
Posts: 1330
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 9:33 pm Post subject:

Ancient Modeler wrote:

Hi Jerry,
I just opened a #2449/Tide T-Bird kit, even though it was *marketed* as the '94 car, it still has the '89-'93 body. No mail slot air intake in the nose
at all.......
Mongo


Same here with a Cheerwine kit. Not sure what "tweaks" Monogram is alleged to have made to the front end in order to claim they are 94s. The only kits I've seen that
are true 94/95s are the kits marketed as 95s.
Jerry
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Quote:
In late 1994, RM tweaked the bird with a new nose to more closely represent the 1994 model. Kit #2449 (Tide car) would be representative of
this revision.

BrianP

Joined: 27 Feb 2003
Posts: 4006
Location: Tazewell, TN
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:56 am Post subject:

I'm pretty sure they didn't do anything to the T-Birds until they released the 1995 cars. It seemed like I remember several 1994 Thunderbirds (G. Bodine's Exide, L.
Speed's Quality Care, B Elliot's Tunderbat) that were issued with the 1989-1993 bodies.
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Modelsbyray2
Joined: 17 Mar 2004
Posts: 2556
Location: raeford nc

and here are some 2008 thunderbirds


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BUILD MORE MODELS http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l67/raylawsonII/NASCARPAINTINGS/100_2571.jpg
http://s1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/paintingsbyrayl2/NASCAR%20RACESHOPS%20MARCH%202011/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8533993@N06/
http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l67/raylawsonII/

Modelsbyray2

Joined: 17 Mar 2004
Posts: 2556
Location: raeford nc
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 6:40 pm Post subject: couldn,t

sorry couldn't resist
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BUILD MORE MODELS
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l67/raylawsonII/NASCARPAINTINGS/100_2571.jpg
http://s1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa470/paintingsbyrayl2/NASCAR%20RACESHOPS%20MARCH%202011/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8533993@N06/
http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l67/raylawsonII/

dlphnfn
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 2683
Location: Central Iowa
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:05 pm Post subject:

I didn't get back into modeling until 2000/01 ish, so I'm not sure on the details, but I've always been under the impression that the 96/97 Bird was created first, then
they went back to tooled the 94/95 based on the 96/97. I may well be wrong, but that's how I understand it. Maybe it's like Brian said, and they were just really late.
It would also explain why there were resin conversions out there for them.
Also, I believe all the 94+ bodies come with the newer style front steer chassis. That one stayed pretty much the same until the PF chassis came out.
Erick -


JRfan13
Joined: 02 Jun 2009
Posts: 9

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 11:48 pm
modelsbyray2 wrote:
and here are are some 2008 thunderbirds




BEAUTIFUL!


Tom M.
Board Moderator
Joined: 27 Feb 2003
Posts: 17145
Location: Columbia, SC

Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2009 11:36 pm Post subject:
dlphnfn wrote:
I didn't get back into modeling until 2000/01 ish, so I'm not sure on the details, but I've always been under the impression that the 96/97 Bird was created first,
then they went back to tooled the 94/95 based on the 96/97. I may well be wrong, but that's how I understand it. Maybe it's like Brian said, and they were just
really late.
It would also explain why there were resin conversions out there for them.
Also, I believe all the 94+ bodies come with the newer style front steer chassis. That one stayed pretty much the same until the PF chassis came out.
Erick --


Correct on the chassis. The '94-'95 style was a totally new kit, nothing on the body or chassis interchanges and I think the wheelbase is even slightly different (the
Thunderbird wheelbase had been a little off from the original '83 version tooled in late '82). Those kits weren't done until some time in '95, the Rudd '95 kit is the only
one I have seen but there may have been others.
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'67 Fairlane
Joined: 04 Jan 2007
Posts: 1330
Location: Las Vegas, NV

Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 9:33 pm Post subject:
Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 5:57 pm Post subject:
Erick;
Tom M. wrote:
Correct on the chassis. The '94-'95 style was a totally new kit, nothing on the body or chassis interchanges and I think the wheelbase is even slightly
different (the Thunderbird wheelbase had been a little off from the original '83 version tooled in late '82). Those kits weren't done until some time in
'95, the Rudd '95 kit is the only one I have seen but there may have been others.
dlphnfn wrote:
I didn't get back into modeling until 2000/01 ish, so I'm not sure on the details, but I've always been under the impression that the 96/97 Bird
was created first, then they went back to tooled the 94/95 based on the 96/97. I may well be wrong, but that's how I understand it. Maybe it's
like Brian said, and they were just really late.
It would also explain why there were resin conversions out there for them.
Also, I believe all the 94+ bodies come with the newer style front steer chassis. That one stayed pretty much the same until the PF chassis came
out.
Erick --


Sorry I didn't comment sooner. Tom's got it right. The true 94/95 style Thunderbirds were not done until 1995, and the chassis was different than the previous ones. I'll
have to re-read my previous post. I may not have been that clear when I described some of the changes. Tom is also correct that the Ricky Rudd Tide #10 car, kit
#2478 is one of those kits to look for if you're modeling the 94/95 model year. I have been able to verify 2 other kits (I own them) which are the #2465 Family Channeland the #2477 Valvoline kits. Be careful on the last one though; apparently 2 different kits were issued under #2477. The first is listed as the Valvoline First Brickyard
paint scheme for 1994. Since it was marketed as a "94" car I would suspect it is the older style (89-93) body/ chassis. The 2nd one was marketed in 1995 (using the
same kit#)as a 95 model, and has the regular 95 season paint scheme. Look for that one.
Jerry

BrianP
Joined: 27 Feb 2003
Posts: 4006
Location: Tazewell, TN
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:56 am Post subject:

Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 6:29 pm Post subject:
There also was a 1995 #75 Factory Stores Ford released in the 1994/1995 body configuration.
Some of the Buck Fever/others limited edition kits might have also had the 1994/1995 Ford body, but I'm not sure...
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Ancient Modeler
Board Moderator
Joined: 28 Feb 2003
Posts: 15095
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 3:50 am Post subject:

Seems the Factory Stores kit is now the easiest '95 body style kit to find. Unfortunately, it is molded in dark Blue plastic. I was really upset when they released the 1994
Jimmy Spencer kit of the #27 and found out it still had the '93 body like the Hut Stricklin kit.
BTW: Tri Star (Loy Allen Rookie on the Pole at Daytona!) DID run a '93 body as a back up for part (if not all) of the '94 season. The Daytona Pole winner was a '94 body,
though.
Mongo
_________________
Mongo: "just a pawn in the game of life" (Alex Karras:Blazing Saddles)
Dark Side rules! Hey I invented the term.
Character: It's who you are when no one else is looking!
ON THE BENCH: ???? (a couple hundred or more....)

'67 Fairlane
Joined: 04 Jan 2007
Posts: 1330
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 12:09 am Post subject:

Bill;
Thanks for making this a sticky. I kept forgetting to mention it...
And if it wasn't you, then thanks to whom-ever is responsible...
Jerry


bcs1973
Joined: 05 Nov 2010
Posts: 367
Location: Richmond , VA
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 12:57 am Post subject:

Regarding the Chassis--different teams used different chassis in different applications. In the Late 80's Banjo's rear steer strut rod and Laughlins Front Steer car were
both used--I remember seeing a video in 1989 about Bill Elliott talking about using both cars. I got into the NASCAR Scene in 1994 and didn't know of anybody running
a rear steer at that time. I think Banjo built some front steer strut rod cars but I'm not 100% sure--everything we had was Laughlin, Hopkins, or Hutch at that time. In
1996 myself and another fellow built a front steer strut rod Craftsman Truck but I didn't get paid and don't know if it ever saw the race track. My guess is that it ended
up being sold and reclipped with either a BSR Or Hutch front clip. I heard that in 97 or 98 Andy Petree Racing used a front steer strut rod car somewhere (33 Skoal)--but
I never actually saw it--By 2001 I got out of it but by then Laughlin, Ronnie Hopkins, Hutch, and BSR were the big ones. There were several smaller names as well but
the differences in the front clips on most of those cars would be unnoticeable in a model.
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