Anyone recognise this kit piece?

[Chris Martin]

This is fairly obviously a radiator from a large scale car or truck kit but does anyone know which? I calculate it's about 65mm long or just over 2 1/2 inches. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[star-art]

That looks like a truck radiator, maybe from an AMT kit. But 2 1/2 inches is pretty big for a typical 1/25 scale part I think. Plus the rectangular shape seems a bit odd -- most truck radiators I have seen are more tall than they are wide?

 

[Chris Martin]

Thanks. I'd deduced that much already. It's not an AMT Kenworth or any of the cabover's because of the size and shape. It's not from the big 1/8th E type either. I'm thinking more Tamiya Datsun Safari or something along those lines. Was there ever a large scale Camaro? It's too small to be 1/8th if it's a car radiator but possibly 1/12th. That suggests a Tamiya Formula one kit.

 

[slave1pilot]

I had a large scale Firebird around 1980 or so.It was silver/grey. Can't remember who made it.(I was 12) It had to be domestic, ya know- ertl ,mpc, Monogram.

EDIT; here's the info MPC Kit# 1-3081 I don't know if it's the right kit for you,but it's start.

 

[Mycroft Holmes]

Ah yes, the radiator from one of the other Alpha Defense tanks. Looks like Chris Trice is still looking for it also

Looked through many a car and truck kits in many scales. Still nothing on this end. If Chris had a dim it would help nail a possible scale down.


M

 

[Chris Martin]

Actually I did mention in my original post that it was about 65mm long so it's probably 1/12th scale. I got the picture from Martin Willey as he had a good photo of it but I've also been talking to Adam Savage who works for ILM and he remembers using this piece all the time and that they even had a mould. Unfortunately he can't remember what kit it came from. I just thought with all the Star Wars experts here someone might recognise it. Thanks for looking though.

 

[boatbuilder1]

hey has anyone thought to look at the testors ilaleri range of kits a few of the volvo semis cabs are seen on the kit racks around the time of ROTJ
I have one of the globetrotters I will see if I can find out in storage and let you all know
are the lower corners molded that way or does it show signs of being clipped off?

 

[Chris Martin]

I'm fairly certain that's the way it's moulded. It helps to identify it that's for sure.

 

[Mycroft Holmes]

what I meant Chris was Jim Small knows the owner of the Alpha Defense Tank that uses the part. Maybe he could get you a hard dim on it. The cut off corners look to be a mod not the actual part. I don't know of any reason a radiator would be made with angles like that. That would make it hard for that area of the radiator to cool since the water flow would be obstructed

If your dims are close it would make that part around a 1/16 scale or so. Maybe 1/12 but 1/8 and 1/6 would seem to be out of scale for it. Look for vehicles with wide front ends or large cooling areas like a tractor of some sort. I know the Vickers Tractor was used for Thunderbirds rescue tractors and those parts may have been left in a box. Just an idea. Either way, I know Chris Trice has been looking for that part for years as I have been for at least three years. Since I'm building Galactica replicas, and ILM/Apogee used the same kits for ANH and more kits during TESB and ROTJ, and if any ILMer remembers the part, it would be logical to look at a culmination of all the ILM/Apogee era kits. There are a lot of big rigs on the shelves in ILM pictures. As are large scale domestic cars. And of course ALL the German armor the Nazis would ever dream of having

Feel free to PM me.


M

 

[Chris Martin]

Thanks M. You know you could be onto something. Those corners do look like they might have been sanded off. I wonder if there are any car or truck modelling sites where it's worth posing the question. There must be someone out who'll know straight away what it's from.

 

[Mycroft Holmes]

If you look at the left side vs. the right you can see its trimmed closer. IF you find out please share the good news as I'm sure there would be OTHER parts of interest on 1999 related models

And maybe Star Wars and Galactica as well

M

 

[Chris Martin]

Well hopefully one of the people here will know. I've been through catalogues, model car reviews and even full size car and truck forums without success. C'mon guys, it can't be that obscure?

 

[Jedi Dade]

if it is a real radiator it would be a vaery wide and flat radiator. If that is the case then it could very likely be from low profile car. possilbly one of the many large scale race cars commonly used on may our these models... Anythoughts?

Jedi Dade

 

[Chris Martin]

That's all true but without going through every large car kit that meets that criteria, I'm still stuck, plus I can't be sure if I even know of the right kits existence for me to check. If it was that widely used by ILM I can't imagine it's from an obscure kit. I just can't find it. There must be some model car expert out there who'll see it and say that's easy peasy. It's been driving me mad with frustration hence I've posed the question. Perhaps I should make a competition of it and offer a prize? I'll give that some thought.

 

[Rogue Studios]

Try looking on Aircraft I think one of the P-51 models used by ILM had a radiator in the intake but I can't remember I have been on hiatus from scratch building to finish some comission work. Hope this helps

Lee

 

[Chris Martin]

As mentioned the kit piece is 65mm across so it would have to be a pretty big Mustang!!!!!

Airfix did 1/24th scale Mustang (I have all of the Airfix 1/24th with the exception of the Stuka and FW190) and it's not that one. I think it's too big to be an aircraft. We're talking mid seventies so it won't be a recent kit.

 

[Jedi Dade]

What model was it on? perhaps one of the specialty threads would know if we knew what you're trying to build or where you've seen it before

Jedi Dade

 

[Mycroft Holmes]

I have been thinking, asking and looking at everything now and then available. I just can't think of anything that would use such a long radiator. I know the old F bodies like the Trans Am/Firebird and the Camaro/Z28's had four row radiators and they were a bit wider because of the cooling need for the 6.6 liter engines so maybe that could be a starting point? Maybe one of the 1/16, 1/12 or 1/8 scales. Not sure what the large scale models of those cars were out in the 70's. Mind you, the 60's series RS/SS Camaro and Firebirds had the square radiators. The ones I'm talking about are the Smokey and the Bandit looking F bodies which started in 1974.

M

 

[Jedi Dade]

I have a model of a 1978 Corvette that is 1/20 I think. It has a readiator similar to that but its too tall I think. What scale was the Porche used for the ESB Falcon...Could that readiator be from there? Its a pretty rare model and most people haven't even seen what the parts look like... Just a thought.

Jedi Dade

 

[Chris Martin]

I think it's got to be 1/12th scale or thereabouts. Which Porsche are you thinking of? I thought most of the 911 types were air cooled up to that date. The Corvette sounds more promising.