The Kit

This review covers the Nestle Crunch Monster Truck 1:32 Scale AMT Model Kit #911. A 2015 release, this model is a repackaging of the popular USA-1 Monster Truck model. This kit is designed to be an easy-to-assemble kit with subject matter that appeals to youngsters. It is all about letting kids get into the hobby with minimal skills and come out with a great looking “monster truck” that has “eye candy” written all over it! A skill level 1 Snap It kit it is molded in color in 21 pieces that are (blue, white and chrome) with metal axles, monster style wheels and vinyl sticker graphics. The completed dimensions are Length: 7”, Width: 4-3/4”, Height: 4”. Assembly time is under an hour.

`The key word for this article is “big”.

Kenworth trucks are the “big rigs” of my childhood. I remember being entertained by “BJ and the Bear”, getting into CB-radios, Smokey and the Bandit, and being in awe of those truckers who could rattle on in CB-lingo for ten-minutes straight, and feeling lucky if I could manage to decode any of it. “10-4 good buddy – I got ya 5 by 5! Kojak with a Kodak in a gumball machine handing out invitations to meet the mayor at the Hilltop gun range. Keep to the double-nickel. Had me some hundred mile coffee last fingerprintin’ - on the way to a pickle park – over.” Even vaguely remember a series of trading cards with “trucker lingo” on them in a pack with a very stale piece of gum back in the day.

The Kit

This review covers the 53’ Smooth Side Trailer 1:25 Scale Moebius Model Kit #1303. A new release, this model should be readily available at most outlets. This is a complimentary version of the original corrugated side 1:25 scale trailer model with a reefer and roll-up rear door option. Moebius designates this as a Skill Level 3 kit for modelers 12 years and older. It is molded in white styrene with soft vinyl tires, chrome wheels, waterslide decals, and an extensive instruction manual. This kit features all the details of the real thing. There is a highly accurate undercarriage featuring cross-members with angle-braced landing gear and a tandem axle configuration. The instruction booklet is top notch with a centerfold for decal placement. The completed model is a whopping 26.5” long with the reefer option. Massive but simple, this detailed kit is the perfect compliment for your 1:25 scale tractor models.

Growing up along the Central Coast of California it was common to see Woodies for all types throughout town, at the car shows, school parking lots, and definitely at the beach. They were as familiar as the Volkswagen Vans and Chevrolet Corvairs. Not as frequent as Volkswagen Bugs or Ford Mustangs. I always thought of them as beatnik wagons as those that drove them seamed a little disheveled looking.

AMT Round 2’s re-release of the 1941 Ford Custom Woody is a valued addition for those modelers who prefer the quieter and more functional hot rods of the time. Face it, not too easy to haul 2 surf boards 30 miles up the coast to your favorite break in the back of a Ford 1929 T bucket. Panel wagons and Woodies were the main ride for the surfer beach bums of the 60’s and 70’s.

For those of you who might be skeptical of building a snap tite kit (too easy, not detailed enough, kids toys) this would be the perfect opportunity to put your uncertainty aside and try one out. I had some reservations myself but after watching my 18 year old son bang one of these out in a weekend and it looking purely awesome on the shelf, I though I could do no worse.

I chose to build mine as a representation of the Las Vegas Metro Police Departments Ford F-150. Truthfully they do no currently have any Raptors in inventory but I thought this would make a great fantasy vehicle that is oh so close to the real thing. Included is a picture of the patrol unit I was trying to emulate. Being as such I need to add a few things to the model like light bar, radio, shotgun, push bumper, donuts, etc. The decals I made for the unit where done on the laptop and printed with an HP printer on clear decal stock. Obviously none of these items came from the Revell kit.