A S'Cool Bus Discussion

[Bert]

Hey Fellas, I am conducting a model building investigation and would like some information and evidence (pics), if possible. I have had this old modeling magazine for many years and I find this ad fascinating. This ad appears to be introducing the new Tom Daniel Design S'Cool Bus. Look at the photo closely, this must be a prototype build of the bus. It is very different from the kit version. I would really like to try and build this version, or get close anyway. The body it self is very different. The hood appears to be pancaked. The windshield area is different with only one opening. The signal lights have more pronounced housings. The body side moldings are larger with round chrome side marker lights. Starting at the front, the front suspension looks like the Monogran funny car set up (Cop Out, Snake, Mongoose, etc.).The fuel tanks are similar to the F/Cs. The intake on the engines is a different design and the headers turn up outside the bus body like the early 70s funny cars. The frame itself appears to be completely different, and painted black. Because of this and it's an old black and white photo, you lose all of the frame detail and the photo angle obscures the driver's area. It has a nice set of Cragars out back and deep American Daisy wheels up front. It also appears to use larger chutes. This is all I can glean from this single photo. Many of you old farts, stated with affection and a smile , were building back then and remember when the kit came out. Tom himself has even been here on the site before. I was about to be three, or had just turned three, when this ad was published. Having blathered on so long, here is what I'm after. Does anyone have any information on this prototype or stories about it? Do any of you have any additional pictures of this bus? Since it's a favorite kit of mine, I wouldn't mind hearing about any of your S'Cool Bus stories. To go further, if you have any pics of your S'Cool Bus builds, that are not already in the Guest Gallery, I would like to see your ideas and variations. Please discuss... If possible I would like more than two replies that say "cool" and six hundred views.

[70spop]

I have seen that picture before. There is also a black and white picture in the book, "Monogram Models" that shows Daniel behind a similar S'Cool Bus - likely the same prototype. It has a black frame, don't recall whether it has the nonstandard wheels and tires. The one in that picture does sure look like the front of the chassis, in luring the wheels and tires, is from the Snake/Mongoose kits.

I think the hood looks flat because the black is painted up to the crease around the hood rather than just the fenders and grill shell being painted. The front spoiler is definitely different. I can't read the decals on the hood clearly on my phone, but they appear to be different from the "854 C.I." decals in the kit.

There are several cases with TD kits where the production kit differs in details or larger areas from what is shown on the box art or in advertising or catalogs. I have also thought that it would be neat to build some o these kits to more closely match prototypes or box art, and this S'Cool Bus is one of those. If nothing else, just painting the chassis black instead of silver would be an interesting change.

I will post the other picture later after I get home.

Brian

[Bert]

Good eye! I missed the spoiler difference.

[models4life]

Roof looks flat,no louvers.

[70spop]

Bert, I remembered that I haven't had much success posting pictures here recently. If you're interested, I can email it to you if you send me your address.

The picture is not the same prototype model as in the picture above, however. It appears to be the regular kit, just with the chassis painted black. So, not really any new info.

Brian

[Deleted]

I remember that ad.......When the kit came out the only difference I noticed was the blower 'scoop' was very different. It would be cool to build this prototype version.....but I bet this ad is all that's left of it. Doubt that the model itself is still around. Lots of that kind of stuff was tossed when they moved to the next project.

Cool.....

[A.J.]

How about an image for contrast Bert?



Bert,
I know I've seen another image of the prototype somewhere. I just can't remember if it was in one of my catalogs or some kind of promotional info I may have somewhere. I'll see what I can find. I'm certain that wasn't the only picture of the prototype though. I stewed on that picture for a while myself back when I was a lot more active in the archiving of everything Tom Daniel.

Do you have a S'Cool Bus molded in red yet? There are a handful floating around out in the world but wasn't sure if you had one.

A.J.

Edit! Breaking News! I found this picture from Googling as well.

I knew I seen it before but it isn't different other than being in color. I'm pretty sure I have the catalog which houses this image and I'll see if I can find it. By the way, it appears that the catalog may be at Gasoline Alley.

[Bert]

Thanks for the good information and the additional pics AJ! I have never seen the red version of the S'Cool Bus. I checked over at gasoline alley, Ouch! $135.00 for the 1970 Monogram dealer catalog. I can't pay that for a single pic. In the black & white pic, it looks like the header on the front engine broke loose. Cool pics! If you have the catalog, I would love to have a color scan of that catalog pic.