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Post by Brandon on Dec 7, 2016 9:45:08 GMT -6
 Great article on the car's history. Honestly I didn't know about the middle part. It went from humble beginnings to the Monkey Ward (news to me) to a phaeton that burned in a fire, to a billet 90s rod and the restored.... one has to wonder what else the future holds for it. retrorides.proboards.com/thread/93064 |
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Post by 41chevy on Dec 7, 2016 11:42:01 GMT -6
Never knew about the middle part either. Thanks for posting! Paul
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Post by donculley on Dec 7, 2016 12:22:45 GMT -6
I remember reading about the Lil Coffin a while back ; its amazing how this car has survived while so many other customs cars have disappeared ; as well as having to go through ugly rebuilds, fires , etc. I would have thought that after the Monkey Ward car had its run, it would have had the drivetrain pulled and the body junked . Thankfully it ended up in the hands of someone who could bring it back to its former glory !
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Post by beatnik on Dec 7, 2016 20:08:21 GMT -6
Is it me or is the roof line not right now, had more rake to it in the Farber/Monogram era ? I always loved this car, one of my favorite Hot Wheels as a kid.
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Post by 41chevy on Dec 8, 2016 10:45:08 GMT -6
Is it me or is the roof line not right now, had more rake to it in the Farber/Monogram era ? I always loved this car, one of my favorite Hot Wheels as a kid. I don't know if it is an illusion from the different cowl shape and the different style windshield, but it looks "off". Could be from the photography some what too. Still great to see it back. Paul |
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Post by Brandon on Dec 8, 2016 10:57:58 GMT -6
Is it me or is the roof line not right now, had more rake to it in the Farber/Monogram era ? I always loved this car, one of my favorite Hot Wheels as a kid. Mine too. I had the chrome version. It just looked so tough... |
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chepp
Showrod Newbie
Posts: 2 
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Post by chepp on Dec 8, 2016 19:02:02 GMT -6
Thanks for posting the link. That's an interesting story.
For the first model car contest I entered, in 1966 as a junior high student, I built the Monogram 'Lil Coffin box stock. All I added was paint and some corduroy on the interior. When I entered it, the blank asked for year and make so I put 1932 Ford. It won Best of Show. Later I found out that the judge was the owner of a commercial slot car track/shop. I've always wondered if he thought that I had customized a 1932 Ford since he might not have known about the 'Lil Coffin kit.
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Shon Wittenbarger
Showrod Basher
Dean Jeffries wan2b and friend of Voodoo and all
Posts: 95
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Post by Shon Wittenbarger on Dec 9, 2016 17:09:35 GMT -6
Elden and I talked about the car one night. He said when he worked for Starbird he cut the top off it. He begged Starbird not to do it, Starbird told him it's just an old 32. If you compare the best version (Stuckey's) to it now, you will notice the rear pillar's don't flare out at the side window opening. The cowl is wrong and so is the grill shell. The top doesn't have that pulled back and rake look to it anymore. I'm glad to see it some what close to Dave Stuckey's classic version, but the magic is GONE.
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Post by rocketeer on Dec 10, 2016 20:56:23 GMT -6
The new ("restored") roof is way too thick at the front; it has an awkward lump about a foot back from the leading edge. That error eliminates the graceful taper the Stuckey roof had when viewed from the side. I'm glad Starbird fixed it up, but I wish he'd gotten that detail right.
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Post by Bert on Dec 12, 2016 18:18:37 GMT -6
Thanks Brandon! Yes, new roof sucks. Great story though.
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Post by rocketeer on Dec 13, 2016 10:13:57 GMT -6
The Lil Coffin also has the perhaps unique distinction of having been modelled by two different companies in two different forms: Monogram issued the later cantilever-roof form in 1/24--and Aurora put out the earlier version in1/32 as the '32 Skidoo: www.modelroundup.com/v/vspfiles/photos/Aurora-554-2T.jpg (later reissued as the Peppermint Fuzz and as a straightforward '32 Ford Sedan). |
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Post by donculley on Dec 13, 2016 11:26:21 GMT -6
The new ("restored") roof is way too thick at the front; it has an awkward lump about a foot back from the leading edge. That error eliminates the graceful taper the Stuckey roof had when viewed from the side. I'm glad Starbird fixed it up, but I wish he'd gotten that detail right. Its definitely different, but at least its the original car, not a clone .Maybe someday it will get "restored' again and the errors will be eliminated ! |
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Post by koffinbuilder64 on Dec 25, 2016 21:59:43 GMT -6
Hey guys, I am glad that I'm not the only one that thinks the restored 'Coffin is a little 'off'. It's too bad that Starbird couldn't resist the urge to change it in the first place. I guess that I'm just a little confused that he couldn't get it a little closer given his time & enormous talent. I studied the car for a looong time & collected as many reference pics & magazines that have featured the car to enable me to create the closest replica in 1:8 scale that I can of the car as it was in '64. No, the model isn't done yet. Hopefully this spring, if life cooperates, you'll get to see the finished pics.
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Post by Hemi on Dec 26, 2016 13:27:20 GMT -6
-Some VERY interesting history on that car!!!! Also as mentioned, great to see its being or has been restored to its former self!!!!
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