Monogram '58 1/24
Ford Thunderbird 2 'n 1

By Al Superczynski

Overview

Decried by T-Bird enthusiasts when first brought to market because of its growth into a four seat car, the '58 Thunderbird has withstood the test of time and proven itself as a milestone automobile. Shunned by some car enthusiasts when it debuted, over the years it has finally been given the recognition it deserves as a collectible car. It was also a resounding sales success in a year which was dismal for the auto industry as a whole.

The Kit

Wow! Talk about a trip back in time! Everything the modeler needs to build a 60s era custom is stuffed into the 151 parts in this kit. Monogram's '58 T-Bird has been reissued quite a few times but this is the first time in many years that it has included nearly all the original custom parts. Not only that, but the tooling has stood up well to the test of time and still yields parts with detail as crisp as it was in the 60s - R-M must have taken especially good care of these molds.

Molded in white plastic for ease of painting the only other changes I see other than the loss of a couple original custom parts are a set of Olds Fiesta wheelcovers instead of the mags in the original issue, and a new decal sheet. The decals include some nifty period graphics, full nameplates and badges, and the obligatory license plates.

This was a super kit in its time and still compares well to many more modern car models. It's really great to have the neat custom goodies back. Good job, R-M! How about a repeat performance with stock options for the Model As and '36 Ford you used to make?

Thanks to Revell-Monogram for the review sample.