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Post by Faust on Sept 15, 2021 20:00:04 GMT -5
Media tie-ins are nothing new to the model kit world. Replicas of famous TV and film cars have always been a big thing for model makers, and this practice continues with Round 2’s “Supernatural” 4-door Impala. Howevever, there’s another kind of media tie in that’s a lot less common, and that’s making a famous person’s car into a kit. One great example of this is the “Foxy Vette”, which was a Barris-designed custom Corvette made especially for media darling Farrah Fawcett back in the late ‘70s! This one-off creation was immortalized, kinda, by AMT at the end of that decade, and the model since become something of a rarity. It’s been a grail of mine for quite some time now, and I was thrilled when my brother gave me one for my Birthday this past summer. To see how AMT captured this moment in media history, check out the Out of Box review for the Foxy Vette at the link below! adamrehorn.wordpress.com/amt-1-25-farrahs-foxy-vette-oob/ |
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Post by TooOld on Sept 17, 2021 15:35:00 GMT -5
Good review of yet another George Barris catastrophe , it was add-on plastic panels on steroids . When the kit first came out everybody spotted those Monza tail lights and just shook their heads , I knew one hobby shop owner that refused to stock the thing . One thing for sure is that it fits with most of the other abortions that George did back then .
By the way . . . George only supplied the Futura for the Batmoblile , he hired Bill Cushenbery who designed and built it . And the Munster Koach designed by Tom Daniel was built at Barris Kustoms but not by George .
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Post by Faust on Sept 17, 2021 17:39:46 GMT -5
It's funny, because I'm clearly not all that knowledgeable on customs and customizers. I'm more of a stock-car (not like NASCAR, but actual stock cars) guy.
I didn't know Barris was quite as, ahem... not good... as he was. I mean, he's famous and all, but I'm starting to wonder for what, honestly. I mean, I like the Foxy Vette, but that's because I'm not a Vette guy and I can have fun at their expense talking about a Vette with Monza tail lights!
I apologize for not knowing he was less involved with the good customs bearing his name, and I thank you for setting the record straight.
Say, didn't he do "Supervan" as well (which is lame as heck) and the van from "Van Killer"? What about the Travolta Fever (a kit I MUST have!!!) T/A? That seems tacky enough to be him...
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Post by TooOld on Sept 18, 2021 4:12:24 GMT -5
I didn't mean to imply that you didn't know what you were talking about and hope you didn't take it that way . George Barris was a great promoter and took credit for dozens of show cars merely because they were built in his shop , the actual designers/builders sometimes but rarely got any credit at all . Actually George and brother Sam Barris were very talented and respected custom painters during the 50's , in fact Sam built the Ala Kart before leaving the business to George .
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Post by deuce on Sept 18, 2021 8:01:55 GMT -5
I worked with a guy that knew Barris back in the early 60s. He really didn't have anything good to say about him. What I remember most was him telling me that George loved to take credit for other people's work.
I wonder if there was any issue with the fact that she drove a Mustang II on the show, and here they're promoting her 'Vette.
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Post by Faust on Sept 18, 2021 14:08:15 GMT -5
I didn't mean to imply that you didn't know what you were talking about and hope you didn't take it that way . George Barris was a great promoter and took credit for dozens of show cars merely because they were built in his shop , the actual designers/builders sometimes but rarely got any credit at all . Actually George and brother Sam Barris were very talented and respected custom painters during the 50's , in fact Sam built the Ala Kart before leaving the business to George . Oh no, don't worry! It was me admitting that the Kustom scene is one I'm not all that familiar with. I'm always glad to learn new stuff and find out more about facets of history I didn't know about. I'm always happy, too, when something I post leads to more discussions, so don't feel badly; I didn't mean it to sound like I took it personally! It sounds like George was more of a (self) promoter, like Glen Curtiss. Sucks that he was using other people's talent to make a name for himself. that's weak. Oh, as for the Vette vs. Mustang II; neither one is really that great!  |
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Post by Dave from Pleasanton on Sept 24, 2021 11:40:46 GMT -5
To steal a phrase, "Never get between George Barris and a camera!" That said, people went to Barris' shop to have a car built because of his name. So many big names in custom cars got their start at his shop and then went on to become big names in their own right (Dean Jeffries comes to mind). As to the Monza taillights, that is something that all of the builders were doing back in the day. DeSoto grilles on 49 Mercury's? Buick side trim on the same? Today with plasma cutters, CNC milling machines and 3D printers custom car makers can make things that the boys in the 50's-90's could only dream about. That said I think that much if not most of the customs by the 70's were just plain bad. Clownish or cartoonish is what I think of vast majority of the TV tie-in work. But I'm older and left the car scene by 1968-9 so much of what occurred later was stuff I've seen 40 years later. For example I like Ed Roth's stuff, but don't care for Tom Daniels' stuff. I grew up with Big Daddy but missed Daniels at the time. Not a critic of Daniels, he was incredibly talented, just something I'm not into.
After droning on endlessly, big question is are you building the kit? I want to see how your build turns out. I want to see if you can get the green tinted headlights to work. That would be cool.
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Post by Faust on Sept 24, 2021 19:53:18 GMT -5
From what I'm learning, that comment about Barris sounds just about right on! I've never been big into the custom scene of any era; I do prefer most of my cars stock, so I don't know most of the names or personalities. Of course, I know Roth and Barris, and I know a lot of the famous vehicles of the time, but the whole custom scene like that wasn't my bag as a kid, nor is it now. I did go to a lot of car shows with my dad and uncle in the early '80s (and right up until the mid '90s, actually) and so the wilder '70s-type stuff (like Daniels' work) is more what I'm used to. That's why I'm always nostalgic when I see those ridiculous IMSA flares on any (and every?) MPC kit! Vans were always my favourite, though... I want to build it, but I don't know if I have the skill to build it right. There's some light green metallic paint along the fenders and the "corners" of the hood bulge, and I don't have the skill, or even an idea yet, of how to do it. I can sort of fake the other stuff, and clear green paint on the covers should do the headlights alright, but those light green sections... they make my stomach turn. Also, I have no idea how to make the interior "furry". I'd have to go without the phone and TV; I can't scratchbuild well enough for those. I also have to install normal exhausts... It's a lot of work for a car I don't really care much about. However, it's a kit I've always wanted, and I do like the challenge, so it's on the medium-short list. It's above my Shelby Charger but below my D-50, if that helps! |
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Post by Dave from Pleasanton on Sept 28, 2021 10:17:56 GMT -5
Understand completely. So many to build so little time.
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It's an interweb thing.....