Ford F-350 “Duallie” Rollback Pickup 1:24 Scale Monogram Model Kit # 85-7806

Right On Replicas, LLC SnapShot Review 20150228*
Ford F-350 “Duallie” Pickup 1:24 Scale Monogram Model Kit # 85-7806 Review

Review and Photos by Alan Mann

This is not one of our regular SnapShot reviews. Yes, there’s a great kit review involved, but this is an exercise in expanding your abilities to create your own custom build.  The base model is a Monogram Ford F-350 “Duallie” kit that has been modified and has had many additional Aftermarket parts added. Once you have been building models for a time you may want to expand your abilities. Or, many times the vehicle you want to construct is just not available. What you are left with is the Aftermarket companies. There are tons of small businesses that specialize in Scale Model parts only. Many companies produce RESIN BODIES or parts that were never seen in large production companies like AMT, Revell, MPC, Monogram or the such. Quality varies widely on these items so due diligence and research is important. With Social Media like Facebook the multitude of Forums it is much easier to find out the information now than ever before. The important part of taking on projects like this one is preparation. Research your subject, search for all your parts and necessities and prepare your build BEFORE you ever touch one part. Once you have your plans in place, supplies and parts in hand and everything you need for your build you can get to work.

 

For the Modeler: This review covers the Monogram Kit#7806 in 1/24 scale. The kit has been released multiple times and this one is a Re-release (Re-Pop). The same kit is available as an F-350 Dually and as an F-250. The kit is considered a Skill Level 2 for Moderate Abilities as it needs paint and glue for assembly. Overall this is a great kit with lots of potential. The motor is detailed and looks nice finished. The chassis is nice and the rear frame is open allowing it to be stretched quite easily. The body is solid and represents the F series Ford trucks nicely. The interior is detailed and looks correct. Assembly is straight forward. Fit and Finish is good and there is little to no issue with the final assembly. Overall a good quality kit. The AFTERMARKET items I used came from multiple sources. Some of the companies I used on this build are; Morgan Automotive Details, BnL Resins, Detail Masters, and E-Bay Seller Johnnytech10. Plus some of my own details I created. My overall finished build is: Length: 15”, Width 4”, Height: 3”.

 

Overall Impression:  First off let me remind the readers this build is a CUSTOM and requires much more work and skill than the average kit assembly. Although the kit is Skill Level 2 this would be more to a Skill Level 4 or 5 build.  The Motor build is straight from the kit with the exception of detail wires from Morgan Automotive Details. The kit details are nice and build up is easy. The addition of detail wires and a distributor are simple and will not affect the overall build fit but will greatly improve the looks. For a “Contest Quality” build motor details are almost a necessity. The interior was also built stock from the kit. I did add additional details from my own parts collections such as folded maps, work orders and other items I printed. I used items from Detail Masters “Interior Junk Collection 2” and “Radio Faces” Photoetch items for added details. The cab was also directly from the kit and was built as instructions recommend. I did replace the side vent windows and back side windows with real automotive tint glued in place of the glass. The greatest construction issue was the chassis. To create a chassis that fits the working Rollback Flatbed you must Stretch the frame rails. Cutting the frame at a straight location right behind the cab I was able to add the needed length and create a new frame with Styrene Strips. I added cross members and built the suspension by kit instructions, just making a new driveshaft. The actual Rollback was purchased as a READY TO ATTACH assembly on E-Bay from Johnnytech10. His work is top notch and high quality. The bed will properly lift, slide and move as it should and the rear lift will work up, down and pivots side to side. It will also slide open to allow a tire to fit. The assembly is well built with Styrene. Final parts like winches and bumpers are from BnL Resins. Their items are good quality with typical resin clean up. Construction can be time consuming on builds like this as you have to do a lot of modifications and some building from scratch. Although the bed was built and ready to attach I had to fit the frame and chassis to its application. These are in scale and fit good but are not specific for this truck it is a generic assembly that requires custom fitting. This is not a NOVICE BUILDER kit, I do recommend you have model building experience to attempt this kind of construction. But once finished this is a showpiece on your shelf!

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