Monogram Tom Daniel's S'cool Bus.

[Hillbilly]

Ok,after fighting a couple old AMT kits I need a simple build to keep my car modelling mojo going so here it is.This kit was originally released in 1970 and I built(and destroyed) one back when I was a kid(probably 1984 or so).There wasn't a real life car of this kit but rather it is a design by one of the greatest custom car designers of all time...Tom Daniel.Here is a little bit about his career.

Tom Daniel an industrial designer by trade, is probably one of the most popular model designers around. With over 75 of his designs being manufactured as scale model kits! With most model kits the real car comes first but not with Tom's designs.

Tom’s interest in automobiles developed at an early age. Tom a native of California, grew up in the Huntington Park, California near Los Angeles after WW2 when hot rodding was starting to grow by customizing cars. Hot rods were becoming an important part of the American automotive scene especially in Southern California. At the age of 11 Tom, became influenced by chopped and channeled customs, raked ’32 and ’34 Fords cruising the LA streets and made up his mind that he wanted to design custom cars.

In his junior high school Tom went on a field trip to the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, there he saw drawings of futuristic vehicles hanging in the galleries of the college which were similar his ideas. After seeing the student drawings in the studios and making clay mock ups of those designs in the college shops, Tom wanted to attend the college, no matter how hard of difficult it would be. Tom’s love for cars proved to be annoying to some of his early high school teachers. His written assignments almost always ended up as hot rod drawings. Tom's goal for his future was to be a designer for General Motors. Art became his major so he could spend time drawing and coming up with new designs and ideas.

In Tom's senior year of high school, he spent most of his time drawing and creating a portfolio to submit to the Art Center. Tom was accepted at Art Center and attended for four years, the course was very demanding the cost of materials were very expensive. Tom earned a scholarship from the Ford Foundation which helped his financial situation. A friend of Tom's that worked for Petersen Publishing’s Rod and Custom helped him get some sideline work after the editor saw some of his designs. Out of 80 students that enrolled, Tom and 13 others graduated in 1955. At the age of 23 Tom and four others from his class found immediate employment as industrial designers with General Motors. Tom was hired to work in the "Advanced Transportation" department at GM where they were designing futuristic looking trucks and machinery. At GM Tom designed the hood he for the 1962-66 Chevy/GMC trucks. He then designed the classic S’cool Bus model for Monogram, Tom based the bus design around the "62-66" GMC truck design so he could include his hood.

Tom left GM in 1961 after being there only a year and went back to California, Tom never returned to GM and decided to become a model enthusiast and designer. Tom got together with Rod and Custom once more, Rod and Custom had just started a new magazine called "Rod & Custom Models’. Tom became a columnist that wrote a monthly design feature called "Off the Sketchpad", Tom wrote the column for almost nine years. The 60’s slot car craze was happening, and Monogram would send out products to be reviewed by the several publications at the time. Tom wrote some of these reviews and realized that some of his "crazy" car designs would make great model car kits. In 1967 Tom got in touch with Monogram, co- owners Jack Besser and Bob Reder, noticed Tom’s work in the Off the Sketchpad column. Roger Harney, who has been with Monogram since 1957 was the Model Shop Supervisor. He and Bob Reder came up with the idea of producing a custom Mack truck. They gave the idea to Tom and he came up with "The Beer Wagon" which to date is still being produced and has sold in the millions, interesting enough Monogram has re-released the model as the Soda Wagon. Tom was then contracted as an exclusive Monogram designer and consultant and was allowed the independent freedom of creativity.Tom became one of the top designer for Monogram, he working from his home in California and produced dozens of model kits. These kits included the Pie Wagon, Thunder Bug, Roarin’ Rail, the Dragon Wagon, Tijuana Taxi and Bad Medicine,motorized Super Digger and Mean Maverick. Tom Daniel's’ creations have become classics and favorites with model builders world wide.

Another cool thing about this kit is NO RIVET COUNTING! being that there was never a full size version of this vehicle I don't have to spend hours scouring reference books or websites making sure my camo scheme is the right color or what road wheel configuration i need and blah,blah,blah.Don't get me wrong,I love researching the history of a subject but sometimes it is nice just to sit down and build something without having to think too much

Here is an old Monogram add from the 1970's featuring this kit.



And here is what's in the box...........













As you can see everything about this kit is over-the-top so it should be a fun build....hmmm now what is the correct color for a 1960's GMC school bus

[m0rce]

Hiya
This looks really fun.
Looking forward to your updates.

Regards,
Sergio

[Gb64c]

I had this as a Metel Hot Wheel, there also were two dragsters, the Mongoose and the Snake

[Hillbilly]

Yep,I had them also.The Mongoose and Snake cars were two of my most cherished Hot Wheels I had

[Twokidsnosleep]

Oohhh , Mongoose and Snake funny cars are two I would like to build again
This is a super looking kit, never saw it as a kid, weird b/c it is right up my alley

[Hillbilly]

Yea,it's a cool kit but not one for the rivet counters out there as everything is over-scale,blocks,heads,blowers,exhaust I mean everything But that's what makes it look so cool in my opinion.