Folks Of Interest Auto Modeler-Where is Richard Carroll

Hello,
I publish Auto Modeler Magazine and we have been looking for Richard Carroll of 60s and 70s model car fame. I found a post here from 2016 that featured a full size body he built.
Now, I want to find Richard and feature his amazing models in our magazine for all generations to enjoy. All my contacts have turned up empty. I am hoping one of the members here can help me out. Thank you in advance for your help.

Scottcolmer@automodelermag.net

 

I did a quick search and couldn't find that name listed as ever being a member of the Hamb. HRP

 

What is his user name on the HAMB, it would be on his post.

 

The poster was: revKev6

The post was Aug 6, 2016

I did reach out via start a conversation.

Thanks!

 

Yeah, a user name would help a long with the thread the photo was posted.

If it was the Sunday Models thread list under antiquated, there is only 7,127 post listed. HRP

 

Is this the thread? HRP

Carroll

 

YES!

 

Another thought, I see revkev6 was active until recently, you might try and send him a conversation, he may checking in from time to time. HRP

HERE

 

..Looks like he was last on here June of 2023.

 

If it's who I think it is(never met or even saw him "live", but he had a mod-goatee beard?), I do remember his handbuilt brass models w/the hand-cast ultra-wide rubber tires. Almost a caricature, but don't remember seeing any how-to's on tire-casting ;( . But there were some on suspension building using brass tubing, 4-40 & 10-32 nuts/screws & solder. Kinda the Dan Woods of models. Car Model(iirc, the full magazine name) was my favorite, Car Modeler was the other one? ??? Don't have many of those mags left. Jim Keeler was the plastic detail-king w/his Dodge (Charger ???) dragster(s) - sheesh...
Marcus...

 

what about bob braverman from way back??

 

I have a set of his tires. Nicely made.

 

"bob braverman" .
Not ringing a bell...
What mags did he write for, or was featured in?
Marcus...

 

Here's a link with a little info about Bob Braverman. A post farther down says that he died.
https://www.slotforum.com/threads/bob-braverman-r-c-article.58702/

 

@revkev6

 

Here's a link showing those tires: https://board.spotlighthobbies.com/?md=read;id=408947 .
At this link, click on the Scott..... post for some info about Richard Carroll.

 

Surely you already asked over at the Model Cars Magazine forum, or at least found a post or two there discussing him?

https://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/70002-who-was-richard-carroll/

The feeling I got after reading some specific replies there was he seems to want to be left alone, and has no interest in reliving his model building past.

 

late to re but was r&c model mag scratchbuilder mid 60's

 

https://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/70002-who-was-richard-carroll/
Yup, that pic is how I remember Richard. Interesting what I remember when memory is jogged abit - sometimes even w/o the jogging. Amazed by his work, I tried brass, & it was a no-go for me. ;( . One unbelievably talented guy. I still can't metal-work like that. I'm kinda thinking he got burned out quick-like, since there was nowhere to go from where he entered. Haven't thought about Richard n his work for ~ 50yrs.
& the best magazine was Car Model, 2nd one was not car modeler as I remembered, but Car Model Science. I considered a distant 2nd in terms of quality. Don't remember reading R&C model mags. Although the local mag-racks were somewhat limited, even at the local hobby shops.
Marcus...

 

Yeah, his models and skills were way out there. Like Li’l John. Years ago there was an article in either Rod & Custom or Street Rodder about Richard and two cars he was building. One was a 33/4 coupe with a heavy chop and a skinny track nose and the other was a modified roadster. I seem to remember he was east coast, maybe Massachusetts, Connecticut?

 

You mentioned Jim Keeler. For those not familiar with Jim, let's go back to the early 60s. prior to the 60s, there were no model car kits per se. AMT (Aluminum Model Toys) along with a couple other companies made 1/25 scale promotional models for car dealers to give to potential customers of their cars. Originally aluminum castings, they converted to new-fangled styrene plastic some time in the 50s. At the time Revell specialized in military models. Legend is their models were so well done that enemies of this country reverse engineered the models for their 1:1 prototypes!
In around '60 someone at AMT thought it would be a good idea to rework the promotional models and sell them as unbuilt kits. They worked up a few parts trees and issued them as the legendary 3 in 1 kits. These kits were such a big success that Revell decided to get into the model car kit business. Enter Jim Keeler. Jim was a 17 year old kid working for Revell, doing some odd job, don't recall what it was, but nothing spectacular. Mail room maybe? But some insightful genius at Revell though of making teenager Jim the manager of product development for the new product line. The rest is history. The Revell/Keeler hot rod kits of the 60s are in my never to be humble opinion the best mass produced, affordably priced kits ever produced. All thanx to Jim. He is the patron saint of the model car crowd.

 

wow!-great history imparted there--say it every time (echoing everybody here)--the knowledge here is extraordinary! ...thanks ALL you guys for stories!

 

Some of Keeler’s early stuff has recently been re-issued under (IIRC) Atlantis models name.

 

His work was so far above and beyond anything which existed at the time. This is one of his more conservative builds IMHO, but maybe the one with which he won the Corvair at one of the national shows?:



This one is getting off-topic a bit, but, just wow:




This 'site has the Car Model covers from '62-'74: http://99wspeedshop.com/carmodel.html

 

Yes, Revell merged with Monogram a couple decades ago and they sold off the molds for many of their kits. The Revell molds changed hands a couple times and Atlantis ended up with some which they did limited reissues. Advent was another moniker that appeared on Revell reissues.

 

IIRC, a few yrs ago, in South Bend area, there is(was) a guy, who along w/his dads' help, took on & re-animated the AutoWorld name. He had a really nice large hobby shop in a strip center just north of SB, (Niles?). Got some re-issued kits from him, & after a bit of discussion, found out he n dad acquired ~ 3 of the old companies' molds. Lots of the molds were damaged, or incomplete. I do not remember which 2 companies they didn't get. Store got closed down due to economy a few yrs ago, but he still does business out of the garage(as storage). Very nice guy, & knowledgeable, too. Think his catalog is all online now, name still AutoWorld. They *were* working on fixing/replacing the molds, as a lot of them were the 2in1 & 3in1 kits. & the 2-complete-models-in-one-box-series, some of my favorites. Don't know how far they got w/that. Haven't contacted him in a few yrs, hope he's doing well.
Marcus...

Oh, thanks for the JK info. As always: interesting. .

 

Just overcame a bout with Partsheimer's and remembered a minor detail in the model company story. AMT actually didn't come up with the 3-in-1 kit idea. It was actually a company called SMP who started it. AMT saw a good idea and bought SMP Company and marketed the kits.

 

I was at the Great Western Exhibit Center 3rd Winternationals Car Show in So.Cal. as a kid and got I my picture in Apr. 63 Hot Rod Magazine page 39. A "coke-bottle-bottom" bespeckled Hotrodjack at the Revell Model Car display. I wonder if one of the 3 guys at the table might be Jim Keeler ?

 

Bob Braverman was the 'everything else' guy at Rod & Custom in the mid '60s. His byline appeared on articles featuring model cars, slot cars, go karts and the new-to-the-US Japanese motorcycles that were becoming popular at the time. Plus, even occasional feature photos. IIRC, he even did cartoons once in a while. He eventually moved full-time to R&C Models, from there I think he went to Guns & Ammo.

But he was best known for the models, and IMO is the guy who contributed a lot to start it all. What model magazines that existed at the time were into trains, planes, ships and military. He was building hot rods and customs, with how-to articles like how to section AMTs '49 Ford or features on how to build a model of a magazine-featured full-size car, with a list of parts needed and which kits to get them out of. For a car-crazed kid who's 'hobby shop' was a few shelves at the local department store, this was heaven. And hooked me then and forever... LOL.

 

Bob was definitely the 'everything else guy' at R&C! He did the model stuff, slot car hot rodding - rewinding armatures, ball bearing axles, etc., but also wrote motorcycle hot rodding articles. Milling heads, trimming bottoms of pistons on 2-cycle engines, etc.