In the history of our hobby, there are a few models which stand out as examples of advanced craftsmanship. Though the achievement of each scale vehicle was surpassed by later models, the importance of those models can never be understated. One mark of their greatness was that they served to teach advanced techniques to modelers everywhere. In sum, such models are epochal by virtue of the effect they've had upon the hobby.
Once such model is certainly the Car Model Magazine Crusader. First appearing in the September 1963 issue of CM, the model set an entirely new standard of model customizing, detailing and interior construction that still reverberates today. The model spawned several later interpretations, and was often emulated in the First and Second Revell-Pactra model car contests (1963-64) and in the 1965 Revell-Testors Contract. Though Oscar Koveleski is reluctant to say who actually built the Crusader, strong circumstantial evidence strongly suggests that the model either came from his desk or from the work bench of R.A. "Smitty" Smith. However, consider the information accompanying the discussion of the coverage in the October 1963 issue of Car Model magazine.
The chassis work alone set a new criterion for detailing. When most builders were simply detail painting the standard one piece AMT floorboard/frame once common, the builder removed the entire floorboard and cleaned up the frame rails. Before painting, the builder wired the model with a relatively complete fuel system and electrical/spark plug system with real wire when most builders, when they tried at all, were using thread.
The body exhibited a similar amount of work. The builder sectioned the body, chopped the top and leaned it forward on wedge-cut "A" pillars, molded the fenders to the body, installed quad headlights, hinged the doors, and invented a "double-knuckle" rear hatch door that still operates in its original configuration. Molded-in running boards were created, twin roof antenna tunnels were fashioned, and a hole was cut in the hood to permit the engine supercharger to protrude. On top of all of that, an incredible candy red lacquer was applied (using then-available Schwinn bicycle paint).
The top all of that off, the interior was worked over too. The custom dash board (which still sports its original candy red paint) was the feature of an entire article as were other aspects of the model 1. The seats were upholstered with the thin white pearl textured vinyl that was once marketed in the Ulrich Custom Upholstery kit, thin black chenille, red pin stripping tape, and black vinyl.
Despite all of the importance and notoriety that the Crusader experienced, it fell victim to neglect, a halfhearted restoration attempt that almost destroyed the model, and an uncounted number of anonymous owners.