Ever since Clarence Coyote's accidental time trip back to 1960, he's been experiencing the simple and exciting pleasures of that bygone year: black-and-white televisions, shopping in actual stores, drive-in movies and restaurants, big stylish-looking cars with V8 engines, etc. And now his adopted father Al figures an 8-year-old cub like Clarence is old and mature enough to try another simple pleasure: model car building. So it's down to the hobby shop inside the Tri-Star Plaza in Albuquerque, NM to pick out some starter kits for the eager young cub. The store owner suggests these simple "curbside" models, just released: >Ford Country Squire Wagon >Chevrolet Corvair >Oldsmobile Scenicoupe Clarence, however, thinks he's ready to try models like these as well: >Chevrolet Pickup Truck >Buick Invicta Convertible "Hold on a minute, son", cautions the owner. "Those kits have a lot more parts in them, including the engine...and that Chevy pickup kit also has a trailer and a tow hitch as well." "He's right, Clarence", agrees Al. "You might want to practice your skills on the simple kits before moving on to those more advanced ones." He then leans closer to the disappointed cub and whispers: "Besides, even if you were still in 2018, you'd be too busy with your computer thing to try building them." "I guess you're right", sighs Clarence as he puts the models back on the shelf. After giving the coyote father and son some bottles of paint and tubes of glue to go with the kits, the owner suggests: "Maybe you could have your older two cubs help Clarence build the models...you know, make it a group project, like those Detroit auto assembly lines." "Well, we'd have to agree on the color scheme and which way to build it", said Al, "but I guess it could work." "Well, in that case", said the owner as he paws back those two advanced kits back to Clarence, "you can go ahead and have these as well." "Yes, sir!" exclaimed the smiling cub as he grabs the two kits off the counter. After ringing up the total on the old NCR cash register *chchchching chchchching* the owner gives a final suggestion: "Be sure and lay some newspaper on the table so you don't make a mess...and don't get that glue and paint on your fur as well or you'll never get it off." "Will do", answers Al as he and Clarence leaves the store.
The model kit boxes are images taken from the Model Roundup website, and the characters belong to
. The kits listed were "model year" kits released in 1960, the time the story he wrote takes place. Too bad I couldn't find any Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge kits, as the Coyote family are loyal Chrysler owners. (That sounds like my family, who were loyal to Ford.) Anyway, hope he likes it!
