MPC 1967 GTO Kit

[arisley28]

I just saw a 67 GTO kit from MPC at my LHS, which had a sticker advertising it had been made from the 1967 molding/tooling, and molded in white. I bought a recent repop of this kit (molded in blue) and it was a piece of garbage. My skills at this point aren't strong enough to overcome the serious molding and fit issues this kit has.

For anyone who has built previous versions of this kit, were previous toolings of this kit better, or would I just be buying a white turd instead of a blue one?

[my80malibu]

I haven't built that one I would say it's a turd in white sheep's clothing

[Brett Barrow]

The 'new' white one is the same as the blue one. Older pops of this kit tend to be a little better in the flash and fit departments, but it is what it is - an annual kit from 1967.

If you just want this style of GTO, go with Revell's modern tooling 66. But if it's gotta be a 67 then it's either deal with the MPC or convert the Revell, MPC's is the only 67.

[Terminator-Fox]

Hmmm, I wanted one of these to build a model of my fathers first car. It's that bad?

[Greg Myers]

Nothing is "THAT" bad. Often on this board and others you are just getting opinions. Everyone has them and many are different.

Give it a shot, see what you get. It's not a "Palmer" after all.

Seems to me the worst you'll have to deal with, as in many older kits and reissues, will be flash, so you'll have to do a little more work to make it look nice. You can do it if you really want that car in that year..

[my80malibu]

As Greg pointed out Everyone has different opinions. So I looked up the review for this kit,and I stand by my original post.Go tell your Dad to buy a 66 GTO.Then you can build a really nice Revell model of his cool car

Edited June 19, 2014 by my80malibu

[slusher]

The Revell 66 is a much better kit. The 67 is a tired tooled repop and I built it 10 years ago and it was bad then. There is only so much you can do with it...

[unclescott58]

I agree that Revell's '66 is a better kit. But, the old MPC kit is not all that bad. I have the recent white plastic one. And I built one years ago when I had a much lower skill level in model building. If I could build one then, I have no doubt that I should be able to do it again. And make it look reasonably decent. This kit is not a "piece of garbage". It's not up to the standards of more modern kits like Revell's '66. But, I'm a reasonably good a model builder. I can take up a challenge to get a '67 GTO which I like a little better than the '66. Though I do have the Revell '66 Goat too.

Scott

[charlie8575]

I know of a few people who have taken the body/interior and trim from the MPC kit and stuck it on the chassis and running gear of the Revell kit. Looks pretty good.

Three words of caution:

1. It's my understanding that most of the recent reissues of the '67 actually has the 1970 seats in it, which are quite different. Several resin-casting operations, including The Modelhaus have the correct seats at reasonable prices- about $3.

2. The '66 Rally I wheels are wrong for a '67. You could use the Hurst mags in the '66, though, or possibly adapt the MPC wheels.

3. The Tri-Power was last used in '66. While I wouldn't be shocked if a few '67s had that installed at the dealer, you might want to adapt the single 4-BBL '67 intake/carb/air-cleaner onto the otherwise very nice Revell engine.

But yes, the MPC kit can be built with patience and care. Think of it this way- your skills aren't there- YET. As I always used to tell my students when I taught, just because you can't do something now doesn't mean you can't learn to to do it now. This hobby is about the learning experience as much as it is anything else. That said, if you want to tackle another kit of two until you're more comfortable with this, go for it.

Charlie Larkin

[unclescott58]

The rumors about the seats being wrong. They are not wrong. The optional headrests make people out there think these seat are wrong. Headrests became an option on many GM cars starting in 1966. MPC's '67 GTO represents an interior with this option, as the it did back in 1967. The same with the Rally II wheels. These are correct for 1967. Your right about the tri-carb set up, Charlie. Other than on Corvette, all other GM cars lost they're multiple carb set up from the factory after 1966. But, MPC still offered several Pontiacs model kits with this set up, right or wrong. The '69 and '70 MPC Bonnevilles came with tri-carbs! But these kits were originally aimed at kids who would not know the difference, and think its cools.

The interiors and bodies are more correct because they are based on the Promos MPC produced for Pontiac and others. Promos of course are curb sides. No engines. I'd be willing to bet the engines used in the late 60's Pontiacs was tooled up in the mid 60's. And again, since the kit is aimed at kids, why spend the money tooling up a correct engine?

I think it's Drastic Plastic that has web site showing old kit boxes and instruction sheets? If you go to that site and look at the MPC instructions for their '67 GTO, you'll see it's the exact same kit. Headrests and all.

Scott

Edited June 20, 2014 by unclescott58

[unclescott58]

Forgot to mention, the one big change from the original kit unit now, is the lack of the funny car conversion parts. An odd thing about the original MPC '67 GTO you could build it stock, custom, or funny car. Which made the kit really cool at the time.

Scott

[unclescott58]

OK, I amendment to my posting two back. Looking at the present MPC '67 GTO it does not have the tri-carb set up in it. The stock carburetor set up in the kit is the correct single four barrel. And the upholstery on the front seats is not correct or an exact match to the upholstery on the rear seats. Somewhere along the line I'm guessing there were some modifications made to this kit. At least as far the front seats go. They are close. But, not exact.

Scott

Edited June 20, 2014 by unclescott58

[The70judgeman]

@Charlie- Actually, I believe you could still get Rally I's in '67, but the Rally II's were the more popular choice of buyers in '67 probably because they were "new". That was the last year they were available.

[rasafyff]

The seats in AMT's 67 GTO are from the 1970 GTO.There's even a 70 GTO front bumper on the same sprue with the seats.Also the front seats uphostery pattern doesn't match the rear seat.

I think the last reissue to have the correct 67 seats was the MPC issue 1-0730.This kit was issued in 1984 as part of the Golden Wheels Series.

Another mistake is they all have a 1970 GTO steering wheel.Even the MPC kit.

[Belugawrx]

If you take your time and fix some casting problems and clean it up real good......

Like most things,It depends on the amount of time and care you want to put into it.

Cheers

[unclescott58]

@Charlie- Actually, I believe you could still get Rally I's in '67, but the Rally II's were the more popular choice of buyers in '67 probably because they were "new". That was the last year they were available.

Andy is correct on this. Though the kit I have has Rally IIs.

Scott

[Greg Myers]

Wait long enough Adam and you get some good honest reviews.

[disabled modeler]

While were talking GTOs...when are they going to put the proper trunk spoiler in the 70 kit?...I have 2 of them that need the proper style ones instead of the one for a 69...

[Lunajammer]

If you take your time and fix some casting problems and clean it up real good......

Like most things,It depends on the amount of time and care you want to put into it.

Cheers

Agreed. Built mine in the 90's. It was the white one. I don't recall any glaring fit issues, just flash, the engine seemed a little small, platform chassis and loss of detail in the scripts and mouldings. The overall body is proportional and as you can see by Bruce's pic, it looks quite nice on the shelf. Like many low parts count kits, If you don't get hung up on the finer points it's still worth having around.

[Luc Janssens]

When comparing an original kit, one can see that the body has been worked on, it's not that straight when looking in the wheel-well area, as in that they were in different positions over the years....

One thing which is better executed in this tired old kit then in Revell's '66, is the front clip, which IMHO is less bulky

[iBorg]

I think the original issue had spy parts. My Dad and I built it. While I've got a couple of other models we built that one seems to have vanished. I'd love to get the spy parts and recreate my memory.

[rasafyff]

I think the MPC 66 Bonneville had the spy parts.

There's one on eBay for sale.

[slusher]

I know of a few people who have taken the body/interior and trim from the MPC kit and stuck it on the chassis and running gear of the Revell kit. Looks pretty good.

Three words of caution:

1. It's my understanding that most of the recent reissues of the '67 actually has the 1970 seats in it, which are quite different. Several resin-casting operations, including The Modelhaus have the correct seats at reasonable prices- about $3.

2. The '66 Rally I wheels are wrong for a '67. You could use the Hurst mags in the '66, though, or possibly adapt the MPC wheels.

3. The Tri-Power was last used in '66. While I wouldn't be shocked if a few '67s had that installed at the dealer, you might want to adapt the single 4-BBL '67 intake/carb/air-cleaner onto the otherwise very nice Revell engine.

But yes, the MPC kit can be built with patience and care. Think of it this way- your skills aren't there- YET. As I always used to tell my students when I taught, just because you can't do something now doesn't mean you can't learn to to do it now. This hobby is about the learning experience as much as it is anything else. That said, if you want to tackle another kit of two until you're more comfortable with this, go for it.

Charlie Larkin

Charlie was there much modifying to the 66 chassis to get it under the 67 AMT body.?? That sounds great and I have never seen or thought of this..

[unclescott58]

On the Drastic Plastic Fotki instruction site you see instructions and box for many old kits. Including MPC's 60's Pontiac kits. I see no spy stuff with MPC's GTO kits. The MPC '66 Bonneville kit had extra spy equipment.

Scott

[Bob Ellis]

If you look at the chrome and other parts sprue, you will notice all the reissued 67 70 and 72 GTOs used common parts. It appears, from some of the parts I bought have mixed or last version parts.