54 replies to this topic

[gtx6970]

 

Has this series always had a totally goofy and incorrect B / RB Engine with manual trans combo , or was the small "LA" engine / Torqueflite ever available ?

 

 

 

Curious, Why do you say incorrect.?

the Dodge trucks WERE avail with  both a 400 B engine as well as a  440 RB up till approx 1977 ( maybe 1978 )

[Longbox55]

I think what he means is that the engine in the kit is inacurate  as far as being a B/RB Cherylser engine, rather than the B/RB not being available in the 1:1 truck.

[Casey]

Or maybe he means the RB/manual trans combo, but I'm 99% sure the granny gear first NP-??? trans was available behind the RB-series big block.

 

I'd actually prefer this kit doesn't return, and IIRC, Model King looked into refurbishing the molds and they were not in good shape, or at least not worth the time and money to refresh. The details are so lacking on these kits that you'd end up buying two or more additional kits just to make them look decent. RB-series engine from the AMT '71 Charger or Revell '68/9 Charge or '69 Dart, realistic off-road wheels and tires from another kit, decent solid axle suspension from elsewhere, and then you've still got the one-piece bed. 

 

If Moebius' upcoming Fords do well, the '72-'80 Dodge/Plymouth pickup and SUV line could be a future series, too. 

[kataranga]

What's wrong with the one-piece bed? I prefer one-piece full-width beds, myself.

[Edsel-Dan]

They take away accuracy, and narrow the interior of it.

Especially the flood/bed.

They are more susceptible to warping in a way that requires cutting them apart 

anyway to straighten. IF they Can be that is. 

Edited by Edsel-Dan, 31 January 2013 - 10:37 AM.

[Steve Milberry]

Point of note here,,

The "Warlock" version's wheels were cast in metallic gold plastic on thier own sprue.

Looks like the "Firefighter" version may have the same wheels but I never had that kit so I'm not sure.

[kataranga]

Every time I see your stash, Steve, I see something I didn't see the last time... You'll have to show me the Warlock next time.

[Edsel-Dan]

I can not say what rims were in the Firefighter issue even though I have one.

I was given this by a friend already built. I re-built it and painted it.

 

 

I also replaced the thin round tail lights.

[1972coronet]

And I guess I got the engine wrong, my apologies. I'm not that familiar with Chrysler engines.

No need to apologise , it's all good .

Certainly , MPC did imply that the engine in the Little Red Express was a 360 , which is a small block ; a factory relica "360 EXPRESS" air cleaner lid decal was even included (!!) for their generic Chrysler big block .

 

If you ever need thee reference for Chrysler stuff , go to "Hamtramck Historical 1970 Registry" ; I'll add a link in a minute ...

[1972coronet]

Curious, Why do you say incorrect.? the Dodge trucks WERE avail with  both a 400 B engine as well as a  440 RB up till approx 1977 ( maybe 1978 )

 

I use the term loosely ; "incorrect" in the capacity of :

- 1968-1969 (and 1970-1971 "Ramcharger" / "Air Grabber") air cleaner ;

- Manual transmission wasn't available behind the 440 after 1972 (1974 for the 400) .

 

1978 model year was the last year for the B/RB engine series .

 

As a side note ; ever see one of those oddball Mitsubishi 4 cylinder , naturally-aspirated  diesel engines that was an option for '78 or '79 in the "D" and "W" Series pickups ? Gee , I wonder why *that* was a failure ...

[1972coronet]

Kataranga : Here's a link to the aforementioned Hamtramck Historical site

http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/

[MsDano85gt]

My friend bought a w-200 4x4 in washinton state, he brought the truck down south here it is a extended cab longbox! I have a wip on this truck I had 2-3 rough glue bombs I cut up one cab to make the half extended cab lots of putty and sanding now! I am in need of a tailgate for the fullsize long bed and tail lamps if anyone has those don't believe a extended cab was ever kitted

[gray07]

On another 4x4 forum, i took measurements of my real 90 dodge extended cab  4x4 truck for a person that was going to make a resin cast of one, that has been around a year and 1/2 ago, the person is on this site too, i havent heard anything else on it so i dont know where how far it is along. Maybe he will post if he sees this posting.

[Luc Janssens]

Point of note here,,

The "Warlock" version's wheels were cast in metallic gold plastic on thier own sprue.

Looks like the "Firefighter" version may have the same wheels but I never had that kit so I'm not sure.

 

It has the same wheels, but chromed this time, I have all the trucks in the series except the pumping iron version....

[Luc Janssens]

 

 

I'd actually prefer this kit doesn't return, and IIRC, Model King looked into refurbishing the molds and they were not in good shape, or at least not worth the time and money to refresh. The details are so lacking on these kits that you'd end up buying two or more additional kits just to make them look decent. RB-series engine from the AMT '71 Charger or Revell '68/9 Charge or '69 Dart, realistic off-road wheels and tires from another kit, decent solid axle suspension from elsewhere, and then you've still got the one-piece bed. 

 

If Moebius' upcoming Fords do well, the '72-'80 Dodge/Plymouth pickup and SUV line could be a future series, too. 

 

Sad too hear the tools are in such bad shape, cuz the chassis plus trim-less bed from the Monster truck coupled with the '79-80 cab of the Fire Truck (same cab as the '78, but with different cowl insert, new hood and grille) and the 4x4 running gear could've produced a "never done" '79-'80 Power Wagon

 

 

 

 

But an all new kit of this generation of Dodge trucks would be better indeed, because the Mpc's were annuals thus updated with each passing model year, which erased the prior edition, a new tool can be designed to incorporate several versions spanning more then two decades and...also include Ramchargers!

The same can be said for the old C/K series of Chevy trucks from the mid 70 'till late '80s, that's from an era when truck were trucks and not fashion accessories or statements, also the reason I prefer 4x4 over 4x2.

Edited by Luc Janssens, 02 February 2013 - 03:38 AM.

[Edsel-Dan]

The MPC 67-72 Chevy Pickups were also Promos so limitations from that were added.

Surprised they diod the Bed proto-typically. But maybe at the time they could not do

it the cheap poorly detailed single piece like they do now.

 

I do like Revell's OLD school method on the VTS Ram. My 60 & 63 Ford's are like that

Cab & box sides cast in one piece with the bed floor and cab back wall in the Ram as separate 

pieces.

[SteveG]

 

As you may or may not be aware these kits started as a series of annuals produced by MPC. While the full-size truck debuted for the 1972 model year I can not find any references to or depictions of a 1972 annual release. The earliest release produced by MPC was the 1973 annual, probably hitting store shelves in late 1972. As far as dating of the kit release goes, I have found box pictures showing a copyright date of both the year depicted and the previous year for most of the issues. For simplicity's sake I have chosen to list the year depicted as the year issued. 

 

The first kit issued with this tooling's long run was the 1973 Dodge Pickup annual. The truck depicted is a regular cab, 8' full width box trimmed as an Adventurer 100. The engine is a cobbled together Chrysler B/RB V-8. Options with this kit included both 2WD and 4WD suspension with stock wheel covers and 4WD 8-lug wheels, a stock hood and a bulged center hood, race equipment and emergency equipment. The kit has the grille used for 72-73 and is molded in white. MPC #1-07309

 

 

I'm pretty confident that the "Baja Brute" #1-0458 shown below is actually the first MPC annual issue of this series of Dodge Pickup kits. It's listed in the Coulter & Shelton Directory along with the other MPC '72 Truck and Van kits.  Note the "1972" on the front bumper graphic.

 

 

The side panel shows it as a 3n1 kit including a stock 2WD version  and the contents appear to be almost indentical to the '73 release.  I can't find a copyright date on either the box or instructions and my open kit is missing the decals. On the chrome tree it has " 72 dodge pick up " engraved above the stock wheel covers.

 

 

For what it's worth I know that this isn't first time MPC brought out a new kit without the year placed on the box.  The first issue of the second generation Firebird kit from MPC is only labeled " Firebird Formula 400" which came out around 1970. Anyway I hope this completes the History of the MPC Dodge D/W kits.

 

-Steve

[kataranga]

Aha, there you go! I thought it was odd that I couldn't find a 1972 version. Usually when MPC did an annual they started with the first year of a new body style, which for this truck was 1972. Thanks for this! I'll update the posts.

[JS23U]

I think one thing is worth mentioning:

Starting with the 76 year the truck cannot be built as a 4x2 anymore. It just had those 1/20 Can Am Racer tires with the steelies, no stock chrome full wheel covers anymore, no standard front axle.

I would love to build a Power Wagon like the one shown. Someone should make decals for it

On the topic of "hidden" annuals from MPC: I always thought the 1970 Camaro and Firebird kits didn't get real annual numbers because they came out in midyear 1970. The annual kit run possibly was done by the time?!

[kataranga]

I believe I did mention in the original posts that the 2WD option was dropped in 76...