36 replies to this topic

[Casey]

I'm no expert on the MPC annual Plymouth Duster kits, so don't expect much commentary, but  pictures of the boxes and their contents I can provide.

 

Let's start with the 1971 MPC Plymouth Duster "Mild & Wild" kit, which could be built one of four ways- stock, custom, drag or "wild put on".  The "wild put on" version consisted of Zingers! style overscaled parts which were all the rage in 1971 and gave any model bedecked with them that zany, outta-sight, cartoony look eight year old boys craved in 1971. The kit was molded in yellow and was a good1/25 scale representation of the real car, right down to the Rallye wheels, 340-4 barrel engine, bucket seats and console.

 

The 1971 "Mild & Wild" boxes are interesting and different due to the box top art being oriented vertically, rather than the usual horizontal orientation:

 

 

 

 

[Casey]

The 1972 Plymouth Duster was largely unchanged, save for eliminating the custom option, leaving  the kit as a 3'n'1 with stock, drag and "wild put on" build options. It was again molded in yellow, but the drag version was "Akron" Arlen Vanke's Super(?) Stock car this time around. Drag slicks were included, but the stock Rallye wheels were the only wheels present, making for an odd looking drag car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look at that "DUSTER 340" and the cartoon Duster detail on the tail light panel: 

 

 

 

[Casey]

The 1973 MPC Plymouth Duster kit once again included three building options- stock, street machine, and Super Stock drag racer. The "wild put on" parts were gone, replaced by more serious racing and performance equipment, such as under-bumper ram air tubes, hood scoop, rear spoiler, chrome-plated stock and Fenton mag wheels, and an extra 426 Hemi engine to go along with the carried over 340 small block. Also changed for 1973 was the plastic color, and the kit was now molded in white.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new-for-'73 tail panel and tail light buckets, as well as the revised "DUSTER" nameplate:

 

[Casey]

The 1974 Duster annual was again a 3'n'1 kit with stock, drag, and street machine options, with examples of each shown on the box top:

 

 

 

A custom street machine grill and rearend, venturi stacks for the dual-carb Hemi engine, a high-rise shrouded hood scoop, and a new rear spoiler were all new for '74, as were the big 'n' little Motorwheel Spyder mag wheels. The '74 was again molded in white, and a smaller decal sheet with new "Block Buster" graphics was included:

 

 

[Casey]

The main changes for the '75 Duster annual kit were the decals and new optional 6-slot(!?) wheels, all of equal width/depth, replacing the previous year's Motorwheel Spyders. The same three building options from '74 were carried over (okay, the street machine version was now called "custom"), and the kit was again molded in white:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As far as I know, there was never a '76 Duster annual kit, as the F-body Plymouth Volare was launched in '76 as the A-body Duster's replacement. MPC did release annual '76-'80 Plymouth Volare kits, but the F-bodies deserve their own topic, so this is the end of the line for the MPC Plymouth Duster annual kits...or is it?

 

I'm not sure how closely the MPC Pro Stockers series kits are related to the annual kits, so if someone can educate us on those, they may be added to this topic. 

[High octane]

Nice seein' those old Duster kits as I've had a few of them back-in-the-day.

[Monty]

I must've been one of the few kids who didn't care for the "wild" options on the'71, but the thing that really puzzled me was something you noted as well: why go to all this trouble to offer "wild" options if you're not going to offer anything other than stock wheels.

I'm waiting to see the rest of the sprues you've got. When I finally got around to buying a mid-'70s MPC A-body (the box called it a Dart, but I think the grille still said Plymouth) I found that it had some interesting "custom" parts: Trans Am fender air extractors and chromed Pontiac Honeycomb wheels. I was only 14, but I knew enough about cars to know that that was wrong.

[MAGNUM4342]

You're not alone Monty. While I always prefer a nice set of mags to stock wheels, I usually prefer a clean looking car without alot of showy jazzed up items added on.

[Casey]

I must've been one of the few kids who didn't care for the "wild" options on the'71, but the thing that really puzzled me was something you noted as well: why go to all this trouble to offer "wild" options if you're not going to offer anything other than stock wheels.

 

I think the answer to that lies on the different sections of the chrome trees. If we consider the quadrant with the bumper to always be the upper right quadrant, the lower left quadrant changes through the years, with the air cleaner, fan, and goofy gas tank half pieces disappearing in '73, replaced by a second set of wheels and the two-piece Sport mirrors. 

 

I'm waiting to see the rest of the sprues you've got. When I finally got around to buying a mid-'70s MPC A-body (the box called it a Dart, but I think the grille still said Plymouth) I found that it had some interesting "custom" parts: Trans Am fender air extractors and chromed Pontiac Honeycomb wheels. I was only 14, but I knew enough about cars to know that that was wrong.

 

That kit is part of the Dodge Demon/Dart Sport kit's history, so I will add to that in the '71 Demon topic eventually.

[Mopar Mike]

Casey,

If you don't have enough storage room you could always send one or two my way.

 

Mike

 

Mopar To Ya

[Rob Hall]

Nice pics..I have all of those except for the '71.  I also have a '73 Pro Stock kit molded in orange, got it as a partially built parts kit, box and decals missing.

[Casey]

If you don't have enough storage room you could always send one or two my way.

 

I don't own any of these, which is why the pics are so hit and miss.

[gtx6970]

I see on the 75 kit box, it has a clear hood scoop. Anyone know if it was actually clear in the kit ?

 

IF if is ,,,,,,,I NEED one of those scoops bad.

 

ps, not all 1972  kits were molded in yellow. Mine is molded in Curious Yellow ( aka Cintronyella ) which is more of a greenish  yellow when compared to the 71 kits color ( I have both as unbuilt / builders )

 

1972 on the left- 1971 on the right in all 3 pictures. subtle differences are - sidemarkers, and interior patterns and tail lights were the most obvious differences between the 2 kits

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by gtx6970, 22 March 2013 - 01:48 AM.

[towtruck]

 good to see these old kits again.. thank's for pic's and review..great post !    

Edited by towtruck, 22 March 2013 - 03:02 AM.

[Green Duster]

All I can say is COOL! But then I'm a Duster freak. I have a few of those kits.
Two build ups of the 73 and 74 and 75 kits I got in a rebuilder state. Used one
of the 73 kits to do my 1:1 car.

['70 Grande]

Thanks for posting this "kit-history lesson".  I've always thought that these old MPC kits actually got the shape of the roofline and overall body molded a little better than the late-1990's kit issued by AMT/Ertl. 

 

Yes, the AMT/Ertl kit was much better in 340 engine, chassis and interior detail, but the body's roofline just wasn't right along the side windows... these MPC kits did a better job on that!

[Casey]

I see on the 75 kit box, it has a clear hood scoop. Anyone know if it was actually clear in the kit ?

 

IF if is ,,,,,,,I NEED one of those scoops bad.

 

 

No, it was molded in white, in two pieces. You can see both halves in the third pic of the '75 kit post.

 

Thanks for the info, too, Bill.

[Rob Hall]

Thanks for posting this "kit-history lesson".  I've always thought that these old MPC kits actually got the shape of the roofline and overall body molded a little better than the late-1990's kit issued by AMT/Ertl. 

 

Yes, the AMT/Ertl kit was much better in 340 engine, chassis and interior detail, but the body's roofline just wasn't right along the side windows... these MPC kits did a better job on that!

There is a lot to love about '60s-70s MPC kits, IMO...

['70 Grande]

I certainly agree, Rob!

[mr68gts]

as far as the prostocks go, the California Flash is pretty much a stock 72 Duster with the wheels and hemi specific parts. Not sure about the Sox and Martin since I do not own that one but I think it is similar to the Cal Flash Duster only in a 73. The Mopar Missle has a lot more specific parts in it for that version. Chassis plate has the exhaust removed. Interior tub has the rear seat deleted and made to look like riveted metal. The rest of it is pretty  much the 73 Duster. Missing the stock pieces of course.