AMT and MPC new releases for 2016

[SfanGoch]

They have to stay in business.  If they decided to only produce kits from tooling that hasn't seen a reissue in x number of years ,, they would be out of business....I don't know how much simpler I can put it.

Re the Manx, I know darn well it wasn't used as a doorstop by the previous owners.  If you knew the kind of enthusiasm the guys at Round2 have in trying to bring back "the good stuff" you wouldn't be so cynical.

"Executive Lounge"?........we're dealing with Round2, not General Motors.       

  

Well, aren't all of AMT's automotive kit line, excluding more contemporary vehicles, produced from comparatively "old" toolings? Aren't all of the reissues which haven't, until their recent resurrections, seen light of day for "x" number of years produced from "old" toolings? Your honor, the answer to both of those questions is an absolute, unequivocal, indisputable "YES!"

Cynical? Not at this moment. More like sarcastic.     

Yes, that's right. "Executive Lounge". Also known as the men's room. Why, I'm willing to bet that even RC 2 had johns with indoor plumbing located in the plant. With ashtrays next to the wash basins yet.

[Casey]

Well, aren't all of AMT's automotive kit line, excluding more contemporary vehicles, produced from comparatively "old" toolings? Aren't all of the reissues which haven't, until their recent resurrections, seen light of day for "x" number of years produced from "old" toolings? Your honor, the answer to both of those questions is an absolute, unequivocal, indisputable "YES!"

Oh yes, no disputing those "facts."  

Looks like the '76 annual MPC Dodge pickup was the specific kit which included both Suzuki and Yamaha dirtbikes:

[Rob Hall]

Well, aren't all of AMT's automotive kit line, excluding more contemporary vehicles, produced from comparatively "old" toolings? Aren't all of the reissues which haven't, until their recent resurrections, seen light of day for "x" number of years produced from "old" toolings? Your honor, the answer to both of those questions is an absolute, unequivocal, indisputable "YES!" 

Yes, the most recent tools of older subjects were first released 10-15 years ago..kits like the '60 Starliner, '71 Charger, '71 Duster...the '70 Monte Carlo is close to 20 years old.. so they are 'old' modern tooling...most of the rest of their tools are 30-50+ years old.

Edited December 18, 2015 by Rob Hall

[Rob Hall]

And don't forget:

AMT-978    1/25 2016 Chevy Camaro SS    
AMT-979    1/25 2016 Chevy Camaro SS (Color Version)

 

Hmmm....unassembled promos like the '10-11 Camaro SS kits were, I assume...

[horsepower]

Yes, the most recent tools of older subjects were first released 10-15 years ago..kits like the '60 Starliner, '71 Charger, '71 Duster...the '70 Monte Carlo is close to 20 years old.. so they are 'old' modern tooling...most of the rest of their tools are 30-50+ years old.

Notice where it says "older subjects"? No mention of new releases of newer vehicles.

[Rob Hall]

Notice where it says "older subjects"? No mention of new releases of newer vehicles.

Yes. That's what the previous poster was talking about.  Other than the recent curbside Challenger, Camaro, and Corvette kits, there haven't been new releases of newer vehicles in around 10 years from AMT...(Chrysler 300C and Escalade were the last two IIRC).

[horsepower]

Of ALL the good Pinto kits produced by MPC, why did they pick the ugliest body style of the Little Pony, the '79 & '80 bodies looked like someone took a chainsaw and cut the front fenders off right behind the previous years front nose assembly.

[horsepower]

Of ALL the good Pinto kits produced by MPC, why did they pick the ugliest body style of the Little Pony, the '79 & '80 bodies looked like someone took a chainsaw and cut the front fenders off right behind the previous years front nose assembly.

[Rob Hall]

Of ALL the good Pinto kits produced by MPC, why did they pick the ugliest body style of the Little Pony, the '79 & '80 bodies looked like someone took a chainsaw and cut the front fenders off right behind the previous years front nose assembly.

Because those were the last ones tooled by MPC, and thus are the only tooling left.  The tooling got updated for each revision..same reason they are reissuing the '80 Volare kit and not the '77-79 ones..

Edited December 18, 2015 by Rob Hall

[Robberbaron]

Nice to see the Pinto & Volare Roadrunner upcoming - good street machine material there.

Seems to be a good indication that some of the previous smog-era '70s releases like the AMT Gremlins and MPC Pacer have sold decent enough to continue releasing other similar subject matter.  Hoping pretty soon they might get around to reissuing the MPC '79 Nova, which is MUCH more accurately proportioned than the AMT '76 Nova Street Machine that has been reissued several times.

Would also be nice to eventually see the MPC '77 Ventura, which I believe has never been reissued, and maybe even the "Bear Bait" Chevette!

[Robberbaron]

I realize that the title of this thread is regarding AMT and MPC releases, but since we've had all this talk about Round 2 Corp., figured I'd also mention that the Lindberg '67 442 and '37 Ford Custom Convertible (ex-Testors) are also getting rereleased according to the Stevens listings.

[Sledsel]

Pinto? Did I see Pinto? 

[Sledsel]

Of ALL the good Pinto kits produced by MPC, why did they pick the ugliest body style of the Little Pony, the '79 & '80 bodies looked like someone took a chainsaw and cut the front fenders off right behind the previous years front nose assembly.

Pretty sure the 78 was modified to the 79.....

[Sledsel]

Saw this too...............

[bismarck]

Pinto? Did I see Pinto? 

LOL!!! X2

[Brett Barrow]

Saw this too...............

Shouldn't be too hard, Model King did it as a generic Challenger funny car back in the RC2 days so we know the tooling's good.  

['70 Grande]

MPC  1980 Plymouth Volare Roadrunner

AMT  Sunbeam Tiger sports car

Sure hope both of these reissues include the separate flared-fender body pieces and the Volare also has the 2 louvered quarter-window pieces!  Maybe they'd just have to open-up some gates on the molds to make this happen.

 

[horsepower]

Pretty sure the 78 was modified to the 79.....

Sorry, but the body styles were '71 -'73, '74 -'76, '77 -'78, & '79 -'80, the first were the small bumpers, but '73 used an aluminum impact bumper and cushioned brackets behind the small bumpers, and in '74 switched to the big five mph bumpers in '76 tthe bodies didn't change but the grille changed from vertical vanes to an eggcrate design, in '77 & '78 they went to the slope nose flexible nose piece, and  '79 & '80 they went to a bobbed front end that used single square headlights, and a much larger grille design.

[Robberbaron]

I think Sledsel was just saying that the '78 annual tooling was modified by MPC to become the '79.  Same explanation that Rob Hall gave.

The basic body shell remained the same throughout the Pinto's production, so MPC didn't need to tool up new bodies every time there was a slight change in the grill, bumpers, or even the fenders and hood.  They were able to modify the basic tool for each model year revision.

This is the same reason why the MPC Trans Am was recently reissued as a 1979.  It's what remains of the 2nd generation Firebird annual kits.  It started out as a 1970 Formula 400, then was modified as necessary every year until it was issued as an '81 Trans Am.  The basic body is the same as a '79, so that's the earliest version they can reissue without extensively modifying the tooling to backdate it to earlier styling.

[Sledsel]

Sorry, but the body styles were '71 -'73, '74 -'76, '77 -'78, & '79 -'80, the first were the small bumpers, but '73 used an aluminum impact bumper and cushioned brackets behind the small bumpers, and in '74 switched to the big five mph bumpers in '76 tthe bodies didn't change but the grille changed from vertical vanes to an eggcrate design, in '77 & '78 they went to the slope nose flexible nose piece, and  '79 & '80 they went to a bobbed front end that used single square headlights, and a much larger grille design.

 

The fenders on the 77 and 78 are even identical to the 71-76, with the rubber piece bolted on where the pot metal bezel bolted on the earlier models.

Front clip from a 71 will go right on an 80 also.

You are correct Robert, I was commenting on the tooling. Although, it is possible the 77/78 hatchback tooling could still survive since a 79/80 hatchback was never kitted. The original Pinto Rough Rider Modified came out in 75, so the 77/8 did not meet that fate

[russosborne]

Yay Pinto wagon. I have a 74 wagon 1:1 project car. Not perfect, but it's a good starting point.

Russ

[Can-Con]

Nice to see the Pinto & Volare Roadrunner upcoming - good street machine material there.

Seems to be a good indication that some of the previous smog-era '70s releases like the AMT Gremlins and MPC Pacer have sold decent enough to continue releasing other similar subject matter.  Hoping pretty soon they might get around to reissuing the MPC '79 Nova, which is MUCH more accurately proportioned than the AMT '76 Nova Street Machine that has been reissued several times.

Would also be nice to eventually see the MPC '77 Ventura, which I believe has never been reissued, and maybe even the "Bear Bait" Chevette!

The '77 Ventura was converted to the Nova. 

[Can-Con]

Yay Pinto wagon. I have a 74 wagon 1:1 project car. Not perfect, but it's a good starting point.

Russ

One of the first cars I got the use of as "my own" was a '74 Bobcat wagon. Drove it until the headlights rusted out of it and the doors were ready to fall off. 

[Rob Hall]

it is kind of neat to see the Pinto and Volare kit again, been 35+ years since they were out...those old MPC kits have their charm.   The Nova and Ventura would be neat to see, it's been about 30 years since the Nova was reissued... 

[1972coronet]

I'm plesantly surprised to see the 1980 Volare back ! I've been putting off building the one I bought off eBay a few years ago ; need to re-hone my skills first ! Let's hope that those dreaded plastic tyres from that original (and all of the 1977-1980 Volare kits) was saddled with are gone ! Perhaps a new set of pad printed tyres find their way into that kit (i.e. , not the Polyglas versions , as those were all but gone from production cars by 1978) .

Pinto wagon , too ! Awesome !