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MPC 1975 Corvette Kit


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This is supposed to be out in the next couple months. Looking at the instruction sheets over at Drastic Plastic, I see at one time that the kit had two different engine options, (454 BB and a 4 Rotor Wankel) and that the 454 had three intake options. Stock Carb, Triple Carb and Hillborn Injection. Roll Bar, and some great Wheel Choices too. I'm curious to see what the Kats have included in the kit. I suspect the Wankel engine is long gone, but you never know.It looks like the FI and Tri-carb setups are hold overs from the original 1971-72 tooling. Anyhow, it will be nice to see what's in the box.

Alan 

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There was a '75 convertible in 1:1, MPC previously issued this kit as a '76, of which there was no 1:1 convertible.    But the '74 offered the 454, and differences between '74-75 are trivial, so think of it as a mislabeled '74.. ;)   This kit has a neat set of unplated wide Rally wheels w/o center caps or trim rings, IIRC.

Edited by Rob Hall
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There was a '75 convertible in 1:1, MPC previously issued this kit as a '76, of which there was no 1:1 convertible.    But the '74 offered the 454, and differences between '74-75 are trivial, so think of it as a mislabeled '74.. ;)   This kit has a neat set of unplated wide Rally wheels w/o center caps or trim rings, IIRC.

You will find little difference between a 1974 and 1976 MPC Corvette kit. Rally wheels w/o center caps or trim rings are courtesy of the 1968 issue. nicer kits than the original AMTs of the same time frame. IMHO

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You will find little difference between a 1974 and 1976 MPC Corvette kit. Rally wheels w/o center caps or trim rings are courtesy of the 1968 issue. nicer kits than the original AMTs of the same time frame. IMHO

Yeah, they are pretty nice IIRC.  I have most of the MPC '73-82 annuals in my stash..

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You will find little difference between a 1974 and 1976 MPC Corvette kit. Rally wheels w/o center caps or trim rings are courtesy of the 1968 issue. nicer kits than the original AMTs of the same time frame. IMHO

There should be differences in the front and rear bumpers. The '74s had no bumper guards molded into the front or rear bumpers, like the '75s and '76s. There is also a difference in how "Corvette" is spelled out on the back bumper certain years.

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I once looked into trying to convert a common AMT '70 into a '73 by kitbashing it with common MPC '74 parts. A LOT more trouble than you'd think. The MPC front bumper and hood don't come close to fitting the AMT body. You'd have to bash the entire front end of the MPC on.

Since then I came up with a legit AMT '73 coupe body, and the parts I need to finish it off. I need to get back on that project this summer.

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Is the Wankel engine in the old issue of the convertible?

I just looked at an original instruction sheet and it was. I don't know if it was in any of the many reissues. I have several of these kits but have never paid that much attention to what's actually in the box.

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I just looked at the instruction sheet of one of the '80s or '90s boxings I have and no mention of any Wankel. Dunno if the parts are still on the trees or not. Prolly not. If that's what you want, best look in the box first.

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As has been said, this kit can be used as a great source of restoration or replacement parts for MPC's C3 ('68-'82) Corvettes.  With some aftermarket items or a few pieces sourced from more recent kits, the big block is a serviceable engine.  

The chassis is one of MPC's better efforts, and features poseable front wheels. MPC also made some subtle changes to the chassis over the years (mostly hard line placement) so keep that in mind if you're a detail purist.  At least it's not the quasi-promo kind of chassis MPC stuck under so many other kits. The IRS is also decent for it's age, and features separate half-shafts.

Maybe the best part (for me anyway) is MPC's version of the Chevy factory alloy wheel. IMNSHO, their most accurate version of this wheel was included in the '73-'77 Corvette kits, while the '78-'82s got an inferior version that had non-open slots and a poorly designed outer rim that looked small and was harder to fit into the kit tires. 

Lastly, for some reason, MPC did not include a master cylinder/brake booster when they tooled up this kit.  The coupes have them, but most of mine have needed a lot of file work to get the halves to align properly.  

 

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Maybe the best part (for me anyway) is MPC's version of the Chevy factory alloy wheel. IMNSHO, their most accurate version of this wheel was included in the '73-'77 Corvette kits, while the '78-'82s got an inferior version that had non-open slots and a poorly designed outer rim that looked small and was harder to fit into the kit tires. 

 

 

Funny thing about those wheels is they wern't actually available from the factory until sometime in '75 or '76. 

MPC put them in as the custom option and based them on the wheels that were on the 4 rotor wankle prototype from '73. [AKA " Aerovette" after the wankle was swapped out for a regular V8]

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"Funny thing about those wheels is they wern't actually available from the factory until sometime in '75 or '76."

What's REALLY funny is when certain people keep trying to revise history.

8-slot Cast Aluminum Wheels were released as a factory option for the 1973 Corvette model year under Regular Production Option YJ8 for a list price of $175 per set.

The wheels were pictured in print media, installed on 1973 Corvettes.

Several hundred buyers ordered the wheels but ultimately only 4 1973 Corvettes were sold with these wheels.

The wheels were an RPO for 1973. The factory installed them and the cars were sold to end buyers with these wheels. Those are the facts.

It make no difference if 100 sets, 4 sets, or even just 1 set was factory installed and sold because no matter how many were sold, NOBODY can truthfully say "they wern't actually available from the factory until sometime in '75 or '76'

 

 

 

 

 

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"Funny thing about those wheels is they wern't actually available from the factory until sometime in '75 or '76."

What's REALLY funny is when certain people keep trying to revise history.

8-slot Cast Aluminum Wheels were released as a factory option for the 1973 Corvette model year under Regular Production Option YJ8 for a list price of $175 per set.

The wheels were pictured in print media, installed on 1973 Corvettes.

Several hundred buyers ordered the wheels but ultimately only 4 1973 Corvettes were sold with these wheels.

The wheels were an RPO for 1973. The factory installed them and the cars were sold to end buyers with these wheels. Those are the facts.

It make no difference if 100 sets, 4 sets, or even just 1 set was factory installed and sold because no matter how many were sold, NOBODY can truthfully say "they wern't actually available from the factory until sometime in '75 or '76'

 

 

 

 

 

Dan, did I do something to offend you or are you just trying to start a fight?

I did not know that, I had checked the "Vette brochures starting at '7 and going up to '77 and I seen no mention of them in the literature.

. I find your post offensive and think you could have easily have worded it in a much more mature manner.  

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when did they delete the coil spring working suspension??

I built the 74 Annual With that feature!!

It must have been somewhere in the 70s...I built the '78 Indy Pace Car version and IIRC it didn't have the working suspension...but I may be wrong.  I have the 1/20th '73, it has it also..neat detail. 

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IIRC, the original MPC '57 (and possibly '60) Corvette kits had the coil springs too.

I know the MPC '68 Corvette and the Mako Shark had the coils. I think the coils might have originated in the '64 Corvette, MPC's first kit.

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The working spring feature was deleted with the '76 annual kits.  The Wankel engine went away at that time too; no big loss there.

MPC kit #1 ('64 Corvette) did not have the working suspension feature.  That was added for the '65 kit.  The reissue '67 street machine kits (Streaker 'Vette, Night Stalker, etc) have the '64 chassis with the original molded-in exhaust detail knocked off.  '65 and '66 annual kits had molded plastic coil springs that did "spring" (the Jo-Han Chrysler Turbine Car kit has similar molded plastic coil springs).  I don't have a complete '67 annual kit, but I'm pretty certain the plastic springs were replaced by metal ones.  '68 through '75 annual kits (and the Astro-Vette concept car kit which uses the same chassis) have the metal springs.  '76 and '77 annuals were changed to non-working suspension, '78-'82 annuals were different tooling with period-correct small-block engine, and cat-con single exhaust with dual mufflers and tailpipes.  It looks as though the '78-'82 chassis (the complete chassis/engine) should slip into the '75-'77 body/interior if you want a 100% stock 'Vette from that time frame.

There was yet another 'Vette chassis, the one under the Mako Shark and its derivatives, also used in the Carl Casper Turbo Shark (custom '63-'67 body).  The early versions used the metal springs, like the others it too lost the spring feature in the mid Seventies.

The MPC '57 'Vette kit (the early ones, at least) had the molded plastic working coil springs.  The '60 was heavily based on the '57, came out a couple of years later, every one of the first-issue ones I have seen have metal springs.  '57 kits produced after the '60 came out might have the metal springs.  The first issue Malco Super 'Vett drag car came out in '71 or '72, it had the metal springs too.  Later variations on the '57/'60 all seem to have been converted to eliminate the metal springs and working suspension.  MPC probably converted all of them at around the same time; maybe to cut costs, maybe they couldn't source the metal springs.

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