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A MT /round 2 1970 Camaro's


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They have two different versions of the same basic kit in release now (or at least still commonly available). Orange Z/28 and BM Phase III molded in either white or dark green. Yeah, molding flaws are common with these, especially around the headlights and the hood opening edge of the front fenders.

These are not to be confused with the older tool, which was originally an MPC kit. There are a lot of these floating around, too. This was also a Z/28 and IIRC the one I built 20 or more years ago was molded in tan.

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If you have one with wire axles and a one-piece interior bucket, it's an old AMT kit.  Started out as a '70, updated through '77, issued as a T-roof version, then backdated to the '70 Z/28.  That one didn't sell too well, so later Ertl tooled up another one from scratch...much better.  

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If you have one with wire axles and a one-piece interior bucket, it's an old AMT kit.  Started out as a '70, updated through '77, issued as a T-roof version, then backdated to the '70 Z/28.  That one didn't sell too well, so later Ertl tooled up another one from scratch...much better.  

Should say why the backdated one didn't sell. The front end on that kit was what off looks wise. The later Ertl tool corrected that, and was much better. I have one of each built up. Even thought I do not like front end on the backdated one, I can not get rid of it. It's fun to display next to the later Ertl version.

Speaking of '70 Camaros, I like to see a kit come out that is not a Z28, and with the non RS front end. Like AMT's original '70 Camaro kit. It was full front bumper version in SS 396 trim.

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I have both kits as well (to build) and the early one is very primitive compared to the newer and I agree with Scott as I love the full bumper version and I am trying to attempt,again trying to graph the early nose piece to the later to modify it to accept the full bumper version.....

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Just to add to the reference here.Those that followed the older mag Car Modeler,in the January 1992 issue #11 there is an article on upgrades to the older issue of this kit. It is orange on the box ,but looks like the older issue that had some front nose issues. It goes on to describe how to make it somewhat less glaring. I don't know if this is easier than grafting the nose from the newer release,but something I might investigate.

How about a MCM update on the 70's Camaro? Anyone .

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They have two different versions of the same basic kit in release now (or at least still commonly available). Orange Z/28 and BM Phase III molded in either white or dark green. Yeah, molding flaws are common with these, especially around the headlights and the hood opening edge of the front fenders.

These are not to be confused with the older tool, which was originally an MPC kit. There are a lot of these floating around, too. This was also a Z/28 and IIRC the one I built 20 or more years ago was molded in tan.

The original was AMT- Originally a 1970 and was udated  until 1977 or  1978. ERTL replaced the 1970 nose in the late 80s

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...just a note here,,,,the Model King AMT 701/2 Z28 is much nicer all round than all the others mentioned.....its molded  in white, has little flash or irritating  plastic flaws in general, not to mention a killer decal sheet with various stripes, and decals to build a Trans Am or SCCA type race car with other goodies on the expanded sheet as well. sorry I can't provide pics at this time, no camera right now. anyhow, they are usually around on ebay most of the time, and well worth it if you like the F body  Camaro line as I do....just my 2 cents...the Ace...;)

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My wife picked the Baldwin Motion for my next build, which surprised me. I thought she was going to pull a 50s Impala out of the pile. Mine is the green Round 2 reissue. There is very little flash overall, but plenty of mold seams on the body. They are all in easy to sand areas. A few dimples on the top too, but easily fixable.

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My wife picked the Baldwin Motion for my next build, which surprised me. I thought she was going to pull a 50s Impala out of the pile. Mine is the green Round 2 reissue. There is very little flash overall, but plenty of mold seams on the body. They are all in easy to sand areas. A few dimples on the top too, but easily fixable.

I wanted to build one of these unpainted for my "polished plastic" collection so scored one on sale cheap at Michael's. The dimpled top grabbed my eye immediately, so I did some preliminary block sanding to see if could all be "ironed out." Disappointing, so the next week I went back and bought a second one, which turned out to have even WORSE dimples. So I put a couple hours of work into the first one, and finally got it smoothed out. The seams on the roof and elsewhere don't bother me--they came right out--but there's some "dings" around the hood opening. Gonna have to live with it. I don't have anything else molded in this green plastic to polish. It is what it is.

The green plastic looks VERY cool, BTW.

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I spent some time last night sanding out the dimple, heavy grit then progressively finer. Then heavy again, then finer. Then heavier... I think I managed to not only sand the dimple out, but I also brought the roof to scale thickness.

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The original was AMT- Originally a 1970 and was udated  until 1977 or  1978. ERTL replaced the 1970 nose in the late 80s

Both you and Mark have said this now, so I'm gonna have to take another look. I'm restoring an original MPC '72 and thought its chassis and so forth were almost identical to the "AMT" 70.5 Z/28 that I built some years ago.. Also have done some work on resto of an original AMT 70.5 (non-RS, with vinyl top) and thought its chassis was very different from the one I built. I guess it's possible I've got these mixed up in my powerful but aging brain, so I'll have to take another look. (Both you and Mark should take this as a sign of my respect for your knowledge of our hobby's history.)

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I purchased the orange one a year ago.  It did have a lot of flash, but was also a nicely detailed piece that fit together nicely.  Here's a couple pics of that exact kit:

 

 

70_Camaro_6.thumb.jpg.8d1926095d26cc00ac

70_Camaro_5.thumb.jpg.f32d5675eb3bccd963

 

Others have done a far better job than me, but this one was the orange plastic version you're referring to.

Edited by Kmb0319
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Both you and Mark have said this now, so I'm gonna have to take another look. I'm restoring an original MPC '72 and thought its chassis and so forth were almost identical to the "AMT" 70.5 Z/28 that I built some years ago.. Also have done some work on resto of an original AMT 70.5 (non-RS, with vinyl top) and thought its chassis was very different from the one I built. I guess it's possible I've got these mixed up in my powerful but aging brain, so I'll have to take another look. (Both you and Mark should take this as a sign of my respect for your knowledge of our hobby's history.)

Took a look last night and y'all are right and I was wrong. The parts are DARN close looking, though. At first glance the interior tub just looked tweaked a little but a closer examination shows they're two different tools. The chassis are obviously of different origins.

The newer original MPC '72 glass fit in the newer AMT body like it was made for it, and the MPC hood was almost a perfect fit in the AMT body. Pretty sure if I happen to need anything to restore that MPC, the AMT parts would be adaptable.

So, mea culpa and all that. You guys rock. B)

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The AMT 1970-1973 kits and MPC 1970 Camaro Super Hugger are wanted because of full bumpersThe MPC bodies appear a bit narrow.

Modelhaus repops the AMT non-RS bumper & grille. I played with the one I'm restoring with a new AMT body and it looks like it wouldn't be too hard to make it all work.

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With the old annual kits, there was AMT and there was MPC.  Two competing companies back then.

If you want parts to restore an AMT annual ('70-'77) then first choice would be the AMT/Ertl kit (the backdated one).  If you are restoring an MPC annual kit, you want an MPC kit.  MPC annuals were produced through '81, there are a couple of non-stock issues of the later annuals that have all the chassis and engine parts.  The chassis parts in the Round 2 '79 Trans-Am are the same too, though the exhaust system is a bit different.  The ex-MPC Blackbird kits (those produced after 1980 or so) are similar to the annual kits but not exactly the same.  MPC tooled that one later because the Blackbird was selling so well that they didn't want to stop producing them while still doing other versions like the 10th Anniversary T/A.  The Blackbird chassis parts might work, most likely if you use the whole chassis rather than individual pieces. 

That's not to say that absolutely nothing from AMT will fit MPC, or vice versa...but more parts will interchange and be similar to the originals if you stay with the same brand.  I haven't messed with either company's annual kits versus the newer '70 Z/28, so I can't kick in anything of value regarding its usefulness in rebuilding an annual.  Generally, when I restore an annual kit, for some irrational reason I try to stay close to the kit's original configuration, flaws and all.

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Generally, when I restore an annual kit, for some irrational reason I try to stay close to the kit's original configuration, flaws and all.

Me too, but sometimes, as the Mick Jagger Orchestra put it so musically, "You can't always get what you want."

I believe I have everything I need to restore this MPC '72--or at least all the important stuff. But if I had to, in this particular case, I'm pretty sure I could get by with stuff from the old AMT kit. Just sayin'.....B)

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Now that we've veered off-topic a bit in the direction of AMT vs MPC annuals...some pics of the AMT (yellow) and MPC (copper) '70's.  

As mentioned, the MPC body looks narrow....to me, it's the AMT that looks a little too chunky.  I've always preferred the MPC kit; the front end especially looks much better.  The builder of this AMT kit made no attempt to detail the chrome headlight bezels, but it wouldn't have made much of an improvement.  Yours truly built the MPC kit; the wheels and tires came from an AMT '72 Nova       

001.JPG

002.JPG

005.JPG

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Now that we've veered off-topic a bit in the direction of AMT vs MPC annuals...some pics of the AMT (yellow) and MPC (copper) '70's.

As mentioned, the MPC body looks narrow....to me, it's the AMT that looks a little too chunky.  I've always preferred the MPC kit; the front end especially looks much better.  The builder of this AMT kit made no attempt to detail the chrome headlight bezels, but it wouldn't have made much of an improvement.  Yours truly built the MPC kit; the wheels and tires came from an AMT '72 Nova      

001.JPG

 

 

Great pics, and thanks for sharing them! The first thing that jumps out to me is, the AMT headlight bezels are perfectly round, the MPC bezels are a little more squared off--maybe not quite as much as they should be, but much closer to the correct shape than the AMT.

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Great pics, and thanks for sharing them! The first thing that jumps out to me is, the AMT headlight bezels are perfectly round, the MPC bezels are a little more squared off--maybe not quite as much as they should be, but much closer to the correct shape than the AMT.

Exactly; those headlights just kill it.  And those headlight bezels are a pain to foil on ANY 70-73 Camaro kit.

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