Seventies Land Yachts?

[Merc-57]

I've hovered around this topic earlier too but how come there are so few kits of ordinary (there's not anything ordinary about them) full size barges from the seventies?

There used to be tons of really classy and beautiful cars back then.

Fuselage Mopars and over the top Fords. GM had it going on too... 

In fact these cars were so huge and oversized in every way that we will never ever see the likes again.

For this reason I think the manufacturers are overseeing a huge part of Americana by not having enough full size cars out there. 

What do You guys think? 

[MrObsessive]

I’ve wondered this for many a year! I’d love to see the likes of a 1977-79 T-Bird, 1977-79 Lincoln Mark V, 1971-73 Buick Riviera just to name a few. Sadly with the shape the hobby’s in these days, don’t look for the major manufacturers to ever make such kits. ?

Down the road, we’ll have to rely on 3D printing or our own scratchbuilding to get the models we want.

[fordf-100]

I would love to see some full size luxury cars and some mid size as well! I drove a lot of these!!! I think the kit makers are missing out on a big market, kids are not interested in building models no matter what the subject matter. I know people will disagree with that but if I was 10 or 12 right now I'd be playing video games and all the other things out there!!! With that said I have enough 57 chevys and new mustangs and camaros, sorry guys but it would be great to have a kit of a boat tail Riv or a 73 to 77 Grand Prix the 71-72 Lincoln mark( can't remember the number!) and a lot of others! These would be popular with the low rider builders, stock builders and maybe even customized! I agree we will never see these as kits and that's a bummer!

[Snake45]

I dunno, I'm having a hard time thinking of any full-size '70s car I'd spend money for a model of. The last good looking full-size car I can think of was the '68 Impala (IMHO, of course). 

[High octane]

I've owned a couple of 70's Caddys back then and really enjoyed them as they were BIG, and not like the shrunken Caddys and Lincolns of today's market.

[espo]

There are some older models that have been reissued that would represent the "Boats" you might be looking for. The down sizing of the American Automobile was brought on over time by the increase in the cost of fuel and the Federal Government regulations for Emissions and Fuel Economy rulings. After a time the cars on the road all started looking like a wet bar of soap. The models of these "Land Barges" are still around and several are still very good builds even if they are somewhat less than what we have come to expect from the Model Companies. Round 2 has reissued the MPC '70 Pontiac Bonneville in the last year or so. Can be built as a stock two door hardtop or convertible. Also has the option to convert it to a Ute type pick-up. There is an AMT '76 Chevrolet Caprice and a '70 Impala also. Several versions of the full size Chevrolet from '62 thru '67.    There are still many '60's and early '70's Ford and Chrysler models being offered. I don't know if this will help with any build ideas but I would like to see any you should build.  

[Luc Janssens]

I'm with you, love them big Amercan cars of the '70s, but the question is are there enough of us in the world to support kits of those subjects.

[Richard Bartrop]

I remember when if you wanted a model of a 1950's car that hadn't already been kitted, the consensus was, "Never gonna happen" and then the '90s happened.   70s cars are also entering that magic 40-50 year old window when people decide something is collectible, so if ever there was a time to push for your favourite 70s car, this is probably it.

I do love those fuselage styled Chryslers, but if I had to pick one American car from the 70s it would be the 1971 Buick Riviera.  I still think the first gen FWD Eldorados are the best looking of the bunch, but the 1976 is iconic of a certain 70s style.  the same way the 1959 Cadillac was the poster child of 50s style.

For Ford products, their early 70s models were the best looking of the bunch, before they start going fully on Superfly, but even those are interesting in their one overblown fashion.  For them, I'd have to go with the 1970 Mercury Marauder, followed by the Lincoln Continental Mk III and Mk IV.

I really liked the 1974 Matador coupe, and a kit already exists, so if Round2 ever felt like reissuing it, I would be okay with that

[iBorg]

Many of the "new" kits are reissues of older kits. During the late 70's and early 80's, these cars were not kitted. This was the first era of video games and a seismic shift in activities of what was the traditional model buying public. If you did not want a Mustang, Corvette, Firebird or Camaro, few new kits were offered, maybe a pick up or a van. Because of that the "land yachts" you desire would have to be new molds. The sales of many of these cars more than likely wouldn't justify the mold costs.

 

[Richard Bartrop]

1 hour ago, iBorg said:

Many of the "new" kits are reissues of older kits. During the late 70's and early 80's, these cars were not kitted. This was the first era of video games and a seismic shift in activities of what was the traditional model buying public. If you did not want a Mustang, Corvette, Firebird or Camaro, few new kits were offered, maybe a pick up or a van. Because of that the "land yachts" you desire would have to be new molds. The sales of many of these cars more than likely wouldn't justify the mold costs.

 

I remember those days well, and in the following decades, Monogram brought out new tools for their '59 Cadillac and Chevy, AMT released brand new kits of the Edsel and Chrysler, and of course, you may have heard of a little company called Moebius.  So yes, if people can demonstrate a demand for 70s cars,  a few new kits are not out of the question.

[High octane]

1 hour ago, Luc Janssens said:

I'm with you, love them big Amercan cars of the '70s, but the question is are there enough of us in the world to support kits of those subjects.

NO

[iBorg]

I agree, problem is we can't agree on which car to kit. Personally, I'd go ga-ga over a Boat Tail Riviera. Do I expect to see it in my lifetime?

Not a chance.

 

[Luc Janssens]

10 minutes ago, High octane said:

NO

I don't like it, but fear you're right

 

[droogie]

Some things are best left in the past. How soon before we feel the warm glow of nostalgia for Yugos.

[Craig Irwin]

The 70's were a down time for the model companies,  no promo business to fund the tooling and lack of the boom sales numbers of the 60's meant these cars weren't kitted at that time. Most gear heads think of the 70's cars as low performance tacky poor build quality waste of time.

[Richard Bartrop]

27 minutes ago, Craig Irwin said:

 Most gear heads think of the 70's cars as low performance tacky poor build quality waste of time.

Which is exactly what they thought about 50s cars until some time in the 70s.   Nostalgia is a heck of a drug.

[LDO]

I would love to see a '77-'79 Lincoln Mk V. I will not be holding my breath...or writing letters to the model companies. 

I wonder what the sales numbers look like for the Starsky and Hutch model? I used to watch that show as a kid. I did not buy the model. I scratched my head and wondered why they would release that car 40 years (or so) after the show ended. 

[Can-Con]

4 hours ago, iBorg said:

I agree, problem is we can't agree on which car to kit.

 

You said it yourself Mike, and I've seen a lot of other people say it when the subject of '70s cars comes up. ,,,

Make mine a '72, just because my 1/1 was a '72 but a '71 wouldn't be bad. 

[Mike999]

9 hours ago, espo said:

Round 2 has reissued the MPC '70 Pontiac Bonneville in the last year or so. Can be built as a stock two door hardtop or convertible. Also has the option to convert it to a Ute type pick-up.

Minor correction: that kit is a convertible with the option to convert it to a pick-up.  It cannot be built as a hardtop.  I have the older Model King reissue, which is the same as the latest Round 2 kit (minus the boat). If you want a hardtop, you have to find a resin body or do some scratch-building. 

[1972coronet]

"Submitted for your approval ..." How about the "Land Barge" police models ??? The 1974-1977 Dodge Monaco (and Royal Monaco)  and Plymouth Fury were the last of the big-sized police cars ( Ford and GM having downsized their full-size lines by '76 , '77 ) .

I'm still holing out hope for a 1993-1996 Caprice 9C1 ---- a full-detail version , of course .

[Little Timmy]

I built the "Heck" out of the Jo-Han Cadillac's ( Ambulance and Hearse kit's too ) 

Would "LOVE" to see somebody ... ANYBODY ,  Make a new kit of a 1975 Caddy. ( The first year of the "Monster" 500 C.I. block.) I had a 75 S&S Hearse. Best "party barge" I ever owned !

Back then, car's didn't have carborator's .... just a "Monkey" under the hood ... throwing bucket's of gas into the intake manifold !

[Can-Con]

11 minutes ago, Little Timmy said:

I built the "Heck" out of the Jo-Han Cadillac's ( Ambulance and Hearse kit's too ) 

Would "LOVE" to see somebody ... ANYBODY ,  Make a new kit of a 1975 Caddy. ( The first year of the "Monster" 500 C.I. block.) I had a 75 S&S Hearse. Best "party barge" I ever owned !

Back then, car's didn't have carborator's .... just a "Monkey" under the hood ... throwing bucket's of gas into the intake manifold !

Na ah, 1970 was the first year for the 500. '75 was just the only year it was available in anything besides the Eldorado. And the 472, which was the slightly smaller displacement of the same engine was introduced in '68.

FYI, it was originally designed with the idea of releasing it in up to 600ci form. What a beat that would have been! 

[Craig Irwin]

4 hours ago, Richard Bartrop said:

Which is exactly what they thought about 50s cars until some time in the 70s.   Nostalgia is a heck of a drug.

The only 50's car I ever heard anything like that about were the early 50's Chrysler products. After a good start the 70's quickly became the decade of lowered expectations, smog motors that wouldn't idle or stay running when cold, bumpers that looked like a section of guard rail  bolted on both ends,  140 HP Z/28's and Corvettes, stick on moldings that didn't stick, poor build quality, ect. And what did they give us? Padded vinyl tops, "opera" windows and "pillow look" seat cushions. I'll pass.

[Little Timmy]

1 hour ago, Can-Con said:

Na ah, 1970 was the first year for the 500. '75 was just the only year it was available in anything besides the Eldorado. And the 472, which was the slightly smaller displacement of the same engine was introduced in '68.

You learn something new every day. I knew about the 472, but I thought the 500 was only made in 75 and 76 ( i do know in 76 it was bumped up to a 502)

I would also like to see some Oldsmobile "land yacht" kit's ,  a four door Cutlass would be neat. or a Delta 88...

[martinfan5]

 I would like to see a few 70's big 4 dr's  land yachts .

 

Edited March 20, 2018 by martinfan5