2022 Round2 Releases

[1972coronet]

1 hour ago, Rusty92 said:

That would be a huge bummer. Those [ MPC-AMT 1988-1997 C1500 ] kits are getting so expensive. 

Begs the question (though it's likely been proposed before) : What became of the 454-SS short bed tooling? The long bed's been ostensibly, irreversibly butchered modified to make those monster truck things; however, the short bed has a different chassis/ frame and unique-to-that-issue short bed. 

Thankfully, I managed to grab the 1988 annual and, years later, the 454-SS --both complete and not started-- for less than $50 each.

[Rob Hall]

Good question...I don't think either the step side shortbed or 454 SS have been reissued in the last 30 years...  can't believe it's been over 30 years..I remember building the '88-91 kits. 

Edited January 20, 2022 by Rob Hall

[DZ7581]

27 minutes ago, 1972coronet said:

Begs the question (though it's likely been proposed before) : What became of the 454-SS short bed tooling? The long bed's been ostensibly, irreversibly butchered modified to make those monster truck things; however, the short bed has a different chassis/ frame and unique-to-that-issue short bed. 

Thankfully, I managed to grab the 1988 annual and, years later, the 454-SS --both complete and not started-- for less than $50 each.

As far as I can tell the usa monster truck has most of the stock kit parts included. The hood and frame are the only changes made, but yes the other 2 had shorter wheelbase that wouldn't have been altered to make a monster truck 

[Rusty92]

19 hours ago, 1972coronet said:

Thankfully, I managed to grab the 1988 annual and, years later, the 454-SS --both complete and not started-- for less than $50 each.

That is not terrible all things considered, still more than we want to pay in the end. I picked up a dually snap-tite last week for $20

Edited January 21, 2022 by Rusty92
Spelling

[Fabrux]

The two short wheelbase trucks should still be viable, according to my research.

[Fat Brian]

3 hours ago, Mr. Metallic said:

I don't think they can. Someone will surely correct me, but something to do with the tooling being altered into a monster truck i seem to recall

In a thread a while back someone who had a stock long bed frame compared it to a USA-1 frame. They are different enough to believe that the stock frame wasn't altered to make the monster truck frame. Now, what became of it and the short bed stuff I have no idea. There seems to be a lot of AMT/MPC tooling that met its end in that late 90s period.

[Robberbaron]

4 hours ago, Fat Brian said:

In a thread a while back someone who had a stock long bed frame compared it to a USA-1 frame. They are different enough to believe that the stock frame wasn't altered to make the monster truck frame. Now, what became of it and the short bed stuff I have no idea. There seems to be a lot of AMT/MPC tooling that met its end in that late 90s period.

AMT/Ertl was the first US kit manufacturer to shift their kit production outside of the United States.  Shortly after NAFTA passed, they started shipped some of their tooling to Mexico to produce kits there.

We all know that most of the active tooling was then shipped to China after RC2 (Racing Champions) purchased AMT/Ertl.  After RC2 imploded, Tom Lowe stepped in to the rescue with Round2, first leasing and then purchasing the tooling.

With several ownership changes and the tooling getting shuffled internationally multiple times, unfortunately it's no surprise that some stuff has gone MIA.  Even now that their stuff is in China, who knows how many different molding facilities it's been shuffled between?

 

Edited January 21, 2022 by Robberbaron

[slusher]

6 hours ago, Rob Hall said:

Good question...I don't think either the step side shortbed or 454 SS have been reissued in the last 30 years...  can't believe it's been over 30 years..I remember building the '88-91 kits. 

I love these trucks and would love to see them back..

[Fabrux]

17 hours ago, Fat Brian said:

In a thread a while back someone who had a stock long bed frame compared it to a USA-1 frame. They are different enough to believe that the stock frame wasn't altered to make the monster truck frame. Now, what became of it and the short bed stuff I have no idea. There seems to be a lot of AMT/MPC tooling that met its end in that late 90s period.

That was me. 🤓

[espo]

Revell recently issued a '76 Chevrolet K-10 step side short wheelbase kit. My plan is to convert it to a two-wheel drive and make a model of a '74 I owned long ago. I think if someone wanted to make a fleet side out of this, they could shorten the long bed. 

[DrKerry]

On 11/9/2021 at 2:12 PM, Mr mopar said:

It was just a matter of time The KW would be tagged with the Coke decals !

Pretty bad when the Pinto was tagged with them!!! UGH, 

[Tom Geiger]

16 hours ago, Robberbaron said:

AMT/Ertl was the first US kit manufacturer to shift their kit production outside of the United States.  Shortly after NAFTA passed, they started shipped some of their tooling to Mexico to produce kits there.

We all know that most of the active tooling was then shipped to China after RC2 (Racing Champions) purchased AMT/Ertl.  After RC2 imploded, Tom Lowe stepped in to the rescue with Round2, first leasing and then purchasing the tooling.

With several ownership changes and the tooling getting shuffled internationally multiple times, unfortunately it's no surprise that some stuff has gone MIA.  Even now that their stuff is in China, who knows how many different molding facilities it's been shuffled between?

 

Amen!  When people complain about a 50-60 year old tool, I tell them that it's just amazing that it still exists.  Every change in ownership or facility/country/continent(!)  was an opportunity for it to go AWOL.   And we know sometimes they get lost in the shuffle... for instance in one Revell change they forgot that the 34 Ford pickup tooling was at a repair shop.  It later surfaced with Lindberg, after being missing for many years.

I don't remember well, but I think it was ERTL that shipped the tooling to Mexico, then when that didn't work well, off to China.

I believe Tom Lowe came in as Polar Lights / Playing Mantis and bought it from ERTL.  He later sold it to TOMY / Learning Curve and bought it back as Round 2 -- thus the significance of the name!

 

 

[espo]

46 minutes ago, Tom Geiger said:

Amen!  When people complain about a 50-60 year old tool, I tell them that it's just amazing that it still exists.  Every change in ownership or facility/country/continent(!)  was an opportunity for it to go AWOL.   And we know sometimes they get lost in the shuffle... for instance in one Revell change they forgot that the 34 Ford pickup tooling was at a repair shop.  It later surfaced with Lindberg, after being missing for many years.

I don't remember well, but I think it was ERTL that shipped the tooling to Mexico, then when that didn't work well, off to China.

I believe Tom Lowe came in as Polar Lights / Playing Mantis and bought it from ERTL.  He later sold it to TOMY / Learning Curve and bought it back as Round 2 -- thus the significance of the name!

 

 

The '34 Ford pickup was actually than AMT kit and Lindburg wound up with the tooling after their Bankruptcy. That aside your point about older tooling is well taken. Round 2 is now reissuing the '34 pickup and the only thing missing maybe the Flat Bed option or the Wrecker option for the bed. Beyond that it still is a must build in my opinion. 

[niteowl7710]

7 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

Amen!  When people complain about a 50-60 year old tool, I tell them that it's just amazing that it still exists.  Every change in ownership or facility/country/continent(!)  was an opportunity for it to go AWOL.   And we know sometimes they get lost in the shuffle... for instance in one Revell change they forgot that the 34 Ford pickup tooling was at a repair shop.  It later surfaced with Lindberg, after being missing for many years.

I don't remember well, but I think it was ERTL that shipped the tooling to Mexico, then when that didn't work well, off to China.

I believe Tom Lowe came in as Polar Lights / Playing Mantis and bought it from ERTL.  He later sold it to TOMY / Learning Curve and bought it back as Round 2 -- thus the significance of the name!

No Tom Lowe owned Playing Mantis (Polar Lights/Johnny Lightning) which he sold to (RC2) in 2004 which is several years after Racing Champions had bought ERTL and made the new company RC2 (1999). RC2 then sold everything to Tomy (2011).

A couple of years later after the 2004 sale Tom Lowe started Round2 and leased (from RC2 in 2008) and then bought the AMT/MPC/PL tooling from Tomy in 2012. Tomy kept and still uses the Ertl name for farming diecast & toys. Tomy still owns and operates RC2 as The First Years, Lamaze, and Learning Curve brands. 

In 2016 Tom bought back the Johnny Lightning trademark from Tomy (they had discontinued the line in 2013) which makes the ownership circle complete.

Edited January 22, 2022 by niteowl7710
Spelling

[slusher]

On 1/21/2022 at 1:39 PM, Tom Geiger said:

Amen!  When people complain about a 50-60 year old tool, I tell them that it's just amazing that it still exists.  Every change in ownership or facility/country/continent(!)  was an opportunity for it to go AWOL.   And we know sometimes they get lost in the shuffle... for instance in one Revell change they forgot that the 34 Ford pickup tooling was at a repair shop.  It later surfaced with Lindberg, after being missing for many years.

I don't remember well, but I think it was ERTL that shipped the tooling to Mexico, then when that didn't work well, off to China.

I believe Tom Lowe came in as Polar Lights / Playing Mantis and bought it from ERTL.  He later sold it to TOMY / Learning Curve and bought it back as Round 2 -- thus the significance of the name!

 

 

Great point Tom,  I can understand more how things get lost and forgot about..

 

On 1/21/2022 at 2:30 PM, espo said:

The '34 Ford pickup was actually than AMT kit and Lindburg wound up with the tooling after their Bankruptcy. That aside your point about older tooling is well taken. Round 2 is now reissuing the '34 pickup and the only thing missing maybe the Flat Bed option or the Wrecker option for the bed. Beyond that it still is a must build in my opinion. 

Glad I had a Lindberg kit I bought many years ago at Hobby Lobby when the isle was just plastic kits.  What I could really use is the wheel pieces to make it a daulie…

[Casey]

On 1/21/2022 at 2:30 PM, espo said:

Round 2 is now reissuing the '34 pickup and the only thing missing maybe the Flat Bed option or the Wrecker option for the bed. 

99.9999% sure the tow truck parts will be included, as they are pictured prominently on the box top:

 

[1st 700 Quad]

On 1/21/2022 at 1:07 PM, DrKerry said:

Pretty bad when the Pinto was tagged with them!!! UGH, 

Or the Charger,,,

[DrKerry]

1 hour ago, 1st 700 Quad said:

Or the Charger,,,

So true!!!

[Daddyfink]

On 1/26/2022 at 8:43 AM, 1st 700 Quad said:

Or the Charger,,,

And oddly enough, that is a real car! 

[1972coronet]

20 hours ago, Daddyfink said:

And oddly enough, that is a real car

I'd read an article about that car some years ago in Mopar Action.  IIRC, that iteration of the Charger --kit-wise-- is based upon the all-new tooling 1969 Charger , and not that ancient Duke Of Prunes kit from 69 B.C.E.

[DrKerry]

On 1/29/2022 at 12:50 PM, Daddyfink said:

And oddly enough, that is a real car! 

UGH!!!!! LOL

[1st 700 Quad]

On 1/29/2022 at 1:50 PM, Daddyfink said:

And oddly enough, that is a real car! 

You mis-spelled it, it's "sadly" that is a real car!

[Oldcarfan27]

On 2/2/2022 at 5:51 PM, 1st 700 Quad said:

You mis-spelled it, it's "sadly" that is a real car!

No, he got it right. That car is ODD!!!

[stavanzer]

Nothing wrong with that car. Paint and decals, on a stock looking Charger.

Wow, what a group........

[Smoke Wagon]

I think it’s a funny idea. Coke bottle paint and graphics on a car with coke-bottle styling. Nothing wrong with a practical joke here and there.