Hemi Hunter/ L.A. Dart "Wild Bill Shrewsberry" Dart Wheel Stander

[stavanzer]

Rumor has it that this kit is coming back to us again.

For those who have not seen what it is, here are the directions.

I've seen this kit, bashed with one of the AMT Dart Short Tracker kits to get a complete Dart, but that is really doing things the hard way.

Here is a sort of One Stop Shop about the kit.

https://modelkitreviews.proboards.com/thread/1547/hemi-hunter-mopar-street-racer

or 

https://modelingmadness.com/review/cars/previews/21877p.htm

https://modelkitreviews.proboards.com/thread/1206/mpc-wild-bill-shrewsberrys-dart

 

[1972coronet]

I remember building the Hemi Hunter some 40 years ago, and then as is now, I wish that a stock 1970 Dart Swinger was available. 

It would take entirely too much work - at least for my skill level - to whittle a stock Dart from the Hunter et al., none the least of which would be DLO trim, and a trunk lid.

I have the c.2007 issue of the Racing Chumps version. I bought it in 2007 with the idea of bashing it with the Revell 1968/1969 Dart GTS, but... 

[THarrison351]

I have the Hemi Hunter in it's last release and a great set of correct LA Dart decals I hope to build this kit one day.

[tim boyd]

Just be aware, as mentioned in my drag facing kits book, that the body is seriously flawed in this kit.  The front wheel wells are to the rear of where they should be, and this sets up a very unrealistic body appearance that is not replicative of the real car.  Cool driveline, though.   TB 

[Luc Janssens]

18 hours ago, tim boyd said:

Just be aware, as mentioned in my drag facing kits book, that the body is seriously flawed in this kit.  The front wheel wells are to the rear of where they should be, and this sets up a very unrealistic body appearance that is not replicative of the real car.  Cool driveline, though.   TB 

Kinda wonder, what the Kats at amt could do with this body, if scanned and altered truer to what the OEM created, but on the other hand is there interest in a stock Dart body, and what guts are in the R2 inventory to make it complete?

Edited October 7, 2022 by Luc Janssens
grammar and some editing.

[oldscool]

36 minutes ago, Luc Janssens said:

Kinda wonder, what the Kats at amt could do with this body, if scanned and altered truer to what the OEM created, but on the other hand is there interest in a stock Dart body, and what guts are in the R2 inventory to make it complete?

The guts are all in the 70 Duster tooling.

[Mark]

There was a more stock Dart body, in the MPC Ramchargers Dart funny car kit.  That's the one that was reworked to create the LA Dart body.

Ramchargers ran a Dart in '67, not '70, and that car was way different from MPC's kit.  The body (itself updated from the Charlie Allen '69 Dart body) was for the most part stock looking, it of course had a trunk lid, it also had a front bumper which was deleted for the LA Dart.  Front wheel openings are a bit too far forward for stock (again, going back to the Charlie Allen version) but otherwise it's not bad.  

The front wheel openings were moved too far back for the LA Dart, so the chassis pan from the Hurst Hemi Under Glass Barracuda could be used.  

[1972coronet]

1 hour ago, oldscool said:

The guts are all in the [AMT 1971 ] Duster tooling.

Great doner for most of the conversion-to-stock, though the door cards and upholstery are correct only for a 1971 Duster.
The Duster's engine is mostly correct (for super correct appearance, the carburetor would have to be changed to a Carter AVS [Fireball] and the right-side manifold would have to be scratch built [1971-1973 A-Body 340 had a different manifold for whatever reason]; the air cleaner is correct for a manual trans only).

IMO, the Revell 1968-1969 Dart GTS would be a better starting point. Still, the interior is a roadblock (if accuracy is important), and the engine and its compartment are different for 1970 & later (no factory big block A-bodies after 1969 model year; radiator tank changed after 1969, too).

I haven't attempted this yet, but maybe the front and rear clips from the Hemi Hunter et al. could be swapped-onto the Revell '68 Dart Hemi, in order to make an A/MP "1970" Dart.

[Dave Darby]

5 hours ago, oldscool said:

The guts are all in the 70 Duster tooling.

Well... sorta.... The Duster (and Barracuda) have a 108" wheelbase, while the Swinger has a longer 111" wheelbase. As mentioned below, the Revell Dart would probably be better all around as a kitbash partner.