'76 Caprice Rides Again!!!!

[Chuck Most]

As the former owner of a '75 El Camino, I can't say I'm a huge fan of '70's Chevrolets, as far as styling or engineering goes. But I do like this old girl, which is back again under the MPC logo. Why? Not sure...

http://public.fotki.com/ChuckMost/kit-contents/mpc/76-chevrolet-caprice/

As with all of Round2's recent 'non-mass market' reissues, this one is molded in white plastic, a far piece better than the greasy grey stuff from a few years back. I don't know if it's just me, but it seems this plastic is a bit less prone to sink marks than the previously used plastic. The AMT suffered from quite a few warped parts, but was far from unbuildable.

If you built the '06/'07-ish AMT-badged reissue, you'll be instantly familiar with the contents in this kit- it is completely identical, aside from the white plastic, the new decal sheet, and the flashers for the security car version. The molding is much better than the AMT too, way fewer sinkmarks and noticably less flash. Yes, there's still some flash and a few highly visible mold lines, but that's to be expected on a kit tooled in the mid '70's.

The trailer is one of my favorite aspects of the kit. It comes with some very cool wheels which would look way cooler on a hot rod than on a trailer. The tread surface of the trailer is still marred by ejector pin marks- I'd reccomend replacing the molded in details with some diamond-plate material. You also get a hitch and some ungainly mirrors for the Caprice.

I can't profess any expertise on mid '70's GM land yachts, but the model looks accurate enough. Remember, though- this is old tooling, so it is a bit more simplified than a later kit. You know- headlamps molded in place, an interior bucket with few enough separate parts to count on one hand, etc. Still, the completed model looks every bit the beached garbage scow the 1:1 car was.

I'd reccomend this kit to anyone who dig's Jerry Ford-era American Land Yachts, or to anyone who likes a quick, simple build with very little fuss. I think I'll convert this one into a Delta 88!

[Chuck Most]

I take offence to the "beached garbage scow" crack chuck,, I owned one and it was one of my favorite cars.

C'mon, Steve! I meant it in an endearing, loving kind of way! They don't look too bad in burgundy, by the way.

And Steve's model proves it builds up nicely.

[Doubleought]

Once again Chuck, thanks.

[montelsc]

I take offence to the "beached garbage scow" crack chuck,, I owned one and it was one of my favorite cars.

Nevertheless,, Here's a couple pics of the one I built a few years ago. MCG detail set and Revell wheels. It's one of my favortie builds.[My 1/1 was burgundy with matching interiour]

thats a hot lookin caprice love that sun roof

[Guest]

How well does the windshield fit? On the one I bought,(last issue) the windshield had a really bad horizontal dip in it. The only places the windshield touched were at the roof and the cowl. It wouldn't even come close to the A pillars,so I had to make one out of clear acetate. I've seen a lot of nice low riders built out of this old kit. I hate to admit it,but I built a "donk" out of mine. It just seemed a natural for some reason.

[charlie8575]

I have one of the c.2000 issues; I plan on building that sooner rather than later; I have some of the Dk. Blue-Green Metallic in Plasti-Kote spray paint downstairs from my 1977 Buick (almost the same color as the 1976 version,) that I'll be using on it. I'll probably do a buckskin interior with it, as that's the easiest color to replicate.

Converting one of these to an Olds might be a bit of handful; there are enough different countours on the Olds that it could push things beyond easily-done. However, a Buick Le Sabre could be done without too much effort. The one thing I'd wonder about though, is that rear window; both the Olds and Buick used a flat one, not concave.

Charlie Larkin

[exnyman]

I have the original 1976 issue of this kit, that I built way back then...it is due to be re-done. Guess I have a fondness for these cars as I began driving in December of 1974, and learned how to drive on my Dad's 74 Impala. His was a Custom Coupe but he hated the huge triangular side windows so, he had the dealer do a landau top with small opera windows like a 74 Eldorado. He also had a sliding sunroof put in. He pretty well went all out with it options wise, as he said it was going to be the last brand new car he would buy. He was 46 at the time and it WAS the last new car he ever bought. Everything after that he bought used and kept the 74 with low miles for a long time. So many people mistook that car for a Cadillac Coupe DeVille that he referred to it as his "Chevrollac". I'd love to someday build a model of that car but my skills aren't such that I could change an MPC 74 Caprice into an Impala. Plus, the only 74 I have is a promo my Dad got when he bought his Impala, so, I wouldn't change that one.

My guess on changing the 76 Caprice into a Olds Delta 88 is that you'd be better to start with an R&R 71 Delta 88 as it already has the correct lower body lines and proportions as well as the general lines. Only problem is, it is a pricey proposition if it doesn't work out.

Here are pics of my Dad's 74 Impala when it was brand new. I wish he and the car were still with us.

Edited January 23, 2011 by exnyman

[Chuck Most]

Yeah,but besides the price, the R&R stuff these days is pretty nasty sometimes, as far as molding quality goes!

[Chuck Most]

I think I spit on that damned piece of junk as it was being hauled off!!

Think I did the same thing to the El Camino when it was hauled off. Well, what was left of it anyway.

[oldscool]

I can recall when MPC brought that kit out first as a 1972 Impala annual kit, before making it a Caprice starting with the 73 annuals, though I never built one. I don't recall if the 72 had the trailer, (which originated in the MPC kit of the Mako Shark II), but checking Bob Black's great kit instructions site shows it's been in the kit since 1973.

I plan to pick one up this time, just for the trailer. I may trade out the Caprice, unless I build it as a junker, as I hated that generation Impala/Caprice!!!

Why? Well, in 1973 my parents traded their 1967 Caprice Classic 4 door hardtop, white with a black vinyl top, with cloth seats, (including a power bench seat), power windows & locks, factory AM/FM multiplex stereo & the 396 4 BBL/TH 400 combo, for a 72 Impala Sportsroof model, (had the smaller quarter windows & different shaped backlight from the kit), in "caca" brown, with a brown vinyl interior, AM only radio, none of the power accesssories the Caprice had, (other than brakes & steering), with an anemic 350 2 BBL & freaking dog dish hubcaps!!! To me that ugly pile of junk was a step down from the Caprice, & it soon turned out to be a lemon, giving nothing but trouble, never running right. The transmission had to be rebuilt within 2 years, but best of all, 2 years after being rebuilt, it went out on me leaving the HS parking lot one day! I literally put it in drive, moved about 8 feet forward & it wouldn't move forward anymore. It backed up fine, so I got it parked again & we had it towed home. My dad sold it for scrap soon after that, as besides the transmission issues, it had constant electrical issues, used oil like there was no tomorrow, & was in general a piece of garbage. If I hadn't been waiting on front brake calipers for my TR4, I'd never have been driving that junker!!! Mom had moved on to a 76 Caddy Coupe DeVille by then & dad had his truck, so the Impala had become a "back up" car.

I think I spit on that damned piece of junk as it was being hauled off!!

Yeah,I can relate to your story. Sadly, from the mid-70s to the early 90s was the worst period for American cars. I refer to it as the "rubber nosed junk era".

[exnyman]

Yeah,I can relate to your story. Sadly, from the mid-70s to the early 90s was the worst period for American cars. I refer to it as the "rubber nosed junk era".

I probably miss my father's 74 more from a sentimental standpoint,because it reminds me of when he was still with us, than for any other reason. I also thought it was a nice looking car, but by no means as nice as the Impalas of earlier years.While ours really wasn't very troublesome, it wasn't as well made as my father's 68 Custom Coupe, which he kept until 1991, with close to 200,000 miles on it. Our 74 was a special order car, with about every option possible, save the factory vinyl roof. Ours had a 400 v8 which had a tendency to run hot, not overheat, but still close to it a number of times. (Dad always felt the 68 ran better too, and even with a smaller V8, had more get up and go). Unfortunately, that 74 was also about twelve different shades of the same Aqua Blue, had a really sharp edge on the rear bumper that I religiously cut my fingers on almost every time I waxed it, had runs in the paint on the glovebox door, which itself never lined up properly. Not a single body panel lined up anywhere on it. The one thing that drove Dad nuts was an annoying squeaky rattle coming from under the right side of the hood by the cowl, from day one. Of course, the dealer could never find it and claimed to never hear it when my father took it in to be serviced, Dad took a piece of rubber and glued it to the cowl, which solved the squeak but it always drove him crazy that a special order car was so poorly screwed together. Even though he referred to it as his Chevrollac, he refered to the 68 as "The Good Car" and actually drove it far more than the 74 because he trusted it more. I actually had the same issues with my 89 Cavalier Z24 Convertible. IT was a sporty looking, quick little car....when electrical gremlins weren't causing it not to start or just stop running at random. I bought it new in April 1989 and kept it until March 2009, when I traded it in on a 2010 Camaro I had on order. At that time, the car had a grand total of 11,600 miles on it, most of them put on in the first 3 years, I just never trusted the car as it left me stranded too many times so, it spent all it's life sitting under a cover in the garage. And for all those who think Japanese cars in those eras were so great, they weren't, either. My sister had a 90 Toyota Tercel that she bought new, which religiously left her stranded due to a poorly designed fuel line/filter setup. this thing would clog every time she put gas in it and just quit running. She became very proficient in changing a fuel filter on it. It also ate exhaust systems like they were free. Prior to that, she had an 86 Toyota pickup, new, that was a total rust bucket within the first 3 years, frame rust, and the notorious rust at all the welds on the side of the pickup box every one of those pieces of junk had within the first three years. Her 93 Nissan Sentra was no bargain either, what with its appetite for brakes and exhaust systems.It too, was a rust bucket within the first 5 years, with some serious structural rust going on. So, overall, everyone has made junk, and everyone has made good stuff, sometimes, it just shows up later on.....after they have been in use

Edited January 23, 2011 by exnyman

[Guest]

Actually Mark, that run started with '71. I have a complete set but I had to settle for resin for the '71, they seem to be kinda hard to come by.

As far as the trailer goes, it was in all the MPC full size Chevys since '68 for shure. [Did MPC do '67 Impalas??]

My '71 Impala didn't come with a trailer,but it's a Mild n Wild version. It's got some goofy Zinger style add on parts with it. Did MPC make another version of the '71?

[Chuck Most]

Didn't all the MPC kits around '71 include the 'Zinger' style parts? Or was that just the specific themed issue Roger is talking about? I seem to remember seeing a '71 Charger or Challenger kit (don't remember which- it was 14 years ago or so, okay!!!!) which included Zinger-style parts, but it was just a regular annual kit.

[Guest]

I remember there was a Vega that was a Mild n Wild. I'm pretty sure there were others. My '71 has some crazy parts with it like giant foot pedals,side pipes,turbo,roll bar (that goes on top of the roof),hood scoop and a spoiler that looks like it belongs on the roof of a semi! It's also got some giant coil springs that go in the rear to jack it way up and a straight axle front end. I didn't know "donks" were built in the '70s!

[Zoom Zoom]

I'm pretty sure the trailer got added to the '72 Impala kit; I had a '71 when I was a kid and also a '72...the '71 had all that nonsensical optional "spoof" stuff , whereas the '72 came prepainted like a promo and with the trailer that continued until the end of the line in '76.

[RickRollerLT1]

I gots the 2007 issue and it's not so bad... I heard the new issues casting is even worse from what I was told. So i'm glad for mine as I only paid $15 rather than 23+ for a degraded flashbag.

As I type, I'm currently working on it and shes gonna have a nasty LS7 mated to an auto tranny with side exhaust, then I swaped out the poopy promo-style frame for one from a AMT '70 Impy, so I could add a F-body front suspension and an IRS from a old, clunker lexus kit (the wheels are comeing from that too, and expect her to be LOW LOW, LOW mon!).

Stock for the outside and minor changes for the interior... So it will be your uncle's classy luxo boat inside ans out (cept for wheels), starts up and screams like a LS monster rod, and handles like your wifies HI-PO Lexus lsd-whatevertheheckitscalled

Edited February 6, 2011 by V-spec

[RickRollerLT1]

or Lexus 256-lookslikeabloatedwhale!!

[Jared Roach]

I picked this up the other day, and there isn't much flash. I bought it mainly for the trailer but I will be building the car sometime. I have lots of plans for it so I'm not worried about how simple the kit is.

[Chuck Most]

The best of the '07 reissues I had was almost as good as this one, the worst was almost unbuildable. AMT's new plastic seems less prone to sink marks than the greasy gray junk RC2 used- maybe that's it. The chrome is way better than all three of the '07 reissues I had. Yeah- I pretty much bought it for the trailer, too, but I'm picking up another one, because one will end up (possibly) becoming and Olds, and one will be a demo derby car!

[george 53]

I think all 71's by MPC came as Zingers. All the ones I have/had are Zingers for 71. I 72 MPC's new trick was the PRE-painted(so called) bodies. My 72 Charger is in a weird yellow, and i gotta 72 Cougar that's ALSO MOLDED in color(NOT pre painted) But i GUESS that was the thing back then.

[evilone]

Is this kit any good?

i seen it and thought of buying it but the last caprice i got had no detail under the hood and thats my favorite part of building a model is the engine.

[Chuck Most]

Is this kit any good?

i seen it and thought of buying it but the last caprice i got had no detail under the hood and thats my favorite part of building a model is the engine.

Well... I wouldn't say this one has 'no' underhood detail, but there isn't much. Engine detail isn't too great either. You'd be scratchbuilding and dipping into the spares box quite a bit for a nice, well filled out engine bay with this kit.

[Jon Cole]

When you see the big 'mail slot' across the middle of the block to accomodate the metal axle, you know there are compromises. Man, looking at the pics of the parts... takes me back!

[Chuck Most]

When you see the big 'mail slot' across the middle of the block to accomodate the metal axle, you know there are compromises.

What he said.

[george 53]

But ya know, actually, NONE of those kits had much Engine compartment detail. I DO believe they actually used that same chassis throughout the entire production run. There was only the Engine, Firewall, Radiator support, and a battery. There was no washer bottle or alot of firewall detail either. But I sure liked 'em back then, PLUS there's ALOT of room in there to ADD all that stuff. MPC kits were ALWAYS my favorite BBC/s till Revellogram started the Motion Camaro kits. THOSE engines are the mook. But I STILL use the MPC engines for the Turbo 400 Tranny's.