Stef

MPC 1980 BRONCO... aww yisssssss. One of my grails. Built Ridge Runner and Dust Devil back in the day. Gonna have to buy a case of these. Thank you for answering my prayers, Round 2.

I got the brown one back in 1991, and my hood was warped. The hood was, and prolly still is, very thin and brittle for its size. While trying to correct the warp, a huge corner snapped off. Take extra care, and you should be fine. All the best to you.

Really vibin' on that 55 Nomad; wanna turn it into an AWB gasser. Also liking that Willys dragster and 66 T-Bird. Nice stuff, cats. Take my money.

Most informative, thank you. Is Round 2's recent Californian reissue based on Jo-Han's Toronado interior, engine, chassis, and suspension? I'm not totally clear on the AMT/MPC/Jo-Han connection regarding the Olds Toronado kits. Earlier this year, I missed the chance to buy a beautiful, unpainted, builtup AMT 67-ish(?) Toronado. Did MPC use the Jo-Han tooling to make their Mannix and Californian? With all Round 2's awesome cloning going on, anyone wanna place their bets that a stock Toronado body is in the works?

True, @Rob Hall, I'd heard of that, and as tempting as it is to grab one, or a dozen, I've got my heart set on doing my own thing and seeing what I come up with. It will be very tough to beat the sheer ferocity and elegance of the EV concept's sleek lines, though I'm eager to take a crack at it. BONUS SITUATION: Mine will have a Hemi, heh.

So grateful for this all-new modern Charger kit; will have to buy a case of 'em. Very, VERY, interested in this kit, as a restyling exercise. Long before I'd ever seen the Fratzonic electric Charger concept, I'd envisioned restyling this kit to be half 69 Charger, half Wraith, and half Xenomorph. Just imagine... an SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak Weyland-Yutani version of this. Will do my best.

I'll happily buy a couple of those Geo Storms; gotta make an obligatory pro street.

Pretty sure you're right about the non-chrome wheels, though I'd swear my Stunt Van did come with the round headlight grille. Maybe I traded it with a friend to block out the psychological damage. These days, I'd gladly take whatever 4x4 version they rerelease. And speaking of 80s 4x4 Fords, waiting for the ex-MPC 1981 Bronco (Ridge Runner, Dust Devil), to make a comeback, too.

Agreed. Also, want STUNT VAN to come back something fierce.

Good to know, @SteveG, thanks.

On further inspection, it looks like ALL the decals on that sheet seem to have a similar phenom. It seems to me like an accidental printing of the artwork dielines for the "clear" carrier layer. Typically, those dielines would indicate where the clear stuff will go, but is not actually supposed to print onto the decal sheet.

Is there something weird going on with the Lennie Pond decals? Looks like several of them, on the right-hand side, have some sort of thin red keylines around them.

Thanks everyone, for your super sleuthing on the Streaker kit, and to Chris, who keeps building everything in sight. His build videos have inspired me to buy dozens of kits I didn't know much about, and might not have even thought of buying. As for the Mako Shark / Enforcer, I agree. Would love to build this one again, in whatever form they will release it. Me personally, I'm a big fan of those 80s vector wheels and that sinister skateboard track, heh.

My money's on the Streaker Olds AWB drag car. Awww yissss. Most, if not all, of the Streaker-specific parts are already in the convertible or 442 kits; just need an altered wheelbase body? My understanding is the original Streaker kit used the same generic AWB chassis as was used under the 65 Rat Packer Nova, 65 Falcon, 63 Tempest, (65?) Mustang, etc. True, there were a few slight variations between engines, suspension setups dash/interior details, etc., though they are very similar for the most part. I'm no expert, and others have chimed in here with detailed info, including instruction sheets for many of these kits. Here's a chassis comparo for TWO of HPIGuy's recent-ish builds of the Nova and Falcon: NOVA FALCON They are similar, but not identical. Also, I believe there was at least a third variant; the chassis used under the Cyclone Eliminator kit. Chris also built this one awhile back: The Cyclone kit is a funny car, which includes hinges that mount inside the rear body. The interior does not have door panels, as a separate wheel tub/door panel insert goes into the body to complete the look. Whichever of these chassis variants gets stuffed up into the Streaker Olds body, looks like the kit is 99% complete. Hope this helps, thanks!

Thanks for the clarification, @papajohn97! In the 90s, I built both the stock and Strickler cars, and yes, pretty sure the exhaust options for each version were an either/or, IIRC. Your attention to detail is authentic and well thought out. A bit off-topic, but still related to the NHRA rules, I vaguely remember now a similar exhaust situation back in 91 with the release of Revellogram's then-new 64 Thunderbolt. It was a drag-only kit, and I thought it was weird and dumb to tack a spindly single exhaust onto the headers, so I left it off. If/when I ever build these kits again, I'll be sure to follow the NHRA rules, heh.

Nice work, @papajohn97; gotta ask about the exhaust on the Chevy. Did the real car run both headers and factory exhaust at the same time? How did you resolve the kit's stock pipes with the headers? Thanks!

Always hated Barris' gaudy, tacky, kitschy papier maché and dime store abominations. Recently got myself the Fireball 500, and was SHOCKED to learn it was a Barris. Overall, the Fireball 500 has some good bones, with a nice side profile, and a really cool space-age twin-cowl design. I'm currently redesigning the car to my own liking; cleaning-up the rear end at bit, and tightening-up that gaping fishmouth front end. In researching Barris for this project, I was surprised to learn he did the gorgeous Hirohata Merc. I watched the Fireball 500 movie, and really got a kick out of it. So now, I really want to redesign Barris model kits. I want to get the Monkeemobile, the Raiders Coach, the T Buggy, whatever other gawd awful BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH he spit out, and see what I can do with 'em. Cuz this Fireball "5000" remake of mine is turning out really nice; very muscle-car-ish with twin hoodscoops, a compressed grille area reminiscent of a 70 Cuda, huge slicks out back, and a slight rake. I should post pics, actually...

NOOICE. Must-have the Supra, Comet, and Monte. For anyone who's not seen the awesomeness of MPC's classic Supra, check out Monster Hobbies' recent-ish whats-in-the-box review:

Nice build and subtle weathering, @Scalper. That plow detail is insane; looks like it's survived more than its fair share of Canadian winters.

Thank you, @Mark, you are a lifesaver. Gonna get at least two sets, and put 'em on everything, thanks.

Excellent. All the best. Post photos once you're done!

Hello, @Mike C., you could also try finding the 1/16 1973 Street Charger, or ex-MPC 1/16 427 Cobra. Round 2 last reissued the Charger back in 2011. The exhaust pieces are chrome plated. Beware: the Petty racing version of this kit does NOT have the same side pipes; it includes a NASCAR style exhaust. I don't think the Cobra's exhaust pieces are plated, though I'm not certain. Hope this helps, thanks.

Hello everyone I'm looking for the correct AMT parts pack number for Round 2's new Firestone Drag 500 super big, super wide, drag slicks. I bought a set awhile back, used 'em all up, threw away the pack, and my LHS is fresh out. These would be analogous to the huge, wide Good Year slicks MPC used back in the day on their funny cars, and select pro street/pro stock kits. I think it may be these ones, AMTPP030/24, though I'm not certain: https://www.round2corp.com/product/amt-firestone-drag-500-big-slicks-parts-pack-125-scale-model-kit/ Don't want the 4 big/4 little set (AMTPP022), and do not want medium-width slicks (like Round 2's Blue Streaks, pie crusts, or MH Racemasters). Any help would be very much appreciated, thank you!

Hello @unclescott58, Chris is not a show builder; he's a generalist and enthusiast who builds and paints models simply for the love of it. He may or may not research a project ahead of time, he may do something approximating something from his childhood, something a family member/friend once owned/drove, something loosely based on something from a movie or TV show, something based on the box art, or sometimes even by imaginary stories he creates of fictitious owners and vehicle histories. By his own account, Chris is not the be-all end-all of perfection, accuracy, or authenticity. Chris sees something online or envisions something he thinks is neat, does/changes things "as he goes", and in general, is in it more for the sheer fun and speed of putting out TWO build videos per week. Hope this provides some perspective, thanks.

That does look more graceful, @Mr. Metallic; I've got a sudden urge to get both the kit, and that top, now.