Bob Ellis

That STOP thing makes sense with a roadblock. I guess it is lighted too? I have never seen that item on a police car in Massachusetts.

What's that "STOP" thing on the hood?

10-20 builds at once. Sometimes it is months or years before any one gets finished.

True, AMT didn't make a 1958 TBird kit, or a 1958 Lincoln kit or 1958 Corvette kit (SMP).

I remember seeing HANG ON SLOOPY

I used to used old Gillette Blue-Blades heated over a candle to cut the plastic. Actually worked.

I don't think this is Walmart bashing. They just decided they can't make money selling models in some stores. In the Hudson Mass store, models have been gone for 10+ years. In Hudson, NH, they had some last year, but not many. Why none in Massachusetts, but some in New Hampshire? Good question. At first I thought because there was competition in Mass, but none in NH. Seriously, hardly anybody sells models in MA either. I have plenty of fingers to count the number of stores selling models. Demographics of upcoming potential modelers is very low, maybe true. I see kids doing computer games. I have a friend that sells new models and I spoke with him. I came to the conclusion that the profit margin is too small. Everybody tries to nickel and dime you and threatens to go online. I figure Walmart has a statistical program to assess the store model sales, and it doesn't lie.

True, the Ralleyes were many years. But Ralleyes were steel wheels with chrome trim rings (aluminum I guess) and caps. Those Kelsey Hayes wheels are big bucks. I believe the 5 lug from '67 has been sold at $24,000 a set since they are a one year rare item.

The plot thickens. It's not at all as I imagined. Some of you have enlightened me. I was also suspicious that the Round2 chassis was supplied with screws to hold it together. So, I look for more answers. I have 3 annual '72 GTO originals, 1 '72 GTO by MPC issued in 1980, 1 '70 GTO MPC issued in 1987 and a bunch of later Round2 reissues. I inspect the insides. Only the 1972 issued in 1980 and the 1970 issued in 1987 are the same inside. The original and the reissues resemble nothing of the other. The original and the Round2 reissues have screw hole chassis posts and post locations for the interior. The "REMOVE" of the 1972 issue in 1980 has a different remove than the 1972 from Round2. All 2 have the same frame having a location for the 1966-67 funny car driver seat. The original 1972 and the Round2 1972 have glass where the front and rear are connected and have location holes at the rear. What does this all mean? There are 3 unique 1972 bodies. I figure this. The original body got ruined when it became a NASCAR and then a Modified Stocker. MPC before ERTL in 1980 decided to build a new 1972 body. They separated the glass front and rear during the racing issues. So the glass became 2 pieces. In 1985-87, MPC decided to make a 1970 again. They had all the tool inserts for the special parts of the 1970. Later ERTL or Round2 wants a 1972 again, but the body is a 1970.They have all the 1972 special parts tool and decide to make another 1972 body. The original body is probably a modified stocker now. The second body is probably a 1970, but maybe they lost the 1970 parts that go with it. It's been missing for 28 years, like the 1971 Roadrunner. And finally, there is the 3rd 1972 body recently in use. It seem obvious nobody at ERTL or Round2 ever built or admitted to building one of these recent 1972s. They would have reconfigured the rear bumper so that we would not be talking about it now. But now the bumper problem solved. Can a creative modeler fix it? Absolutely. Just a little more work and the result will look good. It's your only chance to get a 1972.

The originals ('63) were Kelsey Hayes Knock-offs with 2 spinners later to be replaced with 3 spinners. The 3 spinner continued through 1966 when the DOT outlawed Knock-offs. The '67 wheels approximate the '66 Knock-offs, but have a cap to hide the 5 lugs that met DOT standards. They only sold about 3,000 Knock-offs with the '67 version even rarer.

I thought about the modified stocker and NASCAR but didn't mention it. I also did not mention the '70 body, but I checked the bumpers on it earlier, and they were fine like the original '72. I am still not sure where the original '72 body went, but the current one is an imposter. All your theories are possible.

Just for chuckles, I decided to dig out all of the variations of the MPC '72 GTOs that I had, from the annual to the latest Round2 version. I compared the rear bumpers. The overhang on the annual body was minimal. Looked okay. All the bumpers appeared the same width from the annual to the Round2 version. Then I decided that the problem was the body, not the bumper. I checked the fit on the 1980 reissue by MPC. It fit fine. I checked the fit on the Round2 issue and the bumper stuck out way to far. I realized it was a body problem. Everybody that has had a complaint about building a 1972 GTO recently is correct; something is seriously wrong with the body and bumper situation. I compared the body of the 1980 issue to the body of a recent Round2 issue. Voila, it becomes obvious. They are different. Nothing is the same. Even the cowl tray that was added by MPC after the annual run is a different pattern than the Round2 issue. The vent opening on the side of the front fenders is a different shape too. I like to compare the inside of kit bodies. You can see where the engineers design the vents and travels for the plastic when it is filled with plastic. These two bodies, MPC and Round2 are totally different inside. I am guessing that Round2 uses the same cavity of the tool, but the engraving has been redone. It is a problem is mixing old parts with new parts. I think the bumper is basically the same, but the body is different. The old kit from 1972 was fine. The only way to really tackle the problem is slicing the new Round2 '72 GTO at the trunk lines, pry the body wider and then fill with Evergreen styrene. If you have already painted the body that won't work. You need to re-start or get another body to fix.

Sorry you are having problems with this 72 GTO. I built the 1971 and 1972 when they were new. Got them at Woolworths for 99 cents ant the end of the year. Didn't have much money so 99 cents was more than a half hours wage back then. I never had any problems building them back then and the rear bumpers fit perfect. I can only guess that MPC and ERTL modified the tool greatly. I have recently compared the originals to recent Round2 issues, and you are correct, they don't fit. I tried slicing both sides of the trunk and pulling the sides in. Modelhaus bumpers seem better than the recent kit. This kit became a Street Funny, NASCAR, Modified Stocker,backdated 1970, re-updated 1972 and whatever over 40+ years. Something happened to that kit, somehow. It is what it is, and that's the only 1972 GTO you will find in 1/25.

Steve, this 65 GTO looks very nice. I think people overlook it because it is an ancient kit. A little work and it really shines. Snake is on the money about the rear quarters. I think AMT left the '64 shape in place. Maybe another reason Pontiac dumped AMT and went to MPC for the 1966 GTO. This kit originally had a vinyl roof hardtop, but sometime AMT made it smooth (maybe when it became a Modified Stocker?). I brush lacquer thinner over the roof to wrinkle the surface before I paint along with adding 2 thin Evergreen strips to delineate the 3 vinyl roof pieces. Can't wait to see the other 2 65 GTOs.

The reason for the big bumper on this Boss 351 is that ERTL reissued the MPC 1973 Mustang that had a 5 mph front bumper. Even the grille was a '73 which they warmed up with a '71 insert. So, this kit is really a 1973, not a 1971. Missing Link has the chrome Boss 351 and standard mustang front bumper. It's like $15 and well worth the money.. There are some decal solutions that help decals snuggle to the surface. Paint must be super smooth and you must BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH hole in the decal to get the air bubbles out. But, I think that is a massive hood decal.

It strikes fear.....

No sir, that's no supercharger. Maybe 2-1s?

I see you scribed lines for the corner pieces of the body.

I like you 66 Biscayne. Seem enough 66 Impalas. Even with cruisers with 6s, it's hard to outrun a radio.

Yes, the interior is a key part for the fastback. Sometimes you have to find those parts off eBay.

The '34 pickup tird is really a lost AMT kit. Now it's back home in Round2, AMT, MPC Lindberg, ect ect

As usual Randy, nice work. I have that kit as well. How did you handle the exhaust system. The kit comes with a pre-1975 exhaust; real duals, no catalytic can and one muffler. I am guessing that I need to fabricate something by myself.

CapSat 6, that's what I remember; only one marker light and it was a '68 style. Does the chassis have single or duals?

What is the deal; just the 383 engine and not enough parts for the HEMI too? I had the '68 annual and I believe it came with a slant 6 as well. Where did that engine go? Back in the 1970s, I bought the Miss Mighty Mopar. I figured that I could make another stock Barracuda. Seem like the body was 1/2 '68 and 1/2 '69. I remember different side marker lights. Maybe MPC did that to match the drag car.

There are not that many 58 annuals to worry about. I would rather see a new tool of the 1958 Ford.