Motor City

Snake, An original '65 or '66 kit is the ultimate build for stock. I only have a '63 promo.

This is great news about the '64 442 hardtop, and bodes well for what Round2 is doing with their old tooling. The '65 GTO promo isn't that great. They messed up the taillights on that, too! It should have just had the ribbed panel across the entire back and would have looked better!

The '65 and '66 Corsa had an optional turbocharged engine. The previous generation's turbo model was called the Monza Spyder. GM dropped the tri-power (excepting '67-'69 Corvette 427) and turbo engines after '66. But you could probably have a dealer install a turbo kit on the '67-'69 Corvair. The silver rear panel was unique to the '65-'66 Corsa.

See why I keep commenting on fixing the Dynamic 88 tooling to make the '65 and '66 Starfire, as well as the '65 Jetstar 1 (which Chris correctly points out has the Dynamic/Delta 88 rear end)? The '63-'64 GP and Starfire and '64 Jetstar 1 also shared a roofline. The exhaust ports on the '65 Starfire tend to get very pitted. The Starfire was cheapened for '66 with a vinyl interior instead of the leather that all previous Starfires had. The '65 and '66 big Olds was available with a factory 4-speed on the 88, Jetstar 1 and Starfire: Isn't that about the coolest shifter ever?

Mark is correct; I had forgotten that the distributor was in the rear on the first generation; the engine in the photo is a 1964 or newer; I only have deVille promos for '64-'70, so I don't know when the engine was updated in the kit, but it is decent enough for most of us

It may also be a 390 (used from '59-'63). I've only had 425, 472 and 500 Eldorados, which have the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on a machined surface on top of the block, just behind the intake manifold, on the passenger side. It may be in the same location on most of the 429s. I believe the VIN is also on top, at the front of the 390 engine, passenger side. The VIN format changed somewhat over the years. For example, through '64, the first two characters are the model year, and the third character is a body code. Starting in '65, the first character is the body code, followed by one number for the model year. The VIN went to a new industry standard starting in 1972. 390 (1959-1963), 429 (1964-1967), 472 (1968-1974), 500 (1970-1976 Eldorado, 1975-1976 other big Cadillacs) I don't know if the valve covers are interchangeable between all of these engines.

Steve and Mark, Thanks for the input. The Cadillac script was used on the valve covers for the 390 and 429 engines, but the 472 (starting in 1968) and 500 (starting with the '70 Eldorado) valve covers didn't have any writing on them. The valve covers on all of these engines were painted. I forgot I had a Jo-Han '63 deVille kit in addition to several Eldorados. They all have chromed valve covers with the Cadillac script, which is incorrect.

Since the topic referred to the '71 promo, I believe the colors I listed were the only colors produced for that model year. It looks nice in white. My favorite is the dark green '73 promo.

Steve, I've never built one of these kits and never knew that Jo-Han put the Olds engine in there. I'll have to compare it to my '68 Eldorado parked in the garage! Did the '68-'70 deVilles also use the Olds engine?

I know the Jo-Han Eldorado kits incorrectly used the early Toronado dual-snorkel air cleaner. Did the '67-'70 Coupe deVille and deVille kits use the correct single-snorkel air cleaner? I didn't see anything on Ebay, and was wondering if the other Cadillacs also used the wrong air cleaner. Thanks!

that's Mesa Sand ...

MPC made them from 1971 through 1977. It was available in lime, blue, Mesa Sand (an ugly tan/yellow color) and I think the 4th color was a reddish orange. It looks like someone painted that one.

Brian, Most of the larger assembly plants were multi-story in the old days. Dodge Main in Hamtramck, was 8 stories tall and opened in 1910. A major assembly such as the body would be attached to a wooden framework or welded, then painted, paint compounded, have the interior installed, and then dropped down to the ground level where it was attached to the finished chassis and driven away. Small manufacturers typically only had 1 or 2 levels. It was later found that it was easier to expand a plant by building on a large piece of land in the first place. I think one story started to be the prevalent assembly plant in the late 1940s/early 1950s. It was torn down in 1981. I was thinking 6 stories, but it was 8 stories in part of the complex. It opened the same year as Ford's Highland Park plant, and started producing Dodge automobiles in 1914. Detroit was full of these huge factories a century ago.

I just looked at my '70 Ford Wagon brochure: LTD Country Squire (wood graining, hidden headlights) Galaxie 500 Country Sedan Custom 500 Ranch Wagon Custom Ranch Wagon

I'm guessing they weren't sure it would be popular. After all, the Nova had no promos after 1965. Also, they already had promos of the GTX and Barracuda, and probably limited money budgeted for such things. In hindsight, it would have been nice, but was rectified for '71. It has been an inconsistent, yet interesting hobby and marketing tool!

it would have been interesting to have worked at one of the model companies in the glory years and to have seen sales figures and costs for the various models; also to be in on the meetings at the car companies and model companies when it was decided what model cars would be produced

There was another thread on this topic somewhat recently. It originated as the '70 LTD 4-door hardtop and was available as a dark blue promo and Motor City Stocker Series promo-style kit. As indicated above, the conversion to a sedan police car wasn't a good one. Since Round2 did wonders with the Nova wagon and '64 Cutlass, it's time to do a '70 XL or XL GT.

I guess it's like the old kits with a combined rear suspension and exhaust. I display my models right-side up and with the hoods closed, so I don't get bent out of shape if some things aren't quite realistic. As long as the body is done properly, that's what's most important to me. Some want everything to look realistic, but it isn't going to happen at this price point.

I would have to say the original issue MPC '77 and "78 Trans Am Special Editions (Blackbird) with the poor fitting interior tub and inconsistent gold tone plating. Hopefully the reissues were of better quality. Does anyone know?

Considering that few new convertibles exist today, the novelty of convertible model cars may be appealing to younger modelers.

I'm assuming the '64 hardtop is a given, but who knows? We can have fun speculating. As I recall, this doesn't come with plated parts, and has vacuum-formed glass, so that's a deal breaker for some of us.

we can only hope, Casey, along with a Vista Cruiser; restoration of the '65 Dynamic 88 tooling to make Starfire, Jetstar 1, and/or Dynamic/Delta 88 versions would also be nice

"Edit: OK, I am seeing that there was also a rear stabilizer bar. That is easy on an A-Body. I was thinking that the '65 was the first year for that." The '64 442 also came standard with a rear stabilizer bar as part of its police package, which made the handling better than a GTO. It also had a 330 cubic inch engine rated at 310 horsepower vs. the Cutlass 290 horsepower engine. I agree that while they were tooling new parts for this kit that the unique 442 parts (rear stabilizer bar, emblems, and dual-snorkel air cleaner) should have been included. Maybe Round 2 will come out with a separate 442 kit and eventually do a '65 442 kit! By the way,, here is the first 442 ad, of which at least one 4-door sedan was built.

The MPC El Camino promos from '79-'82 are dirt cheap, so if you find one with a scratched up body, and don't care about looking at the engine, this is a good way to build one. The '80 GMC Caballero Diablo is a nice kit, and I don't believe it was ever reissued.

The Cheetah is pretty rare. I think I've only ever seen one. I doubt if many model builders under 60 even know what it is or would be inclined to build it. Us old guys probably would though!