vamach1

Any survey would have to include a cross section of ALL kit buyers. While probably impractical unless someone does some really good research of who the purchasers are of kit at Hobby Lobby etc. then you could 100% of the people of this forum agree they want this or that but what about the other 90% (wild guess) of retail customers that buy a kit based upon what they like or are familiar with. I’m guessing that 58 Edsel is going to lose out to something someone born after 1980 might have a clue what it is. I have nothing against older cars I just think the market will shift just as it has in the collector car auction world. Honesty I think someone completely missed the Ford vs. Ferrari marketing opportunity and we have seen some rehashed diecasts but imagine a 1/24 Fujimi like kit of a MKII that comes with an engine. ?

An IPAD comes in handy for capturing screen shots and copying website links. I do not access the forum website via my IPhone but I can imagine you can do the same things as a laptop and if you take any photos with your phone.

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/stopgap-stang-1971-ford-mustang-mach-1 Seems like someone found out to get pretty good power out of the 385 series SCJ engine. That’s insane.

These pictures explain the origins of the incorrect features we see in the MPC kit to this day. A 428 and a “Boss” (not really) 302 engine and those lovely hubcaps and rear widow louvers from 1970. Sorry boys and girls but there is no 351 engine unless you convince me it’s a Windsor motor for the race car which other pictures show 302 on the hood so it was either a regular 302 or a leftover Boss 302. I cannot find any documentation the Boss 351 engine was used in any Mustang for road racing which tended to limit engines to Five litres. The people at Revell probably think I am crazy by now.? Now here a 73 Mach1 (not a Mach3) ? that was raced at SPA (in Belgium) in the mid 70’s. It DNF’ed. Pictures are tight to find of this entry in a European endurance race.

Of course everyone knows I am all in on this exciting news that has been going around the rumor mills for years. Glad to help in ANY way to see this kit and the 71-73 Mustangs be recognized as a good value in the collector car market. I see folks buying 71-73 sportsroofs as project cars they will spend ten of thousands restoring and unless it has one of the desired engines the most common Mach1 like the one I have (H code with FMX auto) in good condition can be bought over and over for under $20K.

No issues with that here. It was sorta strange to show them in the box art. It seems like MPC was trying to do a sort of three in one kit but they really missed the mark on not including the Mach1 decals yet they included basically the racing decals from the original version which best I can tell are supposed to represent this #15 car or one like it.

I cannot find exact specs but the 385 series (non Boss 429 version) but it is probably about 80 lbs heavier than the FE engines used until 1970. Of course the Boss 429 only came in 69/70 Mustangs so by 1971 the Mustang has the same 429 CJ or SCJ as the 70/71 Torino Cobra. Each engine has it’s pros and cons but since the 385 series engine was also used for the 460 c..i. larger Ford’s and trucks. I guess the FE engine had just run it’s course. With the the massive heads on the NASCAR Boss 429 perhaps everyone thought every Ford with a 429 engine had a Boss version but like the Boss 351 - the Cubic inches is just one of many factors affecting torque, horse power, etc. The 351 Cleveland and Windsor were two distinct engines both of which were offered in the 1970 Mustang but with the same C.I. no wonder people were confused back then. I think Mexico snuck some leftover 351 Windsor engines in the Mustangs built there after 1970 versus all the US ones that had either a 2bbl H, (Boss or HO) R, or “CJ” Q code Cleveland engine.

So since he’s not building it “stock” (which isn’t possible unless he uses the kit small block engine and does a 302 2bbl base engine, I’m going to guess Ray Is going to use the 69/70 Boss 429 that is in the kit which I’m not even sure the origin of that motor MPC decided to put in the Mustang box (maybe a Torino) since MPC never did a kit of either a 69 or 70 Boss 429 Mustang and Ford did not offer that engine in the 71-73 Mustang. I think they were so eager to put out new kits that they assumed the 71 429 Mustang would have the BOSS 429 heads or they just did not care that the CJ and SCJ engine heads are way different. Anyway. It will make a cool Resto mod or something whether he builds a wild street machine with the injectors or the two Holley carbs or something else. I would cringe some having to cut out that opening in the hood but that’s the purist in me. Maybe a large scoop would look okay.

Yes it does Have the Ram-Air and also the fold down rear seat. Those darn government emissions regulators would not let Ford offer the Ram-Air with the 4V (which seems odd) so since most Mach1’s came with the 2V heads I guess someone figured they may as well use them on something. My 1st 72 Mach (bought used in 76) was also a 351C 2V but without the ram air. I guess I was not impressed with the 1974 100hp V6 Mustang II Mach1 enough to buy one used Instead.? As I was 18 and had friends with muscle cars I thought the yellow 72 Mach1 looked so cool and while certainly not a tire shredder with the 2bbl Cleveland it got me hooked on them for now going on 44 years. The blacked out hood and spoilers and side stripes add a more aggressive look to the one I have now versus the first one I had that only had the stripes and front spoiler. I painted the front bumper and trim black which is still not as embarrassing as that blue tuxedo. ? Ah the 70’s. I sold that one In the 80’s and bought the Ram-Air one I still have today.

Thanks for the update. I will keep this in mind as we hopefully get past this COVID by next spring and I would be interested in buying 100 sets of your best sellers to resell via Ebay to the US market. With shipping here only a few dollars If you sold them wholesale at a discount so a reseller could change the same retail price you do I am guessing your overall sales would increase significantly. Something to think about as I like your work Very much and I think the shipping cost is a big deterrent to customers in North America which of course you have no control over.

Well there are several movies with 71-73 Mustangs in them. Imagine if the John Wick movies had one. I hear F&F nine has a 71 Mach in it. As many of you may or may not know I have owned two 72 Mach1’s, two 72 Sprint convertibles and one 73 convertible in the last 40 years. The only one I still have is the 2nd 72 Mach1 I bought in 1981.

A few other areas you may want to consider The rear quarter mold line should blend in to the body a little smoother and should be sanded down before it reaches the rear quarter window. There’s a little lip on the edges of the area at the bottom of the windshield posts. That “extra” lip that is not on the real car does not bother me as much as the mold lines. Keep up the good work and you are still in the club. I’va attached a picture of a body I painted a few years ago but obviously it has not been wet sanded as I see some “dust” in the paint.

I think a lot will depend on the level of research they get their hands on and if they can find some concours correct cars and engines. I’m working to Tim and getting him as many contacts as I can round up to pass on to Revell.

Let me search for some names to see what I can come up with. The video I posted about the 71 Boss 302 prototype shows a warehouse and if there is anyone that would know where a Boss 351 engine or 429CJ on a stand it would probably be Bob. I will send you his info. Does the region of the country matter assuming they are looking for one is the US but there could be a few in Europe too.

True but a little of this an a little of that and before you know it you’ve got $50 invested in a kit and parts that are coming from various sources. Fortunately I have gotten resin parts made for many of the incorrect and/or missing or better versions of the kit parts.

Yes I have done that one a few kits but I cannot think of any other product where you can sell the same thing for five decades without any improvements and people will keep buying them not expecting eventually someone will come along and offer something better. The older Ford’s had distinctly different inner fenders and shock towers and bracing whereas it seem the 55+ year old chassis have those semi-circle inner fenders that are common in GM cars of that era. Pretty annoying you have to use two kits just to make one nice one. Maybe that is why I have so many. ?

That should be a fairly easy swap. Or how about a phantom 71 Boss 429 Mustang? ?

Thanks for the link For the completed Shelby team car. There were a lot of differences between the 69 and 70 rules and paint scheme etc. Ford did niot both to use actual Boss 302’s since a race engine would be installed so some cars did not ever have a VIN.

Yes it’s a shame it seems so hard to get everything right with the bodies with the newer molds. It’s to the point of older kits that I just want to leave the hood shut because they are just ridiculous looking compared to the actual engine compartment.

Now if they could find all these parts they could concentrate on getting the body right. ?

Oh yeah - love to see the 429 Mach1 or sportsroof instread of having to raid a Torino Cobra kit just for the engine. It’s crazy there’s no newer Mustang either - people got spoiled with the ‘Annuals” back in the day. I did not mention promos in a previous post but I would also not pay $300 for a 71 Mach1 promo which is basically the exact same mold as the AMT kit. I have not even seen many different colors but that is just stupid money for a hunk of plastic, metal axles and rubber tires.

That’s not a good sign.

How is the decal business going? Any chance that you will sell them in bulk to a supplier in the USA to keep shipping cost reasonable?

Agree 1000% but one wish at at time. ?‍♂️ It still amazes me that people will pay over $100 for an old AMT 65 SHelby kit that had a one piece chassis with single exhaust and an engine that is no different (no tri-y headers) than was thrown in every Ford kit for the next seven years but people will scream because is trying to offer a modern tool of kit that the molds even predate the 71 Mustang yet they are mad because they do not do a new mold of something that’s not been done before. Just maybe there is reason for that. I assume Revell has done some research and will ignore all the whiners. I could care less if they come out with another Camaro or whatever but I’m not ever going to complain about their choices of what new kits they make.

Try scalemates.com It is not an auction site.