vamach1

When I built the earlier version of the USCP kit I used a combination of the AMT 67 GT350 chassis with the engine from the Revell “diecast” GT500 kit so I would have a big block engine versus the 289 Hipo engine. Needless to say I did not go with the Eleanor metallic gray paint scheme. 😉

Let me preface my comments by stating I have owned two Mustang 72 Sprint convertibles, a 73 Mustang convertible, and two 72 Mach1s. One of the resin casters (now out of business) made a coupe version for the AMT/MPC kit. A member on this board makes a coupe body (made to order) for the Revell Boss 351 Kit. I do not remember any resin castings for a convertible. If you watch auctions, go to car shows and look at values of 71-73 Mustangs and what has been featured in movies it’s mostly the Sportsroofs and perhaps you may see some old tv shows with a 71-73 convertible but I would be hard pressed to tell you a movie or tv show that had a Grande and honestly I cannot say I have sever seen one cross the auction block of one of the major auctions except maybe a drag racing car. Yes Round2 took a last ditch effort at making some changes to the 50 year old molds and finally added some good decals and cool box art but the contents were all too familiar and disappointing. I’m sure the folks at Revell took many things into account when they decided what would sell based on popularity would not change and the sales would justify the investment in the all new tooling. Even if I had ever owned a 72 Mustang coupe I would not be disappointed a kit was not made as I know it would be for selfish reasons. It would not be hard for Round2 to modify the old molds to do a coupe or Grande version but do not count on it ever happening. The fact that the sportsroof in 1971 could have been bought from Ford as a Boss 351, 302 or 351 or 429 Mach1, 351 Shelby Europa (Europe only) and in 1972 a R code Sportroofs, 302 or 351 Mach1, Olympic Sprint with a 302 or 351, or a standard sportsroof with a 302, 351 R code or 351 Q code is a testament to the variety of the “fastback” models available to car buyers. While some of these engines were also available in limited number in the convertible body style, the coupes were marketed as more of a basic model with the Grande not really being that different from the base coupe with things like a deluxe interior, more sound deadener and a vinyl roof. I’m sure the movie producers of Diamonds are Forever and Gone in 60 seconds and some later movies did not think if only have used a coupe instead of a Sportsroof Mustang they could have made them more popular. Selling cars and movies is about what grabs more peoples attention and not necessarily what is actually more popular to the actual car buying consumer. The coupes outsold sportroofs and convertibles every year by multiples but I think they understood that Eleanor or the 007 Mach1 would generate more interest in movie goers that could watch a cool movie with cool cars for a few dollars. Further proof of my “theory” is I have never seen a single diecast model in any scale of a 71-73 Mustang coupe. I have somewhere around 100 Sportroofs diecasts and maybe ten 1/64 convertibles so it’s not just me thinking the demand would be too low to make a new mold (diecast or model kit) of a coupe with the expense of doing so being a pretty risky proposition without any past history to support undertaking the investment. Now having said all that would I buy a resin coupe to make a GT351 Mexican coupe or 72 Grande R code 351 - I would not rule it out but I know I would be one of a very select few that would buy the Revell kit and the resin body. I still have one of the older resin coupe bodies I bought about ten years ago but honestly I just lost interest in the AMT/MPC kits fixing all the inaccuracies and the toylike nature of them (e.g. metal axles) is all the more apparent when compared to the outstanding Revell Boss 351.

It looks like there are very few parts in common with the 69/70 coupe/convertible kits. Aside from the roof and engine block everything else looks to be funny car specific.

I’d buy some knowing I would not be ruining a vintage kit and I experiment use an engine and chassis from another kit.

I glossed over (pun intended) the paint references and as you mentioned there were some limited special order colors but yes the bright red would have been the color offered in 1971 on the Boss with the “Candy Apple” Red Code T paint being offered on other 1971 Ford and Mercury cars and trucks. The code T was used from 1966 to 1990 but was not always called Candy Apple red and perhaps the name was created to equate it to the color of a candied apple which would sound much cooler than just Red.

I had no idea why I used the 351 hood decals on this build I did many years ago that has a 428 with a shaker hood. Looking forward to at least the “stock” body that will be in the reissued MACH WON kit. Looking back I guess Fred Cady did not make a 428 hood decal.. 🙃 Cleary the 1/24 Keith Marks 428 decals look to large for the 1/25 body and I assume are for the Revell kit. I guess I will call this old 1/25 gluebomb build a Twister sleeper. 😁

Ford did not have factory coolant reservoirs for 71-73 Mustangs. The part Randy painted is the windshield washer reservoir. However, it could replicate a brand of bug removed washer fluid that’s green. The more common color is blue but I have seen orange also. On my build still in progress I just mixed light blue and white and went with the half full look.

I was at a Mustang show and the American Muscle car museum on Saturday so I had the opportunity to take some pictures of three Boss 351s. In person the hood paint looked very glossy which I suppose would defeat the purpose of it being a flat color to reduce glare. So if you are building the kit I would go with the black or silver color that matches the Revell decals or else it will be noticeable.

I received Issue #221 and read Larrys’ excellent review. It covers all of the observations many have made during their builds of this in outstanding kit that sets a new bar of what new model kits should be. One thing I noticed is the Revell instruction sheet does not name the parts (but what kit does) so if anyone cares part #95 is a Voltage regulator and starter Solenoid, #96 is a rev limiter, and #92 is a fuel evaporate canister filed with carbon which on these year Mustangs had a corrugated black paper hose going from the air cleaner to the canister, and a rubber hose from the canister to a metal pipe which via a metal line routes all the way back to a fuel evaporative control valve on top of the gas tank to capture and route the vapors pulled from the vacuum from the engine upon startup. There is a vented cap as you can see in the picture which is represented on the part Revell has molded.

I draw the line on bringing back old kits if the Palmer one is in the mix. 😆

There were a few foxes at a Mustang show I went to on Saturday.

It sure would.

Interesting that the MPC kit was magically transformed into an AMT kit. 😆 Of course Monogram Fox Mustangs were issued/revised under R/M and Revell branding so no surprise. I sure wish there were more Saleen versions and kits of the 2003/2004 Cobras and Mach1s.

Found this picture of the new Revell kit It will be nice to see an accurate 429 CJ engine in 1/25 scale.

Fantastic build. About how long did it take you?

I saw one at the Miami auto show today.

Yes that decalssheet would be nice to have in the US version too. The original owner of my Mach1 had it exported to France so it probably had European license plates but it has a MPH speedo and not kilometers as I think it was ordered by a US citizen that worked abroad until 1981 when the car same back to the USA and that’s when I purchased it after seeing a newpaper ad.

I’m on Step 36 of this kit and here are a few observations. I began applying many of the decals in the interior and engine bay and have come to the conclusion that yellow or red decals do not show up well on dark colors even though you might expect they would. The Autolite Sta-ful decal on the battery painted semi-gloss black was barely visible. I found a similar decal in white in my decals spare and applied it and then I found a red one which I applied over the white one. Not a perfect solution but at least it is more visible. I remember I had a resin cast Autolite battery but unfortunately it is too large compared to the one in the kit. The resin part has the battery hold down molded on top and the Autolite Sta-ful letters raised so they can be painted red. It’s too bad the resin battery is just too large. I cut the top radiator hose decals into two parts. If you do not you cut them apart the builder may not notice the letters RAD should be near the radiator and the Autolite while lettering and Ford part number are placed about the midpoint of the hose. I added some yellow OK decals from my decal spares (Fred Cady maybe) to the blue engine heads as the yellow would not show up on the valve covers very well. I realize this is way in the weeds but I guess I just notice these things. Assembly so far has been pretty straightforward so far. I’ll get some primer on the body and hopefully the color but with the humidity in Florida painting has been a challenge. I will skip replicating the body color factory “overspray” on the chassis underside - maybe on the next build. All in all this kit is excellent and it is going to make it very difficult to go back and build any of the AMT or MPC 71-73 Mustangs now that Revell has created this tooling that is better in every way and for about the same price.

Thanks for posting. Has it been 20 years since the Ford 100th anniversary? My son was almost three and daughter was six and my wife drove the Windstar and I drove the 72 Mach1 the 500+ miles each way. The variety of historic Ford on display, the icons of Ford raving history, the hundreds of cars there from owners all over all over the US and Canada and beyond was a once in a lifetime experience. I shot a lots of film (before I had a digital camera) but all the prints are in storage which I will have to dig out. Here is one picture of the Mach1 in front of the HQ with the 100th anniversary logos on the top of the building.

There is always some nice Boss 351’s at the Boss Nationals. The four day show in East Moline IL ended yesterday. I’ve seen some short videos and pictures but just exterior pictures. I’ll be going to the Mustang Club of America show September 9-10 in Melbourne which should have some nice restored examples.

Now this would be an interesting build to combine parts from a 70 Boss 302 and 71 Mach1 and 71 Boss 351 kits. No ram air parts needed.

With all the other “historical” inaccuracies in the movie I was not surprised in the short cuts taken in filming. It’s Hollywood so the goal is to make an exciting movie that appeals to non “car” viewers as well that would not notice or question things that can be easily researched that in reality were not as dramatic (e.g. 66 Daytona race results) when Miles and Ruby won by 8 laps over the other Shelby team and 11 laps over the H&M team despite Ford vs., Ferrari depicting a last turn pass with Miles winning by a few cars lengths.

With apologies to the car owner but there’s no vacuum hoses to the vacuum motors on the ram air flappers, the front fender molding and hood trim should be body color and not chrome, I’m not sure what the air cleaner lid is from, and 71 Mach1’s did not have a chrome front bumper or rear window louvers. There are many things the Marti report will not tell you that are not original if parts have been changed or replaced or added. I see what looks like a judge walking with a clipboard so if it’s a concours restored class it will lose some originality points.

I saw this Grabber Blue one at Carlisle PA All Ford show four years ago. https://www.motortrend.com/features/1902-most-original-1971-boss-351-in-the-world/ There’s a 73 Mustang convertible a Ford dealer stored that I think still has less than 100 miles.

Very nice build and the paint is great. You will be so much happier with the new Revell Bosss 351 kit and the Mach1 version which should be available next year.