Robberbaron

Stopped at HL this afternoon, since kits are 40% off this week. Picked up an AMT '67 Mustang, haven't seen that one there before. First kit I've picked up there in probably about 4 months.

Dodge keeps selling more Challengers of all types, and the Hellcat versions and their derivatives would definitely be a candidate for a full detail kit. Despite their cost, I see a surprising number on the roads in my area. The Raptor-killer Ram TRX (also Hellcat-powered) would also be a worthy subject.

Going back to the subject of this thread, I'm grateful on multiple levels that Atlantis not only obtained this tooling, but is improving them and reissuing these vintage kits, all while keeping their manufacturing in America.

In addition, supposedly any existing tooling that is shipped to China and then modified in any way falls under the same categorization as if it was newly cut (if the narratives I've heard are true). Not that it really matters. They can change the "rules" however they want, whenever they want, and there's nothing the outside US or European companies can really do about it. Shipping any vintage tooling to China is the deal with the devil: now that it's there, chances are it's never coming back. So get those kits while you can.

?THIS is great news! I always scratched my head why the old Hobbico Revell didn't follow up the '72 H/O with a 442 hardtop. No problems jumping out looking at the pics. If they were smart, they may have just cloned a Johan body. Lets hope they're thinking ahead and also planning a 1970 W-30 version, since that is the apex Olds muscle car. Also glad to hear about the '69 Camaro SS 396 variation. That's always been another head scratcher of why not? I also agree: lets all cross our fingers for a standard exhaust system.

New Revell has the tooling (or really the "rights" to the tooling - any tooling in China "belongs" to China, and will never leave as long as the PRC exists in its current state). No incentive for new Revell to give those CAD files to Atlantis, they're a competitor.

I was gonna pass on the '66 Malibu, but if it has the Street Rat slot mags, I might need to break down and get one - always wanted a set of those wheels.

Beat me to it. Glad I got a couple of those Tweedy Pie reissues when I could...

I think they most closely resemble the American Racing S2 model: These were 2-piece, bolt together magnesium, 16" x 10", race only. As Mark said, they were really only used on the rear of drag cars, and were never too common. Definitely not something anyone would bolt onto a '71 T-bird, or even a street driven Corvette. Spoke design is similar to the more common model 200S "Daisy" wheels, which were one piece aluminum without the perimeter bolts: I will say this: the spokes on the AMT wheels don't really have the "Coke bottle" shape like the S2, so I'm not 100% certain that those are what AMT was replicating. But I don't know of any other vintage wheels that had those perimeter bolts like that. There's a chance that there was some other oddball wheel out there that they were trying to depict. If you look through vintage '60s and '70s wheel catalogs, you'll see all sorts of oddball wheel designs that have been lost to time. Good site if you want to fall down a rabbit hole: https://vintagewheelcatalogs.com/

Note they also are NOT showing the Halibrand-style mags, either. Might not mean anything. History shows that the people responsible for box art and promotional photos often dont have much insight into the specific kit, including certain features that should be highlighted Just one example: when old Revell brought out the "Special Edition" version of the 1968 Charger, they added correct steel wheels and dog dish hubcaps that weren't in previous versions. (Magnum 500's were not correct for a factory stock Hemi car) You'd never know it from looking at the box though, since there wasn't a single picture, or even a description of it. Hoping its a similar situation here...

Casey was posting the original re-release announcement from 2008. Strange that they originally showed the '79 box art. As we know, they did reissue it with the "Class Action" box art as you described.

If the '81 Camaro is this one, it's quite well detailed for an '80s snap kit: I got one as a kid. If I recall correctly, opening hood with passable engine, separate rear axle/springs/driveshaft. I think the exhaust is molded in, but the tips were molded to the rear bumper to help create the illusion of separate exhaust. Fit in well on the shelf with my glue kits, could tell there was some thought put into the design.

Yes, the Revell stock at my LHS has been steadily dwindling the last couple months (I stop in about once a week). The last couple visits it has been very noticeable, to the point today where they had practically nothing left. Plenty of Round 2, Moebius, and Atlantis though. Several months ago I picked up one of the '56 Delray reissues. Decided I wanted a second one, but he was already sold out of that single shipment, and they've been on backorder ever since.

There was also the Revell '92 (?) Caprice, but that got turned into the Impala SS a couple years after. Back to Round 2, I suppose they could do the same formula with the Dodge Monaco sedan. I wouldn't be surprised if they also slapped out a taxi version of the Supernatural '67 Impala, to get another variation of that tool. It wouldn't be correct for a newly purchased taxi in the year 1967, but completely possible as a converted used car, circa 1970-1971.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with everything you noted. Surprised that no one has commented yet on the NHRA logos on both the banner and the tower: neither of them is in perspective, and it sticks out like a sore them to me. It's good that the manufacturers realize the value of nostalgic artwork, but as you said, the execution often leaves a lot to be desired. The artwork for the upcoming AMT 1966 Fairlane 427 was recently posted - lots of wackiness in the front end on that illustration. I suspect that it was the same artist who did the box art (yellow) for their recent 1958 Edsel reissue, which shared similar problems. IMHO, the worst in recent memory is still the Revell "stock" 1976 Gran Torino (blue car on box art). That one looks like the perpetrator flunked out of art class!

Stopped at the Hobart, IN store today. They had one of the AMT '64 Cutlass convertibles. So that's good. However, since I'm waiting for the hardtop version that's scheduled to come out later this year, this probably means they'll never get that version.

Stopped at my local store after work today, also no kits on the shelves yet. Came home and we had the new Ollies flyer in my mailbox, showing kits on sale starting Thursday.

My LHS finally got another shipment of the '63 Nova wagons, so I was happy to score one of those.

That one got retooled into the 4-door version for Dukes of Hazzard, and has since been reissued ad nauseam, in all sorts of variations. Ain't coming back. (I know: THEORETICALLY Round 2 could clone/recreate the coupe body/interior, as they've recently proven they're capable, but there's about a thousand other subjects that would be more worthy of that effort.)

Interesting link explaining how this kit came to be, including its many proportional problems and inaccuracies: https://hotrodbunny.com/the-history-of-the-revell-57-cadillac-eldorado-brougham-model-kit/

Literal LOL on that one, you just won quote of the day!

Black vinyl top over white doesn't look too shabby either, IMHO: https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/what-it-hasnt-got-you-dont-need-1968-dodge-coronet-r-t No kidding! A prelim Google image search turned up almost no examples. Did find a link to a YouTube walk around of a white example with the double body side stripes: Definitely more low key than the bumble bees...

Exact same stuff at mine, zilch.

I seem to recall that the tooling for the 1/16 Mustang was actually obtained by AMT from another manufacturer. Thought I saw that on this forum years ago, but I'm coming up with zero info in my Google search, my Google-fu must be off tonight. I seem to recall the original manufacturer was a well established company that dabbled in model kits in the '60s, then cut bait quickly after turning out this epic fail. That was the explanation for why this was basically a large scale Palmer kit - it wasn't created by AMT. Doesn't explain why the original AMT and all subsequent owners were shameless enough to keep reissuing this dreck. At least the '80s box art photo was honest, warning you of the horrors within: It's really annoying me that I can't recall who the original company was that created it, and getting zilch searching.

I'll definitely be following this one. Our family car growing up was a '68 Impala, so they're near and dear to me. Gotta wonder what happened to the tooling for the body/interior of this one? (I know the driveline/chassis got recycled each year thru '76) We really need a plastic '68 again!