Mark

If you have glass coverage, you shouldn't have to shell out a nickel for a new windshield. Glass coverage costs very little, but it's one of those things that isn't brought up all of the time because it isn't a big money maker for the agent. I've had it on every vehicle I have owned (six), and of those, three have had the windshield replaced at least once. One car had the rear glass replaced. I have paid for glass twice. One was to replace the side glass in a truck cap (not covered because it was not original to the truck) and one windshield that had a wiper scratch in it before I bought the car. I could probably have put a crack in it and gamed the system, but I don't operate that way.

The big mounting boss on the back of the wheel would point to it being from one of the Zinger kits. The kit itself may not have been molded in green, but weren't the parts in those kits molded in different colors (body in one color, black plastic tires)? Maybe the plated parts for several kits were molded in one bunch, in whatever color plastic they had too much of at the time.

The Model King reissue of the GTO from about fifteen years ago had the original chassis and exhaust system. The only thing missing was the left front "floater" tire (it had all four tires the same). Chassis is two-piece but not the NASCAR unit. As I understand, some of the cars in this series had a different rear suspension setup from the others. I'm not sure which setup was used in the Model King reissues of the GTO or Monte Carlo, or if they differ from the original MPC kits.

The six-spoke wheel with the flat backside is from the MPC Dodge Sportsman van kits (passenger version). There were two: an undated issue from mid-'71, and a '72 annual. That is a rear wheel for the dual engine wheelstander version. Two narrower wheels were included for the front.

That crate is from the IMC (Lindberg) Little Red Wagon kit. You're supposed to put the leftover engine in it.

But it far outsold the four-door 'Vette kit...

Yes. The one with the boat probably includes only the parts to build the version shown on the box, though.

MPC didn't issue a stock kit based on the promo, that's what I meant. I have the AMT '72.

Most of these dirt track kits were only issued once. The Mustang, Camaro, Barracuda, and Chevelle bodies were modified again, back to stock. That's why subsequent reissues of the Barracuda no longer have the headlights recessed as they should be. The Chevelle was changed back to a '72, was issued twice and hasn't been seen since. The Camaro was issued once as a stock hardtop (black car on the box; if you look at the inside of the body you can see where the exhaust was routed for the dirt track car) then made into a convertible. The GTO and Monte Carlo were left alone, so those were available for reissue.

They exited through the passenger side of the body. I've got a couple of the kits but haven't looked at them lately; if I remember right, the header tubes were covered from the firewall back to the exit hole in the body, to protect the driver. I have seen one street driven car (heavily influenced by dirt track practice) with headers just like those. Not the way I'd want it on a street machine, but apparently the owner of the car wanted it that way.

The body was backdated for the Jim Hurtubise NASCAR version. It was done during the run of that kit, as I have seen it with both '72 and '70 bodies. '70 and '71 were AMT, '72 was MPC. They did not issue it as a kit.

That '72 has been through the mill...even after the '72 annual, it was used in a pro stock kit, converted to the clear NASCAR kit body, brought back to stock around 1980, backdated to the MPC/Ertl '70, then converted back. That's all one body because it's still nice and smooth on the inside after being slicked up for the clear body NASCAR version. The front end (around the headlights) on the "restored" '72 (those done after the backdated '70) looks kind of funky to me...if I want another '72, I'll strip/repaint the pro stock body I got at a show (minus all the unique parts for that issue)...

Don't forget, most slot cars that aren't HO scale are probably 1/32 scale, and all of the slot car guys have an eye open looking for bodies. Round 2 has issued six of the eight AMT 1/32 scale cars, some of those are probably bought with the idea of using the bodies on slot cars.

All of those were reworked from annual kit bodies except the GTO and Monte Carlo, which had been promotional model bodies. The Monte was first converted to a NASCAR body prior to becoming the dirt track car. The Mustang, Camaro, Barracuda, and Chevelle eventually got pieced back together as stock/street versions. There were two '70 GTO tools. Some of the parts, like window inserts and rear bumpers, were actually marked #1 or #2 on the back sides. In 1970, MPC made GTO promotional models, GTO "contest promos", a GTO "Fast Pack" kit (like a promo, but with Hot Wheels style plastic tires), GTO kits (hardtop only: a convertible kit was announced but not produced) and a GTO funny car kit. That all would have been too much to crank out with one tool, at least in the time frame when all of them would have been needed, so there would have been two tools. That wasn't the first time for something like that, but it didn't happen often. I'm not positive anymore which items have #1 or #2 parts; I do have a funny car body, a Fast Pack kit, and a contest promo, did check at least the two kits but I have since forgotten the findings. One tool got updated to '71 and '72, the other was set aside until it got used for the dirt track car.

Ah, yes, the PSM "Boss 302" Mustang...with a 428 engine! Guess nobody there knew why the 1:1 was called a Boss 302. A couple of posts mention a 1969 PSM Mustang kit...there wasn't one. There probably was a Palmer '69 Mustang, but that's a different deal altogether.

The first version issued was actually a NASCAR version. After the '77 annual, there was a custom-only version, then racing issues only. The stock trim was removed from tge body and other alterations were made, so it's unlikely the stock one will reappear.

If I went to the trouble of making a copy, I'd start with a '55 kit cab and modify the front clip to '59 spec, to accept a casting of the promo grille.

I don't know how rare it is, but I'd clean it up and try to find taillights for it, as opposed to modifying it. The warpage isn't just warpage...there is some shrinkage too. Any fixes that have been conjured up over the years have proved to be temporary at best, and usually revert to the prior-to-the-repair shape. I'd keep looking for a resin piece (Modelhaus or other), or look at modifying a '55-'57 kit to the later styling.

I'm somewhat certain the chassis and engine from the Tom Daniel 'Vette are under the '66 fastback body now. The Corvette America (four-door 'Vette) chassis got cut down and reused in the Miami Vice faux-Ferrari kit.

I whiffed on the name for this issue, but this is the kit. It's not exactly the same as the Rubber Duck...the rear wheel openings aren't flared, the wheels and tires are different, and the Bed Bug does include the stock bumpers as an option. The orange version seems to be the more common color. I've got an orange one, have been looking for the bronze one but have only seen a couple of them, ever, and was always late to the party when seeing one that just changed hands.

Atlantis did acquire some ex-Pyro, Lindberg, and other items from Round 2. Not sure exactly what they got, maybe someone else will have more info.

There was another version of the VW van, the first custom panel version. It was of course issued after the red/white one but before the Rubber Duck. It was just called "VW Van", was molded in orange (some were molded in bronze as shown on the box), had radiused (but not flared) rear wheel openings, and had flotation type rear tires. The VW emblem on the front was changed to a peace sign. That version is pictured on the box of the 1979 Advent issue, but what is inside that box is the Rubber Duck version. California Roller came after the Advent issue.

Not my thing, but I'd agree with Casey on the decals. If Atlantis wants to do new graphics, fine, but the original scheme should be included as an alternative. I would go with artwork for the boxes though, even if the original issue used photos.

Actually, the Ranchero started out as the four-door Ranch Wagon with woodgrain side trim. The too-short door openings on the Rancheros point back to its origin as the wagon.

With the Toronados, the "Mannix" convertible fits in after the '68 but before the Californian.