Mark

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.

Some companies are using Covid and the resulting delays in mail service as an excuse for slow service, also to try to broom everyone over to "autopay" or "direct payment". One of my credit card companies issued an e-mail about it. I didn't get my December statement until after the due date, and the January one is late as well. I reconstructed the December statement and sent a payment, and have done the same with January, the information I put together matches exactly the balance due in their e-mail. Funny, the other credit card statements have been getting to me on time with no delays. I also noticed that the bank I use has been remodeling their branches to eliminate all but a couple of teller windows. The branches are more sparsely staffed also. It will be an excuse to trim a bunch of jobs, and get everyone accustomed to lower quality of service.

I'd bet it started as a Buick, the wheel covers and grille emblem would point to that. I believe the grille emblem on the Buick actually includes the model year and trim level, like "1956 Century". Looks like it is somewhere in Europe...there, back then, when they rebodied a car they tended to keep things like wheels and grille pieces from the original car. Putting a grille or radiator shell from one make of car onto another wasn't done there as it was done by customizers here. There are exceptions of course.

Beatnik Bandit is pearl also, but in photos with the original paint it does somehow seem darker than the Excaliber/Outlaw. Maybe more pearl, or more clear, or the clear yellowed just a bit?

Both AMT and MPC did the exterior updates on their Mustang II kits. MPC had a promo contract, I am pretty certain they did both '74 and '75 promos so the exterior updates were done on those. I've had all of the MPC annual kits, and yes the hood opening is different. '74 is by itself, '75 through '78 are all alike. Some interior updates were done too. The quarter panels around the rear wheel openings gets lumpy and wavy with each annual kit, as the Mustang II pro stock and street machine versions were issued in between the annuals. The body was changed back and forth between stock and stretched rear wheel openings. The last couple of issues have misshapen, jagged, rough openings. The last issue (Fire Fighter pro stock) has the hood opening revised back to '74 spec, I am not sure if an original '74 hood will fit the revised body.

No, MPC did change the hood on the Mustang II. AMT did so with theirs also. Racing Champions later altered the MPC body's hood opening back to '74 spec for the Fire Fighter pro stock reissue.

The front fascia on the Monza changed between '77 and '78. '75-'77 has several small grille openings between the headlamps, '78-'80 has the long thin slot below the headlamps, all the way across the front end. '74 Mustang II is different from all the others: hood opening is different, gas filler is moved higher up on '75-'78 cars. Bodies will interchange but have these differences.

'57 Chevy wheel. The other one is probably from an AMT funny car, or possibly a show rod.

The '57 Chevy wheels have squared-off slots, aren't as deep as the ones pictured, and have no lug nut detail.