Mark

Neither AMT nor MPC (competing companies back then) made a '70. Only Jo-Han made one in 1969/1970, then Monogram converted their GTX to a RR many years later.

Talk about detail, they've even got the crapper in there! My Buddy L Texaco station doesn't even have that, and the Texaco stations had "registered rest rooms"!

The etching primer can be used if you want to strip/repaint a diecast piece, but there's no place for it when it comes to plastic.

The circular things are probably hubcaps. I don't think that piece is from a kit, it's more likely from one of those lithographed sheet metal toy gas stations from the Fifties or early Sixties.

Guess you won't be eating sandwiches anytime soon...

And you don't even get the diarama!

If my mailman would dump the election mailings in the woods, I'd nominate him for a commendation...

Fluctuation in the exchange rate probably also has some bearing on prices. I'll have to check the price sticker on the box, but earlier this year I bought the Revell Germany VW panel van at the same local store. I remember paying more for it than the pre-discount "sticker price" of the Lufthansa shuttle version I bought last week.

From what I have seen at the local shop, when both Revell USA and Revell Germany are offering the same kit at the same time, the German one is priced a couple bucks higher than the run-of-the-mill US version. I've heard that some of the racing and exotic car kits are worth stepping up though, because the German version usually has a better decal sheet. I don't know if that applies to the US subject matter like Mustang or Camaros though.

It's even better if you are fortunate to have a local hobby shop that carries the Revell of Germany items. I was able to get the VW Type 1 Lufthansa shuttle locally. I'm not sure what the retail price is over here, but his sticker was $32, right in there with a lot of domestic kits. The owner is a member of the local IPMS chapter. Normally, fellow members get 10% off the top (which covers the sales tax, at least) but this week his e-mail included a 25% off coupon. I don't remember seeing the kit online anywhere under $30, let alone $24. Now, to find the Lufthansa blue and yellow paint. Revell of Germany offers that, but doesn't export it here...

The AMT Challenger kits are very good, but none include engine detail.

Two-tone wasn't available on a '62. The '61 had the trim around the cove to facilitate two-tone paint jobs, '62 eliminated that trim. I'm pretty sure, too, that the second color in a two-tone was limited to the coves (but not the hard top).

The cheaters are in the Mod Rod/'29 Ford roadster kit, but with black sidewalls. The Surf Woody has them too, but with double white stripes as the 1:1 car's tires had.

The cheaters are in the Mod Rod/'29 Ford roadster kit, but with black sidewalls. The Surf Woody has them too, but with double white stripes as the 1:1 car's tires had.

About ten years ago, someone commissioned a "private label" reissue of the AMT '32 Ford coupe in an original style box. The parts inside the box didn't match up to what was shown in the box art, but I'd bet the decals are pretty close to the originals. Do a search on eBay, and look for coupe kits in a box that looks like the original issue.

I've seen one done with an old Revell multiple-piece-body '59. As I recall, the AMT '62 rear half was pretty much cut so as to fit the Revell body minus its original rear section. Between those two kits and a Model Car Garage photoetch set, you should be well on your way with the body. After doing that much work, you'll probably want a better chassis though.

The 'Vette guys are like the Mopar guys in that they've got to find something, anything, that makes their particular car a "one of one", the "first" or last" of something, or something however minor that differentiates their car from the 99 others in the same color with the same options. If it's a regular 'Vette that happened to pass through the Yenko dealership, that'll be enough for some of them, especially if their car is crossing the auction block anytime soon.

But some of the details of the model didn't match what was in the box. The kit never had a filled-in grille area as is shown on the box art model, and the wheels shown on the built model weren't in the box either.

I'm pretty certain the front fenders are the same '60-'66, but the hood was changed for '62. The '62 hood was designed by Tom Daniel during the brief period where he worked for GM. That's probably why he later used the '62-'66 front clip when he created the S'cool Bus for Monogram.

The 7/70 warranty: 7 minutes, or 70 feet from your driveway...

The wheels pictured on the Model King box are pretty close to what was on the 1:1 car, but nowhere near what was in the kit. The kit's chassis and engine are all wrong for the 1:1, but the Anglia body makes the kit worthwhile. I don't think those wheels were in the Model King issue; the box art on some MK releases showed parts that weren't in the box.

If the Anglia is an SSP deal, maybe they'll put the original Ansen mag wheels back in. If so, they'll probably issue the Thames panel again soon. I've got the recent Yenko book, and I don't recall seeing any '69 Corvettes in it. Maybe they're issuing the Camaro yet again?

What do you do for windows with this body? I've seen a number of attempts on this roofline on both Pontiacs and Chevies, this is the first one I have seen that nails it.

From what I have heard, the California Flash version has been delayed because the Melrose Missile hardtop has not been selling as quickly as expected. Dave (Model King) has his own funds tied up in these issues, and needs to recoup his investment on one before doing the next one. In a run of, say, 5,000 kits, the profit will be in the last few hundred sold. I wish he'd done the Flash first, because I'm not interested in the Melrose Missile. I'll jump on the Flash as soon as it's available. I'm not speaking for Dave...if his information contradicts mine, then what he says goes.

The Monogram version of the Spyder actually looks pretty good, but of course is larger and fits only the Monogram tires. Likewise the Fly on the front of the Camaro. Getting off track here, MPC made a Fly front wheel also, but only put it into one kit, their Gapp & Roush '75 Pinto. There was a Fly rear wheel also, but nobody ever tooled that one in scale.