Mark

Just one thing: there was no '75 annual, only '76 and '77. The first issue was the Pro Stock, which was a '75. Nobody ever ran one of these in Pro Stock as far as I remember, but rumors did swirl around back then about the (then) top Chevy guy in Pro Stock going back to the big-block engine, and using the Nova body because it was (supposedly) aerodynamically better than the Camaro. The street machine version is based heavily on the Pro Stock, with some new parts: mufflers, and a less-narrow rear axle to allow the use of some smaller street tires. The Pro Stock lightweight seats were swapped out for the stock units from the annual kits.

No reissues of either the ('69) Firebird or Camaro included the turbine engine. The first reissue of the Firebird was in late '69, as the Trans-Am. That kit had the V8 and OHC six. Next issue after that was the late Seventies White Lightning street mackine, again with the six and V8. After that, MPC issued that black '69 Camaro hardtop. Engines were again the Pontiac six and V8, though I think they did include Chevy valve covers for the V8. Next up was the Firebird convertible. The Firebird was issued only once as a convertible kit, the early Eighties yellow one with the Trans-Am hood. Again, six and V8. There was a convertible promotional model in '69, but no kit. Next issue after the convertible was the dark blue Firebird hardtop, pretty much the same as the White Lightning except for the color. Six and V8. This is the last kit with the original Firebird annual kit interior bucket. Then the Camaro convertible was issued. The interior was changed to a Camaro upholstery pattern, and I think the molded-in console was removed and a separate one created. The engine in this one was a big-block Chevy, that looks like it is from the MPC '71-'72 Chevelle kits. All of the Firebird reissues from that point on had a different upholstery pattern from the earlier ones; more like the '68 annual kit (though not exactly like it).

Cox issued the Cheetah as a curbside kit also (no engine, but complete with wheels and tires). I've got a cleanly assembled one; bought it with the intention of rebuilding with more detail, but will probably keep it as-is.

The '59 Imperials (issued originally by SMP) were also issued as hardtop and convertible kits; only the Model King reissues include parts for both. The SMP '59 Impalas were similar: hardtop and convertible kits, both using the convertible body.

Pre-Ertl issues of the MPC '69 Camaro (including the annual) had the Firebird interior bucket too, though with a Camaro instrument panel. I'm pretty sure both annuals shared the optional turbine engine (that was a pretty obvious crib of the one in Jo-Han's Chrysler kit).

It should be a hardtop. The '65 Melrose Missile wasn't a Super Stock car very long; it soon became an altered-wheelbase F/X car, and later a roofless "roadster".

The engine pictured appears to be from a Jo-Han Olds 4-4-2. The Toronado and Eldorado engine is pretty much the same, except that the water pump/front cover piece is different, being squared off at the bottom because that's where the engine attaches to the chassis at the front. The block for the 4-4-2 should be notched at the bottom for an axle to pass through (unless it's from an annual kit with the funny car option, in which case the notches would be flashed over). The Toronado/Eldorado blocks have no notches.

MPC probably used the Pontiac engine to issue the kit as a '75 GTO. That would explain the shaker hood setup in the '75 (and '76) Ventura kits as well. Hurst built a prototype '75 Ventura/GTO, but apparently Pontiac turned thumbs down on it, because no others were built.

The MPC Novas have Pontiac engines in them. I just checked an MPC '78 Nova against a '77 Ventura; the bucket seat upholstery patterns are exactly the same. MPC took a slow-selling Ventura and converted it to a Nova.

I'd like to see a well-done ARDUN conversion. They've had two swings at it with the '50 Ford pickup, and whiffed both times.

I always tried to have little or no primer on any of the kitbashed/fabricated parts I used as masters. Nothing at all (primer, paint, plating) on parts that I was copying with no alterations. It isn't so much the plating as it is the lacquer undercoat that is applied in order to get the plating to bond to the plastic. That stuff can get thick, and tends to be even thicker in recesses or corners. Just get rid of it, and cast the part exactly as it was molded originally. I did cast a couple of bodies years ago, and that applied to those as well. A lot of guys creating a body or hood master will take three swipes at it with the sandpaper and start blasting several coats of primer onto it. They're only fooling themselves...the mold material will warm up just a bit during the curing process...just enough to shrink the primer and reveal a bunch of sanding scratches in the surfaces of the part, reproducing them in that mold (and every part cast from it). To this day, when I do bodywork, I apply primer with a brush only to the areas where work was done. The rattle can doesn't come out until bodywork is finished, and the painting process has begun.

I'd disagree...eBay has brought a lot of stuff out of attics and closets that might otherwise have hit dumpsters over the following years. When it comes to the parts auctions, I don't care to plow through a lot of that stuff, especially when the listing runs over and over. I've seen items that were listed continuously for two years or more. But the buyer determines what he/she is willing to pay, and if they want to even participate or not. These things are nice to have but aren't necessities.

When you make a mold of a painted or plated piece, you are casting parts with one or more layers of paint or plating built in. When you paint the castings or have them plated, you end up with a double layer. Better to start with a bare piece whenever possible.

I've never wrapped any of them, but there are some years where I'll call something a gift to myself. This year, I missed the first offering of lifetime Rodders' Journal subscriptions, but got one the second time around. After snagging the four issues I was missing earlier in the year at a very good price, I'm all set. I don't have a lot tied up in the first 67 issues (especially compared to others like me who didn't get in at the start), and won't need to spend another dime from here on out.

There was no '80 wagon kit. Only four wagons were issued ('77 in two different boxes, '78 annual, and "Pony" '79). The sedan ended with the '78 annual.

Hobby Lobby has, at times, taken the 40% off coupons on items that were 25% off. When they did, it was of course 40% off of the original price, not the discounted price. Other times they did not work it that way, the discount that was posted on the shelves was what prevailed. That's the way I'd interpret it anyway. I figure they do the 25% off the last couple of weeks before Christmas because they're getting the gift buyers during that time as opposed to the "regulars". I was in there just yesterday, to pick up a couple of gift cards. I spotted an AMT Firestone tire pack and decided to grab that. I noticed the checkout girl rang it up at regular price, and asked her if it shouldn't be 25% off. Her interpretation of the discount was that it only applied to the kits themselves, so I handed her the 40% off coupon which worked out better in this case.

As maddening as it is, it's just self-defense. The light may have just turned green, but if you proceed you might just get clipped be someone trying to get through the intersection under the yellow. That happened to my niece a few years back; she had the green, started into the intersection, and got slammed by someone trying to speed through a yellow that had turned red. I'm seeing people flat-out blowing through stop signs lately too; not even a token tap on the brake pedal to make the brake lights come on. You might be right, but that won't help you if you get hit; you're still dealing with insurance companies and possibly missing work. And the knucklehead that hits you probably has minimal insurance, if any at all. You've got to watch out for the idiots more and more. Leaving a couple of lengths in front when you are stopped at an intersection makes sense lately too. If you're within inches of the car ahead of you, and you get slammed from behind, you're going to get shoved into the car in front. That happened to me about twenty years ago, only I didn't hit the car in front of me because my daily drivers have manual transmissions. At every light, one foot on the clutch (down to the floor), the other firmly on the brake.

Ertl put the small-block engine back in for the first re-boxing they did, in the late Eighties. After they bought AMT in '82, for the first few years they kept some kits in production with the same boxes that Lesney or the original AMT company had used. For the '63 Corvette coupe, it was that 25th Anniversary box. AMT, Lesney, and Ertl used that box with numerous minor variations for close to fifteen years. When Ertl did finally change the box, they apparently opened up all of the blocked-off areas of the tool, putting the small-block engine back in.

I already have too many VW Type 1s in 1/24 and 1/25 scale...but, will be looking for one of these nevertheless...

They don't have to be finished. One guy I know keeps his rebuilders together, even with primer or stripped paint, sticks the bumpers on, and on the shelves they go. Because they're unfinished, they can sit out on a shelf as opposed to being inside a case. He's got boxes for each of them (whether they came with the car, or found separately) and the small parts go into them, along with any replacement parts, decals, instruction sheets, and customizing parts that go with each of them. I've got one cabinet similar to that, except I don't necessarily have the boxes to go with every car. Other cases include a couple of Timex watch store displays (the individual slots are sized right for 1/25 scale cars). One holds five cars, the other eight. I found those at flea markets, one was $5, the other was (I think) $15. Those are plastic, often they are dirty when you find them because they have probably already seen use by a flea market vendor after the store got rid of them. They polish up pretty nicely with some Novus plastic polish. Both of mine load from the back and have doors on the back. I've got a couple other store displays that I got from a guy who was supposed to scrap them. He asked me to obliterate the name on them so nobody sees it if I take one to a toy show; he still works at the place that made them. I researched the designer whose name is on them; she does high-end purses and gloves (these seem to be for gloves). These are pretty well made. I haven't used them yet because they are open at the back. I've got a couple of pieces of acrylic to close the backs of those, even have them marked for cutting, just have to get around to it. I've got hinges and clasps for them once the back pieces are done. These are pretty well made, so I'd like to spend a little time on them and make the add-ons with the same quality as the cases themselves. The big case is a 7' long glass/wood case from a candy store. As far as I can tell, it was made in the Twenties or Thirties locally. It has a thick glass top with scratches from people scraping coins on the glass over the years. I got some of the scratches out, then flipped the glass over. The felt that the glass rested on needed to be replaced anyway, so I did that while dealing with the glass. A retired glazier I know cut shelves for it using sections of broken/replaced storefront glass, the finished shelves have ground edges. I made brackets from extruded aluminum strip and angle, with pads from roofing rubber. Those big pieces of glass aren't always perfectly flat, so one or two pads needed an extra layer of rubber (about .045" thick) to let the glass sit flat. The shelves are half the length of the cabinet. The brackets are adjustable (extra holes) but even at half length the shelves are pretty heavy so I don't think I'll ever change them around. The sliding doors are at the back, and have mirrors in them. One mirror was cracked so I had a new piece cut to replace it. Not everyone has the space for something like that, but if you do, these things are out there. The bigger cabinets aren't in demand because fewer people have the space for them, and there's the hassle of moving them. I got mine because the guy who sold it to me couldn't maneuver it into his house. There are other possibilities too. A while back, I had a chance to snag a section of a Walmart jewelry/perfume counter (glass/metal); they were tearing up that part of the store and offered them for free. I didn't have anywhere to put it. Curio cabinets turn up at garage sales, as do gun cabinets (take out the gun rack and put shelves in, and change out the etched glass in the door for a plain piece). Over the summer, within walking distance of my house, I saw two decent size china cabinets at the curb. A couple of extra shelves added would have made either into a decent display case. I didn't need another one, and didn't have the room for it anyway...

The inclusion of two wire axles in the Impala is an error; you have to use the pins in front because there is no hole in the engine for the axle to pass through. Only the '57 Ford had such an arrangement (steerable front end with optional wire axle that eliminated the steering feature). Ertl deleted that option in the Ford about twenty years ago, filling the holes in the engine block halves and oil pan.

But, it's not enough. It's never enough.

For many years, the NFL has used LA as a bogeyman, in order to squeeze cities with existing franchises into building new arenas for those teams. "If we don't get a new stadium, we can't stay competitive, and might need to move...and, you know, Los Angeles doesn't have a team...". Now most franchises either have a new stadium, or one in the works, so that ploy isn't working anymore. Never mind that with the TV deals that are in place, they could let people into the stadium for free, and they'd still be making money...

The Modified Stocker revision butchered every major part in that kit. The chassis was gutted, the interior cut in half, and the body hacked up. I was surprised to see the reconstructed AMT/Ertl version when it first appeared in '84 or '85. Unfortunately the parts in the box didn't quite match up with the box art, which showed a built pre-Modified Stocker issue. The AMT/Ertl chassis plate and interior bucket were new tooling at the time, and aren't up to the originals. The restored body again isn't up to the earlier version, but if you ever get a look at the Modified Stocker body you'd cut Ertl a little slack on their effort. I did dig in and build that first AMT/Ertl version back then...molded in the roof, cleaned up the wheel openings and added wheel lip moldings, drilled out the crudely engraved headlamp detail and stuck in parts from another kit, filed off the molded-in windshield wiper detail (it was re-engraved putting the wipers below the windshield molding) and scratched some heavy-handed windshield wipers for it. Not a contest-level build by any means, but I was happy with it back then. Ertl later did another revision to the GTO, re-engraving the headlamps again (causing them to stick out because they cut further into the tool to do it), reworking the panel between the taillights on the rear bumper, and engraving better GTO emblems on the quarter panels (but in the wrong place; they are too high). If you are able to attend a couple of major model car shows a year, or check eBay, you should be able to turn up a built early issue kit with a usable body, interior bucket, and chassis. The newer kits have the smaller parts, which weren't messed with: engine, instrument panel, bucket seats, and other things. Of the nine Modified Stocker kits AMT issued in '71-'72, only the GTO has not been reissued in that form. It probably can't be changed back to that without a lot of work, and probably can't be issued as an improved stock version without a lot of work either.

The skirts may have been lost with the T-278 "Gasser" issue update from 1969 or 1970. The box for this issue read "1940 Ford Sedan Gasser", but this kit was not in the series with the cartoon style illustrations, nor did it include the drag strip starting line display base. Updates for this and subsequent issues included: Cragar S/S wheels replacing the Moon discs, unplated tube headers replacing the chrome ones, (probably) deletion of the skirts, and the addition of a hood scoop and grille filler piece. I've got the box for this issue but not the kit, and did manage to find the scoop and grille filler later. A cut line was not added to the underside of the hood(s) despite the inclusion of the scoop. I think the grille filler piece might actually be in the more recent kits like the Millennium issue, but I'm not 100% sure of that.