Mark

The MPC T-based buggy was not 1/20 scale. I've got that same catalog; the kit is listed as 1/25 scale, with a retail price of $2.25 (same as most other 1/25 scale MPC kits at that time). And, it was produced; MPC called it the "V-Rod". For reasons known only to someone at MPC, the "V-Rod" kit included a Corvair engine, and not the VW unit shown in the catalog...

From 1982: the ultimate conversion kit. Factory-built. Available in four versions: Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Buick, and Pontiac...

They're still around...only now they try to make a new Challenger look like a Barracuda, or make a new Camaro into a GTO Judge or a '69 Trans-Am. Great idea...spend thirty grand on a new car, then tack a bunch of fiberglass parts on it. And if any of them get damaged, you're locked in to one source for replacement parts, so you pay their price...if they are still around later. A while back, there was a conversion that was supposed to make an S-10 look like a '39 Studebaker pickup. But when you have to paint "39 Studebaker" on the front of the thing to tell people that's what it's supposed to be, then maybe the conversion isn't too convincing. There was one with a Deuce grille shell, that went on a VW Beetle. The '40 Ford nose is passable (a Chrysler Airflow would have been more so IMO) but a '32 Ford don't look anything like a VW. I've actually got one of those '49 Ford/Thunderbirds pretty far along, with a Revell '90 or '91 kit. At first, it was pretty close to the way the 1:1 conversion was done, but the '49-'51 hood rises up too much at the center to look right on the T-bird body. I did flatten the hood out, it looks better, but right now it's back in the box awaiting further inspiration. The T-Bird only cost me three bucks...

I can't take it seriously, if Comic Sans Font is involved in any way...

I don't think the surfer figures were around long originally. It would be interesting to know if a reissue on that one would be possible...

The surfer is simplified; it's a three piece figure. The only separate parts are the arms. With those, you get one surfer, and two boards, two pieces each (surfboard fin is separate).

Only the original annual kits (hardtop and convertible) and the 1968 reissue Daytona Sportsman include an engine and an opening hood. The Daytona Sportsman reissue can be built stock or custom. It was not altered from the annual except for the deletion of the working lights feature. The clear "light transfer" parts were still included. With the addition of two small bulbs and a battery box, the working light feature could be put back in. The 1971 issue Modified Stocker is based on the annual/Daytona Sportsman. The alterations made to create the Modified Stocker are extensive and most likely irreversible. The 1964 promotional models were produced from different tooling than was used for the kits, though many parts will interchange. The promotional model interior is simpler however, not having a separate rear seat like the full detail kits. The promo model was issued in unassembled form around 1967 as a Craftsman Series kit. The Blueprinter, Pro Shop, Millennium Series, and Model King '64 Galaxie kits are all based on the promo model. Being based on a promotional, it has no engine, opening hood, or optional parts. After the Blueprinter issue but before the Pro Shop issue, the Galaxie was issued as a pre-assembled "retro promo". A number of changes were made, and several parts were retooled, most notably the wheel covers. Model King commissioned reissues of both '64 Galaxies: the stock-only ex-promotional, and the Modified Stocker. The Modified Stocker has a number of parts "unblocked" in the tooling that were not included in its first issue (because the Modified Stocker did not need them). These include the stock air cleaner, stock oil pan, and stock wheel covers. The Modified Stocker reissue has the molded-in stock dual exhaust restored to the chassis also. This was done when AMT/Ertl first reissued the '63 Galaxie in the mid-Eighties (apparently the '63 and '64 used the same piece, and the exhaust was needed for the stock '63). If you want chassis and engine detail that is like that in the annual kits, the Modified Stocker reissue has all of the parts plus the stock wheel covers from the annual kit. If you want upgraded detail, you may want to go with the chassis and engine from the newer '60 Starliner kit and make the changes needed to correct the differences between '60 and '64.

All of the recent reissues have the same parts, the "original box art" coupe included. That one was commissioned by the same guy who sold the "jalopy" issue coupe and Victoria, neither of which included the racing parts shown on the box art cars. The "original box art" issue coupe box shows the car with cycle fenders and full Moon disc wheel covers. The side panel shows the fender brackets, but not the fenders, because the brackets are in the box. RC2 didn't help that guy by dumping coupe kits to Walmart at the same time he was trying to sell his private issue kits. The WM issue was something like $6.77, the private label kits were three times that. The only differences were the box and decals...

You will never see them anywhere near $15 from a mail order place, that would be way below their cost to the distributors. None of the dealers that carried these kits ever stocked so many of them, that they would be left with a huge overstock. The stores that carried them in my area never had more than one or two of any version. They wouldn't order more until the ones in stock were sold. The high price was probably the reason for that. I bought the stock hardtop (first variation issued), and was disappointed in it so I didn't get any of the others. These kits just didn't sell well enough; the high price combined with the shortcomings did them in. Had they been the same quality as a Revell or Moebius kit, the price might have been an irritant but they would have sold in spite of that. Had they been what they are, but priced in line with Revell or AMT, the accuracy issues would have bothered people but they would have done better. The accuracy issues and the price point together were too much to overcome.

The makers of the reproduction bodies should theoretically be willing to sell the data they have gathered, providing it would not be used to create products that compete directly with what they are selling. A model car or diecast would certainly fall into that category. On the other hand, once that data leaves their posession, it could then be provided to others, who could then use it to make cheaper "knockoff" products (like patch panels) that would cut into the sales of their reproduction parts. I would bet that they would not risk that happening, and safeguard their business by not allowing anyone else access to that information.

Ex-IMC kit, 1/20 scale.

Those were offered between 1962 and 1965-66. There were four: the two Deuces, the '25 T double kit, and the '36 Ford coupe/roadster. I believe the '32 Vicky was issued first, in '62. The dealer issue may have appeared before the kit was available in stores. The roadster was next. It is the Sport Roadster with the sidemount spare tires. Some revisions were made to this kit after its first issue (mainly to the optional parts), I believe this dealer issue was the first to include the revisions. Oddly, for a Ford promotional issue, the optional engine is a Chrysler 392. Next up was the double T kit. Again, it was revised from its first issue. The coupe body has the stock height roof. The parts configuration is similar to that of the Round 2 reissue with the stock height coupe body. The '36 Ford was last. My kit has a decal sheet with a 10/65 date on the back. This kit is similar to the first issue '36 with the chopped coupe roof, except the optional Pontiac engine is not included. I'm pretty certain that the '61 Imperial headlight units (for the custom version) are gone too. Considering how old these issues are, they aren't as tough to find as are other issues of the same kits. The Vicky and double T seem to be the "most common", with the roadster being next, and the '36 being the toughest one to find. Your experience may vary, however...

The AMT-boxed Hornet funny car is a '73. (The rear of the '73 and '74 differ.) It's the only Jo-Han AMC Hornet that AMT sold. Jo-Han produced annual kits (funny car version only) from 1970 through 1973, and did offer it with the '74 body towards the end of the Seventies. The '74 body funny car is probably the toughest one to find; it wasn't around long. Other AMT-boxed Jo-Han kits include Olds Toronados ('67, '68, and '70), Olds 4-4-2 ('69 in one box, '70 in two different boxes), two-seater AMX ('68 in one box, '69 and '70 in two boxes for each year). (Jo-Han did not offer the AMX kits in its own packaging alongside AMT.) AMT also sold the '71 Mark Donohue Trans-Am Javelin/AMX, the stock '74 Javelin/AMX, '72 Torino NASCAR version, '70 Challenger funny car, and '72 Maverick pro stock. The AMT/Jo-Han deal started in late '66 with the '67 Toronado, and I believe the Maverick was the last kit offered under the arrangement. Nobody has ever written about this that I'm aware of; it would be interesting to know who set the deal up, who chose the items that AMT would have access to, and why the deal ended.

The Ivo Showboat kit is copyrighted 1963 per the original box and instruction sheet. Ads in CAR MODEL Magazine would seem to support this. The kit probably came out after Ivo quit driving it (he seldom drove it anyway).

Revell wouldn't have done it because they'd have looked at it as being "too similar" to the Challenger I. There are stories of a couple of Ed Roth cars that were rejected by Revell because they were "too similar" to existing kits. With LSR/Bonneville stuff, you're catering to a small group of fans. I'm surprised Revell even did the Challenger...

The frame is molded in two pieces, with half of each tubular crossmember molded as part of each frame half. They taper ever-so-slightly. Assemble the frame halves, then you might consider cutting the crossmembers out one by one and replacing with round styrene rod. Doing them one at a time keeps the frame square and in alignment. This is a good idea for the early issue Revell funny car chassis also (funnies issued in the last few years have an easier-to-assemble one-piece frame, but the old one is actually better if you don't mind a little filing and trimming). The two-piece rear tires are workable, the front ones aren't so hot unless you have an early kit. The engine is a bit undersize, but that's probably so everything fits under the stock hood as it did in the 1:1 sedan. Revell had to deal with thicker-than-scale hood panels; had they been made to scale they would be paper-thin. John Buttera was a master at packaging everything in the 1:1 sedan that he built for his wife to drive. As for the engine being short, a lot of work was done on the 1:1 mill to shorten it up so as to fit under the hood. The pulleys, accessories, and water pump were all considerably massaged to save space.

I'd like to see Revell tool up some new Super Trick wheels for the 1/25 scale funnies. The original ones only bear a slight resemblance to the 1:1 parts...

The MPC kit is an '82, not that it makes much of a difference. Their "1983" annual was the 1982 Indy 500 pace car. They were usually a year behind with pace cars, because the Speedway announced the choice well after the annual kits were issued for a given model year...

No single piece in either of the aircraft kits is anywhere near as complicated as the one-piece Charger body. The airplane wings, and even the fuselage halves, are molded using relatively simple tooling compared to what is needed for a one-piece car body.

I've got the Open Road Mini Motor Home, original Rescue Van, and '73 drag van annual kit. All three have separate hoods. Two have broken cowls, which led me to scare up a couple more of the early bodies (with the separate side panel inserts). Those have separate hoods too. The firewall in the Dirty Donny kit still has the notches where the original hood's vestigal "hinges" fit. I believe the hood was tooled into the body at the same time that the separate side panels were eliminated, which was for the Kandy-Van/Nirvana custom issues. Recently, I built one of the Dirty Donny van kits. Among other modifications, I opened the hood. You can barely see the front of the engine, let alone the wiring. I won't glue the hoods shut on any of the early issue kits that I might build, but on the other hand I won't cut another later kit to get the opening hood. If I build any of the other customs (Sun Chaser, Xtasy, Foxy Box) those will probably get dark interiors and smoke-tint glass to keep things simple...

The trunk lid center "ridge" was a mid-'71 change. Cars newly constructed for the '72 season would probably have it, while teams stretching '71 cars into the '72 season might overlook the change. The MPC kit parts don't fit all that well, so it's not surprising that resin kits based on it are also tough to get together. MPC didn't get the front wheel openings right either. I found out about the poor fit while reworking a '76 Dart body to accept some resin front end parts copied from the MPC Demon kit. From a resin kit that I bought second-hand (don't know who made it), as of now all I'm using is the taillight panel (cut from the body) and the front bumper/grille (and I might set that aside in favor of a Modelhaus part, as I did with the hood and front pan).

One other thing: in the earlier (pre-Round 2) versions, the Pontiac kit did not include vent window "glass". The current issue has vent panes added to the windshield.

This issue contains parts to build both the stock and custom versions. Two sets of wheels and tires (and two slicks), stock and custom grilles, stock and custom interior parts. The kit was designed with two versions that were originally sold separately, like the '60 Ford hardtop. Like that kit, both versions are offered together in the current issue.

Revell is smart in not dropping all of the variations of a particular kit at the same time. If they did, a lot of modelers would choose between one version and another. The later variations refresh peoples' interest in a kit, and sales numbers for the variation probably approach the numbers for the first version (while not costing as much as an all-new kit). They might even sell a few more of the first version, for parts swapping and kitbashing.

The week after Christmas, model kits were 25% off. They had the Revell '57 kit in, so I grabbed one. I didn't think they would let me use the 40% off coupon, but they did. They didn't give me both discounts (the 40% off was from the non-sale price), but I never expected that. But, using the coupon gave me the larger discount of the two.