Mark

There are certain kits that I collect, and have every issue of (AMT '59 El Camino for example). But for some reason I've been picking up early issue MPC '75-'76 Dart Sport kits whenever I have seen them. The recent reissues are still in good shape, I have one of each. I guess that keeps prices down on earlier issue kits. I bought one as a donor kit for a pro stock Demon resin body, but wound up cutting the taillight panel out of the resin body and grafting it into the Dart body. I've got front wheel openings from an LA Dart body to graft in (the resin body was a copy of an original Demon, and the Duster wheel openings weren’t corrected). I'll wait for the new Demon kit and use that one as a guide to tying up the loose ends on the conversion. Pre-Round 2 reissue Darts (often called Dusters on the box) have the molded-in exhaust pipes removed from the chassis (Round 2 put them back). And these kits have some of the engine parts from the pro stock issues. The engines and chassis can be used in rebuilding annual kits, as can the glass.

I have heard from someone who sells model car kits, that the Atlantis car kits compiled from the Revell parts packs haven't been setting the world on fire. It seems that even some of us old guys haven't put two and two together yet to figure out that the Atlantis kits are indeed the old Revell parts packs. Atlantis should think about putting photos of the parts trees on the boxes in order to tap people on the shoulder regarding this.

You'll have to rework one of the available kit grilles, or scratch one. Nobody will do an aftermarket part for a kit that hasn't been produced for 55-plus years. In my own long ago experience, demand for an aftermarket conversion or part dropped to near zero when the base kit wasn't readily available.

Back when the original AMT used the T prefix numbers on car kits, some numbers were applied to multiple kits, though in all probability not to two at the same time. That's likely the case with the two Monogram kits. The Cop Out Duster was in Monogram's catalog, and on K-Mart store shelves, for a bunch of years. It probably got renumbered more than once along the way.

From what I have seen, the body/chassis pieces look to be thicker than the Piranha chassis tubes. If I ever did one of those, I'd probably extend the Piranha chassis at the back, and move the pivot point back to let the body lift up higher. Too, I'd probably want some sort of interior "tin" in the body, and maybe some other touches to make the thing more integrated overall.

The Studebaker has not been reissued as the funny car version. The stock Studebaker has been reissued, as has the Piranha. The body-to-chassis connecting pieces unique to the funny car would have to be fabricated.

The Atlantis kit pictured has artwork depicting a different truck from what is actually in the box. The kit is closer to the Chevrolet equivalent of the GMC stake truck (third of the first three trucks pictured).

There was a fourth Model King issue of the Falcon, can't remember what car it was. More recently it is in the Round 2 reissue drag team set.

The Falcon and Mustang chassis are similar but not the same. Chevelle, Olds F-85 roadster, and Edsel used one chassis. Nova and Tempest used another chassis. Barracuda and Corvair (not pictured) shared another.

I recall the stock car transporters as being based on an earlier moving van trailer, with some added interior parts. Including the moving van trailer to widen your search should turn up more available kits, and possibly at a lower price too.

Plastic pins securing the chassis plate = definite X-EL. $15 is a great deal, maybe think about picking up a lottery ticket--

Ertl wrecked their Fiero with the conversion to the '88, as the suspension is now all wrong. For '88, GM dumped the parts bin setup (Chevette front, X-car front end in back) and did a redesign. Then, at years' end, they dropped the car. Those windowed C-pillars made it seem as though GM was trying to make the Fiero look like a Honda CR-X. Now, if Revell were to convert the Monogram '85 into an '84 Indy pace car, that might be worthwhile.

MPC early Eighties kits in general were known for bad tire burn, especially those with the BFG Radial T/A tires which were first used in some '82 annual kits.

Most early Sixties Revell car kits were packaged inside a sealed bag inside the box, instruction sheet included. So the '56 Ford pickup is correct. I believe the tires and red lenses may be in another bag together, inside the bigger one. One of the '56 pickups I have was packaged that way. If so, the red lenses are probably toast. Some Revell items were shrinkwrapped on the outside, including early Custom Car Parts packs (parts were wrapped to a hanging card) and their '62 Chrysler Corporation car kits (the first versions, not the Metalflake versions--those were bagged same as the Ford pickup, tri-Five Chevy kits, etc). AMT bagging unplated parts inside the box started with the 1969 annual kits and was phased in on Trophy Series and other kits. In the early/mid Seventies they also bagged plated trees in a more cellophane-type of material. I'm not certain about when MPC started. Jo-Han never bagged anything until SeVille took over in the early Nineties. AMT-packaged Jo-Han kits (late 1966 through 1974-75) weren't bagged either, as those were produced and packed by Jo-Han.

MPC was usually a year behind with funny car and pro stock kits back then. The Muldowney Plymouth was issued after the '73 annual kits so it used the '73 body. The '72 body was in use in the Richard Petty NASCAR kit around that time. Round 2 has the luxury of nearly fifty years' hindsight now.

All except the red stock-only issue have duals. The original issue of yours is the only one with custom headliner detail, clear red taillights, and thin white line US Royal tires. Unfortunately the last two items were bagged together...

The Roth version of the '56 pickup definitely does not include the single exhaust parts. It's strange in that Revell took the trouble to put the stock wheels in, but chose to include the engine and exhaust parts from the street machine version. That one was more like the original issue, not 100% stock but "near stock" with reversed wheels, dual exhaust, and a T-Bird intake setup. Roth bought his '56 pickup brand new and didn’t own it very long, he never messed with it other than the paint work and tonneau cover. The only issue of the Revell '56 pickup with the single exhaust parts will be the 100% stock one that was molded in red.

If you like squirrels being squirrels, check out YouTube. People build nesting boxes with cameras inside, and they seem to prefer using the boxes much of the time. It's insane how small and helpless they are at birth, and how they grow so fast. Ten weeks or so from birth, they're pretty much ready to set out on their own.

Those are for the '60 Ford. "352" round decals are for the valve covers.

In many areas they have rid themselves of the actual lines (they have in my area), so maintaining those is no longer an issue. They're just going to squeeze as much as they can get out of the remaining people who still want a phone in the house.

I've got a squirrel drey in one of the tall trees at the back of my yard. I don't know how many occupants it has, but while I was mowing the lawn one was leaping from tree to tree, pretty high up. They're gathering and stashing food for winter, so that one has been really busy lately.

Probably the ex-Styline kit that Round 2 has issued once before.

The Land Rover being the "short" one might have something to do with no reissues, though you'd think Revell of Germany would have had that out at some point. With the new one they have, now there's no need for the Monogram one. Maybe Atlantis has it, in which case licensing might be a thing. With that probably being the only such item they have, it probably isn't a high priority for them right now. Other Monogram kits never reissued could include the Uncertain T and Futurista. Both appeared in two boxes each, but were in continuous production so they could be considered one issue with a rebox along the way.

The Monaco body was heavily modified to produce the Magnum GT II kit. That kit has a different interior, so no telling if it was new or altered from the original unit. The underbody parts are pretty much unchanged though. I'm surprised the Magnum never resurfaced after it's only issue. MPC had a habit of bringing things like that back in the Eighties.

If you are using thin wood for decorative purposes, like boat decking or interior paneling in a van, with super glue it can be tough to avoid the glue bleeding through to the outer surface...just something to think about.