Mark

IF the clear piece is correct for (fits) the body, the only issue it could be from would be the mid-Eighties MPC "Duster Street Machine". Though called a Duster, it was still the '75-'76 Dart. MPC had a nasty habit of using that dark tint clear in the early Eighties, in some annual kits as well as reissues like the '67 GTO. But I parted out a few of those "Duster Dart" kits back when they were cheap and easy to get (engine and chassis was carried over from earlier MPC Duster annuals) and don't recall any of mine having tinted windows. I still have a couple of parts kits hanging around, I'll have to check those.

Is it a very dark tint? Someone may have swapped the window unit that came in the kit for one from an Eighties issue MPC kit. Neither of the Round 2 issue kits ('75 or '75) had anything but clear windows. Only one piece per kit, no "choice of clear or tinted clear" as in some other kits.

Looks like AMT. Some of the add-on parts look like they are carried over from the recent Surf Shark version. The AMT version started out as the Ecto 1A (second of the original films). By altering it, Round 2 keeps the Polar Lights version intact. Most offshoot products like video games use the first version vehicle, so keeping that one intact would seem to be the thing to do.

Test first (as with anything you have not tried before), but I'd try acrylic. The solvents in lacquer or enamel are probably mingling with one or more components of the vinyl that the tire is made of.

The original Jo-Han '64 Dodge was a Polara, with side trim. There was also a 1965 reissue which also had the trim. The only difference was that the annual kits had the wedge engine while the '65 reissue (hardtop only, no convertible) had the 426 Hemi. There was also a 98-cent stock-only convertible kit (there may have been a hardtop also) but don't worry about tripping over any of those, they are seldom seen. The Lindberg underbody should fit the Jo-Han body. The rear wheel tubs are wider than stock, and the Lindberg kits have the wrong rear axle for 1964. The Jo-Han glass is thinner than any of the Lindberg parts, and will fit better. I tried the bumpers, I believe they will fit but again the Jo-Han stuff is better.

The Coca-Cola version of the Chevy pickup is molded in red. The Racer's Wedge version is all white. Ironically, the original MPC '71 Wedge kit was molded in red except for the ramp body which was white. So, by combining the two current issues you could piece one together with the same combination of red and white parts as the original.

AMT '65 Olds 88.

Any method of payment that involves gift cards, or PayPal "friends and family" (cheaper/free, but no possibility of a refund) should be a tipoff for anybody. And if you propose a legit payment method, and the "seller" balks at it, there's another red flag.

The original annual versions aren't easy to find now. I don't think those set the world on fire sales-wise back then, as (for model builders) the fastback was the thing...the convertible and coupe didn't matter for too many people. I had a '70 kit, got a great trade offer that involved it so I let it go, bought another to replace it only to find that it really didn't do anything for me. So the second one went down the road too. I don't know what alterations were made to it to create the funny car body, as I never had one of those. But if Atlantis has the tooling for that Mustang, it will of course be for the funny car version. If indeed they have it, I'm betting we will see it once Atlantis cuts a licensing deal with Ford.

No. The Classic Cruiser is based on the old Monogram Little Deuce, which didn't have a separate frame (it was molded as a unit with the fenders). So that kit can't be built as a fenderless car without a bunch of work. It's also 1/24 scale while the newer highway kit is 1/25.

Wood stain won't work on plastic. There are techniques for simulating a wood finish on plastic, none of those I'm aware of use wood stain as part of the process.

I wonder if a '69 Cougar windshield might work. I already need a windshield for a Mach Won body that I want to use for a pro stock conversion, but hadn't thought about the Cougar until now.

If anyone goes this year, could you please post the results (was there a show; if so, how many vendors). I never got table info or paperwork, and didn't get a response to an e-mail regarding that...

AMT '69 and '70 interior buckets are the same, detail-wise. The mounting setup at the back was changed but the part from one will fit the other. The '70 body was indeed updated from the AMT '69 annual, with the interior left alone except for the change in how it attaches to the body at the back. I get to eat crow on this one...pass the ketchup. So the '69 body and interior carried over to '70, body being updated of course. That makes the (status unknown as of now) '69 longnose body unique tooling, but made to accept the AMT '69 exterior trim pieces. '69 and '70 stock chassis are different, with the '70 piece carried over to '71-'73 with some alterations. Since the longnose and Mach Won used the same funny car chassis (with different length side pieces), both had the same plated trees for the most part. Neither Mach Won kit that I have is mint in box, but it is likely that both could have had some '69 exterior trim items on a chrome tree. Those wanting to convert the Mach Won body to '69 spec can probably get there by piecing in sections from the front and rear of the ex-MPC '69, so the grille and bumpers from it will fit.

Well, not having received any paperwork for show tables, and not having gotten a reply to an e-mail sent to someone listed on the flier for the spring show, the contingent of three from my area won't be making the trek this year. If things change, one or more of us might pick up where we left off next year.

AMT '69 and '70 Mustangs were entirely different kits; body, chassis, everything. The '69 body probably got reworked into the longnose as that body uses the '69 stock trim pieces. Both it and the Mach Won were both available at the same time for at least one year, so each would have had its own body.

Mach Won body has all stock Mach 1 trim, same as the annual kit, and also came with stock bumpers. The grille filler shown on the box was an option.

Only the GT included photoetch trim pieces.

He hasn't got a finger to pull, which makes it more difficult to deal with.

I've got one of those Petty Plymouth kits in yellow also. That little streak in the lower right corner of the artwork (under the front bumper) read "molded in Petty Blue" on the earliest examples but was soon blanked out. Does that one have two-piece tires and plastic rod axles? Again, only the earliest ones (that issue first appeared in 1972) had hollow, one-piece tires and wire axles. The $1.73 price tag would seem to point to an early one.

Shaking isn't enough in cases where the paint has been sitting for very long. Stirring is better, and you want a stirring utensil that gets into everywhere within the bottle or jar. After breaking up the clumps and maybe adding a touch of thinner, you can then give it a shake to finish things off.

There is only one body for both kits. The previous issue of the Cobra used the GT body, the instructions mentioned having to remove the trim.

Hobby shops specializing in radio control should also have micro balloons, should you have any locally and want them ASAP.

Most pinstriping tape is on the thick side. For masking, you want thin tape. When thick tape is used, the second color builds up against the thickness of the tape itself, causing the rough edges you see after it is removed.

Any word on this year's fall show?