CapSat 6

The next thing I am going to work on is: developing a sci-fi TV Series or Movie that stars a '68 Coronet Super Bee, sponsored by Coke

Funny you mention the Dodge Pickup...I and a few other very vocal modelers had been stumping for that one on this and a few other web boards, and we heard "no, no, no!" many times. You're welcome. Now, I'm on the case for the '68 Super Bee.

I had always hoped that maybe Revell would have used the same master as their ‘69 Super Bee for a body, scale it down the 1/25, modify it into a ‘68, and mix in the chassis and drivetrain from their Charger kits. That could have been a great model. Now it seems Revell might not be in any shape to do that. I still think Round 2 could come up with a spin-off tool of their ‘70 Super Bee body & interior and modify that into a ‘68-‘69. They could even tool up one set of body sides (by not doing side turn signal detail, using decals instead, and keeping the ‘69 R/T body scoops separate) and one set of bumpers, they would just need to tool up new grilles, hoods, Interiors tubs and seats, taillights, front upper valences and separate tail panels for each year and model. They could use the same dashboard as the ‘70 kit, with the steering wheel from the AMT GTX/ Road Runner (I think this comes in the ‘70 box anyway). The chassis & drivetrains from the ‘70 Bee and GTX kits could be included, perhaps they would just tool up new air cleaners to represent what was available for specific models (a ‘68 383 Bee would be very nice). Maybe even a bench seat interior for the ‘68 ‘Bee. They might even be able to scan and reproduce these needed sections and parts from original kits in order to integrate them into the new kits, they would just have to work at getting them to fit.

Looking at what Round 2 is doing for their upcoming Vegas, I don't see the '68 Coronet as out of the realm of possibility. Round 2 seems to think the Vegas are worth the effort (I think they will sell pretty well). The '68 and '69 Coronets come up in discussions all the time as something many modelers really want, and the prices originals are going for right now seem to indicate some demand. IF Round 2 could take the basic '70 Coronet shell & interior tub, and create modified spinoff tools of both, they could for instance create '68 and '69 Coronet bodies and interiors again. They could make them so that they keep the basic proportions of the '70 Coronet body (which is excellent all over, but especially in the roof and door areas), and perhaps clone '68 and '69 Coronet bumpers, grilles and seats from original kits. Revell seems to have had the capability of copying and modifying a body tool, and still retain the ability to release the original body configuration if needed, so I don't see why this would be exceedingly difficult. They could make these so that they use the basic chassis and drive train from the '70 Coronet kit, which in the '90's when it was reintroduced, melded the best of both worlds- a vintage body with a (at the time, and it still holds up) state-of-the-art chassis. I think the engineering for about 65% of these kits is already there. While they are at it, they could improve the '69 Coronet grille, as the original MPC kit's grille was not exactly the best looking anyway. Put all of this in their excellent Retro boxes, and I think they would have very strong sellers. Dick Landy Super Stock options would be very nice, and perhaps the Ramcharger hood treatment for the '69. Also, they would have the opportunity to do a 1968 Super Bee which has never been offered in scale before. I don't think I have ever seen a resin body or even a conversion done by a modeler of a '68 Super Bee before.

I'd like to see either the '60's Dodge pickups, or perhaps they can start on '63-'65 Mopar B Body station wagons. They could probably use the same tool for the wagon body but change the front end pieces, dashboards & wheel covers. I think all of these Mopar station wagons were more or less the same from the cowl back. They could do drag cars, street toys, & trailer puller variants. Could you imagine a kit of a '65 Dodge Coronet Wagon, trailer, and '65 Dodge Coronet Super Stock all in one box???

I have an older version of the ESCI M1 (a race version). I think they did both race and street versions of this kit, so this latest release might be a street car. It has under-bonnet detail, and a separate engine (the rear hatch opens). it has lots of parts, detailed suspension & interior. The shapes looks right. I have not built mine, so I cannot say how the construction really is. The part details are a little plain and angular (no textures on carpeted or cast surfaces), but I think the textures can be added with paint, and I think the kit might be a good basis for a detailed build. I plan on swapping another BMW 6 into mine, probably from a Fujimi or Revell kit, and enhancing the engine details with better air horns for the intake. I also plan on swapping the wheels out for more detailed units. Mine will be built as a modified street car.

Also true, and I guess that was the point I was zeroing in on...although this kit does have an opening hood and a relatively large engine room, if it were me building it, I would probably just use the kit-supplied V-8, rather than spend the $$$ on a nice resin 6 that will be somewhat covered up anyway. I'd use that 6 in something weird, like a Sportsroof Mustang instead!

That's a good question. I drove two of these as work trucks, and both had V-8's. The 8's would have had more torque and allowed for more weight to be carried. I do know that one that I drove was a heavy duty chassis, and often carried pretty heavy loads (lots and lots of newspapers). I can attest to the fact that they were good running, comfortable trucks. There is the issue of getting the right 6. The standard engine would have been Ford's straight 6. You can find them in resin, but there is no current kit source that I know of for a Ford straight 6. I'd be more concerned with the hubcaps & the right tires. Most fleet and work trucks did not come with full / sport wheelcovers. Bill's caps are just the ticket for a good work truck build. I might have to build my old office.

Add a lower-profile hood scoop and you have a REAL winner there!!! I might have to build that one.

I don't think so...I will have to look at mine at home...I think it's made by First Gear or one of those other small-run non-mass-market Promo makers...

Here is that Demon drag package build: https://moparconnectionmagazine.com/gallery-what-might-have-been-tom-hoovers-super-stock-440-demon/ The original rendering used the Six pack hood, they used a Max Wedge style hood for the build form some reason. I do remember reading that Chrysler did air flow studies of all of their hood scoops, and found that the Six Pack was the most effective by far, since it rose the intakes above the boundary layer of "dirty" air just above the hood...so it stands to reason that they would have used the Six Pack on any drag specials after 1968...

I love questions like these. Are you thinking actual phantom study, or a street machine with these elements? I think these cars & kits are pretty overlooked. I have a secret project that I'm very psyched about (nothing like these three proposals) that I'm working on using one of these as we speak. #1 could be considered an early prototype of the AAR/ T/A package released in 1970. There are factory pics floating around of the Challenger proposal done up with all of the T/A gear, but no stripes, and little "V8" emblems on the fenders. I always thought that car looked cool. #2 is similar to something that was built in 1:1 a few years back. A builder found a real proposal that Tom Hoover made regarding an A Body drag special they wanted to create for 1971. It was to be based on the Duster/ Demon, and it was sort of like a '68 Hemi A body, but using a 440+6 drivetrain & Max Wedge heads. The thinking was that the proposed car could build awareness of Mopar's Drag program surrounding their big block engines. One Demon was built this way, following Tom Hoover's proposal; do a web search and you will find it. I think they even used a Six Pack hood for it. #3 might be the way to go. Sort of a mini-A12. That's my vote!

It's not too bad- it mostly builds a decent '69 Barracuda. They restored the Formula S emblems & turn signal indicators to the body. The mold is just kind of tired- the grille in later issues is a bit soft & sloppy. On top of that, the chassis is very simple, and has inaccurate front inner fenders, owing to it's early annual roots. The body & interior still aren't that bad. It takes a bit of work (a LOT of cutting), but putting the chassis & engine room (& perhaps that nice small block) from the AMT '71 Duster works wonders.

I have heard of grinding down the glue blob, and polishing the imperfection out, but replacement seems to be the way to go for badly glued glass. For less curvy-windows, some modelers cut thin acetate sheet to fit and install it by carefully super-gluing it in, starting with a corner, and having it bend to meet the window surround. This gives you a much more realistic looking, in-scale (less thick and distorted) window. I do know that painted windows can be chemically stripped of paint, much like other parts, with good results.

...and someone (or more) will build a 1:1 clone...and install red neon lights under the chassis for car shows...

You just won today's edition of the Modelcarsmag.com forum!!!

Now you know that this car will go to auction, bring the highest price paid for a Dodge ever, and then show up for Chryslers at Carlisle. I will not go to Carlisle that year.

It's great that this car is coming out. It really was one of the coolest race cars to come out of the '80's. Surprising that it was never kitted before- even with the Petty connection. I'm not even sure I want to build one, but for some reason, I want one. Revell even got around to doing the earlier "Squarebirds" and '87 style T-Birds, so I often wondered why this car was never done in scale before.

There you are I had sort of thought that you would see "specialists"- as in, casters that specialize in a given subject or make take over as far as casting replacement parts. A caster that prefers Oldsmobiles casting replacement Cutlass stuff, for instance. What's offered is often dictated by the caster's interests. Again, Hart's seems to be jumping into the Mopar Muscle void, but I have seen little else by way of replacement parts yet. The new trends among casters seem to be: custom engine parts, tires & wheels, & custom hoods. I am thinking of trying to cast some things I could use myself (valve covers, oil and transmission pans, hubcaps etc.) but I am limited to things that I can flat cast. I think the problem is that 2 part molds, while not impossible, are tricky for some people (even hoods would give me fits), and, the last time I attempted casting, I had a bear of a time casting anything that didn't have pinholes in it, or that cured completely. I'd love to cast a large supply of proper MPC '68-'69 Charger hoods, '69 annual grille inserts, and rear valence panels, along with the trans pan from either the Revell Dart or AMT '71 Charger. I think those Charger parts would go a long way towards improving the countless MPC '69 Charger reissues that are out there, as well as my own vast supply of these kits (I know - I have a problem!). The trans pans could be added to some of the earlier 727's that were kitted (the ones from the MPC '71-'74 Chargers, and MPC '70-'74 Cudas and Challengers come to mind). I wouldn't mind using these transmissions with a better pan on some builds rather than raid the Revell Dart and AMT Charger kits for their engines all the time. I just don't think you'll see anybody jump into the greater void that was left from the Modelhaus' exit. I think the prior generation of model hobbyist was more interested in restoring vintage 50's and 60's kits, and perhaps building them box stock. I think the newer participants in our hobby are more interested in building more contemporary subjects (that might be more widely available) and customizing / detailing them with custom parts, and the aftermarket is shifting to meet that new demand (in part because maybe the "old stuff" was less accessible and more expensive to begin with). There is nothing wrong with this, it's simply that times and tastes change.

Mostly yes, I will hesitate now, but to Snake's comments above, it depends on the car & the part(s) missing. I definitely hesitate now on older builts because of this. They are worth much less in my mind if they are missing critical pieces. Conversely, the values seem to have risen a bit because of the worth of the individual parts that are still there. I dislike having to buy a built just for a few parts. The 1:1 "Junkyard Rule" applies, as in: "any car you find in a junkyard with either have the same parts missing as the ones you need, or those mechanical parts that are present will be just as damaged or unusable as the ones you are trying to replace". There was a discussion on the Spotlight board about AMT '63-'65 Valiant kits. Mark (who also posts on this board) commented that the late Valiants are usually missing their rear bumpers and/or taillights. That is the absolute truth, you almost always find these with missing rear bumpers and taillights because those parts never installed very securely by design. Same with '68-'69 Coronets- they are almost always missing the front bumper, because that was always the first thing to fall off. The Modelhaus' catalog grew and evolved over the years, so that eventually, they did offer some things that I had to wonder if they were worth offering, as some parts were much more readily available than others. They sold radiator shells & firewalls for some of the MPC B Body Mopar kits for instance- which you could always scavenge from later issues of those kits. I guess they were trying to make their catalog all-inclusive, but to me, some of the things that they offered didn't really fill a great need, while for certain other things, they were the only source. If I happen by a '66 Fury and it's missing stuff, the only way I will be able to make it whole is to find another, or, somebody parting one out. I am looking for a '68 Coronet body with a nice rear clip (tail panel, quarters, trunklid). Mine was firecrackered (not by me). It would be really nice if I could find one with a squashed roof, carved up front end, etc. but with a nice rear clip. If I can manage to rescue that body, I would try to make a Super Bee out of it.

Brad- please post pics of this one as it progresses...it looks like it's gonna be one cool project! Don't worry about the body- there are still plenty of these Jo Han bodies out there. They're not exactly cheap anymore, but they are still definitely findable. On the plus side- your build is going to look great. The shape of that body is much better than the later AMT '69 GTX's, in my opinion.

Another thought I had in regards to the Daisy Jeep...AMT did a snap CJ-7 at one point. If the AMT snap tool can be used, maybe running that one with near-Daisy graphics might be worth their while. It might end up being a more accurate representation of Daisy's Jeep. That release would definitely fit in with their "run the same tools with new graphics" strategy- they could offer 3 sets of stock graphics, each in different colors...and a white with gold Jeep on the box somewhere. It would be the best release to "fly under the radar" as an unofficial Dukes release...as a Jeep CJ-7 is just a Jeep CJ-7. I would like to have one of these just because it would make a nice CJ-7 in 1/25 scale. Actually, I'd buy two and try to make a Scrambler out of them.

To the point that a "get-over" kit might be made, by rearranging or repurposing the graphics: sure- it can and has been done. I don't think Round 2 will ever do it for these subjects, however, for the following reasons: 1) one of Round 2's specialties is to get actual licensing and market those licensed products. It might be looked at as damaging to their brand if they decide to do an end run around a license that they used to have but no longer have. It might be perceived as unsavory to potential future licensing partners (including Warner Brothers, with whom Round 2 might have other deals in place for other properties, such as the Looney Tunes characters - Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, etc., and who in future might decide to allow licenses for Dukes stuff again). In short- they won't want to burn any potential partners. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. 2) Warners dropped the licenses just as the latest controversy with the "Stars and Bars" played out. Right or wrong (I won't render judgment on that issue), Round 2 still might not want to tie themselves to that controversy (right or wrong) just yet. 3) While the car model hobby has shrunk, Round 2 still does depend on what their largest buyers (hobby and chain stores) will accept, so refer again to #'s 1 and 2 above- for those reasons, they might not see the way to being able to making something marketable out of the "end-run" product to their pre-order buyers. All hope is not lost, though: 1) Warners and Round 2 could always decide to renew these licenses. They might have to change the packaging and graphics a little bit to de-emphasize certain elements, but both parties might see the value in going back to this particular well in regards to these items at some point in the future. 2) The decals needed for a General Lee build are available new from Slixx. Also, besides the numerous Lee releases available over the past 35 years (I dare you to try to not find one at your next model swap meet :)), Revell spoofed these graphics with their original release of their '69 Charger kit around 25 years ago- complete with Battle Flag decal. I probably have 3 sets of those decals in my stash. I don't think General Lee graphics will ever dry up. 3) Round 2 has already released the snap General Lee twice after the license expired, once as the "City Slicker", and once with Coca-Cola branding. It is essentially the same kit, but with different graphics. They also released the glue Lee as the "Country Charger"- again spoofing the decals of the original Lee (same numbers, like you say above). The Monaco police car has been put out twice since, first as the Joker/ Gotham car, then just recently as a California Highway Patrol car, now with improved parts. The crew at Round 2 are absolute masters at leveraging licensing. 4) eventually, Round 2 will realize that they can use that glue tool with different licenses: how about a "Death Proof" Charger (you probably get everything you need to build one right in any Lee box), or, by adding some of the custom parts from their Daytona and 500 releases back in- how about a "Ghost Rider/ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Charger? I could use a few more boxes for the collection- and those were two very cool movie/ T.V. cars! 5) The Jeep could easily be released as you say above- just be careful what you wish for- it's not entirely correct for Daisy's Jeep in 1:1. The roll bar isn't the right style, and, I'm not 100% sure about this, but, I think Daisy's was a 1978-ish CJ-7, while that kit is a '60's-ish CJ-5 that has been sort-of updated over the years. Still, that would sell, because- Jeep! 6) Cooter's pickup- yes, we would all like to see that one come back. Again- the first one was not entirely accurate. It used the tow bed and parts from MPC's 1969-ish annual kit, which is REALLY toy-like. I think there is a hot rumor that the pickup is returning as the Racer's Wedge later this year. They could probably still do a Cooter's release much like the original and sell a ton of them.

That's all great stuff- but that boom box is DA BOMB! You must build it and photograph it next to an 80's car ASAP!

While we're discussing the artistic merits (or lack thereof) of theming your vintage muscle car as a consumer product, I will lay this one down: - I knew of a guy who took his '79 Camaro Z-28, spray bombed it primer black, then added a graphics kit from one of those old Kyle Petty Mello Yello #42's. It was just as atrocious as it sounds. Was it worse that it was his sorta-beater-daily-driver, and not his high-buck restoration? I don't know. All I do know is that every time I saw that car, I died inside a little.