CapSat 6

The MPC Monza wasn’t so bad...last seen as the “Pro Street Monza”, it had similar IMSA flares, and other custom goodies. You could still build a stock-ish Monza, too - I think the only things for a stock build the last MPC issue didn’t have were stock wheels and tires. The only downside to the MPC Monza was that the rear axle was molded in to the chassis. Round 2 reissued their AMT Monza back about a year ago...maybe that will scratch your itch? Or maybe Round 2 will also run the MPC version, much like they did with the AMT and MPC Pacers?

Here’s a buy it now for just the interior set up from an original Lee. This seller also has the roll cage listed seperately: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F112982062331

I was able to zoom the picture of the bagged parts- it looks like a tunnel back rear window. In any case, I'm fairly certain that any of these molded in white are the latest version, last available just a few years ago. I think all of the white Lees came with the tunnel back body, so it would be a bit better than any of the older issues. Most likely no banjo 4-spoke steering wheel, though...

Molded in white would make it fairly recent. Most until very recently were molded in orange. Does the box bottom show the contents in silhouette? If so, then it's likely from 2011 or later. Also, a big tell would be the back window- tunnel back style or flat glass? If it's a tunnel back, it's one of the more recent versions.

Here's my vote...keep it as it is. These kits are pretty plentiful. Build another one, but keep this one as your personal modeling history. When I was about 17, I built up my ideal Charger street machine. I kept it together for awhile and eventually ripped it down because I wasn't happy with it anymore, using everything for other builds. I want to recreate that original build soon, although as a better build, using the skills I have developed in the meantime. I used an original MPC Dukes Charger as a base, painted it Testors bright yellow (it was the '80's after all), used a resin cast '68 Coronet grille in order to better convert it into a Charger 500. It had Centerline wheels, fat tires in the back, a chin spoiler, headers, a Six Pack scoop, and a fat black Daytona style bumble bee stripe. I wouldn't do a Charger quite like that now as my tastes have changed, but I really wish I still had that personal slice of the '80's.

That. Is. Awesome.

Those wheels would have originally been sourced from the old MPC Jeepster Annual (1968?-1970?) kits. The kit wheels did not have the Dodge "Fratzog" in the center caps, they would have been blank. I don't think they originally ever came with any Mopar kit, although hubcaps like those appeared to be optional on many 1:1 1966-67-ish cars: Dodge, Plymouth, Chevrolet, Ford, Jeep, maybe some others. I believe the only ones I have ever seen made in resin (with the Fratzog) were made by a caster named John Heyer, out of Staten Island, NY. He did a lot of Dodge Coronet & Charger parts for the old MPC kits at one point. That was a LONG time (early 1990's?) ago.

Yes- the Daytona bodies I have seen have revised front fender openings, to clear the wide stock car tires in those kits. It makes sense that perhaps the fender openings were restored for the General Lee kits, but the trim was not.

Correct- that, too! Such a weird miss that I missed it here, too! I do remember painting the front fender moldings on freehand on a few builds in the 80's!

Mark is correct- the only issue of the General Lee to have that 4 spoke steering wheel is the original MPC issue, from around 1979. They were widely available, and there are still tons of them on the collector's market. I think that steering wheel was actually the racing steering wheel from the original MPC 1968-70 Charger annuals. I never cared for it. I might have a few if you want them, just let me know. The other unique features & parts from the first issue of the General Lee: - "Racing" interior. This was a "stripped" interior bucket with a funky "fiberglass" texture all over it. It was originally used in the old MPC K & K Insurance NASCAR Daytona. Thankfully, they put the stock interior back in further issues of the kit (MPC Charger 500 from around 1987, Daytona from around 1989, all future General Lees, Fast & Furious cars after that had the stock interior). - "Racing" body. The original MPC General Lee had a body that had no wipers or cowl vents, a 500 (flat) rear window, 3 hood pins on the hood, two hood pins on the trunk (which the real General Lees never had in any form), no emblems or trim moldings except for the window moldings. The hood was a 1970 / Daytona style hood, last seen in the K & K Daytona. Only the first issue Charger 500 from 1987 had the correct 1969-style hood. The 1968-69 and Daytona-70 hoods differ greatly in the shapes of the hood depressions. Hood and trunk pins disappeared after the MPC General Lee issue, and cowl vents were added back onto the body (poorly). After converting this body back from a Daytona (last seen in 1971, as the Richard Brooks car), they redid the front corners of the fenders back to stock 1969-style, but it wasn't a first rate job, and that funkiness still persists with the current issues of this tool. The door scoops were also restored back from having the 1970 style scoop covers, and they never looked right after that, either. So even those original MPC General Lees made a poor replica of the car as seen on TV, as the TV cars had mostly stock interiors, and mostly stock bodies. The early MPC kits still make a decent basis for a race car. I last picked one up as a built (no paint) for $4 at the Philly NNL.

Absolutely- YES! What are they thinking???

Regardless, I would really like one of these. It looks great! I’m hoping for a ‘71 like was mentioned before, preferably so I can make a ‘70 out of if.

I thought from what I read of the auction was that the Ford interior was being supplied, and a ‘68 Chrysler 300 style chassis? The firewall definitely looks like the one from the ‘68 300 or ‘68 Fury Cop Car. In any case, if it’s the ‘68 300 Chassis, it will be somewhat correct, if very basic. I would think the builder would be better off using the chassis (or two) from a Revell ‘68-‘70 Charger or AMT ‘71 Charger and modifying to suit.

Sorry to see you go, Dave- especially tough because you’re one of the Good Guys. I looked forward to maybe getting one of my Mad Max builds off the ground someday and maybe showing it off to ya. Best of luck, ENJOY your time, and if conditions permit, don’t be a stranger!

Another one in PA with a good selection (all new stuff, though) is Modelbahn Ott in Boyertown, PA. All of the actual hobby stores we used to have are folding up, unfortunately.

If you want to venture into PA, there is Nicholas Smith Trains and Hobbies. They’re in Newtown Square, PA. Large selection of auto kits. Mostly new stuff, but a few older (last 5 or so years) releases are there, too. Staff is nice, it’s a large store with toys, slot cars, Lego, some die casts, and a huge Train section upstairs.

The AMT kit is a revised old (circa 1968) MPC kit that has elements to the body that just do not fit too well, along with the fact that since it was originally engineered in the late 60's, it just does not compare, detail-wise to the Revell kit. It's been revised over-and-over, first being the annual kits for 1968-1970, then revised to a NASCAR kit, back to sort of stock as the General Lee, and then as a Daytona / Charger 500, etc. My guess is that it's actually the most revised model tool in existence. The Revell kit in any form is a much better build than the AMT kit. You can't go wrong with any boxing of the Revell kit. The Pro Modeler kit comes with optional 'NASCAR replica" parts as Dave notes above, meaning they could either be used to build a street "tribute" NASCAR-styled car, or they could be used to get to get you started towards building a NASCAR replica. It's actually a neat set of parts, but you can't build an accurate NASCAR racer from the box by any stretch. It's also been reboxed a few times without the Pro Modeler stuff- essentially offering a very nice 440-powered stock Daytona. Quality and accuracy of the stock version of Revell's Daytona are very high.

One question in my mind is: what is their goal? Are they looking to flip the company for a fast buck, or are they really going to put effort into making the company competitive? I’m tending toward the latter, as it seems to me the “investment group” approach of turning the company for a fast buck seems to be more of an American thing. So- if they are looking to put an honest effort into the model business, then of course they will see what they have, do some rigorous analysis as to the existing market, etc. I see that perhaps under new management, the new subjects they choose to do might skew less towards what we have traditionally seen. Still- they have a vast bank of tools that reflect American Car Culture, which also has great appeal worldwide. I can’t help but thinking that once they come to the US to see what they have, they might realize that their tooling inventory is very large, and that it might make business sense to keep at least some production in the US. I don’t know for sure, but my guess is that some of the tooling is in China and some of it is here. I can only imagine how much they really have, when you factor in Airplane, military and auto kits. I can’t imagine they would want to pay to ship it all to Europe. They might yet end up setting up some operations here as a result.

Yikes! Yes, they had the wrong grille inserts, hoods, and the first version of that kit was more “Stock Car” than street car. Probably up to 1,350,000 sets now!!!

Also, you might get part of the way with getting an old AMT 1/16 Pontiac Grand Prix stock car (Petty or Lake Speed / Nationwide) kit. You could use the wheels, shifter, some other bits from that kit in a street build. Sometimes those kits come up relatively cheaply on the auction site, especially as builds or partial builts, although the parts in those kits are not especially detailed...

I got a Tremec 5 speed from Shapeways in 1:16 with the Firebird kit in mind...also, some shifters, seats, carbs, EFI throttle bodies, other things are available there, right up to SB and BB Chevy engines if you are so inclined. Not much at all in regards to wheels and tires though...

Yes, the new snap Charger comes with ‘71 style grille inserts. By my count, there are about 450,000 MPC and AMT 1969 Charger kits that need correct grille inserts and hoods (the hood in the glue kit is a ‘70 Charger piece, and has been since the original Dukes days, the snap kit at least shows a better, more “69-ish” hood)... ...hey, maybe Round 2 could tool up correct 1969 grille inserts and hoods, and offer them as a parts pack!

The manufacturers have been pushing trucks and SUV’s for many years now, because they are more profitable than lower priced sedans and economy cars. The markup by percentage is greater the higher in price point you go, and of course that’s a greater percentage of a higher price. You hear all the time things like: “Americans prefer SUV’s and trucks, so it doesn’t pay to build or stock standard sedans”. Well, the manufacturers have been doing their part to condition their buyers. Even back in 1996 when I sold cars very briefly, the store where I worked stocked something like 40 Jeep Cherokees, 30 Grand Cherokees, but only maybe 5 Cirrus, 1 LHS, 2 Eagle Visions, 2 Breezes and 5 Neons. They were only going to stock what was hot of course, but also, that meant that your selection in standard cars was wanting. You would think that they would have stocked more of the cheaper cars, but that’s not how it worked. Also, it would have served them better to move people who were looking for cheaper cars into used cars, because the margins were MUCH higher on used cars at the time (think 4% on a Neon at sticker vs. 20-40% on a given used car). I will say that I have not been in the car sales business for a long time, so some things may have changed, but I still can’t see the incentive the manufacturers have in offering standard sedans vs. SUV’s and pickups these days. Also, it does seem that there are always deep discount deals on trucks, I saw an ad this morning for around $10k off of the sticker price of a GMC Pickup. I think that’s about the standard thing...which in effect sets the “real” price for pickups. I would definitely shop around when buying a pickup, get the newspaper, shop for the best deal. The dealers all know that everybody is going to shop around these days and the smart ones will try to make a good deal for you. I’d hate to think of the hit you take on depreciation on a new pickup, considering the seemingly “standard” discount that seems to be the norm now...

Missing Link does the '75-'76 Fury grille.

And has nobody yet mentioned the bare (no caps or trim rings) Chevy Rally wheels from the MPC 1975 Corvette? They look really good and are a super-cool addition to the parts box...