CapSat 6

For the rig tractor, you could use the Lindberg Dodge L-700 (fairly commonly found)...

In 1/25 scale, commonly available: Revell 1970 Hemi 'Cuda Revell 1970 Charger R/T Revell 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T or T/A AMT 1970 Coronet Dodge Super Bee Lindberg A-100 Pickup (I think these were sold in 1970, and looked much like this kit). 1/24 Scale, commonly available: Revell 1970 'Cuda AAR Revell 1970 Road Runner Revell 1970 GTX (older, hasn't been out in some time but can still be found pretty easily) Revell Challenger T/A Revell 1970 Superbird 1/25 Scale, resin or conversion: 1970 Duster grille, for AMT 1971 Duster 340 kit- available through Hart's Parts or Mustang_Mom on eBay 1970 Chrysler 300 - offered through Mustang_Mom on eBay 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger - several casters offer/ offered resin Swinger bodies to be used with Revell's '68 or '69 Dodge Dart GTS kits 1970 Road Runner (Southern Motorsport Hobbies) 1970 Coronet R/T conversion pieces for the AMT Super Bee (Hart's Parts or Mustang_Mom on eBay) 1970 Coronet 4-door (Modelhaus - not in production) 1970 Dodge Pickup (Modelhaus, Mustang_Mom, others. I'm not sure who does a '70 specifically; and they all seem to be sort of expensive) 1/25 scale, rare annual kits: MPC: 1970 Charger, 1970 Super Bee (same body as the AMT), 1970 Barracuda/ 'Cuda, 1970 Challenger. Jo Han: 1970 Road Runner, 1970 GTX Jo Han 1970 Superbird (it's been reissued many times over the years, somewhat commonly available, and not too expensive when found). Have I missed anything?

To some extent, advertising is supposed to be a little grandiose :). If you're not gonna hype your product, then who will? Still- if they're using Cartograf decals, then their description is not too far off the mark. Cartograf decals are top shelf. It shows that they are going to some effort. I do like NASCAR cars from this era- when cars were cars, so to speak - real production sheetmetal. I'll need one because it will exist now. I'm glad I didn't get rid of my Jo Han snapper (or did I?), I could use that for the interior and chassis of a more streetified build. Hoping for the best, a new company doing anything for us is good news. I'm waiting to see the actual kit. I'm not 100% sure the sample pictures represent the actual item. There is the bumper issue, and also, those wheels look a great deal like the old MPC stock car 5 slots to my eye. Still- if the prototype is pieced together from existing sources, you can't blame them for getting something together for pics that sourced pre-existing parts. I think the other kit manufacturers have done this kind of thing from time to time. So for now- I'd like to show some love - at least until proven otherwise. Staying optimistic. Maybe they'll eventually do a Petty Magnum...

Here are my 3...probably not completely outside the realm of possibility for Hasegawa...

OK- I'm gonna complain: we need another Mopar Wagon- the '60 Plymouth and 2005 Dodge Magnum are simply not enough. There are a few out there in resin ('69 Dodge Coronet, '67 Plymouth Belvedere, some assorted '62-'65 B-Body wagons, and the Modelhaus used to do some late 50's-early 60's DeSotos, Plymouths, Dodges and Chryslers), but I think we need another in plastic. A '65 Plymouth would be a great candidate to do. Also- an Olds Vista Cruiser ('68-72) would be nice...the one from "That '70's Show", with phantom "442" parts, would be perfect.

I think both the MPC and Monogram Mustangs from this era became later Mustangs. The MPC was last reissued about 15 years ago, as an ‘88. I had several of the MPC kits- many of these came with both a Turbo 4 and a 5.0 V8 as building options. Spoilers and lower skirts were usually separate add on pieces to the body (at least until ‘87-‘88: I remember those kits having lower skirts that were part of the body casting). The details were there in the MPC kits, the weak spot was probably the tires (early ‘70’s Polyglas GT’s for the earlier ones, chunky BFG Radial GT’s for the later ones). The Monogram kits were a little simpler, but still looked right to me. It might just come down to which scale you want to build in, availability, & cost. The MPC kits might just give you a little more parts swapping potential since they’re 1/25, but I think you couldn’t go wrong with the Monogram kits, either.

Nice Magnum! I had mine in Philly- went through two winters with it. With traction control and modern tires, these cars are worlds better than old rear wheel drive cars in the snow. I hand my Challenger off to my wife every morning for work, it gets driven in anything. It’s still no K-Car or 4 wheel drive in the snow, but you can still get by, assuming there isn’t more snow on the ground than can be cleared by the suspension.

This one is at the Simeone Foundation Museum in Philadelphia. When I was there, they were offering raffle tickets for $25 each for rides in this car! The Simeone is the site of the upcoming Philly NNL.

Photographic evidence :

The best? At what? I have to agree that new cars are getting better and better at being all around good. Every newer car I have had has been pretty decent. The only “new” ones that were problematic were: 1) my 2005 Dodge Magnum SXT - at 18K miles, the electronics melted down. The dealer I took it to confirmed that those cars didn’t usually have the problems I was having, just MINE was. Chrysler bought it back, and gave me compensation (for a new Chrysler product) that was more than fair for it. Other than that, I really liked that car and I wish that Chrysler still made them. It was a great highway car, roomy and stable at speed, rock-solid ride. 2) my 1997 Dodge Intrepid (3.5l) had a transmission failure at 48k- I suspect because the transmission was serviced a little before that, using a “new” machine the dealer had that pushed all of the old tans fluid out of the car before they changed it. I’m not too crazy about the notion of pushing that stuff through the transmission, just let it drain like we have for the past 60 years! Other than that, it was fairly reliable until about 120k miles, then the nickels and dimes started flying. 3) my 1985 BMW 325e- this car was dead-reliable for about 80,000 miles, it’s just that by the time I bought it (at about 95k), the trip computer, speedometer, and some of the other switches weren’t working, and at the time, expensive to replace. More of the electronics eventually went south as time wore on...but it was still a reliable and fun driver. Now the best awards: Best snow cruiser: any K car. I’ll bet nobody expected to see a K car in this thread. I lived in a hilly part of icy, snowy Philadelphia- and these cars (‘82 2.6 - otherwise a real chunk, ‘86 2.5- much improved over the ‘82, and a good friend’s ‘92 Daytona 2.5) never got stuck in anything. You did not need 4 wheel drive with these cars, the only advantage you might have had with a 4x4 was ground clearance. Best performance car (that I ever owned): 1974 Plymouth Barracuda. This car was a mutt- swapped-in 360, Holley 4 bbl, Torqueflite, 3.91 gears in an 8-3/4 rear. This car was a beast, pure and simple. I changed the headers out (Flowtech Terminators) for stock ‘70 340 exhaust manifolds and instantly regretted it. Still a beast after that, just a little less so. Best vintage car: 1971 Plymouth Satellite Sebring Plus. I owned this one before the ‘Cuda. The ‘Cuda was a 2nd/ fun car, the SSP was my college driver. It was fairly dependable, stylish, roomy, cool. Having the ‘Cuda after this just made me realize that I like B Bodies better. Best car, overall: my current 2010 Challenger Rallye. It’s mechanically similar to my Magnum- 3.5l, by with a 5 speed auto instead of a 4 speed, and a little more power. I don’t want to jinx anything except to say that I just crossed 100k with this car, owned from new, and it’s been reliable, just as great a highway car as the Magnum, and it’s a head turner. It’s no beast, but I could still run away from my friend’s 2010 Hemi Charger RT on the highway, to his great surprise. The only thing I’m not too happy with is that some rust is developing in front of each rear wheelhouse. This is evidently a problem with all Challengers, as when they were built, the factory sprayed some foam into the rockers back there that retains moisture. I will eventually cut that out and pull all of the foam out. I could see keeping this car for a long time, making it a hot rod project (maybe a 4.0l engine with headers & dual exhausts eventually?).

Casey, do you have the same refrigerator that I have in my basement?

Makes sense! I didn't even know about those cars until relatively recently. It would be neat to have a Colombian Dodge Polara GTX in kit form, that was a related car. There's probably a pricey 1/43 out there somewhere, I don't need one that badly!

Hmmm...the T.J. Hooker kit was the Dodge Monaco the first time around, molded in black. I had one, I still have the box. I would not be surprised if they used the Dodges on that show, either. I think the show aired some time in the early 80's (probably when both agencies were using Dodge St. Regis / Plymouth Gran Furies or Dodge Diplomats). My understanding is that the studios had a vast supply of the '77-'78 Dodges and Plymouths, and they weren't too picky about make for a given production. Me growing up in Philly, I only remember these cars from TV. Philadelphia P.D. used full sized Plymouth Gran Fury C bodies in the late '70's, then later (briefly), Chrysler Newports (the St. Regis clone), & Ford Fairmonts, and then eventually moving onto the Plymouth Gran Fury (Diplomat-style). Something to do with their contract bids, Philly P.D. always used Plymouths, except for a few Dodge Ramchargers. It seemed like most suburban agencies outside of Philly used Chevy Caprices during that era. The CHP and LAPD probably had similar arrangements to Philly, their suppliers being exclusively one make, probably through a few select dealerships who handled the bids & delivery.

I think Round 2 is missing the boat a little with some of their tools...they could put the Monaco in a repop of the old "T.J. Hooker" box, I think that would be a seller. It would essentially be an LAPD car from that era. They could try a "Hunter" box. That was a cool show. "Build Hunter's unmarked car or a fully marked and equipped Police car." I'd probably buy one of those, too. Or maybe they could do what Jo Han did with their '68 Fury kit- offer decals from 4 (or more) agencies in one box, and maybe dig up that sweet lightbar that was only seen in the "Force 440" two door...

I think the Goon Car that was shown on screen was an AMC Ambassador or something. I'm too lazy to look, but I'm sure it's easily verified online somewhere. They put the Goon Car out as a two option kit - to be built either as a Goon Car or Gotham City P.D. car. My recollection is that the Gotham PD cars in that movie (c 1989) were 1980 Volares. Highly doubtful that AMT/ MPC ERTL would have tooled up a 4 door AMC Ambassador or Volare 4 door at that time (or even now), so taking the Monaco off the shelf sort of fit the need. I really wish they would replace the wheels and tires with something more sensible. In the last issue of the Roscoe Coltrane Dukes' car, they called the tires & wheels "Country Crusier" wheels or some such nonsense. A new steering wheel would be nice, too. I don't think there is a 4 door Cop Car in any universe that ever got a Tuff Wheel from the factory. On the Goon Car box side (first issue), the pictures of the built up car showed another steering wheel, like the one from the old MPC Dodge Pickup and Van kits, but the kit still came with the Tuff Wheel.

You could build either the Charger from "Death Proof" or from "Drive Angry". You might not even have to paint it! I don't know why Round 2 didn't just get that licensing and put them in movie tie-in boxes, since even the wheels you need for either movie car are in there. I have expressed my unexplainable infatuation for this particular kit tool before. Sure, it's been through the ringer. And- yes also, if you want to build a NICE '69 Charger, just buy the Revell kit. I really can't blame anybody for being grossed out by the contents of this one. I just wish Round 2 would have found the correct hood (last seen in the 1986-ish era MPC Charger 500), better grille inserts (we have been getting incorrect '72's since the original Dukes Charger issued around 1979, so if you have an MPC '72 where they are missing- then, good news!), and maybe fixed that truly nasty rear valence.

Here’s why you have to go to the Philly NNL, being held at the Simeone Foundation Museum. These were pics snapped on a demonstration day, where they got out and ran their D Type. After the demo, they opened it up and allowed us to get right up close to the car...

With a little trimming, the AMT chassis still should work. I wouldn't be as concerned with the wheelbase as I would be with the way the firewall, quarter floors, and radiator surround fit the body. I think the Jo han body will be slightly smaller in these areas. If I were concerned about the 1:1 1" difference in wheelbase, I would probably just either adjust the rear axle forward 1", or cut 1 scale inch out of the chassis pan in the middle, and rejoin it (really, just a tiny bit in scale - two or three swipes of a razor saw at most). As long as the wheels are centered within the wheel arches as they should be, you will be ok. I think the benefits of gaining much more detail by using the AMT chassis rather than the Jo Han one outweigh the trimming you would need to do, but it will be your model, after all. I have a few Jo Han '69's and my plan is to use the AMT chassis whenever possible. None of these bodies are known for being 100% true to scale. If you start measuring them, I think you will find that most of them are off a little bit from where they should be. Rumor has it most of the Jo Han kits were slightly underscale, but they always seemed to more or less match up to the corresponding MPC Dodges to my eye, although I have never put a ruler to them to see. The Jo Han and MPC bodies look good to my eye and I don't want to ruin that! :)

Keep looking for a project. The reissues of the ‘69 Jo Han Road Runner had the wrong interior anyway (the ‘70 Superbird’s). If you ever score a body set up, check out Hart’s Parts, he does a ton of ‘69 Road Runner and GTX stuff. Keep looking, you might get lucky and find a partial built or project for less than crazy money. From there, throw the chassis from an AMT ‘68 Road Runner/ ‘69 GTX or ‘70 Super Bee under it. You gain a lot of detail that way.

True story- I DID ride in the back of a Subaru Brat once. ONCE! I was something like 13 years old. A friend of mine had a Dad that was into esoteric Japanese built cars back then. He had an Isuzu Trooper, a Subaru 4x4 wagon, and at one point, he had a Brat. One Saturday, we decided to go to a mall about 12 miles away. Mark (the dad) decided we would take his new Brat. His wife was going too, so that meant... Walt (the friend) and I would ride in the back. In those jumpseats. I think there were seatbelts, I don’t remember. In a serious wreck, I doubt they would have done any good anyway. The ride was partially on 55 MPH divided highway. And- oh yeah- it rained. I mean- it was a torrential downpour! When we got to the mall, Walt and I were completely soaked, but at least we were still alive.

That’s just about the reverse of what I was suggesting- and the right way to go if you want to build a nice GL. Slixx does the decals, and Fireball Modelworks does a nice set of wheels and tires. That would leave you with the cage and push bar, which could be scratchbuilt. You could probably scare up a CB radio and antenna from almost any 70’s era kit (like the recent MPC reissues of the AMC Pacer, Chevy Nova and Plymouth Volare).

I did get promo engine inserts, promo wheels & rear bumpers from the Modelhaus some time ago, eventually, I’m going to do phantom 500 and Daytona promos. I can’t afford to get into the promo game, but when I compete them, I’ll have two really cool ones.

X2. I should have stocked up on those ‘69 hoods!!!

That’s what I’m hoping. The last time we saw the 500, it was during that period of terribly misleading box art. The box art build for the 500 was red, with steel wheels and dog dish wheelcovers (which, surprise-surprise- were not in the box)... It would be nice if they at least located the correct hood for another 500 issue, and maybe gave it the retro-phantom box treatment. Maybe something stock-car themed, or even include decals for the Propane X Charger 500 drag car. Round 2 is very good at this kind of thing, it could happen!