garagepunk66

I'm actually not arguing that at all. In fact, that would be along the path I would choose to take for myself in building this kit. However, the hobby is filled with people of different levels of expectations and budgets. It's important that people know if there are multiple routes of achieving a means to an end. If someone were wanting to recreate the look, and the spirit, of having an MPC 68 GTO annual on the shelf, but on a "beer" budget, the 72 kit would provide all of the parts necessary to build a "faux-vivor", and there's nothing wrong with that kind of build if someone wants to go that route. That's really all I'm getting at.

I simply mentioned the 72 GTO kit because it is a "shotgun" approach to sourcing all of the missing parts to make the kit full detail with the least amount of re-engineering. The 72's chassis could even be used if a separate rear axle was desired. Certainly the 69 442 chassis is a better piece, but then again, to use it, you need to purchase another donor kit for the engine

Are there not complete 72 GTO donor kits available from literally every reseller for stupid cheap money?

I have suggested this solution previously as well and I believe that it ticks all the right boxes. It doesn't overlap with the current 1/20 scale 1970 AMX, chassis and engine is improved over the old Jo-Han offering, the whole intellectual property argument is solved, and it gives us a 69 AMX in 1/25 scale. The 1/20 Ford Econoline is begging for the same treatment too

No, the Glidden Pinto was an MPC kit. Prior to 1988, AMT and MPC were separate, and competing companies

The overly simplistic shape of the shock towers and the lack of engraving of features on the inner fender aprons of the newer generation Fairlane/Cyclone kits have also always been a point of contention for me, particularly in light that these panels are molded as separate parts, which would have made it lots easier to add that detail. Ironically the 66-67 Fairlane annuals did a better job of representing these features than this kit developed in the 1990's.

3D printed copies of the Parts Packs motorcycles would be welcomed too.

An essential piece of equipment in recreating an accurate A/Modified Production Hemi A-body or E-body

With Steve mentioning in another thread that more mid-60's GM intermediates (A-bodies) were a part of his cloning program, and already pretty far along in development, I would not be surprised to see one of those projects next. Though I am largely a Ford guy and I would love a 67 Galaxie, I would roll the dice on a Craftsman Plus 64 Malibu or another 64 Chevelle/El Camino variant arriving first. Perhaps the 66 Buick Skylark GS after that.

I would be in line for one or two of these kits as chassis upgrades for the AMT/SMP 59 Imperial and, if Atlantis decides to bring back to us the Revell 62 Imperial annual, would be a lot nicer piece than the kit parts, in spite of being curbside in nature.

... and a Chassis Research TE-440 with the "pillion" front end (basically a hollow steel tube filled with "rubber doughnuts", rumored to be radiator support bushings for GM X-frame cars). The NHRA took a dim view to this feature, as they felt it was too close, functionally speaking, to a solidly mounted front axle. This is very much like a real one that I owned as a roller in the early 90's, but that one had been updated to a Ford style buggy spring per NHRA mandate

The DD frame seems to be somewhat of a composite between the Fuller and Fenn designs. The x-brace behind the driver and the more upright angle of the "dogsled" hoops are pure Fuller, but the main frame rails made from one large diameter tube and much smaller diameter trusswork is Chassis Research style all the way. The dogsled tubes are considerably more laid down on the Chassis Research cars (causing lots of future NHRA safety concerns), and the back brace tubing was configured unusually as well. I'm not certain that an accurate Chassis TE-440 or TE-448 has ever been produced in scale. Picture of a 1960 TE-448 for comparison

I'm very happy to finally see the "dogsled" style Parts Pack dragster frame being properly identified properly as a Kent Fuller chassis, and not a (Scotty Fenn) Chassis Research chassis. Tommy Ivo was a steady customer for Fuller from 1958 onward. Ivo's second, 1959 era, Chrysler powered, single engined car (the first Buick single engine car being sold to Prudhomme) is pictured below. This car is probably the most representative of the Parts Pack frame, though I would bet not many were built with the Ford buggy spring style front end. Fuller was an early proponent of the single VW torsion bar front suspension that would grace some of the most beautiful open wheel drag cars of the 1960's and 1970's. The absolute best donor kit to reach for pretty much all the chassis bits is the 22jr Model T bodied dragster in the Tony Nancy Double Dragster set, as that was a Fuller car built in 1963. Though you would have to scratch-build a torsion tube to mount to the front to accommodate the front end bits.

The only woeful thing about the Jo-Han Maverick kit, aside from the wear and tear the tooling ultimately took, is the promo style chassis. Everything else is first rate. The Boss 429 engine is better than anything AMT or MPC ever offered, and the kit is a plethora of early pro-stock parts, including nice representations of Fenton mags. The interior presents very well too.

The body tooling for the AWB funny car body already exists. The "hanger shot" that AMT/Round 2 uses to identify the tool has been shown in several threads, including the ones for the current kit.

Oh heck yes!

I believe all you have listed there have at least a fighting chance (with the possibile exception of the 67 Bonneville), with most being knock-it-out-of-the-park foregone conclusions. Other, very obvious choices for cloning 67-68 Cougar. Lots of pent up demand for that one. 66 Skylark is similarly a no brainer 71 Firebird Formula 400 61-63 Ford F100 60 Chevy wagon Craftsman Plus 59 Galaxie Craftsman Plus 58 Fairlane 500 Craftsman Plus 60-62 round body Falcon sedans, wagons and 63 Falcon Sprint Craftsman Plus 66-69 Falcon Futura 66 Comet Cyclone GT Craftsman Plus 64-65 Barracuda 67 Barracuda annual 71 Roadrunner or GTX 68-69 Grand Prix Touch Tone Terror Dodge A-100 (clone the missing TTT parts) ... which also brings me to my picks for "spinoffs" 65 442 68 Tempest with OHC 6 option 64 or 65 F-85 wagon 65 Tempest wagon 68-70 Coronet wagons 68-69 Belvedere/Satellite wagons 67 Fairlane GT/GTA kit variant from current kit tooling 68 442 kit variant from current tooling ....and some "out there" picks (cloned) Aurora 1934 Ford 5 window coupe (Polar Lights Retro Deluxe boxing) Aurora Racing Scenes - re-scaled and cloned to 1/25 (not so crazy, as part of the series has already been done with the AMT Garage Scenes parts packs) MPC 70 AMX re-scaled and cloned to 1/25 MPC 68 Econoline re-scaled and cloned to 1/25 (this could be a real coup)

If Round2's recent cloned curbsides are any indication, it will already have an opening hood and will later be offered as a full detail in annual type format

Hoping for an optional exposed headlamp grille in the 68 GTO kit

Barris did very little in building the XR-6. LeRoi "Tex" Smith built the frame, running gear and suspension, as an ongoing magazine project car for Hot Rod. Steve Swaja designed the body, which Jack Hagemann and Gene Winfield made the aluminum panels for it. Barris' shop finessed it together, but his involvement was only dictated by AMT, as they partly funded construction of the car

The basic issue seems to be that the front fenders ahead of the wheel opening hang too low, and the front body filler below the grille is similarly too tall, and the grille/headlights too squat. In fact I have compared the grille to the rough Jo-Han 70 GTX promo I have, and save for the grille being too wide, it measures 1/25 in height. That is only one of the glaring proportional issues with the kit. After 38 years we really deserve a proper, new tool 1970 Roadrunner or GTX that can match the proportional accuracy of the Jo-Han body

Actually the Torino's 429 has one glaring problem.... There's a weird thing going on with the cylinder bank offset, so the two cylinder heads are unequal in length! Worse yet, neither head will fit the far superior Jo-Han Boss 429 block. I hope they do better should they kit a big block variation in the future

Looks like maybe a Clutch-Turbo 400

I also have big problems with the execution of the grille, headlamps, the shape of the grille opening and leading edge of the hood. The overall effect is too flat as viewed from the top. The grille almost then seems too flush as a result and from straight on front view, the bottom of the hood that forms the opening is too arched. The headlights are also too large, and too close together

These are really, really nice builds of these kits. Just beautiful