Dave Darby

That's why I put Implement in quotes. I know they aren't actual implement tires, that's just what most people refer to them as. Regardless, I've never seen any with whitewalls, and it just makes it look like someone didn't know what they were doing. Kinda like the amateurish graphics on the box art. Case in point; it's so bad that a lot of people didn't even believe the 57 Ford Gasser was real box art. It's not as bad as that scary LSD trip stuff RC2 was doing around 2006 or whenever, but it still isn't very good. (And my apologies if anyone here on this board did that work. It's just constructive criticism.) Anyway, I see a lot of old school goodness in that parts inventory.

That "ding" is a hole for the crank. (Cars came a equipped with cranks up through the 1940's just in case of dead batteries.) Some cars even later. I had a 1966 Datsun pickup with a hole for a crank, and slots in the crankshaft pulley bolt for one.

Well, since I am Facebook friends with one of the guys who builds box art stuff for Revell, I am now prepared to eat my words. I saw pics of the build used for the box. Robert Gluckman, who also used to build for AMT/Ertl built it. It's legit. I still think the sedan would have made more sense, but I'll probably still buy a couple. I'd still never sit a 56 body on that frame tho. If I wanted a 56 Gasser, I'd just borrow the suspension.

I agree, plus, Skill Level 7? I don't think so. Doesn't even look like Revell/Monogram Skill Level logo artwork, which is round.

56 Ford used a totally different (straighter) chassis with more in common with the 1949 Ford. 57 used the cow belly frame that lasted through 1964. That gasser version does a good job of pointing up how Revell screwed up the front fenders. The bumper splash pan should wrap around, and the front fenders should end (not go lower than) even with the bottom of the grille. Odd they didn't base that kit off of the sedan. (Which also still has the same faults.)

OK, so apparently my reading glasses need glasses. Now we can all get back to griping about the firewall and the top insert. (Just kidding). This one's for you, Tim.

I would tend to agree with you Tim, but this photo isn't blurry, and it clearly shows only 7. (Unless two are Siamesed? - Still not good) Won't stop me from picking one up, but if the one I buy has only 7 towers, I will grumble...

I refer to the ones on the front as Halibrand Kidney Beans. Love those wheels.

From what I have seen, the AMT Duster is the simplist (same wheelbase in real life), while the Revell Dart chassis/engine compartment is probably the most accurate (but will need to be shortened). I'm thinking the extra wheelbase and chassis length are probably just ahead of the rear wheels tho. Not at the front. In fact, I will guarantee it. After all, the later big bumper Darts (1974-up) used the 67-69 Dart fenders with a 69 Barracuda hood.

I'm sure that when the budget permits, they will. Give them time, they just bought the company from Learning Curve a while back, and they are a shoe string operation.

AMT Round2 has a 67 Shelby kit (or you could look up its sister kit, the 67 Mustang, and slide the chassis/engine compartment bits from one of these under to make a full detail model, like you have in mind. it's funny, you know, that back when I was young, a model kit was more of a starting point for something else, not an end point. We NEVER EVER built one straight out of the box. Ever. We kit bashed and tweeked, and made every one unique. When I built a custom, my motto was - if you could tell what I started with, I wasn't finished. I remember back in Jr High Art class, when we were allowed to pick our own project, having to convince my art teacher to let me build a model, because he equated it to putting a puzzle together. And it seems more and more, with today's more detailed kits that aren't as receptive to kit-bashing, that this is the direction we are going. But I digress, Anyway, model kits are like a box of chocolates, so to speak. There will always be some that rise above your expectations, and some that disappoint you. But in the end, it's all about what what you make of what's in that box. I built the Vette you see below from the MPC Streaker Vette when I was 16. Google Streaker Vette if you want to see what I started with.

I guess we have you to thank then!

Thanks for posting, Colby. I too find it a little odd they didn't include the Hemi heads, but I still wouldn't consider it a poor quality kit. I don't see any flawed workmanship, and it looks exactly like a 1969 Barracuda. Yes it has the promo based chassis per 1960s tech, but combined with the AMT 71 Duster, you could have a very accurate 1969 Barracuda. One of the things I like about these older designs is that it is very easy to change the stance, without a bunch or re-engineering. Plus they go together quickly and look good on the shelf. BTW, anybody know if the "Bacaruda" decal is a carryover from the original issue decal sheet? Hopefully an intentional miss-spelling.... If the lobby of the hobby gets any in, I'll burn a 40 percent coupon on one.

Curious to see what's new and back in the box. Here is the description from the site, but I wanna see pics. MPC’s 1969 Barracuda kit receives a long overdue retro packaging facelift with a combination of vintage and new illustrations! They convey some restored parts once again included in the kit along with an added bonus set of vintage mags. 1/25 scale, skill 2 Molded in white 383 cu. in. motor Many optional custom and racing parts – seats, front grilles and more Bonus set of vintage-style custom mags Large full color decal sheet Vintage Retro Deluxe™ packaging MPC’s 1969 Barracuda kit receives a long overdue retro packaging facelift with a combination of vintage and new illustrations! They convey some restored parts once again included in the kit along with an added bonus set of vintage mags. 1/25 scale, skill 2Molded in white383 cu. in. motorMany optional custom and racing parts – seats, front grilles and moreBonus set of vintage-style custom magsLarge full color decal sheetVintage Retro Deluxe™ packagingMPC’s 1969 Barracuda kit receives a long overdue retro packaging facelift with a combination of vintage and new illustrations! They convey some restored parts once again included in the kit along with an added bonus set of vintage mags. 1/25 scale, skill 2Molded in white383 cu. in. motorMany optional custom and racing parts – seats, front grilles and moreBonus set of vintage-style custom magsLarge full color decal sheetVintage Retro Deluxe™ packagingMPC’s 1969 Barracuda kit receives a long overdue retro packaging facelift with a combination of vintage and new illustrations! They convey some restored parts once again included in the kit along with an added bonus set of vintage mags. 1/25 scale, skill 2Molded in white383 cu. in. motorMany optional custom and racing parts – seats, front grilles and moreBonus set of vintage-style custom magsLarge full color decal sheetVintage Retro Deluxe™ packaging

Here's one more, an AMT 57 Skyliner Conversion I did back 1990///

AMT 1956 T Bird, with goodies from the 57 T Bird, and 40 Ford. We'll compare that to this blast from the past. I built this MPC 1976 Monza as a 15 year old back in 1976....

They COULD put a disclaimer on the side of the box like Revell did back in the 1970s when they re-issued the 57 Ranchero, 59 Skyliner, and the 1960 (really a 59) Corvette with their multi piece bodies: "IMPORTANT: As one of Revell's earliest designed, fully detailed car models, this kit is engineered differently than models of today. This kit contains the original multi-piece body panels that require assembly before attaching to chassis." Funny how none of the later re-issues carried this disclaimer. And nobody seemed to complain either. Would still like to see those come back. Especially the Ranchero with the cool custom bits and gorgeous box art (1960 issue) by Jack Leynnwood. OK, back to Round2. Bring on all that old curbside stuff!

OK, here is the history of the current 66 Mustang kit and its connection to the Mach1/Autolite Special/Superstang/Iron Horse kit according to Mark B, who has to be the all time king of model kit history. For the original post, just do a search for " AMT Iron Horse." This explains when the dual exhaust happened (Iron Horse). And now that I have seen all of the parts to the Sonny & Cher kit, I know the Rader Space Age Wire Look mags (Mark refers to them as Appliance Wire Mags) date back to the S&C kit as well. From Mark (Talking about the Iron Horse, but also peripherally about the 1966 Mustang): There were four issues of the custom fastback: Mach I concept: issued 1967 (though the box art resembles the '68 annual kits). The chassis and engine are from the Sonny & Cher Mustang kit, a custom-only '66 convertible itself made from the annual kit. (There were two AMT '66 Mustang annual kits: the fastback, and a convertible with separate glue-on roof with vinyl texture.) The chassis was altered to add dual exhaust (up until then, it had a single exhaust setup molded in). The Mach I body was new tooling, the interior probably altered from the '66 fastback annual (the body from that kit went to the altered-wheelbase funny car kit). The Mach I was molded in red. Autolite Hi-Per Special: issued 1968. changes included different wheels (Appliance "Wire Mag" replacing the Mach I's Apache wheels). I believe the cut line for the "roadster" option was added to the body at this time also. Molded in metallic (not flake) blue. Superstang Gasser: issued 1969. This issue had a full-length plated parts tree (Mach I and Hi-Per had half-length trees). This issue included a drag version. The Appliance Wire Mag wheels are replaced by the "baby moon/chrome reversed wheels" that AMT put into a lot of kits over the years. The drag version had slotted wheels, slicks, and 13" tires for the front. Molded in yellow. Iron Horse: issued 1975 (possibly '74). This issue went is much the same as the Hi-Per Special; the drag version parts are removed. The Appliance Wire Mags are back, the chrome reversed/baby moons are out (though they are on the car in the catalog illustration). Molded in white. The chassis/engine and half of the plated tree from the Iron Horse were later united with the '66 Mustang coupe promotional model tool (issued once in kit form, in 1969 (*Peony Pony) to create the oft-reissued '66 Mustang coupe kit that we know today. Remember, the '66 annual was not a coupe but a convertible with separate hardtop roof.

Peony Pony and the Countdown Series (and all subsequent issues are derived from the Promo body, with the hood opened up). The best of my knowledge the tool with the removable hardtop is still in the Sonny & Cher configuration. It would take a GREAT deal of rework to make that stock again. The new issue also has a bunch of previously welded off parts from the Superstang Gasser variant of the Mach 1, Autolite Special/ Iron Horse kit. Before it got those rather poor Shelby wheels, it had the Rader Wire Mags left over from the Iron Horse kit that supplies the running gear and a slew of custom parts to this kit. I believe it was Tim Boyd, who did a Mustang history in SAE back in the 1980s. I have or have had many of these kits in my collection, and it all jibes with my parts layouts, etc. Note that although they refer to it as a 1965 Mustang, the model inside is a 1966. Note the one piece promo style body and chassis. I stand behind my statement that all AMT 1966 Mustangs from the Peony Pony on, are based off of the promo tool that originated in 1964.

That is actually a somewhat inaccurate and borderline cynical statement. Witness the 1967 Shelby, 68 Road Runner, and Hurst Olds kits for example. They are marked Retro Deluxe, but are from relatively recent tools with more than adequate detail. The model kit industry is not vary lucrative, so I doubt the guys at Round2 are trying to skim us out of our dollars. There are plenty of better get rich rich quick schemes.

I wouldn't equate parts count and detail to quality. If you want a great example of a kit with a high parts count and level of detail, simply look at the Trumpetor 1964 Falcon kits. They exhibit considerably more detail than does the AMT 1966 Mustang, but nearly every aspect of this kit only vaguely resembles the prototype. As far as Gen 1 Mustangs go, this AMT kit is (as far as the body goes) king of the hill. Better even than the more detailed Monogram kit in my opinion. Also, like the previous posts state, this kit is steeped in history (as are many of the kits from all manufacturers out there - not just Round2). It has its origins in the 1964 Mustang Promo model, which actually came pre-assembled. A glue kit (from its own tool) of a convertible that would also build a coupe (separate hardtop) soon followed, along with a fastback. The fastback kit morphed into an altered wheelbase gasser, while the convertible/hardtop kit ended up as the Sonny & Cher his and hers kits after the 1966 run. Some portion of these tools were used to create the Autolite Mustang showcar from Ford, which ultimately became the Iron Horse. The Promo tool, which was updated to a 1966 was reissued around 1968-9(?) as the "Peony Pony" basically an unassemble promo, part of the Flower Power series. In the mid 70's, AMT opened up the hood, and combined the body and interior tub with the chassis and running gear from the Iron Horse to create essentially the kit you have now. As stated before, this kit is very much state of the art for its time. Many of on the board are in our 40s through 70s, and grew up on these kits. We take it for granted when we see the 66 Mustang, that it will be just like the last time we built it, maybe in our teens. The Model kit industry had been around for a long time, and because of this, and the high cost of creating a new kit (probably just south of half a million these days) and low production numbers compared to the heyday of kits, you will see many, many re-issued older kits on the shelves. Reissues are rarely cheaper than the new ones, quite simply because it still costs a good chunk of change to run production. New box art, instructions, decals, labor, packaging and shipping all enter into the equation. Anyway, long and short, don't beat up on Round2 too hard, they have a staff of well under a dozen, and they have to be able to keep the lights on. They are providing a great service, by restoring and preserving these historic kits for future enjoyment. And like Mark said, just look at the bottom of the box if you want something with more detail.

Looking good. Always love seeing your work, Tulio. Now I can see how early you mastered the craft. I wish I had more of my oldies from my teen years.

I wish I did, but that was after my time. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say Steve Goldman.

I never liked or used Stoplight red for that very reason. One of my favorites (besides the oh so easy and quick red Sharpie is Testors 1104 (1204 Spray) Dark Red (often I spray paint into a cap to brush on for detailing.). Perfect translucency for one coat, and looks JUST like a red lens. BTW, I miss the Johan stuff too.

I don't it gets much better than this. Superb concept and execution.