ClassicDarts

It's a little disappointing, sure. But, I can wait. I didn't think we'd ever see a kit of a stock '64-66 Barracuda again. Something I've wanted to see for years... without paying hundreds of dollars for an original unbuilt kit.

Same for both cars... '70-'74. '75 was the first year for the wraparound rear window.

Nicely done! I don't think I've ever seen this kit before. I guess the real car has taillights from a Monza hatchback... the kit version has not only those, but the entire rear hatch from one? That's what it looks like, at least.

I know people cast different '72-80 Dodge truck grills, the '79+ hood and even the '72-76 tailgate with the chrome Dodge script emblem molded into it, but what about the '72-76 / '79-80 front valance with the turn signals in it? The piece between the grill and front bumper... that's the one part I've never seen offered in resin. (it's in the '72-76 kits and even the post '78 kits with quad headlights "Fire Fighter" etc) It's not a huge detail, but just curious.

I love this idea. Now that I think about it, I'm almost surprised a Lumina APV was never issued in any form... seems like it would've been ripe for an early-mid 90's AMT dealer promo. Maybe not a full kit necessarily, but I'd buy one if there was.

Excellent build. I'm looking at builds of this kit because I think I'm finally going to start on the one I have. Looks like you added some shims between the chassis plate and bed? From what I've noticed, if this kit is just built box stock, the lower bodyline on the cab and box never lines up properly. It's often a little off on 1:1's too, regardless of whether it's a '72, '93 or any year in-between... BUT on real ones, the bed is usually slightly higher than the cab's line. Whereas the kit's box sits a fair bit too low. Yours looks perfect! Not a huge detail, but it's the kind of thing that would bother me, even though I stink at builds. (I have good attention to detail, but coupled with crappy dexterity and a lack of patience) haha edit: while I'm on the subject, I might as well mention it; the 2019 reissue includes decals for the grill's turn signals (the clear kind that '77s and '78s until the mid-year change had. Trucks built after Feb. '78 had amber front turn signals) They're not really necessary, but I've never seen anyone use them for a build. Do they look awful if applied / don't fit properly?

My brother bought the 1/25 MPC '77 Trans Am a while ago (the reissue with blackbird car on the box top recolored to blue) with the sole intention of building it as the custom Trans Am from "The Wraith" (1986) I brought up the fact that there were some early 80's MPC firebird kits that had a rear spoiler very similar to the movie car. Primarily, this one came to mind; The '84(?) issue Custom Firebird and then thought of the '82 War Eagle Cafe Racer (which, I think, uses the exact same rear spoiler) then later, the AMT Camaro Cheverra came to mind (and is arguably the closest to the one on the movie car) obviously, they'd all require at least some modification.. and the entire front spoiler would have to be scratch-made, but probably not as difficult to do. At least having a starting point for the whale-tail spoiler would make things easier. Anyway, I do pretty much all of my models as close to stock as possible most of the time, so I have a good amount of custom parts from mostly 70's and 80's kits that I never have any intention of using in the off-chance anybody has that one part from any of the above kits. Then again, the only real reason to own any of these would be to have such over the top parts. But what the hell... figured I'd ask anyway.

Same here... maybe not this winter, but have one and I've never built this kit before. I'll also add that I think this build of this kit is the first I've ever seen where the grille looks right. Every other one I can recall seeing looked like the grille was put in upside-down. (in too far along the top, and sticking way out along the bottom) Nice work, Jim I guess it's because 1:1 '79s have an ever so slightly different angle to the grille and header / filler panels... the fenders' leading edges have the same angle as the '75-77s, but the header panel and grille are a tinge more upright. Whereas the mpc model just kept the '75-77 shape with an updated '79 grille. So, even though it isn't 100% accurate, having it fit the angle of the '75-77 grille looks way better to me than flipping it upside-down to try and compensate for the difference... as the difference is pretty subtle on the actual car, never mind a 1:25 scale model.

This build inspires joy-joy feelings in all those around it. You look GREAT today!

even worse than the mpc '67 gto circa the last 40-45 years? if so, that's pretty bad.

Damn close! I'm a Newfie. Although I did live in Dartmouth for a couple of months 22 years ago. lol @NYLIBUDI could be wrong, but I think every subsequent Monogram fox body Mustang kit was derived from this '79 style tooling. So if you wanted to put a later frontend on it (since it'd be undoubtedly be easier to find a newer one) I guess all you'd have to do is shave off the molded-in front fender extensions.

With those taillights, it's a '79-82. Although you could adapt it to a newer m/y without too much trouble, I imagine. edit: haha, this is the second time me and Can-con have replied to something at almost the exact same time... and we're both Canadian... AND we're both named Steve!! Conspiracy?!!

I was thinking the same thing... probably not very? I assume all you'd really have to do is graft the stock rear wheel openings from the '65 onto the HUG's body... basically DIY tool backdating?! Since the HUG's body tooling is just modified from the '66 promo version in that one detail. Sure, '65s and '66s have some slight differences in their front and back edge bodylines, but I'm sure the rear wheel openings are the same on both as far as the 1:1's are concerned. That, and cut the HUG's hood from its one-piece body, if you didn't want it to be a curbside. Not sure that I, personally would have that easy of a time doing it, but someone who actually knew what they were doing probably would. I'll definitely buy one when it comes out, either way. I'd most likely do it box-stock as I'm kind of a novice. I did have the thought of trying to do it as a '66 though, as I have an un-started HUG kit. And I would like to have a stock '66... as the one in the movie "The Wraith" is what introduced me to the first generation Barracuda when I was a kid. To this day I like the first generation more than the other two. I know MCW Finishes did have a '66 Resin kit on their site, but I never bit the bullet on it. Seems they don't carry it, though... for the time being, at least.

I'm just speculating here, but it seems like the tooling was altered when they made the Python kit... the chrome runner was laid out differently prior to that (wider runner with different parts layout and included stock rims), and ever since has been the same configuration as the Python version. (without stock wheels) At least they were able to reissue almost entirely stock versions from the same tooling in the years since... Unlike the AMT AMC Matador coupe, which was changed to this in the same series as the Python Mustang II around the same time and a stock version has never been seen since: Or was it because the '70s Dick Teague Matador coupe didn't have enough appeal once they weren't new cars anymore to justify reissuing? (other than the Bobby Allison NASCAR versions) Either way, I'd love to see a stock one come back. Sorry for the tangent.

Makes sense... the blocked off wheel section of the chrome tree on the '05 issue I have (rerun of the '77 annual... or derived from it at least) were not for the stock rims as I assumed... As you can see in the Round2 November video, that section is for the drag mags that were reopened for the new Hell Drivers release. I built a stock Mustang ll on the last release some time ago I can’t remember when it was last released guys. 2005.

Just bought the 2005 RC2 AMT issue at a show last week for a very reasonable price. (for these days, anyway) Wasn't too familiar with the kit, never had a Mustang II kit before... but was aware how some RC2-era kits showed one tool on the box cover and have something completely different inside. Little did I know that this kit was a prime example of it. LOL (MPC kit on the box, AMT kit inside) No big deal, it was cheap and it looks to be a fairly decent representation of one, aside from the chassis, etc. Anyway, notice how they changed the Hell Drivers box art slightly from the original... the original box cover is almost identical, but shows the car with the "styled steel wheel" stock rims... the new one shows it with minilites. I guess the basic kit will be the same as the 2005 issue? Where the only wheels included are the minilites... presumably a remnant from the AMT Mustang II Python kit? (ironically, the '05 cover shows it with stock wheels even though they're not in the box... you can even see where they're supposed to be on one of the two chrome trees, but were blocked off. But again, the car on the box isn't even an AMT kit in the first place) I promptly bought a set of 4-lug styled steel wheels and better tires from a more recent AMT Pinto kit (as they're identical anyway) for $10 more than the kit itself cost. oh well Maybe the new one will include the stock wheels since Round2's kits are generally much better quality than the RC2 versions even if they're often still made from the same molds. It'll undoubtedly have much better tires and decal sheet, if nothing else. The '05 issue's tires look like truck tires (though somehow undersized or at least ill-fitting for the rims)

Probably not, as all of the mpc kits and promos have the '75-only 2+2 dash that has a gauge cluster shaped more like a '70-78 Camaro. I assume the only difference would be the year stamped into the rear license plate. Even the 1:1 '80 models were mostly leftover '79s if I'm not mistaken. (or maybe I'm thinking of '80s being sold in '81 until the Cavalier came out for the '82 model year) it's readily available, but I refuse to look it up! To test how badly my memory had faded! That said, the mpc Monzas are more accurate overall than the amt version...in terms of the body, at least. I bought a '76 promo earlier this year because they're still fairly cheap. and I figured although they might reissue it sometime in the future, it would most likely be an '80 if they do it at all. The 78-80 front fascia looks good, but I like the 75-77 one more, personally.

Hilarious. I missed this whole tangent within this post. I've never seen the movie from start to finish, but I have seen parts of it. Where the guy driving the Dodge van puts on an 8-track tape of this weird, atonal music (sounds like a fiddle with a sort of flanger effect on it) whenever he goes after his victims. lol I agree though, I've always thought the 70's Dodge vans were a lot cooler-looking than Ford's or GM's.

they did, from '74 onward. It's just that MPC used a really tall, skinny font for some reason... more like a '66 Coronet's hood letters, than what they actually have. Which, I think, are the same as what '70s pickups had... or at least very similar. edit: ? YES! A100. Much better example. And yeah, that would explain it. Also, missed the keywords "in that font" in your post... making this reply pointless. haha oops. ?‍♂️

It is, yeah. It's just weird to me that they even bothered doing that, but the tooling even to this day still has the '71 lower side contour and trim. lol

Ah, ok. I was just guessing. The only version of any of these that I have is the '82 Bad Company one... always wanted a 70's issue, but couldn't justify the hefty price they typically go for (on ebay at least) so, it seems (from what I can tell) that from the beginning, up to the 1975 annual they have the one where it's just blank where the front doors start. Then they made it more accurate for the ones after that. Then, they changed it again for '78 as it also changed on the 1:1's that year.

Which issues are the bottom one and the third from the bottom? '77? Those are the only ones with an accurate roof stamping for a '71-77 model (with the U-shaped outer ribs) Interesting that they would change that detail and make it more accurate so late in the run. '78 onward is like what's on the middle one.

turned out excellent... a lot better than anything I've ever (or could ever have) made, and you're probably the only person on earth that can say "I have a model of a '63 Fury with a '64 Fury front clip"

I'd be happy to give up the '63 dodge dash... but I guess nobody would really want it if they have any Johan kits. (who would have a spare '63 fury dash that was looking for a '63 Dodge dash? Likely nobody. :P) This is the only Johan kit I have. Unless there were the incredibly unlikely odds of someone having one and really wanting the custom parts from an '83 issue MPC Pontiac Fiero (molded in red) or a flat hood for an MPC '82-83 Firebird... or a Matchbox/AMT era Monroe Magnum Ford Courier with the original decals and bike stickers as well as the custom parts from an original issue '78 Courier Minivan (even though the Minivan's already been re-released)... what I'm trying to say is. all the other unbuilt models I have are either extremely common, or even if they're not, are from the late 70's / 80's... way outside of Exner-era Mopars. Maybe I'll just build the kit warts and all. since it's 50 years old now. haha Still. I guess I'll keep this open for any... comments?!

I have a "USA oldies" issue '62 Fury convertible... as such, it has the '63 Polara dash, interior tub and steering wheel. (as all the Fury convertibles from this run of kits seem to have... hardtops all have '63 Fury interior components) It's not that big a deal, especially the interior tub and steering wheel, which are close enough to a '62 non-Sport Fury 'vert. I figured I'd see if anyone has a '63 Plymouth dash they're willing to part with. (because they're not nearly as uncommon as the original annual '62 dash... figured that would be way too egregious of a request.) At least the '63 dash is similar enough to a '62... same overall shape and instrument cluster contours. Anyway, just throwing it out there... where it's a drop-top and the dash would be so easily visible / the Dodge dash being almost a completely different shape etc. I have a fair bit of stuff I could I trade in return, though not much terribly hard to come by...