ClassicDarts

I'd be all for it! It's a pretty tiny detail, but something they wouldn't have to change is the lower trim parts that are molded into the body. On the 1:1's, they changed changed the design of them for '78 onward. On the MPC kits, even the '82 has the same lower trim as the first '71 Sportsman kit.

Guess I didn't look hard enough... 🤦‍♂️ Thanks, Gerry! Perfect. Only difference seems to be the decals, so that'll work fine.

Anybody have the instruction sheet for one of these that could be scanned? The attached image is the version that I have ('88)... appears to have everything except the instructions. Any of the Revell W-body Grand Prix sheets would do, I assume... since they're all basically the same kit overall. ('90, GTP Coupe, GP Turbo, etc.) Posting because I did check the links to boards/albums that have archives of instructions sheets, but found no variations of this kit on any of them.

Awesome! The '73 is my favorite GTO out of all of the years they made them. I guess it's not objectively the best-looking, but I like all of the '73-77 Pontiac colonnade cars... and the '73 (Luxury) LeMans and GTO specifically, the most. I didn't come up with this, because it's not obvious at all, and I forget where I read it, but I agree with it: the overall '73 LeMans design (in coupe form, anyway) intentional or not... vaguely looks like like a 70's interpretation of an early-40's coupe. (other than the huge mandated bumpers) Maybe that's a bit out-there... but it stuck with me. I could see what they meant by it.

I guess it really doesn't matter what you use for the most part... as long as the tape used for the masking lines is good. I'm a novice at best, but i've used cut-open ziploc bags to cover the majority of the body and had no problem.

Unrelated, but sort of along the same lines: If anyone with an MPC Pacer hatchback or AMT Pacer wagon's looking to replicate these hubcaps... The AMT '58 Plymouth Belvedere's wheel covers are extremely close... not so much in real life, but at least in kit form, they're the closest thing I've seen.

Yeah, Casey I've thought about the Revell 1/16 models before. I might get/"invest" in one someday. One detail I've never noticed on 1:1 80's Firebirds until I bought the MPC '82 Trans Am, is the subdued rear fender flare behind the door. Similar to the 70-81 Trans Am's, but far more understated. Every single '82-92 Firebird model kit has this... even though I'm pretty sure they stopped using it in 1985. Yet, from 82-92 every MPC, AMT and Revell/Monogram model has it. Even the ones that are advertised as S/E models... that should not only omit that detail, but the vent in the front fenders as well. (Even if they're not hard to eliminate with body filler, etc.) But I get why they still include them.. Because Trans Am's are the most popular model.

I wish! No, it's just one of the few color photos I could find online of a Firebird with those wheel covers. I was a young kid at the time, but one of my cousins in the late 80's had an oddly-optioned, black '82/83 Firebird... it was essentially a base Firebird... with either the Iron Duke 4-cylinder or possibly V6... but not a 305, with these wheel covers. Yet, it did have t-tops. I have this MPC kit and was considering making a replica of their car (if I got an 82-92 T-top body to use with it) Just a thought I had... I'm happy to have the kit as it is. I've always thought the early 3rd gen firebirds were the best-looking of that generation. I guess my cousin's car was a big part of my forming that opinion, though.

Have these ever been casted in resin? (NO! most likely) It's a very obscure subject, so I figured I'd start with resin... because I'm pretty sure these were only ever available on lower-end/base early 3rd gen firebirds... possibly up to '84, but probably only '82 and '83. And thus were never available in a kit, I'm sure. So, failing both of those, I was wondering if anybody knows of a set of wheels or hubcaps that even look remotely similar to these from another kit. The closest thing I can think of are the optional wheels for early MPC Fiero's... which are essentially 14" versions of the cast aluminum "bowling ball" wheel and hubcap combos that early 3rd gen Trans Am's and Firebird S/E's had... but without the plastic cover. I have a set of these already because I have an unbuilt original issue MPC Fiero (the one molded in red) that I don't plan to use those wheels on. Just curious to what, if any, suggestions might come up.

Very nice! Do these kits go together well? I ask because my brother got me a late 80's "Prestige" issue of this kit for Christmas this past year (with the side windows included and the plastic base and pen holder) Haven't started it yet and don't know when I will, but I'm looking forward to it. (Without knowing this, I got my brother an MPC '84 Dodge Daytona and Lindberg '64 Dodge 330 for Christmas... he built the Daytona as the red and black one from "The Wraith". I knew he'd appreciate it but didn't necessarily think he'd go with the Wraith look for it. But it's pretty awesome that he did.) ...I would've got a Johan '64 Polara instead of the Lindberg 330 for accuracy, if they weren't ridiculously expensive.

Diggin' it, Ray. 👍 Haven't seen many Mustang II kits built... and that's on this forum. Never seen one in person*, I don't think. Right before I read this reply from Dave, I was starting to wonder if a Mustang II notchback was ever kitted. The hatchbacks aren't bad looking, but I think the notchback body style looks a bit better... conversely, I think Chevy Monza hatchbacks look better than their "Towne Coupe" counterpart. I guess both cars are scoffed at by a lot of people, but I appreciate them. *a built kit, that is. There was a Mustang II Ghia just around the corner from me when I was a kid. It was faded red with a black vinyl top. It also had, I guess, home-made dual racing stripes along the top from the hood to the trunk. I swear the edges of each stripe was done in electrical tape with what looked like black marker to fill-in the rest. Probably wasn't actually marker... but it looked ridiculous. Despite that, I liked the design of the car itself. At that time, every second person around here had a fox body mustang, but it'd never seen a "pinto stang" before that.

looking for a set of transparent red lenses from the mpc hatchback kits. willing to trade for parts or even a kit... although I don't have anything terribly uncommon (for the most part!)

Looks awesome! I've had one of these kits since it was last reissued that I haven't gotten around to. When I do, I plan to do it as a sand tan / golden ginger two-tone. Often wondered what other stock wheels would go with it besides the ones the kit comes with or the super-deep rally wheels from AMT's Gremlin and Matador coupe kits... Those Marlin hubcaps are perfect for it. Might be a bit cost prohibitive for me though. haha Anyway, Excellent job. 👌

resin casters have already done a conversion kit with this, but... I'd love to see a new tool of a Jeep Wagoneer. If done by Moebius or a company like that, they could utilize a sort of modular design to cover all or at least a few different year ranges. As far as the body shell goes, this would really only be necessary for '84-91 models, when they switched from the wraparound taillights that they had from the beginning to the taller style borrowed from Cherokees that had them since 1974. In real life, even until 1991, all Wagoneers used the original 1963 rhino grill front panel as a rad support with a full-width grill covering it. Don't get me wrong, I like Revell's Jeep J10 Honcho a lot and am glad to have it. But, the proportions of the frontend are a bit cartoonish.

Thanks for the comment, Dan. I suppose it wouldn't be all that difficult to do depending on how in-depth you wanted to get with it. It'd need the 84-87 front fascia... I think one could get away with reworking the '82/83 hatchback front. You could keep everything from the front bumper down the same (other than filling in the outboard vent inlets) Then, redoing the upper half to have the more rounded-off, upright nose with quad headlights, etc. The taillights are different, but the exact same size and shape... and the rest of the back is the same of course. The dash is completely different, but maybe not that necessary to do? All that said, It's certainly easier said than done... and I know that I couldn't do it. But... possible!

That's true. Give it another five years or so? ...still probably not. lol There's still a handful of '95-05 Cavaliers and Sunfires kicking around where I live... but they're uncommon enough now that when I see them, I actually take notice. (something I can't say I thought would ever happen) Thanks! I'd forgotten all about this because I haven't seen an 80's J-body in ages. (other than one '85 or-so Sunbird convertible I occasionally see driving around in the summer) But as soon as I read that line, I could instantly picture it. I feel better about the botched chrome work now. It's authentic... that's the ticket!

Thanks, Zack! It's ood to me that they didn't include the promo wheelbacks and tires in the kit version. (since the ones the kit uses are clearly designed for the custom widebody parts) I wonder if: A. the mold for the Cavalier still exists, and, B. if it does, that the promo wheel parts are included in it if it were ever to be re-released (just not used in the '82/83 kits)... 🤔

I was going to repaint the entire car a different color, but later decided that the promo's original body color was fine. Thanks to some impatience and lack of experience with molotow pens, it's not nearly as tidy as I'd hoped it'd turn out... could've been worse, I suppose. haha

Ditto with both you guys. This looks awesome! '71-77('78 too) Dodges are the best-looking vans ever made in my opinion. I also have the '82. (Bad Company) It's interesting that they updated every other exterior detail to match the 1:1 '79+ models, (moving the side doors forward, reworking the frontend, cowl, hood etc.) but the lower trim and bodyline is unchanged from the '71-77,78 mold.

Looks excellent! I always liked those FoMoCo dog dishes. Did any other kit besides early 70's Mustangs ever come with them? Would've been cool if they included them with the newly re-issued Courier "minivan"... since that's what most of them had in real life. edit: oops. so, the pinto kits come with... one?

Excellent job. I always liked the Charger in Bullitt much more than the Mustang... there's something about muscle cars in their more plain, luxury, or just overall more subdued color/trim schemes/packages that I appreciate more than the brighter colors, stripes, spoilers, scoops etc. Not necessarily because the sportier ones are what you always see or that I'm getting older, either. I've felt this way for most of my life. That, and generally speaking, I'm not really a Ford guy. That said, I do have a Revell '68 Mustang Bullitt kit that I built as the Bullitt Mustang. 🤷‍♂️

Thanks for the advice! That worked. I got the chassis out and cut the melted ends of the taillight pegs out.. but not the locating pegs themselves. So far so good. I also shaved off the tiny bit of tree-mounting leftover on the passenger side taillight that every single '82 and '83 Cavalier promo that I've ever seen has. lol Although this could easily be a one day project, I don't have much free time lately, so i've put the parts in an empty Studebaker Avanti box. Guess I'll chip away at it bit by bit.

That's what I would've assumed, but it looks like with the rear part of the chassis at least, that it's glued to the rear bumper. Apologies if it's not easy to see in the picture... but there seems to be clear glue there.

I bought a silver MPC '83 Chevy Cavalier promo recently with the intention of taking it apart to detail paint the lights, dash, door panels, window trim etc. (if not outright repainting the body and interior a different color) I went the promo route because it's much cheaper than the kit version and it has a more accurate-looking wheel offset than the kit. I noticed though, that most of the model is glued together. (other than the two screws holding the front part of the chassis plate in place) Is there a specific method of debonding the glue without breaking anything? Or, did promo versions of models use a specific type of glue that differs from typical model glue, etc.? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Well, yeah I was a little off in what I said... I thought I read before (probably a post on this forum, actually) that the Ventura came out early in the year and that, mid-'77, MPC retooled the Ventura into the '77 Nova. I forgot that there was an MPC '77 Nova annual... I mainly remembered the '79. But either way, the tooling for Ventura no longer exists. (unless I'm completely mistaken) edit: oops. I guess we replied at the same time. haha