mikos

I’d hate to lose the ‘68/‘69, but I’d love to see a ‘70 based on this tool. Or, maybe just do a new body with the same chassis and interior bucket. Of course, a new dash and seats would have to be done as well. However, I think the ‘70 would be worth it and sell quite well.

We’ve been hearing about this Powell PU for a long time now. When the prototype was stolen from Okey at the show(?), it seems things ground to a halt. Now, all of a sudden these print ads come out making us hopeful that things are now humming along to eventually have it done. Sorry, but I’m not buying it. People want to bring the Johan name back to life with expensive ultra small runs of resin copies only available on Facebook. I think I’ll pass. If you want my attention, scan some of the old kits that are still around like what Round2 has done from their archives and develop tooling to reproduce it in styrene. Of course, the ever present naysayers will say it can’t be done or there is no “business case” or whatever they can argue to make it seem insurmountable. However, me thinks there a certain element out there that never wants Johan to return. Heaven forbid if they actually gathered the resources to scan a mid ‘60’s Cadillac (or pick your favorite) and reissue it again. I think the universe would collapse then.

Isn’t that kit the old Magnum P.I. Island Hoppers van?

Let’s hope they do a stock Z28 if they can find/tool up the correct hood. I know the Super Z was the annual for 1980 and that included stock and custom parts. However, that was the first year for the “air induction” style hood. The Night Prowler was based on the ‘78-‘79 annual which had different fender vents and front grill insert. I don't see them doing that version unless they backdate the fender vents (highly unlikely) and find the ‘78-‘79 grill insert. The Thunder Z came with custom parts that covered the fender vents and the ‘78-‘79 style hood scoop. So, that one could be reissued again if they can find the specific Thunder Z custom parts for it.

I don’t think it’s as fine and dandy as you’re suggesting. They made the wheel wells flatter like the real car which is great, even better than the old MPC kit. However, in doing that, they screwed up the upper drip rail curve of the side windows when they filled in the T-tops. Why couldn’t they have given us both? An accurate wheel well shape and correct side windows with a roof that doesn’t sag? If they did that, that would be “kudos” to them. Also, getting the shape of that upper side window drip rail correct can be very challenging. It’s not as simple of a fix as it may look.

Correct. The only car (G-body) that had larger wheels was the GNX. Those had 16” wheels with P245/50VR16 Goodyear Eagle “gatorbacks”.

Some issues with the top windshield header of the roofline profile on the WOF Chevelle. It reminds me of a residual diecast side effect with inside mounting interior glass. Otherwise, it was a very good looking replica of that model. For some reason, I keep thinking the WOF line of kits from Revell were failed promos after GM cancelled them. When the promo contract collapsed, they created the WOF line and offered them as simplified easy to build snap kits. Don’t know if I remember reading that somewhere or not.

Not bad…the top (side windows and windshield) seem to be a little “chopped” compared to the real car. The Revell ‘63 snap kits, both coupe and convertible, were very well done. They didn’t have much detail, but Revell nailed the proportions right. For me, I would take a well proportioned body on a kit that is simplified rather than something with super detail that doesn’t look quite right when built.

The real question is will bringing back the tooling and equipment back to the states and having U.S. labor working at a U.S. factory making the product be as profitable for the company. That answer would probably be a big no. The supply chains from China have been fully matured and the factories over there are in full production with cheap labor. Like the tariffs many think will encourage more production in the U.S., that ship has sailed 45 years ago. We’re are a service based economy now. And, I’m afraid that if we get too belligerent with China, they could hold the tooling hostage or do some other retaliatory response and make it difficult, if not impossible, to take the tooling out of the country and have it produced somewhere else. Edited.

Unless it was a test shot, which I find highly unlikely even at $25 that “some guy” was selling at the Dearborn show over 45 years ago, they only came in Candy Apple Red. Nice try though.

No black, just red only for ‘69.

I would like to see Round2 clone the AMT ‘69 Mustang. That would give modelers a relatively accurate ‘69 Mustang to go along with the full detail “Mach Won” ‘70 kit. A new release based on the “Mach Won” could be made with the necessary parts to make a stock ‘70 out of it. That would be the cheapest most effective way to get both model years represented on the shelves. Some might say they can just reissue the MPC ‘69 again. However, with the issues that one seems to have regarding the body, I’d rather see them clone the AMT ‘69 from an old promo/kit and use that one instead.

There were many cars with the virtual highest point of the roof over the driver’s head. The 2nd generation F-body was somewhat similar. With a car so well-documented like the Jaguar E-Type, it’s aggravating to know that Revell screwed up on the windscreen by making it noticeably too low. It’s similar to the problem they had many years ago with the Foxy body “notchback” Mustang police car. The designers who worked on the master patterns obviously did not know or care what the real cars looked like in 1:1 scale. I guess they didn’t do an internet search to view the thousands of photos of the real cars posted online.

That built model is screaming for body side mirrors. lol! The ‘69-‘70 Mustangs are my favorite years. Hopefully, Round2 will see fit to do a stock ‘70 out of the Mach Won kit.

That’s only if you assume 1/25th scale. If you switch it with 1/24th scale, the 1983 BMW 7 series (E23) U.S. version is 197.4” long which scales to about 8.2” inches in 1/24th scale which equals about 208mm.

I agree. I got that pic off Ebay so maybe the seller was mistaken. I don’t have the recent issue MPC Nova to compare to. However, it’s not a problem. Sellers part out kits all the time on EBay and I’m sure you can find the AMT Nova versions quite easily.

Yes, I think same as the ones I posted except they look a little more deep dish.

The MPC ‘79 Nova 6-slot Rally wheels are accurate for a ‘81 non Z28 Camaro. RPO (ZJ7) 14”x7” Rally wheels were optional on the Camaro since 1970. They were the same wheels optional on the ‘71-‘79 Novas too. The Chevelle also came with them in certain years. I mentioned 3-piece design because they are similar to a 3-piece wheel; center cap, trim ring and the steel wheel. The Rally wheels that came on the 1969 Chevelle are totally different than the (ZJ7) wheels. They were the older style where the slots in the wheel were elongated. The center cap and trim rings, if equipped, were slightly different as well. GM didn’t start using the later design RPO (ZJ7) Rally wheel until ‘70-‘71. 1969 Chevelle Rally wheel pics… RPO (ZJ7) Rally wheel on ‘80-‘81 Camaro… I mentioned the Revell hood because you could probably file it down and make it work. The only problem would be the center hood dome bulge that would be wider in 1/24th scale than the 1/25th scale front bumper grill bulge on the MPC kit. How much exactly, I don’t know. It’s a moot point, anyway. The AMT Z28 flat hood works perfectly fine with a few modifications. Below are pics of the rims that come in the recent MPC Nova kit (I think same as the old MPC ‘78-‘80 El Camino as well). They look fairly close to me. (Sorry for the editing)

Like Tim mentioned, Cragars were a thing way into the 1970’s. They were heavy as lead too.

The base 5.0L LG4 was rated at 145HP. You could upgrade to the Cross-Fire Injection LU5 which came with 20hp more at 165HP (automatic only). The Mustang was quicker until ‘83 when the mid-year release of the 190HP L69 H.O came out significantly improving the performance on the Camaro.

Okay, that’s what I originally wrote above. It’s just the Fiero that was incorrect. Thanks.

Yeah, I forgot the Fiero was 60-degree V6. If you had some scratch building skills, you could probably make a 90-degree V6 out of a SBC V8 found in other kits. That’s what Chevy did on the real first gen 4.3L V6. They just lopped off two cylinders from the SBC. The MPC ‘79-‘86 El Camino, ‘79-‘80 Monte Carlo and ‘82-‘92 F-body (and Knight Rider) have some nice SBC’s to make V6’s out of them. It wouldn’t be the Buick 3.8L, but pretty close. Did any kits actually come with the Buick-based 231 90-degree V6 in 1/25th scale?

I know the AMT ‘70 kit fits. It actually fits better than the stock hood. Just a little trimming needed. To be perfect, you have to sand down a little bit where it meets the character line coming from the center hood dome bulge near the bumper. However, the headlight pod lines are pretty much spot on. In the pics, this wasn’t done yet, just a little edge trimming.

The multi-piece 6-slot rally wheels already exist in the new MPC ‘79 Nova kit. The flat hood can be found in the AMT ‘70 Z28 kit and now the (Stranger Things) ‘80’s Revell Z28 hardtop kit. The 231 V6 can be emulated by the V6 engine in the mid ‘80’s MPC Fiero GT kit and the old ‘89 Firebird GTA Pace Car kit minus the turbo. The simulated cross-lace wheels would have to be new, though. The ‘73-‘80 Deluxe wheel-covers can be found aftermarket in resin (non chrome plated) on Ebay. No way Round2 would give us all those options for the early ‘80’s Camaro Z28. We’ll be lucky to get a semi-stock reissue out of the Pro Street release. Unless the correct hood is found, we probably get the same ‘78-‘79 style hood like in the Pro Street kit. Better than nothing, I guess.

I guess it’s hit or miss with Revell. The ‘80’s Hurst Olds Cutlass/442 was very well done. One of my favorites!