Don Sikora II

I like them too, and it's always nice to see something different. Wouldn't mind seeing Round 2 do some with Eagle ST lettering as well.

The '77 Volare annual was one of the first kits I built with minimal help from my Mom, and I've really been looking forward to this 1980 version being reissued. There are two threads going for this kit, but thought this one was the better place to show the pieces from the new kit. Haven't compared it to the original-issue Fuzz Duster but the new kit looks as expected in white plastic rather than black like the original. The only "bonus" part I've spotted is the center portion of the 1977 Volare Road Runner Super Pak kit's front spoiler...it's on the end of the tree with the separate t-top panels and rear spoiler. (EDIT: The Super Pak kit's one-piece rear spoiler is also on the tree with the t-top panels; it's different that the wider wrap-around unit on the tree with the fender flares) The original kit's stock two-piece plastic tires are here, and Round 2 has included another set in vinyl with tampo-printed Goodyear GT Radial outline lettering. The Fuzz Duster tires are the old hollow MPC big n' bigger Goodyear Blue Streaks, same as the original issue.

Very interesting, haven't seen a plastic version of that tire.

Visited Al's many times. Venture was a great shop! It had been in decline for quite a while (at least from my point of view as a plastic modeler), but it's still sad it closed. Don't get down to the northern suburbs as much as I used to, but I was pleasantly surprised the last time I stopped at Ron's Mundelein Hobbies. Mostly a train shop, but they had a surprisingly good car kit selection when I was in there last fall.

These are both great shops! Don's is my local shop and I've been going there since I was a little kid. First stopped at his original location on Roosevelt Road with my dad in 1976 or so...he opened in '74. Don is semi-retired now. Haven't been there for a couple months, but he's been selling down his inventory and opens a couple days a week. Not too many kits left the last time I was there, but there's still some stuff to look through.

Cool, will for sure buy a Rupp Roadster or two. Second the idea of reissuing the Schwinn kits too.

Think there were two Luminators 1/24-scale Snap-Tite cars too....the 1982 Collector Edition Corvette and the Datsun pickup if I remember right.

Have a Hawk Me 163 in my collection (copyright 1960) that includes the flame part.

Sorry, I'm not sure if the '78 annual has the scoop...that's one of the few MPC Monzas I don't have. Went and checked, and both the Monza Pro Street kits I have were made by MPC in Mount Clemens...pretty sure it did continue into the MPC/Ertl era though. Mark is correct, the four-bolt Centerlines were only in that issue of the kit.

Not sure what it would mean for values (I agree with Mark, the Buick is top of the heap for price), but in my experience the '78 Monza Mouse annual and the last-issue Pro-Street kit are the harder to find MPC Monza kits. No idea why the '78 would be less common, but I don't even remember it from when I was a kid in '78. Of course my kit shopping was extremely limited in those days to where ever I went with mom. The Street Spyder custom was also a '78, so maybe they made relatively fewer '78 annuals?

They are custom pieces from the original issue AMT '49 Ford. Not sure how many issues of the kit they were in, but they were replaced by 5-spoke mags that have been in the kit since at least the Street Rods issue from the early-to-mid 1970s.

Is it really humid where you are painting? Sounds like the paint may be blushing. http://www.paintproblems.com/general_problems.htm

Great looking AMT Deuce!

Remember being told by somebody with good connections in the RC2 days (think it was Tom Carter) that the mold was actually changed back to the Bonneville for the Buyer's Choice issue. Haven't carefully compared parts between the issues, but it makes sense because some of the engraving in the pictures above looks slightly different between the two issues (in particular the front fender badge looks smaller on the gray body).

It's not perfect, but I'd say the 1/24-scale Monogram one is the best one. Remember when the original '85 coupe version came out and was very impressed with it at the time. The basic kit was converted and updated many times, and it's possible some of the newest variants were branded Revell. The coupe kits had a one-piece window unit that incorporated the clear roof panel, so there isn't any detailing of the structure at the top of the windshield...the convertible versions did a better job with that part. Most of the MPC/AMT kits are missing the detailing like the headlights on the underside of the hood (think it's only present in the ZR-1 kits) and the early ones had MPC's BFG Radial T/A tires (the Monogram kits had various Goodyear Eagle Gatorbacks depending on the issue). Some of the MPC/AMT kits had molded in side mirrors that were pretty clunky too.

Man, you have two blue '68 GTOs? Cragars sound good, and they look good on almost anything.

Man, you have it sitting nice! Great work! Very clever idea for locating the interior too, and the boot well area modifications should look great when you're done. The SMP '58 Chevies are among my favorite classic kits, will be sure to follow your progress.

That's true, but look at the cylinder heads...looks like they have four evenly spaced exhaust ports. The small-block exhaust manifolds are probably left overs on the tree from when Ertl did the 454SS conversion.

I didn't build either of these, but thought I'd share a couple quick snapshots of these vintage Corvette builds. The orange one is a MPC '64 that looks to be built out of the box. The blue one is an AMT '65 with a (mostly) straight front axle (maybe from the AMT '34 Ford pick up) and a blown small-block Chevy with thread wiring. Think the builder did a really nice job on the modifications.

MPC issued the stock '57 as part of the Corvette Collector Series set with the '75 convertible and '85 coupe. This was pre-Ertl, but the set carried on into the Ertl era. Don't think this issue of the '57 had all the original's custom parts, but I do remember it having stock hub caps and think you're right about the rear wheel openings. I have one squirreled away someplace, but haven't looked at it in a long time. This issue came maybe two or three years after the Velvet Vette that Ace mentioned.

Have two started MPC '67 Corvette annuals packed into one box. Both have metal springs, and they are called out as metal on the side of the box.

Yes, California Sunshine has the 4-cylinder engine.

California Sunshine was a custom that had the stock Datsun bed with IMSA flare overlays, but MPC also made a Datsun called California Step Side. Don't have one of those, but I'd guess that's where the bed in the 1982 Lil' Hustler originated.

Think the not-a-monster-truck original-issue Scavenger was from 1979 or 1980. Pretty sure the last of MPC's Datsuns before the monster truck was the Lil' Hustler pro gas racer that had a stepside bed. It's kit 1-0859, copyright 1982.

Mark is correct, the Matador body and chassis was modified. Not sure about anything else. I'm pretty sure Ertl did the modifications when they reissued the Allison kit that Daddyfink posted above. I don't have one of the circa-1980 Sportsman kits now, but from what I remember that one still had the stock '77 annual body just like the custom kit did.