ChrisPflug

The majority of vehicles getting Auto Zone parts are only a few months from the scrapyard- these retailers see no real need to offer better quality parts even with a "lifetime" warranty- percentage wise the crappy part is still good enough to outlast the car it's installed on in most cases and the number of returns for new defective parts is within a limit they're still making more selling cheap junk than a more expensive higher quality part

Looks like the carbs might have started out ok but ended up "adjusted" taller for Shaker fitment as the kit was developed. Sectioning them would result in a decent looking AFB but ruin the scoop fit With all the earlier Revell Mopar kits featuring alternator brackets its surprising not to see any on this kit

Nothing says early 90s like a Calypso Green Ford

Revell '68 Dart?

Engineer on a Great Lakes freighter- good money but a lot of time away from home My workplace and home away from home:

I visited R&R in I believe 1990, and got a tour from Ron- he had built his house in the yard and had a drive-out finished basement- I remember the white 'cuda convertible being parked in the basement next to a stack of shaker bubbles and six barrel intakes. We went upstairs through the house to the attached garage where he laughingly apologized for having a late model Corvette parked and showed us his Sox and Martin '70 'cuda The collection in the barns was amazing- at the time he said he was missing three cars to have an example of every factory Hemi and Six Pack model in every body style (although some were duplicates like an "extra" Challenger T/A because it was a Panther Pink car) Definitely unforgettable to a young Mopar enthusiast

The Chargers have fairly accurate tubs- the '71 is similar to the Plymouth but has the woodgrain strip molded in, the interiors were correctly redone for the '72s. The Charger tubs even have a molded in rear window defogger The Charger chassis is cruder though with a metal front axle through the block and screws at the rear Accurate and nicer being relative- what's cool on a vintage annual wouldn't fly on a new tool Toughest thing on building these older kits is figuring out what to leave to keep the character of the original kit and what to upgrade On another note-doesn't the fresh, crisp white plastic of the original look inviting compared to the thin yellow stuff of the '87 issue?

Looks like the Road Runner had a scheduled date of 8/7, the red Charger 8/1- looks like a regular production tag for the Runner and a pilot tag for the Charger. Also some paperwork from the yellow Charger.... If I ever seemed to finish my projects I'd have built all three of these cars- always seem to get hung up on details

The original issue Road Runner and GTX both came with identical tubs and the "vertical pleated" door panel design- not really correct for either car. The Monogram 1/24 "Satellite" is the only one I know of with the "right" style door panel and it's too big to really use sections of

Saw the red '72 Six Pack Charger "in person" years ago in a big pole barn when it belonged to Ron Slobe of R&R in Missouri The other two currently surviving '72 440-6's are a red Road Runner and a Yellow Charger that I believe was featured in Mopar Collectors Guide All were early builds, Chargers likely pilot cars, RR a bit later- VINs WH23V2G100006, WH23V2G100075, and RM23V2G105344

Have a few MPC '71 Road Runner and GTX projects of my own

And here's an assembled Charger interior/chassis test fit to a Road Runner body

Here's an MPC '72 with the AMT Charger engine compartment and chassis under the original tub

The whole interior tub is shallow enough to fit on top of the platform floor from the Charger- the platform interior can also be used with some trimming- the lower door panels are the same from the Charger to RR. Possibly sand off the upper door panel detail from the Charger and rework? The Charger back seat has a fairly similar pattern to the RR with buckets The pattern for the door panels in the tub is only correct for a bench seat RR (base Satellite trim level) which also used a much "plainer" back seat- bucket seat Road Runners got the upgraded "custom interior" door panels as used on the Sebring line. (Closest to the Charger door panel would be the woodgrained premium trim used on the Sebring Plus and GTX)

Trim code for green trim/stripes/vinyl tops usually would be "F" (like FF4, EF8 exterior paint codes)

There are some good looking 73-74 Runners- this particular car just isn't one of them Not a good reference unless you're going for tacky owner mods

Mystery part is the vacuum motor for the troublesome early shark Vette hidden wipers, the whole cowl panel moves

Got a couple more MPC '71 GTXs (brings my total up to a dozen) along with some other neat buildups including an original 68 Charger annual, Dart wheelstander, and a Firebird. Also picked up a '73 Vette coupe to fill a hole in the "collection"- thought I was only missing a '61 now but just realized I'm also missing the MPC '74 coupe

As a former owner of a few examples, forgetting '76 through the end of the "old" Chrysler Corporation might just be all right

Some issues of the AMT '63 (I think all of them come with the rear glass for the hardtop)- I've also got '64 and '65 annuals with hardtops

What year B5? That paint coding system started in '69 as "EB5"- which is a bit lighter than "GB5" which replaced it for '71 and is probably closer to the Testors sapphire. GB5 was replaced in '74 with KB5 Lucerne Blue which was a little less "intense" and a little lighter again The Testors enamel seems to change quite a bit based on primer or basecoat Also seems to be a good selection of blues in rattle cans in Duplicolor touch up paint

The AMT tires seem to scale out to more like a G60 - actual L60s were the big tires you saw hanging out of the wheelwells on 10 inch wheels in the 70s- not sure why they didn't just print a different size now that they've done away with the raised letters

MPC - the recent re-release of the funny car version may be a decent start as well

Kind of ironic that you could get factory hood scoops on a slant 6 or 318 Duster but not a 340 car

Flat hood from the factory on '71 340 cars, black paint treatment covering the fender and door tops and rear window sill was optional and included the big "340 Wedge" hood decal The twin scoops and narrower blackout treatment with the "strobe" down the center was available with the lower performance cars with the "Twister" package. The blackout/strobe treatment was available without the scoops on Twisters as well