69NovaYenko

Thanks Tim for sharing. Looks like its gonna turn out awesome.

TB. Thanks for the heads-up about the "Fish-gill" rocker moldings. None of the cars i saw in the test/promo shoots had them so naturally I thought they were not kitted. VERY GLAD to see Revell had enough fore-thought to include the "Fish-gill" rocker moldings as a build option..it appears this kit is going to be some kinda awesome!!! As for the rear window louvers, hopefully one of the many skilled resin casters out there will make something available in the very near future. GTX: I will have to look into the "Fish-grill" rocker gills not being available on the `70 AAR Cudas. As you pointed out I have seen a number of restored AAR cars with them..ie the Ivy Green Metallic, Lemon Twist and In Purple Metallic AAR cars I attached in an earlier post. But, because a restorer adds it doesn't always mean it's factory correct. I will also followup on the rear window louvers only being available for vinyl top cars. Thanks for the info.

Yep...the white AAR with that poppy red interior is very cool. That said I do like the metallic gray one as well...it`s an unusual eye catching color.

As a refresher on the importance and heritage of the `70 AAR Cuda 340 in American Muscle car legend review this clip I ran across from the TV series "American Muscle Cars "Plymouth AAR `Cuda and Dodge Challenger T/A. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUYK78sdgqA&feature=share&list=PLg-xQIc4JaSVvUI7NBIMhtOzBrRMa7WSr I hope you enjoy.

Ditto!!! An AAR version would be the next logical kit release. And, like Fastback340 I do not wish to step on any of the S&M drag car enthusiast toes. However, IMHO with a "stock" `70 Cuda almost in our hands an '70 "AAR" Cuda is MUCH easier to kit from the stock '70 Cuda than all the additional modifications needed to kit a full blown Pro-Stock Sox & Martin car. And, lets not forget people the '70 AAR Cuda surly deserves recognition as one of Mopars best factory street machines and it also has a VERY rich American racing history. Throughout its 35-year history, the All American Racers (AAR) Cuda’s have occupied a special niche among the glory days of Trans—Am Racing. In 1970, Plymouth recruited Dan Gurney from Santa Anna, California to build a Trans-Am Cuda to compete against Mustangs, Camaros and Javelins for the Trans American Championships of Manufactures. With that as a backdrop, Chrysler had to produce enough street versions of the AAR Cuda to meet SCCA minimum production requirement in order to run in the Trans-Am series. So, in mid 1970 Plymouth released to the American car buying market a special edition of the Gurney Trans-Am car, the “J code” AAR Cuda. The 340 blocks that were dropped in the street production AAR Cuda’s were heated up versions of the little lightweight, high revving V-8. AAR 340 engines had thicker main webs at the bottom of the block which allowed them to be drilled out for four bolt main caps, making it a stronger block than the mainstream street production engines. They also had special high-performance cylinder heads with 10 1/2 to 1compression, high performance cam shafts, improved valve train oiling as well as 426 Hemi rocker arms and shafts. The 340 AAR blocks also came with three Holley 2BBL carburetors seated atop an aluminum Edelbrock intake manifold with a six-pack air cleaner and a rubber gasket that sealed it to the hood to draw in outside air. The engine was rated at 290hp with 10.5:1 compression ratio. The little AAR 340 engines put out 290 horsepower at 345 pound of torque. These lightweight factory built race cars weighted just under 3,000 lbs and ran 0-60 in 5.8 seconds and turn 14.4 second 100 mph quarter miles straight off the show room floor! Other trick goodies that came as standard equipment (yes I said standard equipment) on this little street screamer included road racing suspension (bigger torsion bars/ heavy duty leaf springs/sway bar/8 ¾ “sure grip rear end /11” brake drums), Hurst pistol Grip shifter, a low drag lightweight fiberglass “fresh air” hood with hood pins, road/fog lamps, 26" radiator, shroud and clutch fan, factory N44 side exhaust system mufflers with chromed trumpet tips, “duck tail” rear spoiler, a pair of “eyebrow” front chin spoilers, vertical louvered rocker panel moldings, body colored racing mirrors, black out treatment on rear tail light panel as well as hood, bucket seats, console, three spoke wood steering wheel, E-60x15 tires up front H-60x15 on rear, either four speed manual or 727 Torque Flight auto trans, 150 mph speedo, 8000 rpm tach and strobe stripe body panel graphics. All this high performance come with a base sticker price around twenty-eight to twenty-nine hundred dollars back in the day! The AAR Cuda was only produced in 1970 . The production run ONLY LASTED from March to April of 1970. This rarity makes 1970 AAR Cuda's one of the most collectable cars of the entire pony car era. In all, 2,724 AAR’s were produced, 1,120 were 4 speeds and 1,614 were 3 speed automatics. I pray that when Revell releases the '70 AAR Cuda kit they INCLUDE a few of the items they neglected to include in the forthcoming "stock" `70 Cuda kit: 1-Rear window louver's (they were available options for stock Cuda's & AAR Cuda`s) 2-Horizontal louvered rocker panel moldings (they were available options for stock Cuda's & AAR Cuda`s) Both of these parts additions can be used to enhance either a `70 Cuda AAR or stock '70 Cuda build. In conclusion, I am very happy that the 1/25 scale `70 Cuda kit will be in our hands very soon. It's been a LONG time coming and i wish to thanks all those that played a part in making this happen. I have per-ordered six of the kits for myself from my LHS. I am also aware of a number of others who who frequent my LHS who have also per-ordered multiplies of the kit. In-fact two of the regulars who frequent my LHS have per-ordered a case each for personnel use/building purposes. The owner of the shop says he cannot recall when he has seen this much buzz about a kit release. I hope the next buzz will be about a `70 AAR 340 Cuda and then the `70 Cuda Sox & Martin Pro-Stock car.

There are a lot of highly skilled, competent and honest repair shops and mechanics (of all ages) out there!!! With that said, now-a-days, there are some repair technicians and auto services facilities (particularly some that are affiliated with large nationally chains) who`s focus is being a "good earner" for the parent organization. Either, the national or regional office have mandated that each store must hit specific sales quotas or bring in X amount of $$$ monthly if the employee/shop manager wishes to be seen in a favorable light with his superiors. This type of environment breeds up-selling and /or diagnostics involving the most expensive repair possible. While I hate to say this and my words may seem harshly grotesque to some;however it is an unfortunate sign of the times. Buzz words like "friendly", helpful","customer service", "valued customer", honesty" and "integrity" are mere punch lines to get you the customer in the door; sadly "profitability" are the new marching orders of the day for some (not all) repair facilities/service techs.

If a manufacturer like Moebius resurrected several of the Jo-han AMC cars that would spur an up-tick in upgrade and detail parts. IMHO there aren't as many Jo-Han AMC kits out there as your statement would lead one to believe. Just look at the auction boards and notice how seldom a 68-74 Javelin, 68-70 AMX, 70 Rebel “The Machine” or 69 Rambler “Hurst SC/Scrambler” appears. And, when one does have you noticed the asking or better still the actual selling price...Ch-chin $, Ch-chin $ my friend. This is caused by limited supply v.s. high demand...at least that's what my business professor taught us. And, that's my two cents on the matter for whatever it's worth.

A resurrection of Jo-Hans American Motors cars i.e. 68-74 Javelin, 68-70 AMX, 70 Rebel “The Machine”and 69 Rambler “Hurst SC/Scrambler” by someone like Moebius would spur a significant up-tick in demand for conversion/upgrade/detail parts. IMHO there aren't as many "originals" out as your statement would have us believe. Just, look on the auction boards and see how seldom a Jo-Han AMC kit appears i.e. 68-74 Javelin`s. And, when they do appear on auction my word...look at the the asking and most importantly selling price...ch-chin $...ch-chin $ my friend. Limited supply and high demand is the root cause of that my friend; at least that's what my business professor taught us. For what it`s worth that's my two cents no the matter.

I needed a new battery last fall so I dropped by the NTB to picked one out and opted to let them do the swap out. Well after a short wait I finally was them bring my car into the bay. With my complimentary cup of dish water tasting, luke warm coffee in hand I eased out the waiting room and wondered over to the service bay where my car was parked. I discovered a young twenty one year old service tech under the hood with a ratchet attempting to remove the bolts from battery hold bracket. I engaged him in some general conversation as he worked on my car. He quickly made it a point to tell me how “GOOD” a mechanic he was; in fact he was the best darn mechanic in the entire shop. Additionally, he informed me that the “old timers” around the shop with15 to 20 plus years of hands-on experience were jealous of his awesome skills and could not match his knowledge..after all he just got out of tech school eighteen months ago and has been trained in the latest and greatest whiz bang technology. NTB was just a stepping stone, he had plans on becoming a lead shop manager for one of the big car dealerships or better yet opening his own shop. The whole time he is patting himself on the back I`m watching him struggle with removing the bolts from the battery hold down tray. He had both hands on the ratchet handle, you could see the muscles in his arms trembling, the veins in his neck and temple standing up; he was up on the balls of his feet and the bolts would not yield to his brute force attack. By now one of the old timers wandered by and in an attempt to be helpful to his young colleague suggested that he hit the bolts with some rust release penetrate spray. The seasoned veteran even tossed him a can of spray out of his own toolbox. Now, the young lad was insulted. He didn’t need any advise from this old fart. After all he just got out of tech school eighteen months ago and has been trained in the latest and greatest whiz bang technology. No one in the shop knew more than he did. So, he grabs a twelve inch piece of half inch pipe from the bottom tray of his toolbox and inserts it over the ratchet handle. “What I need is move leverage”, he says to me. It was at that point a chill ran up my spine as he put every ounce of strength he could summon from the mechanic gods and pulled and yanked on the ratchet. Before I could yell “ STOP” there was a loud bang and his entire body literally fell face forward into my cars engine compartment. YES…he sheered the bolt head off!!!!! The service manager pulled him off my car and got the old timer, the one that had tried to assist him in the start, to finish the job. The old timer removed the remaining undamaged bolt after a few squirts of penetrate spray. He then had to heat the remains of the sheered off bolt and work in back and forth with a pair of vice grips until he was able to extract the last remains of the bolt with a easy-all. He then scavenge the shop for a similar sized bolt and re-thread the damaged bolt hole…it took an hour and twenty minute get everything back to normal. I assure you we still need you old school guys because you have far more knowledge and common sense than a lot of the "just out of tech school eighteen months ago and highly trained in the latest and greatest whiz bang technology" techs..trust me and this is a TRUE story!!!

Sweet very sweet!

Now that`s a thought..they both have a Trans-Am Racing history...hummmm...

Missing Link cast the 1971 AMC Hornet SC/360 at one time. I was very nice work; even included chromed bumpers and rally stock wheels with SC/360 decals. Not sure if the still have it though.

Ron where did you get the resin "Big Bad" car?

While Chevy`s are my 1st love, American Motors muscle cars are a close 2nd. I`ve been the proud owner of two 1:1 Javelins and one AMX`s in my youth. Wish I had held on to them.

Thanks for the suggestion...but drew a blank.

Nice Machine work!!!

My intent is to mate the scatter shield to the back end of a 427 block from the Revell `69 Camaro ZL-1 kit.

High Octane thanks for the tip. I checked with a bubby and he dug around in his stash and came up with a pair of Traction Master traction bars or at least something very similar to what I was seeking. These are out of a vintage 3-N-1 (Stock/Custom/Racing) MPC "Super Hugger" 70 1/2 Camaro kit .

Does anyone cast or has any manufacturer kitted "Traction Master" style traction bars in 1/25 scale?

Does anyone cast or has any manufacturer kitted a Lakewood style scatter shield in 1/25 scale?

Totally AWESOME build!!!

A 30 year old build you say...it stood the test of time well...looks good.

I like the what you got so far..hope to see more as the build progresses.

Tom thanks for the info on Chrome Alclad in a aerosol can...I`ll have to order some.

Alclad in a spray can you say...I was sure you had to be mistaken about it coming in an air-sole can. Then I Goggled it and low and behold there it was at E-Hobbies as well as several other hobby outlets. Happy days now I don`t have to hassle with the air gun cleanup when chroming parts!!!