1972coronet

Well , including the sometimes-as-high-as-90%-of-the-cost-of-the-kit shipping ... I'm trying to avoid the RC-era release , only because of the woefully-incorrect dashboard and chassis ; the Dukes release is the one I want , but only because Round2 not only corrected the aforementioned errors , but because the decal set is superior . The c.1983 issue (red car on box , with Cragar S/ST wheels) would be okay , too --- just not a fan of that era of ridiculously-dark-tinted glass , and the notorious "tyre-burn" chemical-reaction . The RC-era would be okay "If ... The Price Is Right " ; then I could buy a resin dash from Harts Parts -or- buy another AMT 1971 Charger as a donor (the ones I have now are slated for the glue bomb 1972 Charger Rallye annual) .

Why are the prices so ridiculous for the newer-issues ( Racing Champions , Round2 ) of the ancient MPC (et al.) 1973-1974 Road Runner / GTX ???? Even the half-arsed RC-era version --- complete with its 1975-1978 chassis and dashboard --- is fetching some stupid money ! Never mind that the Duke of Prunes 'Daisy Prunes' reissue is going for stellar prices ; it's that tin-packaged-with-some-character release that may as well be auctioned at Sotheby's New York Gallery ! What the deuce ? I hope that Round2 will release this kit again , this time sans and endorsements / embellishments ; just a nice , non-Prunes , non-tin-boxed version ...

You know , in hindsight perhaps you're not terribly "off base" in your proposal of reworking the Monogram '71 'Satellite' / GTX into something nice-er . The moulded-in tail lamps could be deleted , and instead added to the 'clear' parts' tree ( much easier to paint properly , especially since the back-up lamps would already be clear ! ) . The 1972 front and rear bumpers -- and their accessories (grille , etc. ) -- could "simply" be added , along with a new-tool single 4 barrel induction (and a proper air cleaner) to compliment the existing pieces (and, therefore , offer the option for the ultra-rare 1972 Six Barrel setup ! ) . Throw the original 'Satellite' bonnet back into the mix , too ! New tyres and wheels , too ... please .

Hands down , one-each of the MPC 1973-1975 Duster annuals . I have a few 'bombs and some random parts , but would LOVE to have some virgin plastic to work with ! - 1973 , as that was my 2nd car ; - 1974 , because this annual includes Motor Wheels 'Spyders' as an option , and ; - 1975 , as the grille was unique .

That ages-old Monogram 1971 "Satellite"-come-GTX (1995 saw an update of the c.1983 "Satellite") is just that : antiquated . Yes , it can and does have potential for nice results ; however , its weak points outweigh that potential in my mind : - Undersized exhaust pipes , with obviously aftermarket exhaust tips ; - The aforementioned being cast-with the blob of a rear axle ; - Mediocre representation of a 440+6 (though its 1995-updated Holley 2300's are quite nice) ; - TorqueFlite with a deep sink-mark in the pan (no separate pan at that !) ; - The moulded-in tail lamps , while nicely represented -- especially compared to the MPC 1971 Road Runner / GTX -- are a disappointment ... even by 1984 standards ; - The aftermarket battery is Bozo , and ; - Those oddball tyres (artifact of Monogram's 1969 1/2 Super Bee , 1970 GTX , and the 1971 "Satellite") . Yes , the Revell-era c.1995 upgrades are nice (especially the aforementioned carburetors , and the addition of firewall embellishment / wiper motor ; the Air Grabber bonnet is also a nice upgrade ) , but that kit is long in the tooth . Time for a freshie .

Let me qualify my response by stating that , this isn't an attempt to knock Round2 (et al.) : I'm not necessarily suggesting that Round2 is the recepiant of my 'proposal' ; rather , it's aimed at anyone whom would be interested . Certainly , Round2 is equipped to handle the task ; however , their main business model is restoring classic AMT , MPC , and Lindberg kits' tooling (among other products) , which is no small feat in and of its self . Perhaps Moebius or Revell (et al.) would be interested ?

I really , REALLY wish that those GM A/G ( A-Special ? G-Special ? ) were done in 25th scale . Certainly , I'm not alone in this . As many of those as I built as a kid , this is the first time that I can recall seeing the Mount Prospect 'P1' livery ! Wonder if Monogram was capitalising on the Blues Brothers ?

Well , if indeed that 1971 Road Runner tooling is truly destroyed , then only one thing can take its place : All-new , 100% , no holds barred tooling ! I've stated this here , ad nauseam , but I'm going to mention it again : - "Generic" 1971-1972 body - Parts to build either a 1971 or 1972 version - Engine options ( 383 [1971] 400 [1972] and 440 Six Barrel ; 426 Hemi [1971] ) - Transmission options ( TorqueFlite or 4 speed ) - Differential options ( 83/4 or Dana 60 ) - Grip of factory decals for both years - Period-correct custom tyres , wheels , etc. It CAN be done ! So many similarities between those two years -- especially in-scale -- that a true "2-In-1" could be a reality .

I wish that I could find an accompanying article for this sad bit of news , but I have only got first-hand news from Martyn L. Schorr : Joe Oldham passed away late last week . Many of you may recognise Oldham from his (in)famous road tests and articles about Muscle Cars back in the 60's and 70's , in addition to Oldham's ties with Baldwin Motion ; he worked for the aforementioned Schorr at High Performance CARS magazine . As new info comes in , I will update this post . R.I.P. , Joe . Here's a direct-link to the article in Hemmings Motor News https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2017/10/30/joe-oldham-consummate-car-guy-and-hemmings-columnist-rip/comment-page-1/#comment-10535420

Ha ! I was hoping that someone would recognise The Voidoids !

The 1980 Volare / Road Runner kit has those tyres as well ; and , the Pacer (the 2-in-1 AMT version) *may* have them as well . That Datsun Pickup annual originally had plastic tyres for the stock wheel / hubcap , and the aforementioned super-wide vinyl tyres for the custom version (imagine trying to muscle a turn or parking job with those wide tyres and slow manual steering !) .

Well , at least the tail lamps "Will be cast in red resin" , which is a bonus in its self . Harts Parts makes some great , high quality stuff .

Yep , that RC2-era was a joke at best . The horrible box art was not only a turnoff , but -- as this thread points out -- also fraught with , in es. , false advertising . Anyone else notice that the earliest iteration of the 1971 Duster 'Street Machine' ( think : Viper-stylled wheels , low profile tyres , and Viper-esque induction for the 340) features a cobbled-together mpc 1972 Duster 340 annual ? I couldn't believe it ! At that time -- some 15 years ago -- I remember proclaiming , "If the tooling exists for the 1972 Duster annual , then why isn't it being reissued ?!?" . As a visual artist , I cannot get past that garbage box art ! Arrggg ! Even trolling around eBay , knowing full-well what's in those boxes , I still hesitate buying / bidding on them . Thank the Good Lord that Round2 came to the rescue !

I belong to the Blank Generation ... and I can take it or leave it each time .

I'm pleased that you and yours are well , sir . The only other variation I've seen in-so-far-as valve cover design is the 1970 & later engines . As a concession to then-new hydrocarbon emissions standards (e.g. , "sealed" fuel system ; '69 & earlier cars' raw gas vapours were vented to the atmosphere) , the breather was moved to the passenger-side . But , that's all moot . "Road Runner , Road Runner / goin' faster miles an hour ..."

I could swear that the bone stock 273 in my parents' 1969 Dart was red . Certainly , 1968 was the last year for red-coloured 340s (though , I've seen first-hand an early [Dec '68] build 1969 GTS 340 with its untouched engine . Perhaps because it was built in Los Angeles , the red 340 was a leftover ; Hamtramck got all the latest stuff , whereas L.A. got updated supplies later ) . But , I digress ... For all intents and purposes , 1968 was the last year for high performance engines to be painted red . The 170 and 225 sixes , and 273 and 318 were still red into the 1969 model year .

Fantastic work as usual , Mike ! I hope that you and yours are well . The rocker arm covers ... that stinks , man . Any chance that you and carefully free them from the heads ? If I remember correctly , the oil filler doubled as the breather on 1969 & earlier 383 and 440 engines ; the Air Grabber may have changed that arrangement , too . Great idea regarding the trough-fill on that scribe on the bonnet's underside . Keep on keepin' on , sir !

Lemmon 714's would be nice .

The only suggestion that I have pertains to the TorqueFlite : be sure to use that one that comes with the Chrysler 300's Hemi , as it's the correct , pre-1962 version ( A-488 ; those were cast iron , and the parking drum on the tailshaft cinches it ) . Also , pay attention to the rocker arm covers : a Road Draft Tube and a breather without a hose / port are required for any pre-1962 engine .

I was "thrashing the threshold" when I perchanced-upon this old thread . I wonder if there's any chance that Revellogram will reissue any of these ? I honestly don't care about the High Roller version ; however , the others would be quite nice to see again !

Correction : it's a 1968 with an L-71 : And , here's an ad ( catalogue item ? ) for the hood :

The Stinger hood --- Yenko used them as well . Those examples that you mention are definitely Dana builds ! There's also a '67 with the L-71 under its bonnet ; let's see if I can find an image of it ...

The 1968 Hurst-Hemi Dart ( LO23 ) and Barracuda ( BO29 ) had -- interior-wise -- the following : - No Rear Seat - Bostrom bucket seats , on fixed-position , light weight aluminium "tracks" - No Window Mechanisms ( the rear windows were 'fixed' in the up-position ) - "270" Trim Level (Dart) ; Barracuda (e.g. , not Formula-S) Trim Level ** - Carpet without the jute backing - Manual Trans was a "Slick-Shift" 4-speed ( A/K/A , "Crash-Box" ) ; separate 'Reverse Lockout' lever (new for 1968 as required by NHRA [ and , likely , AHRA and IHRA ] ) - TorqueFlite was full-manual shift ( Reverse-Pattern Manual Valvebody ) , with a Hurst Dual Gate shifter & console - No Heater / Defogger - Seat Belt straps to pull windows up ; button snap to hold the Chemcor glass up . ** = Maybe it was 'GT/S' trim , but definitely didn't have any 'GT/S' emblems . These cars were not meant to be street operated , as the requisite safety equipment (as of the 1968 model year) was negated . These were purpose-built , rough-cut cars which were intended to be 'finished' by their owner(s) . Certainly , a handful of them actually were registered ( !! ) for street use --- an almost impossible task as these cars were sold ( $1 to sponsored racers ; $5,800 +/ - on a 'retail' level ) with an MSO ( Manufacture's Statement of Origin ) only . Other equipment abounds , but I'll limit myself to interior appointments (or , lack thereof ).

Nice seat ! Do you have a link to the buildup of this ?