What AMT/MPC Molds Might Still Exist at Round 2?

[mikemodeler]

On 1/22/2018 at 11:42 AM, Casey said:

While these are only kits and not the actual molds from which the kits can be produced, I do see a few kits here in Round2's stash which have been produced, and some which could still eventually see the light of day.

I remember the days when this is what a well stocked hobby shop looked like! Some great memories from some of those kits on that wall!

 

[Greg Myers]

Many still do, Andy's Hobby Headquarters in Glendale AZ and the ACE Hardware in Tucson are great examples. Great stock and people that know and care.

[peteski]

On 1/29/2018 at 11:32 AM, Greg Myers said:

Many still do, Andy's Hobby Headquarters in Glendale AZ and the ACE Hardware in Tucson are great examples. Great stock and people that know and care.

I think more accurate statement (at least for my area) would be "Some still do."

Spare Time Hobbies in Marlboro, MA is chock-full of kits like in that photo. Then there is Hobby Emporium in Tyngsboro, MA. That's about it for the old-fashioned hobby shops. Both within about 30 miles of where I live.  I consider myself lucky.

[peteski]

Best slammer class was at the MassCar contests years ago. You took your model out to the parking lot where there was a ladder and a sledge hammer. You placed the model by the ladder, took the hammer and climbed onot the ladder. They you would drop the sledgehammer trying to hit your model.  Once the model was hit, they would measure the distance of the part which flew out the farthest away.  The person whose kit's part flew out farthest won the slammer class.  Honest!

[tim boyd]

On 1/28/2018 at 8:13 PM, mikemodeler said:

I remember the days when this is what a well stocked hobby shop looked like! Some great memories from some of those kits on that wall!

 

Kinda reminds me of today's Model Cave in Ypsilanti Michigan (located between Detroit and Ann Arbor).  Well worth a trip if you are in the area.....TIM 

[Casey]

On 12/30/2015 at 9:05 PM, Daddyfink said:

Wonder if this is the one MPC announced but never released?

My guess is they decided  to simplify the kit and release multiple versions of the same basic kit, in an effort to recoup some of their investment. They were molded in polypropylene, and designed to be played with, so more toy than what most of us would consider a legitimate display model:

 

 

Edited February 2, 2018 by Casey

[1972coronet]

I bought a few copies of the Pushin' Pickup when these C-20's were still available ; unfortunately , none of them survived the ravages of time ( and countless repaints ! ) .

They were remarkably detailed for what their intended purpose was ; engraving was quite nice ( including the "Custom Deluxe" emblems on the fenders ; a detailled dash / instruments ; engraved door panels ; and so forth ) . If one can get past the blob small block engine ( replace it with a resin or glue SBC or BBC ) , it's a nice kit . 

[Casey]

While this is far from a "thought lost forever" type find, Jesse mentioned elsewhere on the forum that Round2's Instagram post yesterday showed an "unlabelled" mold and some teaser pics looking inside the mold, which is the MPC '67-'72 Chevy pickup, with the tow truck version's fire extinguisher and jack stand bases clearly visible (you'll have to go there for the interior mold pics):

Edited November 27, 2018 by Casey

[Greg Myers]

On 1/30/2018 at 8:27 PM, peteski said:

Best slammer class was at the MassCar contests years ago. You took your model out to the parking lot where there was a ladder and a sledge hammer. You placed the model by the ladder, took the hammer and climbed onot the ladder. They you would drop the sledgehammer trying to hit your model.  Once the model was hit, they would measure the distance of the part which flew out the farthest away.  The person whose kit's part flew out farthest won the slammer class.  Honest!

This kid of stuff makes me cringe. Reason why i never liked "Gone In 60 Seconds" , lets just wreck a bunch of stuff, what fun.

[martinfan5]

On 1/29/2018 at 9:32 AM, Greg Myers said:

Many still do, Andy's Hobby Headquarters in Glendale AZ

He has a small selection ,  Hobby Bench has a much bigger selection then he does, and staff that is actually friendly.

Of course things could of change since the last time I was in there.

Edited February 18, 2018 by martinfan5

[russosborne]

12 hours ago, martinfan5 said:

He has a small selection ,  Hobby Bench has a much bigger selection then he does, and staff that is actually friendly.

Of course things could of change since the last time I was in there.

Agreed. Unless he has drastically changed the store lately.

Nice selection yes, but no where near Casey's pictures.

He was actually friendlier than the staff at the now departed store at 35th and Greenway. They made me feel like scum.

Russ

[martinfan5]

1 hour ago, russosborne said:

Agreed. Unless he has drastically changed the store lately.

Nice selection yes, but no where near Casey's pictures.

He was actually friendlier than the staff at the now departed store at 35th and Greenway. They made me feel like scum.

Russ

Yeah, lets not talk about that store, that was bad.

[Greg Myers]

It's gone? drive by there a lot didn't notice. 

[russosborne]

Yep. Close to a year. 

Russ

[Greg Myers]

OH ! You're talking about the Indoor race track debacle .

I Was thinking The one at 43rd and Bell. 

[Casey]

Now I'm curious what the bottom mold on the pallet is...clearly the AMT '60 Chevy Wagon Craftsman kit. 

[Rob Hall]

12 minutes ago, Casey said:

Now I'm curious what the bottom mold on the pallet is...clearly the AMT '60 Chevy Wagon Craftsman kit. 

Can't tell what either thing is..just big blocks of metal..no labels.

[Casey]

30 minutes ago, Rob Hall said:

Can't tell what either thing is..just big blocks of metal..no labels.

True. Round2 mentioned the top one was unlabeled, and I'm assuming the bottom mold is older and it's clearly smaller, so who knows what it is.

It does appear that this image was taken at Round2's warehouse in Indiana, as you can see the orange/red pallet racks and a few Meyers Manx kits on the shelf, same as we see in Chad's monthly release videos. Good to see Round2 is at least still interested in seeing what else they have and what condition it's in. 

[Rob Hall]

25 minutes ago, Casey said:

True. Round2 mentioned the top one was unlabeled, and I'm assuming the bottom mold is older and it's clearly smaller, so who knows what it is.

It does appear that this image was taken at Round2's warehouse in Indiana, as you can see the orange/red pallet racks and a few Meyers Manx kits on the shelf, same as we see in Chad's monthly release videos. Good to see Round2 is at least still interested in seeing what else they have and what condition it's in. 

Interesting that they are in Indiana instead of China. 

[Casey]

11 minutes ago, Rob Hall said:

Interesting that they are in Indiana instead of China. 

I think they (they being previous owners Ertl and/or Racing Champions/TOMY) only sent to China what they knew would be ready to use, so I suspect there were still molds in the warehouse in Dyersville, IA. Not sure if they have/had a molding machine in that building or not (maybe Mike Wherry, Art Anderson or Dave Darby know?), but I would guess whatever Round2 acquired in the purchase of the AMT/MPC assets needed to be moved to their Indiana location, regardless of whether they knew exactly what everything was or not.

The AMT Customizing 3'n1 Boat kit was produced in Mexico and reissued in 1996, then Round2 reissued it again in 2017, but it had the "Made in the USA" sticker on it, so was it produced at the same facility in Kalkaska, MI where many of the Lindberg kits are/were, or elsewhere? Not sure, but it's one example of a kit which seems to have never left North America.

I wouldn't put this '67-'72 Chevy C-series mold under the "log lost" category, as the Cooter's Tow Truck kit was last out in 1981, but if it was unlabeled as of 2018, I'm sure there are others to be discovered in a similar state.

[Rob Hall]

The AMT 72 Chevy pickup was last reissued in the late 90s.  Never compared it with the Cooters tow truck, but the cab is pretty similar IIRC.  The tow truck though was issued by MPC before the ERTL era.  Seems like AMT and MPC had similar or shared toOling on those trucks?   I some of the older ones in my stash--AMT '67 and '69 Chevys, MPC '68 and '69 Chevys ('69 has the firetruck parts), MPC Chevy w/ Open Road camper, an AMT GMC longbed, the AMT GMC step side.   There is a thread around here somewhere about these trucks.  Always liked them. 

Edited February 19, 2018 by Rob Hall

[ChrisBcritter]

I can see the tow truck's bed rails in the second photo - anyone have a chrome tree to compare with it?

Edit - Found a shot:

Can anyone make out what's in the closed-off large rectangle at the bottom?

Edited February 20, 2018 by ChrisBcritter

[Casey]

17 minutes ago, ChrisBcritter said:

I can see the tow truck's bed rails in the second photo - anyone have a chrome tree to compare with it?

It looks like MPC didn't even chrome plate those parts the last time around:

Edited February 20, 2018 by Casey

[Rob Hall]

1 minute ago, Casey said:

It looks like MPC didn't even chrome plate those parts the last time around:

 

Yep, I remember painting those rails silver when I built the Cooter's Tow Truck kit as a kid around 1980-81...

[pack rat]

1 hour ago, ChrisBcritter said:

 

Can anyone make out what's in the closed-off large rectangle at the bottom?

That empty section at the bottom left is the where the custom grille/headlight guard was.  It was in the original AMT '67 and the MPC '68, but I don't know if any later issues included the piece.  If you Google the MPC '68 it is pictured on the box top illustration.