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AMT '66 Mustang New Release


MrBuick

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3 hours ago, Junkman said:

If I put that retail price through the inflation calculator, it translates into $13.47 in 2019 money.

Shows what a blatant ripoff model kits became.

Plus add in $ for licensing stuff that was given away as "advertising" not "branding". That's probably $3-4 minimum. And in AMT/MPC's case add $ from Ertl/Kidde/Fundimensions/Racing Champions/Tomy... That's easy another $3-4. Lawyer fees alone probably that. Then there's product liability in case some kid chokes on an exhaust header etc. Prob $0.50? who knows. So we're up to hypothetical WAG of $19.97-$21.47. Shipping? not following inflation. China/Mexico cut some costs, but shrinking market has made it harder to sell. The beloved 40% coupons aren't going to make HL etc. go bankrupt, so assume they buy at 45-50% retail. With same upfront costs. So I'd LOVE if my cost of living/running a business just followed inflation. It doesn't. Just sayin'.

 

PS, forgot Sonny and Cher branding from Universal, Barris branding, and we can thank god mag wheel companies don't seem to have a "branding" need (I think). Upside is they used the Apaches on the S&C car, and the Mach One showcar both. Bonus!

PPS, why wasn't this a 2 car kit to build both?

Edited by DukeE
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19 hours ago, Junkman said:

If I put that retail price through the inflation calculator, it translates into $13.47 in 2019 money.

Shows what a blatant ripoff model kits became.

Since I kjnow you like 1/18 diecasts, those seem very high to me.   I owned the "local hobby shop" in early to mid 2000s.   Ertl 1/18s were $20 _ $30 or a little to a lot more if it were the fancy ones - The Ford Precision 100 or whatever or the 57 Chrysler.  Same model is now $70 or more?   for same crude castings with giant door gaps and hinges.   Sunstar was probably my all around favorite then.  But that is completely off subject.  

I agree that $25 - $30 for a kit that was originally tooled 50 years ago is completely out of line.  be it because of licensing or whatever.  

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6 hours ago, randyc said:

Since I kjnow you like 1/18 diecasts, those seem very high to me.   I owned the "local hobby shop" in early to mid 2000s.   Ertl 1/18s were $20 _ $30 or a little to a lot more if it were the fancy ones - The Ford Precision 100 or whatever or the 57 Chrysler.  Same model is now $70 or more?   for same crude castings

Price of Zinc has doubled for diecasts  

Aug 00  $1169.80/metric ton

Aug 19. $2273.01/metric ton. 

So double cost of primary metal. Double cost of model. Inflation calculator does not cover it all, and if such good money in it from the ripoffs, why aren’t we seeing it? 
Can’t convince anyone lol. Must be a conspiracy. ;)

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1 hour ago, DukeE said:

Price of Zinc has doubled for diecasts  

Aug 00  $1169.80/metric ton

Aug 19. $2273.01/metric ton. 

So double cost of primary metal. Double cost of model. Inflation calculator does not cover it all, and if such good money in it from the ripoffs, why aren’t we seeing it? 
Can’t convince anyone lol. Must be a conspiracy. ;)

Ok, I can believe you.  I don;t keep track of cost of materials used.  And I know licensing is a thing now.   And everything else that goes into a model.  Not to mentionshipping costs, etc.  I just said it seems high to me.   But everything seems high to me.   

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Unless I missed something in cost breakdown theories, etc... one thing that's overlooked is the the number of kits produced just to make acceptable profit margins on the basic costs for running the kits. Remember in those good old days of $2.00 kits they (pick your model company) also ran many thousands (in some cases millions) of copies as it were. Now days two to five thousand is a big number in some cases so the price needs to be adjusted to make up the difference just to make it worthwhile to do a production run.

Also that tooling that's "done and paid for" years ago by say AMT or any other old tooling was still purchased at a price by the current owners of said tooling regardless of when it was originally cut. Therefore there needs to be a baseline cost factored in running the mold for current production. Remember Round2 wasn't just gifted those molds by Ertl/RC2.

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  • 2 years later...

Does anyone know the manufacturer and model of the 5-spoke wheels included in the original 1/25 AMT '66 Mustang Hardtop/Convertible kit? Maybe that info is called out on the instruction sheet?

AMT66MustangHTCVCutomWheels.jpg.b0cfd276d7648bec8b1ba4e0ff9d433c.jpg

 

1:1 wheel inside the AMT facility:

2v2HoDm6rx6bzhT.jpg

Edited by Casey
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On 10/3/2019 at 12:35 PM, Mark said:

Says '65 on the box, pure, unadulterated '66 inside.  Half of the kits in that series ('61 Galaxie, '62 Buick, and the Mustang) can be had reasonably, I've given thought to sticking one together like that...

Not much reason to have this kit other than it’s weird.  Single exhaust molded in screams promo to me and the 66 HT kit has been reissued to many times to count.

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On 10/4/2019 at 4:58 PM, Mark said:

I didn't make it clear, I was referring to the AMT fastback, which has been the altered wheelbase version since about 1967.

I would buy either the original AMT or MPC 67 Mustang fastback if they could tool those up again.

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27 minutes ago, Casey said:

Does anyone know the manufacturer and model of the 5-spoke wheels included in the original 1/25 AMT '66 Mustang Hardtop/Convertible kit? Maybe that info is called out on the instruction sheet?

AMT66MustangHTCVCutomWheels.jpg.b0cfd276d7648bec8b1ba4e0ff9d433c.jpg

 

1:1 wheel inside the AMT facility:

2v2HoDm6rx6bzhT.jpg

Wheel corp. of America MODEL # DBR-990

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On 2/19/2022 at 2:17 PM, Jack L said:

Wheel corp. of America MODEL # DBR-990

Thanks, Jack.

*edit* There they are on the instruction sheet:

AMT1966MustangRaderWheels.jpg.cba1789a075e2c779ccbc0763d03380d.jpg

 

On 2/19/2022 at 4:13 PM, Can-Con said:

AKA Rader "Stars". Seems they were only available for a few years in the '60s.

  

I should have known someone asked long ago on the H.A.M.B. 😁 https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/60’s-5-spoke-wheel-id.1207610/

There they are at 5:00:

RaderWheels.jpeg.7148cc5657b47a7eb48857471eacf3a4.jpeg

Edited by Casey
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5 hours ago, Jack L said:

Wheel corp. of America MODEL # DBR-990

 

3 hours ago, Can-Con said:

AKA Rader "Stars". Seems they were only available for a few years in the '60s.

 

2 hours ago, Casey said:

Thanks, Jack.

I should have known someone asked long ago on the H.A.M.B. 😁 https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/60’s-5-spoke-wheel-id.1207610/

There they are at 5:00:

RaderWheels.jpeg.7148cc5657b47a7eb48857471eacf3a4.jpeg

Every time I see those, it's hard to wrap my head around them being a mid-sixties wheel.  Design was about 30 years ahead of its time.  Monogram Badman has those for the fronts, too.  Think I remember seeing some other Monogram show rods that may have also used them.

Wheel Corp. of America/Rader/Trans American had several advanced designs.  Check out that crazy magnesium 3-spoke:

 

F4F4DB14-A355-4834-B5F9-0275B24FFE45.jpeg

62FC178B-D369-4C22-A5B5-6FB7F9199A88.jpeg

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On 9/7/2019 at 1:09 PM, Casey said:

If I haven’t mentioned this before? I’ll mention it now. I like this review a lot. A nice quick look what’s in the box. 

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On 10/9/2019 at 10:09 AM, Casey said:

sncss.jpg.8033013dd5620b0bb3a13d4fbafdfdfc.jpg

I’m sorry, I really do not like some of stuff Barris did back in the day. In my opinion the Sonny and Cher Mustangs are just awful. There are other things he did do which i love. The Munsters Coach, the ‘66 Batmobile, Fireball 500, and more. But the Sonny and Cher Mustangs? Uhg! 

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On 10/10/2019 at 5:11 PM, DukeE said:

Plus add in $ for licensing stuff that was given away as "advertising" not "branding". That's probably $3-4 minimum. And in AMT/MPC's case add $ from Ertl/Kidde/Fundimensions/Racing Champions/Tomy... That's easy another $3-4. Lawyer fees alone probably that. Then there's product liability in case some kid chokes on an exhaust header etc. Prob $0.50? who knows. So we're up to hypothetical WAG of $19.97-$21.47. Shipping? not following inflation. China/Mexico cut some costs, but shrinking market has made it harder to sell. The beloved 40% coupons aren't going to make HL etc. go bankrupt, so assume they buy at 45-50% retail. With same upfront costs. So I'd LOVE if my cost of living/running a business just followed inflation. It doesn't. Just sayin'.

 

PS, forgot Sonny and Cher branding from Universal, Barris branding, and we can thank god mag wheel companies don't seem to have a "branding" need (I think). Upside is they used the Apaches on the S&C car, and the Mach One showcar both. Bonus!

PPS, why wasn't this a 2 car kit to build both?

What hasn't been said, is that promo models of the 1960s helped subsidized the cost of models and their retail costs.

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