MPC 1984 GMC Pickup (Video Review) 2016 Reissue

[disabled modeler]

love crews Mark!

yeah! finally got everything for my crew dually.....

Tim... My 78 annual did not have a option for building it as a 4x4 was 2wd only.

Dan...COOL... years ago I made a standard cab duallie pickup using those bed fenders too...they work great for it with a few mods.  My 84 is a standard cab long bed with snow plow...I plan to use the Fall Guy issue kit and find a extra bed,frame and plow to build mine from then convert it into a Chevy and need to convert it into a bench seat truck.

Edited March 17, 2016 by disabled modeler

[Toast]

Where would someone find a good 25th scale plow to add to this kit? 

[chunkypeanutbutter]

Would the Revell Chevy plow look too big in 1/24 on this?

[disabled modeler]

Would the Revell Chevy plow look too big in 1/24 on this?

Miles... I think it would look ok on one.

[Can-Con]

Sure wish the 78 chevy stepside  would be re released.

You'r looking at it ,, or I should say what's left of it.

[Longbox55]

Not sure if this was mentioned previously, but the '78 MPC annual kit was a Stepside, and it was 2WD. I do not recall this kit having a 4WD option, but since I don't have the box art in front of me, I can't say this with 100% certainty.  

 

I stand corrected, Tim. What I really meant was the '78 issue of it with the 4x4 parts, which came out after the Annual kit, which was the only issue with the 2wd parts.

[Aaronw]

Am I correct in thinking the only issue with backdating this to '82 is removing the parking lights and restoring the grill detail to the block they occupy? It looks like the '84 grill is otherwise the same as '82.  

[my80malibu]

Some enterprising resin caster, could do those front end parts in Resin. I would buy a few sets, I have many of these trucks already, and would like to have some two wheel drive options.

I stand corrected, Tim. What I really meant was the '78 issue of it with the 4x4 parts, which came out after the Annual kit, which was the only issue with the 2wd parts.

You'r looking at it ,, or I should say what's left of it.

[mikemodeler]

Am I correct in thinking the only issue with backdating this to '82 is removing the parking lights and restoring the grill detail to the block they occupy? It looks like the '84 grill is otherwise the same as '82.  

The 81/82 grille differs in appearance slightly, but you are on the right track. The front bumper really bugs me in this kit, I wish they would have corrected it.

[av405]

FYI the 1981-1982 Chevy grill was offered on the MPC "Sod Buster" version of this kit. It is also made in resin by Modelhaus for their 1981-1982 Chevy Suburban kit. Maybe if they reopen for business that would be a good source for one. I have two but have plans for those.

[Aaronw]

The 81/82 grille differs in appearance slightly, but you are on the right track. The front bumper really bugs me in this kit, I wish they would have corrected it.

Kind of a pain, but basically just filling in the parking lights no?

Thanks for the answer on the 81/82, although on a closer look I actually need the '86 grill with 2 headlights with the 2 parking lights directly below.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Aaronw

[mikemodeler]

Kind of a pain, but basically just filling in the parking lights no?

Thanks for the answer on the 81/82, although on a closer look I actually need the '86 grill with 2 headlights with the 2 parking lights directly below.

Yep, the turn signals need to be filled in. Unless you are good with Alcad, the alternative is to send it off for chroming and by the time you factor in shipping, makes you wonder if its worth it?

[hpiguy]

Thanks for another great review Chris.

Thanks Scott, and thanks to everyone else for the kind words.

Always fun to put stuff together when people enjoy it.

[Fabrux]

Now that I have my own copy of this kit, I can add some comments.

• The grille in this kit is the '84 style shared with the Hardcastle & McCormick truck.
• The original Fall Guy issue has the correct '81-82 GMC grille. 
• The optional rims in this issue are the custom wheels in the H&M kit.
• Bench seat was offered in the original '78 2WD kit and the H&M kit.
• The '81-82 Chevrolet grille was in the Sodbuster and Ground Shaker kits.

I for one am extremely pleased to have this kit reissued, no matter what form the tooling is currently in! 

[mikemodeler]

Now that I have my own copy of this kit, I can add some comments.

• The grille in this kit is the '84 style shared with the Hardcastle & McCormick truck.
• The original Fall Guy issue has the correct '81-82 GMC grille. 
• The optional rims in this issue are the custom wheels in the H&M kit.
• Bench seat was offered in the original '78 2WD kit and the H&M kit.
• The '81-82 Chevrolet grille was in the Sodbuster and Ground Shaker kits.

I for one am extremely pleased to have this kit reissued, no matter what form the tooling is currently in! 

Two questions based on the comments above in BOLD :

1. The optional rims, what tires would they work with? I am assuming based on others comments that they don't work with the kit supplied tires.

 

2. The bench seat, is it available to convert these kits?

 

Even though I have the earlier releases, I plan on getting at least one more!

 

[Fabrux]

The tires in all 4WD versions of his kit are 1:25 scale versions of the Formula Desert Dawg PCV. The wheels will also work with AMT/MPC Commander XTs or Firestone All-Terrain T/C.

As for the bench seat, it is a separate piece and fits in perfectly but I have not come across a resin repop of it. With the reissue of this kit and the modern cottage industry I would imagine someone will be offering the seat, 2WD suspension, stepside bed, etc.

[Can-Con]

The tires in all 4WD versions of his kit are 1:25 scale versions of the Formula Desert Dawg PCV. The wheels will also work with AMT/MPC Commander XTs or Firestone All-Terrain T/C.

As for the bench seat, it is a separate piece and fits in perfectly but I have not come across a resin repop of it. With the reissue of this kit and the modern cottage industry I would imagine someone will be offering the seat, 2WD suspension, stepside bed, etc.

If they do cast the seat I'd hope they'd correct it. The backs of those 1/1 truck seats were pretty square. The one in the kit is very narrow at the top, Looks like it'd need 3 or 4 scale inches added at the top on both sides.

Also, the only wheel backs in the kit are for the 1/20 tires and won't fit 1/25 tires. I tried modifying them but still not a good solution.

[Fabrux]

If one isn't too fussy about what the backs of the wheels look like, the smaller insert for the 1:20 wheels fits inside the 1:25 wheels to be able to mount them.

Another option for the bench seat is to cut the seat from the Revell (not Monogram) squarebody kits, it fits pretty good.

Edited March 20, 2016 by kataranga

[disabled modeler]

 

Chris...Thanks Ill have to try that for the bench seat.

 

 

Edited March 20, 2016 by disabled modeler

[Fabrux]

Looks like this: https://goo.gl/photos/kFrrLNsUguK25QDr7

[disabled modeler]

Looks like this: https://goo.gl/photos/kFrrLNsUguK25QDr7

Chris...Thanks! looks very nice to me...sounds like a plan.

[Daddyfink]

Wheels and tires are the same ones that come in the 1/20th scale off road vans! 

[Aaronw]

So is this grill out there somewhere or am I going to have to make my own.

I thought it was perhaps later than this kit, but my notes show it is in fact an '82, so possibly just a different trim level?

Note parking lights directly below the twin headlights lights, not quad headlights with parking lights in the grill or bumper.

 

http://modelfireapparatus.com/apparatus/Brush/Brush4/BrushS3.JPG

 

Edited March 26, 2016 by Aaronw

[Can-Con]

So is this grill out there somewhere or am I going to have to make my own.

I thought it was perhaps later than this kit, but my notes show it is in fact an '82, so possibly just a different trim level?

Note parking lights directly below the twin headlights lights, not quad headlights with parking lights in the grill or bumper.

 

http://modelfireapparatus.com/apparatus/Brush/Brush4/BrushS3.JPG

 

No, that's a base model grille. Don't know of any in resin and I'm 99.9 % sure it was never in a kit.

[av405]

That's the 1983-1984 grille, which is the one in the MPC Deserter kit.

Unless I'm somehow misunderstanding your question?