Round 2 new releases for 2016

[DaveM]

Having the Matador  back in mostly stock trim would separate me from a lot of my money!  I would buy two or three of them.  They were big, ugly, bloated, slow ill handling goofy looking cars,  but nothing screamed "Malaise era" quite as much as the big AMCs.  Several people had those when I was in high school, and they had all seen better days, but they ran.  In our day, any car that ran made you cooler than not having a car!  I rode in a few Matadors in my day, and almost had one.  (Ended up buying a Maverick instead)  All of the cars from that era seem to bring back memories now.  

I was sure the Matador tooling was toasted to make the custom, but if most of the stock parts are there, then it needs to come back.  On the same subject...  Is that Capri on the poster above still intact?  How possible would it be to release it in close to stock form?  I would grab a few of those.  I'm a sucker for anything '60s or '70s, as those are the cars I grew up with.  Lots of race car potential for that Capri also.  

As for the others, I will grab a puller or two and the squad rod.  Hopefully, the puller will do well enough to convince them to bring back the Orange Blossom Special, even if they have to change the name for licensing purposes.  That kit had some great parts in it too.  

[Dave Van]

Uncle Scott: to partially answer your question, the 1970 Pontiac Bonneville is coming back, but I've seen no mention of a Grand Prix.  It would be very nice to have the Superfly/Sweathogs kit back. Wonder how the tools for that kit look like?

Dave Van. I have to say that the Pic of your Matador makes me think I was wrong. Bring on the Stock, Custom, Racer 3'n'1 Kit. I'll need to build at least two.

The funny things is..........My basically stock Matador DRIVES better than my Javelin or Mustang.......

It has HUGE disk brakes, big sway bars front AND rear....it's just a more modern design and drives like a dream....way ahead for 1974......you would never guess from looking at her!!!! Thx

[Fat Brian]

My wife is going to hate me, between the Bison tractor, Datsun, and the Tyrone Malone truck coming back out I'm going to be pretty broke for the foreseeable future.

Edited April 27, 2016 by Fat Brian

[russosborne]

Flying Wedge-MANY. I know it really didn't work well in real life, but it is my all time favorite dragster style.

Trojan Horse- at least a couple. Maybe more. Owned a couple of Mustang IIs in the past. And that era funny car still looked like the real one.

Bison-maybe one or two just for the engines. And maybe one to build, not into pullers but you never know.

Snake dragster-maybe. I'd much rather have the funny car back.

Others-not so much.

Russ

[mikemodeler]

My wife is going to hate me, between the Bison tractor, Datsun, and the Tyrone Malone truck coming back out I'm going to be pretty broke for the foreseeable future.

And you haven't even factored in the show in Simpsonville SC next month!    LOL!

 

I'm in for one of the Datsun trucks. Not sure what it is about the mini-trucks but they have been showing up in my stash lately!

[DaveM]

The funny things is..........My basically stock Matador DRIVES better than my Javelin or Mustang.......

It has HUGE disk brakes, big sway bars front AND rear....it's just a more modern design and drives like a dream....way ahead for 1974......you would never guess from looking at her!!!! Thx

I'm sure a nice one drives really well.  My memories of those things are from the High School parking lot, and when I was in college.  I graduated in 1983, so the Matadors in our parking lot were pushing ten years old.  In Northern Michigan, that's an old car.  We weren't getting the cherries that had been garaged and maintained either.  The rich kids could buy the $1,000 rides, but most of us mere mortals were happy to get something for $300.  The two Matadors I remember from school were pretty fried out by the time they got down to my friends.  They were still better than my Beetle that had the fenders laced to the body with bailing wire!  Even a rusted out Volare station wagon that we had to "Dukes" in and out of was a pretty neat thing to have in high school.  (I couldn't open the doors on the Volare because it took a floor jack to get them to close again, but that didn't stop us from road trips!)  We took care of things on our cars in the following order.  #1 Sound system.  #2. Stickers  #3. Engine (Louder = better)  #4 Tires with big letters on them  #5. Seat covers.......   ..........   #478. Shocks

I never let my kids drive anything half as nasty as I used to drive.  The "Father" gene kicked in, and when the oldest walked in her freshman year of college and proudly proclaimed, I have a car, now.  I just bought it with my own money!"  I took one look at it and towed it to the scrapyard myself.  I ,at least knew how to keep things safe on an old junker... Brakes, throttle, steering, fuel system and structural suspension parts were checked occasionally.  I also knew enough to heed warning signs of impeding doom.  She didn't, so if something went wrong, she wouldn't notice it until she wrecked.

It sounds like there would be enough sales just to people named Dave to float the Matador!

[Dave Van]

My Matador is a 30K original miles from NC....so it had an easy life compared to a car from up North!!!

I drove a 1964 Bug in college......freeze in Winter.....fry in Summer!!! it was about 10 different colors....no bumpers....each corner dinged up good.....but for next to nothing it got me through!!!  It would walk out a plug now and then.....points came apart once.....fixed them w/o tools on the side of the road in the dark!!

Brakes failed and I still drove it for a week until pay day using the E brake,,,,,,which worked well!!

My kids had great cars when they hit school......

SORRY for the hijack! 

[Allen Wrench]

The Gremlin had  to be restored......the Pacer wagon just had add-ons.....not mold alters.....so just put the stock parts back....PLEEZ! Or include both!

 I have it on very good authority that the Pacer wagon will have both the stock and custom parts.

[Mark]

The Gremlin had  to be restored......the Pacer wagon just had add-ons.....not mold alters.....so just put the stock parts back....PLEEZ! Or include both!

Same thing with the Matador......stock and custom would be OK...

There's some butchery with the Matador; not with the custom but with the Allison sportsman version that came after the custom.  The body was smoothed (door handles and scripts removed) and the chassis was messed with a bit. 

[Dave Van]

There's some butchery with the Matador; not with the custom but with the Allison sportsman version that came after the custom.  The body was smoothed (door handles and scripts removed) and the chassis was messed with a bit. 

What chassis mods???? I think I have every version.....am I missing one?? thx

[Mark]

The Sportsman and subsequent "NASCAR" reissues have the stock gas tank detail replaced with a fuel cell.

[Daddyfink]

This is the last issue that I have of the Matador and there is nothing stock about it. It is all race only stuff in it. 

[unclescott58]

 I have it on very good authority that the Pacer wagon will have both the stock and custom parts.

Boy, I hope your right. I have little to no interest in the Pacer wagon, unless it can be built stock.

Edited April 28, 2016 by unclescott58

[unclescott58]

I haven't heard anything about a 70 Grand Prix, seems pretty unlikely, considering that tooling was modified into the '71 then the '72, then the Super Fly custom then the Sweathog Dream Machine...

Are you sure Rob, about the tooling for the '70 Grand Prix? The '71 and '72 Grand Prixs are very closely related to the '69 and '70s, true. But there are enough changes to '71, in both the front and rear ends, that I could see a all new body at least being tooled up. There were no real changes to the chassis, engine, or interior. The main roof panel would have stayed the same. But, look how sculptured the rear deck is on the '71s and '72s. With that and the completely different front end, It leaves me hope that the '69, '70 body tooling may have been left unmolested. Allowing the '70 to maybe come back some day.

Now, I don't know where I got the idea it was to be happening soon. But, I thought I saw something pop up on an ad on another website about this. I was clicking through what ever I was looking at very quickly. And when I tried to click back to see the ad again, it was gone. So I'm not 100% sure what I saw. Other that the box art for the MPC 1970 Grand Prix kit.

[Dave Van]

This is the last issue that I have of the Matador and there is nothing stock about it. It is all race only stuff in it. 

Correct......

But....it's the same chassis used for the showroom version....same for interior bucket....just substitute showroom side panels, stock seats and dash.  Check the chrome tree.....stock grille along with racing version on white/gray tree.

The thinking is a 3 n 1 kit COULD be a possibility by opening gates and very small amount of engraving / repair.  Include both interior side panels, seats etc. Engine block same....just include both stock and race accessories.  A wild dream for sure....but thinking outside the box ( pun intended) may be what is needed today. 

[Daddyfink]

Correct......

But....it's the same chassis used for the showroom version....same for interior bucket....just substitute showroom side panels, stock seats and dash.  Check the chrome tree.....stock grille along with racing version on white/gray tree.

The thinking is a 3 n 1 kit COULD be a possibility by opening gates and very small amount of engraving / repair.  Include both interior side panels, seats etc. Engine block same....just include both stock and race accessories.  A wild dream for sure....but thinking outside the box ( pun intended) may be what is needed today. 

Wow, I didn't know that, i thought this was strictly a race only piece. Now I really want a stock Matador! 

[Rob Hall]

Are you sure Rob, about the tooling for the '70 Grand Prix? The '71 and '72 Grand Prixs are very closely related to the '69 and '70s, true. But there are enough changes to '71, in both the front and rear ends, that I could see a all new body at least being tooled up. There were no real changes to the chassis, engine, or interior. The main roof panel would have stayed the same. But, look how sculptured the rear deck is on the '71s and '72s. With that and the completely different front end, It leaves me hope that the '69, '70 body tooling may have been left unmolested. Allowing the '70 to maybe come back some day.

 

I'm sure they retooled the '70 to do the '71...that's how MPC (and other kit makers) did things back then.  The '70 body tooling is no doubt long gone...would be nice to see it again, but I'm not holding my breath.. 

Edited April 28, 2016 by Rob Hall

[Can-Con]

Correct......

But....it's the same chassis used for the showroom version....same for interior bucket....just substitute showroom side panels, stock seats and dash.  Check the chrome tree.....stock grille along with racing version on white/gray tree.

The thinking is a 3 n 1 kit COULD be a possibility by opening gates and very small amount of engraving / repair.  Include both interior side panels, seats etc. Engine block same....just include both stock and race accessories.  A wild dream for sure....but thinking outside the box ( pun intended) may be what is needed today. 

That's the same one I have. Just checked, no grille. 

[stavanzer]

I have that same box art, and it Does have the stock grill. Must have been blocked off somewhere along the line.

Speaking of the Pacer Wagon, maybe I'll get a usable set of "Tony Packo's Grill" Decals. I want to make a model of a delivery vehicle from Max Klingers favorite eating spot.

[Don Sikora II]

The Sportsman and subsequent "NASCAR" reissues have the stock gas tank detail replaced with a fuel cell.

Mark is correct, the Matador body and chassis was modified. Not sure about anything else. I'm pretty sure Ertl did the modifications when they reissued the Allison kit that Daddyfink posted above. I don't have one of the circa-1980 Sportsman kits now, but from what I remember that one still had the stock '77 annual body just like the custom kit did.

[martinfan5]

The want for the Datsun is strong, the not wanting a monster truck of it is just as strong.

Edited April 28, 2016 by martinfan5

[gasman]

I'm assuming the Datsun Monster truck cant be built anywhere near stock. Is the frame somewhat stock?

Edited April 28, 2016 by gasman

[Daddyfink]

I'm assuming the Datsun Monster truck cant be built anywhere near stock. Is the frame somewhat stock?

Most likely not stock at all since the last version before this abomination was the flip nose version that shared a chassis with the Flip Nose 53 Ford Pick Up and the Flip Nose 57 Chevy

And here is the Monster Truck 

I hope it is a last Hurrah release before the bring this back! I can dream, can't I?

[Casey]

I think the version prior to the monster truck was the "Scavenger" "tow truck", like so:

 

There will still be some stock goodies and a few still-close-to-stock parts, but the hinged nose is the real deal breaker here. 

I *think* the monster truck specific suspension is shared with MPC's other monster truck kits of the era (Dodge pickup, El Camino), too, so I guess if you've been wanting a set of Rockwell axles you'll be happy about this reissue.

[Fat Brian]

And you haven't even factored in the show in Simpsonville SC next month!    LOL!

 

Simpsonville isn't looking too good this year, I just spent $700 at the vet that was meant for a house payment so I'm playing catch up now.