Wonder what's next from Round2 AMT ?

[Rob Hall]

Just add some pace car decals and i'll take it! 

Given that they have done Camaro pace cars previously, I'm sure they will do one...either of the '16 snap or regular kit...

[Drake69]

Before you get too upset with FCA/Chrysler re licensing issues....the '71 Demon episode had nothing to do with licensing (nor is the lack of a '71 Road Runner reissue). 

Just another case of someone who heard a rumor/speculation from someone who heard it from someone else....then it winds up on the internet, where everything is irrefutably true.     

Alright... I'll bite, since I was only going on what I was told. Why did the '71 Demon get cancelled in the first place?

[Rob Hall]

Alright... I'll bite, since I was only going on what I was told. Why did the '71 Demon get cancelled in the first place?

I'm not sure if that one ever was more than a rumor or speculation, don't think it was 'officially' announced by Round 2.

[1972coronet]

I'm not sure if that one ever was more than a rumor or speculation, don't think it was 'officially' announced by Round 2.

I vividly recall seeing postings on eBay and other sites showing a late (don't recall what month) 2013 release (maybe it was 2012 or 2014 for this matter) . I don't recall ever seeing an official release on Round2's page .

I've heard that the Demon 340 was cancelled because of tooling difficulties . I seem to recall that Round2 was going to "bash" the Demon with the 1971 Duster , but that was probably speculation . The more plausable explanation in regard to "tooling difficulties" is that , when the 1975-1976 Dart Sport was reissued in 1975 Annual guise , it was supposed to be a One Last Run of Fun or something like that ; like the 1974 Charger 'Street Machine' that was retooled into the NASCAR version (Buddy Baker ?) . Apparently , some-thing went wrong when the tooling was being backdated to a 1971 Demon .

Who truly knows ? I'm just upset that I couldn't get my hands on a reasonablly-priced Demon !

[pack rat]

Alright... I'll bite, since I was only going on what I was told. Why did the '71 Demon get cancelled in the first place?

I'm not sure if that one ever was more than a rumor or speculation, don't think it was 'officially' announced by Round 2

It wasn't just rumor or speculation.  They wanted to do a Demon based on the new-tool '71 Duster.  The kit was postponed indefinitely (not cancelled) at about the same time an announcement was made re it's release.  

It might make an appearance some day. it might be dead and buried, nobody knows.  This was the point of my original post......nobody knows.  Just something to keep in mind when somebody tells you "Here's what I heard...." 

[1972coronet]

 

It wasn't just rumor or speculation.  They wanted to do a Demon based on the new-tool '71 Duster. 

That's right . That's what I remember reading about the '71 Demon ; a modified-reissue of the c.1998 AMT 1971 Duster 340 . I just hope that they were planning on using the original MPC body !

[Mark]

That's right . That's what I remember reading about the '71 Demon ; a modified-reissue of the c.1998 AMT 1971 Duster 340 . I just hope that they were planning on using the original MPC body !

Why would you want the original body?  There are a number of issues with the original kit, the first being incorrect front wheel openings.  The hood was also too flat, because it was made to use the underside tooling from the Duster hood.  If you have an original Demon and a Duster annual kit, the underside of the hoods in both kits are the same, the Demon's hood having the Duster center bulge on its underside.

[Harry Joy]

In response to the idea of companies producing kits of current era cars and trucks, I understand that this is probably a risk for them. So how about this? There are producers in Japan and Korea and China making kits of modern day Japanese and German cars. They are rare here and when found they are expensive. Couldn't one of the American companies make a deal to act as importer, re-box them if necessary and bring them to us at a more reasonable price? Maybe tool up for left hand drive and other US specific parts if necessary. They would get more product and the producing company would get wider American market distribution. I seem to remember that Testors and maybe Revell or AMT(?) did this at times in the past with some Fujimi and Aoshima kits. That would give them some modern day kits to sell at a relatively low initial investment. Most of our companies are already producing and importing their current kits from China anyway. This would probably be more complicated than I think, but it's an idea.

That would be great, if you want to build current Japanese and German cars. I have a hankering to build some modern American cars that are not necessarily high end performance or muscle cars.

[Tom Geiger]

In response to the idea of companies producing kits of current era cars and trucks, I understand that this is probably a risk for them. So how about this? There are producers in Japan and Korea and China making kits of modern day Japanese and German cars. They are rare here and when found they are expensive. Couldn't one of the American companies make a deal to act as importer, re-box them if necessary and bring them to us at a more reasonable price? Maybe tool up for left hand drive and other US specific parts if necessary. They would get more product and the producing company would get wider American market distribution. I seem to remember that Testors and maybe Revell or AMT(?) did this at times in the past with some Fujimi and Aoshima kits. That would give them some modern day kits to sell at a relatively low initial investment. Most of our companies are already producing and importing their current kits from China anyway. This would probably be more complicated than I think, but it's an idea.

This kind of arrangement has been done, especially with in-house relationships as Revell of Germany. Note we've gotten the Beetle and Golf in US boxes.  And many people don't know the Moebius trucks were sold in a Revell of Germany box in Europe.  If it was financially advantageous  today, someone would be doing this!   Note that the Japanese overall ignore the US car market.  They sell in the rest of the world.  They probably have run the financial models and don't see a profit due to the small numbers of sales overall in the USA market.

[Rob Hall]

 Note that the Japanese overall ignore the US car market.  They sell in the rest of the world.  They probably have run the financial models and don't see a profit due to the small numbers of sales overall in the USA market.

Yes, the currently available current Japanese kits aren't of models sold in the US.. Japanese kit makers don't make current subjects available in the US 1:1 market, with few exceptions (such as the Tamiya BRZ, Nissan 370Z, Nissan GT-R)

Edited May 31, 2016 by Rob Hall

[1972coronet]

Why would you want the original body?  There are a number of issues with the original kit, the first being incorrect front wheel openings.  The hood was also too flat, because it was made to use the underside tooling from the Duster hood.  If you have an original Demon and a Duster annual kit, the underside of the hoods in both kits are the same, the Demon's hood having the Duster center bulge on its underside.

I've never had one of the coveted MPC 1971 Demon 340 kits , let alone see one in person , so I wouldn't have any-thing to compre to my 1972 Duster 340 annual and its under-side-of-the-hood origins ; I'll take your word for it . My main concern about the reusing of the AMT c.1998 issue of the 1971 Duster 340 is that kit's weak points :

- Moulded-in wipers ( and blobby , bulging wipers at that )

- Garbage windscreen and backlight ( not to mention the quarter glass' fitment )

- Better-than-the-MPC-original "340" , but still lacking ( has its good points , but its top-end set a bit too upright ; there's no breather cap ; and one is 'forced' to use the air conditioning arrangement for the non-stock Six Barrel induction , unless one scores the setup from the Street Machine version )

- Lots of reworking of either the transmission tunnel to swap a Torqueflite in ( or , conversely , lots of shaving and trimming of the Torqueflite's case to get it to fit in the undersized tunnel )

Others have pointed out the AMT Duster's roofline being too 'rounded' ; however , I don't see that through my perspective .

The front wheel arches have inherently been the incorrect Duster / Valiant shape on every Dodge A-body that MPC has made .

[Snake45]

 I have a hankering to build some modern American cars that are not necessarily high end performance or muscle cars.

You're not likely to see any kits of such. However, check out 1/24 diecasts. It's amazing what's available there. These respond nicely to modeling "tuneup" skills--or even a complete rebuild if the mood strikes you--and many of them are quite reasonably priced. I've been able to fill quite a few gaps in my own collection with diecasts costing as little as $10 or $15.

[Lanny Haas]

I'm with Ellen, bring back the 60 El Camino!

[Greg Myers]

Yes. I had a real one, 283, three two barrels, four speed boy was that a fun ride.

[Edsel-Dan]

I have one that needs the Chrome tail lights

Sadly, that may not be in my future

[Deathgoblin]

A Vega, definitely.  Would love to see them re-pop the Subaru Brat and the Aston Martin DB6 kits. 

[Richard Bartrop]

A long shot, to be sure, but I wouildn't mind them bringing back the Stutz Bearcat..

[Edsel-Dan]

Sadly I found one of those. got it apart to fix. it is Complete

and is the "Bearcats" issue, not the Connisuer Classics

It has the TV show Machine Guns!!!

But Not the vacu-fomed base of the other issue

[lysleder]

I would like a Stutz Bearcat too

[Mike999]

A long shot, to be sure, but I wouildn't mind them bringing back the Stutz Bearcat..

Me too! You can do a lot with that kit and its parts. Especially that Wisconsin T-Head engine, which was used in many cars and trucks of the day.  I have a box stuffed with parts of, I think, 2 and a half or 3 of those MPC Bearcat kits. And one complete "Bearcats" TV tie-in kit. Which as somebody else said, comes with dual fender-mounted machine guns.

Another great idea I want to try: somewhere around here I have a very old article on cross-kitting the Bearcat with the AMT "NY-to-Paris" Thomas Flyer. Using the Bearcat fenders and a couple other parts, you end up with a stock Thomas Flyer. 

[Richard Bartrop]

Me too! You can do a lot with that kit and its parts. Especially that Wisconsin T-Head engine, which was used in many cars and trucks of the day.  I have a box stuffed with parts of, I think, 2 and a half or 3 of those MPC Bearcat kits. And one complete "Bearcats" TV tie-in kit. Which as somebody else said, comes with dual fender-mounted machine guns.

Another great idea I want to try: somewhere around here I have a very old article on cross-kitting the Bearcat with the AMT "NY-to-Paris" Thomas Flyer. Using the Bearcat fenders and a couple other parts, you end up with a stock Thomas Flyer. 

The Thomas flyer would be nice too.  There are some photos floating around the Internet of a stock version of the Thomas Flyer, and except for the fenders, it's actually pertty close to the New York to Paris car.    Of course, the way the industry was back then, you actually have a fair amount of leeway on what "stock" looks like.

As for Round2 making new kits of modern cars, I can see two problems.

First off, Round2 seems to be focused on resurrecting existing kits rather than tooling up new ones, and honestly, I'm okay with this.

The other one is the whole issue of licensing.  Back in the day, the car makers saw models as advertising.  Now, they're viewed as another source of revenue.  The only way I can see annual kits having even a chance of making a comeback is if you can somehow convince the Big 3 that promos need to be a thing again.

 

[GMP440]

I bet we would be doing triple gainers if Round 2 was ever to do the 68 Coronet R/T.  Any version would be fine; stock, drag or convertible.