MPC/Round 2 - Pony Express is back from the grave!

[Bob Ellis]

I bought the Pinto wagon. Same basic parts as my 1974 Pinto coupe. I like the early Pintos best. Cut The early front and glued it to this wagon.

[oldcarfan]

I love these reissues of old kits. They have problems of course, but they are usually the only game in town. I tend to put it down to age of the molds, but after coming across an old build I realize that not all of it was age. Some of it was just the state of the business. When I get one, I treat it kind of like a resin kit, I go into it knowing there will be a lot of fitting and reworking. What I'm really hoping is that the companies sell enough of them to invest some money into backdating. I would really like to be able to buy a 1975 Camaro or Firebird or a 1973 Dodge truck or van or maybe even a Chevy van with the high top and window conversion.

[Stef]

  On 1/5/2019 at 7:36 PM, oldcarfan said:

I love these reissues of old kits. They have problems of course, but they are usually the only game in town. I tend to put it down to age of the molds, but after coming across an old build I realize that not all of it was age. Some of it was just the state of the business. When I get one, I treat it kind of like a resin kit, I go into it knowing there will be a lot of fitting and reworking. What I'm really hoping is that the companies sell enough of them to invest some money into backdating. I would really like to be able to buy a 1975 Camaro or Firebird or a 1973 Dodge truck or van or maybe even a Chevy van with the high top and window conversion.

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Totally agree. So happy to relive the nostalgia of things I built as a kid, and things I never got around to building the first time around. I'm supporting the kit companies as much as I possibly can, and do appreciate when they scrape up enough cash to give us something old, new, borrowed, or blue. Loved gluebombing MPC's 78 Pinto back in the day, and hoping to do better this time around; can't decide whether to pick up the tempting Pony Express reissue, or wait for the upcoming 77 hatch.

Edited January 8, 2019 by Stef
grammar

[American 185 Heavy]

  On 1/8/2019 at 1:49 AM, Stef said:

Totally agree. So happy to relive the nostalgia of things I built as a kid, and things I never got around to building the first time around. I'm supporting the kit companies as much as I possibly can, and do appreciate when they scrape up enough cash to give us something old, new, borrowed, or blue. Loved gluebombing MPC's 78 Pinto back in the day, and hoping to do better this time around; can't decide whether to pick up the tempting Pony Express reissue, or wait for the upcoming 77 hatch.

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Wait for the hatch. I have two built of the original issues early Pinto's and far superior for fit and finish to this re-issue pony express wagon.

[oldcarfan]

I've bought three of the wagons, two to build and one to use for parts for a 1977 that I want to restore. They're in the 'Someday' pile.

[Faust]

I agree completely with the sentiments about old kits. I treat both reissues and originals with the same sense of "loving dread". I KNOW it's going to be a tonne of work, and it's going to be a lot of research to get things right, and I hate that part, but I love that part, too. It's great to get to know the subject, and for me, that's as big a takeaway as the finished model!

The other thing is that yeah, kits back in the day weren't as good, precise or even as accurate as many of today's. However, they were much, much cheaper, too. I think there's a lot to be said for a slightly less-perfect kit that's fun on a budget. Granted, the reissues are anything but cheap, but I'm talking how much they were when they came out.

I also like it when the parts rack is a "treasure hunt" of extra bits for other versions, or sometimes for the version your're building, like the radiator on the Pony Express, and you have to figure it out. 

"Give a man a perfect model, and he'll build it in one week. Give a man a crappy kit, and you'll keep him busy for a year!" Isn't that how it goes? 

[Bob Ellis]

I don't consider the Pinto as a loser car. Okay it did explode 50 times but they made 1.5 million of them ; not bad odds considering other cars caught fire as well. Some people loved them. Put in a turbo and they were a blast to drive.

[spike morelli]

Years ago...………..must have been in the late 80s,.....I was working in San Diego, and , in some off time, decided to catch the drags at Carlsbad.  I'll never forget some guy rolls up to do his burnout and he's got a Pinto coupe with a 429, slicks, tubbed, he holds short to vent his Nitrous...….ON NITROUS!!!!!!  The damned thing must have handled like a Fuel Altered!  I just pondered what I was looking at for a moment, and decided this guy was the king of " small lightweight car with biggest engine "syndrome, and geeez did that car git...….

[Daddyfink]

  On 1/22/2019 at 2:59 AM, spike morelli said:

Years ago...………..must have been in the late 80s,.....I was working in San Diego, and , in some off time, decided to catch the drags at Carlsbad.  I'll never forget some guy rolls up to do his burnout and he's got a Pinto coupe with a 429, slicks, tubbed, he holds short to vent his Nitrous...….ON NITROUS!!!!!!  The damned thing must have handled like a Fuel Altered!  I just pondered what I was looking at for a moment, and decided this guy was the king of " small lightweight car with biggest engine "syndrome, and geeez did that car git...….

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They are still roaming around in San Diego!