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Posted

One can wonder why MPC decided to use a turbine engine from a competitor, because it looks an awful lot like the Chrysler A-831 Gas Turbine.

Posted

Who knows, a turbine option wasn't available in any GM car and if it had been I don't think they would use a Chrysler developed engine.
Several car and truck manufacturers tested turbine engines in the late 50's, 60's and 70's and if you do a google search you will see that there were several different designs of gas turbine engines for cars...even Chrysler had 7 generations of gas turbine engines and the A-831 (3rd generation) was the one in their famous turbine car from 1963.
Here are some of the generations of turbine engines Chrysler did.

 image

GM did tests with gas turbine engines too and here is one of the GM gas turbines from the Firebird III Concept car.
But most of their testing was in large trucks.

.GM Firebird lll Gas Turbine Car 2

Posted
  On 8/11/2019 at 2:16 AM, Force said:

One can wonder why MPC decided to use a turbine engine from a competitor, because it looks an awful lot like the Chrysler A-831 Gas Turbine.

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They probably cribbed the Jo-Han engine.

  • 3 years later...
Posted (edited)
  On 12/13/2018 at 5:36 PM, Casey said:

Hopefully one day Round2 will be able to reissue the '69 Firebird hardtop in the original box art: :wub:

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@SteveG has there been any further consideration regarding re-issuing what remains of this kit? IIRC, the "Sundancer" version was listed on the Stevens Int'l 'site, but didn't stay long. Would be nice to have it back with the OHC 6, warts and all.

Edited by Casey
  • Like 1
Posted
  On 4/14/2023 at 4:15 PM, Casey said:

@SteveG has there been any further consideration regarding re-issuing what remains of this kit? IIRC, the "Sundancer" version was listed on the Stevens Int'l 'site, but didn't stay long. Would be nice to have it back with the OHC 6, warts and all.

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It's on my to do list with bunch of other that need the tooling inserts reconfigured in order to make an older version. In this case I believe it shares tooling with one of the Camaro's. 

-Steve 

  • Like 4
  • 2 months later...
Posted
  On 4/15/2023 at 6:55 PM, SteveG said:

It's on my to do list with bunch of other that need the tooling inserts reconfigured in order to make an older version. In this case I believe it shares tooling with one of the Camaro's. 

-Steve 

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Any News on this kit?

If it is just "in the Future" that is fine too.

Posted
  On 7/9/2023 at 2:57 AM, stavanzer said:

Any News on this kit?

If it is just "in the Future" that is fine too.

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No news, just a future project idea.  I'm currently working on bringing back a different MPC kit item that I found the inserts for, this version was last seen in the late 70's.  Announcement will be soon.   

-Steve

  • Like 4
Posted

As for why the original contained a turbine? Remember this was the era where the turbines were big at the Indy 500 which ay the time was by far the biggest race in the US.

 

Posted
  On 7/13/2023 at 1:56 PM, iBorg said:

As for why the original contained a turbine? Remember this was the era where the turbines were big at the Indy 500 which ay the time was by far the biggest race in the US.

 

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Plus most [all?] GMs turbine cars from the '50s and '60s were called Firebirds so the name was associated with turbines at GM.

MPC probably thought it was a natural to put a turbine in a car with the Firebird name.

Posted

The turbine engine was also included in the MPC 1969 Camaro annual kit.  Makes sense, since it did share a lot of tooling with the Firebird kit: interior bucket (both had the Firebird upholstery pattern), chassis, and clear parts.

Posted

Turbine engine option in the White Lightening  edition of the 1969 Firebird ?!? My copy - unbuilt - has the Pontiac V8 with an optional 250 Sprint Six ; no turbine .

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)
  On 7/18/2023 at 4:04 PM, Bob Ellis said:

MPC reissues of 1969 Camaros and Firebirds leave a lot to be desired. The Camaro HT has a Pontiac engine

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IIRC both the MOC '69 ("SS") Camaro and Firebird include the Pontiac OHC6 engine...some of us like them. ?

PXL_20230415_1539063853-vi.jpg

 

I will agree with the quality of the MPC '69 F-bodies, however. The new for '90 1/25 Revell '69 Camaro left the MPC version in the dust, and while the Revell '68 Firebird wasn't quite on the same level IMHO, it's a significant improvement over the MPC stuff. That said, a 2'n'1 reissue of the MPC '69 Firebird with both Trans Am and Sprint versions would probably be warmly welcomed by many.

Edited by Casey
  • Like 3
Posted
  On 7/21/2023 at 10:26 PM, Casey said:

IIRC both the MOC '69 ("SS") Camaro and Firebird include the Pontiac OHC6 engine...some of us like them. ?

PXL_20230415_1539063853-vi.jpg

 

 

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Bought a new Pontiac Tempest OHC 4 bbl Quadrajet Sprint 6 with a Hurst 3 speed on the floor in the spring of 1967. It was a running dude, scared many a GTO for the first 100 feet. But they never got the head cooling right, burned a valve every summer and melted a hole in the head once. It was fun when it wasn't in the shop.

  • Like 1
Posted
  On 7/13/2023 at 12:58 PM, SteveG said:

No news, just a future project idea.  I'm currently working on bringing back a different MPC kit item that I found the inserts for, this version was last seen in the late 70's.  Announcement will be soon.   

-Steve

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...version last seen in the late 70's.....

1978 Chevette?

1978 Pinto?

1957 Corvette "gasser" style (non tilt-front-end)?

1/20 1969 Ford van?

Chevrolet Monza?

Vette-van?

Ford T street-rod?

"The Grand Superfly" Pontiac? (that one is YUMMY!)

Posted
  On 7/22/2023 at 4:04 AM, PintoKING said:

...version last seen in the late 70's.....

1978 Chevette?

1978 Pinto?

1957 Corvette "gasser" style (non tilt-front-end)?

1/20 1969 Ford van?

Chevrolet Monza?

Vette-van?

Ford T street-rod?

"The Grand Superfly" Pontiac? (that one is YUMMY!)

Expand  

More along the lines of a significant tooling change to something we've run before, like how we brought back the MPC '81 Chevy "Sod Buster" pickup.  

-Steve

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1

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