Jo-Han 1970 Road Runner from GTX Promo: Should I?

[garagepunk66]

An ethical question, if you will indulge me. In more recent years, I have come to regard the Jo-Han 1970 Road Runner as a holy grail kit, while I have watched prices climb completely out of reach. The old Monogram 1/24 kit never did much for me with its wonky proportions, and the SMH Resins kit I got recently is a disaster. I just scored a very abused 70 GTX promo on that auction site, and I am contemplating a Road Runner conversion, using pretty much just the body and front bumper (the rear bumper is broken). 

I do have a Jo-Han Road Runner grille and Air Grabber in the parts box, as well as several Superbirds, built and unbuilt, as well as the aforementioned SMH Resin kit to pull the rest of the parts from. The plan is to put it on the Monogram 69 Charger Pro Series chassis bits.  

The quandry is, of course that, once I cut out and fit a Superbird tail panel, sand off the scripts and the wheel opening moldings, it's no longer a GTX. On the other hand, this is one rough character....

[garagepunk66]

[dragcarz]

Why not do it as a GTX?

[Plowboy]

I would do it. They're just model cars. You may not get another chance to build the Road Runner you want. It's yours to do with what you want. 

[TarheelRick]

Build it, because as soon as you do someone will rerelease or offer a new tool of a 70 Roadrunner and we all can indulge.

[Mark]

Its value as a promo is pretty much gone.  If you really want a Road Runner, then go for it.

[gtx6970]

7 minutes ago, Mark said:

Its value as a promo is pretty much gone.  If you really want a Road Runner, then go for it.

Agreed

[garagepunk66]

1 hour ago, TarheelRick said:

Build it, because as soon as you do someone will rerelease or offer a new tool of a 70 Roadrunner and we all can indulge.

Ha, you are probably right about that!

[Fat Brian]

I was looking at getting the SMH body, what exactly is wrong with it?

[vamach1]

I see no problem.  I'd also see no problem having resin copies made of the converted body either. ?.  Whoever worked on the original molds is probably long gone.  Built whatever floats your boat.

[Slick Shifter]

A GTX is far cooler than a Road Runner, but, it's your baby. Do what you want!

[garagepunk66]

7 hours ago, Fat Brian said:

I was looking at getting the SMH body, what exactly is wrong with it?

One of the front wheel openings is completely malformed at the corner because of a large air pocket, there are lots and lots of pinholes and air bubble inclusions all over. The molds appear to be shot as the grille had spots where the teeth were all blobbed together. The grille had a big chip out of the corner and it came with two front bumpers and no rear, and those were equally in need of repairs due to the same issues

[SfanGoch]

You should have informed Ronnie about the FUBAR'ed casting and missing parts and requested a replacement immediately after receipt..

[Snake45]

I'd rebuild it as a GTX just because I don't have one of those either, but as others have said, it has little if any collector value so if you want a RR, make it a RR. 

BTW, for those who don't know, there's an inexpensive diecast '70 GTX available (Maisto, I think?), and it's 1/25, not 1/24. It displays well with other 1/25 models, and is not bad looking at all. It's not perfect, but it also costs a LOT less than a JoHan '70 GTX or RR. 

[garagepunk66]

15 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I'd rebuild it as a GTX just because I don't have one of those either, but as others have said, it has little if any collector value so if you want a RR, make it a RR. 

BTW, for those who don't know, there's an inexpensive diecast '70 GTX available (Maisto, I think?), and it's 1/25, not 1/24. It displays well with other 1/25 models, and is not bad looking at all. It's not perfect, but it also costs a LOT less than a JoHan '70 GTX or RR. 

On 9/10/2019 at 4:30 PM, Slick Shifter said:

A GTX is far cooler than a Road Runner, but, it's your baby. Do what you wan

I am starting to come around to that thinking guys. Now to find a GTX grille. Does anyone cast it? I believe it was 2 pieces, a surround and an insert for the mesh

[gtx6970]

Modelhaus used to.

Ive seen it in resin elsewhere....just cant remember who or where .

I " might" have a spare grille. But dont want to say for sure.

Will ck this weekend 

[garagepunk66]

On 9/11/2019 at 7:55 AM, Snake45 said:

I'd rebuild it as a GTX just because I don't have one of those either, but as others have said, it has little if any collector value so if you want a RR, make it a RR. 

BTW, for those who don't know, there's an inexpensive diecast '70 GTX available (Maisto, I think?), and it's 1/25, not 1/24. It displays well with other 1/25 models, and is not bad looking at all. It's not perfect, but it also costs a LOT less than a JoHan '70 GTX or RR. 

Hmmm. I am eyeballing that grille in the Maitso diecast..... I have seen it online for as cheap as 16 or 17 bucks. Might be worth it for the grille alone. Might yield other parts as well. The rest of the car is kind of questionable, proportionally speaking

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, garagepunk66 said:

Hmmm. I am eyeballing that grille in the Maitso diecast..... I have seen it online for as cheap as 16 or 17 bucks. Might be worth it for the grille alone. Might yield other parts as well. The rest of the car is kind of questionable, proportionally speaking

It's like a shrunken Monogram. 

I'll see if I can find mine, and see if the grill is wide enough for a JoHan body. I've discovered lately that quite a few diecasts are a bit narrow for their scale. 

[br67]

Try Vaughn Hart he is busy carting some of the Johan RR/gtx parts for me now