MPC Streaker Vette - 42 Yr Old Survivor

[58 Impala]

Nice survivor, I built that kit yeeeaars ago. Wish they'd reissue it if the molds still exist.

[Dave Darby]

That is gorgeous! I have an unbuilt one in my stash slated for a box art build like that. Now I really want get going on it after seeing yours. The one I built back in 1977 looks decidedly less stock than yours.

[Dave Darby]

2 hours ago, 58 Impala said:

Nice survivor, I built that kit yeeeaars ago. Wish they'd reissue it if the molds still exist.

I'm 99.9 percent sure they do. It was available into the 90s with a few different parts.

[slusher]

Absolutely beautiful model!!!!

[TooOld]

9 hours ago, 58 Impala said:

Nice survivor, I built that kit yeeeaars ago. Wish they'd reissue it if the molds still exist.

Thanks Tom !

7 hours ago, Dave Darby said:

That is gorgeous! I have an unbuilt one in my stash slated for a box art build like that. Now I really want get going on it after seeing yours. The one I built back in 1977 looks decidedly less stock than yours.

Thanks Dave !

6 hours ago, slusher said:

Absolutely beautiful model!!!!

Thanks very much Carl !

[TooOld]

7 hours ago, Dave Darby said:

I'm 99.9 percent sure they do. It was available into the 90s with a few different parts.

It started live as the 1964 Stingray kit and was eventually redone as the Streaker Vette in 1978 .

 

Next it was released as the Night Stalker in 1981 with new parts and decals . 

Then again in 1984 with new decals .

This kit was reissued again in 1987 with no changes .  There could have been later reissues but I'm not sure . 

 

Edited September 22, 2019 by TooOld

[Dave Darby]

4 hours ago, TooOld said:

It started live as the 1964 Stingray kit and was eventually redone as the Streaker Vette in 1978 .

 

Next it was released as the Night Stalker in 1981 with new parts and decals . 

Then again in 1984 with new decals .

This kit was reissued again in 1987 with no changes .  There could have been later reissues but I'm not sure . 

 

That's pretty close. The 64 was updated to 65, with added working spring suspension, then to a 66 with added wheels so it could also be built stock. It was updated again to a 67 (also stockable). Then the running gear was used for the Cosma Ray. In 1973, it came back as the Streaker Vette, using the original 1964 style suspension and interior tub. It was updated with new wheels and decals for the first Night Stalker issue, new wheels, Weiand air filters and pro stock hood scoop. A second, molded in white variant with the same decals called the Sting Ray was the most recent issue.

Edited September 22, 2019 by Dave Darby

[Mr mopar]

Bob that is so cool to see ! I still have one mint in the box love this kit !

[TooOld]

3 hours ago, Dave Darby said:

That's pretty close. The 64 was updated to 65, with added working spring suspension, then to a 66 with added wheels so it could also be built stock. It was updated again to a 67 (also stockable). Then the running gear was used for the Cosma Ray. In 1973, it came back as the Streaker Vette, using the original 1964 style suspension and interior tub. It was updated with new wheels and decals for the first Night Stalker issue, new wheels, Weiand air filters and pro stock hood scoop. A second, molded in white variant with the same decals called the Sting Ray was the most recent issue.

Thanks Dave , I forgot there were two versions of the Night Stalker Vette !  Are you sure about the date for the Streaker Vette ?  I actually thought it was 1974 (I was still asleep this morning when I typed the wrong date).

[Dave Darby]

My bad, thats what I get for going from memory. The Streaker Vette first appeared in the 1974 MPC catalog. 

[TooOld]

18 hours ago, Mr mopar said:

Bob that is so cool to see ! I still have one mint in the box love this kit !

Thanks very much ,  wish I had another one ! 

[spencer1984]

Very cool, I always liked the look of this kit and your model is a great representative of it!

[Fairfax]

Nice collection of corvettes. Brutal machina ! :-)  Nice car !

[rustybill1960]

An extreme survivor for sure

She aged well too very good looking build

(I wish Pactra still made their paints)

Thank You for sharing

Later

Russ

 

 

[Snake45]

On 9/22/2019 at 11:46 AM, Dave Darby said:

That's pretty close. The 64 was updated to 65, with added working spring suspension, then to a 66 with added wheels so it could also be built stock. It was updated again to a 67 (also stockable). Then the running gear was used for the Cosma Ray. In 1973, it came back as the Streaker Vette, using the original 1964 style suspension and interior tub. It was updated with new wheels and decals for the first Night Stalker issue, new wheels, Weiand air filters and pro stock hood scoop. A second, molded in white variant with the same decals called the Sting Ray was the most recent issue.

I've never seen all those boxes together before--VERY cool! I have at least four of them. 

[Dave Darby]

Bob, if it's OK with you, I'm going to share your build on the Scale Survivors and Box Art Replicas Facebook pages, with your name of course. it's too cool not to share.

[Bills72sj]

I built that kit so long ago I can't even remember the decade. It was my first ever transparent candy paint job. Just this month I bought the black Night Stalker version so I could have another go at it. The wheels are Cragar SSTs in gold.

[robertw]

For an old man of 42 I would say he's aging very well. You can be proud of your work in 1977.

[Gramps46]

This is my survivor build of the original MPC kit.  Bob Bondurant's 1967 L88 Corvette at Le Mans. 

[Snake45]

Well, since apparently we're now showing our old builds of the MPC '67 Vette, here's mine: 

 

[Ron Hamilton]

A funny thing, I was rooting through the basement the other night, and realized that I have a lot of 67 Corvette models and parts from MPC, AMT, and Revell. I only have a Revell coupe and roadster built. That Streaker Vette is worth the price of admission for the slot mags and the header/mufflers.

I'm so old, I remember building my 67 MPC annual on Xmas night. I had a ball.

[Motor City]

On 9/22/2019 at 11:46 AM, Dave Darby said:

The 64 was updated to 65, with added working spring suspension, then to a 66 with added wheels so it could also be built stock. It was updated again to a 67 (also stockable). 

 

Dave,

Are you saying that the '64 and '65 couldn't be built stock since stock wheels or wheel covers weren't included?

What years did MPC use the working spring suspension? 

[Dave Darby]

4 hours ago, Motor City said:

Dave,

Are you saying that the '64 and '65 couldn't be built stock since stock wheels or wheel covers weren't included?

What years did MPC use the working spring suspension? 

That's correct. The 64 and 65 had mag wheels only. The 66 and 67 annuals also had the stock "Turbine"? Knockoff style wheels. The 65-67 annuals all had the working spring front suspension (as did the Cosma Ray show car kit based off of the Corvette annuals. When the 67 came back as the Streaker Vette in 1973 or 74, the old 1964 annual style suspension (and interior tub) returned. And no stock wheels.

[Motor City]

Thanks for the information, Dave.  I never knew that the '64 and '65 couldn't be built stock.  I recently bought '65 that was missing some parts and never completed so I could restore a '66 with nice paint and interior but had a cemented, broken mess of a suspension system front and back.  My '66 has the wheel covers.  It's easy to swap the aluminum knockoff wheels between the AMT and MPC kits.  On the 1:1, the '67 had optional turbine aluminum wheels to replace the knockoffs available earlier since for safety reasons, they bolted on instead of using the spinners.  I think it was a mandated Federal safety standard change. 

I bought the Streaker Vette when it came out and sold it after attempting to bondo the hole in the hood and couldn't get it to look right.

I think my brother's MPC '68 Corvette also had the spring suspension, but I'm not positive.