Whatever Happened To....

[Snake45]

Just for giggles, I've been putting together a "Whatever Happened to...." list of the molds of the AMT and MPC annual kits 1964-72, starting with the lists Uncle Scott put together and posted here a couple months ago. I'm only about halfway through the list, but am already amazed at how many of them can be accounted for, and how many still exist today, either in much-modified form or in some cases, virtually unchanged after all these years. 

As a general rule of thumb, I'm finding that if the molds still existed (i.e., the kit was reissued) in the '80s, they still exist today. 

There are questions, of course. Two that I have at the moment (and there WILL be more as I go) are, what happened to the molds for MPC's '70 GTO and '71 Road Runner? Both were, near as I can tell, last reissued in the late '80s. The Road Runner seems to have dropped off the face of the earth since then while many of its contemporaries have been reissued several times. 

As for the '70 GTO, it didn't become the '72, did it? I have reissues of both from the '80s, and I seem to recall them both being on the LHS shelf at the same time, or at nearly the same time. The '72 GTO has been reissued several times since then but the '70 has been MIA ever since. 

Any chance we could see either one from R2 again? 

[1972coronet]

I *believe* that the MPC 1971 Road Runner (last reissued in 1987 , and lasting-through c.1991) was "compromised" in c.1995 via a tooling modification to recreate the Petty 1971 Stock Car...

...but , it never materialised .

I , too , seem to remember the MPC 1970 GTO being around as "recently" as 1986 , 1987 . The 1972 was reissued in 1988 ---- perhaps its fate was similar to that of the 1971 Road Runner ? 

I'd like to believe that if the 1971 R.R. tooling existed , that Round2 would reissue it (and , pipe dream , with the 1972 parts included) . 

[Mark]

I believe the '70 GTO was converted back to '72 spec.  The Ertl '70 was itself backdated from the red '72 that was issued around 1980.  The original annual '70 had the Endura front bumper molded as part of the body, the Ertl '70 had it as a separate part.

There were two '70 GTO tools in 1969-70.  Parts like glass and rear bumpers from 1970 production items are marked #1 or #2 on the back sides.   Parts interchange between them.  I did check a Fast Pack kit and a funny car body, but haven't taken apart a promo and don't have an annual kit.

Between promos, red "contest promos", Fast Pack snap together kits, annual kits, and funny car kits, MPC likely needed two tools.  One most likely got updated to produce 1971 promos and kits, the other body eventually got butchered into the dirt track car body.  The interior from that one wound up in the Ertl '70.  Ertl put a lot of thought into some of those modified reissues that they did.

[keyser]

Didn't an issue of the 67 GTO have the Enduro 70 bumper in it? I seem to recall it did, I have the bumper molded in blue in parts box, never had a 70 since 1970

[Bucky]

5 minutes ago, keyser said:

Didn't an issue of the 67 GTO have the Enduro 70 bumper in it? I seem to recall it did, I have the bumper molded in blue in parts box, never had a 70 since 1970

I believe you may be right. I have one of those bumpers in the bin, molded in pale blue. I built the '67 GTO, but don't have a '70.

[Mark]

A lot of the parts in the MPC GTO kits were recycled from 1966 straight through to '72.  Chassis, engine, parts of the plated tree.  The bucket seats got re-engraved with the new upholstery pattern every year...'72 seat is a lot bulkier than an original '66 annual kit seat!  When the wheelbase changes, they just moved the axle holes...that's why the recent kits have multiple sets of holes, or they are in the wrong place.

[Greg Myers]

do we insert our "What ever happened to . . .  ? " questions here? or is this just a discussion about the GTO & RR ?

[Snake45]

18 minutes ago, Greg Myers said:

do we insert our "What ever happened to . . .  ? " questions here? or is this just a discussion about the GTO & RR ?

As long as we're talking about MODEL CAR MOLDS, sure, why not? 

[Greg Myers]

What ever happened to the molds for this iconic kit ? Note, this is NOT the Slingster

Edited July 18, 2020 by Greg Myers

[THarrison351]

I wonder where all the Monogram Classic Car molds are. There's about 13 and if you include the Fords, 15. These are the ones I have: Mercedes Benz 540K Cabriolet (built), Cadillac V-16 Phaeton, Packard Speedster Phaeton, Packard Boattail Speedster, Duesenberg Model SJ Torpedo Phaeton, Rolls-Royce Roadster (Phantom II Henley Convertible), Cord Supercharged Convertible Phaeton Sedan, Lincoln Continental Convertible, and the Bugatti 35B. Also made was the Duesenberg SJ Roadster, Rolls-Royce Phaeton, Duesenberg Town Car, and the Mercedes Benz 540K Coupe. The Fords were in the catalogs with the classics, called special interest series and they were a 30 coupe and cabriolet.

[cobraman]

Eldon show rods ?

[Daddyfink]

Just now, cobraman said:

Eldon show rods ?

I thought those where in the hands of Doyusha in Japan

[Claude Thibodeau]

Hi!

There was a custom Corvette avail in late 60's, probably derived from the Mako Shark... Twin nostril extended air intake front "bumper", long swept rear roof- window that reached the tip/spoiler of the rear end, side pipes exiting the front fenders, and loooooong seats, that looked more like lounging chairs than car seats.

All I have left are the side exhausts and seats, crudely painted (alas, I was about 10, and only had access to Humbrol enamel). 

Has-it ever been re-issued?

CT

[Rob Hall]

10 minutes ago, Claude Thibodeau said:

Hi!

There was a custom Corvette avail in late 60's, probably derived from the Mako Shark... Twin nostril extended air intake front "bumper", long swept rear roof- window that reached the tip/spoiler of the rear end, side pipes exiting the front fenders, and loooooong seats, that looked more like lounging chairs than car seats.

All I have left are the side exhausts and seats, crudely painted (alas, I was about 10, and only had access to Humbrol enamel). 

Has-it ever been re-issued?

CT

Sounds like this one?   Looks like never reissued...probably had some parts in common w/ the Mako Shark kit..

Edited July 24, 2020 by Rob Hall

[Mark]

1 minute ago, Rob Hall said:

Sounds like this one?   Looks like never reissued...probably had some parts in common w/ the Mako Shark kit..

MPC did reissue it once, in the early Eighties.  Molded in black with different wheels, and minus the trailer.  It was called "Demon Vette".  The pinkish graphics didn't look particularly demonic, though...

[Rob Hall]

Just now, Mark said:

MPC did reissue it once, in the early Eighties.  Molded in black with different wheels, and minus the trailer.  It was called "Demon Vette".  The pinkish graphics didn't look particularly demonic, though...

Didn't remember that one...hideous box art, though most early 80s MPC box art was bad.

[Bucky]

Whatever happened to the MPC '66 DODGE Polara convertible kit?

[Rob Hall]

2 minutes ago, Bucky said:

Whatever happened to the MPC '66 DODGE Polara convertible kit?

Became a custom called the Magnum GT II then never seen again..

[Bucky]

Ahhh, yes. Both of those kits are on my "Grail" list.

[Snake45]

41 minutes ago, Rob Hall said:

Became a custom called the Magnum GT II then never seen again..

Good to know--that one's on my list. 

Was the '66 Dodge made from the '65? 

[Snake45]

56 minutes ago, Rob Hall said:

Sounds like this one?   Looks like never reissued...probably had some parts in common w/ the Mako Shark kit..

Believe it or not, the real car was based on a C2 Vette, I forget which exact year. 

[Snake45]

41 minutes ago, Bucky said:

Ahhh, yes. Both of those kits are on my "Grail" list.

The Turbo Vette's on your Grail list? 

[Rob Hall]

5 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

Believe it or not, the real car was based on a C2 Vette, I forget which exact year. 

Didn't realize there was a real one...yeah, you can see the C2 style dash and windshield in this photo.

[Snake45]

17 minutes ago, Rob Hall said:

Didn't realize there was a real one...yeah, you can see the C2 style dash and windshield in this photo.

What originally tipped me off was the side windows--obviously a C2 roadster. 

Fortunately, MPC tooled up an all-new body for this kit and didn't butcher their existing C2 kit (which was of course a coupe, so that might not have been much of a starting point to begin with). 

[kurth]

Where is the AMT 1979 Bronco?  Model King Re-issued it in 2006(ish) as part of a race team set,  and it has yet to resurface. So,  we know the tool survived at least until that point.