Kit Review! MPC 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Annual!

[RDean58]

I recently scored this off eBay. My collection of Corvettes from 1955 to 2016 is now complete as I was able to pick up a 64 and a 65 this week as well. I thought I'd share the box contents of the 66 kit since it is pretty much the same for the 64 and 65.

More pics and instruction shots here

[RDean58]

An old annual kit I just got. Thought I'd share the contents for anyone interested. These contents are pretty much the same for the 64, 65, and 67 MPC corvettes as well, except the 65 does not have the stock wheels, the 64 has the turbine wheels. When I build this one it will be with a Revell 396 from the 69 Camaro SS I'm putting a 350 in. When I get the 65 Corvette, I'll put the fuel injected 327 in it, since that was the last year for the FI in corvettes.

MPC advertises a 427 for this kit, but it's a joke. Basically, what you do is put the big block heads and valve covers on the small block chevy block. Nowhere near correct ? But, that 327 is a neatly detailed engine block and does come with two fours as well, which was last seen as a factory option in 1961! It does seem to me that in order to build this stock, one would need to find a single 4bbl intake and air cleaner, or swap in a better big block since, well, Fuel Injection was not an option in 1966. 

[Oldcarfan27]

Include the pictures in case the link gets lost in the future. And so Steve Guthmiller will see it!?

This is a neat kit, lotsa great parts. MPC was really in their game back then.

I've got a body exactly like this but it's molded in white. It also has the F.I. emblems on the fenders, so I thought it was a 65. I didn't know they still left them on for the 66.

It's cool to see one of these unbuilt, so I can see what parts it came with. Thanks for sharing yours!

Edited June 10, 2022 by Oldcarfan27
Fixed photos

[Motor City]

"I've got a body exactly like this but it's molded in white. It also has the F.I. emblems on the fenders, so I thought it was a 65. I didn't know they still left them on for the 66."

This gray body actually is a '66 and has the 427 crossed-flag emblems, while the '65 has the rectangular Fuel Injection emblems without the crossed flags.  Also, the '65 has the vents behind the doors which were no longer on the '66.

[Oldcarfan27]

7 hours ago, Motor City said:

"I've got a body exactly like this but it's molded in white. It also has the F.I. emblems on the fenders, so I thought it was a 65. I didn't know they still left them on for the 66."

This gray body actually is a '66 and has the 427 crossed-flag emblems, while the '65 has the rectangular Fuel Injection emblems without the crossed flags.  Also, the '65 has the vents behind the doors which were no longer on the '66.

Thanks, I'll double check mine. 

 

 

 

Edited June 10, 2022 by Oldcarfan27

[kelson]

Great old kit,i have one as well, i think it's just missing the rear shocks, i have the AMT 66'vette convertible as well and decide between them,which one i want to paint Mosport Green.?‍♂️

[Snake45]

Interesting that these were molded in gray, not the standard white. I have three of them (all glue bombs or started builders) and they're all gray. 

The MPC C2 bodies are very similar to the AMTs, with one notable exception: The A-pillars on the '63 coupe were all chrome; subsequent years were body color. MPC got this right. AMT never changed the  A-pillars from the '63 on subsequent years. 

This MPC kit is the only Corvette ever that had a somewhat accurate "hump" hood for the big block. I have three of them--two have the blower hole already cut out. The third is unaltered. I'm gonna take a mold off it to repair one of the others. 

Here's a glue bomb survivor I restored a couple years ago. The purple paint is original, touched up here and there. I put it on a simple AMT chassis just to keep moving. Note the blower coming through the original humped hood. 

[keyser]

Futastic! Hope you’re getting along well. 

[pack rat]

The MPC C2 Vettes have a lot going for them, but to me AMT kits look more accurate.

My only beef with the MPC body is the elongated front wheel openings. The separate lower front pan can be a bit fiddly to fit properly as well; especially on the later '67 reissues as the tooling got tired.

The MPC still looks good on the shelf though.

[stavanzer]

Two Things strike me looking at the Kit Contents.

1. The Tractor Tires (aka Slicks) for the back of the car. I've seen 'Piecrust' slicks, but those look like they would work better on a Farm.

2. How shiny and polished the Body is! It just looks awesome. If it wasn't grey, and just polish it further and display it.

[Oldcarfan27]

9 hours ago, Snake45 said:

The MPC C2 bodies are very similar to the AMTs, with one notable exception: The A-pillars on the '63 coupe were all chrome; subsequent years were body color. MPC got this right. AMT never changed the  A-pillars from the '63 on subsequent years.

I'd hope that MPC would get that right.

AFAIK, MPCs first Corvette was the 64. They never made a 63, so they didn't have the chrome pillars to correct. 

[Gramps46]

Never noticed the elongated front wheel opening before but it sure is too long in front.  Wonder if that was related to the front wheels being poseable. 

This is my original built kit.  It was based upon a Corvette that was raced at Mid Ohio and still street driven, thus the radio antenna. 

[Bob Ellis]

The 1966 MPC comes with a 427 big block but no stock exhaust headers. AFIK '66 Vettes didn't have 327 F.I. ,So why the fender badges?

[Oldcarfan27]

4 hours ago, Bob Ellis said:

The 1966 MPC comes with a 427 big block but no stock exhaust headers. AFIK '66 Vettes didn't have 327 F.I. ,So why the fender badges?

Different emblems between years.

65 fuel injection 

66 big block

I'm not sure what year my car is, I'll have to check the emblems to see which one I have. 

[Dave Darby]

On 6/9/2022 at 6:05 PM, RDean58 said:

An old annual kit I just got. Thought I'd share the contents for anyone interested. These contents are pretty much the same for the 64, 65, and 67 MPC corvettes as well, except the 65 does not have the stock wheels, the 64 has the turbine wheels. When I build this one it will be with a Revell 396 from the 69 Camaro SS I'm putting a 350 in. When I get the 65 Corvette, I'll put the fuel injected 327 in it, since that was the last year for the FI in corvettes.

MPC advertises a 427 for this kit, but it's a joke. Basically, what you do is put the big block heads and valve covers on the small block chevy block. Nowhere near correct ? But, that 327 is a neatly detailed engine block and does come with two fours as well, which was last seen as a factory option in 1961! It does seem to me that in order to build this stock, one would need to find a single 4bbl intake and air cleaner, or swap in a better big block since, well, Fuel Injection was not an option in 1966. 

The 64 actually is quite a bit different than the 65-67 annuals, in that it doesn't have the working coil spring front suspension. It also has the 1964 Interior, and no stock wheels or side pipes. While the 65-67 annuals have Fenton mags, the 64 has Americans. Only the 66 and 67 have stock wheels. Stay tuned for The Vintage Workbench column in issue 214 of Model Cars Magazine for a complete history of the MPC 64-67 Corvette kits.

[RDean58]

Thanks for the heads up. I just got my 64 and 65 Corvettes in the mail today and will check them out.