1970 Dodge Challenger Kits - Whose is best?

[CapSat 6]

I have had and built all of these kits at some time or another. The classic Dodge Challenger has always been one of my favorite cars. 

Here are my hot takes for each of these kits: 

1/25 MPC ‘70-‘74 Challenger annuals

Hemi engine, 4 speed and Torqueflite transmissions, Stock and Custom building options.

The pros: best body shape of all Challenger models offered since. Mostly accurate, if a little soft, stock interior details. Cool optional parts, especially the ‘72’s and ‘73’s, which included very nice gasser parts. Standard / base dash cluster included in all versions. 

The cons: hard to find (no longer in production, the body became the non-stock MPC Soapy Sales/ Ramcharger funny car), expensive when found, sub standard chassis and engine details. The ‘72-‘74 kits include Hemi engines, which were not available in Challengers from the factory. No side mirrors. 

Trivia: the ‘70, ‘71 and ‘72 kits came with chrome bumper guards for the front bumpers (1:1 Challenger rear bumpers always got bumper guards due to their design), the ‘73 kits had the larger rubber bumper guards, and the ‘74 kits came with a front bumper with no bumper guards. 

1/25 Palmer/ Lindberg ‘70-‘72 Challengers 

Hemi engine, Torqueflite transmission, Stock and Custom building options.

Pros: the bodies have great proportions, just about as good as the MPC kits. Not very expensive when found. 

Cons: very hard to find the ‘70’s and ‘71’s. Sub standard chassis and engine details. The ‘72 kits have inaccurate or soft body details in regards to the grille, taillight panel, side scoops and hood. No side mirrors. 

Trivia: the Palmer / Lindberg kits are more or less knock offs of the MPC tooling, so as such, they have the same vices and virtues, although the MPC kits’ details are a good bit better. 

1/25 AMT/ Matchbox ‘70 Challengers 

440 Six Pack engine, 4 speed transmission, Stock and/ or custom building options (depending on release version), Vanishing Point kit came with optional parts to make the 440 into a Hemi (VERY badly). 

Pros: body proportions and details (except for the roof, see below), interior details are mostly accurate if heavy handed, chassis and engine room are superior to the MPC kits and can be used under an MPC body pretty easily. The only source I know of in scale for chrome Rallye side mirrors. These kits are pretty easily found. Optional convertible building option. 

Cons: separate roof is the wrong shape, which makes it very difficult to build as a hardtop, and is inaccurate at the windshield area. The engine isn’t bad, but it’s not very good. The new parts tooled up for the Vanishing Point version are rendered poorly. The headlight mounting (flat areas instead of buckets, with 1/2 moon mounts) looks bad. Lower front pan fits leaving a break in the fenders that is not like 1:1 Challengers. 

Trivia: these kits come with a Rallye dash, although I don’t like the shape of it. Instead of the flip top gas cap, an accurate standard gas cap appears as one of the body details. 

1/24 ARII Challenger: 

engine= ???

Pros: opening doors, nice box art, nice optional rubber tires and chrome wheels. 

Cons: everything else. These were designed for a motorized chassis, the body proportions, details, interior, chassis, and engine all only have a passing resemblance to 1:1 Challengers. These are pretty much an imported mass-market toy kit, representative of the low to average/ non-enthusiast product coming out of Japan in the ‘70’s. 

1/24 Monogram / Revell ‘70 Challenger T/A:

340 Six Pack with 4 speed, stock or tunnel ram intakes

Pros: accurate T/A package pieces, nice engine and chassis details (although simplified), nice interior and body details. Simplified, but goes together well and looks good when assembled. Nice Rallye wheels. 

Cons: body appears “fat”, so the body proportions are off, but not extremely badly. Simplified, maybe too simple for some builders (but this could be considered a pro, see above). Lower front pan fits leaving a break in the fenders that is not like 1:1 Challengers. 

Trivia: this kit comes with a nice Pistol Grip shifter, although it mounts in the console like an automatic. The interior was revised for the AAR Cuda that Revell spun off from this tool, so any copies manufactured after about 1995 come with Cuda seats. 

1/25 (really somewhere in between 1/25 and 1/24) Revell Vanishing Point and American Dreams ‘70 R/T (diecast kits): 

440 4 barrel, 4 speed

Pros: prepainted, nice interior and chassis details, somewhat accurate body details. Engine is decent, although simplified. Mostly accurate configuration for the Vanishing Point movie car. 

Cons: prepainted, simplified assembly, simplified engine, body proportions are off, creating a slab sided look (due to this kit being a diecast). Chassis doesn’t easily settle under the body at assembly- I had a very rough time getting the chassis to tuck up under the rocker panels like it should. Tires look a little shrimpy. No longer very easy to find. 

Trivia: virtues could be vices with these kits. Some people like prepainted, or simplified, or diecast. Some do not. I built a VP car, and it was mostly an easier experience, except for the chassis issues, so to me it became a wash. 

1/24-1/25 Revell ‘70 Challenger R/T and T/A: 

440 4 barrel and 440 Six Pack, 4 speed.

Pros: nice details, especially the interior, chassis, wheels and decals. These kits come with a nice assortment of stock R/T and T/A parts, so the builder can potentially come up with a mix of both versions and have lots of spare parts left over. 

Cons: hard to find and more expensive than perhaps they should be. Engine is simplified, and incorrect for the T/A building version. Some of the T/A parts don’t look as accurate or as nice as the ones in the Monogram T/A kit. ALL of the cons of the VP and AD kits above, as they are the same tooling except done in plastic: simplified assembly, simplified engine, body proportions are off, creating a slab sided look (due to this kit being based on a diecast). Tires look a little shrimpy. Also, they might have the same chassis issues as the VP kits above, but I have not built one to find out for sure.

Trivia: the only kit I know of at all that has ‘71-‘78 Mopar power window switches engraved on the doors. I have a set put aside so that I can foil cast them. 

So- no really easy options here.

I’m with Sport Suburban here- the best build would use an MPC body with AMT guts, with an engine from a ‘71 AMT Duster, ‘71 AMT Charger, or Revell ‘68 Dart. Still, I think a nice build could be had from the old Monogram T/A, too. 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 17, 2023 by CapSat 6
Moved one sentence to another paragraph

[1972coronet]

10 minutes ago, CapSat 6 said:

[MPC's] ‘74 [Challenger] kits came with a front bumper with no bumper guards. 

I recently had (but had to sell for financial reasons) that very 1974 annual kit. I, too, was surprised by the lack of bumper guards ! For whatever reason, the 1974 Duster annual is also sans bumper guards, in spite of the 1973 having them. 

The '74 is a good starting point for replicating a '72 because of the 'missing' guards (okay, so the bonnet's callouts read 360 FOUR BARREL - despite the kit having the totally incorrect 426 Hemi, just as you've mentioned). My original plan was to build a replica of "Jill" from Gone in 60 Seconds ! , down to the licence plate ( "000 GAL" vs. its "new" plate ) , etc.

[CapSat 6]

1 minute ago, 1972coronet said:

I recently had (but had to sell for financial reasons) that very 1974 annual kit. I, too, was surprised by the lack of bumper guards ! For whatever reason, the 1974 Duster annual is also sans bumper guards, in spite of the 1973 having them. 

The '74 is a good starting point for replicating a '72 because of the 'missing' guards (okay, so the bonnet's callouts read 360 FOUR BARREL - despite the kit having the totally incorrect 426 Hemi, just as you've mentioned). My original plan was to build a replica of "Jill" from Gone in 60 Seconds ! , down to the licence plate ( "000 GAL" vs. its "new" plate ) , etc.

Once again, you notice what I notice! I think the bumper guards disappeared because the Challenger and Duster kits were done as Pro Stocks around that time. Once they did the annuals again, the guards didn’t come back. 

I’m not 100% certain, but I think the ‘74 Challengers from MPC also did not have rear bumper guards, which would be inaccurate, as I think all Challengers got them due to their rear valance design. 

I always loved that ‘74 only hood with the 360 callouts! 

[Can-Con]

FWIW, MPC '74 Challenger , , ,

I plan to get around to this one soon.

AMT chassis with a 340. Black paint/argent around headlights and tail lights, white with black interior and white side strobe stripes.

Have everything to do it, just need to get a start. 😉

[iBorg]

On 9/15/2023 at 9:45 PM, Sport Suburban said:

None are perfect but I knew the Monogram TA first and the AMT second and loved building them both. I was not as picky then and the only thing I didn't like was the shaker on the AMT kits. This was in the late 80's. I still like these kits but the best for me is the MPC body's with the AMT chassis thrown in and using a better engine! This is a 71 Hemi Challenger RT. This is a resin Modelhaus kit that I started with.

The Modelhaus resin is based off the MPC mold. I know this as I provided them an MPC to master. Tom said he was going to do it some day but the feedback he got at the show pushed it to the top of his list.

[Sport Suburban]

1 hour ago, iBorg said:

The Modelhaus resin is based off the MPC mold. I know this as I provided them an MPC to master. Tom said he was going to do it some day but the feedback he got at the show pushed it to the top of his list.

I know it's a direct copy. I had a mint unbuilt 71 kit that I just could not bring myself to build it. So, I bought a Modelhaus one and built this one instead. Then sold the unbuilt one on eBay. This was about 15 years ago when the Modelhaus kit was like $59 and I sold the unbuilt for $120 but I bought for $80. I should have just kept it. I didn't need to sell it. I also bought a Modelhaus MPC 70 Charger, built one and bought another Modelhaus 70 Charger, then bought a nice MPC 70 Charger rebuilder. Then Revell came out with their 70 Chargers! LOL. So, Thank You for providing the master!

[CapSat 6]

3 hours ago, Can-Con said:

FWIW, MPC '74 Challenger , , ,

I plan to get around to this one soon.

AMT chassis with a 340. Black paint/argent around headlights and tail lights, white with black interior and white side strobe stripes.

Have everything to do it, just need to get a start. 😉

Aha! No rear bumper guards.

[ChrisPflug]

Need to finish this one- 

[mikos]

Maybe Round2 will do this for us with a cloned reissue.

[CapSat 6]

On 9/28/2023 at 7:46 PM, mikos said:

Maybe Round2 will do this for us with a cloned reissue.

I’m all for the “clone” experience, but only to a point. 

If Round 2 wants to clone up a Challenger (or fix some things with their ‘74 Barracuda), then bare minimum, I would like to see them do a better chassis plate. The old MPC chassis plate was not one of their better efforts. 

If I were in charge of that project, for the chassis, I would borrow some of the look of the Challenger engine room (inner front fenders, firewall) from the AMT ‘70 Challenger, fill out the rear wheelhouses like they did on their new ‘68 Coronet, and do separate exhausts.

I would also borrow and improve the engine from their AMT ‘71 Duster, giving the ‘72-‘74 cars an accurate stock engine. The Hemi in that old kit really should not be cloned, as 1) it wasn’t stock for the ‘72-‘74 cars and 2) it was never very good in the first place. 

It would probably make sense to roll out a ‘71 first, as those would probably be a little more popular than the “sad mouth” cars. 

['70 Grande]

"Sad mouth" cars... never heard that one before and it made me belly-laugh, too!

[CapSat 6]

4 hours ago, '70 Grande said:

"Sad mouth" cars... never heard that one before and it made me belly-laugh, too!

😀 I was wondering if anybody would note that. I can’t remember when I heard that term, but it was a LONG time ago.

For the longest time, those cars lagged behind the 70’s and 71’s in general interest and value. Now, any Challenger or Cuda is hot. 

[1972coronet]

6 hours ago, CapSat 6 said:

😀 I was wondering if anybody would note that. I can’t remember when I heard that term, but it was a LONG time ago.

For the longest time, those cars lagged behind the 70’s and 71’s in general interest and value. Now, any Challenger or Cuda is hot. 

IMO, that design looked good for 1972 only. Once those highway work truck bumper guards (which, conversely, I actually like on the 1973-1974 Duster & Dart Sport) came along, the novelty wore off. 

 

[Nicholas]

i have the monogram 1/24 t/a kit,but i also recently bought the revell street burner 1/25 scale kit,the body looks real good to me on this kit,but i have not started it yet,i have bought some harts parts for the monogram kit,its the r/t hood to update it to a r/t challenger

[drodg]

This appeared on Model Car Roundup this morning.   https://www.modelroundup.com/1970-Dodge-Challenger-USPS-p/amt-r2-1401.htm

[Dave Darby]

1 hour ago, drodg said:

This appeared on Model Car Roundup this morning.   https://www.modelroundup.com/1970-Dodge-Challenger-USPS-p/amt-r2-1401.htm

I think most of us know what this consists of.

[drodg]

1 hour ago, Dave Darby said:

I think most of us know what this consists of.

Obviously not a new tool

[Dave Darby]

35 minutes ago, drodg said:

Obviously not a new tool

The one and same tool used for the Yankee Challenge. But the stock version. Not bad if you want a convertible. Not ideal for a hardtop.

[mikos]

Time for Round2 to do a clone on this one.

[iangilly]

I think the monogram kit is ok, not perfect but it works. For best results I like to use an annual body and the use an amt engine and chassis.  Its a shame round 2 hasn't retooled the body on the amt with how many times they've released it.

[Motor City]

I would expect Round2 to clone the '70 and '71 Challenger R/T at some point if their research finds justification for it.  

[ChrisPflug]

On 9/30/2023 at 8:50 PM, 1972coronet said:

IMO, that design looked good for 1972 only. Once those highway work truck bumper guards (which, conversely, I actually like on the 1973-1974 Duster & Dart Sport) came along, the novelty wore off. 

 

If you look closely those are actually 70-71 Challengers "dressed up" to look like newer models in the movie- the garage scenes with the VIN swap have closeups with the numbers- the interior shot where Jill is being stolen at the airport shows a 71- up column key release and 71 interior pattern 

Another "assembled" vehicle was the blue 71 Sebring Plus with Road Runner hood and grille that gets wrecked during the chase while being test driven by the couple

[1972coronet]

7 hours ago, ChrisPflug said:

If you look closely those are actually 70-71 Challengers "dressed up" to look like newer models in the movie- the garage scenes with the VIN swap have closeups with the numbers- the interior shot where Jill is being stolen at the airport shows a 71- up column key release and 71 interior pattern 

Hai . Both were 1970 models from the Los Angeles Assembly : R/T 440 Magnum (the wrecked one being cut-up, JS23U0E) and a 'regular' hardtop with a 383 two barrel (car stolen from LAX long term parking, JH23L0E ).

I just posted "Jill" as an exhibition of the 1972 grille , and how , IMO, that redesign doesn't look as "sad" as the 1973-1974 when the CalTrans bumper guards came along. 

[ChrisPflug]

On 10/15/2023 at 8:13 PM, 1972coronet said:

Hai . Both were 1970 models from the Los Angeles Assembly : R/T 440 Magnum (the wrecked one being cut-up, JS23U0E) and a 'regular' hardtop with a 383 two barrel (car stolen from LAX long term parking, JH23L0E ).

I just posted "Jill" as an exhibition of the 1972 grille , and how , IMO, that redesign doesn't look as "sad" as the 1973-1974 when the CalTrans bumper guards came along. 

Ironically the front end treatment on the Palmer/Lindberg/Testors '72 might make a better movie car than the stock annual LOL

[ChrisPflug]

Got a few rebuider projects to keep me busy for now anyways LOL