Upcoming MPC Reissues - '79 Nova and '73 Cougar

[Mark]

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool GM hater, but that Nova looks great.  GM handled the Seventies regulations better than most other manufacturers when it came to styling.

Take the Monza versus the Mustang II for example.  Endura bumpers versus somewhat clumsy looking hang-on bumpers, rear view of the Mustang gives you a muffler and gas tank half hanging out.  Mind you, I do like the looks of the Mustang II hatch, but those elements (plus the multicolor tail lights) do detract somewhat.

Edited December 19, 2023 by Mark
D--- spell check

[Motor City]

My sister bought a silver '76 Nova coupe that was on the lot at the end of the model year.  It had a red bench seat interior, 305, automatic.  One time the car wouldn't move and the next-door neighbor asked if the emergency brake was on.  It turned out that it was and there was no warning light for that!  It was a good handling car and had a nice ride.  The only thing I didn't like was the thin cloth upholstery.  

[Motor City]

2 hours ago, Mark said:

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool GM hater

Why is that?

[tim boyd]

When my late college/early worklife girlfriend went to work for GM Accounting in downtown Detroit, she needed a reliable car for her daily commute from Ann Arbor to Detroit and back and her semi-restored '66 Mustang I-6 wasn't going to get the job done.  We went shopping, and found a real prize at the local Chevy dealer.  A year-end leftover 1977 (ex-Nova) Concours four door, white with firethorn (red) velour interior, buckets and console, and 305 V8.  It had everything you'd want in a pseudo BMW 5-series at a college graduate's budget, except for the optional full instrumentation/tach package.  Great car!  Sadly, it was replaced years later in 1983 with a Celebrity four door four cylinder....TB 

[Mark]

42 minutes ago, Motor City said:

Why is that?

Because of all the junk they foisted off on family members and people I knew in the Seventies and Eighties.  Substituted parts (not just engines and transmissions) that made it difficult to ID needed parts (even down to getting a key made), endless corner-cutting and penny-pinching, dealers that didn't take care of their customers (but were quick to boost prices when something new hit the showrooms), outright lying to me about availability of power train combinations in a vehicle...the list goes on.  Never owned one, never will.  Haven't had one on the shopping list since 2004, and that one was the first to get scratched off...

[disconovaman]

The Reality is it's not about the brand or styling more so than the stories told by people who owned them. Every person is individual and has their own experiences in life and weather it's a Smog Nova  or a "Bronze Age" Mercury Cougar they all have their place in history.

Edited December 19, 2023 by disconovaman

[Snake45]

16 minutes ago, disconovaman said:

The Reality is it's not about the brand or styling more so than the stories told by people who owned them. Every person is individual and has their own experiences in life and weather it's a Smog Nova  or a "Bronze Age" Mercury Cougar they all have their place in history.

In the late '70s I lived in a garden apartment complex and drove a '69 SS/RS Camaro. In the same complex lived a very cute girl who drove a dark blue '76 or '77 Nova SS. She had enormous breasts and loved her car and washed or polished it frequently, often wearing tight halter tops.   I liked her car too and tried several times to tell her, but, sadly, she had NO time for the likes of me. Ah shucks oh well. I've been wanting to build a model of that car for some time and spent a lot of time and money a couple years ago rounding up builtups and glue bombs on eBay and the local toy show, and I think I finally ended up with five or six models from which I have enough parts to get together maybe two or three halfway decent models. 

Yes, I'll be picking up at least one of the reissues. Maybe (channeling the great comedian Elayne Boosler) I'll buy TWO of them and stick my head between them....

[disconovaman]

3 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

76 or '77 Nova SS

Yes, the Nova SS Last of the breed sadly ended in 1976 and The Nova Rally appeared as the "Sport" option in 1977.

I think some company should release an all new tooling of the 76 Nova Super Sport. Its makes since to me because it's historical in the fact that it was the last time Nova and SS appeared together on the same car. I've had 18 4th gen Novas, a few Super Sports and a two Nova Rallys.

I laughed at your story Snake, because it's a perfect example that we do all share a common bond with the stories we tell.

[thatz4u]

19 hours ago, Carmak said:

Strange thought. If you shorten the chassis 5/32" it should fit nicely under the newly released 70 Mach Won body.

the AMT  69 Mustang chassis  is easier

[Snake45]

54 minutes ago, disconovaman said:

Yes, the Nova SS Last of the breed sadly ended in 1976 and The Nova Rally appeared as the "Sport" option in 1977.

I laughed at your story Snake, because it's a perfect example that we do all share a common bond with the stories we tell.

 

OMG Disconova, that's HER car exactly! Dark metallic blue with light lower body trim! (I'm thinking it was silver, but maybe it was white, not sure...). So I guess it must have been a '76, then. (Or maybe even a '75? I KNOW it wasn't an ugly '73 or '74.) I GOTTA build one exactly like that! 

[Justin Porter]

17 hours ago, disconovaman said:

I had heard years ago when Round II reissued the Squad Rod that the tooling would be used for future projects. I thought white styrene with colored glass in Coke style would've been the obvious choice... but this represents what they typically do. I just hope the dang thing isn't blue! I want to see it in white once again. 

I don't know if it will be blue or purple or white or what have you. You may see a Coke themed release or box art similar to the original annual kit as opposed to the street machine release. I will repeat what I stated in the opening post. "I tracked down two REPRESENTATIVE examples of the classic box art for these kits. I don't know whether or not the reissues will have this box art or similar." 

[mikos]

19 hours ago, disconovaman said:

Yes! Someone over at Round II should be getting on this. I want new boxart and new decals please! 

That’s the AMT version.  Look at the chopped upper greenhouse.  The MPC kit did it much better (more accurate) in this area.  The MPC version is the one to get.

Edited December 19, 2023 by mikos

[Motor City]

6 hours ago, Mark said:

Because of all the junk they foisted off on family members and people I knew in the Seventies and Eighties.  Substituted parts (not just engines and transmissions) that made it difficult to ID needed parts (even down to getting a key made), endless corner-cutting and penny-pinching, dealers that didn't take care of their customers (but were quick to boost prices when something new hit the showrooms), outright lying to me about availability of power train combinations in a vehicle...the list goes on.  Never owned one, never will.  Haven't had one on the shopping list since 2004, and that one was the first to get scratched off...

No argument from me regarding the dealers with their take-it-or-leave-it attitudes, shoddy vehicle service from most dealers and price boosting on hot vehicles.  The automakers always used the excuse that dealers were private enterprises that were free to charge what they wanted "but we strongly discourage that."  I found that I was usually WAY better informed on option packages and powertrain combinations than the sales staffs.  I'm sure others on this forum have complaints about most of the automakers and many dealers as well.  

[Can-Con]

20 hours ago, disconovaman said:

Not much difference between 75 and 76 other than the grills. I don't believe the tooling on the grill was changed just the boxart representing a 75 grill. I could be wrong but I've never seen the 75 grill from the kit. Maybe someone else can weigh in on this?

I did find a pic of a gluebomb lot with the '75 grille but I couldn't copy pics from that site. 

You can see the '75 grille in front of the brown car in the pics at this link.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/amt-438-75-76-nova-pro-street-project-1922585985

[disconovaman]

34 minutes ago, Can-Con said:

You can see the '75 grille

Wow! That's gotta be really rare! I did some digging myself and found a copy of the black and yellow 75 with a 76 grill on the parts tree... Must'a got changed mid run of the 75 to 76.

[Ragtop Man]

The Cougar can be harvested for parts to upgrade the accuracy of your AMT '69 Cougars. Want a convertible? Whack the roof and re-scribe the trunklid opening, the re-release should have the '70 convertible boot. 

Main issue with the ex-MPC Cat is the 'dumped the clutch with traction masters and pinion snubber on 8" tire" front  nose attitude. Have been somewhat successful sectioning about 3/32 from the bottom of the engine compartment 'ring', which helps to get the nose down to a more moderate level.

I can't help but think the resin industry will come up with the '71 and '72 front/rear bumpers, and pop the excellent comp handling 5-slot Ford wheels found in the Cyclone GN kit (they were in the last issue) which also look killer on other '70 and select '71 FoMoCo iron, including the Cyclone, Torino and '70 Mach 1. 

Ultimately the best bash to get a 'correct' Cougar will be the Revell B351 chassis and engine compartment, or the CJ 429 "Bond" Mach 1, unless the guy doing 3D '71-73 Mustang engine compartments on FB actually sells his work (which was quite good, my wallet awaits.) 

[oldcarfan]

I can see getting a Nova for sure. If only I had the skills to convert it to a four door. One of my memories as a kid was my grandfather driving one. His company gave him a car allowance with the only proviso being it be a 'good work car', bit he liked fast cars. To that point he went down to the Chevy dealer and ordered a four door Nova with the police package and a 350 with the four barrel. I think I remember him saying the police package meant he didn't have to have a catalytic converter. He ordered it in a generic beige with brown interior and said he could speed anywhere without the cops noticing. The only options he checked off were the premium radio and air conditioning.

As for the Cougar, I have a 73 already along with a 72 that someone gave me. Most likely, I'll still buy another anyway.

[Snake45]

48 minutes ago, oldcarfan said:

I can see getting a Nova for sure. If only I had the skills to convert it to a four door. One of my memories as a kid was my grandfather driving one. His company gave him a car allowance with the only proviso being it be a 'good work car', bit he liked fast cars. To that point he went down to the Chevy dealer and ordered a four door Nova with the police package and a 350 with the four barrel. I think I remember him saying the police package meant he didn't have to have a catalytic converter. He ordered it in a generic beige with brown interior and said he could speed anywhere without the cops noticing. The only options he checked off were the premium radio and air conditioning.

OMG, The Lovely Mrs. Snake's second car was a '77 or '78 Old Omega--basically, a Nova with an Olds grille--4 door sedan we bought cheap from an old lady. It turned out to have a small block Chevy V8 in it and a TH350 and it handled so well I always thought somehow it had gotten the famous 9-C-1 Police Nova package. I swear it handled as well as my '69 SS Camaro, and was nearly as quick/fast--I actually blew off a '67 Chevelle SS396 with it at a stoplight once. And it was the same color as the one you're talking about--I always said it was "urine colored." It was my third favorite car of all time.  I'd buy another one just like it in a heartbeat, if I could find one. Even better would be the Pontiac version, in a 2-door.

[Sledsel]

5 hours ago, mikos said:

That’s the AMT version.  Look at the chopped upper greenhouse.  The MPC kit did it much better (more accurate) in this area.  The MPC version is the one to get.

You can also tell by the shape of the rear quarter window. 

[disconovaman]

14 hours ago, oldcarfan said:

If only I had the skills to convert it to a four door.

Get yourself a Greg Wann 4 door, this kit is the donor. I have a couple, they're quality kits too. I think they're more accurate than the 2 door honestly. 

14 hours ago, Snake45 said:

the famous 9-C-1 Police Nova package. I swear it handled as well as my '69 SS Camaro

They handle great even without the police package. Back when I did the HotRod thing I had 3½ skinny Centerlines with metric VW tires on the front and I could take sharp turns at 60 easily. Scary! but it held the road!

[espo]

Many have mentioned the 9 - C- 1 Police Option.  The main part of that option that anyone could order with no special supply problems was the F-41 Sport Suspension Option. This would have higher rate springs, front and rear sway bars along with a stiffer shock, all for under $100.00 at the time. Some may not realize that the chassis and most of the suspension components were shared with the Camaros. This is the reason for their great handling and with the 350 cu.in. 4 bl. carb made a great sleeper. 

[disconovaman]

43 minutes ago, espo said:

F-41 Sport Suspension Option

Was the Quick Steer Close Ratio steering box part of the F-41 suspension?  I bought one for my car but I know that all my SS and Rallys had that option. My 77 Concours also came equipped with that option.

The 75 body change came with, as advertised the "Nova Buffet" any option in any combination... that's why you could've seen bare bone standand cars with all the performance goodys. Kinda like a special order COPO of the mid 70's.

[Can-Con]

1 hour ago, disconovaman said:

Was the Quick Steer Close Ratio steering box part of the F-41 suspension?  I bought one for my car but I know that all my SS and Rallys had that option. My 77 Concours also came equipped with that option.

The 75 body change came with, as advertised the "Nova Buffet" any option in any combination... that's why you could've seen bare bone standand cars with all the performance goodys. Kinda like a special order COPO of the mid 70's.

My "bare bones" '79 was a strait 6 /automatic car with no options except one,, the sway bars. It handles like it was on rails at any speed. 

[exnyman]

21 hours ago, Can-Con said:

I did find a pic of a gluebomb lot with the '75 grille but I couldn't copy pics from that site. 

You can see the '75 grille in front of the brown car in the pics at this link.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/amt-438-75-76-nova-pro-street-project-1922585985

I had the Pro Stock kit with the 75 Grille back when it was a current kit. Don’t know what ever happened to it but a few months ago there was one on EBay that I bought. It was built as a curbside promo type build. I had to get it as I want to build a model of the 75 my father had years ago. Here’s a picture of the grille.

[espo]

2 hours ago, disconovaman said:

Was the Quick Steer Close Ratio steering box part of the F-41 suspension?  I bought one for my car but I know that all my SS and Rallys had that option. My 77 Concours also came equipped with that option.

The 75 body change came with, as advertised the "Nova Buffet" any option in any combination... that's why you could've seen bare bone standand cars with all the performance goodys. Kinda like a special order COPO of the mid 70's.

I think you may be correct on the steering box ratio. I had forgotten about that part of the F-41 option.