From the vault #10 & 11 - MPC original issue 1970/71 Challenger Gasser and Pro-Stock Kitbashes

[tim boyd]

I think that at least some of you are familiar with my series of entries and winners in the 1970-72 series of the MPC National Customizing Contest that ran from 1969-1979.  While my winning entries those early years were all funny cars (and later on from 1975-79, customs and street rods), I started but failed to complete several other non-funny car drag racing themed cars for the 1970 and 71 series.  These are two of them... 

#10 - 1970 Dodge Challenger AA/G.  This one combined the body of a 1970 MPC Challenger Annual Kit with much of the chassis of the second MPC Mustang Malco Gasser kit, the 1969 Mustang version, that I won at the fall 1969 MPC Flint Michigan contest as a prize for my first-place senior win there.  The front end was changed to a one-piece lift-off design, while the Hemi was based on the MPC Challenger kit engine block.   The project was probably 1/3rd finished and remained that way until I dug it out and completed the project during 1987-88 when I lived in Atlanta.  The paint is Testors Candy Blue over Gold, and you can see I simulated blue anodizing on some of the engine parts with that same Candy Blue over silver finished with Dull Cote. 

#11 - 1971 Dodge Challenger Pro-Stock.  Like many of you old timers (me included), I was inspired by Hank Borger's "Angry Man" 1970 Maverick Pro-Stock project featured on the cover of Car Model magazine that year.  I used my original issue 1971 MPC Challenger annual kit to begin a similar project, planned to compete in the 2nd half of the 1971 MPC Contest series.  I got as far as bashing the hood scoop, adding hand-made rear spoilers, painted the body Testors Gloss Black, while doing scratchbuilt /kitbashed front and rear suspensions, respectively, and adding the "Plum Crazy' side graphics from the decal sheet in that earlier MPC 1970 Challenger kit used as the basis of #10 above.  Just about then, the new tunnel ram intakes, Holley 4500s, and dual plug rocker covers debuted in 1/1 scale, and I didn't have the time or spirit to go after scratching those.  Then a few months later, the Jo-Han Sox and Martin 'cuda kit came out, pretty much making my project hopelessly dated.  I buttoned up the still engineless model and put it in the display case, where it remained for the next 53 (!) years until I dug it out just about a year ago with intentions to build the engine and finish the car. I did get it done, but it turned out to be a lot more complicated than I planned.  You may read about this project update in one of the model mags over the next year, so I am showing pix here of the project in its 1971-2024 form, prior to the update. 

Here are a few pix of both projects; if you want to see the full details, check out my "Drag Racing Door Slammers" and "Gassers" albums at this link of my fotki site and here as well .  Thanks in advance for looking!  TIM     

Edited February 3 by tim boyd

[PappyD340]

Very nice!

[slusher]

Beautiful pair of Challengers!

[tim boyd]

Thanks Larry, Carl, and all the rest of you who checked out these models...."Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!" is calling once again (smile)....TIM

[W-409]

Wow, had not seen these before but I'm very glad that I did now! I love old builds that have survived the years this well. Both of them are very nice, but if I'd have to pick a favorite, it would have to be the Gasser. It's very rare to see a Gasser of that era being built in scale. Nice work on both of them.

[R. Thorne]

Thank you for showing some of your awesome early work.  Unfortunately, my ocd kicked in.  AA/G cars would have blowers, take 1 A off to make it unblown (A/G).  Slick, no tread front tires?  

[drodg]

Great looking E bodies.  I really enjoy your builds.   

[tim boyd]

2 hours ago, R. Thorne said:

Thank you for showing some of your awesome early work.  Unfortunately, my ocd kicked in.  AA/G cars would have blowers, take 1 A off to make it unblown (A/G).  Slick, no tread front tires?  

Hi Ron....thanks for your comments.  Gonna have to go back to the reference file on the AA/G classification which is what I thought was correct for non-blown large sized engines in Pony Car based Gassers back then.  I thought AA/GS would be the classification for the same cars with blowers but i also recall them changing the classifications regarding blown gassers over time. 

However, to your point my recollection is that the livery for that model came from the second version (1969 body) MPC Ohio George kit which was replicating a Ford 429 Semi Hemi blown car as we all know.  So, for 1969 at the very least I would say you that you are 100% correct and thus the car should be A/G not AA/G.  Not sure if that changed or not for the 1970/later period portrayed by the model.   

As for the front tires, at the time I built the car (dribs and drabs from 1970 through 1987), we didn't have today's wide choice of small diameter thin section front tires (and my kit collection was much less extensive back then), so I used (from memory here) the styrene front tires from the AMT Piranha kit which did not have any tread engraving due to the mold design.  

Always good to have your eagle eyes comments; it is not OCD on your part at all! 

Best...TIM 

  

 

[R. Thorne]

Thank you for taking the time to reply.  Truly an outstanding ambassador for the modeling community.

[Ragtop Man]

Super cool builds, Tim. How much of a task (or not) to fit the OG chassis in the Chally? 

[Zippi]

Two Great looking builds Tim.  These are really kewl.

[tim boyd]

On 3/27/2025 at 9:39 AM, Ragtop Man said:

Super cool builds, Tim. How much of a task (or not) to fit the OG chassis in the Chally? 

Bob...not much as I recall....toughest part was making the lift off front end....TB

[Sketch1982]

Both are killer but that Big John car is BADASS!!!!

[Rattlecan Dan]

They look great! Nice work.

[Hmann68]

Nice work as usual….and very cool👍

[bytownshaker]

Two excellent builds. like you I really enjoyed Hank Borger's builds especially his stories that went along with the builds.