1970 Cuda

[Junkman]

Hi All,

Every time there is a 'what would you want to be made as a model kit' thread, I notice that quite a few people mention 'an accurate '70 Cuda'.

Excuse my ignorance, but what is so 'inaccurate' in the Cuda kits that exist hitherto?

What needs to be 'corrected' in order to have an accurate one?

[diymirage]

well, for starters it is WAY to small, the real one is TWENTYFIVE TIMES AS BIG

oh, and made with a metal body instead of styrene

pa-dum-pum

[Junkman]

well, for starters it is WAY to small, the real one is TWENTYFIVE TIMES AS BIG

oh, and made with a metal body instead of styrene

pa-dum-pum

Hmmm....

I wonder whether a person's IQ is 25 times lower in 1:25...

pa-dum-pum...

[george 53]

Christian, folks say the 70 and 71 Revellogram Cudas are misproportioned in the rear quarterpanel/windsail area(C-pillar). I usually don't buy 24th kits so I can't honestly tell ya if there is, but the 70 AAR cuda sure looks off in that area. I personally think the original MPC 70,71 Cudas were much better looking. More like the real thing. But unfortunately, those rascals are kinda expensive. The JoHan 71 Sox&Martin Cuda is pretty nice too, but it can only be built in Drag form.Hth.

[Craig Irwin]

Junkman, the old Monogram '71 isn't bad, but it's an ancient simplified kit, and it's 1/24 scale which severely limits kit bashing. The '70 AAR 'Cudas are based on the old Monogram 70 Dodge Challenger kit, which has the short comings of the '71 Cuda kit, but adds an inaccurate wheelbase, and the body has been "adjusted" to fit the longer wheelbase. It looks WRONG from every angle to me. The old MPC 1/25 kits look right but are RARE !

[MrObsessive]

To my eyes the best proportioned of all the '70-'74 'Cuda would have to be the Johan ones, but as George said they can only be built out of the box in drag racing form. Some kitbashing with the reissued MPC 'Cuda can be done to make a nice one however.

The MPC ones come in a very close second....my only complaint with them is the rear window is a scooch too rounded. Last on the list would be the Monogram '71's. There's just too steep of a tumblehome in the roof line to make it accurate for me, as well as the too far apart headlights.

Following dead last would be the horrible '70 Revell AAR Cuda. I don't know why they even bothered with that one, as to me it borders on being a caricature of the actual car instead of a scale model.

Edited December 10, 2011 by MrObsessive

[tim boyd]

A fully correct and properly accessorized (from the factory) 1970 'cuda is one of the few remaing "low hanging fruit" kit topics left for the kit manufacturers to mine. Let's hope one of them picks up the ball and runs with it! TIM

[RickRollerLT1]

The Johan Kits can be built stock if you use an AMT '70 Challenger for the chassis and maybe the motor. Along with possibly using the AMT/ERTL 74 Cuda Snapper for the interior (with some light moding) and the wheels.

[Casey]

A fully correct and properly accessorized (from the factory) 1970 'cuda is one of the few remaing "low hanging fruit" kit topics left for the kit manufacturers to mine. Let's hope one of them picks up the ball and runs with it! TIM

I couldn't have said it better. It's a "no brainer" if there ever was one.

[Harry P.]

Hey Moebius... are you listening?

[ChrisPflug]

Now that I've broken down and have been coughing up the bucks for 'cuda and Challenger MPC annuals there's bound to be an upcoming new release

[Casey]

Hey Moebius... are you listening?

This may sound strange, but I wouldn't want Moebius to take on this one. I think it needs to be done by Revell only.

[Guest]

This may sound strange, but I wouldn't want Moebius to take on this one. I think it needs to be done by Revell only.

Agreed 100% Casey! Look how bad the wheelbase is off on the Hudson Hornet! The rear wheels don't even come close to lining up with the fender skirts. I don't think we need to go there again.

Edited December 11, 2011 by plowboy

[Chuck Most]

Agreed 100% Casey! Look how bad the wheelbase is off on the Hudson Hornet! The rear wheels don't even come close to lining up with the fender skirts. I don't think we need to go there again.

Wheelbase isn't too far off (1:1 is 124"), its the location of the skirt cut lines that's messed up. It'll be fixed on future runs, but it is weird that got through to the production kit.

[Chuck Most]

As far as Revell kitting it? No. They've done not one, but two '70 'Cudas, and boned it epically both times. I'd like to see Round 2 have a go at it- even if all they do is manage a straight reissue of the MPC kit, if that is at all possible.

[Dr. Cranky]

Heck for that matter, I'd like to see Galaxie LTD give it a go!

[diymirage]

i am actually working on an old MPC 73/74 prostocker...i'd love to see that one again

[Casey]

As far as Revell kitting it? No. They've done not one, but two '70 'Cudas, and boned it epically both times. I'd like to see Round 2 have a go at it- even if all they do is manage a straight reissue of the MPC kit, if that is at all possible.

The problem with Revell's previous efforts i sthey have all been modified version of existing tooling. I think we all agree Revell should never have tried to fudge the '70 Challenger T/A into a '70 AAR, and they shouldn't have even bothered trying to "fix" it a second time, but they did, and I'm pretty sure they've learned from that experience. That said, Revell has a great track record as far as 1/25 scale new releases are concerned, and I like the idea of Revell creating the tooling for a 1/25 '70 Plymouth E-body sine it fits in with Revell's numerous other newer 1/25 Mopar kits- '67 Coronet/GTX/Charger. '68-9 Charger, '68-9 Darts, etc.

I suspect we will see this happen in the next five years.

[Chuck Most]

Whe/ if that happens... wonder when they'll roll out a new 1:25 Challenger built on the new Cuda's platform, and 'reproportion' the body to suit...

[Craig Irwin]

Whe/ if that happens... wonder when they'll roll out a new 1:25 Challenger built on the new Cuda's platform, and 'reproportion' the body to suit...

Or plan ahead and do the chassis half way between them and "Adjust" both half way!

[Darin Bastedo]

Wheelbase isn't too far off (1:1 is 124"), its the location of the skirt cut lines that's messed up. It'll be fixed on future runs, but it is weird that got through to the production kit.

Apparently someone here miscounted some rivits... Afterall, if somepeople here are going to take credit for them getting it right, shouldn't they also take the blame for dropping the ball on the fenderskirts?

[Chuck Most]

You mean rivets, right? Still, which kit is the bigger nightmare? Yep, the '70 Cuda, as botched by Revell. TWICE!!!!

[Casey]

Or plan ahead and do the chassis half way between them and "Adjust" both half way!

Since most drivetrain items are shared between the Dodge and Plymouth E-bodies, but almost nothing is shared body and interior-wise, Revell could get away with a fair amount of parts sharing.

I would suggest that Revell should correct the 1/24 '70 Challenger T/A's interior, too, but at this point, an new '70-1 Challenger is a better idea.

[Craig Irwin]

I was being sarcastic, showing how Revell could screw up the 70 'Cuda a third time AND a new Challenger too!

I'm convinced Revell will never get this one right, but I hope they prove me wrong if they try it again.

[Jeff Johnston]

To my eyes this angle illustrates the "off-ness" of the rear quarter. I still built (2). The first for a build off and the second because I had to do a Hemi Cuda...as off as it may be the kit does just about fall together.