MPC 1971 Road Runner Reissue (?)

[tim boyd]

There were additional reasons that the all-new B-Bodies were postponed one year to 1971.  

Relying on memory here (rather than having the printed documents in hand - always a little dangeroust), one of the business magazines (memory says it was Fortune) ran a very negative article on Chrysler Corporation in early 1969, suggesting that it may have been on a track to a future bankruptcy.  This was following a major railroad company bankruptcy that had recently taken place and shaken the business world as a result. That article caused waves inside Chrysler, prompting a plan to reduce/postpone capital spending.  

Secondly, the all-new '69 C-Bodies did not start off selling very well.  The bodies looked radically different with their high beltlines, and were off-putting to Chrysler Corporations's conservative large car buyers.  The accountants reportedly forced a cheapening of the interiors for the new C-Bodies, and it was in some cases shockingly obvious, again off-putting repeat buyers.  The proportions were somewhat awkward with the Dodge Polara/Monaco, with a too-long rear end, and a carryover rear axle with a too-narrow track width that hid the tires way inside the rear wheel wells affected all three makes but particulary the Dodge C-Body due to the mildly Charger-like bulging rear fenders  The Chrysler C-Body sold fairly well, but the Dodge and Plymouth versions retracted from the excellent 1968 model year volume.  Many of these design/content issues were somewhat addressed in 1970, and the 1970-73 C-Bodies sold somewhat better,  But the damage and internal loss of confidence at Chrysler Corporation was palpable in corporate decisions that followed.    

It's interesting to speculate what would have happened if those B-bodies had hit in 1970 as originally planned.  They certainly would have sold better than the carryover '70's that eventually came to market, but they also would have cannibalized sales of the all-new E-Body Challengers and Barracudas.  Hmmmm.....

As for the '71 Plymouth B-bodies being a ripoff of the '68 GTO Design language, no.  If anything, they are in some areas mildly reminiscent of some of the Oldsmobile Toronado and Cutlass design themes of the late 1960's, but given the three-year window between the time designs begin developing to when they hit the market, the basic design theme of the planned '70/eventually '71 Plymouth B-Bodies would have been well underway before any of the '68 GM A-Bodies hit the market.  

TIM     

Edited October 17, 2016 by tim boyd

[drksd4848]

So...  I decided to contact Round 2 through their "Contact Us" webpage.  Here's what I wrote:

Message: Hello,
Will there ever be a chance that you'll re-release either or both of these two kits:

- The MPC 1/25 scale '72 Plymouth Road Runner http://www.oldmodelkits.com/jpegs/MPC%201-7225-225%2072Runner.JPG

and/or:

- The MPC 1/25 scale '71 Plymouth Road Runner https://s1.scalemates.com/products/img/2/7/3/569273-16114-84-pristine.jpg
These two kits seem to be the most coveted by scale modelers; they go for a large sum on ebay.

And here's what they wrote back:

Hi {XXXX},

Thank you for your suggestions. I will forward this information to our research and development team.

Doug Ridge
Customer Service
Round 2. LLC.
4073 Meghan Beeler Court
South Bend, IN 46628
1-888-910-2889

Seems nice enough.  Will they take it seriously?  Who knows.  But If you want to let Round 2 know you'd like to see these kits reissued, I would go either here:

Contact Us Round2

Or just email them here:

info@round2models.com

... and send them a note. Tell them you want to see a reissue of the 1972 ('71) MPC Plymouth Road Runner. That's about all we can do.  Maybe they'll listen.

 

Edited October 18, 2016 by drksd4848

[unclescott58]

Wow! Again I'm amazed at the things I read on this website. There some very knowledgeable people here. I always learn a lot. It's was very interesting especially to read what Wayne and Tim had to say about Chrysler's reasons for having to delay of what became the '71 Mopar B-bodies. They are two sources I found I can normally count on for give the correct facts, rather than rumors. And that's not say that others have been giving false information here. It just that they seem to know the "facts" a little better. Or with a little more detail. That said....

I am confused on the status/history of MPC Road Runner kits. Were the dies updated from the '72 Road Runner kit to create the '73? And with the closeness in the design between the '71 and '72 Road Runners, would we have not lost the '71 in the making of the '72? And yet, years after the '73-'74 Road Runner annuals were done, in the early 80's I believe, MPC reissued a '71 Road Runner kit. And since then have again reissued the '74 a couple of times. Once calling it a GTX, with the '75 (and MPC '76 Road Runner) interior and chassis. So what is in Round 2s inventory of tooling for these cars? I'm guesssing, and this is only a guess, that MPC did not update their '72 Road Runner tool after the annual run. I'm thinking that tooling may have biases for bringing back the '71 in the 1980's. If so, they should still have the dies for the '71 someplace in their inventory.

 

[Snake45]

Wow! Again I'm amazed at the things I read on this website. There some very knowledgeable people here. I always learn a lot. It's was very interesting especially to read what Wayne and Tim had to say about Chrysler's reasons for having to delay of what became the '71 Mopar B-bodies. They are two sources I found I can normally count on for give the correct facts, rather than rumors. And that's not say that others have been giving false information here. It just that they seem to know the "facts" a little better. Or with a little more detail. That said....

I am confused on the status/history of MPC Road Runner kits. Were the dies updated from the '72 Road Runner kit to create the '73? And with the closeness in the design between the '71 and '72 Road Runners, would we have not lost the '71 in the making of the '72? And yet, years after the '73-'74 Road Runner annuals were done, in the early 80's I believe, MPC reissued a '71 Road Runner kit. And since then have again reissued the '74 a couple of times. Once calling it a GTX, with the '75 (and MPC '76 Road Runner) interior and chassis. So what is in Round 2s inventory of tooling for these cars? I'm guesssing, and this is only a guess, that MPC did not update their '72 Road Runner tool after the annual run. I'm thinking that tooling may have biases for bringing back the '71 in the 1980's. If so, they should still have the dies for the '71 someplace in their inventory.

 

I recently read somewhere--maybe in this very thread--that the '71 RR was last issued in 1987 (it seems like just last month!), same as the '70 GTO. Odd that both have been MIA so long.

[unclescott58]

I recently read somewhere--maybe in this very thread--that the '71 RR was last issued in 1987 (it seems like just last month!), same as the '70 GTO. Odd that both have been MIA so long.

Ah, it was the late 80's. And I forgot about the '70 Goat. Another one that reappeared after the '72 annual was done. And another one I would buy if it came back. Come on Round 2, what is the status on these two kits? You can't tell me either one would not sell?

 

[gtx6970]

I think I've mentioned this before.

But last year I was at a local model swap / show and I bought a sealed 71 RR kit for a whopping $20 . When a  buddy of mine whom has industry connections seen what I had . He told me the tooling for the MPC 1971 RR kit was damaged ( how extensive he didnt know ) . And he said the chances that particular  kit would be reissued is extremely unlikely .

At least not without a major tooling costs to Round 2 ,,,again not likely ( my 2cents)

[Luc Janssens]

I wonder if the Amt/Ertl era M&M designed '71 Dodge Charger would be a good starting point for a all new (modified) release of the '72 (since Revell-Monogram already has a '71)

They don't need tooling from the old annual for it, just an mint kit, of which they only use the necessary parts, to scan and rework/adapt/enhance* in 3D files, so that they work with the Charger tooling.

 

(*) Looks like they are doing just that, with the restoration of the AMT’s Flying Wedge Rear Engine Dragster! (the following text by Ken Holewczynski, posted September 6th, on the collectormodel.com website.)

"After many, many months of research and design, we’re finally ready to release our beautiful Original Art Series issue of AMT’s Flying Wedge Rear Engine Dragster!

This was quite the endeavor as the entire body sections had to be retooled, so we took this opportunity to compare it against AMT’s other wedge dragster based on Steve McGee’s Black Beauty. While the two kits were similar, the original Flying Wedge kit’s body was lacking detail and the original McGee kit wasn’t quite accurate. So this time, we authentically duplicated the rear wedge section to match the real McGee car. The wedge section also features additional detailing like sheet metal rivets and in our research, we discovered that the rear lip of the wedge was adjustable by means of a piano hinge along the back. We’ve added that hinge detail, making the this kit the most accurate 1970’s style wedge dragster kit you can build."

 

 

Edited October 18, 2016 by Luc Janssens

[Luc Janssens]

Ah, it was the late 80's. And I forgot about the '70 Goat. Another one that reappeared after the '72 annual was done. And another one I would buy if it came back. Come on Round 2, what is the status on these two kits? You can't tell me either one would not sell?

 

I would use that tool as a door stop, or to weight a dead body so it stays down on the ocean's floor (hmm I sound like Dexter

 

[drksd4848]

Ah, it was the late 80's. And I forgot about the '70 Goat. Another one that reappeared after the '72 annual was done. And another one I would buy if it came back. Come on Round 2, what is the status on these two kits? You can't tell me either one would not sell?

 

Well, if you want Round2 to re-release them, email them at either:

info@round2models.com

or

Contact Us Round2

Let them know.  Strength in numbers, squeaky wheel... yada yada

If they really wanted to fix damaged tooling, they could do it.  They've done it in the past with other kits. There's no good reason not to re-issue them, IMO

 

Edited October 18, 2016 by drksd4848

[Snake45]

Another one you'd think would be long gone (converted) is the MPC '69 GTO. We know it still exists because the body (promo body, at least, with hood molded in) was in the recently reissued Judge funny car. The body still has all the stock emblems and trim. I bought one of the funnies just to turn the body into a promo-type stock '69 Judge (even if it will have to live with a '72 interior). I wouldn't think it would take much for R2 to cobble together at least a Snapper/Snapfast-type '69 GTO out of what they have on hand. Issue it with decals for every '69 Judge color combo and tell me it wouldn't sell, even with a '72 interior.

Edited October 18, 2016 by Snake45

[stavanzer]

I have one of the 1987 versions of the kit. I'd like to have another, but the kit is a typical 1970's MPC as far as detail goes. Nothing really to write home about. That said, if you like MPC it is as good as anything else they did from that time. I'd certainly be in for more, if it came out.

[CapSat 6]

Here's a short history of the tool, and what I think is going on:

- the '71 Road Runner annual was followed by a mid-year '71 GTX. The differences between the two kits were: Road Runner or GTX grille insert, Air Grabber Hood (RR) or twin scoop hood with 440 callouts (GTX), box & decals. I think both kits even used the same body, I don't remember seeing any engraved emblems on original Road Runners or GTX's that I have come across. 

- the kit was modified slightly for the '72 annual. The 72 came with a '72 style grille (with a deeper front bumper made to accept the '72 grille), rear bumper, taillights, rear valence. The interior might have been modified slightly. The body got '72 style side marker lights and Road Runner emblems on the quarters just ahead of the rear wheels. The '72 MPC Mopar annuals that I have seen all seemed to have come with '71 style wheels. The '72 came with a new custom front bumper and headlights. The GTX twin scoop hood was the only one included, and the 440 callout detail was removed from it. The 72's came with vinyl slicks instead of the two-piece plastic slicks.

- either just before or after the '72 kit was offered, the NASCAR Petty Plymouth was issued. Even though a solid-blue '71 season car was shown on the box, the kit came with a '72 rear bumper, modified from the kit piece. The taillight fillers glued right over the stock taillight details, and the license plate detail was smoothed over on the bumper. The front bumper was a one-piece NASCAR style, that did not use a separate grille insert, and was deeper like the '72 unit. The hood was completely flat- unlike any Satellite or non Road Runner / GTX hood for '71 & '72- it looks like the kit piece is the '71 /  '72 twin scoop hood with the scoops filled in. The 2 door Satellite base hood in these years had two prominent hockey stick shapes that stuck out of them- much like the way a '69 AMX or Javelin hood looks. The Air Grabber hood actually is a base hood with a separate fiberglass dome added to it. The rest of the Petty kit consists of the generic MPC stock car chassis, with Hemi & Wedge heads & valve covers for the generic block added to the bumper sprue. The body had it's door handles and side markers removed. 

- the '71 Road Runner was rereleased by MPC in 1987. This issue was nearly identical to the original annual kit, except that the custom wheels were switched over from Cragars to more contemporary (at the time) Gotti-style wheels, no plastic slicks, and no "1971" license plate engraving on the rear bumper or lower body in the front. I think the body was restored (door handles, side markers) from it's NASCAR configuration. The 1987 issue had a very comprehensive decal sheet, with stock '71 Road Runner graphics in black and white, as well as really nice Superbird graphics (for use with the phantom Superbird parts that these kits came with). 

- in around 1995, AMT/ Ertl announced a reissue of the Petty Plymouth. A pIcture of a built prototype was shown in a few places. It was announced side-by-side with the AMT Matador stock car, and while the Matador came out, the Petty Plymouth never did. I think it was said that the tooling was incomplete. I couldn't imagine that anybody at AMT at the time would have had second thoughts about issuing a vintage Petty car at the time. I think the body was missing because it was actually still in the '71 kit tooling.

- maybe the story that the tool is unworkable is coming from when they went to issue the Petty car? I think the Petty car is where the '72 pieces went & that the '71 tool is probably complete.

 

Edited October 19, 2016 by CapSat 6
Misspelling.

[CapSat 6]

It would be nice to have the '71 kit back, with the '71 box art, the '87 decals, and new pad printed tires, molded in white. For that matter, if they could find the '72 parts (or even just the '71 GTX grille) it would be nice to have them in the box as well. 

[Sport Suburban]

This info is great to read and since I have built a few of these and have a few more to restore I can confirm that the 87 issue was a restored body from the progression of the body mods. The 71 annual has quite a few suddle differences from the 87 issue of the same body. When you put the two bodies side by side you can see the differences were it was restored. I always wondered about the hood but never had the petty version so now that makes sense to me.

Also since the 70 GTO was mentioned it's tool was modified after the 87 issue. Model King had the tool located and issued it in its last configuration as the stock car. It is no longer stock but a dirt modified car of some kind.

 

[AC Norton]

 

....so, I owned the annual back in 1971 and loved it,,,,so my question is, does the yellow  issue stand up to the annual in accuracy of  body and interior details....I realize the annual had Cragars, slicks, other drag parts and such,,,but I seem to recall someone saying years ago the yellow car had a 72 interior, but I could be wrong here.....and mentioning 72 RRs, that would be the car that Round2 should consider spending on some retooling , if possible, as it seemed even harder to find way back in the day, at least in my area.....thanks to all, the Ace...

[drksd4848]

....so, I owned the annual back in 1971 and loved it,,,,so my question is, does the yellow  issue stand up to the annual in accuracy of  body and interior details....I realize the annual had Cragars, slicks, other drag parts and such,,,but I seem to recall someone saying years ago the yellow car had a 72 interior, but I could be wrong here.....and mentioning 72 RRs, that would be the car that Round2 should consider spending on some retooling , if possible, as it seemed even harder to find way back in the day, at least in my area.....thanks to all, the Ace...

If they were to reissue just one of the two RRs, IMHO the '72 is the one to reissue. It would have such novelty appeal.  More novelty appeal, I think than the Fuzz Duster reissue - which is the prime example of a novelty kit.  I'm still floored that they would reissued the Fuzz Duster before the other RR kits. 

[AC Norton]

If they were to reissue just one of the two RRs, IMHO the '72 is the one to reissue. It would have such novelty appeal.  More novelty appeal, I think than the Fuzz Duster reissue - which is the prime example of a novelty kit.  I'm still floored that they would reissued the Fuzz Duster before the other RR kits. 

...I'm  with you on that, Arthur, ....as much as I am a big Round2 AMT/MPC  supporter, I wonder as well about some reissued kits. they cater to all tastes and interests, however  some, like the RR  mentioned, would be a sure fired  hit and a sales giant ....even nice if a 71 RR came back in the annual format as well..........the Ace...

[drksd4848]

...I'm  with you on that, Arthur, ....as much as I am a big Round2 AMT/MPC  supporter, I wonder as well about some reissued kits. they cater to all tastes and interests, however  some, like the RR  mentioned, would be a sure fired  hit and a sales giant ....even nice if a 71 RR came back in the annual format as well..........the Ace...

Yeah, Ace.  

I really think someone who calls the shots at Round2 just doesn't like that particular style of Road Runner.  Seriously, there's no good reason not to reissue it.  If the tooling is damaged, you can't tell me that it can't be fixed. They've done it for other kits! 

I have, on my desk, a resin cast of the '72 RR body, hood, front, and rear bumpers. (I also had a beautiful chrome plated ModelHaus rear 72 bumper but it was lost at some point).  Not that I know a lot about this stuff, but from my perspective, if A GUY in his BASEMENT could make a RESIN CAST of that kit, there is absolutely no reason for not reissuing it other than the fact that someone at Round2 doesn't like that particular car/model/kit.

And there you have it: My Plastic Model Company conspiracy theory. HA!  

Edited October 19, 2016 by drksd4848

[AC Norton]

Yeah, Ace.  

I really think someone who calls the shots at Round2 just doesn't like that particular style of Road Runner.  Seriously, there's no good reason not to reissue it.  If the tooling is damaged, you can't tell me that it can't be fixed. They've done it for other kits! 

I have, on my desk, a resin cast of the '72 RR body, hood, front, and rear bumpers. (I also had a beautiful chrome plated ModelHaus rear 72 bumper but it was lost at some point).  Not that I know a lot about this stuff, but from my perspective, if A GUY in his BASEMENT could make a RESIN CAST of that kit, there is absolutely no reason for not reissuing it other than the fact that someone at Round2 doesn't like that particular car/model/kit.

And there you have it: My Plastic Model Company conspiracy theory. HA!  

Arthur, I think it all comes down to tooling cost....a small firm isn't going to put out 10 or 15 grand to retool a couple of parts, and sometimes its more than that apparently.  it's always the bottom line they look at just to survive these days....but, I'm with you on re popping a 71 or 72 bird here, especially the 72 car. that 72 kit mib drew stupid money even back in the old days, as when I frequented shows constantly in the mid 80s thru mid 90s, the 71 annuals were fairly easy to get, but the 72 issue was tough, and expensive in most cases. if they have no intention of re popping it  I may break down and try getting one on ebay when a mint example turns up. maybe some of us should lobby John at Round2  to see if its a project they are considering,,,, but to make it exactly as the annual was, they would be into some costly upgrades for sure....the Ace...

[drksd4848]

Arthur, I think it all comes down to tooling cost....a small firm isn't going to put out 10 or 15 grand to retool a couple of parts, and sometimes its more than that apparently.  it's always the bottom line they look at just to survive these days....but, I'm with you on re popping a 71 or 72 bird here, especially the 72 car. that 72 kit mib drew stupid money even back in the old days, as when I frequented shows constantly in the mid 80s thru mid 90s, the 71 annuals were fairly easy to get, but the 72 issue was tough, and expensive in most cases. if they have no intention of re popping it  I may break down and try getting one on ebay when a mint example turns up. maybe some of us should lobby John at Round2  to see if its a project they are considering,,,, but to make it exactly as the annual was, they would be into some costly upgrades for sure....the Ace...

Ace: Look, I'll admit, I know very little about the plastic model biz. All I have is a rudimentary understanding of business in general. So, I might very well be talking out of my butt here; feel free to tell me I'm off my head. My wife does it to me all the time.

But, I just can't imagine that it would take such a huge investment to reissue a kit that they've already produced 90% of the parts for.  The under carriage, engine parts, interior parts, windshield, etc are already in use in a number of kits: MPC 74 Road Runner. AMT 74 GTX, MPC Daisy Duke Plymouth, the 71 Charger (can't remember if it's AMT or MPC).

Would it really cost 10 to 15 grand to produce a rear/front bumper, hood, and body, plus grill molding and clear plastic lenses?  Resin makers have already been producing them.  I know resin and injection plastic are totally different beasts, but if a guy in his basement can do it...

Who cares if it's like the annual or not.  Few people would know the difference.   Pillage and plunder the parts from the other kits, then re-issue it the cheapest way possible.  Just get it out there.  Even if it's not exact, people will buy it. It's not a question. 

Again, they've done this in the past for other kits that were rarer.  Why won't they do it for the 71/72 RRs? 

Edited October 19, 2016 by drksd4848

[AC Norton]

Ace: Look, I'll admit, I know very little about the plastic model biz. All I have is a rudimentary understanding of business in general. So, I might very well be talking out of my butt here; feel free to tell me I'm off my head. My wife does it to me all the time.

But, I just can't imagine that it would take such a huge investment to reissue a kit that they've already produced 90% of the parts for.  The under carriage, engine parts, interior parts, windshield, etc are already in use in a number of kits: MPC 74 Road Runner. AMT 74 GTX, MPC Daisy Duke Plymouth, the 71 Charger (can't remember if it's AMT or MPC).

Would it really cost 10 to 15 grand to produce a rear/front bumper, hood, and body, plus grill molding and clear plastic lenses?  Resin makers have already been producing them.  I know resin and injection plastic are totally different beasts, but if a guy in his basement can do it...

Who cares if it's like the annual or not.  Few people would know the difference.   Pillage and plunder the parts from the other kits, then re-issue it the cheapest way possible.  Just get it out there.  Even if it's not exact, people will buy it. It's not a question. 

Again, they've done this in the past for other kits that were rarer.  Why won't they do it for the 71agree,/72 RRs? 

I agree totally, Arthur....and we may get lucky on this one in the future, but as you I don't have the in's and out's of the industry either, but I remember guy's saying some years back that Dave the Model King, when time for him to reissue the Tempest AWB funny car kit found that the front grille piece and clear glass section had to be retooled for production, and it cost around 20 grand to gear this up....sounds crazy, but that's what I heard....so, Round2 are only going to reissue what suits the budget I guess. I know the Larson USA 1 Vega coming in 2017 was delayed because of tooling changes that apparently were not budgeted for in 2016 as planned, so it's  strictly economics that dictate what kits we will, and won't get to add to our stack. as for your comment about the 72 RR being an annual copy cat or not, I agree as well,,,it would sell like crazy regardless. but, a true selling feature of the idea of an annual reissue is that the custom concept car version shown on the box art appeals to many Mopar guys, as it was an actual car,,,,,and if the kit was essentially like before with the Cragar wheels, all the drag strip goodies, and an expanded decal sheet and all  the new tires and such it would be killer....lets hope enough guys grumble they want one........the Ace....

[drksd4848]

I agree totally, Arthur....and we may get lucky on this one in the future, but as you I don't have the in's and out's of the industry either, but I remember guy's saying some years back that Dave the Model King, when time for him to reissue the Tempest AWB funny car kit found that the front grille piece and clear glass section had to be retooled for production, and it cost around 20 grand to gear this up....sounds crazy, but that's what I heard....so, Round2 are only going to reissue what suits the budget I guess. I know the Larson USA 1 Vega coming in 2017 was delayed because of tooling changes that apparently were not budgeted for in 2016 as planned, so it's  strictly economics that dictate what kits we will, and won't get to add to our stack. as for your comment about the 72 RR being an annual copy cat or not, I agree as well,,,it would sell like crazy regardless. but, a true selling feature of the idea of an annual reissue is that the custom concept car version shown on the box art appeals to many Mopar guys, as it was an actual car,,,,,and if the kit was essentially like before with the Cragar wheels, all the drag strip goodies, and an expanded decal sheet and all  the new tires and such it would be killer....lets hope enough guys grumble they want one........the Ace....

20 grand?!  Holy bankruptcy Batman!

[AC Norton]

20 grand?!  Holy bankruptcy Batman!

yup, apparently he coughed up the dough to fix everything, but all paid off in the end I hear. but, Round2  will run their show differently than Dave does, I'm sure......anyhow, I remember also having a talk with people that sell 12 inch military figures and even tooling one small pistol with minimum detail overseas costs about 5 grand.......the Ace...

[CapSat 6]

....so, I owned the annual back in 1971 and loved it,,,,so my question is, does the yellow  issue stand up to the annual in accuracy of  body and interior details....I realize the annual had Cragars, slicks, other drag parts and such,,,but I seem to recall someone saying years ago the yellow car had a 72 interior, but I could be wrong here.....and mentioning 72 RRs, that would be the car that Round2 should consider spending on some retooling , if possible, as it seemed even harder to find way back in the day, at least in my area.....thanks to all, the Ace...

So this got me thinking...I don't pay too much attention to interiors (unless they are REALLY off). 

See the following pics: 

First pic. The black interior is an original annual interior. The 2nd is an original 72. The third one is from the '87 reissue. It looks like the '87 interior is a straight repop of the '72. There is not much of a difference between the '71 & '72 annual interiors, except that the original '71 has the window cranks in absolutely the wrong place. The interiors in these cars did vary from year to year and model to model (for instance: a base '71 Road Runner would have gotten diffferent upper side panels than a '71 GTX). I think what's represented are the premium interiors.

[CapSat 6]

jNext up- seats. The black seat is an annual 71. The Orange seat is a '72. The glossy black seat on the bottom is an '87. 

The '71 and '72 annual seats look identical (perhaps tough to see in this pic). The '87 has had some ugly retooling work done in the coves. I never noticed this before. Perhaps they had to borrow back seats from another tool (Monaco 2 door, or ???). The chassis, firewall, rear axle & engine seem to have continued on in the '75-'76 Road Runners & '77-'78 Monaco Coupes, so this makes sense to me. 

Are we sure we want this one back??? ? I'm saying this as a current owner of a 1971 Satellite Sebring Plus, so I sort of have a thing for these cars. The Monogram / Revell Kit is looking better and better to me...