MPC 1971 Road Runner Reissue (?)

[1972coronet]

Attention Round2 :

Pretty please update / upgrade and reissue the MPC 1971 Road Runner !

Make it a 2-in-1 by adding the 1972 front and rear bumpers / grille / lamps / Rallye wheels , plus some vintage aftermarket wheels , tyres and decals ; also , include instructions on how to change the side marker lamps from the '71 model to the '72 "universal" markers .

Anyone else think this would be cool ??

[Rob McKee]

You bet ya!

X2 on this one.

[440 Dakota]

i'd buy a few

[RodneyBad]

Ditto, I could sure use 3 or 4 myself with those options..

[Bartster]

I decided to stop my Mopar collection at 1970. But I'd squeeze 1 or 2 of these in. 3 if I could talk Scott into building a Petty car for me,lol.....

[drksd4848]

Hello, first time poster long time lurker. 

I'm reserecting this post. In fact, I am kind of miffed. 

The fact that round two would reissue the 1980 Plymouth Volare Road Runner (of which I bought four!) and NOT re-issue the 71-72 Road Runner kit it is beyond puzzling, to say the least.  Re-issuing that kit would seem to be a no-brainer. Especially since they've also re-issued the 74 Road Runner. And You would think the 80 Volare would be less popular than either of those kit. 

Seriously, what gives?  The tooling still has to be there. It was reissued as late as 1987. There's got to be something else at play. Either someone high up at Round2 doesnt like that specific year of Road Runner or they think that the 71-72 kit wouldnt sell. Which is ridiculous.  It would be more popular than the 1980 road runner kit, IMO. 

Either way, I'm throwing down the gauntlet. Re-issue this kit Round2. The fact that it has been re-issued by now is absolutely mind-boggling.

[Snake45]

Words of Wisdom: "Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once."

What are the reissued '71 RRs going for on eBay at the moment?

(I have two in the stash, and no, they're not for sale or trade, so don't PM me.)

[drksd4848]

Funny, I see 72s pop up on ebay for zillions of dollars. I'm always tempted to place a bid but then I remember I dont have a zillion dollars!

Seriously, I couldnt bring myself to build a kit that is over 40 years old, so I wouldnt be interested in buying yours

I would rather build a kit that Round2 should reissue!!! GRRR! 

[Snake45]

Seriously, I couldnt bring myself to build a kit that is over 40 years old, so I wouldnt be interested in buying yours

 

Well, in about five minutes, I'm going to carving on a kit that's over 50 years old.

[1972coronet]

I hope that Round2 reissues that 1971 Road Runner,  esp in retro 1971 annual packaging ( with updated tyres and restoration of the original custom wheels ).

[Eshaver]

Attention Round2 :

 

Pretty please update / upgrade and reissue the MPC 1971 Road Runner !

 

Make it a 2-in-1 by adding the 1972 front and rear bumpers / grille / lamps / Rallye wheels , plus some vintage aftermarket wheels , tyres and decals ; also , include instructions on how to change the side marker lamps from the '71 model to the '72 "universal" markers .

 

Anyone else think this would be cool ??

Works for me too !!!!

[Joe Handley]

I'd be in for one, especially if they throw the newer B-Body floor pan and drive train under it, '70 Cornet style.

[unclescott58]

I too would love one. The '71 Road Runner has always been cool. Come on Round 2, bring it back.

[AC Norton]

just my 2 cents.....a 71 car would be nice,,,,,however I think a reissued 72 car, old box, all parts, etc....would be a better move. with the different 71 kits around by Revell and the yellow MPC 71 still quite common, a 72 would fly off shelves. that 72 box art  with the custom show car is appealing to many  because it was an actual car, and the fact that 72 was about the last year for much in the way of true high performance options, even though they were luke warm compared to years prior. I had an original 71 RR kit new in late December of 1970, and liked it even more than the 72, but from a sales standpoint, I think it would give Round2 a real knockout here......lets hope either in original format may grace our collections soon regardless....the Ace....

[BubbaBrown]

I'd buy a few 71's, didn't 72 have the bigger bumpers and less compression ?

[martinfan5]

Funny, I see 72s pop up on ebay for zillions of dollars. I'm always tempted to place a bid but then I remember I dont have a zillion dollars!

Seriously, I couldnt bring myself to build a kit that is over 40 years old, so I wouldnt be interested in buying yours

I would rather build a kit that Round2 should reissue!!! GRRR! 

Why not?,  it is a model kit, its sole purpose is to be built,  how old it is should not matter one bit.

[unclescott58]

I'd buy a few 71's, didn't 72 have the bigger bumpers and less compression ?

Less compression. But still small bumpers.

 

[gtx6970]

I'd buy a few 71's, didn't 72 have the bigger bumpers and less compression ?

same bumper, different grille, tail lights and side markers. Overall same car.

 

And yes, less compression but also a different way horsepower was factored. so in all honesty they were not far off from the previous year

[gtx6970]

And for the record. I have a couple unbuilt 71s so I may not buy one of them IF it gets reissued. I would much prefer a 72

 

I heard a while back the tool was damaged and there for no chance it was coming back out

[1972coronet]

The '72 was ostensibly offered only as an annual , and is expensive IF one can find it . The tooling was obviously updated for the 1973 (ad seq ) annuals ; however , I am not certain how the 1971 tooling survived ; it was reissued in summer 1987 ( with contemporary custom wheels ) and remained in-production through c.1990 .

Like I'd stated in .y original post : it would be great if the 'Runner was reissued with both 1971 and 1972 parts !

.)

[tim boyd]

The 1971 Plymouth B-Bodies (Road Runner, GTX, Sebring, Sebring Plus) were landmark vehicle designs that were largely ignored when brought to market in 1971.  Only recently have 1/1 scale enthusiasts and collectors begun to realize just how important and significant these cars were.  They are certainly in my top five favorite Mopars of all time, and if I was inclined to own a 1/1 scale musclear, one of these would be at the top of my list alongside the '71 Charger SE w/ 383 or 440 Magnum V8's.  

I've built both the Revell-Monogram and MPC (1987 reissue) '71 B-Bodies and they are both very good at capturing the magic of the 1/1 scale originals.  If forced to choose, I'd give a slight edge to the MPC version.  

So needless to say, I'd love to see it reissued, and the idea of a secondary parts tree with the '72 exterior trim items makes it all the more desirable.  Plus the recent surfacing of what appear to be a couple of solidly authenticated 1/1 scale '72 B-Bodies with the Six-Pack 440 engine (IIRC, that's what is in the MPC '71 tool) just add to the "rightness" of this proposal..  

I'd love to see it happen. 

TIM   

[Rob Hall]

I'd like to see the MPC '71 reissued...I've got 4 of the annuals in various conditions, 2 of the '87 reissues, 1 of the GTX (one of my favorite box art pics), and 1 '72  kit built up in my stash...love the styling of the 1:1. 

[Snake45]

The 1971 Plymouth B-Bodies (Road Runner, GTX, Sebring, Sebring Plus) were landmark vehicle designs that were largely ignored when brought to market in 1971. 

That's because, IMHO, they were nothing more or less than Mopar's attempt to build a '68 GTO--three years late.

But seriously, I have a question about these cars. In the summer of '72 I was in USAF tech school with a guy who drove a bright red '71 or '72 RR. I think it had been his high school graduation present (he was a spoiled brat, basically) and always assumed it was a '72 but it could have been a used '71. Anyway, what I most remember about the car was it was a BRIGHT, BRIGHT red. It was much brighter and much redder than the '71 and '72 Plymouth paint chips would indicate. Could it have been Hemi Orange? Does that look red in the Texas sun? Or did the '71-'72 factory red color look brighter in real life? (Or maybe it was a repaint, though I don't think so).

If I ever get around to actually building one of those '71 reissues, I'm want to paint it that way, just because that car's the first thing I think of when I think of these RRs.

[drksd4848]

OK, got some catching up to do.  Shameless "self-plug": my wife gave birth to our second child (boy) a couple of days ago.  That means I have to put off building that '80 Volare RR for my first son! (who, BTW, at the age of four is already a Mopar fan!!)

Why not?,  it is a model kit, its sole purpose is to be built,  how old it is should not matter one bit.

You're absolutely right.  I would just feel horrible if I screwed  up a kit that I shelled out $150 for!

 

That's because, IMHO, they were nothing more or less than Mopar's attempt to build a '68 GTO--three years late.

But seriously, I have a question about these cars. In the summer of '72 I was in USAF tech school with a guy who drove a bright red '71 or '72 RR. I think it had been his high school graduation present (he was a spoiled brat, basically) and always assumed it was a '72 but it could have been a used '71. Anyway, what I most remember about the car was it was a BRIGHT, BRIGHT red. It was much brighter and much redder than the '71 and '72 Plymouth paint chips would indicate. Could it have been Hemi Orange? Does that look red in the Texas sun? Or did the '71-'72 factory red color look brighter in real life? (Or maybe it was a repaint, though I don't think so).

If I ever get around to actually building one of those '71 reissues, I'm want to paint it that way, just because that car's the first thing I think of when I think of these RRs.

In fact, after the Virgil Exner disaster in the early 60s, Chrysler Co execs issued an internal edict saying that they would follow GMs designs by 1-2 years.  The 71-72 body design was suppose to debut in the fall of '69 as a 1970, but budget problems pushed it back a year.  I had read somewhere there were even a couple of "1971 GTXs" built either very late in '69 or very early in 1970, before the 1970 model year had finished, but who knows if that was really true; it probably was a myth.  Although with the discovery of those 1972 six pack 440s, ya never know.

It sounds that would have been Tor Red.  The real question is, did the spoiled brat wrap that RR around a telephone pole, or did he wrap it around a tree?  Because only one of the two had to have happened.

 

And for the record. I have a couple unbuilt 71s so I may not buy one of them IF it gets reissued. I would much prefer a 72

 

I heard a while back the tool was damaged and there for no chance it was coming back out

It HAS to be that the tooling is damaged.  Why else wouldn't they release it?  It seems like a no-brainer to reissue it: there's pent up demand, the kits sell quickly on ebay even at an absolutely crazy high price, Mopar kits are always popular and those cars especially... I mean, maybe I'm talking out of my butt here, but I just can't understand why they won't reissue them.  Especially after reissuing the '80 Volare Road Runner.  If your gonna do that kit, at least put out the 71/72 as well.. come on!

Is there anyone at Round2 that can confirm/deny that the tooling was destroyed?  I'm desperate.  If it is true that the tooling was trashed, that would be a real shame.  Although, wouldn't they be able to take an original 71-72 kit and reverse engineer it?

And, yes '72 would be ideal!  Not that ugly air-grabber hood '71 kit! 

 

same bumper, different grille, tail lights and side markers. Overall same car.

 

And yes, less compression but also a different way horsepower was factored. so in all honesty they were not far off from the previous year

Thank you for pointing that out gtx6970. Everyone claims that there was a massive detuning for '72 but that's simply not true.  The detuning actually happened in '71 to appease insurance companies. The '68-70 RR 383s were a different story.

The '71 383 and the '72 400 are identical, same block, same NET hp/tq numbers, the 400 just had a bigger bore to account for slightly lower compression.  It's the switch to "SAE net" hp ratings in '72 that throws people off.  

 

Edited October 17, 2016 by drksd4848

[moparfarmer]

Snake you're pretty much on..The Chrysler Corporation was going to release the "B" body cars in 1970 but with the debut of the "E" body cars it became too costly..That is why they were a year late..E and B body cars share lots of parts too..Same width so stuff like w/shields and some interior parts and under hood parts are the same..Basic chassis is the same abeit the wheelbases..