The VEGA & PINTO Celebration Thread

[Silver Foxx]

Interesting to see the AMT vegabond funny car kit. I just got this kit ( T112-225 ) from a garage sale for $5 . Also got a similar kit of a gremlin funny car ( T347-225 ) for $5 also . They use the same chassis. Got a lot of other old kits for same price.

[mikelo]

I actually had a few projects going on with several of these. I have an older Vega that I need to repair the wheel wells on since somebody turned it into a Grumpy's Toy. I hope it ends up looking something like this. Marc Nellis has completed one very cool pro touring version as well.

I have a 75 Pinto runabout as well that I plan on turning into this. This on is still in original condition.

I also have a pro street version of the old Chevy Monza (started) and 2 kits of the even older (I think) Chevette kits I am still making plans for.

Now that I think about it, I have one of the Pinto wagons as well, but I turned it into a wreck since I lost some parts, and I was young. The bad part is everything is packed up in hopes of moving sometime.

Mike

[1930fordpickup]

Nice looking art work Mike !

[Tonioseven]

Tonio, I love it. That has to be some of the brightest yellow I've seen on a model car. It looks as if you almost have it wrapped up.

I've built that Twister Vega many, many years ago. It was a horrible kit, interior, chassis and engine were bad, body is the best part of it. But engine is bad quality, AND way too small. In Real Vega, Chevy SBC with Blower, would need big hole for the hood... That engine doesn't come through the hood. Anyways, Antonia has done great job with his Vega, where is that Cowl Induction scoop from?

This is my Monza Build so far, Long Term Project, and it will be built as nicely as possible.

Thanks guys; I bought that hood from Ebay a few years ago. I'll probably glue the hood shut on it. Lol.

[gtx6970]

My only contribution.

Sorry,,,I don't have a single pinto kit at all.

But I have dozens of Vega kits, mostly funnycar kits though and I have plans for all of them

This was one of the kits I had to have . As I built one as a teenager when the kit first came out back in the 70's . And this was one I wanted to collect and it will stay unbuilt and sealed inside.

[gtx6970]

Not to worry though.

I also have one built, box stock. And suprisingly enough the original MPC decals worked .I have a couple more builders to use as other projects.

I personally would love to see ANY of the MPC Vega funnycar kits re-released .

Edited May 15, 2012 by gtx6970

[gtx6970]

I also did a Revell Jungle Jim vega as well.. I built this car nearly 15 years ago. But I was never real happy with the way this kit turned out . I always thought the Revell kits sat to high in the rear. I but recently found out a way to lower them,,, so the next one I'll try it .

[hicksie]

There were both '76 and '77 MPC Pacer kits, NIB, which sold for $32 and $25, so there are still easy to find. If $30 is about what you'd pay for a new Revell Special Edition kit, and $20 gets you a re-issued AMT kit, why even hope for and wait on a reissue? The other issue with re-issuing the Pacer is I think it was last issued as a custom, just like the Gremlin, so Round2 would need to backdate it and restore the body to '78 specs.

I can see the Vega having the most appeal with John Q Public, and I hope Round2 doesn't stay consistent and re-issue the Mustang II in retro box art instead.

They also had a 78 mpc pacer

[Tonioseven]

I just got a really clean buildup of a '74 Pinto from Kelli Khrome; I'll post pics later. It's missing a grille but all else is intact. I think I can shove a 5.0 engine in it. Lol.

[cartpix]

There were 2 Vegas that made an impression on me, both panels. The first one was a white with a small block Chevy. It was brand new & done right, with a narrowed 12 bolt rear end & 5 lug fronts. It had Z-28 emblems on the front fenders. The 2nd was a friend of mine's. It had an aluminum 215 cu. in. Buick, backed with a Muncie 4 speed & a nawwored 12 bolt. He had the rear axels drilled for 4 lug & wore stock wheels. It was a real sleeper.

Jeff

[Dr. Cranky]

I actually had a few projects going on with several of these. I have an older Vega that I need to repair the wheel wells on since somebody turned it into a Grumpy's Toy. I hope it ends up looking something like this. Marc Nellis has completed one very cool pro touring version as well.

I have a 75 Pinto runabout as well that I plan on turning into this. This on is still in original condition.

I also have a pro street version of the old Chevy Monza (started) and 2 kits of the even older (I think) Chevette kits I am still making plans for.

Now that I think about it, I have one of the Pinto wagons as well, but I turned it into a wreck since I lost some parts, and I was young. The bad part is everything is packed up in hopes of moving sometime.

Mike

Mike, I love these. You gotta get them out more into the magazines.

[S. Svendsen]

I actually had a few projects going on with several of these. I have an older Vega that I need to repair the wheel wells on since somebody turned it into a Grumpy's Toy. I hope it ends up looking something like this. Marc Nellis has completed one very cool pro touring version as well.

I have a 75 Pinto runabout as well that I plan on turning into this. This on is still in original condition.

I also have a pro street version of the old Chevy Monza (started) and 2 kits of the even older (I think) Chevette kits I am still making plans for.

Now that I think about it, I have one of the Pinto wagons as well, but I turned it into a wreck since I lost some parts, and I was young. The bad part is everything is packed up in hopes of moving sometime.

Mike

Cool designs. You should build them!!

[S. Svendsen]

I'll see your Pinto and Vega and raise you a Gremlin! Here's a couple I built. BTW... My dad bought a new Vega in '72 and hated it so bad he traded it in on a used 1969 Beetle after only a year! I still think they look cool though.

[Dr. Cranky]

Sven's, love 'EM. Great work. That Gremlin's a beauty! Wow.

[cobraman]

All 3 of those builds look great !

[mikelo]

Thanks Sean. That is the plan. The big problems are 1.) somebody tried to make my vVega look like yours, only it was the stock kit, so they cut the rear wheel wells up and hand painted the stripes. 2.) My Pinto is packed up. It does have alot of the parts in it to make it. I can't wait to have time/space to model again.

Mike

[tooltas]

yes all 3 are done very nice

[Beerman86GT]

Here is my Runabout, got it off of e-Bay a few years agao and stripped it down, it was a Pro Street kinda theme to it, had the gold anodized valve covers and all!!! Thinking about a pro touring kinda theme with it but unsure at this point. I'm really digging the Shelby tail lights in that blue one!!!

[wisdonm]

What, no Bobcats?

Beerman a Bobcat had a Shelby tail light kind of thing going on. They added a fake second Pinto tail light to each side by reversing sides. All Bobcats had the big window hatch. Early Pintos had a small window and a trunk lid.

I made this Bobcat out of a Ridgerunner Pinto.

In '74 I was asked to develop this Pinto road racer for Hammer Engineering. I drove it to a championship in '75.

Edited July 2, 2012 by wisdonm

[KevinJarvis]

Here is my contribution to this thread.

All of these were built over 30 years ago.

[Beerman86GT]

What, no Bobcats?

Beerman a Bobcat had a Shelby tail light kind of thing going on. They added a fake second Pinto tail light to each side by reversing sides. All Bobcats had the big window hatch. Early Pintos had a small window and a trunk lid.

In '74 I was asked to develop this Pinto road racer for Hammer Engineering. I drove it to a championship in '75.

I had heard of Bobcats but can't recall that I've ever seen one in person. Very cool road racer, you got some more pics of that thing?? And congrats on the championship ( a little late I know but I may have been 8 months old at the time of your victory! lol)

[horsepower]

I just got a really clean buildup of a '74 Pinto from Kelli Khrome; I'll post pics later. It's missing a grille but all else is intact. I think I can shove a 5.0 engine in it. Lol.

I put a 302 (5.0) in a '72 Pinto Runabout, a full size one! it was a real ball to drive, you pointed it with the gas pedal, I left the 50 series 13"tires on 7" wheels, with the 3.55 gears, it would smoke the tires at 70 mph when you stood on it, & it kicked down to second gear (C4 trans). If I did it in 1:1 scale, I know you can in 1/25th.

[horsepower]

What, no Bobcats?

Beerman a Bobcat had a Shelby tail light kind of thing going on. They added a fake second Pinto tail light to each side by reversing sides. All Bobcats had the big window hatch. Early Pintos had a small window and a trunk lid.

I made this Bobcat out of a Ridgerunner Pinto.

In '74 I was asked to develop this Pinto road racer for Hammer Engineering. I drove it to a championship in '75.

Actually the early Pinto's came both ways, the one with the trunk was a Sedan, the ones with the hatchback were Runabouts, they did make one small window runabout, in early '71 model year, these were released in 1970, & were only available with the 1600 motor, & drum brakes, they also had a mechanical scissors type hold up for the rear hatch, not the hydraulic rams, the window was smaller than the sedan windows, & the hatch had chrome ribs across it ala Nomads under the rear window. These are rare & hard to find.

[wisdonm]

[Rob Hall]

Saw this article over the weekend..police stopped a guy driving a junker Pinto wagon that had a gas jug in place of the passenger seat and a hose connected from the jug to the carby. What a moron!

http://jalopnik.com/5924130/how-was-anyone-driving-this-ridiculously-unsafe-car-on-the-highway/gallery/1?tag=lolcars