"NEW" MPC Dukes of Hazzard kit not what you expected

[johnbuzzed]

From what I understand, the flag in question was/is actually the Confederate Battle Flag, and was adopted by General Lee himself. It is a historical item. Yes, many ugly things occured where that flag flew, just as many ugly things did (and still do) occur where the Stars and Stripes flew. But some people might be... offended ( gasp!!! shudder). Along the same lines is the swastika. Yes, it once had a rather benign meaning; unfortunately, it was adopted by a very twisted group of people. Military machines of the Third Reich wore that symbol; you will be hard-pressed to find a military kit of that time and origin with an intact swastika decal. Some might offer it in two pieces, others, not at all. Again, some people might be offended at this piece of history- they might feel it is a type of celebration or glorification of an ugly era.

[Rob Hall]

as it is on the box written. Are there more pictures about it?

They are writing on the homepage "new tooled"...is it true? Had the cleaned the body behind the rear window and removed the panellines as the new released General (not the Cahrger 500-bodything) it has?

Looking at the instruction sheet that was posted, this looks like a simple new-tool snap kit--hood molded in, etc. Probably no parts in common w/ the old kit.

[Greg Myers]

Snap. "All New Tool" http://www.round2models.com/models/mpc/dukes-hazzard-charger "Brand New Tool."

Edited August 7, 2014 by Greg Myers

[Bob Ellis]

Any new kit is a welcome addition

[sjordan2]

General Lee roof decals are readily available, like the ones in the link. There are probably many other sources, and you can always make your own.

http://www.spencer1984.com/sale-decals.php

Or find or borrow the 1/16 version and print to scale.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NASCAR-DECALS-DUKES-OF-HAZZARD-DODGE-Charger-GENERAL-LEE-1-16-01-/380969082873?pt=Model_Kit_US&hash=item58b386dff9

Edited August 7, 2014 by sjordan2

[Matt T.]

The flag decal is probably in the box. AMT/Warner Bros. probably can't use it to "promote sales" (e.g. - on the box top), but can include it inside.

Hasegawa airplane model kits have been like this for years with the swastika - not on the box art, but decals inside (the swastika is in two decal pcs.)

[Danno]

PC run amok.

[johnbuzzed]

PC run amok.

Why, I find that comment to be offensive.

[sjordan2]

The 1/16 reissue was somewhat controversial in that the box art differed from the original by showing the car from a low angle where the roof can't be seen. As many of you may know, General Lee builds on the "other" forum have for years been prohibited from showing the roof flag in their posts.

[Danno]

The 1/16 reissue was somewhat controversial in that the box art differed from the original by showing the car from a low angle where the roof can't be seen. As many of you may know, General Lee builds on the "other" forum have for years been prohibited from showing the roof flag in their posts.

PC run amok.

[Dominik]

Looking at the instruction sheet that was posted, this looks like a simple new-tool snap kit--hood molded in, etc. Probably no parts in common w/ the old kit.

i've done this.

My question is: have they removed the panellines between the rear window and trunklid, like the "new release" has?

Also the hood pins......or chrometrim on the wheel arch?

Because they tell about "Brand new tooling"...so perhaps the correct those mistakes...hopefully...

a look into the box and the parts in detail would be great. the instruction sheet is not really helpfull for this...

[pack rat]

My question is: have they removed the panellines between the rear window and trunklid, like the "new release" has?

Also the hood pins......or chrometrim on the wheel arch?

a look into the box and the parts in detail would be great. the instruction sheet is not really helpfull for this...

The test shot had the same panel lines between the rear window and trunklid that the updated MPC body has. There were no hood pins or wheel opening moldings (as clearly seen in the pic I posted).

But...it's a test shot. Although it looked almost complete I have no idea what, if any changes have been made.

[blubaja]

The 1/16 reissue was somewhat controversial in that the box art differed from the original by showing the car from a low angle where the roof can't be seen. As many of you may know, General Lee builds on the "other" forum have for years been prohibited from showing the roof flag in their posts.

That's so sad. I live in the North. I've never once been offended by that flag. Or any other flag. PC can go to hell.

[CJ1971]

What an absolute waste of effort, time & money, with this. Their target audience, kids 8-14yo, don't build models. Simple. 99% of them have the attention span of a gnat. Fact.

Secondly, this hobby is dominated by guys with money for a hobby, not kids who don't earn a living.

Thirdly, why bother when both ( readily available ) Revell's '68 & '69 Chargers are a much better option & are much more accurate to build a General Lee? Not only that, but, RC2 already has numerous ( incorrect ) GL kits already in the marketplace?

Fourth, what they should've re-tooled ( if necessary ) or re-kitted/new tooling, is the '70 Charger, not an utterly useless snap-kit.

For every kid ( target buyer ) that actually buys or gets mum or dad to buy them THIS kit, the REAL

People in this hobby would've bought 10 full detail/skill level 3, '70 Chargers! Personally I'd of have bought a carton of '70 Chargers.

[Luc Janssens]

What an absolute waste of effort, time & money, with this. Their target audience, kids 8-14yo, don't build models. Simple. 99% of them have the attention span of a gnat. Fact.

Secondly, this hobby is dominated by guys with money for a hobby, not kids who don't earn a living.

Thirdly, why bother when both ( readily available ) Revell's '68 & '69 Chargers are a much better option & are much more accurate to build a General Lee? Not only that, but, RC2 already has numerous ( incorrect ) GL kits already in the marketplace?

Fourth, what they should've re-tooled ( if necessary ) or re-kitted/new tooling, is the '70 Charger, not an utterly useless snap-kit.

For every kid ( target buyer ) that actually buys or gets mum or dad to buy them THIS kit, the REAL

People in this hobby would've bought 10 full detail/skill level 3, '70 Chargers! Personally I'd of have bought a carton of '70 Chargers.

Don't think the fine people of Round2, or any other model company for that matter, are wasting today's limited funds.

Maybe the tool for the glue version is almost toast and they have to cut another one, to satisfy demand, Why a snapper, I've heard numerous times, snappers outsell glue kits (factor?), they're also cheaper to tool, so why not?

After-all the bulk of kits, to my knowledge is still sold to the so called "weekend modeler"

About the Revell Chargers, IMHO somewhere down the line, they should release it as a street machine, with those turbine wheels...(maybe group all sorts of street machine stuff in a, "one or two tree tool"(*), they can add, to any kit currently in their lineup))

Again just my humble opinion.

* Unlike in the past when one kit was one big tool, kits today are a cluster of smaller tools, it makes it easier to add versions, just swap...(engine parts tool, chassis parts tool, interior parts tool, body parts tool, clear parts tool....)

Can you imagine if for instance Revell tooled their '69 Charger that way?

IMHO we would've had a '68 Coronet and a '70 Charger by now

Edited August 9, 2014 by Luc Janssens

[Rob Hall]

What an absolute waste of effort, time & money, with this. Their target audience, kids 8-14yo, don't build models. Simple. 99% of them have the attention span of a gnat. Fact.

Not to mention the time that kids would have been interested in a General Lee snap kit was 30-35 years ago.. ( I know--in the early 80s as a kid I built the MPC 1/25th and 1/16th General Lee kits).

Edited August 9, 2014 by Rob Hall

[CJ1971]

Don't think the fine people of Round2, or any other model company for that matter, are wasting today's limited funds.

Maybe the tool for the glue version is almost toast and they have to cut another one, to satisfy demand, Why a snapper, I've heard numerous times, snappers outsell glue kits (factor?), they're also cheaper to tool, so why not?

After-all the bulk of kits, to my knowledge is still sold to the so called "weekend modeler"

About the Revell Chargers, IMHO somewhere down the line, they should release it as a street machine, with those turbine wheels...(maybe group all sorts of street machine stuff in a, "one or two tree tool"(*), they can add, to any kit currently in their lineup))

Again just my humble opinion.

* Unlike in the past when one kit was one big tool, kits today are a cluster of smaller tools, it makes it easier to add versions, just swap...(engine parts tool, chassis parts tool, interior parts tool, body parts tool, clear parts tool....)

Can you imagine if for instance Revell tooled their '69 Charger that way?

IMHO we would've had a '68 Coronet and a '70 Charger by now

IMO... They have, indeed, wasted their funds, limited or not. Why waste whatever those funds are, on a snap GL kit? Why spend say, $100K, to tool up a snap kit, only to make a profit of $250K, when they could spend $250K on a full detail 70 Charger kit & probably make a profit in the millions? Why waste money on a minority "purchaser" like a kid, rather than actually spending money on the hobby's REAL target market? Makes NO business sense to me... Other than the fact they're squeezing every last cent out of their Warner Bros contract for the GL, before it expires?

Instead of investing in new-tooling/technology/kits & progressing they're investing in rubbish. They're not going forward... They're going backward. Utter stupidity ?

As for adding extra parts ( Revell's Chargers ) ... Hell, why not! I'd be more interested in that than a snap GL kit.

[slusher]

I am really curious on what this kit will look like. You can always find a flag but I bet there's one in there..

[CJ1971]

Not to mention the time that kids would have been interested in a General Lee snap kit was 30-35 years ago..

Exactly! ?

[SteveG]

What an absolute waste of effort, time & money, with this. Their target audience, kids 8-14yo, don't build models. Simple. 99% of them have the attention span of a gnat. Fact.

Secondly, this hobby is dominated by guys with money for a hobby, not kids who don't earn a living.

Thirdly, why bother when both ( readily available ) Revell's '68 & '69 Chargers are a much better option & are much more accurate to build a General Lee? Not only that, but, RC2 already has numerous ( incorrect ) GL kits already in the marketplace?

Fourth, what they should've re-tooled ( if necessary ) or re-kitted/new tooling, is the '70 Charger, not an utterly useless snap-kit.

For every kid ( target buyer ) that actually buys or gets mum or dad to buy them THIS kit, the REAL

People in this hobby would've bought 10 full detail/skill level 3, '70 Chargers! Personally I'd of have bought a carton of '70 Chargers.

I use to feel the same way until I got more involved with hobby. Getting kids into model building is key to keeping the hobby going. Right now there is over 40 million kids in the US between 5-14 years old. Using your math and going with 1% or even half that, get just .5 % of the kids (or one of their parents) to buy one entry level model kit that would be 200,000 kits sold.

Today's average adult targeted car kit sales are about 5,000 per release. If they sold 20,000 of the newly tooled DOH kit it would be considered a huge success. Also snap kits like the DOH kit can get into mass market retail stores that the adult targeted models can't. So if really want to get a full detail 70 Charger kit for you and me build, you best hope that Round 2 does very well this kit because this is the type of mass market model kit that will pay for it.

And if you really care about the hobby go buy an entry model like the new DOH kit and give it to one of the 1% of the kids that have an attention span greater then a gnat and hope they grow up to enjoy the hobby like you and I do.

[Daddyfink]

I'll probably buy a couple just to build some quick shelf drag cars. They all don't have to be General Lee cars!

[Danno]

Not to mention the time that kids would have been interested in a General Lee snap kit was 30-35 years ago.

Not so. My grandson is 7 and he's excited about anything DOH. He watches DOH reruns on a couple of the retro channels and he never misses the DOH movies when they are re-run. He has GL Hot Wheels and he's going to be thrilled when he gets his first GL snapper.

The Make-n-Takes at Goodguys are always feeding frenzies where kids clamor for cool kits. If the new GL snapper is ever the M-n-T kit selection, we'll have to hire security.

You may have been a kid once, but you don't know kids.

Edited August 9, 2014 by Danno

[Bob Ellis]

It's true, if they made another run as a '70, they would still sell a bunch. I would buy one, or two.

If AMT heard selling 5000 of selling a kit was good back in 1964, they would be rolling on the floor laughing. They made millions of kits (total) during the year.

[Danno]

I

If AMT heard selling 5000 of selling a kit was good back in 1964, they would be rolling on the floor laughing. They made millions of kits (total) during the year.

Yeah, but that was then, this is now. Things is diff'rent!

[unclescott58]

IMO... They have, indeed, wasted their funds, limited or not. Why waste whatever those funds are, on a snap GL kit? Why spend say, $100K, to tool up a snap kit, only to make a profit of $250K, when they could spend $250K on a full detail 70 Charger kit & probably make a profit in the millions? Why waste money on a minority "purchaser" like a kid, rather than actually spending money on the hobby's REAL target market? Makes NO business sense to me... Other than the fact they're squeezing every last cent out of their Warner Bros contract for the GL, before it expires?

Instead of investing in new-tooling/technology/kits & progressing they're investing in rubbish. They're not going forward... They're going backward. Utter stupidity

As for adding extra parts ( Revell's Chargers ) ... Hell, why not! I'd be more interested in that than a snap GL kit.

Interesting comments Cliff. But, I'm sure companies like Round 2 do some research on what's going to make them money, and what will not. I personally will not be buying MPC's new Dukes kit. And yes I would love a model of a '70 Charger. Make mine an R/T with a 440 single 4 barrel under the hood. At the same time I know they will sell a lot more Dukes of Hazzard snap kits, then a non TV based, fully detailed 1970 Charger kit. Go to Round 2's web site. Look at the number of TV related snap kits they offer. I'm guessing they do know what they are doing. And not wasting their money.

Scott