Mopar sure started something with the A-body. Who could have guessed, in 1960, how widespread the Valiant’s underpinnings would become? Mechanically a scaled-down version of the bigger cars, it featured full unitary construction, and together with the bigger ‘60s, introduced the famous slant six. Being on a performance kick, the bigger cars’ six was made optional for the Valiant, too. The basic platform spawned an amazing range of popular cars on a variety of wheelbases, some going way beyond the original remit of a Chrysler corporation compact economy car. Let’s look at some models of these Mopar Milestones. Plymouths today.
Valiant, later Plymouth Valiant
1962 Plymouth Valiant (Revell)
The original Valiant had very distinctive styling. It was said to be European, but I can’t think of anything else that looked even remotely like this! The grille, perhaps – but that was it. That said, I quite like the look. It proved very popular in Australia; having the 225 (so big!) as the only engine (with twice the power of the main competition) sure helped! Chrysler Australia assembled just over a thousand ‘61s before this ‘62 appeared.
This is an old Revell kit; they did a range of Mopars as annual kits for ’62 – but they’ve never been reissued, more’s the pity. Parts missing from the tool is the reason given, tyres and/or glass, supposedly. No, this isn’t one of my mainstream conversions, Revell actually made the four-door sedan rather than the hardtop.
There were models of the next-generation Valiant, but I don’t have one. As has been covered here before, the Australian body was substantially different, so they wouldn’t have appealed to me as a subject. And the kits were two-door hardtops, a body style we didn’t have here. Yet.
Plymouth Barracuda
MPC 1969 Barracuda street machine
Back in the day, there were annual kits of the original big-window Barracuda, from AMT. These were revised into a Hemi-powered mid-engined wheelstander, when that style of drag car was popular. I did attempt a conversion of one of these into a stock street car, but that proved more difficult than I anticipated. It needed an entire floor/suspension/engine swap, which would mean sacrificing another kit for the mechanicals – I don’t like to do that. Recently AMT has announced a new 1965 Barracuda kit, but I haven’t seen one yet. I understand it’s reverse-engineered from an original; that seems to be a popular tactic with AMT recently. Good for the modeller too.
Conversion of Judy Lilly Pro-Stock Cuda.
For a long time, the only A-body Barracuda was the old MPC ’69. Originally an annual kit, the ‘69 became a hemi-powered drag car, then a generic eighties-style street machine, then when AMT got hold of the tool, it was revised back to a stock 383S – complete with the proper decal stripes and even the rare ‘recall’ wheels! Somebody at AMT was a real Mopar enthusiast, and really understood the mind of the modeller.
Stock ’69 Barracuda 383S
I added more realistic engine compartment sidewalls, and some plumbing for the heating and air conditioning. Figured it’d need power brakes, too.
One good Cuda deserves another. What do you mean that’s not how the saying goes?
Another of the same.
What this kit really needs is a revision of the grille/headlight piece. The body has the grille surround trim engraved on it, but it’s also on the grill piece – meaning not only two lots of trim where there should be one but the grille area and headlights are too small as a result. It’d be nice if they fixed that. It’s been like that for 57 years – I can’t be the only person to have noticed, surely?
Plymouth Duster
Once the Barracuda got promoted to the big league with the wider E-body, the Duster came along as a handy replacement coupe – and they flew out of the dealerships, way outselling the previous Barracudas! A new coupe body fitting the regular Valiant front sheetmetal, they became the default two-door Valiant, a base-trim Duster obsoleting the two-door sedan.
MPC annual ’72 Duster kit
A popular subject from the beginning, MPC got the nod for a Duster annual kit. I have a ’72 (one of the first kits I bought), which I built as a blown Hemi-powered drag car with a custom grille – hey, I was fifteen, okay?
Two decades later, in the nineties, AMT was having something of a revival, releasing a lot of new kits. Some were totally new subjects, some others were ones that had been done before, but with much better detail this time. Like this Duster 340. It now had a wonderfully accurate underbody and front end and a great representation of the LA V8 with an optional SixPack intake from an AAR Cuda, Some felt the rear quarter window shape was a bit off, but I didn’t notice.
Naturally I bought one.
AMT ’71 Duster 340
It was nice to build up, with excellent underbody and suspension detail, and a really nice 340, but I was disappointed with the result. Hmm – I can do better than that, I thought, so….
AMT ’71 Duster 340, again.
And so I did. Having built the kit before, I knew what to look out for. The green one was better, still……
While I was at the hobby shop one day, they had some new paints in, and – Oh look, here’s a proper Mopar colour, a High-Impact one, too: Go Mango! Let’s grab one of those Duster kits, and…..
AMT ’71 Duster 340, in Vitamin C, with a SixPack intake.
A factory stock build except for the wheels (and intake). I used these wide steel wheels with smooth non-factory caps, just to be different.
I was really pleased with that (for a few weeks), but then wished I’d done something a bit more subtle. Okay, let’s try a more ordinary factory colour, with a non-factory interior colour, and give it some contrasting seat inserts into the bargain.
AMT 71 Duster 340, stock.
Very pleased with this one. Had I gotten all the Dusters out of my system? I thought so – but AMT must have been listening, and decided a second version of the Duster would go down well. They brought out this Viper-inspired street machine version, mostly wheels and intake changes.
Naturally, I got one. B5 blue seemed obvious, so I used something close, but how about teaming that with a blue interior? Throw in some contrasting blue inserts (I was going through a phase) while I’m at it….
AMT ’71 Duster Street Machine
And here’s that chassis detail I go on about.
Enough Dusters? I think so. I have a spare kit I’ll get around to one of these days. But wait.
We aren’t finished with A-bodies just yet. In Part 2 we’ll look at the Dodge Dart. A story on just the Dart? Yes. How many? Wait and see…
I love these, Peter! And I also never quite got the “European-inspired” thing about the first Valiant, but I liked the styling as it was visually interesting.
I love the story behind the Genesis of the Duster – all secretive-like. This has to be one of Chrysler engineers’s most profitable and effective secret projects, ever.
Thanks, Joseph.
Visually interesting is a good way to put it. Given the mood of the times, they could probably have said the first Valiant was Martian-inspired! But there was still a coherence in the design that seemed to go AWOL when the look was scaled up for the ‘full size’ 62s.
It might have made some managers squirm, going outside accepted procedures like that, but I sure hope the Duster project got somebody a raise; they deserved it.
I love me a good A body! And I love the many examples you have built and shown here. You picked great color combinations for these cars.
Thanks, JPC. Having featured the second-gen Chargers a while back, it seemed natural to continue with other Mopars I’ve built multiples of – there are more than I thought! And that’s the great thing about these cars from a visual point of view, virtually any colour seems to work – not like some cars which look distinctly awkward in the ‘wrong’ colour.
In the US Valiant was it’s own make by Chrysler it’s introductory year in `60.
It became a Plymouth model in `61.
It remained Valiant by Chrysler in Canada, Australia and South American markets until `65 when it was then badged as a Plymouth.
Some Foreign years varied.
Valiant was also Chrysler’s first alternator equipped model.
All `60 Valiant were 4 doors.
`61 introduced V100 2 door sedans and V200 2 door hardtops, of which I have the latter.
The 101HP 170/6 was standard through 1969, replaced by the 198/6.
The 145HP 225/6 became optional mid year `61 for $47.35.
The 273V8 became optional mid year `64, and the 318V8 optional in `68.
There was a Police Package 360V8 available in Valiant’s final year in `76.
The 1960 Valiant was the first mass-produced car in the world to feature an alternator as standard equipment. Introduced in the fall of 1959 as a 1960 model, the Valiant (originally a standalone brand before becoming a Plymouth) made history as the very first mass-production US automobile to feature an alternator as standard equipment, replacing the traditional DC generator. Alternators became standard across the entire Chrysler Corporation lineup for the 1961 model year, which launched in the fall of 1960. The foundational “Chrysler Alternator” design (notably the early Round Back style using external voltage regulators) proved so durable and efficient that it remained fundamentally unchanged for over 25 years.
It took Ford much longer. Ford began fitting alternators to production cars in the mid‑1960s. Ford started switching from generators to alternators across its line around 1964–1965 (early Ford/Autolite 1G alternators appear on Ford cars from mid‑1964. For example, early 1964.5 Mustangs and Falcons featured “GEN” indicator lights, while those built after August 1964 read “ALT”. In 1965 the transition was fully complete, with generators completely retired from Ford’s US passenger cars
Sweet ’61 David – I remember that colour on the sedans sold here.
As you’ll no doubt know, the Valiant never did become a Plymouth in Australia. That brand name died the late fifties with the introduction of the Chrysler Royal, apart from a small number of imported ’57-’59 generation cars. We did get the Dodge Phoenix, which became the name for American Dodges until they stopped becoming available here – from ’65 on our so-called Dodge Phoenix was actually a Plymouth Fury – which was quite big enough for the local market.
Initially Valiants were sold here as Valiant by Chrysler, with a small ‘by Chrysler’ badge appearing on trunk lids of AP5s. This clunky arrangement soon gave way to common sense, and the cars became Chrysler Valiants.
I eagerly await the Dodge Dart installment. My modeling is nowhere as extensive but I do have a model Demon, the Dodge version of the Duster.
The Dart one is ready to run. I don’t have a Demon, not exactly – but you’ll see!
Had a ’72 Demon 340, Gunmetal charcoal and black, subtle but mean looking, with Hurst pistol grip, Tuff wheel, twin hood scoops, all the good stuff back in the ’80s. Unfortunately a project I never finished as something else caught my eye, forgettable and long since long forgotten. Should have kept that one, but who could have predicted their rise to cult-hood. It was a real muscle machine that also turned.
Have always liked A-bodies, had a ’68 Dart GT, ’71 Swinger, and that Demon. Wouldn’t mind another if I decide at my age to try again.
Always amazed at the breadth of your US vehicle collection Peter, truly prodigious, it’s quite something for a non-‘merican! Sweet!
Ps: Peter are there still any 1970-72 Duster models available that can be built as stock, and if so what would you recommend? thnx, RA
I had to check what’s currently in the catalog, Randerson.
AMT’s ’71 Duster 340 is the best; that’s the one I’ve built so many of here. You may find the MPC ’72 Duster, that’s a rerun of the ’72 annual I built decades ago, slightly updated but still a much simpler kit. AMT’s is better; cheaper too.
There’s also a ’71 Dodge Demon from MPC; I think this one’s a revision or reverse-engineer of the ’71 annual kit. If I see one I’ll get one, but all the stores here seem to be running low on American product of late.
As always, glad to help.
Gunmetal charcoal and black sounds great for that Demon, Randerson, a real stealthy look. It would have been quite a contrast to the bright colours and bold stripes more commonly seen.
Glad you’re enjoying the collection, Randerson. US kits seem to be rather thin on the ground this year. I’ve checked my ‘local’ shop (30km away) and the online stores I trust, and all the most interesting kits are listed as ‘unavailable’. Yet they’re available from US sites. Same with the foil I use for chrome trim, and a variety of other US hobby supplies. I do hope that’s just a shipment running late, and not a result of disagreements between our leaders (no value judgment is expressed nor implied).
Thanks Peter, will indeed look into the AMT, seems, as least right now, there’s no model
shortages here as of yet due to the, ahem, dubious policies of the last year or so 😉
all best, Roger A
Cant ever have enough dusters! I’ve got 3 1:18 ertls myself and wouldn’t mind another to customize.
I don’t know if I mentioned it in a prior installment but I love the histories you go through with the kits themselves! It’s a surprisingly interesting subject. Something I always wondered myself being a 1:18 diecast collector is the AMT relationship, I’ve noticed a lot of my Ertls (especially the older ones) very closely match characteristics to them(be it construction details, flaws etc), even though they’re a completely different scale and materials.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the history bits Matt. I’ve always been a bit of a history nut, fascinated by what was and content to let the future unfold at the speed of time.
For the kit history, some of these details I remember, some I need to do a little bit of research. Occasionally I get a surprise. I don’t usually research things beforehand, preferring to write from memory and verify the details after the Muse has spoken (so to speak). Generally I don’t research kits I have no memory of, ones that were ‘before my time’, I may just mention them in passing.
As to those older Ertls, I can quite understand it. From 1983 until 2007 (I just googled the dates) the ERTL company controlled the AMT brand. KIts were often marked AMT ERTL in a combined logo. So I can quite imagine a single lot of researched data doing double duty, for both a kit in 1/25 and a diecast in 1/18. There’s your explanation.
Would there have been a larger master from which both scales were derived?
Feels like a stoopid question because the larger unit would probably be the master for the smaller. But Matchbox downscaled by a step, as seen in frame 2.
1966 Matchbox catalog!
Beautiful work. I’d take a full size version of the Vitamin C Duster.
Thanks! I’m always amazed how popular that one is whenever I show it.
Late to the party, but what LOVELY refreshments!! An ex-brother in law had a blue Duster (sans the spoiler) 340, 4 speed like the last picture. When it came to the Barracuda, I preferred the 70-74 E bodied ones, though! At any rate, SUPER presentation!! 🙂
Thanks, Moparman. I wasn’t going to do a writeup of E-bodies, but maybe I ought to? Just counted sixteen – that ought to be enough! There’s several more B articles coming, by the way. It’s rather startling to find I’ve built as many Mopars as Fomoco and GM put together, perhaps even more. They seem addictive.
Another colourful selection to brighten our day. Thanks Peter! A shame there’s no kits of the later 4 door Valiants, especially one that could be modded to the Australian VC, also sold over here (UK) after the big Humbers went out of production, still the Barracuda is a good looker and the Dusters look nice in those bright colours. As for the Barra’s grille I’ve seen that kind of doubling-up error on other models (not just for grilles); a little bit annoying if found after building when it’s much harder (or impossible) to correct.
Thanks too for the underside shot. That kind of detail is usually either basic or completely missing on small scale models. I did try raising the bar a bit when I was making my own kits: Victor FD shown below.
I look forward to the Darts!
Thanks Bernard.
DDA models continues to expand their range of Aussie cars, but I wouldn’t go looking for a VC just yet, as they haven’t done any Mopars that I’ve seen.
That Victor’s looking good. I take it those longitudinal members are like welded-in subframe connectors? Interesting; so many cars aren’t visibly reinforced there. I always try to detail the underside of my models a bit. Well, sometimes more than a bit. That Duster underside is pretty typical. However correct it may be, I just can’t bring myself to do everything in black, as the instructions so often call for.
DDA Models does look interesting, though I note they have very few items in stock.
When I made that Victor model in the mid 1980s I was lucky enough to know someone with one so I was able to get a look around it, even under it a bit (though not jacked up or on a ramp). I also found copies of Autocar from when they were new in Westminster Reference Library that I was able to copy which included both a large cutaway diagram and a side on comparison with its FC ‘101’ predecessor. I might still have the photocopies somewhere.
Vaguely Mopar related there was another issue that had outline drawings of the Hillman ‘Arrow’ and Sunbeam fastback Rapier similarly superimposed. That’s one I’d still like to get round to making.
I was always amazed at the detail Autocar (and for that matter, Motor) went into. But then, they’d been providing visuals way back in the thirties (maybe earlier, I’ve never looked) for things like dash layout (where all the controls were), view from the driver’s seat around the A-pillar (how much do you miss?), stopping distance (will you hit that kid with the ball?), and wiper coverage (with the unswept area whited out). Very practical.
I love that AMT Duster kit, a must for any muscle car builder.
Reckon that would have to be one of their biggest sellers.
Nice and I too love the under carriage detailing you took the time to paint .
-Nate
Thanks Nate. I don’t usually show underneath, but that level of detail is fairly typical for me. I try to match what I know of factory finish, and as always suggest detail by fine painting rather then, say, adding separate brake and fuel lines like I’ve seen some guys do. My eyesight just isn’t up to that sort of thing.
The owner of that Duster was very picky about washing the underside – there’s not my usual mud and dust.
The Dusters translate really well to being model kits, I love them all, particularly the metallic green one.
When I used to build models my chassis detailing looked better than the rest of the car!
Thanks jonco. Seems most folks’ favourite is that or the orange one. I quite understand.
I think it’s only when you’ve actually worked on your own car that you get a feel for what the chassis detail ought to look like. That was certainly so with me. KIt instructions will often suggest flat black on everything – while that may be correct for some cars, more often there are different levels of gloss, paint may rub or chip off, showing bare metal. And some, like these Mopars, have body-coloured overspray over primer as the base colour. A uniform finish is (to me) visually boring, suggesting someone went crazy with the underseal gun.