Time for another story specializing on a year, I think. It’s been a while since we had one of those. I had been going to feature 1972, as a natural progression from the last ‘year’ story I did. But as I looked through my files, I struck a snag. Whereas 1970 and 1971 had so many models that I had to pick and choose, 1972 has comparatively slim pickings. So much so, that I had to incorporate 1973 models as well.
1972 was the year I really got into building models – with a vengeance! Accordingly, some of these are very ordinary, the sort of thing many modellers would tear apart and rebuild. But, as some of them are quite rare kits nowadays, I’ll show them. As always, there are kits I don’t have.
Starting with Chevy. Of course. AMT and MPC both kitted the Chevelle SS. I didn’t build either of these back in ’72, being more into Fords, but caught up with them as later reissues.
This is a re-release of the AMT kit, which has a useful assortment of optional parts for its several building versions. I probably built this one around 2010.
Whereas this one dates back to the late seventies. It was quite a nice blue before the clear turned yellow. ☹
This one is the MPC kit. The cheesy graphics are a pointer. AMT’s kits tended to factory stripes or markings from a real drag car, MPC’s tended to be custom/imaginary. While nice and ‘period’ for a modified car/street machine look, I’d have preferred stock graphics. If pushed, I’d prefer the AMT for a Chevelle model.
A small step sideways from the Chevelle brings us to the Pontiac GTO. The MPC ’72 GTO kit has been reissued numerous times. I built this in the early eighties. These wheels were kit options, painted; the stock wheels looked lost under those bulging fenders – whatever happened to ‘Wide-Track’? Defeated by Wide-Body, I guess.
While we’re in the GM neighbourhood, could I interest you in a 442? This is a recent Revell kit, with detail far superior to the others we’ve looked at so far – as it should be, being nearly fifty years newer. They also do a hardtop 442. A Cutlass Supreme would have been nice but sadly, no. Some modellers have chopped the roof off other cars (e.g. AMT’s ’70 Monte Carlo) to build their own Supreme. And I’m sure there’s a Supreme body in resin or as a 3D print; the trick would be finding it.
Now we turn to Mopar for this Plymouth Duster. Just reissued by AMT, which gained the old MPC line back in the mid-eighties, this was one of the first1/25 scale kits I built. Please excuse the fact that it’s not up my usual standard. I started building the drag version (hence the decals), then decided it needed a blown Hemi (not realizing this made for a highly illegal ‘Pro Stock’). Oh, and a custom grille while I was about it… hey, I was a teenager, okay?
AMT doesn’t put a year on their Nova SS kit. These Novas didn’t change much that I can see, so that’s fair enough. From what I can figure out, it’s a ’72. That’s what I’m calling it; if I’m wrong, I’ll gladly be corrected – so long as you tell me how to tell this from, say, a ’71 or ’70. Besides, we need more ‘72s for this story. This kit has been reissued so many times the tool is looking very worn (but Revell has come out with a lovely ’69).
AMT also made a Pontiac Ventura version of this kit, but never reissued it. I had one but sold it about 30 years ago, so I won’t show that. Instead, here’s a second Nova, this one packing a dual-quad 454 for power. That’s an option in the kit, as are the wheels. Colour is ’72 Ford (Australia) Jewel Green. Ford paint on a Chevy. It didn’t attack the plastic, so it must be good. Peace!
Back to Mopar with this ’72 Road Runner. If this looks strange, this is the custom version of the MPC ’72 kit. Were they really still building custom cars in ’72? Was it a factory show/concept car? Whatever, I liked it as a teen and I still reckon it looks good. A fairly simple kit, with some cool options. Naturally I gave it the six-pack 440; wouldn’t you?
Here’s where things get weird. This is a Japanese Otaki model of a 1972 Thunderbird. The kit was a police car, complete with a working light bar! Now I couldn’t imagine a T-bird as a police car being in any city’s budget (police chief’s off-duty ride, maybe?), so I left the light bar off and filled the hole in the top. As with many Japanese kits of this era, it’s motorized; but they still managed an opening hood with detailed (if generic) engine and opening doors. Otaki folded a few decades back. ARII did have the tooling for this one and issued it as an improbable-looking raked street machine(!), but I think Doyusha has it now.
Safely back on American soil with this Vega. In an MPC annual kit, I built the rally version. Stock looked ho-hum, nice but nothing special. A big-block seemed over the top even for a drag car, which left the rally version. I guess that would have been a very minor sport in the US back then, which makes offering a rally version rather curious. When I heard of all the trouble with Vega engines, I swapped in a 283. Pre-emptively, you understand; nothing actually went wrong with this one…
Corvette kits were near impossible to find here. Guess I was always last to look for one. Many years later AMT brought out a new-tool kit of the ’72 Vette. Naturally I had to have one. There’s something almost primal about the shape of these cars, the way the body is so low and smooth, but bulges to accommodate the engine (an LT-1 in this kit) and especially the wheels. There’s the sharp line atop the fenders, adding tension to the design but not being overwhelming. It really appeals to me. I figured the reddish-orange was a natural.
Okay, how are we doing? Only 12 cars so far? Let’s throw in a couple of ‘73s then, I only have a few.
Here’s a ’73 Javelin AMX. I always liked the shape of these, even if it was just a major rework of the ’68 – ’70 model. Despite the adoption of those new bumper laws, AMC got away with just small bumper guards added to the front and rear of the Javelin. It would soon be leaving us anyway.
Earlier Javelins had cool-looking full width lights; the new car looked cheapened with four red ‘squircles’ instead. But at least we still had a Javelin! And it was still a ponycar. Not like…
…the Mercury Cougar. Ostensibly a ponycar and still a platform-mate to the Mustang, the Cougar was morphing into more of a personal luxury coupe, just in a smaller size than Monte Carlos and such. Name debasement, this way…. This MPC annual kit looks rather awkward in street machine guise.
Surprisingly it was reissued during the eighties (from memory) and again about ten years back. I say surprisingly because it’s not hard to think of other ‘73s that would be sure to be more popular (big Chevy, anyone?) – the questions are whether the tooling still exists, whether it’s still in a usable condition, or whether some of it’s gone walkabout.
Speaking of going walkabout, I’m out of here. See you next time!
Peter: The ’72 custom Road Runner was a part of a marketing promotion called the “The Rapid Transit System”
https://www.drivingline.com/articles/plymouths-rapid-transit-system-was-the-most-innovative-muscle-car-promotion-of-the-era/
This was in response to Dodge’s successful “Scat Pak” promotion. It also included a ‘Cuda and a Duster. I love the Javelin AMX, I always thought that it was one of the most “muscular” looking of the muscle cars!! 🙂
Ah! I always wondered about this car. Thanks Moparman! From your picture I can see a few inaccuracies in the kit, like using the stock hood, and the angle of the new nose section isn’t quite right on the model.
And yes, I’m with you on the Javelin. It just stops short of being a caricature, any more exaggeration of those lines would be too much.
Nice ;
I was in high school then so these all bring back many memories .
I don’t understand how injected molds for plastic wear…….
-Nate
Having commissioned and seen in action a number of injection moulding tools (though not for model cars) I can say that the tools are under a lot of pressure, they’ll be under thermal stress as they heat up when in use and the ejector pins for removing the moulding from the tool will slowly wear the holes they’re in. Damage can be caused if the plastic doesn’t eject properly or the tools are out of alignment or slightly loose. If stored poorly rust can form which will degrade the affected areas. While tools for long runs are generally made from hardened steel if numbers are smaller softer metals (brass, alumimium) can be employed; cheaper but they will wear more quickly.
Thanks Bernard. It’s amazing the background knowledge others can bring to the discussion.
Good point. I don’t understand either, Nate, but it’s what those in the industry have said over the years.
Thanks Nate. These were my high school years as well.
I very much enjoy looking at your models. I haven’t built scale model cars since I was a teenager in the 1960s. Recently, I did joint the Richmond VA, regional chapter of IPMS (International Plastic Modelers’ Society) and attend meetings just to see what others are creating.
One comment about your early 1970s Nova’s. I bought a new 1970 Nova 396 SS, late December 1969. It was fully loaded with all the extra chrome bits. I noticed on your models you did add the chrome trim around the side windows but left off some of the optional trim on the body sides. What you see on the web today, most Nova’s have stripped off this optional trim. My 1970 Nova 396 SS had all the bright trim options and whitewall tires from the factory. In all the years I have been reviewing pictures on the web of these Nova’s I have not found one image of a Nova that had not been stripped of its optional chrome trim. Look at an original 1970 Nova dealer brochure and you will see it in all its options glory.
I love your models so keep posting.
Thanks Alfred. I’ve just inundated our editor with about four month’s supply of features, so fear not, I’ll be doing these stories for a while yet!
My usual practice in building is to highlight what’s there on the body, unless there is an obvious mistake. To my eyes, the Nova needs chrome window frames. I have done one with them body colour, but that was built deliberately as a stripper. And one with them black, but that was to fit in with a graphics package of hood, trunk and bodyside stripes pinched from the ’70 Holden Torana GTR.
I think I can picture the optional trim you refer to – would I have seen it in a dealer accessory brochure perhaps?
As a 1973 model myself, I approve of this collection!
Not really a high point in anything automotive-related, though, which has always irked me. But these models almost make me reconsider. I love the Javelin – one of my favorite American cars from the year of my birth, if for no other reason than it’s unappreciated.
I feel like I’ve seen the blue ’73 Cougar in one of your earlier posts. It’s fantastic, and extremely realistic, as is the tan model above it. The tan with maroon interior is a great combination.
Thanks Eric. 1973 largely seemed to carry on 1972’s designs (except for the highly visible addition of Those Things At The Ends) – except for the GM Colonnades, none of which were kitted at the time. I always thought that was rather revealing – did the kit makers think these cars weren’t cool? Anyway, we’ll catch up with one of them later in the seventies.
You probably have seen the blue Cougar before. Here’s a photo highlighting the other one; the colours are from Ford Australia’s range for ’73.
Another colourful assortment for us to enjoy. thanks Peter. I can understand your frustration with that green/not green model but it’s an age old problem; perhaps think of it as like the painting of an ‘old master’. I do like the colour of the actually green Pontiac in particular though.
Thanks Bernard. The yellowing of clear coats seems to be an age-old problem. Now that many car colours are in a base coat/clear coat formulation, stability of that clear coat is even more important.
Yes, the green on that car is a particularly attractive shade, almost a metallic khaki (it’s another Chevy though 🙂 ).
The 1968 and 1969 Chevrolet Nova had the backup lens next to the taillight lens. 1970 through 1972 had a small lens centered within the taillight.
1968 Novas had a Chevy II badge. The next year had only Nova badges and the side markers were amber.
1969 and 1970 Novas had gills on the front fenders. In 1969, the engine size is incorporated into a badge surrounding the side markers. For 1970 it is separate and above. The 1971 model had the engine size above the marker but no gills.
The 1972 is indistinguishable from the 1971.
1973 was restyled front and rear and gained 5mph bumpers in front. One piece side glass, no vent windows. 1974 had 5mph bumpers in the rear as well and a bow-tie badge in the center of the grille. Most models would be of an SS Nova and those had an SS badge in the center of the grille both years. 1973 also introduced a hatchback model.
Thanks Don, I just knew there had to be somebody reading who would have the answer! That’s the kind of ‘trivia’ I used to know about sixties Aussie Fords, till the memory started to go. Good to know the ’72 is indistinguishable from ’71; I tried looking at pictures and wasn’t seeing anything. So I was right calling these ’72s but I could equally have said ’71. I’ll (try and) remember that!
Your answer earns you a ’69!
One more detail. The 1968 and 1969 models had rectangular amber park/signal lamps. 1970 changed to square clear lamps, and 1971 and 1972 the square lamps changed to amber.
Always must-read posts from you, sir. The 442 is gorgeous. I’m surprised to be drawn to the Javelin, too. Maybe it’s the color, maybe the angle of the photo, but she does have an attractive shape.
Thank you, F-85. The 442 really looks special in those colours; it took me a while to think up that colour scheme.
That is a nice colour on the Javelin too, it’s an early-mid seventies Ford Australia colour called Mulberry.
It’s interesting – most times you feature kits from this era, I built several of them myself. But other than the Ventura II, I didn’t build any of these.
Those I did build included a 72 Impapa 2 door hardtop (with a pre-painted body), and 1973 versions of the Duster and the Satellite Sebring.
Wouldn’t it be a dull old world if we all liked the same things, and all built the same models?
Those MPC kits with the prepainted bodies were great. I missed out on even seeing an Impala kit that year (but I didn’t go much out of my suburb then); you saw my Duster above, and as for a Satellite Sebring, I’ve done some GTXs, but they were ’71s, as is my base non-Sebring Satellite (with cheeky Road Runner stripes). And there’s an actual Road Runner, but that’s a ’74, so a story for another time.
Another great reminder of how I got into the wrong scale(1:18) haha
72-73 are among the most interesting years to me, it’s right when cars got “bad” with lost compression, choking emissions controls, demise of muscle car engines and the physiological effect of net horsepower ratings but largely still looked the same before the bumper laws truly went in effect. Most of these models don’t look all that different from their arguable 70-71 performance zenith but they were, and that’s what makes them interesting.
Circling back, man what I’d give for a 71-74 Javelin/AMX in 1:18. I really love the style and your color combo is my favorite. I actually think the 73-74 taillight treatment looks better than the full width one. AMC was clearly copying the Challenger, but I think they did a better execution with the segmented lights in the end
71-73 Cougars are an acquired taste, I think the bodystyle is actually genuinely handsome but the Lincolnesque front end replacing the hidden headlight electric razor grille of prior years was certainly a bold choice. The 71s could still get a GT package with aall the top Mustang performance engines(minus boss 351) and 4 speed transmissions but by 73 in the same body was clearly a harbinger for the 74s to come
It’s really unfortunate that the bumper laws came in just before the gas crisis. Adding 100-150 pounds weight to cars, which appeared* to have only 2/3 the power of a few years previously, and it seemed as though new cars just got a lot worse in one fell swoop. What was that about a knee in the groin of the car industry? (* Yes I know it’s comparing net with gross, but I’d bet many armchair experts never got that message. Or chose to ignore it.)
Being a foreigner, and young at the time, I never really ‘got’ the whole Brougham thing. I guess that’s why those Cougars don’t really do anything for me, especially once the bumper laws struck. But Ford down here offered some colour schemes which I thought might mitigate the efffect of that angular, craggy front end.
I’m really surprised, and pleased, at the reaction to that Javelin. I just checked the colour chart, and they did have a shade close to that – but I painted this one in pre-internet days, so who knew?
I love these posts. I built so many models from age 12 to around 25, then life got in the way. I never got good at it, but I kept buying models; now I have more unbuilt boxes on display in my office than I do built models.
Those Cougars are beautiful.
Sorry to be a bit late catching up with you, Paul. Yours is a familiar story. Unbuilt boxes on display? Well, yes, the quality of the box art has been a bit up and down over the years, but there have certainly been some beauties.