Revell reissued their iconic 1/8 Trans Am

[GreyGhost]

16 hours ago, JeepsGunsTanks said:

@iaf-man if you want a Muscle Trans-Am, they exist, but you have to go back to 74 or Older, and 73/74 its some very specific options to make them fast.  Now, a 1970 Trans-Am with a Ram Air IV motor would be a lot of fun.  They were also much better looking in the early 70s. By 76, pretty much the only American cars you would want to own were all trucks, since the smog rules were not as strict.

 

Yeah, I believe the fastest US production vehicle in 77-79 was the Dodge Lil' Red Express ..!

 

-Gregg

[JeepsGunsTanks]

13 hours ago, Mark_C said:

Thanks for the very interesting and informative replies, JeepsGunsTanks!

 

Glad I could help, there are a few things you have a hard time getting me to STOP talking about, and musclecars are one of those things! =D

 

Hell, the musclecar market is kinda crashing right now, I might even be able to aford one again! Maybe not to drive much with current gas prices, but they sure can be pretty. 

 

That's pretty much the dream right there, a 68 GTO, hidden headlights, looking good in Black, but it's also what I want to do with my 68 GTO.  

Turbocharged 1968 Pontiac GTO Hardtop Coupe for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $42,000 on December 22, 2021 (Lot #62,128) | Bring a Trailer

I wanted this car so bad, I could smell it, but when I buy it, I'm driving it back. Fuel injected, modern tranny and brakes, HUGE turbo, just awesome, but keeping the era correct Pontiac Motor in place, as it should be. The wife looked at me with that look, for even mentioning New Jersey. I don't have the money put aside yet either. One can dream. That's what my last one looked like, but it was just a boring 400, with a Turbo 400 tranny. 

 

What makes the musclecar era more interesting, than say, what GM is doing today, is the Brands were different. Now GM is GM, it might say Olds or Buick on it, but its just badging, its all GM, basically all Chevy. But back in the day, pre 75 or so, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, Cadillac, and Chevrolet, all had their own Engines lines, that shared almost no major parts. Even to a degree, the auto trannies were different too. The manuals they used were the same, and the frames, structure items and suspension parts, were the sameish, the rest of the car was unique. The Divisions were actually fighting each other for sales by actually being different. 

 

So taking one of those old engines, and putting modern goodies on it is a thing. Making horsepower with Chevy stuff is both easy and cheap. Same with Ford, but not as cheap, but close. Easy to make old Chrysler engines go fast too, but it ain't cheap. The odderball the engine is, the more expensive it is to make the really put out power. The Pontiac Motor in the car above,  CAN make a bunch of power, but its going to cost you way more than a Ford or Chevy would.   Oldsmobile motors are hopeless though, avoid them. Sadly, the Trans-Am got saddled with a crappy Olds V8 in the late 70s if I recall right. 

 

There are two big camps in the modifying of old cars.  The guys that take a modern motor, any of the LS motors, or the big Overhead cam Ford Motors, along with the modern transmission, and AC and all the stuff that makes modern cars nice. All that gets stuffed into the old bodyshell, sometimes this involves a custom improved chassis too. 

 

The other camp, is to leave the car more intact, keep the Brand motor, and add modern bits to the old tech. In both cases, you swap the tranny, unless you want to go with something like a Gear Venders overdrive, you add to the stock tranny. There are some very slick fuel injection systems that look like a carburetor. You can modernize an older car, while still keeping it's old car soul. 

 

I fall in the later camp, because I love the old motors, the modern engines are better, but putting one in an old car really rips out what made these old machines cool. 

 

There is a third camp, the keep it stock, never drive it, hates fun camp. I don't like to talk about them. 

 

So I think I'll shut up now! 

Edited July 13, 2022 by JeepsGunsTanks

[Astro32]

It's a neat kit. I built one when it first came out. It's an adaptation of their earlier Turbo kit. Monogram made a 'sort of' Pontiac L79 400 out of the earlier kit's 301. The 301 had a much shorter deck height and in 1/8th scale, a very noticeable difference. The kit's block scales out to the 301's dimensions. I don't recall the height difference, but it'll be near 1/8" in scale. The intake manifold will need to be sectioned to allow for that, and the runners lengthened. On the "real" Pontiac V8s, the oil filter was mounted to an alloy right-angle adapter, with the filter itself hanging vertically. On the 301, the filter was on the block directly and it was horizontal. Easy correction to make. 

Most if not all the Pontiac 400 powered '79 Trans Ams were WS6 cars, which were 4-spd manual with disc brakes all around with the deep-dish snowflake wheels which the kit represents nicely. Modify the center console to represent the manual trans shifter, add three pedals under the dash, and with the aforementioned tweaks to the engine & a 4 spd trans, a stunning and BIG model can be built from this kit. 

[ScottsGT]

12 hours ago, JeepsGunsTanks said:

 

Glad I could help, there are a few things you have a hard time getting me to STOP talking about, and musclecars are one of those things! =D

 

Hell, the musclecar market is kinda crashing right now, I might even be able to aford one again! Maybe not to drive much with current gas prices, but they sure can be pretty. 

 

Yea, I’ve been watching it closely.  Just over a year and a half ago my son took some cars to Mecum for the big Ford auction where the original Bullitt Mustang sold.  Mustangs in general we’re bringing unreal money.  He called me and told me cars not as nice as mine (‘66 GT Fastback restomod) were selling north of $100k.  He said I could have easily pulled $125k at that auction.  It really had me thinking.  An extra $100k+ on the mortgage puts the wife closer to retirement. 
 

He went back to Mecum a few weeks back and called me up and was telling me yesterday cars were bringing big money and today is not so good and he couldn’t figure out why.   I told him to check the news.  Stock market took a nose dive that morning.  A custom built Corvette he took was expecting to pull $250k and only brought $160k. 
They also took along a ‘41 Willis coupe but it did not sell at $95K.  They sent it back this past weekend to a different Mecum location and it only pulled a high bid of $65k. 
 

Silver lining to this is the pressure is off from my wife wanting me to get something done with the ‘66.  Just too hot right now, but planning on getting back on it some this fall.  
 

[phasephantomphixer]

Stoked this kit is now available - thanks for the word, and thanks Revell (Monogram). Agree as said above, reissuing the IROC would be super. It would help to get a refreshed set of clear parts, and HOPE they are clear and not tinted, as well as possibly printing the decals in blue...dream emoji here.

 

Continuing to update - modernize my '70 Chevelle orig. 396 (402) SS with it's 502 by going single TStorm charger and FItech boost ref. TBI setup.

Got the charger with all accessories like Sanden A/C, mod. power steering pump to also run hydroboost for Wilwoods. High output alternator, all

serpentine. Car already has Art Carr 200-4r, 3.70 Eaton posi 12 bolt and full Hotchkis suspension with 17's. With it's Demon 850 i've been able to get 19 mpg.

but no tire torture involved. I dislike the ridiculous value personally as I will never sell it, it makes insurance difficult and me nervous when parked out of sight!

 

 

 

[Lee White]

17 hours ago, JeepsGunsTanks said:

 

The wife looked at me with that look, for even mentioning New Jersey. 

She sounds like a fellow New Yorker.

[D Bellis]

On 7/11/2022 at 8:30 PM, chrish said:

….my 440 6 pack charger was rated at something like 250 hp at 1850 RPM or so….

The 440 Six Pack (and Plymouth's 440 Six Barrel) was factory rated at 390HP and 490 ft. lbs. of torque @ 4700 RPM for all 3 years that they were available ('69 - '71). I never saw anyone rate an engine at less than the peak of the power curve. 

 

It is not uncommon to get 500HP out of the 440 Six Pack with nothing more than proper assembly, carb tweaks and an aftermarket cam. 

 

HTH,

D

[JeepsGunsTanks]

Just now, D Bellis said:

The 440 Six Pack (and Plymouth's 440 Six Barrel) was factory rated at 390HP and 490 ft. lbs. of torque @ 4700 RPM for all 3 years that they were available ('69 - '71). I never saw anyone rate an engine at less than the peak of the power curve. 

 

It is not uncommon to get 500HP out of the 440 Six Pack with nothing more than proper assembly, carb tweaks and an aftermarket cam. 

 

HTH,

D

 

 

There is a YouTube Channel named Nick Garage, and he runs stock motors on his Dyno, and the 440 six pack motors were putting out more than rated horsepower when he ran them. It's one of my favorite car channels, and ol Nick knows his Chryslers. 

 

Chrysler was for sure the most bang for the buck in the 60s, and their engine and powertrains were very good, but it wasn't until 68 they got the styling right.  The 68 Charger was amazing, and the Road Runner was pretty nice too.  Before 68, well, not my style lol. Ugly as they were though, you could get a 426 Hemi in their midsizes. GM actually had a rule, that restricted the engine size on their mid and small cars. They did not want you using the engines from the full size cars, in the mids. 

 

This is why John DeLorean, with the help of a Marketing guy named Jim Wangers, had to sneak the 1964 Pontiac GTO into production. In 64, the biggest V8 they wanted you to be able to order in your tempest/Lemans, was a 326. Wangers and DeLorean, snuck the GTO in as a mid year option, with a 325 horsepower 389, with a 350ish HP version with tri-power(3, 2-barrel carbs) and sold 34,000 units with no real marketing. The sales were so good, GM lifted the engine size restriction, a little, to 400CI motors. They actually had to prove to the boring old GM executives, a fun car would sell.  They say this is what kicked off the Musclecar era, because GM was the sales leader, and even though Chrysler was already doing this, their cars were not very popular, and they didn't start their over the top marketing until 68 or so with the crazy paint names and cartoon characters and over the top cars like the Superbird. 

 

It was an automotive golden age for US Cars, from 55 to about 72, then insurance costs, smog equipment, and gas prices, killed it. 

 

[JeepsGunsTanks]

5 hours ago, Lee White said:

She sounds like a fellow New Yorker.

 

 

Shhhhhhhh, don't let her get started on New York!   

7 hours ago, phasephantomphixer said:

Stoked this kit is now available - thanks for the word, and thanks Revell (Monogram). Agree as said above, reissuing the IROC would be super. It would help to get a refreshed set of clear parts, and HOPE they are clear and not tinted, as well as possibly printing the decals in blue...dream emoji here.

 

Continuing to update - modernize my '70 Chevelle orig. 396 (402) SS with it's 502 by going single TStorm charger and FItech boost ref. TBI setup.

Got the charger with all accessories like Sanden A/C, mod. power steering pump to also run hydroboo t for Wilwoods. High output alternator, all

serpentine. Car already has Art Carr 200-4r, 3.70 Eaton posi 12 bolt and full Hotchkis suspension with 17's. With it's Demon 850 i've been able to get 19 mpg.

but no tire torture involved. I dislike the ridiculous value personally as I will never sell it, it makes insurance difficult and me nervous when parked out of sight!

 

 

 

 

 

That sounds RAD!! Pics?   With Hotchkis suspension and those brakes, the car will give modern cars a run for the money on a curvy road! 

 

My father in law has a 70 SS 396 Chevelle he bought to restore, then stalled on when he found very serious damage to the drivers side body shell structure around the rear wheel, the whole side it pushes in and was badly repaired.   He wanted to do one of those all stock restoes, I keep trying to get him to turn it into something fun. We shall see. 

[LSP_K2]

On 7/13/2022 at 6:57 PM, JeepsGunsTanks said:

That sounds RAD!! Pics?  

 

Phase asked that I post these for you. Enjoy.

 

 

[JeepsGunsTanks]

That's a nice looking machine! 70 was the best year of the later Chevelles. The dual headlights are so much better looking than the single big one.  I dig white interiors too!  Black is so boring, and downright painful in the summer. 

[ScottsGT]

Damn.  I love those ‘70 Chevelles. 
 

[phasephantomphixer]

2 hours ago, ScottsGT said:

Damn.  I love those ‘70 Chevelles. 
 

Funny irony Scott (well, I think) ALMOST my first car was a '67 Mustang fastback in same colors. Back early 80's (we all recall right?) before

cell phones,my Dad saw it parked on the corner where he van pooled daily. He got the phone number off the sign, got me and we drove back

to use the pay phone at corner market, and the kind lady told me the buyer was right there signing the title.........

[LSP_K2]

4 minutes ago, phasephantomphixer said:

Funny irony Scott (well, I think) ALMOST my first car was a '67 Mustang fastback in same colors. Back early 80's (we all recall right?) before

cell phones,my Dad saw it parked on the corner where he van pooled daily. He got the phone number off the sign, got me and we drove back

to use the pay phone at corner market, and the kind lady told me the buyer was right there signing the title.........

 

I had a somewhat similar experience. Many, many years back, I saw a '70 Dodge Challenger R/T convertible one day next to a bar. I asked if it might be for sale;... it was not. He took my number, "just in case", and called a year later or so to see if I was still interested. Needless to say, I certainly was, but wasn't working at the time, so very sadly had to decline. Every time I think about that, it makes me sad.

[JeepsGunsTanks]

I got my first GTO from an ad in Autotrader. I used to go into the local 7-11 and buy the weeks issues. Always watching for 68 GTOs. Back in the day, knowing where working pay phones was a thing. 

 

I used to see this 67 Firefird, a 400, red, RAD, all the time in my neighborhood. I'd stop by and talk to the guy every once in a while. He wanted CRAZY money for 1989 $7000! You could have gotten an 60s SS 396 Camaro for that kind of money and in good shape. It did have a very nice custom paint job. I think he did end up selling it, but I never got a chance to talk to him again.