More 71-73 Mustang Models

[vamach1]

First the good and bad. I'll save the ugly for later.

The Danbury Mint 71 429 Mach1 in metallic blue is stunning.

From the pictures you can see they spent some time doing their research before letting the Chinese make them. I'm sure we could find a few things to nitpick but it is a beautiful built model - no assembly required. Even the trunk opens as do the doors. The bad news is the last one Ebay sold for $136 and these are not easy to find as they are out of production. They also did a 71 Boss 351 in pewter.

Now for the ugly. At first glance the black and yellow Testors metal kits look okay. I built them in a few days as the bodies are prepainted. From the side all looks okay - like a 71-72 Mach1. But - on the back on the yellow one there's the 73 Mach1 decal and the front has the 73 bumper but the 71-72 grille. Open the hood and there's a BOSS 429 engine, not a 429 or 351 (or even a 302). The rear spoiler is too high but I could fix that. Since these sell for about $20-$30 I might pick one up and repaint it and do some kit bashing and make a 73 Mach1 (with the correct grille) since I cannot remove the front metal bumper without a blow torch. The Testors kit was based on the AMT plastic kits except of course the Testors kits are metal and have opening hinged doors.

Speaking of those AMT/MPC plastic kits, they are pretty bad from an accuracy standpoint. Here's my ratings of these overpriced "collector" kits:

Body - 8 of 10, Interior - 7 of 10, Chassis - 5 of ten, Engine compartment - 3 of ten, Engine - 1 of ten (unless you are building a 302 version). With a lot of work you can build a respectable and accurate looking kit but be prepared to spend hours getting to something that looks as nice as the pics of that grabber lime Mach1 I posted. If you like the color just get one of those Franklin Mint models - it's well worth the price.

 

[NoLimitssjca]

You definitly have a knack for building models. I always had finger prints on everything.

 

[Obsidian11]

Nice job! Anyone know of any coupe model kits? You fastback guys seem to get all the glory

 

[vamach1]

Nice job! Anyone know of any coupe model kits? You fastback guys seem to get all the glory

The bad news is no there wasn't ever a coupe version. The only possibility is to get a fastback kit and perhaps graft a Cougar roof to it or build it from scratch from sheet plastic. I hacked off the roof of a fastback to make a convertible so it's possible but not for the novice builder. You can see the conv in the picture attached to the left of the orange drag car.

 

[Don65Stang]

Nice work Rex!

 

[Widowmaker00]

I found some coupe kits.

http://www.motorcityresincasters.com/mcrcf.htm

They are actually just bodies made to fit the Mach 1/boss kits. Thought I'd share, kinda cool. I'm looking to build a car for my wedding cake topper.

 

[Obsidian11]

I found some coupe kits.

http://www.motorcityresincasters.com/mcrcf.htm

They are actually just bodies made to fit the Mach 1/boss kits. Thought I'd share, kinda cool. I'm looking to build a car for my wedding cake topper.

Awesome!!!! I've looked on and off for years for a coupe kit. My plan was to someday cut up a FB kit and a cougar kit to make a coupe Mustang. Thanks for the link!

 

[Widowmaker00]

No problem. I'm getting together a few kits to build a basic idea of how my car will look when it is done. There were actually quite a few 71-73 kits out there.

 

[Cole]

The Franklin mint rocks! I gotta have one. Nice work on the models too. Might go that route as well. I like this Mach 1 model stuff. It's almost as cool as getting a new garage tool!!!

 

[73StangCoupe]

I absolutely LOVE all of them, especially the 71 429! I couldn't find any 71-73 Mustangs on the franklin mint or eBay websites. I already have the pewter 71 Mach 1, I really like the pre-painted metal model kits. I'll post some pictures tomorrow, l display them at work. I also love hot wheels. I have 26 (I think) different Mustangs along with lots of other models. Keep posting!

 

[MechEng]

Dang, every time I try to build a model it ends up either unfinished sitting on a shelf, or as a hacked up pile of plastic bits sitting in my trash can, certainly something I'm not gifted at though I seem to love to try! Very impressive stuff, those Franklin mint models are really nice. I may have to scourer eBay for one now!

 

[73StangCoupe]

Here are a few pictures of my small collection.

 

[Piston_Twister]

I finally managed to snag a Mustang kit I've been hunting for for the better part of 20 years...not many have heard of it, let alone even seen it before. I had talked with a guy who goes to Carlise PA every year, has tons and tons of kits (vintage and new) and even he looked at me blankly when I asked him about it...well no more searching for me!!

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, I present to you...the Doyusha 1/12 scale 71 Mach 1!!!



This baby is a monster!! Measures in 15 inches long! Opening doors, folding seat, working stearing...even the twist lock hood hold downs work (at least according to the instructions they will ).









Some small details aren't 100%, like the "Jet Ram Air" hood decal



and the small area on the front fenders for what I am guessing is reflectors (might be a Japanese requirement on cars at the time, don't know...but since it was made in Japan, that is my guess).



The front end of the Police Mustang here from Japan shows those same little reflectors...adding to my belief.



(I need to stop looking at that pic...I am starting to like the paint job!! and the cool Japanese police badge in the center of the grill!! )

Now I just have to wait to find the time to build it...between work, other projects, the real Mustang...time isn't as "available" as it used to be. Plus I need to wait to build it...two young ones (ages 2 and 4) and a third on the way...they would enjoy getting ahold of it!

Michael

 

[73StangCoupe]

That is really cool! If you don't mind me asking but where did you get it and how much did you pay?

 

[Piston_Twister]

That is really cool! If you don't mind me asking but where did you get it and how much did you pay?

I got it off EBay, usually I see them for sale out of Japan and they ask $250.00 for them...found this one in the States for just a hair over the hundred mark. Probably overpaid (I am sure now they will show up by the dozens for a lot less! ) but I've been looking for so long I couldn't pass the opportunity up.

Michael

 

[73StangCoupe]

Michael,

Based on what I saw this morning after I saw yours... you got a real good deal. Thanks... Pete

 

[72HCODE]

The Doyusha model is basically the Japanese version of the car that required some extra reflectors for registration in Japan. When they sold it as the T5 , they couldn't be called mustangs due to copywrites outside of the USA.

The Doyusha model is very cool has some issues like the trunk not being finished. I've seen people really go nuts on the detail with it including making roll up windows. And a working door latch and lock there was a video and I had a model mag showing the lengths to which people went to add realism to the Doyusha model. Doyusha also made a copy of the kit in smaller 1/25 scale in addition to the 1/12 scale.

Years ago a friend of mine turned one into a r/c car body for a 1/12 scale pan chassis.

Very cool. Many guys also buy the kit and start to get into it and realize its a massive amount of work to complete the kit, so they put it away. I have a 1/12 Lamborghini muira from Doyusha that I might never finish it has working torsion suspension. Very cool kits.

There is an old MPC 1/25 scale 71-72 kit that is very rare and very accurate as well. Even has modeled mach 1 fender decals as part of the plastic. Very hard to detail correctly. The most common you see is the 1973 MPC kit that was butchered to look like the 71-72 cars.

I bought the crappy 73 version then made my own front end for it and decals set to make it look more correct for 1972 and made a digital slot car out of it.

http://s609.photobucket.com/user/furball1975/library/124?sort=3&page=1

 

[Piston_Twister]

I got the 1/25 version as well! It used to be harder to find the 71-73 Mustangs model kits. I can't remember which compnay made it (might have been revell) but the "best" option used to be the Boss 351 kit...but the lines weren't right and for some odd reason all the 71-73 Mustang kits I've seen and had were just like it, the hood had the cowl vents (not sure if that is the proper term, but is was the slots cut along the back end of some hoods) on it...not even close to what the real hood looks like.

I am happy with my find!

Michael

 

[Kermit 460]

When I had surgery this winter , I bought the only kit I could find in a local hobby shop, AMT 71 Mustang. It looks like a cross between a 71 + 69 mustang with a little "CUDA" mixed in. I finished it anyways and painted it "KERMIT" green.