MPC trikes

[ratnasty]

Hello guys , I recently got these 5 kits and was wondering if this was all of them or am I missing any of the original MPC trike kits

 

thanks Chuck

[Daddyfink]

I believe you have them all. They where re-issued a few years back with the exception of the Black Max trike. Nice score!! 

[RancheroSteve]

Great score, Chuck!

I think there's one more - the Cobra Chopper:

http://public.fotki.com/drasticplasticsmcc/mkiba-build-under-c/mpc-instructions/motorcycles--atv/mpc-cobra-chopper-1/

[KDmitry]

Lucky Chuck! Congratulations/ I have two Cobras (one not started, obe painted but unglued) but cant get Black Max

[Daddyfink]

How could I have forgotten the Cobra! I had it when I was a kid!! Need to find me another one!

[Tom Geiger]

An interesting aside...   when the then owners of AMT/MPC found the trike tool, it was first offered to Model King.  Dave declined because the 4 bikes were all one tool, so they would all have to be produced at the same time, and in the same quantities... Dave was concerned that he could get stuck with a bunch of one trike and sold out on others, so he passed on the opportunity.

[RancheroSteve]

I have the Retro Hobby re-issues - I'd like to get a Black Max, but it seems they are fairly rare and go for pretty big $$ when they come up. As you can see on the box, the Black Max was designed by Harry Bradley, who also designed the Deora, among other cars.

http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Harry_Bradley

[ratnasty]

maybe I should cast the body components of the Black Max and I can recreate the decals for it also . Would there be any interest in a conversion

 

thanks Chuck

[disabled modeler]

I had the Black Max one as a kid...loved it..

[RancheroSteve]

maybe I should cast the body components of the Black Max and I can recreate the decals for it also . Would there be any interest in a conversion

I'd be inclined to go for that if the price was reasonable.

A little while back there was someone who was going to do a more correct version of the Mail Box Chopper (including the Crosley engine) but I guess there wasn't enough interest to make it feasible.

[Daddyfink]

maybe I should cast the body components of the Black Max and I can recreate the decals for it also . Would there be any interest in a conversion

 

thanks Chuck

I'm in for one! 

[tim boyd]

I believe you have them all. They where re-issued a few years back with the exception of the Black Max trike. Nice score!! 

These "Retro Hobbies" reissues of the MPC were coordinated and delivered by none other than John Greczula.  He also designed the terrific decal sheets in these reissues, and the box art.  

After this, of course, John went on to become Tom Lowe's major domo behind the Round 2 AMT/MPC/Lindberg/Ertl reissue program and much more...

If you ever have a chance to pick these up, I highly recommend you do so.  All four kits are cool, but particularly the two kits with the Honda four are excellent.  

Here's  my build of the Tiki Trike, build mostly box stock other than a removed roof from the body.  

Best Regards...TIM 

 

 

 

[RancheroSteve]

Nicely done, Tim! I'll second what you said about the Retro Hobbies re-issue.

Here's the only one I've built from that set - the Taco Trike (aka Wedge Chopper) - pretty much out of the box with just some ignition wiring added.

 

[tim boyd]

Steve....very sharp!  These are fun kits to build, heh?  

OK guys...anyone else want to post their builds of this kit series....either the Retro Hobbies release or the original c.1972-3 MPC Originals?  TB   

[62rebel]

they couldn't pony up and release all four on the same tool in one box? Even I would have bought that, and I've only built one motorcycle kit to completion in forty years.... (Revell's LA Chopper, which I would surely buy again)

[Mr mopar]

Dose anyone know if the Black max and cobra trike molds still exist ? sure would like to see them come out!

[AzTom]

they couldn't pony up and release all four on the same tool in one box? Even I would have bought that, and I've only built one motorcycle kit to completion in forty years.... (Revell's LA Chopper, which I would surely buy again)

The were sold as a set. The four boxes shown above originally came in one box.

[Daddyfink]

Quite a few folks got the sets and have ended up dumping some of them. I snap them up whenever I come across them at the dealer tables.

Wish someone would dump the Max or Cobra, or both! LOL! 

[Casey]

 

Edited August 14, 2015 by Casey

[RancheroSteve]

Cool find, Casey. I'm thinking this means the Black Max and Cobra trikes were issued slightly later? And as far as I know, they've never been re-issued, so finding one of them for a bargain price is probably pretty unlikely, unfortunately.

[Casey]

On 8/13/2015 at 10:54 PM, RancheroSteve said:

Cool find, Casey. I'm thinking this means the Black Max and Cobra trikes were issued slightly later?

I'm not sure, but based upon the kit numbers, I suspect you are correct. Here all six in the 1974 MPC catalog:

 

Good to hear the Mailbox Chopper is being reissued in 2020:

MPC 892 -- Ed Roth's Mail Box Chopper - Trick Trike Series

Edited October 24, 2019 by Casey

[stevez]

are these now available??

[Casey]

1 hour ago, stevez said:

are these now available??

Not yet.

On 10/23/2019 at 11:16 PM, Casey said:

the Mailbox Chopper is being reissued in 2020

 

[stavanzer]

This is a poor choice for Round2 IMHO. I'd really like to see the Business/Sales case for this kit over the '72 Chevy or GMC Pickup or the missing '32 Fords. (Coupe and Phaeton).

As a stand alone kit, even with the HL 40% coupon, $19.74 for one smallish Trike is more than I'm willing to pay. Two Trikes in one box, would cause more interest, but even then, not a high value kit. At least For Me.

For others, it might be a Home Run.  I will be very curious to see how these kits shake out, by July 2020.

[iBorg]

Alexis, I agree with a lot of what you're saying but disagree with you in to some degree. We currently have several early 70's pickups available. Moebius is knocking it out of the park with their Ford pick ups. As for the 32's, how many thousands of them are on shelves? I saw one of these trikes at  show this spring and screwed up and passed on it on the first look. Went back and someone had beat me to it.

As for the price, two trikes in one box, that would be more enticing. I know the Honda trikes share a lot of parts, nothing else they could be bought with the two bodies for the Mailbox and the Digger although for the minimal extra plastic, there should be two trikes in one box for $28. One for $28, it will have to be 40% off for me to consider it.