mikemodeler

As these are Wal Mart exclusives, little to no chance of the online sellers having them. From what I understand, they are not available for order to the regular hobby distributors. Your best bet is to find them at Wal Mart, have a buddy find one for you or wait for someone to put the decals up for trade.

The El Jefe is the Captain Hook with a different bed as near as I can tell. It will be nice to have the Mojave Mule, built that one as a teenager, would like to build it again.

Which 69 Camaro kit? There is the Monogram kit (currently at Ollie's) the MPC kit and the Revell kit. Harts Parts Resin a couple of 67 & 68 flat hoods that would fit with a little bit of work.

Can anyone rationally explain the opposite view? The short answer is that engineers are constantly changing proven designs either due to regulations or trying to justify their existence. You must learn to remove logic when trying to figure out what the motives are as for most of the time, it isn't necessary.

I have worked around automobiles and the automotive industry for 45 years (am I that old????) and the aftermarket industry has been fighting for years to have access to OE data- parts, diagnostic, schematics- to keep vehicle ownership somewhat affordable. The costs for a repair shop to have the current diagnostic equipment continues to rise every year as the complexity of the vehicles increases and more tools are needed. Add in the other costs of running a business and it's easy to see why many of the small, independent shops are disappearing or scaling back on what vehicles they will and won't work on. While some trades are still using tools and methods that previous generations used, automobile repair techs have had to continually update their equipment and training to be able to ply their trade and that has lead to higher repair costs, whether you go to the dealer or an independent repair shop.

Let's not forget that many of the newer vehicles have features and systems dictated by the government, leading to more complicated diagnostic repairs and costly parts. Ask yourself when was the last time a government mandate resulted in lower costs or less complications of your life?

Kit pricing was always a problem for me. I don't mind paying a buck or two more if the service is good but they tended to be a bit more higher with average service. Living in the South I have three online sellers within 200 miles that tend to be very price competitive and offer service that I consider to be excellent. The owners stated their desire to retire and I can understand that sentiment as I am getting closer to that point in my life as well. I am sure managing the vast offering they have with as many vendors both domestically and internationally is quite challenging given the current situation on tariffs and shipping costs. They have served us well and hope they get to enjoy many years of retirement. For the remaining model shops and online retailers, this represents a loss of a wholesaler that they may have used to source products from. Let's hope that this isn't the start of others looking to do the same. In this hobby, we know many people are aging and that applies to both the sellers and consumers so my hope is that we can continue to enjoy it for many years.

Helps get rid of the weird sunroof/visor set up. I have the previous version of this wrecker with a damaged cab, got a Deserter cab that will happily donate to the cause. Cool build and story Chuck, as always!

I was at the ACME show this weekend and these were selling like hot cakes. I might be persuaded to purchase one based on the box art alone, will have to see what else is coming out. I think Moebius has a hit on their hands with these new releases.

I will be there, always a great time seeing and making friends. Lot's of great plastic to buy and the models are incredible.

That new Mack kit will make a lot of people happy and hopefully pave the way for more new tool kits.

My guess is that the next version of this kit will have a boat behind it. Could be wrong but considering they've had Broncos and Ramchargers with boats, seems logical.

The Revell van has a full frame as does the AMT van.

But the grille looks a lot like a Chevy.

I noticed that this kit is about $10 more than the Blazer, not sure if that is because of tariffs or Revell charging more for the few extra parts tossed in. I did notice in the pictures of the assembled kit that a few parts need to be fabricated to provide accurate depiction of the underhood area, notably the heater hoses and A/C lines from the accumulator to the compressor and condenser. Not sure if I will pick one up, already have a GMC grille for a Blazer kit and I am sure I have some tires and wheels from Fireball that would yield a better look that what is shown in the box art.

my pre-ordered kit from Wes's Model Car Corner showed up yesterday, haven't had a chance to open it up but pretty stoked about the full cab being back in the kit!

gonna be awhile, be patient.

My kit arrived yesterday, already have some ideas for different tires and some additional off road lights for it. Gonna have to figure out some different bumpers, have a winch I want to install on the front.

Back in 2008 Revell issued this version of it's 69 Camaro in a snap kit with Hot Wheels logo on the box. IMO, this curbside kit builds up nicer than the upcoming AMT kit as the body is better proportioned. Funny how the license has been shared over the years.

I believe they have shipped to the distributors, just a matter of time before they end up at the hobby shops and online sellers

Those are MSRP. I just checked Wes's Model Car Corner and the red car is $29.99 and the white car is $31.50, available to pre-order today. I am sure other online sellers will have these at discounted prices.

That's sad to hear, he had some great prices on kits and was reasonable on the shipping. I guess as we age in this hobby things we took for granted are slowly disappearing.

The wheels look great, save the money from a new set and put it towards the interior. As far as the paint goes, you can try using a DA polisher (cheap ones at Harbor Freight) to polish up the paint some more, you will be amazed at the difference a little machine polishing does. The best part of the DA polisher is that it doesn't leave swirl marks so you can use it to polish the paint as well as buff the wax off.

From the Stevens International page for MPC kits....Shown as release date of TBA.

The number of people who know and understand the operation of an IC-powered vehicle AND are willing to work retail hours/pay are small. With the demise of shop classes and focus on going to college, many kids today have little to learn from. I read Hot Rod magazine as a kid, built model cars and hung around the older kids in the neighborhood who worked on their cars to gain knowledge. Those opportunities aren't as common for kids today, outside of model building. From my experience, for every one employee in a parts store that has knowledge or passion for automobiles, there is an equal or greater number who view working there as a means to support themselves and would be just as happy at Best Buy selling TVs or Home Depot selling toilets, if it meant a paycheck.