Butch Leal California Flash Duster?

[TonyK]

I have wondered for many years about the MPC California Flash Duster model. Whatever happened to it and why hasn't it been reissued? Remembered the kit way back but never had it. I seem to recall the Grumpy Jenkins Pro Stock Vega was supposed to be reissued but then ........nothing. Seems these kits would be a popular reissue if they still exist.

[Mark]

Back then, the pro stock (and most funny car) kits were based on stock annual kit bodies.  When the bodies were updated to next years' cars, the chance to reissue the drag version was lost.  The Leal Duster body is now a '75-'76 Dart Sport.

[1972coronet]

I wonder if the interior 'bucket' tooling inserts still exist ? They were markedly different from their stock / annual counterparts : no rear seat , and no console ! 

Perhaps either Tim Boyd and-or someone at Round2 (or someone privy to their skunkworks) would be able to answer to the affirmative ?

[Tye Brown]

Yeah I was really looking forward to getting a few USA1 Vegas, but nothing from Round2 in 3 years & they still have it on their site as coming????

[tim boyd]

On 3/23/2019 at 12:54 PM, 1972coronet said:

I wonder if the interior 'bucket' tooling inserts still exist ? They were markedly different from their stock / annual counterparts : no rear seat , and no console ! 

Perhaps either Tim Boyd and-or someone at Round2 (or someone privy to their skunkworks) would be able to answer to the affirmative ?

Sorry John....no insight from me on this.  But like the rest of you, I'd sure like to see this Duster Pro-Stock kit return some day...TIM  

[1972coronet]

8 hours ago, tim boyd said:

Sorry John....no insight from me on this.  But like the rest of you, I'd sure like to see this Duster Pro-Stock kit return some day...TIM  

It's all good , Tim . Honestly , I'm only interested in the interior tub tooling (though a re-release of the 1973-1974 Duster would be a bonus) if for nothing else but for its lack of console .

[bytownshaker]

Just checked my California Flash Duster kit (that I bought new in the wrapper when  it was released) it has stock interior, it doesn't have a gutted race car interior like the Sox & Martin  Or Mopar Missile Duster's 

[Mark]

48 minutes ago, bytownshaker said:

Just checked my California Flash Duster kit (that I bought new in the wrapper when  it was released) it has stock interior, it doesn't have a gutted race car interior like the Sox & Martin  Or Mopar Missile Duster's 

The Flash was a '72 issue, one of the first four Pro Stock cars MPC did.  The others were the Bill Jenkins Camaro (which was being leased by Bruce Larson in '72), and fictional Mustang and Pontiac GTO (!).  Those four had some newly tooled parts but not gutted interiors.  The sales on the first four probably convinced MPC to cut loose a few more bucks and tool the interiors for the '73 cars.  The '73 cars still had molded-in exhaust pipe detail on three of the four, with the Sox & Martin Duster (and '74 issue Mopar Missile Duster) still having the exhaust pipes that ran along either side of the driveshaft tunnel.  

[BubbaBrown]

The Akron Arlen Duster did not even have a hemi. I believe it was a small block if my memory is correct.

[Mr mopar]

6 hours ago, BubbaBrown said:

The Akron Arlen Duster did not even have a hemi. I believe it was a small block if my memory is correct.

You would be correct a small block 340 

[Mark]

The Arlen Vanke Duster kit was the '72 annual kit.  Some of those had Pro Stock decals, but none had the parts to build accurate Pro Stock cars.  The Challenger kit had decals for the '71 Motown Missile (the '72 car was a Barracuda, which MPC did a kit of in '73).

[1972coronet]

On 4/19/2019 at 8:35 PM, BubbaBrown said:

The Akron Arlen Duster did not even have a hemi. I believe it was a small block if my memory is correct.

In spite of the "It's a HEMI !" decal included on the "real" car's paint scheme *and* on the decal sheet for the 1972 Duster 340 annual . 

With that being said ; how cool would it be to build one with the DOHC Hemi from the 1970 Super Bee !

[TonyK]

Thanks for the info and discussion.