1/24 Revell '69 Pontiac GTO "The Judge" 2'n1

[Casey]

I picked up this kit today and was pleasantly surprised to find many (all?) of the parts from the '68 GTO kit included- nose, rear bumper, grilles, side view mirrors, sidepipes, velocity stacks, and the very nice American Torque Thrust D-spoke wheels. While I still intend to build the kit as a '69 Judge, it's nice to see an old favorite is now packed with some 2'n'1 parts for those who prefer to build it as a '68 GTO or a street machine of either year.

The kit is a good example of early '80s Monogram kit technology (which isn't a bad thing), meaning it has neither a high parts count nor a lot of detail (tub interior, exhaust and rearend molded as one, engine block and trans molded as one, etc.), but it still builds up into an accurate scale version of the real thing. I noticed the decal sheet has been upgraded again, too, now featuring tri-color side stripes and "THE JUDGE" decals, and also what appear to be Bobcat Royal-type stripes, which are a nice touch. I guess that'd make it a 3'n'1 kit now?

Kudos, Revell for nicely upgrading an already solid kit.

Edited January 3, 2019 by Casey

[Tonioseven]

Cool news! I still have one molded in off-white somewhere.

[1972 Satellite]

You know, sometimes you get a treat in a kit that has been reissued 100 times. Hats off to Revell for updating that decal sheet and giving us really nice Judge stripes that have the correct 3 color overlays instead of the old 2 color stripes from the old Monogram (that I show for contrast on the bottom). Plus it now has all the gauge faces, emblems, and wheel centers now too. And best of all it is molded in white, instead of my old orange one. Best of all, I got it for $13.99 at a discount drug mart.

[SteveG]

You know, sometimes you get a treat in a kit that has been reissued 100 times. Hats off to Revell for updating that decal sheet and giving us really nice Judge stripes that have the correct 3 color overlays instead of the old 2 color stripes from the old Monogram (that I show for contrast on the bottom). Plus it now has all the gauge faces, emblems, and wheel centers now too. And best of all it is molded in white, instead of my old orange one. Best of all, I got it for $13.99 at a discount drug mart.

That's good info to know ..... thanks !

-Steve

[kyledr330]

I have the old 69' GTO with the cream colored molded body, and I was wondering if they improved this kit. Thanks for the 411 !!!!

[Eric Stone]

Decals look good. Is all the plastic the same?

[DrOlds]

Yes, thanks for the info..after reading your post i ran out and bought the kit. I needed the decals to finish up a 69 Judge and a 70 Judge that im building..

the rest of the kit wasn't all that intresting to me untill i saw it could also be made into a 68 GTO.. made the kit well worth the buy.

[Porky]

Yes, thanks for the info..after reading your post i ran out and bought the kit. I needed the decals to finish up a 69 Judge and a 70 Judge that im building..

the rest of the kit wasn't all that intresting to me untill i saw it could also be made into a 68 GTO.. made the kit well worth the buy.

I have passed this kit up time and again, I did not know you could build the 68' from it. I had a 68' so I think I will be picking one of these up soon. Thanks for the info Dr. Olds !!!

[Eric Stone]

I oughta grab one. I built it when I was a kid, and it looked nice until I tried clear-coating the bare body, then it was a disaster. Only good that has come of it is that Damien gets a hood, but I hope it's not too trashed. :-)

Edited December 16, 2009 by Eric Stone

[DrOlds]

Yea, I didn't know that it had the 68 hidden in the kit untill i bought it.. but if i had looked on the side of the box more carefully I would have noticed the 68 nose on one of the pics. I originally bought the kit for the hood and decals, but that got a wrench thrown into it when it became a 68... so thanks Eric for the hood from your childhood goat.

[george 53]

Guy's you CANNOT build an ACCURATE 68 from that kit, as it does NOT contain the UNIQUE for 68 ONLY dashboard! It can be built up as a 69, or a LOOKS like 68, but WITHOUT the PROPER dash, it's STILL a 69. I speak from expierience caz I bought one for the dash(i wanted to build a 68) But it wasn't in the kit. Steve, one of our forum brothers was KIND enough to give me a 68 dash for my project. But be forwarned, You CANNOT build an ACCURATE 68 from this kit!

[Casey]

The first incarnation of this kit was the '69 Pontiac GTO with the "The Judge" option, released in 1982:

 

The '68 GTO Street Machine, kit number 2208, was the second version, released in 1984:

Edited October 22, 2018 by Casey
Release years/order

[Zoom Zoom]

My vague recollection is the '69 Judge came first, and the '68 street machine second. Can't vouch for any differences inside without doing a dig to find my originals.

[ChrisPflug]

The '69 Judge version came first- (just after the "Metal Glow" Dodges that came with the little packet of Turtle Wax)

Street Machine a couple years later (seems like around the same time as the Street Machine '71 'cuda- molded in black with twin scoop hood and Center Lines)

[Casey]

My vague recollection is the '69 Judge came first, and the '68 street machine second.

You're right. I zoomed in on the related pics to the above two and found copyright dates of '82 for the white '69 and '84 for the '68.

[Casey]

Doesn't the most recent issue have the parts for both versions in the box?

Yes it does. I think it includes some Royal Bobcat GTO stripes and emblems on the decal sheet, too.

[kingiguana]

The Judge came first for sure, I built the Judge while still in high school. The Metal Glow Dodges mentioned above showed up late december in 83. I was out of shool then,(graduated June 83 ) and went to the hobby shop the day after Christmas, and the Dodges were just put out on the shelves. I think the 68 came right after that or slightly before.

[kingiguana]

Oh, by the way I loved the GTO kits, I gotta get some of these, and re-live the good old days

[lordairgtar]

Oh, by the way I loved the GTO kits, I gotta get some of these, and re-live the good old days

Yes, the 69 was done first. The 68 still uses the 69 dash and interior. I think all they did was change the grille and added a vent window.

[James W]

In 85, I was going to school when I found both these kits at a discount store.

I put all the parts to build a stock 68 in one box and built the 69 about a year later.

That 68 is still waiting for me on my shelf.

[Casey]

Some not-so-great pics of the 1/24 Monogram '69 GTO "The Judge", kit number 2443, from 1994: