C.P.M. MPC MPC862 1:16 1979 10th Anniversary Pontiac Firebird, Multi

Finally finished this kit after working many hours on it the past few months. This is a rebox of a kit that's been around for decades. It was last offered as the MPC Turbo Blackbird. Before that it was the MPC Firebird Trophy Series and the 10th Anniversary Trans Am. All these kits seem to have the same molding issues. There's videos on YouTube about them where you can see. In this kit, you'll find an extra intake manifold and exhaust pipe not listed in the directions. I looked up the Turbo Blackbird kit directions and found they are for that kit's engine. For whatever reason, MPC didn't remove them from their mold machine.THE GOOD: The pieces are all there and the decals are well made with 3 different color options. Everything is shaped properly like a real Trans Am, which I own and am currently restoring to look like my model. The plastic is thick and sturdy allowing for lots of filing, sanding, etc. The doors connect easily and work surprisingly well.THE "COULD BE BETTER DESIGNED:" Many parts don't mate well. Lots of need to file, shave, putty, and sand to make it look like a real Trans Am rather than a car in mid-explosion. If you buy, test fit everything before painting to find the gaps and excess plastic. Deal with them before paint. I used Elmer's Glue All to fill small gaps on engine parts and Squadron Gray Putty to smooth over "dents" in the fenders and fill gaps between the front spoilers. Attached is a photo from just before spraying primer that shows some of the gray spots where I had to use putty. The front suspension can break easily where the spindles clip to the A-frames. Don't paint these until after you connect them. I did and the coat of black gloss caused them to not want to connect and I broke them. After failed attempts to glue them with Super Glue and Testors cement, I drilled 1/16" holes in the spindles and connected them to the lower A-frames with small screws. That went easier than expected and holds them very well. The front springs had to be clipped slightly to avoid the front end sitting up too high. The spoilers don't mate to the body well and required lots of filing. Parts that needed lots of filing so they could fit well are the windshield, spoilers, interior shell (too wide), rear wheel wells (too wide), and motor mounts (made engine sit so high the hood couldn't fully close).I sprayed mine with Rustoleum 2X Painter's Touch white primer, Tamiya TS-54 Light Metallic Blue (2 cans needed), Tamiya TS-68 Wooden Deck Tan, and Testors Wet Look clear gloss over the blue. I then polished and waxed. Be sure to let the base coat dry for at least a week before spraying the clear coat. I waited 2 weeks because I've seen clear gloss destroy a base coat when applied too soon on plastic. I applied decals before spraying the clear coat and dipped the windows in Pledge "Revive It" floor polish to protect them and help them look like actual glass. The wheels were hand painted after I stripped off the chrome by soaking them in Purple Power for 3 days. The white letters on the tires also had to be hand painted. They come in black wall with raised letters. I rolled on white acrylic paint.Dear MPC, please make improvements to your mold and you'll be able to sell a higher number of these because it will be a more enjoyable kit. 4 stars only because of all the needed work and vague directions. Thanks for selling this model kit for one of the coolest cars ever!

Its a gift for my son

Most parts had to be filed to fit. Mostly had a real difficult time with the chassis also the glass and body not fitting properly.

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Nice model. Love the large scale. All parts intact and ready tp paint and assemble. The firebird hood decal comes in 3 different colors, so it gives the modeler a wide choice as far as paint jobs.

A lot of work but a fun walk down memory lane! I did my best to match my 1979 Trans Am. I even printed a copy of my actual license plate to add. The dash gauges were a kit I bought on eBay. Those turned out great. Added a wire dipstick and spark plug wires drilled into the tine alternator. That was a pain. They were some issues with mound that I had to use modelers putty to correct. I spent a lot of time on this model and display it proudly.

The Chinese that are molding do not seem to know or care about clamping pressure on the injection molding press. There is flash on nearly every piece. It will probably take more time removing flash than to actually built the kit. Also molding lines are excessively large due to not clamping with proper pressure. I am a retired toolmaker with over 40 years of experience in the industry, so I have a good knowledge of running molds and presses. Don' buy unless you enjoy scraping and cutting off flash.

Very good kit. I used leds for the lights. I modeled it after my first trans am.