Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]

Announcements (Updated: July 11, 2018)

Welcome to Swifty's Garage!


Thanks to all of you for making this board what it is today!


Attention new members: We would like to welcome you personally, so please introduce yourself. Click here: INTRODUCTIONS


For all the latest news and announcements, please click here: PA System



Thank you - The Swifty's Garage Team




This board is best viewed at 1024 x 768 Resolution

Car of the Week:


Matchbox 1968 Ford F-100


Click Here: Matchbox '68 Ford F-100
Welcome to Swifty's Garage. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.

Thank You,
The Swifty's Garage Team


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features.

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Car of the Day : March 26, 2013; Greenlight '75 Dodge Monaco
Topic Started: Mar 25 2013, 10:37 PM (676 Views)
craftymore
Member Avatar
Support your local demo derby.

Posted Image

The Police Car for today is Greenlight's 1975 Dodge Monaco.

Posted Image

Wikipedia.com
 
The Dodge Monaco was a full-size automobile built and sold by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1965 to 1978, and 1990 to 1992.


Posted Image

Posted Image

Wikipedia.com
 
The 1974 model year Dodge was completely redesigned with an all-new unibody platform and all-new sheet metal. Unfortunately, within days of their introduction, the 1973 oil crisis began. Chrysler was excoriated in the media for bringing out huge new cars, and sales suffered accordingly. Many in the automotive press also criticized the car's new design as being too derivative of what they thought resembled a 3-year-old Buick or Oldsmobile full-size car.
For 1974, the long-running Polara and Polara Custom models were discontinued. They were replaced by a basic Monaco and Monaco Custom respectively. The previous Monaco was renamed Monaco Brougham. The Brougham name had long been used on the luxury option package which was available from 1969 to 1973. Gone were the hidden headlamps of the previous models, replaced by fixed headlamps on all Monacos.

For the 1975 model year, changes to the base Monaco were minimal. However, the Monaco Custom was renamed the Royal Monaco, and the Monaco Brougham became the Royal Monaco Brougham. These newly named models featured (as Monacos had in 1972 and '73) concealed headlamps. 1975 would be the last year that the four-door hardtop would be available. After the start of the 1975 model year, a limited production option for Royal Monaco Brougham coupes was introduced. The Diplomat package featured a landau vinyl roof with opera windows and a wide steel roof band.


Posted Image

Check out Allpar.com to learn more on the '75 Dodge Monaco.

Posted Image

Elwood Blues
 
"It's got a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant. It's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas."


The '74-'77 full size Monacos were the largest car Dodge would ever build. Riding on a 122" wheelbase and and equipped with a 440 big block, fuel economy at best hovered around 12 MPG! The mid 70s Monaco is best known as the 'Bluesmobile' from the 1980 classic movie 'The Blues Brothers'.

Posted Image

Posted Image
Edited by craftymore, Mar 25 2013, 10:37 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
pjedsel
Member Avatar
Muscle Car
A fantastic casting from Greenlight of the '70's era Dodge Monaco Police Car. I remember one similar to this one sitting in our driveway in dark green and white with a single bubble light on the roof. :) A plus with the GL issue, I know the gentleman/law enforcement officer who worked with GL to get this Boone County car produced. Of the police car castings from Greenlight, I think this one is my favorite. Also like the Monaco's from JL and MB.
Edited by pjedsel, Mar 25 2013, 10:51 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Stampede
Member Avatar
Team Canada
One of my many favorites from GL. They did a superb job on this one, and I'm happy to say that I have the WSP version in my collection.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ivantt
Member Avatar
New casting? Quick! Take it apart!
One word: Excellent. Cop cars rule.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
juantoo3
Member Avatar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Very nice indeed.

If I may be allowed a brief counter though...my memories of the 1:1 cars is that they were so common they were nothing at all to get excited about. They were about as plain vanilla as they come.

Perhaps not the right time or place, I apologize. I do think it is a very well done example of the vehicle in scale, I just don't understand all the fuss.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
craftymore
Member Avatar
Support your local demo derby.

@ Wes - For me it's the subject matter that is really cool. Were any full size American cars from the mid 70s really awesome compared to other eras? Of course not. I get that. They were hulking land barges with under powered fuel sucking engines that had horrible handling and massive body roll. I've driven a '73 Polara and the steering was rather numb so I do have a clue. All the above said, the GL Monaco is one of the few true 1/64 scale stock sedans of the mid 70s. That era imho is vastly under represented in small scale. I like land boats of the 60s/70s and wish more companies would target this genre. That's why I consider this a gem of a model.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
diegomg
Member Avatar
Fullsize
Posted Image

For the cop car fans greenlight is doing a remarkable job.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
JeepXJLover
Member Avatar
Minivan
In the March 2013 issue of Autabuy magazine a seller in MA has a 75 Monaco former Kansas State Patrol car for sale. Ad claims the car still needs some mechnical work. Asking price, a steep IMO $20,000!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
juantoo3
Member Avatar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

craftymore
Mar 26 2013, 09:13 AM
@ Wes - For me it's the subject matter that is really cool. Were any full size American cars from the mid 70s really awesome compared to other eras? Of course not. I get that. They were hulking land barges with under powered fuel sucking engines that had horrible handling and massive body roll. I've driven a '73 Polara and the steering was rather numb so I do have a clue. All the above said, the GL Monaco is one of the few true 1/64 scale stock sedans of the mid 70s. That era imho is vastly under represented in small scale. I like land boats of the 60s/70s and wish more companies would target this genre. That's why I consider this a gem of a model.
Thanks Crafty, and I certainly don't begrudge anyone their choices and preferences in their collecting. For a very long time I drew my line at 1972...very few cars made after were even entertained in my mind as possibilities. Then there is the line between 1976 and 1977...'76 being the last year of the truly huge land yachts and '77 being the first year of "downsizing." Some of the cars of the later '70s were tolerable, but nothing to get excited over.

Even considering MoPars...I love the first year Cordobas. I got my first piece of nookie in the back of a Coronet, so that car is special to me. And maybe the Magnum. Apart from those, it really was boring in the later part of the decade...and the early part wasn't a lot better after '72.

Ford and GM were no better either. And poor old AMC couldn't catch much of a break...although I still like the Hornet and especially the Concorde restyle. The few glimmers of automotive styling hope seemed to all be in niche makers...particularly Excalibur and Stutz...and soon to come DeLorean. The econobox was here to stay, unions were steadily ruining the American builders and quality was winning converts to Japanese makes and VW Rabbits.

I had never heard the term Malaise era before coming to this board, but it is appropriate. It was a dismal time for American makes...and sadly it only got worse. There are a precious few exceptions, but overall American cars have really lost their shine since the heyday.

But I digress...
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Dean-o-mite
Member Avatar
Muscle Car
The mid to late 70's are where things start to get interesting, for my collecting habits. The 80's, then 90's, and cars if the last 13 years are where my passion really lies. I can appreciate older cars, but they just aren't quite as relatable for me. I like this casting, for its large (true scale) size.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Dragnet_Supporter
Member Avatar
SUV
This one is a real beauty from GL. Gotta love the classic police cars.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
the_weatherman
Member Avatar
Compact
Dean-O-mite
Mar 26 2013, 07:51 PM
The mid to late 70's are where things start to get interesting, for my collecting habits. The 80's, then 90's, and cars if the last 13 years are where my passion really lies. I can appreciate older cars, but they just aren't quite as relatable for me. I like this casting, for its large (true scale) size.
See, I feel the same way, and Dean, I think you hit the nail on the head with the "relatable" part. If your interest stopped in 1972....well, someone born that year will be hitting 41 this year. For a lot of folks like myself (I'm 24), it is hard to relate to the days of extensive chrome, and the 60s muscle cars, because the exposure we have had is mostly through movies and car shows. To see them on the road in everyday use is fairly unusual. Certainly, to each their own, and there's a few younger guys who fall in the pre-72 mentality, but the nostalgia factor that helps these models sell is diminishing, as older collectors continue to age and go up to the big garage in the sky.

The accurate size of this casting continues to astound me. I can't even fit it in my display case, it's too long (I'm expecting the same with the AW Caddy later this year). I'm a stickler for accuracy in scale, so to me, is a fortunate problem to have.

Edited by the_weatherman, Apr 10 2013, 12:47 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Car Of The Day · Next Topic »
Add Reply



March's Picture of The Month Contest



Congratulations DinoMom for winning March's contest!



April's Picture of The Month Contest



Congratulations carsdownunder for winning April's contest!






Powered By

This board is best viewed at 1024 x 768 Resolution


eXTReMe Tracker