AMT's Ford F350 pickups

[Chuck Most]

I have that issue- I think that article was a complementary piece to the three-way '97 F-150 comparo by Chuck Kourouklis. Man... three full-detail kits of a brand new pickup kit in one year- betcha that'll never happen again.

[Fabrux]

Finally remembered to check my Bronco kits: the hoods do indeed have the FORD lettering.

[Chuck Most]

Finally remembered to check my Bronco kits: the hoods do indeed have the FORD lettering.

Nice! Thanks.

[Platerpants]

Well with amt reissuing this

I think they want to try and compete with this

We all Know that the moebius will be miles ahead in detail. Im thinking i may have to get one of each, one would be to build a replica of this (my great grandpa's truck) its a 78 F250 2x4 ohio truck all its life no rotting just a little surface rust.

And the other to have for awesomeness. What are your thoughs? think amt is hoping to compete with moebius?

Edited November 9, 2013 by Platerpants

[gui_tarzan]

I hope they fix the windshield & roof error.

[Eshaver]

Don't look to have anything changed Jim. Re issues are just that, re issues , flaws and all ! Shoot , I'll get one just to do a step side out of one .

[mk11]

Here are some of the chrome shot variations in this series...

First pic is from the red '75 'new Ford truck' issue. It contains the optional Thrush sidepipes, five slot 16" mags, chrome air cleaner, basic door mirrors and stock hubcaps.

 

Here's a partial tree from the '75 Star Truk which was the most heavily optioned of all, including the sidepipes, box rails, bumper guards, western mirrors and slot mags. <edit>The Star Truk was also issued in '76 and '77 with no changes to the box art but containing the updated '76/'77 grill and cab(for '77).<thanks Mr Carter> The Mod Ford race team combo kit (75 F350, trailer and 40 Ford modified) had it as well but the other regular '75 and '76 annual trucks had the stripped down style tree shown above.

The blue '77 annual edition featured a shortened chrome shot with only stock wheel covers included. The plastic allotment for the extra chrome pieces was probably used in the included canopy instead.

 

Boonie Boss/Matchbox Ranger chrome shot

 

Here's the Tuff Truk chrome shot with the oddball 4 slot mags (also used in the Red Alert Chevelle and GMC stepside kits, among others) . The custom grill was not chromed in this kit, just the stacked headlights.

 

 

 

 

The front bumper supplied in the regular 75-77 truck kits is a pretty good replica of the '64 - '77 item. The boonie boss issue was bulked up and had slots cut in the top for the supplied driving lights along with holes in front for the push bar. It was included in the stones 4x4 kit (without the driving lights) as well as the reissued boonie boss(ranger) by matchbox/lesney in about '81. Neither is accurate for the '78/'79 truck, though, as the upper lip should be flatter and wider; an accurate one can be found in the amt '78 Bronco kit. The accurate factory '64-'79 rear chrome sport bumper was carried through all the incarnations of this kit. A resin caster might want to pick up on those vertical bumper guards included with the Star Truk, as they would be accurate for the '67 - '72 trucks as well, unless Moebius chooses to include them in their kits.

As far as that goes, since all these issues contain about 80-90% similar parts and the best one is due to be reissued soon, maybe the resin casters could look at supplying the '75 and '76/'77 grills too...

 

 

mike

Edited November 16, 2017 by mk11

[Longbox55]

Hey Mike, glad you posted those pix. I have one 8 lug 5 slot mag wheel in my parts stash that I got in a parts box trade, never knew what kit it originally came from. now that I've seen the trees for the AMT F350s, I see where it was from.

Edited November 10, 2013 by Longbox55

[01blueedge]

i am glad they are finally putting this kit back out i will have to pick up a few more

[mistermodel]

I hope they fix the windshield & roof error.

I'd personally be more concerned with a correct for '78 wheelbase and box. But I will buy a couple

[redneckrodder]

Man il have to get a few then find a 73 grill to build my dads 1:1 that we're trying to restore slowly

[Tankerdog]

Some 78-79 minutia. If I recall, from rebuilding mine, the Stones truck would have to be a late 78, not sure of the month, or it could be a 79. Early 78 PU & Broncos had round headlights.

I agree with the 73 grille, and rest through 77 for that matter. Yeah, yeah, yeah keep dreamin'. Really happy to hear a 71 is on the way. Of the 3 pre-cove, insert grille trucks, the 71 looks the best to me. That kit could easily be made into a 70, or 72. If you throw BMF on the 71 don't forget the grille inserts, the center crossbars were a snapped on chrome piece on the 1:1 trucks.

Can you tell? I love these trucks...

[mk11]

Me too Good point on the '71 grill.

The headlamp difference in '78 wasn't actually a matter of build date but of trim level. The Custom trim level had the round lights and the Rangers had the square ones. Chev and Dodge had similar styling cues in '79/'80.

mike

[Tankerdog]

That makes sense, volumes could be filled with factory stock arrangements. Now if we can get a PE fret of all those badges. My 70 was a Ranger which had the wide chrome strip, which it appears on the 71 box art. A friend of mine had a 71 which had the narrow chrome strip, and for the life of me I don't remember the badging.

I was doing alright working on a gasser, now I can't stop thinking about Ford pickups:)

[Chuck Most]

Me too Good point on the '71 grill.

The headlamp difference in '78 wasn't actually a matter of build date but of trim level. The Custom trim level had the round lights and the Rangers had the square ones. Chev and Dodge had similar styling cues in '79/'80.

mike

Yep, you'd find the round eyes on box trucks and flatbeds, too, though I've seen a few '78 Customs with square eyes. Could have been added by a subsequent owner, though. The Rangers and '79 style always seemed more common to find, so if a guy cracked up the front end of his Custom and went to the salvage yard for replacement stuff, he'd have likely just used a '78 Ranger or '79 setup.

[Tom Geiger]

Yep, you'd find the round eyes on box trucks and flatbeds, too, though I've seen a few '78 Customs with square eyes. Could have been added by a subsequent owner, though. The Rangers and '79 style always seemed more common to find, so if a guy cracked up the front end of his Custom and went to the salvage yard for replacement stuff, he'd have likely just used a '78 Ranger or '79 setup.

Doesn't look all that difficult to change out to the round headlight. I also want to shorten a chassis and do a step side. You can start with the one in the AMT '53 Ford kit, the bed only changed slightly over the years.

[mk11]

The high arch springs are for the rear of the 4x4 and the shallow springs are the regular rear 2wd items. A guy probably could adapt them to the front for a heavier series truck.

mike

[1972coronet]

I have been wanting -- no , needing -- one of the original 70's issues of the coveted AMT F-350 Annual kits , for in excess of twenty years (!)

Back in the mid-late 1980's , there were gads of the original Big Foot kits around , and usually at blow-them-out prices ( typically , 99c - $1.50 !) .

I bought them only because the two-wheel-drive suspension parts were included ( I had / have no interested in the four-wheel-drive versions ) .

My first experience with one of the original 'annual' issues was the Star Truk [sic] from ca.1976 .

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the RTD Bus with my mother and some family friends , the 6V71 Detroit-powered death trap pulled-up the stop at the curb in front of the Whittier Police Department . Thirty-five cents was pulled from my Levi's Cords and carefully dropped-into the bus fare jar . The bus' driver revved-up the noisy Detroit ; its GMC oxidiser spooling-up as plumes of spent fuel went billowing from the bus' 4" exhaust .

We were off !

At the toy store in the Puente Hills Mall had a display of AMT's latest offerings . Among their offerings was the Star Truk ; I had to have it !

$3.25 later , it was all mine !

Given that I was 6 years old , my skills were , shall we say , *mediocre* , and the kit disappeared to the annals of time .

So , here I am , once again , craving another one of these ...

[mk11]

Here's the one I've been massaging a cab, grill and box for...

from the '78 Free Wheeling brochure

mike

some flareside info...

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=81012

Edited November 27, 2013 by mk11

[cam]

notice the '78 bumper it is the same as a '77

[mk11]

Could be a '77 with a '78 grill; easy swap

mike

[mk11]

Here's a pic of the parts included only in the '77 Boonie Boss/Matchbox Ranger 2wd editions from this series....

 

 

The blue sprue is from the Matchbox reissue (F350 Ranger) of the Boonie Boss. As mentioned above, the BB and it's reissue also included a modified front bumper with provisions for mounting the push bar and driving lights. No 4wd parts were included in these.

The following are pics of the main unique parts in the Tuff Truk issue. It also had a full width louvered rear window plate and rear dual wheel spacers.

 

 

 

...and a pic of the factory style topper found only in the blue '77 F350 kit

 

 

 

mike

Edited September 23, 2017 by mk11

[James2]

Not sure if this is the right spot, forgive me if so.

Looking for info about this kit. Is this a 4x4 or 2 wheel drive. It appears to have 4- off road tires!

Thanks

.

[01blueedge]

i think that one was 2wd but I am not 100% sure on that. I think the only 4wd version was the firestone release which round2 is about to rerelease in Jan

[Nick Winter]

It has both 4WD and 2WD parts but is meant to be a 2WD and doesn't mention the 4WD parts in the instructions. Don't feel like digging mine out right now.

Nick