1967 Mercury Comet Cyclone GT

[fseva]

I've finished this kit and the final photos can be found in "Under Glass"...

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=100034

[Casey]

AMT 1386:

[Merkur XR4Ti]

I hope they've updated the decal sheet. The original sheet lacked the Cyclone 390 graphics and the "GT" in the stripes.

[RSchnell]

Nice! Dig up an 8yr old thread and post nothing but a pic of box art?

[Jack L]

Box art for the new issue AMT 1386 -1967 Cyclone !

[doorsovdoon]

I'll pick one up. I built it a couple of years ago and did a light custom job on it. It's a great kit if I remember, very easy to modify the stance if that's your thing. I'll build stock next time, box art looks great.

[Snake45]

In recent years I managed to score two built original annual AMT '67 Cyclones, one painted, one not. The unpainted one has a hole cut in the hood, which is a problem. The painted one's hood is intact. The plan is to try to strip the paint off the hood and use it to make a silicone mold to fill in the hole in the hood on the other one. If I'm lucky, the paint will come off cleanly and I can use it on the unpainted one and polish up that lovely 1967 AMT white styrene and build that one up that way. Then I'll use the silicone mold to fill the damaged hood and build that one painted Burgundy. 

I'll probably use that "new" AMT body to restore stock rear wheel openings on a AWB body and build up a good Eliminator II funny car on an old MPC Logge chassis. 

Ah, me and my grand plans! 

[Snake45]

12 hours ago, Snake45 said:

In recent years I managed to score two built original annual AMT '67 Cyclones, one painted, one not. The unpainted one has a hole cut in the hood, which is a problem. The painted one's hood is intact. The plan is to try to strip the paint off the hood and use it to make a silicone mold to fill in the hole in the hood on the other one. If I'm lucky, the paint will come off cleanly and I can use it on the unpainted one and polish up that lovely 1967 AMT white styrene and build that one up that way. Then I'll use the silicone mold to fill the damaged hood and build that one painted Burgundy. 

After posting that last night, I had a fit of industry this morning and decided to see if I could find the painted one. By some miracle, I did! And in less time than I thought, too.  It's actually in nicer shape than I'd remembered--if I didn't need the intact hood for the unpainted one, I'd be tempted to just restore/Snake-Fu it as a fairly clean old "survivor." But it'll look SO much better in that burgundy I have in mind.

Notice the subtle crease line running down the middle of the body (shows up best in the side view pic). The "new" body is missing this feature entirely, and it would be VERY difficult to add. 

Now to find the unpainted one (I THINK I know where it might be) and then strip the hood of this one. Onward! 

[stavanzer]

That is a Beautiful Survivor, Snake. I'd Start hunting the 'bay for another kit, and save this one. 

[garagepunk66]

On 3/10/2015 at 10:53 PM, Sledsel said:

In 93 it was a new release. The only negative thing I can say about it is they did not include any upper shock mounts on the top of the shock towers. Other than that, it is a super kit.

The overly simplistic shape of the shock towers and the lack of engraving of features on the inner fender aprons of the newer generation Fairlane/Cyclone kits have also always been a point of contention for me, particularly in light that these panels are molded as separate parts, which would have made it lots easier to add that detail. Ironically the 66-67 Fairlane annuals did a better job of representing these features than this kit developed in the 1990's.  

 

 

Edited April 2, 2023 by garagepunk66

[Bainford]

I keep hoping they will convert this tool to a '66 Cyclone.

[Dr Crapologist]

I've got a 2002 edition and the box makes no mention of "cyclone gt" although everything in the interior does. As Snake mentioned, the body has the mid-body crease on the rear fender but it's totally missing on the door and fender.  The sixties molding is much better though they did a better job on the hood scoops in the modern one. While the decals are decent the GT badges mentioned in the instructions are mere blobs of chrome; not even flat. A quick look at Model Car World's photo-etch shows badges for Mustang GT's but nothing suitable for this. Anyone else see any?

Several postings in model mags of the nineties panned the job they did on the Fairlane, close but no cigar. Missed things on this one too but it's close enough for your average enthusiast.

To fix that midbody crease one would have to glue an appropriately sized piece of sprue, maybe some putty and a real finesse job of sanding. I wonder if Evergreen has tri-angular sprue available?

That rectangular divot where the "Comet 390" badge is looks odd to me. If I had been on the design team I would have used a chrome surround (partial) or even better, a vent or scoop and moved the badge in front of the door.

hth,

Doc

[rickcaps55]

On 3/11/2015 at 3:18 AM, Guest said:

I think it's a good kit, based on their 67 Fairlane kit. I am sure someone here will set us straight on the kit's faults!

LOL your right the comet was Mercury's Fairlane the two cars were about 90% the same.

[rickcaps55]

On 4/4/2023 at 8:00 AM, Bainford said:

I keep hoping they will convert this tool to a '66 Cyclone.

Ho boy I am with you on that i like the front grill lay out better and the taillights to from the side view you can't tell the deference and the dash was a little deferent but yes, I was hoping the same thing but I think this fell to the same fate as others the mold was reworked to make the 67 it saved them a ton of money back then.

[Dave Darby]

6 hours ago, rickcaps55 said:

I was hoping the same thing but I think this fell to the same fate as others the mold was reworked to make the 67 it saved them a ton of money back then.

The currently available 67 Comet isn't based on the old annual kit. It shares the tool base with the 66 Fairlane tooled in the 1990s. I'm with you that the 66 Comet is a better looking car than the 67. 

[rickcaps55]

18 hours ago, Dave Darby said:

The currently available 67 Comet isn't based on the old annual kit. It shares the tool base with the 66 Fairlane tooled in the 1990s. I'm with you that the 66 Comet is a better looking car than the 67. 

Hi your right on the fact it's all new tooling but what made me think they used the old tool well parts of the old tool is I have an unbuild first run AMT 66 Comet kit the hoods on the 66 and 67 are the same and the new tool fits the old 66 and when they retooled it the body is still open all the way and they put the inner fender wells as part of the chassis I took the 67 new tooling and it slipped right in to the 66 body i was thinking they were able to save money by using the body with just small changes like i said i could be very wrong.

[Snake45]

On 4/1/2023 at 10:24 AM, Snake45 said:

After posting that last night, I had a fit of industry this morning and decided to see if I could find the painted one. By some miracle, I did! And in less time than I thought, too.  It's actually in nicer shape than I'd remembered--if I didn't need the intact hood for the unpainted one, I'd be tempted to just restore/Snake-Fu it as a fairly clean old "survivor." But it'll look SO much better in that burgundy I have in mind.

Notice the subtle crease line running down the middle of the body (shows up best in the side view pic). The "new" body is missing this feature entirely, and it would be VERY difficult to add. 

Now to find the unpainted one (I THINK I know where it might be) and then strip the hood of this one. Onward! 

I found the unpainted one mentioned above (while looking for something else, of course) so I'm good to go to proceed with my Grand Evil Scheme. Oh, I do need to find one more thing--the time to actually DO it. 

[Dave Darby]

11 hours ago, rickcaps55 said:

Hi your right on the fact it's all new tooling but what made me think they used the old tool well parts of the old tool is I have an unbuild first run AMT 66 Comet kit the hoods on the 66 and 67 are the same and the new tool fits the old 66 and when they retooled it the body is still open all the way and they put the inner fender wells as part of the chassis I took the 67 new tooling and it slipped right in to the 66 body i was thinking they were able to save money by using the body with just small changes like i said i could be very wrong.

I'm not surprised some parts interchange,  but the body for the 67 Comet annual ended up as an altered wheelbase "funny car". It was most recently reissued about 4 years ago. No parts are shared between the two.

[rickcaps55]

17 hours ago, Dave Darby said:

I'm not surprised some parts interchange,  but the body for the 67 Comet annual ended up as an altered wheelbase "funny car". It was most recently reissued about 4 years ago. No parts are shared between the two.

LOL I forgot about that kit your right it's like so many great 60's kits they had all got the AWB re do.!!