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AMT's Ford F350 pickups


mk11

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For those looking to build a regular wheelbase truck, MAD resin was offering a corrected 8ft box...                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

P1019836a.jpg

sorry Kris, a little late with this reference  :rolleyes:

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  • 8 months later...

As the AMT '78/'79 Wild Hoss Bronco is somewhat related to this series of trucks I thought it deserved a mention here B)

Here's a couple of pics comparing the chrome trees and 4x4 specific parts... DSCN9724.JPG.1f4b7916ee62f0ac577b0877c0420530.JPGDSCN9737.JPG.9cb68e70d88b027a72ff9f2f66033b46.JPG 

These parts, along with the moeb 4x4  and excellent Fireball resin F250 conversion stuff will work with all the Ford truck kits from '66-'79.

...and the instruction sheet... C'mon Round2, please reissue this one B)

                                                                              DSCN9704.JPG.2fdfd93f212e11548cfc6a2e4d1658a4.JPGDSCN9708.JPG.a49122af503a55c96bfb2dd39a83cafa.JPGDSCN9709.JPG.4954110bfd2f0b1690ac3d13a9fc5efb.JPGDSCN9715.JPG.bf8f8330b86fc48d11c09550f93c3a64.JPG

and here's a link to some thoughts on correcting the proportionally challenged '67-'72 F series trucks released a few years ago, using the amt '73-'79 cab ...

 

Edited by mk11
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  • 1 year later...

I just got this kit. Been passing it over at Hooby Looby for years. Need a Pick Up to tow a race car, and now I got the kit.

(can't tow a Ford Race Car with a Chevy Truck......) 😁

So, now that I'm actually looking at the parts in the box, a couple things jump out.

Wheels, missing Lug Nuts... AMT, Shame on you! and they've never gone back and fixed to molds?  So, any ideas for Wheels? Especially 2WD Wheels? I know Fireball makes killer 4x4 4WD Rims and tires, but if I want a garden variety 2WD F-150? Any Thought?

The Grille, poorly detailed..... I can live with the Chromed Headlights, but the shallow Grille is just bad. I've seen some talk about aftermarket 3D printed replacements. Are any of them ready to go, or is everything all in Mock-Ups?

The rest of the kit looks like it will build into a Down Market F-150 with just a Brush Guard and Roll Bar, the perfect 'Saturday Night Special' for towing a Dirt Track car to the local Bullring.

Some things Round2 did right with this kit. First, The Instructions. The boxing I got includes the directions for both the 2WD & 4WD versions, and all the parts for both are included. Big Thumbs Up, Round2!! That is a well deserved 'Atta-Boy" right there. Included two sets of Dash Decals on the sheet! That is another plus. (Especially since there are NO dash decals on the new '78 Bronco Decal sheet, Now I know where to source my dash gauges for the Bronco Kit.) Re-branded Tires. The old Gates Commando tooling has been revised into "Firestone All Terrain T/C's", and they are great for the 4WD version of the truck.

Two things that I don't like about this kit. First, The Instructions. As much as I liked the inclusion of both 2WD &4WD axles, the directions have been revised recently. The parts map on the front page ahs vanished, always vague directions have gotten moreso. the arrows showing placement for the suspension parts have gotten even more confusing. The Original Instructions (available at the Drastic Plastic website) are somewhat better in this regard, but if ever a kit wanted update building instructions, this is it. Second, this kit has seen a few versions over the years. Star Truk, Boonie Boss & Tuff Truk are three that I can think of. It would have been nice, if a few of the optional parts from other versions had made it into this boxing.  It is a pretty lean kit, contents-wise even with the 2WD/4WD axle option.

Other than that, I like it. I've already started gluing parts and hope to have a rolling chassis by the Weekend.

 

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Texas 3D Customs has a 73 grille that will work with this kit and back date it. If you are looking for 2WD wheels, 1/2 ton (5 lug) can be sourced from MAD. At one time he had some steel wheels with basic Ford truck hub caps. If you want 3/4 ton 8 lugs, the new Moebius F-250 has them, probably your best bet until Danny at Scenes Unlimited is back up and running.

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8 hours ago, stavanzer said:

I just got this kit. Been passing it over at Hooby Looby for years. Need a Pick Up to tow a race car, and now I got the kit.

(can't tow a Ford Race Car with a Chevy Truck......) 😁

So, now that I'm actually looking at the parts in the box, a couple things jump out.

Wheels, missing Lug Nuts... AMT, Shame on you! and they've never gone back and fixed to molds?  So, any ideas for Wheels? Especially 2WD Wheels? I know Fireball makes killer 4x4 4WD Rims and tires, but if I want a garden variety 2WD F-150? Any Thought?

The Grille, poorly detailed..... I can live with the Chromed Headlights, but the shallow Grille is just bad. I've seen some talk about aftermarket 3D printed replacements. Are any of them ready to go, or is everything all in Mock-Ups?

The rest of the kit looks like it will build into a Down Market F-150 with just a Brush Guard and Roll Bar, the perfect 'Saturday Night Special' for towing a Dirt Track car to the local Bullring.

Some things Round2 did right with this kit. First, The Instructions. The boxing I got includes the directions for both the 2WD & 4WD versions, and all the parts for both are included. Big Thumbs Up, Round2!! That is a well deserved 'Atta-Boy" right there. Included two sets of Dash Decals on the sheet! That is another plus. (Especially since there are NO dash decals on the new '78 Bronco Decal sheet, Now I know where to source my dash gauges for the Bronco Kit.) Re-branded Tires. The old Gates Commando tooling has been revised into "Firestone All Terrain T/C's", and they are great for the 4WD version of the truck.

Two things that I don't like about this kit. First, The Instructions. As much as I liked the inclusion of both 2WD &4WD axles, the directions have been revised recently. The parts map on the front page ahs vanished, always vague directions have gotten moreso. the arrows showing placement for the suspension parts have gotten even more confusing. The Original Instructions (available at the Drastic Plastic website) are somewhat better in this regard, but if ever a kit wanted update building instructions, this is it. Second, this kit has seen a few versions over the years. Star Truk, Boonie Boss & Tuff Truk are three that I can think of. It would have been nice, if a few of the optional parts from other versions had made it into this boxing.  It is a pretty lean kit, contents-wise even with the 2WD/4WD axle option.

Other than that, I like it. I've already started gluing parts and hope to have a rolling chassis by the Weekend.

 

It takes more than half ton wheels to turn the F-350 Camper Special into an F-150. The bed on the F-350 is totally different as is the wheelbase. The rearend sets back seven inches farther making the wheelbase longer. The wheel openings on the bed are also four inches higher.  

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Now, that's funny. Nobody can decide whether this is an F-350 or F-150, I've seen it marked both ways. Years ago, when I first saw the kit, I thought it was an F-350. But since then, everybody (including Round2/AMT) sometimes calls it an F-150.

I'm confused. F-350 or F-150, will work either way for me.

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56 minutes ago, stavanzer said:

Now, that's funny. Nobody can decide whether this is an F-350 or F-150, I've seen it marked both ways. Years ago, when I first saw the kit, I thought it was an F-350. But since then, everybody (including Round2/AMT) sometimes calls it an F-150.

I'm confused. F-350 or F-150, will work either way for me.

Can't be a F-350 4wd, that has the front suspension for a F-150 4wd. Roger is correct, to build a proper F-150 of that kit, you would need the standard bed, which is available from Kris Morgan at MAD.

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Thanks, Mike & Roger. I understand that the kit is some sort of oddball in the Real World, neither fish nor fowl. But, I needed a Ford Pick Up, and this one was handy, so I guess I'll just call it a Ford.....

I think, I'll just build it OOB, with aftermarket Tires/Wheels, and call it good. The weird Bed does not bother me.

I appreciate the info on how to correct it.

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6 hours ago, keyser said:

It seems to be a F-350 super camper special, I recall original box art mentioning that, and it has the door in the lower bed side.
Found this. https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/ford-super-camper-specials-are-rare-unusual-and-still-cheap/

Interesting and accurate read, thanks for posting keyser. AMT tried to cash in on the 4x4 boom in the late 70's with the Stones kit without giving us a retooled shortbed or standard bed pickup.

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7 hours ago, keyser said:

It seems to be a F-350 super camper special, I recall original box art mentioning that, and it has the door in the lower bed side.
Found this. https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/ford-super-camper-specials-are-rare-unusual-and-still-cheap/

Exactly correct.  This was a special model, F-350, only offered on that generation of F350 by Ford when slide-in campers were a big part of the RV business model.  Would most definitely not have been my choice if i was running AMT at the time (1973/4, just after this gen of F-Series was introduced).   But they probably went to Ford, asked what the top of the line model was, and (from a certain perspective) this would have been a likely answer to that question.

I did a buildup on commission for AMT for their annual Sales Reps meeting of the (IIRC) "Tuff Truck" version (the one with the pseudo dually rear wheel setup); I don't recall it being any trouble to put together, but then again, this was 45+ years ago....TB  

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It was a lot harder to figure out bed was wonky without intarweb. I remember questioning pics in catalog. 
Really long WB, so harder to convert to 8’ or 6’ box. Semi-clone or rework may be worth the effort. Still haven’t bought the kit. 🤦🏻‍♂️

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9 hours ago, Mark said:

This truck has always been an F-350 Camper Special, but the box art illustrations on most of the different issues over the years seems to try to fudge it into looking like an F-150...

They did it pretty much from the get go. The '73 box art on the lid makes it hard to tell if it's a regular LWB or the extended LWB. But, it does show the F-350 Super Camper Special badge on the fender. Side box art clearly shows it being the extended LWB.

The '77 box art on the lid clearly shows a regular LWB and the side art shows the extended LWB. 

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4 hours ago, Luc Janssens said:

Just for argument sake, how much needs change/added to the Amt tool to make it a regular F100 short or long box. and then make the same exercise for Moebius to turn their bump- into a dentside.

Either or, it would be a lot. It would take less effort to turn the 350 into a 150 than it would to turn the bump side into a dent side. I would rather see AMT/Round2 take it on as to see Moebius butcher yet another Ford pickup.

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7 hours ago, Luc Janssens said:

Just for argument sake, how much needs change/added to the Amt tool to make it a regular F100 short or long box. and then make the same exercise for Moebius to turn their bump- into a dentside.

To make the AMT a standard long bed the rear wheel arches need to be moved forward 6mm and have 3 or 4 mm taken out of their height. I've looked at just transplanting the front wheel arches from a second body because the shape is pretty close.

To make the AMT into a short bed you'd have to do the mods above then cut about 30mm out of the cab end of the bed. I would just cut it to the length of a Moebius short bed side if you have one to measure. Plus for either mod you'll need to fix the passenger side inner bed where the tool box is.

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10 minutes ago, Fat Brian said:

To make the AMT a standard long bed the rear wheel arches need to be moved forward 6mm and have 3 or 4 mm taken out of their height. I've looked at just transplanting the front wheel arches from a second body because the shape is pretty close.

To make the AMT into a short bed you'd have to do the mods above then cut about 30mm out of the cab end of the bed. I would just cut it to the length of a Moebius short bed side if you have one to measure. Plus for either mod you'll need to fix the passenger side inner bed where the tool box is.

 bought a copy of Kris his resin bed a few years ago, so only need to section the chassis, but was kinda wondering.

 

Cheers!

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This kit has a lot wrong with it, but the average person probably wouldn't notice most of it. 

The windshield has to be fixed. If using the 78/79 grill, the gas cap needs to be replaced with a rectangular fuel door. The lower body trim isn't supposed to be on a 78/79. I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting, as it's been a couple of years since I built the last of mine. 

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On 9/2/2022 at 4:58 PM, Rbray47 said:

The lower body trim isn't supposed to be on a 78/79.

It is, if you're building a Ranger Explorer package.

1978-ford-f150-ranger-explorer-package-78-f-150-original-condition-1.jpg.43f5896096a64d3bf72445d2df9a3f39.jpg

http://smclassiccars.com/ford/422051-1978-ford-f150-ranger-explorer-package-78-f-150-original-condition.html

1978-ford-f-250-rangerexplorer-4wd-1.jpg.46b31ccdcfa98904a5a1e1ccd470982d.jpg

https://topclassiccarsforsale.com/ford/97739-1978-ford-f-250-rangerexplorer-4wd.html

But it's not on an XLT package, which is what I think the kit emblems say it is.

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