Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

What "Classic" AMT Kits Had Interchangeable Engines?


Recommended Posts

The '28 Two door was a MOPAR 413 with some great cast iron Stock exhaust manifolds. Too bad they were just for display, 28_A_04-vi.jpg

Thanks! I'll note that on the list and give you credit. BTW, whatever happened to this kit? Has it ever been reissued?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just my opinion: the '32 Ford five window Chevy Small Block has to be the worst rendition ever. :o

CCI03042010_00002-vi.jpg

I think I've seen worse, but I can't think of one right offhand. I built one of these maybe 20 years ago. I put a '57 FI unit from a Revell '57 Chevy on it, and I think different valve covers, and I think it ended up looking the part, more or less. I forget what I did for exhausts on it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Was there a "Swap Program" ? Or was it pretty much just by design? Or coincidence? :huh:

If the motor mounts all match up, and the distance from motor mount to end of the transmission is the same in all cases, that says to me that somebody had some kind of a plan going on. B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

'49 Ford—Cadillac (not sure this kit was part of this swap program)

These guys were a little bit different with their "axle" holes.

(Made necessary by the use of metal axles used to mount the wheels front and back. :o )

Of course these later year kit offerings had longer transmissions. :(

1949FordCoupeAMT2-vi.jpg1950Ford8VAFlatheadV8Engineand3SPDTransm

Edited by Greg Myers
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not altogether sure that AMT's designers back in those early days really considered "interchangeability" all that much when they started out with the Trophy Series, but it sure did turn out to be very much the case.

Had such interchangeability been planned from the get-go, it seems to me that it would have been advertised from the get-go, and yet I think the first "advertising" mention was in an early "column" by Bud "The KAT from AMT" Anderson (no relation BTW), but that was at least a couple of years after the introduction of the '32 Ford roadster and coupe, and the '40 Ford kits (1959-60), in which time a number of us older teenaged kids pretty much discovered that such swaps were at least possible, even with a bit of extra work on firewalls or inner fender panels.

This "feature" (if you will) may well have been the inspiration for George Toteff when he left AMT to start MPC, and eventually cooked up the idea of the "Switchers" series of kits though. Toteff was an early designer at AMT, and was credited with coming up with the multiple slide core mold concept for one-piece body shells, among other things.

Art

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This "feature" (if you will) may well have been the inspiration for George Toteff when he left AMT to start MPC, and eventually cooked up the idea of the "Switchers" series of kits though. Toteff was an early designer at AMT, and was credited with coming up with the multiple slide core mold concept for one-piece body shells, among other things.

Art

George might be pleased to know that I'm gonna build up a few of those engines with "switchability" in mind. B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you look closely at the instruction sheet for that Mopar wedge you will see a cut in the engine where the distributor goes. The placement in the picture is misleading but when I built this kit in the '60's I built it correct and the 2 built engines I've picked up in parts lots both have the distributor in the correct spot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

I'm building a copy of a car that was built in our area in the early sixties, and is still in town with just a freshen up by its new owner after sitting in forced storage for years. It's the tall T coupe from AMT and for the engine I'm using the flathead from the '34 sedan kit, (the gold car on the box) it takes a little work on the motor mounts on the frame for it to work but I think it'll be worth it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pretty much any engine will go in any car. It just kinda depends on what your particular definition of "interchangeable" is. :D

5046798987_4b99239628_b.jpg

That engine is a GM-built Allison. The P-51D in the pic has a Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin, although the A models of the Mustang did use the Allison.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...