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RETRO REVIEW- AMT '69 Lincoln Continental Annual


Chuck Most

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I'm sure many of you are familiar with AMT's '65 Convertible, and its countless reissues. But that kit actually shares no parts with this one, as AMT updated its Lincoln annuals for 1966, to reflect the subtle but extensive changes made to the 1:1 car for that model year. This kit also shares a few parts with the '66-69 Promos offered by AMT- I test-fit a few parts from a dismantled '67 promo with parts from this kit and they fit perfectly.

The box top- which displays the custom building verison.

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The side panel, which outlines some of the kit's features and the 'custom' engine- more on that in a minute...

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End panel, which shows off the factory stock building version-

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Overall, it's exactly what you'd expect from a typical annual kit of the period- chassis has all the underside detail molded in place, interior is a tub with faint but believable side panel engraving, and there are metal axles fore and aft.

One thing the old annuals always got perfect (or at least very good) was the body proportions- other than a grille insert that's just a bit too short (mostly due to the way it installs- you slip it up into the bumper/grille from underneath) and headlamps that look just a touch underscale (not to mention molded to the chromed bezels), the kit most clearly looks right.

About that 'custom' engine. Unlike the familiar '65, the MEL in this kit is stock-only, but completely chrome plated. This isn't the correct engine for a '69 Continental- the MEL began being phased out in early 1968 in favor of the new 385-series (429/460) big block. While some early '68 models did have the MEL, by 1969 the 385-series was the only available engine. So to be completely correct you'd need to rob the engine from a Revell '70 Torino and make a few minor detail changes, as well as graft the automatic from the Lincoln onto the 385, as Lincolns were not available with manual transmissions in 1969. That being said, the engine in this kit is a very good representation of a 462 MEL, and though it does have a hole in the block for the metal axle, it isn't the huge notch you're accustomed to seeing and is easily filled in. I believe at one point Missing Link sold a resin repop of this engine, which is a much better looking (and somwhat more detailed) engine than the one in the '65 reissues, and would be a good swap into one of those.

Other highlights are the printed narrow whites, the decals (which still worked, 43 years later) which are printed on one big sheet of carrier film, so you'll need to trim around the decals otherwise you'll have a LOT of visible carrier film when you apply them, and I have to say I really dig that '69 vintage AMT box art!

This was the last Lincoln kit produced by AMT (as an annual or otherwise), and I kind of wonder if the tooling for it still exists. The '65 tooling obviously survives- it was last reissued about five years ago. This kit, on the other hand, hasn't resurfaced since the year of its introduction. If it does I hope that Round 2 sees fit to bring it back- bonus points if they tool up a correct 385-series engine with automatic. EXTRA bonus points if they do that and still include the very nice MEL.

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And here are a few shots of the finished model. NOTE- I lowered the car by re-drilling the axle holes, used the Kelsey-Hayes wheels from a '66 Park Lane, and dressed up the engine with a '66 Riv air cleaner and Lincoln valve covers from the Double T kit. Aside from that the kit is box stock.

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And just for fun, here it is with a '66 promo, which has been in the family since it was new. My great-uncle got it when he took delivery of his new 1:1 '66 Connie.

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Love this Retro-look back at a great, vintage kit! Thanks for posting it.

Now, I'm the guy that actually "dislikes" the one-piece chassis, and I always replace/retro-fit them with a more detailed unit that has separate suspension pieces/exhausts/shocks etc. If I were to attempt a chassis-replacement on a 1965-69 Connie, what would be a good kit to get those chassis and suspension components from? AMT 1966 Ford Galaxie?

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Love this Retro-look back at a great, vintage kit! Thanks for posting it.

Now, I'm the guy that actually "dislikes" the one-piece chassis, and I always replace/retro-fit them with a more detailed unit that has separate suspension pieces/exhausts/shocks etc. If I were to attempt a chassis-replacement on a 1965-69 Connie, what would be a good kit to get those chassis and suspension components from? AMT 1966 Ford Galaxie?

Nope...the Continentals were still unibody construction through '69. About the only thing close in modern tooling (and it would probably require tweaks) would be the AMT '62 Thunderbird convertible.

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Love this Retro-look back at a great, vintage kit! Thanks for posting it.

Now, I'm the guy that actually "dislikes" the one-piece chassis, and I always replace/retro-fit them with a more detailed unit that has separate suspension pieces/exhausts/shocks etc. If I were to attempt a chassis-replacement on a 1965-69 Connie, what would be a good kit to get those chassis and suspension components from? AMT 1966 Ford Galaxie?

What Rob said. The chassis from the newer-tool (1990's-era) AMT '62 T-Bird would be the best choice for that. You'd need to stretch the wheelbase and find a suitable MEL engine (if you are using a '69 kit- as I said, early '68 and older Connies would have the MEL, use a 385-series for a most '68's and all '69's).

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Ron and Steve- feel free to take part in the cruise- though we might need a small business loan in order to foot the gas bill if we go on a full-blown road trip! :lol:

They were more or less the same basic design from 1961 to 1969, but that 'generation' is split into the '61-65 and '66-69 series because in 1966 the car was restyled. It became a bit more 'square rigged' than the earlier models (not that the Connies of this style were ever swoopy-looking or anything B) ). The 'dirty parts' pretty much remained the same throughout the run, though there were a few tweaks and redesigns here and there as the years wore on.

Lincoln Continental was the only available four-door convertible model produced by an American manufacturer in the 1960's. The 1966 redesign also brought a two-door model, previously in the decade the only two-door Lincoln was the Continental Mark- the standard Continental was only available as a four-door sedan or convertible.

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