1/25 AMT '69 Chevrolet Corvair

[unclescott58]

They better get those Yenko Stinger decals right. That's been a problem for us modelers.

Do we know if it will even come with Yenko Stinger decals?

Scott

[Bob Ellis]

I guess we are all sure the Corvair will be in the 1969 box.

You can get the turbo from the ERETL parts pack too, but no plating. The 1967 annual was the last year with it as best as I can tell. Definitely no Corvair kits since 1969 had it on the chrome tree.

I think the 1960-1964 are gone forever. Maybe Revell wold do a '64 Spyder?

[ChrisBcritter]

I remember seeing a four-door conversion done using the rear half of the roof from a '65 Mustang notchback - with some reshaping of the C-pillars it looked very good.

[horsepower]

Isn't the Corvair kit being released the funny car version, or are they now releasing two Corvair kits?

[Casey]

are they now releasing two Corvair kits?

Yes, two kits. One a stock '69, the second a Funny Car.

[250 Testa Rossa]

Hopefully it will be worth the wait, and will have much better decals.

[Ron Hamilton]

This an annual '65 Corsa, which is in line for primer, paint and finishing. I mocked it up to check for fit, and it is ready to be done.

I love Corvairs.

[Snake45]

One of the first two AMT kits I ever bought was the '66 Corvair Corsa (the other was the '66 Riviera--I honestly don't remember which came first). It's long gone but I still have the instruction sheet and possibly a few random parts. I bought a Yenko Stinger reissue in the '70s, and I think I've bought at least one of every reissue since. I think I have about five of them now. I really must get around to building some of them one of these days.

[250 Testa Rossa]

This an annual '65 Corsa, which is in line for primer, paint and finishing. I mocked it up to check for fit, and it is ready to be done.

I love Corvairs.

I would love to see it when it's done. What color is it going to be? And I've got one with a damaged roof. Not sure if I should make it a convertible or not.

[jbwelda]

I have long wanted to build one of these, probably lowered in the weeds with an SCCA look to it. I always thought the body design was very handsome and with it low with the nose a bit lower, they really look slick.

jb

[Bob Ellis]

See if you can find the 66, 67 and 69 Corvair kits in the pile.

The photo was taken in 1978. I sold pretty much everything over a 20 year period.

[vairnut]

Be real nice to get some decent tires this time around. Every release since the Prestige kit has had funky tires in it. Way too small in diameter. Even though the full size cars used 13" they were tall and skinny. The original kit stock tires as in Ron's 1965 post were 1" diameter. The stock and optional tires in the last couple releases were about 1/8" too small.

As for decals - there was only 1 1969 Yenko built, and it was all white. The Goodyear tire test car. The parts for a Yenko should be included as they've been in all releases since the annuals. For good decals there is a Cady sheet. Actual Stinger stickers were chrome foil so don't expect that in a kit. Be great to get a photo etch detail set with 1960 - 69 emblems/scripts or a Keith Mark's decal that would cover all years, including Fitch Sprint and Stinger items.

Of course there are aftermarket correct tires availabe in something other than styrene from a company with a german like 2nd part of their name. That also now offers a 1964 Spyder coupe kit. Yes, it would be great to have it all new in plastic but I'm darn glad it's available at all ! Just bring it up to make it known there is stuff out there.

I've just dug out a rebuildable 1965 HT kit as well - think it's going to have the top removed and be Evening Orchid.

I do have a few restorable or builder Corvair models to stay busy for a while yet - most of the early year ones:

Edited October 25, 2014 by vairnut

[Casey]

The '68 annual kit box was marked "for 1968", meaning that AMT (not doing a promotional model for '68) did not have information on the 1:1 '68 when they produced the kit.

The '66 box:

[jbwelda]

>The '68 annual kit box was marked "for 1968", meaning that AMT (not doing a promotional model for '68) did not have

>information on the 1:1 '68 when they produced the kit.

I don't get it...what is that supposed to mean,. "for 1968". I see it there on the box and it seems associated with "AMT" as in "AMT For 1968" but I still do not get the connection to not having information on the 1:1. how would that language explain it?

plus that box art illustration makes it look like it has Camaro rear fenders, from the roof rear pillar back. those wheels even look like rally sport wheels, at least as blurred out on the rear.

jb

[Casey]

plus that box art illustration makes it look like it has Camaro rear fenders, from the roof rear pillar back. those wheels even look like rally sport wheels, at least as blurred out on the rear.

See the '66 box for the explanation on the C-pillars...or this: http://www.corvaircorsa.com/fitch.html

The aftermarket 5-slot wheels are 13" Ansen Sprint wheels.

[250 Testa Rossa]

Be real nice to get some decent tires this time around. Every release since the Prestige kit has had funky tires in it. Way too small in diameter. Even though the full size cars used 13" they were tall and skinny. The original kit stock tires as in Ron's 1965 post were 1" diameter. The stock and optional tires in the last couple releases were about 1/8" too small.

As for decals - there was only 1 1969 Yenko built, and it was all white. The Goodyear tire test car. The parts for a Yenko should be included as they've been in all releases since the annuals. For good decals there is a Cady sheet. Actual Stinger stickers were chrome foil so don't expect that in a kit. Be great to get a photo etch detail set with 1960 - 69 emblems/scripts or a Keith Mark's decal that would cover all years, including Fitch Sprint and Stinger items.

Of course there are aftermarket correct tires availabe in something other than styrene from a company with a german like 2nd part of their name. That also now offers a 1964 Spyder coupe kit. Yes, it would be great to have it all new in plastic but I'm darn glad it's available at all ! Just bring it up to make it known there is stuff out there.

I've just dug out a rebuildable 1965 HT kit as well - think it's going to have the top removed and be Evening Orchid.

I do have a few restorable or builder Corvair models to stay busy for a while yet - most of the early year ones:

I agree with you on those Stinger decals. And I've got at least nine of the previous issues of the AMT kits including the '65 Corsa annual with a damaged roof, and a '66 annual that's been converted to a Yenko Stinger. Not sure what I should do about the damaged roof, but I've got at least three Yenko Stingers I'm working on right now.

[ToyLvr]

As a confessed Corvair nut, I'm happy to see any Corvair kit reissued.

Of course, if I had it my way, I sure would like to see AMT reissue a pre-'65 Vair. Likewise, wouldn't it be great if some model manufacturer would tool-up a decent Corvair truck or Van? All we've ever had was that miserable little Premier kit claiming to replicate the Corvair "Rampside" pickup.

Well, there's at least one Rampside model out there that I've seen. One of the members of my local model club, Ken Knose, decided to build one. See the attached photos. Believe it or not, the basis for the truck was the Lindberg reissue of the old "Little Red Wagon" Dodge. He built the Rampside without the benefit of having seen one, just working from a handful of magazine photos for reference.

The other truck in the photo is Ken's Ford "Econoline", which likewise started out as a Little Red Wagon!

Edited October 25, 2014 by ToyLvr

[Guest]

That is cool. Is it just me or is there no glass in those models?

[mnwildpunk]

I noticed that too

[MrObsessive]

Question for you Corvair experts:

Would the floorpan (save for the rear suspension) be the same for the earlier '60-'64 Corvairs? Someday I'd like to redo some older Corvair models that I have, but I hate the molded in stuff that's in those kits. Did Chevrolet simply put a new bodyshell on the existing Corvair frame, or were there new floor stampings as well?

I know the rear suspension was totally changed with U-joints at each end of the driveshafts for better handling, I'm just wondering about the floorpan itself.

Thanks guys!

[ToyLvr]

That is cool. Is it just me or is there no glass in those models?

Lee:

Yes, there is glass in them. Ken uses clear sheet plastic and custom-forms it to fit.

[Casey]

wouldn't it be great if some model manufacturer would tool-up a decent Corvair truck or Van? All we've ever had was that miserable little Premier kit claiming to replicate the Corvair "Rampside" pickup.

Maybe for the 103 people who would buy one, but in all honesty, it's such an oddball vehicle that I doubt most people even know they exist...not a good thing for possible future sales of a kit. A Corvair Rampside Pickup is the perfect candidate for an aftermarket resin trans kit, tough, using the soon-to-be reissued '69 as the main parts donor.

[ToyLvr]

Question for you Corvair experts:

Would the floorpan (save for the rear suspension) be the same for the earlier '60-'64 Corvairs? Someday I'd like to redo some older Corvair models that I have, but I hate the molded in stuff that's in those kits. Did Chevrolet simply put a new bodyshell on the existing Corvair frame, or were there new floor stampings as well?

I know the rear suspension was totally changed with U-joints at each end of the driveshafts for better handling, I'm just wondering about the floorpan itself.

Thanks guys!

Bill:

There's actually three (3) distinct floor pans for the Corvair cars (not counting the truck version). They all look similar to the casual observer. The 1960 VaIr is sometimes referred to by Corvair purists as "the only real Corvair", and it is Starting with the '61, there were several changes. None of the model kits do a very good job with replicating the floor, IMHO.

The main difference, besides the rear suspension which you noted, is the '65-'69 units have a heat duct running the length of the floor from the engine to front of the interior, so the floor stampings were definitely different. The '61 - '64 had hoses *inside* the rocker panels to carry the heat to the cabin. The 60 Corvair had a gas heater, located in the front trunk area. I could ramble on all day about the visual differences. The main point is that you can't just graft the AMT '69 Corvair chassis into your pre-'65 models if you want them to look prototypically correct.

[ToyLvr]

Maybe for the 103 people who would buy one, but in all honesty, it's such an oddball vehicle that I doubt most people even know they exist...not a good thing for possible future sales of a kit. A Corvair Rampside Pickup is the perfect candidate for an aftermarket resin trans kit, tough, using the soon-to-be reissued '69 as the main parts donor.

Casey:

There is so much dimensional and mechanical difference between the '69 Corvair coupe and the Corvair "truck" that virtually nothing from the AMT kit would be usable except the engine, and even that has several differences.

Now, as far as how many people know the Corvair van and truck exist, and whether they'd be a good candidate for a kit, I know that I'd be fighting an uphill in trying to convince the model companies to manufacturer a new kit. But I believe there'd be a whole lot more interest than you think.

Keeping in mind the demographics of the "average" car modeler these days (an oft discussed topic here on the forum), I'd bet you that the vast majority are old enough to know about the Corvair Van/Truck, and would have some interest in it. Although the the "Rampside" and "Loadside" pickup trucks were limited production, Chevy made thousands of Corvair passenger vans and panel vans (even an "8-door" version), and they were a common sight on American roads back in the day. In addition to custom possibilites, I think the truck and van would be a very interesting kit for "haulers" and dioramas, etc. Instead of making kits of the same ol' thing, or reissuing the same thing (do we really need more '57 Chevy kits?), how about something different for a change? I think Moebius had the right idea with their Hudson Hornet. Maybe, just maybe......

[vairnut]

Bill,

As far as the real car go the early 1960 - 1964 are completely different than the 1965 - 1969. No underside sheet metal is the same and floor pans do not interchange. For the models the 1965 - 1969 with engines just basically have a hole in the chassis to fit the powertrain in and the rear suspension parts added. The engine compartment on the 1965 - 1969 models is close but not accurate. To add an engine to the 1960 - 1964 models it would be just as easy to modify the original chassis than fitting the later one. The hard part is the early engine compartments were very different than the later ones. The early cars had inner fenders more like wheel wells where the late cars were flat side

panels close to the kit.

These ads have good shots of the early car engine compartment :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-Corvair-Monza-1962-chevy-corvair-monza-coupe-recent-restoration-rust-free-show-stopper-wow-/301341517801?forcerrptr=true&hash=item46295aa7e9&item=301341517801&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-Corvair-Spyder-1963-corvair-monza-spyder-convertible-power-top-/181567514931?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2a46446933&item=181567514931&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

And a couple of the late engine compartment like the 65 - 69 kit:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-Corvair-Corvair-1965-chevy-corvair-convertible-great-driving-car-just-4995-/141448264365?forcerrptr=true&hash=item20eef93aad&item=141448264365&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-Corvair-Monza-1965-classic-chevy-corvair-monza-2-d-coupe-w-huge-genuine-chevrolet-parts-/121467734733?forcerrptr=true&hash=item1c480a8acd&item=121467734733&pt=US_Cars_Trucks