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MPC Chrysler Hydro-Vee "Charger" Boat Kit and Other Boat Kits


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Question on the Rev "Show & Go" Boat. Is that the same as the "Hemi-Hydro"?

I don't think they're exactly the same, but the hull parts appear to be the same. The headers are different between the two kits, though.

Now that I think of it, didn't you do a boat kit history/chronology article in one of the magazines, Tim?

I wonder if that's a real piece of Mahogany included with the Go & Show boat, too, for use on the deck(?)?

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I remember this one. This was a cool little boat and the '64 El Camino wasn't bad either, it had a pretty cool 327 with hop-up options and plenty of chrome. This is the only place I ever remember seeing the boat. I still have the El Camino but, the boat is gone. I kept dropping it and losing the parts and eventually all that was left was the shell. I had it painted yellow and the El Camino Red, always thought they looked good together.

I believe that watercraft is available from Replicas & Miniatures of Maryland.

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I don't think they're exactly the same, but the hull parts appear to be the same. The headers are different between the two kits, though.

Now that I think of it, didn't you do a boat kit history/chronology article in one of the magazines, Tim?

I wonder if that's a real piece of Mahogany included with the Go & Show boat, too, for use on the deck(?)?

Casey....they are esentially the same kit, with a revised seating layout and new headers for the Chrysler engine, and omission of the adhesive real wood veneer that was in the original Show and go kit. I prefer the original interior because the seat sew pattern exactl matches the side upholstery panels.

The parts to convert the |Hemi \hydro back to the Show and Go version are offered as a trans-kit by Norm Veber at Replicas and |Miniatures of |Maryland.

I did do a kit history on 1/25th scale boats in Model Cars magazine, around 2007 or so. I believe I did cover both these kits.

Best regards...TMI

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Here is a Boat kit I built MANY Years ago.

I do not remember the brand. I don't have the instruction sheet or box anymore.

I remember that it had a piece of string/to represent rope, rubber tube for

the exhaust pipes.

I looks like ti falls between 1/25 & 1/32. There Is an engine under the cowl.

The figures from a Revell 59 Ford Almost perfeectly fit the seats. They are sitting there now

Boat-Ls.jpg

Boat-rs.jpg

Anyone recognize it??

It did have a Full Sliding Cabin, but I lost those parts.

I believe I got it in th elate 60's (68-9) to early 70's (70-72)

Edited by Edsel-Dan
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Here is a Boat kit I built MANY Years ago.

I do not remember the brand. I don't have the instruction sheet or box anymore.

I remember that it had a piece of string/to represent rope, rubber tube for

the exhaust pipes.

I looks like ti falls between 1/25 & 1/32. There Is an engine under the cowl.

The figures from a Revell 59 Ford Almost perfeectly fit the seats. They are sitting there now

Boat-Ls.jpg

Boat-rs.jpg

Anyone recognize it??

It did have a Full Sliding Cabin, but I lost those parts.

I believe I got it in th elate 60's (68-9) to early 70's (70-72)

Dan - could this have been the boat that went with a Tonka pickup/boat set from the early 1960's? TIM

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Did Tonka ever offer a Styrene Kit??

No, I bought this as a Separate Kit and Assembled it Many years ago. (68-72)

The Bow tip is a Chrome piece and not yet attached.

There Is an engine under the cowl between the second and third seats.

I almost want to say it was a Lindberg kit, but I do not believe that it is.

I wish I still had either the box or instruction sheet so I would have the info on who's kit it was.

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raysbox_zps7536f2ba.jpg

That Revell kit looks almost identical to this AMT kit, like the one I just scored on the big auction site

mike

Mike...this is an entirely different kit that when assembled looks like anything but the Revell kit. The Good News is that of all the 1/25th scale drag and ski boats, the one you just scored is my most favorite kit. I actually did an article on this exact kit in Model Cars back around 1987 or so - IIRC it was pictured on the cover of that issue.

I think you'll have a ball putting this kit together. Congratulations on your score. TIM

Edited by tim boyd
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... the one you just scored is my most favorite kit. I actually did an article on this exact kit in Model Cars back around 1987 or so - IIRC it was pictured on the cover of that issue.

I think you'll have a ball putting this kit together. Congratulations on your score. TIM

Looking forward to it, Tim, especially after reviewing your excellent gallery. Heck, any of your galleries or buildups are motivating. It unfortunately is a builtup and I can see I might need some parts. Hope maybe you can point me in the right direction for those. Also picked up a hemi hydro as well.

mike

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Hope maybe you can point me in the right direction for those. Also picked up a hemi hydro as well.

mike

Mike...many of the parts (other than the hull and interior) of the Rayson Craft were recycled as the 1968 "Hull Raiser" kit. This later kit was reissued three more times with the most current reissue - the circa 2005 Model King Combo kit with the MPC 1970 Bonneville Convertible - being the most readily available and affordable.

Good luck with the reconstruction and please show us pictures....thanks TIM

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  • 2 weeks later...

Neat subjects...IIRC, wasn't one of the AMT boats reissued in the late '90s?

Looks like the Customizing boat was reissued no too long ago. I think this is mid-'90s packaging?:

The UPC appears to have been added to distinguish it from earlier issues:

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...

Dennis Doty tells an interesting story about this...turns out the boat was a product of a side company run by one of AMT's executives back in the day. The "west" in "westcraft" came from part of his last name.

As in Tom West, or someone else with the same surname at AMT?

Not sure if this Vega Panel Wagon Truck on display at the '71 Chicago Auto Show is pulling a Westcraft boat or not. Looks like it has a front mounted engine unlike the rear engined Westcraft in the '64 ElCo kit:

1971ChevyTrucksWeb22.jpg

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IIRC it was Wes Gallogly, who was one of AMT's top executives back in the late 1950's/early 1960's.

Tom West was never associated with AMT to my knowledge; he did work for Revell, Aurora (via the wonderful 1/16th scale funny car series), Accurate Miniatures, and Galaxie Limited, and also did artwork back in the day for some of the car magazines, as well as DieCast manufacturers.

TB

Edited by tim boyd
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