14 replies to this topic

[Stang88]

Kind of new to car building, have never owned an AMT kit as I have never really heard anything good about them.  I love 60/70/s muscle cars and have about 25 kits now, mostly Revell the odd Monogram. 

 

Looking for feedback (like a poll I guess) of the top 10 AMT muscle car kits every produced (if there is as many as 10).

 

From some reviews I read so far I can only list 4:

 

- 1969 Olds Hurst

- 1970 Camaro

- 1971 Charger

- 1969 GTX

 

 

[mikemodeler]

There will always be some good with the bad Michael. The ones you have listed are decent kits (and in some cases the only game in town) but your best bet would be to list YOUR top 10 cars you want to build and then ask for help in finding the best kits available to satisfy your needs.

 

For example, Revell has the better of the 69 Camaro kits available and for accuracy, the Monogram and AMT kits for that model should be avoided.

[Edsel-Dan]

There are 2 versions of that 69 Olds, The 442 W-30 And the Hurst. also the 

68 Road Runner is the original form of that 69 GTX. The GTX is available in 3 forms. Convertible,

Hardtop and Pro-Street hardtop.

 

Their 66 442 is a nice kit, and also available in both Hardtop & convertible issues.

The Hardtop being re-issued recently

Don't over look the 60 Ford Starliner. The recent re-issue has Both Stock & custom/Street Machine

parts in one box this time.

Their 71 Duster is also a Modern tool and Muscle car appropriate.

 

I see 70 Camaro in his list not 69!! Completely different car.

That one I do not have!!

[Nick Winter]

Everyone Rags on AMT, I love them,

 

Top AMT Muscle cars I can think of:

 

'68 RoadRunner/ '69 GTX (hardtop & Convertible are nice)

'70 Coronet Superbee

'70 1/2 Camaro (Z/28 & Baldwin Motion are nice)

'69 Olds 4-4-2 (W30 & Hurst are both great)

'71 Duster 340

'71 Charger R/T

'66 Nova

'66 Fairlane (Gt/GTA & 427 versions are nice)

'67 Mustang Gt

'67 Mercury Comet

 

I'm probably forgetting a few, I have, had or have built all of these

[Edsel-Dan]

I forgot a few of those Good kits, and I even have them. 66 Nova, 66 GT/GTA & 67 Mustang!!

 

The 66 Ford Fairlane GT/GTA has 2 separate Transmissions. a manual for the GT

and an Automatic for the GTA. The 67 Comet is based on this kit.

 

One thing. The 70 Coronet Super Bee is an Original MPC Annual with the 68/9 Runner/GTX

chassis.

It still has the Original issue's Tub interior instead of the type in the AMT 68/69 Plymouth's

You Will have to shave/sand/file/trim the interior tub & chassis to get them to fit each other,

And you will also have to trim the windows to fit the body & interior as they are also from the Modern tool 68/9 kit

[Nick Winter]

One thing. The 70 Coronet Super Bee is an Original MPC Annual with the 68/9 Runner/GTX

chassis.

It still has the Original issue's Tub interior instead of the type in the AMT 68/69 Plymouth's

You Will have to shave/sand/file/trim the interior tub & chassis to get them to fit each other,

And you will also have to trim the windows to fit the body & interior as they are also from the Modern tool 68/9 kit

 

It's still not a horrible kit, as a builder it's not like every revell fits perfectly either, it is nice when put together.

 

Nick

[Erik Smith]

AMT has been through ups and downs in the model industry. They have a mixed bag too, quality wise, but have graced us with some great models.

I haven't built all the AMT muscle kits, not even close, but I can throw in my two pennies...

1962 Pontiac Catalina (yeah, maybe not technically a "muscle", but pretty close, and an awesome kit!

1966 Ford Fairlane 427 (Best FE out there?)

1966 Nova SS (ground breaking in terms of parts and engineering at the time)

1971 Charger RT (one I just "discovered", a great kit all around)

1970 Monte Carlo

1967 Mustang GT

1966 Olds 442

There are others I will remember as soon as I hit post...

Oh, 1970 1/2 Camaro

Edited by Erik Smith, 02 March 2013 - 06:00 PM.

[Stang88]

Thanks guys, great feed back.  Wonder why AMT does not release new 60/70/s muscle car kits, it looks like all they release now is reissues or the modern 2008-2013 Camaro, Corvette, Challenger, etc.  It's a shame.

[Edsel-Dan]

Hopefully they will eventually get back to tooling up full detail kits like these listed, but for now 

they are at least giving us Something new. Even if it is only unassembled Promos of Modern day cars.

Better than Not giving us anything and being gone from the market altogether.

 

I do like the 70 Coronet kit. I have a Retro-Deluxe issue. And would buy more if I could!!!!

I just wish it still had the Police car parts from the Original Annual issue!!

Just stating the info for others who have not seen it/don't have the kit

[niteowl7710]

Couple of other kits that skirt around the genre you're asking about would include

 

'62 BelAir 409 (a "bubble top" rather than the more formal HT that Revell just did)

 

'62 T-Bird - the newest Round 2 issue has all the Custom parts that were tooled, but never run before AMT imploded in the late '90's

 

'66 Riviera - a new tool in the mid-90's not derived from the '66 annual or the oft-reissued '69 annual

 

'68 El Camino - granted it's a truck, but one that's more muscle car than pick-up

 

'67 Impala SS

 

The '62 Impala and '66 Olds (as others mentioned) are also available in Convertible versions, but are trimmed more "up market" toward luxury than muscle car.

Edited by niteowl7710, 02 March 2013 - 07:58 PM.

[Stang88]

What about the 70 Chevelle?

[W-409]

Some of AMT kits are excellent, some of them are not so excellent. I have built a few Muscle Car kits myself, and then I've seen pictures of others or then I've seen what's inside the box at my friend's place.

 

'66 Oldsmobile 442 W30

'67 Impala SS

'71 Plymouth Duster

'66 Nova

'67 Chevrolet Chevelle (Both, AMT and Revell have good kits of this car).

'70 Camaro Baldvin Motion

'66 Fairlane 427

 

And then there are some kits that could be like "Muscle Before A Muscle Car"...

'62 Catalina

'62 Bel Air Bubbletop

[niteowl7710]

What about the 70 Chevelle?

 

Not a bad kit, but it's an older tool that has a metal rear axle and tub style interior etc.  The Monogram/Revell tool is probably just as good, but it's 1:24 (if the whole 1/24 vs. 1/25 thing bothers you).

 

Round 2 just reissued the '67 Mustang Shelby GT-350, that's a nice new tool kit from the AMT/Ertl "heyday".  But the '68 Mustang that was put out a few years back when they first started really getting the old tools flowing is a old school/old tool kit with metal rear axle.  The '69 Plymouth GTX was repopped in 2011 (along with the '62 T-Bird and '66 4-4-2), and the '68 Roadrunner is going to be reissued later this year (Round 2's site says September).

Edited by niteowl7710, 03 March 2013 - 10:25 AM.

[mikemodeler]

The recently re-issued 66 Mustang builds up nicely and while not a Muscle car like a big block Chevy/Ford/Mopar, it was the beginning of the muscle car era.

[kelson]

Amt's 70-72 LT-1 corvettes are pretty nice as well