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AMT 1966 Buick Wildcat


Joe Handley

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Too much trouble changing the tool for AMT and MPC (though Johan ran their Caddy engines the same for years).

MPC was notorious for regurgitating their tools. The '73 Mustang kit has parts from the '66.

I don't remember MPC ever offering a '66 Mustang? Nor a '67 or '68. Did they?

Scott

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Yes, fathers 'Cat was a 65.And NO it did Not have the twin-pod

type dash.

I remember it had the round Buick medallion in the center of the grill that only MT's 65

had.

My brother & I both got 66 Annuals of the 'Cat kit at a Hardware store on Chincoteague

Island, and were refering to dad's as either. We were corrected a few times that it was a 65.

I do remember it was Demo at what was then Powel Buick in Salisbury (Md.)

I am trying to find pictures of the car, but those are OLD to say the least and likely moved many times

from one storage closet to another without rhyme or reason, so....................................

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  • 2 years later...

I'm working on restoring a "survivor" original annual '66 Wildcat I scored for $8 at the local toy show a couple months ago. Doing some research (I have an original showroom brochure), I discovered that not only are the nameplates not right for '66, the body side trim doesn't look like anything I've been able to find a picture of. 

Oh well, I'm driving on and laying my usual Snake-fu on the thing, just to get it on the shelf. Here's what it looked like when I started. I'm working with the original red paint, which was in much worse shape than the pics portray, but I'm saving just because it's a relic/survivor. 

66Wildcat02.jpg.4f09f9bd3c22f97b67500c06fbcffc0c.jpg

66Wildcat04.jpg.492c9ec68bf7bfbd337f357f1025de54.jpg

 

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9 hours ago, ZTony8 said:

The kit has GS moldings and in between those ribs there's supposed to be a red stripe. Good luck.

 

Yeah, I figgered that out, but it looks like it has too many of them--three raised strips instead of two. Looks like the bottom one should be removed. But as I said, I'm driving on with what's here. I'll take a better look at "fixing" it if I ever get around to building one of my reissues. 

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15 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I'm working on restoring a "survivor" original annual '66 Wildcat I scored for $8 at the local toy show a couple months ago. Doing some research (I have an original showroom brochure), I discovered that not only are the nameplates not right for '66, the body side trim doesn't look like anything I've been able to find a picture of. 

Oh well, I'm driving on and laying my usual Snake-fu on the thing, just to get it on the shelf. Here's what it looked like when I started. I'm working with the original red paint, which was in much worse shape than the pics portray, but I'm saving just because it's a relic/survivor. 

66Wildcat02.jpg.4f09f9bd3c22f97b67500c06fbcffc0c.jpg

66Wildcat04.jpg.492c9ec68bf7bfbd337f357f1025de54.jpg

 

Wow, that's in incredible condition for an original issue, down to the intact hood ornament!

I built a reissue version from the "Customizing Series", probably around '88?  Sprayed it in Testors metallic blue with a white interior.  (Back then, when I did a white interior EVERYTHING got spayed Testors flat white, including dash and floor)  It's on my eventual rebuild list.

With the promo-style chassis, there's really not that many parts to blow apart and reassemble.  Wouldn't mind getting another one of these kits.  If you're building it box stock, it can be a quick and dirty slump buster.

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1 hour ago, Robberbaron said:

Wow, that's in incredible condition for an original issue, down to the intact hood ornament!

Ain't it the truth! I decided I just couldn't live with the hood ornament, so decided to break it off. But instead of just grabbing and yanking it, I wiggled and twisted it gently for a while, and would you believe it came out intact, stem and all, even though it had been tube-glued? :blink: I carefully saved it and am going to tape it to the back of the interior tub as a nice surprise for the next owner. 

Oh, I know it's an original (I thought it was a reissue when I bought it) because it's molded in white, and because the old-school tires have eaten into the wheel backs (though not into the chrome-plated wheel fronts). 

Was just reading that original '66 showroom book. These things had 126" wheelbases! :blink:

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The whitewalls are on the inside. 

I thought before the Firestone Supremes, AMT was using taller, thinner tires like these. I know most of the 1966s I bought back in the day had the Supremes, but I think some of the older Sting Rays I've bought have these tires, or something like them. 

This road ark needs all the tire diameter it can get. Firestone Supremes would get lost in its wheel caves. 

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Maybe mine's a Customizing Series reissue. It's molded in white. Was the CS Wildcat molded in white? I've got two more recent reissues, both molded in gray (IIRC--one might be light blue). I've been assuming it was original because it's white. 

Whatever. I'm having way more than $8 worth of fun with it. B)

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2 hours ago, Snake45 said:

Was the CS Wildcat molded in white? I've got two more recent reissues, both molded in gray (IIRC--one might be light blue). I've been assuming it was original because it's white. 

Whatever. I'm having way more than $8 worth of fun with it. B)

Mine was.

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  • 1 year later...

I sold mine not long ago. Put it on ebay higher than I ever thought it would go and it sold.  Would like to redo it someday.  Was built at a time when I didn't care that much for that era of stock autos.  But it turned out well.   They really look good finished with modern paint and foil.   And unusual.

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I might have to get another one of those just to graft that custom front end onto an AMT '69 Riviera I have just sitting around being ugly. (Buick achieved styling perfection in the 1966 Riviera and from that point on all they could do was make it a little uglier every year. IMHO, of course.) 

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I just spent big bucks to get a '66 from the 'Bay about 2 months ago.  Now this.......... Frustrating. Of Course I'll be having the new one too. Fresh Decals, Fresh Tires and Fresh Plastic.  Perfection.

 

Anything else you guys want me or Snake to Over-Pay for, so that Round2 will put it back in Production? LOL. :)

 

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41 minutes ago, alexis said:

Anything else you guys want me or Snake to Over-Pay for, so that Round2 will put it back in Production? LOL. :)

I just scored a JoHan '70 Javelin promo (distressed), but I didn't pay huge bucks for it (merely substantial bucks), so my superpower probably won't apply to that. Dernit. :angry:

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Quote

Anything else you guys want me or Snake to Over-Pay for, so that Round2 will put it back in Production? LOL.

The 1/25 MPC 1970/71 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler kit is on the top of my Holy-Grail kits list... that'd be a good one!

Edited by '70 Grande
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