1/25 AMT '63 Chevrolet Impala SS Hardtop

[Mark]

1 minute ago, 250 Testa Rossa said:

Would this be a good starting point for building the Dave Strickler Impala?

Good as any, though this is a bucket seat SS as opposed to the lightweight, bench seat regular Impala.

[mredjr]

Wish they would put some taillights a 409 that didn't look like a blob and fix the sink in the top edge of the drivers door.

Edited May 24, 2019 by mredjr

[Bob Ellis]

On 5/9/2019 at 9:18 AM, Snake45 said:

Now that is a very interesting question. And makes me wonder why we don't still have the Craftsman/promo '66 Skylark, '66 Impala, '65 Olds, etc. 

The 66 Skylark tool is probably lurking somewhere, maybe, not

[Dave Darby]

1 hour ago, Bob Ellis said:

The 66 Skylark tool is probably lurking somewhere, maybe, not

There werent separate promo tools for all of the annuals. The Skylark is a Mod Stocker.

[Dave Darby]

On 5/24/2019 at 1:46 PM, mredjr said:

Wish they would put some taillights a 409 that didn't look like a blob and fix the sink in the top edge of the drivers door.

I don't think the molded in taillights look like blobs   Here's my Prestige issue. Foil and Testors 1204 Dark Red.

[mredjr]

Dave I was talking about the 409 looking like a blob and it does. I does not even look like a 409. I would rather have the taillight but the molded in look ok.

[Dave Darby]

12 hours ago, mredjr said:

Dave I was talking about the 409 looking like a blob and it does. I does not even look like a 409. I would rather have the taillight but the molded in look ok.

Oops, I read your post too quickly. I agree. The engine is a blob. I built two of them neatly identical.  One for a customer (this one) with a mostly kit stock engine, and one for me, which got top end parts swapped in from a Revell 53 Chevy kit. I'll post a photo of that one when I find it. 

[Bob Ellis]

23 hours ago, Dave Darby said:

There werent separate promo tools for all of the annuals. The Skylark is a Mod Stocker.

ERTL fixed the 69 Torino and 65 GTO. Why can't Round2?

[Rob Hall]

1 hour ago, Bob Ellis said:

ERTL fixed the 69 Torino and 65 GTO. Why can't Round2?

That was 30+ years ago, different time and different company.   And Ford and Chevy kits outsell Buick, so the Buick would probably be a riskier investment. 

[Mark]

1 hour ago, Bob Ellis said:

ERTL fixed the 69 Torino and 65 GTO. Why can't Round2?

Ertl retooled most of the GTO kit.  It was their first effort, and it shows.  They reworked some of their initial work, but it's still nowhere near as nice as the early issues.

The Torino fastback was rescued later.  It was the least butchered of the Modified Stocker kits: unlike others, AMT didn't remove the windshield wipers or mess with the bumpers.  Ertl had to tool new outer body sides, and a few other parts like seats and wheels.  The other kits weren't so fortunate.  It would probably be cheaper and easier to tool an entire new kit than fix the butchery in most cases.

[Luc Janssens]

16 minutes ago, Mark said:

Ertl retooled most of the GTO kit.  It was their first effort, and it shows.  They reworked some of their initial work, but it's still nowhere near as nice as the early issues.

The Torino fastback was rescued later.  It was the least butchered of the Modified Stocker kits: unlike others, AMT didn't remove the windshield wipers or mess with the bumpers.  Ertl had to tool new outer body sides, and a few other parts like seats and wheels.  The other kits weren't so fortunate.  It would probably be cheaper and easier to tool an entire new kit than fix the butchery in most cases.

Wonder what the cost would be to reverse engineer the Buick Skylark as..

a ) an unassembled promo

b ) the annual glue kit (but with clear headlamps

and what numbers it has to sell to break even

If someone here has a direct open line with the decision makers at Round-2 , for them to do a poll on FB, so they can curb feel if there interest reverse engineering old kits, and if yes which ones would be the most popular...IMHO there's nothing wrong with probing

 

 

Just thinking out loud....

 

Edited June 21, 2019 by Luc Janssens

[Casey]

A few screenshots from the Round2 September releases video which are pertinent to the AMT '63 Chevy Impala SS kit being discussed:

 

Decal sheet:

 

Some geegaws and custom parts:

 

Here's the parts layout. I don't see a radiator among the newly crated parts (advanced custom hood, battery, firewall, and some other small parts) at the extreme right edge:

[Rob Hall]

4 minutes ago, Casey said:

 

 

Here's the parts layout. I don't see a radiator among the newly crated parts (advanced custom hood, battery, firewall, and some other small parts) at the extreme right edge:

Part 71 is shaped like a radiator...

[Casey]

15 minutes ago, Rob Hall said:

Part 71 is shaped like a radiator...

I think that's the retooled battery? Here's the original instruction sheet showing the battery and radiator:

[stavanzer]

Part 71 looks too big for a battry. Notice the Engine Lowers insert and the fact that the Engine is still the same simplified tool from before. The Heads and Intake are a one piece casting. Looks like you need the Round2 '64 if you want a good engine. Only 4 tires, as well.

But, the decals look good.

Edited September 1, 2019 by alexis
Added Content

[250 Testa Rossa]

Count me in too. I want to do a couple super stock versions of this car. 

[Casey]

Has it ever been positively determined (perhaps that's not possible, though) why the separate, red transparent tail lights disappeared from the AMT '63 Impala SS kit, and were molded into the body? An AMT Craftsman series model showing the separate (though installed) tail lights:

[Rob Hall]

2 minutes ago, Casey said:

Has it ever been positively determined (perhaps that's not possible, though) why the separate, red transparent tail lights disappeared from the AMT '63 Impala SS kit, and were molded into the body? An AMT Craftsman series model showing the separate (though installed) tail lights:

 

I recall reading there was a simplified version made in the 70s/80s and the firewall and red taillights disappeared then.   I think the taillights were molded in by the time the Prestige Series kit came out in the late 80s.   

[Mark]

In the mid-Seventies the Impala was reworked to add the opening hood (different from the original one) and simplified engine.  This version was never released at that time.  That's likely when the separate taillight lenses were eliminated.  AMT was eliminating separate red lenses from other kits around the same time, probably to simplify production and eliminate a position or two in the plant.  They were also eliminating some clear parts in kits, probably to allow clear part sets for more kits to be molded at one time...again, getting rid of a person or two in the plant.

[Casey]

On 9/20/2019 at 10:07 AM, Rob Hall said:

I recall reading there was a simplified version made in the 70s/80s and the firewall and red taillights disappeared then.  I think the taillights were molded in by the time the Prestige Series kit came out in the late 80s.   

Yes, they definitely were molded as one with the body shell for the Prestige series reissue.

On 9/20/2019 at 10:11 AM, Mark said:

In the mid-Seventies the Impala was reworked to add the opening hood (different from the original one) and simplified engine.  This version was never released at that time.  That's likely when the separate taillight lenses were eliminated.

That's interesting. I recall previous discussion regarding the simplification/elimination of the clear parts here on the forum, but didn't remember reading about tail lights being molded in, too. 

So, if I understand correctly, there was the original issue, #6723 in 1963, then the kit wasn't reissued until the 1988 Prestige series kit?

 

Here are some content pics from an eBay listing of the original issue #6723 kit:

 

And one of the parts from the Prestige series reissue, showing the custom grille inserts and hand tools which were included, but not plated:

[magicmustang]

On 5/19/2019 at 3:24 PM, 250 Testa Rossa said:

Would this be a good starting point for building the Dave Strickler Impala?

Redid my engine bay on my Dave Strickler '63 Impala (Craftsman). I had used the firewall and radiator from the AMT '64 Impala (which are now in the new release of the '63 Impala) and the air cleaner and 409 from the AMT Dave Strickler '62 Belair. 

[250 Testa Rossa]

13 minutes ago, magicmustang said:

Redid my engine bay on my Dave Strickler '63 Impala (Craftsman). I had used the firewall and radiator from the AMT '64 Impala (which are now in the new release of the '63 Impala) and the air cleaner and 409 from the AMT Dave Strickler '62 Belair. 

I'll be doing the same thing with this one. 

[Mark]

4 hours ago, Casey said:

Yes, they definitely were molded as one with the body shell for the Prestige series reissue.

That's interesting. I recall previous discussion regarding the simplification/elimination of the clear parts here on the forum, but didn't remember reading about tail lights being molded in, too. 

So, if I understand correctly, there was the original issue, #6723 in 1963, then the kit wasn't reissued until the 1988 Prestige series kit?

 

Here are some content pics from an eBay listing of the original issue #6723 kit:

 

And one of the parts from the Prestige series reissue, showing the custom grille inserts and hand tools which were included, but not plated:

The Impala was issued a couple of times in the late Sixties, but in the simplified unassembled promo form.  Once as a Craftsman series kit, and also as the tow car in a drag team kit.  The promo and kit were derived from one tool, there were not two (as I had long thought).  I have neither the Craftsman kit nor the drag team kit, but I am led to believe that both still had red taillight lense pieces.  It was during the Seventies that AMT was altering some kits to reduce costs, that is when the separate lenses were likely eliminated.  But that version of the kit (stock only, with separate hood and simplified engine) was not released at that time.  Ertl later united it with the remaining parts from the annual hardtop kit (the asymmetrical custom parts were not in the convertible) to create the Prestige series kit.  

[Casey]

3 hours ago, Mark said:

The Impala was issued a couple of times in the late Sixties, but in the simplified unassembled promo form.  Once as a Craftsman series kit, and also as the tow car in a drag team kit.  The promo and kit were derived from one tool, there were not two (as I had long thought).  I have neither the Craftsman kit nor the drag team kit, but I am led to believe that both still had red taillight lense pieces.

After posting I did find this image of the Chevelle Drag Team, though I want to say that last time I posted the same image you noticed a few things were missing, so I didn't want to imply the image showed both kits, complete. At any rate, here it (they) is (are) again:

 

A clear shot of the transparent red tail light pieces from an original issue #6723 kit:

[Dave Darby]

25 minutes ago, Casey said:

After posting I did find this image of the Chevelle Drag Team, though I want to say that last time I posted the same image you noticed a few things were missing, so I didn't want to imply the image showed both kits, complete. At any rate, here it (they) is (are) again:

 

A clear shot of the transparent red tail light pieces from an original issue #6723 kit:

Is that from an ebay auction? Looks to me like somebody subbed a Prestige issue 63 Impala for the original. It has the later style ooening hood, crude engine and molded in tailights.