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

[Bob Ellis]

On 2/1/2013 at 10:41 PM, Don Sikora II said:

 

As far as I know, it only came in the '64 El Camino. It's pretty cool...still have one I fished out of a parts box at the first Milwaukee Miniature Motors show I went to in 1986 or '87.

Westcraft is a play on the name Wes Goolagly who owned AMT. Apparently AMT wanted to sell a 1:1 boat. After 1964, maybe that ship had sailed

[Bob Ellis]

On 2/7/2013 at 4:19 PM, tim boyd said:

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

Looks like the Palmer/Lindberg Century. Round2 rereleased it with the cabin and chrome. 

[Bob Ellis]

On 1/31/2015 at 9:03 PM, tim boyd said:

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

Wes Gallogly was a lawyer who was a buddy with Ford people in the late '40s.He owned AMT. Starting with aluminum, he went to plastic later. He had a friend who started SMP that separated Chevy models from Ford

[Bob Ellis]

On 5/26/2017 at 12:47 AM, alan barton said:

My last boat for now is the Westcraft Go Boat from the AMT 64 El Camino. I found this kit at a New Jersey Toy Fair that Tom Geiger took me to in 2013. The guy wanted $150 US which is closer to $200 Aus.  The guy wouldn't budge a cent so after carefully checking that the body wasn’t warped and that the glass, tyres, decals were all good, I had to suck it up and part with my money. That is easily the most I have ever paid for a model kit but it was a holy grail and with the encouragement of my wife I laid down my money.

When I got home I wanted to build the boat to go behind my 29 Woody first.  I started selecting the parts from the box when "Ohhhhhhh NO!"  Someone had carefully cut all the boat parts off the chrome sprue. Being right in the middle of the sprue I hadn't noticed their absence when I inspected it at the toy fair. You can’t begin to imagine my disappointment.

Anyhow, at least I had the instructions to show me what the missing parts looked like!  I cut an AMT Parts Pack Corvair flat six in half to give me a vertical three cylinder.  The headers are three short bits of solder capped with three ferrules from worn out paint brushes. The other missing bits were salvaged from my parts box. Turns out a strange hood scoop that I had for years was actually an engine cover for a Go Boat!  I now have another  hull and that cover to build a second Go Boat but once again I will have to scratchbuild everything else.

I'll never know if the vendor was a crook or if the guy that sold the kit to him was a crook but at least I now have a complete 64 El Camino and eventually, a complete Go Boat!

Yesterday I picked up my Lindberg 59 Coronado boat kit for just over $50 Aus.  It looks pretty cool – has anyone built one of these yet? It goes against the grain but I think I am going to build mine box stock!

Cheers

Alan

 

Alan

You have illustrated my greatest fear of buying an unbuilt opened box; missing parts.

[Bob Ellis]

On 5/28/2017 at 9:48 AM, alan barton said:

Hey, I got three photos posted before Photoslowbucket did it's usual hissy fit and threw the teddy out of the cot! I'll just have to paint a picture with words from here on.

The pro's of this kit?  Simple, it's a boat.  There are so few boats out there in 1/25th scale that any new boat is a bonus.  I thought I knew my boat kits, thanks in part to Tim's boat chronicles, but I didn't know about this one until I heard of the reissue!  Plus, it is a completely bonkers design which displays everything we love about the excesses of automotive design in the fifties. Also, despite its age and its parents, it's not a bad kit and my experiences so far show it goes together pretty well, with one caveat.

I mentioned the flash.  Flash doesn't usually worry me. Some kits have lots, some have almost none.  It's a part of building a plastic model.  The problem with this kit is that there is so much of it that if you are not very careful, you can trim off part of the actual part.  Which I did.  Twice.  

SO don't be like me and be very careful when you do some test fitting. I should have paid more attention to the actual mating surfaces and not worried about most of the flash until the basic hull was assembled.  Hey, it's not a deal breaker but ti did cost me an hour or two fixing by boo boo.

The way the chrome sprue is arranged means there is a horrible amount of attachment points on the chrome tiara roof band.  You guys could send it off to Chrome tech easy enough but way out here I will just break out the Molotow pens.

I think I will leave it at that and start a build thread for this model.  I'll talk to you all again when Photopluckit starts to play nice again.

Cheer

Alan

 

It's not clear to me what scale this is , though it seems close to 1/25 or larger. Finding a trailer is an issue, as large boats like that need a double axle. I thought about a modified Blueprinter trailer kit with boat supports.

[Bob Ellis]

On 10/12/2018 at 7:39 AM, unclescott58 said:

Yea. HPI guy pointed that one out in his video review of the kit on YouTube. Despite be fairly toy like and in an odd scale (not 1/25), I like looks of this kit. I forgot how impressed I was as a kid with Chrysler boats and motors. At the time, I couldn't understand why GM and Ford didn't offer boats too. Especially Ford. After all these guys offered tractors and serval other products under the Ford label. 

I am glad Round 2 simplified this kit, taking away some of the toy aspects of this kit. I really don't need or want the electric motor the kit had. Just for one simple spinning propeller? It's not worth the effort for that feature to me.

The demise of Chrysler marine was a function of the Ioccoca government loan. Some things had to die. Like Chrysler of South America as well.

[Bob Ellis]

On 2/3/2019 at 8:03 AM, tim boyd said:

All three of these kits had the same boat, the heavily revised "Hull Raiser" variation of AMT's original Rayson-Craft Trophy Series kit introduced in 1963.  The Hull Raiser kit replicated a 1/1 scale Kindsvater hull.  The kit was introduced in 1968 in both the stand alone small flatbox form (the "portrait series" box shown above) and as a combo kit with the "custom" 1968 Firebird (really Camaro) annual kit as shown here 

The "Aqua Rod' version was introduced around 1975, and then the Model King version debuted around 2005-ish.   I wouldn't be surprised to see the "Hull Raiser" resurface again from Round 2 at some point in the future, either as a stand alone or comb kit subject.....Tim 

Rudy Ramos's Rayson Craft boat are related as a kit tool to the Hull Raiser though not exactly the same. The Model King offering was the Hull Raiser and the MPC 1970 Bonneville convertible.

[Bob Ellis]

On 11/27/2019 at 8:17 PM, Casey said:

Fingers still crossed that happens.

Here's the sell sheet for the Rayson Craft boat kit:

That is a Round2 possiblity though some boat hull parts will need to be fashioned.

[alan barton]

14 minutes ago, Bob Ellis said:

It's not clear to me what scale this is , though it seems close to 1/25 or larger. Finding a trailer is an issue, as large boats like that need a double axle. I thought about a modified Blueprinter trailer kit with boat supports.

Hi Bob,  I think you are on the money when you say 1/25th or larger.  If you tag it behind a decent sized land yacht of the sixties, it looks fine.  Trailers are easy.  Use Evergreen rectangular strip ( I think I used 167 but dont quote, me, I am not at home at the moment to check!) and a simple magnetic jig that I have. Lay down a main beam first that is the length of your boat plus towbar.

Then cut two side rails to the length of the bottom of the hull and space them out accordingly.  Some crossmembers, simple tube axles ( I don't always worry about leaf springs because they tend to lift the trailer too high and make the boat look even bigger than it is!) and you are well on the way to a trailer that will fit your boat perfectly.  And a lot cheaper than buying a trailer and cutting it up!

Cheers

Alan

[tim boyd]

53 minutes ago, Bob Ellis said:

Rudy Ramos's Rayson Craft boat are related as a kit tool to the Hull Raiser though not exactly the same. The Model King offering was the Hull Raiser and the MPC 1970 Bonneville convertible.

The "Hull Raiser" kit was derived from the Rayson Craft tool.  The new Kindsvater Hull and SOHC cylinder heads/front covers were the biggest changes, and the ski boat version interior pieces went away, otherwise the kit content was mostly the same.   Best....TIM

[keyser]

Ever since some Ford SVT guy built a Rayson, I had to get 1. I mean 4. 
Found great Rayson decals ages ago on epay. 
Sponson and no sponson builds. Great thread here by a member than raced them back when. 

[tim boyd]

11 hours ago, keyser said:

Ever since some Ford SVT guy built a Rayson, I had to get 1. I mean 4. 
Found great Rayson decals ages ago on epay. 
Sponson and no sponson builds. Great thread here by a member than raced them back when. 

Keyser....Would love to see your builds of that kit...yeah, it is one of those kits you want to build again and again....those decals on eBay were probably from the guy that did them originally at my request....I can't recall his name right now but I believe it started with Jack and his business was called Top End decals or something similar....and yes he did a great job on them. 

To anyone else reading this thread, I think he still offers them on eBay and they are well worth the price....but them now and stash them in case you run across a Rayson Craft kit or a gluebomb, the latter of which can often be rebuilt using the common parts from the Hull Raiser kit....TIM   

[Casey]

1 hour ago, tim boyd said:

buy them now and stash them until Round2 reissues the Rayson Craft boat kit, 100% backdated to original content.

Fixed that for you. 😁 We can only hope. I'm still miffed that Round2 hasn't reissued the kit, even if it's the same as what was included in the Model King reissue. Perhaps there's a very good reason they have not, though.

[tim boyd]

5 hours ago, Casey said:

Fixed that for you. 😁 We can only hope. I'm still miffed that Round2 hasn't reissued the kit, even if it's the same as what was included in the Model King reissue. Perhaps there's a very good reason they have not, though.

Casey....wish that was true but see just about zero chance of that....I'd just be happy if they reissued the Hull Raiser intact, either as a stand alone or with the Chevy Van as a redo of the old "Aqua Rod" version....TIM  

Edited February 25, 2021 by tim boyd

[Casey]

19 minutes ago, tim boyd said:

Casey....wish that was true but see just about zero chance of that.

I doubt it, too, and yes, a reissue of how it exists now would be neat, but I have to wonder if the Customizing Boat kit sold so poorly Round2 wants no part in another boat reissue? I think a combo kit would increase the odds, but guess we'll have to wait and see.

[Bob Ellis]

On 2/24/2021 at 5:01 PM, tim boyd said:

The "Hull Raiser" kit was derived from the Rayson Craft tool.  The new Kindsvater Hull and SOHC cylinder heads/front covers were the biggest changes, and the ski boat version interior pieces went away, otherwise the kit content was mostly the same.   Best....TIM

agreed

[dimaxion]

On 10/17/2018 at 10:34 AM, Mr. Metallic said:

Rollers vs Sliders depended on the construction method and internal structure of the boat. My dad's wooden 1950 Chris Craft had to be on a trailer with sliders because rollers would apply too much direct pressure to the wood. I think rollers are generally used on more modern boats made of aluminum or fiberglass, but of course there are always exceptions

True enough . Tee Nee Trailers were made in Youngstown , Ohio . I am a native from there . I had friends employed there . Facts are facts . Thanx 

[dimaxion]

On 5/29/2017 at 1:17 AM, ChrisBcritter said:

From looking at the photos of the kit's engine, I'm not sure what that thing is supposed to represent. The main offering from Century was the Gray Marine engine, which is based on the AMC 327 V8. I've found other images of them with Cadillacs, Chrysler Marine Hemis, Ford Y-block and FE marine engines as well, so you can probably swap in whatever you can fit to the bellhousing and scratchbuild the marine parts.

Hmmm. The Century Coronado is a 1959 MY . A Chevrolet 327 was finally produced in 1962 . IMHO the 327 you are referring to was the AMC Marine Engine. That Engine was a new Casting that year and propelled that MY's  Fastest Passenger Car . AMC Rambler was introduced for 1957 . The " Fuelie" Corvette did out pace it in the Quarter Mile ONLY . AMC did slate it to be equipped with Fuel Injection . During testing the Rebel "Fuelie" beat the "Fuelie" Corvette's time by .09 second . AMC scrapped the Fuel Injection  plan due to unreliability . Think about "Fuelie Vetts" for just a moment . Thjanx 

Edited March 14, 2021 by dimaxion

[Bob Ellis]

On 10/17/2018 at 10:34 AM, Mr. Metallic said:

Rollers vs Sliders depended on the construction method and internal structure of the boat. My dad's wooden 1950 Chris Craft had to be on a trailer with sliders because rollers would apply too much direct pressure to the wood. I think rollers are generally used on more modern boats made of aluminum or fiberglass, but of course there are always exceptions

My father had a 1959 17' Thompson wooden boat with a 75 hp Johnson outboard motor , carried by a Gator single axle trailer with rubber rollers in the center. There were other rollers and sliders to distribute the weight on the trailer. The trailer also swivels on the center to help loading/unloading. No trailer brakes. I am guessing some dual axle trailers had electric brakes?

[Oldcarfan27]

Does this kit fit into this thread?

Knowing how rare and hard they are to come by nowadays, I regret that at two times in my life I had possession of this kit and TWICE sold them away.

If anyone has one built, I'd sure like to see one posted here!

[tim boyd]

5 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

Does this kit fit into this thread?

Knowing how rare and hard they are to come by nowadays, I regret that at two times in my life I had possession of this kit and TWICE sold them away.

If anyone has one built, I'd sure like to see one posted here!

Like Patrick, I'd love to see one of these in finished form.  I bought the kit when it came out, and the detail, while not up to contemporary kit standards, was acceptable for its era (late 1970's).  It did include a modest replica of the powerplant.  Probably the biggest potential issue with the kit was the large vinyl decal that replicated the paint/livery scheme along the top of the hull....only one chance to get that one on straight and without wrinkles/bubbles...   TIM 

[foghorn62]

51 minutes ago, tim boyd said:

Like Patrick, I'd love to see one of these in finished form.  I bought the kit when it came out, and the detail, while not up to contemporary kit standards, was acceptable for its era (late 1970's).  It did include a modest replica of the powerplant.  Probably the biggest potential issue with the kit was the large vinyl decal that replicated the paint/livery scheme along the top of the hull....only one chance to get that one on straight and without wrinkles/bubbles...   TIM 

I have seen some very nicely built versions of this kit in some of the FB groups, but I can’t remember by who.  Also, there is this very nicely painted ant built custom version that was displayed at GSL a few years ago.  Again, I don’t know who the builder is. Maybe someone here will recognize it and chime in.  I’d love to give credit, where credit is due. 

TS

[Fabrux]

Testors wasn't in the business if tooling their own kits, were they? Theoretically this is a rebox of someone else's kit?

[tim boyd]

2 hours ago, foghorn62 said:

I have seen some very nicely built versions of this kit in some of the FB groups, but I can’t remember by who.  Also, there is this very nicely painted ant built custom version that was displayed at GSL a few years ago.  Again, I don’t know who the builder is. Maybe someone here will recognize it and chime in.  I’d love to give credit, where credit is due. 

TS

Wow Tim....that sure is slick!  Thx for the image....TIM 

[dimaxion]

On 2/17/2013 at 5:40 PM, Joker said:

Anyone got any Bass boat pixs?

This is an EBay rescue I acquired . Although it has flaws I don't let go in my Builds .  I did not touch it . I DON'T have decals tp replace those on the build . I display it as it is decent . Some Parts are missing . IIRC the Front Swivel Seat for instance .  I could be convinced to trade it off . Thanx