AMT 63 Corvette

[Pete L.]

Yes, please.

I'm interested as well...

[stavanzer]

I have an opened copy of the Perstige Kit, bought at Goodwill several years ago.

It seems to have many more parts it, than it should. I, too, would like see what is inside an 'un-molested' Prestige kit.

[Snake45]

The Prestige kit includes the AMT Drag Strip Accessories parts pack (TV camera, fire extinguisher, etc.) and a strip of chromish-foil. It has the optional removable hardtop (and soft top), and the '63 wheel covers. I believe a couple of the FI unit parts not in some earlier reissues were restored. Also, the front fenders got the FI emblem engraving.

If I'm not mistaken, AMT left the FI engraving on all subsequent reissues of both the roadster and the coupe. But I could be wrong about that.

Edited November 22, 2015 by Snake45

[BIGTRUCK]

Looks like the same as the last few issues of that kit, except maybe for the decals. Hard to tell but it looks like it might have the Fuel Injection emblems on the fenders?

these decals were in my 63 Vette ''street rods '' issue kit #A163 The 89 issue

the 25th anniversary issue

the chassis the top chassis is 25th anniversary and bottom is the 1989 3 in 1 issue

Edited November 22, 2015 by BIGTRUCK

[unclescott58]

The most recent version of this kit does have "fuel injection" emblems on the front fenders.

[unclescott58]

It should be noted. The instructions do not show the fuel metering box that goes on passenger side of main fuel injection unit. The part is on the chrome tree. But, the instructions just do not show or mention it on this kit.

Edited February 6, 2016 by unclescott58

[Craig Irwin]

Is this the only currently available kit with the late style Rochester FI unit? I'd love to find one that was better detailed.

 

[pharoah]

It should be noted. The instruction does not show the fuel metering box that goes on passenger side of main fuel injection unit. The part is on the chrome tree. But, the instructions just do show or mention it on this kit.

Wasn't that part deleted from the kit for a few issues?

[unclescott58]

Wasn't that part deleted from the kit for a few issues?

I don't know.

[stavanzer]

Craig, I know it is not a 1960's F.I. unit, but could the one in the new(er) Revell 1957 Chevy "Black Widow" be modified to look like what you want?

It is a great little bit of tooling, and is light years ahead of the AMT Stuff.

Probably not too much harder to find, either.

[Craig Irwin]

Craig, I know it is not a 1960's F.I. unit, but could the one in the new(er) Revell 1957 Chevy "Black Widow" be modified to look like what you want?

It is a great little bit of tooling, and is light years ahead of the AMT Stuff.

Probably not too much harder to find, either.

Yes, I know the AMT parts are bad, but the two units are completely different. I'm looking for a good late FI setup, might be able to cross breed  one and fake it.

[stavanzer]

Thanks, for clearing that up, Craig.

I am not up on F.I. units, and would have thought the two were the same.

Shows what I know, eh?

[wallyk 50]

Greg, you misunderstood me. I didn't say the above kit or the reissues are rare. What is rare, is the 1973 issue with a 1963 body and a 1967 backup light in the middle of the tail lights.

The box bottom has the have the 25th anniversary advertisement on it. That is on the bottom of 1973-1974 kits. Has to be molded in white plastic as well. Lots of reissues of that box cover and same kit # for sure, but 1973 didn't reoccur.

I have only seen 2 of the 1967 back up light '63s in the last 40 years. I am sure others are out there, but they are elusive.

[wallyk 50]

Bob,  I have one of these, kit #A163 that has 25th anniversary on the box top.  I am sure the bottom is not original as it is a small fit for the top.  Anyway, I bought this kit way back when, probably in the seventies.  It is molded in black with the 67 backup lights.  Is this one of those issues?

[Bob Ellis]

Wally, if it is the AMT body (not MPC) and it is a '63 with a backup light in the center, it must be the early Street Rods issue. Mine was molded in white plastic though, not black. Most early A163 box tops state 25th anniversary on the left with Street Rods on the right. Only the 1973-74 kits had advertising on the box bottom, something else that differentiates early 163 boxes from late ones.

The reason early A163s have a center back up light on a 1963 body is because AMT converted it from the last version, a 1967. It is not clear to me when AMT figured out the mistake. I would be curious if any 63s from Lesney or ERTL had this mistake.

Can you post a photo of the body with the incorrect backup light?

 

Edited November 27, 2015 by Bob Ellis

[pharoah]

There was one of those 25th anniversary 63 Corvettes on Ebay a few weeks ago. it may have been relisted. It had the '67 backup light.

[Dave Darby]

Wally, if it is the AMT body (not MPC) and it is a '63 with a backup light in the center, it must be the early Street Rods issue. Mine was molded in white plastic though, not black. Most early A163 box tops state 25th anniversary on the left with Street Rods on the right. Only the 1973-74 kits had advertising on the box bottom, something else that differentiates early 163 boxes from late ones.

The reason early A163s have a center back up light on a 1963 body is because AMT converted it from the last version, a 1967. It is not clear to me when AMT figured out the mistake. I would be curious if any 63s from Lesney or ERTL had this mistake.

Can you post a photo of the body with the incorrect backup light?

[Bob Ellis]

That's the back-up light I was referring to. I remember building the kit in the '70s and realizing that the back-up lights were there after I finished painting that '63. Too late to fill in.

I just remembered something else. I built that '63 with a big block engine ( not available in 1963). Seems like there was no small block 327 in the kit because it was a back dated '67 kit.

[tim boyd]

Wally, if it is the AMT body (not MPC) and it is a '63 with a backup light in the center, it must be the early Street Rods issue. Mine was molded in white plastic though, not black. Most early A163 box tops state 25th anniversary on the left with Street Rods on the right. Only the 1973-74 kits had advertising on the box bottom, something else that differentiates early 163 boxes from late ones.

The reason early A163s have a center back up light on a 1963 body is because AMT converted it from the last version, a 1967. It is not clear to me when AMT figured out the mistake. I would be curious if any 63s from Lesney or ERTL had this mistake.

Can you post a photo of the body with the incorrect backup light?

 

I recall this (the '63 Street Rod issue with the '67 backup lamp) being discussed the first time I visited the team at AMT headquarters on Maple Road in Troy around 1975.  They were already aware of the problem, and had plans at that time (IIRC) to fix it.   Apparently many 1.1 scale Vette enthusiasts had sent them letters about it.    TIM 

[Bob Ellis]

Tim, that explains it. I am positive that I bought the kit in the 1973-75 time frame. There are tons of A163 kits out there with the same box art, but only the original batch were molded with the '67 rear end. Did you notice that only a big block engine was in the kit?

[tim boyd]

Tim, that explains it. I am positive that I bought the kit in the 1973-75 time frame. There are tons of A163 kits out there with the same box art, but only the original batch were molded with the '67 rear end. Did you notice that only a big block engine was in the kit?

Bob...yep on that Big Block.   The small block didn't return until the late 1980's Prestige Series '63 Roadster, IIRC.     TIM 

[Snake45]

I built current (then) issue '63 roadster and coupe just before the Prestige Series roadster issue, and they both had small blocks. Didn't have all the FI pieces, though.

[unclescott58]

I built current (then) issue '63 roadster and coupe just before the Prestige Series roadster issue, and they both had small blocks. Didn't have all the FI pieces, though.

I'm wondering if like this recent issue, the part was there, but the instructions don't indicate it.

 

Edited December 14, 2015 by unclescott58

[Bob Ellis]

Snake45, the original A163 Street Rods '63 Vette didn't have a small block. It was a warmed over '67 kit. Tim substantiated my memory.

There were 2 '63 Vette convertible kits by ERTL in the '80s. The Prestige and another with a red convertible #6774 issued in 1988.

[Dave Darby]

No photos right now, but this is one of the better re-issues of this kit. It appears that Round2 did some clean-up on the body mold as well. All of the previous Ertl issues I own have oddly distorted fender tops, sort of like sink marks and low spots on the front fender peaks. You can also see an odd seam on the insides of the front fenders (not a real issue), The new kit has none of these problems. I may have to pick up another one. The custom panel painted decals are pretty cool too.