AMT 63 Corvette

[Greg Myers]

All things considered, being the only game in town, not bad. 

Edited December 19, 2015 by Greg Myers

[Snake45]

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.

All I know is I built both the roadster and the coupe at about the same time, in the very late '80s or early '90s, and both had small blocks. Both were built from common kits from the hobby shop, not anything from the "collector" market. And when the Prestige came out, I noticed it had a FI part not in the other kits--I think it might have been the air intake tube. I'll have to see if I can find the boxes and/or instructions from those builds.

[Rob Hall]

All I know is I built both the roadster and the coupe at about the same time, in the very late '80s or early '90s, and both had small blocks. Both were built from common kits from the hobby shop, not anything from the "collector" market. And when the Prestige came out, I noticed it had a FI part not in the other kits--I think it might have been the air intake tube. I'll have to see if I can find the boxes and/or instructions from those builds.

IIRC some versions of the coupe had two engines..both the big block and the small block.  The first version of the coupe I built was the circa 1980 'Barris' series one, and then later a mid 80s one that has a brown coupe on the box.

[Mark]

Ertl put the small-block engine back in for the first re-boxing they did, in the late Eighties.  After they bought AMT in '82, for the first few years they kept some kits in production with the same boxes that Lesney or the original AMT company had used.  For the '63 Corvette coupe, it was that 25th Anniversary box.  AMT, Lesney, and Ertl used that box with numerous minor variations for close to fifteen years.  When Ertl did finally change the box, they apparently opened up all of the blocked-off areas of the tool, putting the small-block engine back in.      

[Bob Ellis]

This particular AMT '63 Corvette kit is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.

[unclescott58]

This particular AMT '63 Corvette kit is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.

?????? It sounds to me like many people know.

Edited December 22, 2015 by unclescott58

[Greg Myers]

But what's in the box ? 

[Bob Ellis]

Greg, here are the possible prizes included in a sealed AMT '63 "Street Rods" kit (1973-2015)

Both Big Block 427 and a 327

Body is a complete 1963

Body is a Frankenstein, you get a 1963 front and a 1967 rear

White body

Black body

Silver body

Brown body

Countless varieties of tires

Probably something I don't know about

[Greg Myers]

Well, that's just what I was talking about. I have several and just about anything goes. Getting both engines would be the big prize.  

" But what's in the box ?"  is the big BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH shoot now isn't it ? 

I was at Hobby Lobby today and noticed there is a '63 snap kit out now. 

Edited December 22, 2015 by Greg Myers

[Snake45]

I was at Hobby Lobby today and noticed there is a '63 snap kit out now.

Revell? That's been out for maybe a decade, or even longer. It's pretty nice, too.

[Snake45]

I think the one I built was in this box, which is marked 1986, which sounds about right. It had the small-block engine, which I used. I forget what color it was molded in. Tan, maybe? I painted it MM German Silver, which I thought was much too flaky for factory paint.

http://public.fotki.com/drasticplasticsmcc/mkiba-build-under-c/amt-instructions/automotive-cars--pi/chevrolet/1961-1970/amt-63-corvette-6520/h.html#media

[Dave Darby]

Greg, here are the possible prizes included in a sealed AMT '63 "Street Rods" kit (1973-2015)

Both Big Block 427 and a 327

Body is a complete 1963

Body is a Frankenstein, you get a 1963 front and a 1967 rear

White body

Black body

Silver body

Brown body

Countless varieties of tires

Probably something I don't know about

I think the one I built was in this box, which is marked 1986, which sounds about right. It had the small-block engine, which I used. I forget what color it was molded in. Tan, maybe? I painted it MM German Silver, which I thought was much too flaky for factory paint.

http://public.fotki.com/drasticplasticsmcc/mkiba-build-under-c/amt-instructions/automotive-cars--pi/chevrolet/1961-1970/amt-63-corvette-6520/h.html#media

Like I said in my earlier post, the current 2015 (actually came out in 2014) kit is the one to get. Nice white plastic, miss-shapen front fender issues corrected, both engines, and nice decals. Only way to do better (shy of a bunch of kit bashing) is to spend the bucks for an annual.

[Greg Myers]

Dave wins the prize. That's the answer we've all been looking for and a great ending as it's still available. Saw them yesterday at Hobby Lobby. 

Thanks again Dave. 

[Bob Ellis]

Dave, you are correct. If you don't like surprises, buy the latest Round2 kit.

[Greg Myers]

Yep  

[Mike Chernecki]

Anyone know the difference between the AMT 1963 Corvette Street Rods released a couple years ago vs the USA-1 kit just release? I noticed the USA-1 box art shows the stock hubcaps from the Prestige convertible kit. Any other differences?

Edited January 10, 2016 by Mike Chernecki

[pack rat]

Anyone know the difference between the AMT 1963 Corvette Street Rods released a couple years ago vs the USA-1 kit just release? I noticed the USA-1 box art shows the stock hubcaps from the Prestige convertible kit. Any other differences?

I think you're looking at the mock-up pic used when the kit was first announced; it shows a 1:1 car with photoshopped graphics.

The production box shows a kit built from the Street Rods release with the USA-1 decals applied.  That's basically what the box contains; the Street Rod parts with the USA-1 decal sheet. 

[stavanzer]

I did a side by side comparison of the parts layouts of the two kits at the LHS on Friday. Thanks to Round2's policy of showing the contents on the box bottom, you can do an easy sprue layout check. Both kits appear to contain exactly the same plastic. The only difference I could see was the Decals, and Tyres. The USA-1 kit has 4 extra tyres that the '63 Street Rods does not. Two of those are the "steamroller" rears". From a scan of the USA-1 directions posted somwhere (maybe here) there is quite extensive modifications needed to fit those tyers to the old Vette chassis. Lots of cutting and fettling involved. Oddly, the USA=1 kits was 5 dollars cheaper than the Street Rods issue. I may have to go back and get it.

[Mike Chernecki]

If it had the hubcaps I would consider buying another.

[pharoah]

If it had the hubcaps I would consider buying another.

Same here. I was disappointed when I heard they weren't in the box.

Are you listening AMT?

[Snake45]

If it had the hubcaps I would consider buying another.

They're in the common, cheap Revell snapper kit.  Which also has a more accurate body besides.

[unclescott58]

They're in the common, cheap Revell snapper kit.  Which also has a more accurate body besides.

I think we got the idea Snake. You like Revell snap kit better. ?

[Snake45]

I think we got the idea Snake. You like Revell snap kit better. ?

Actually, not really. I don't have any emotional bonds with it at all, as I do with the AMT kits. The AMT '66 roadster was one of my very first model cars, and while it didn't survive the years (the body, anyway), many of its parts still survive in my parts box. Couple years ago I spent quite a bunch of money on ePay rounding up restorable glue bombs (and in a few cases, mint unbuilt kits) of both coupe and roadster AMT '63 through '67 Corvettes, and enough common '63s for parts donors for them where needed. I love those kits and all the goodies that came in them (including a trailer in the '64 Roadster and a panel wagon top in the '67).

But if you want to build a stock '63 and don't mind it being a curbside, there's no doubt that the Revell kits are the way to go today.

[Bob Ellis]

The original '63 AMT Vette had better looking wheel covers. Not sure if the Prestige issue are the same?

[Bob Ellis]

I needed parts to restore another 1963-1967 AMT Corvette, so I opened a sealed A163 AMT '63 Corvette which box cover is the same as this Retro Delux '63 Corvette.

It had no advertisements on the box bottom which means it was after 1975 and it showed AMT in Michigan so it was before 1979 when Lesney took AMT. When I opened it the plastic was black, but everything else was as I remembered the kit 40 years ago.

It had a 1967 backup light so it appears AMT Michigan never fixed that. The body shows 327 engine badges but there is only a 427 engine, no small block. The seats are molded to the interior tub like a promo. In addition, the '63 front fender slots are very poor. I compared it to the 1987 issue by ERTL and this body is very bad. The side is wavy and the slots too big. Give ERTL credit, they did improve the mess AMT made. Even the split window was a little funky. It was clear AMT quickly converted the '67 into a '63. The front nose did have the tab to hold the working headlights on the '63 convertible and T.H.E CAT kit.

The glass had T# kit which indicates it was from the 1967 Corvette Candidate kit or funny

The chrome tree looks like it hasn't changed in format for at least 47 years.

All in all, It appears that it is a good thing ERTL and Round2 had use of this Corvette kit. Both made improvements to the mess AMT produced in the 1970s.