Motor City

I saw on Ebay last week that a promo box sold for around $130.00 - just the box!

Thanks for the details, Scott. I never understood why AMT didn't update the '66 Wildcat interior. The '66 Impala SS interior was updated, but didn't have the thin-shell bucket seats that GM starting using on the 'B' bodies that year.

I read that the interior is very shallow and generic. Is that true, Scott?

As I recall, the color-keyed wheelcovers were standard on the Caprice. I'm not sure they were an option on the Impala.

Michael, As I said in a new topic I posted, the forum changes are warranted and commendable. I think diecast deserves its own category since that is where a lot of the volume appears to be headed. For example, Auto World 1/18th scale has quite a variety of cars. Brooklin's 1/43 line, though they aren't cheap, has a good following. I think a lot of the 1/24 and 1/25 diecast are essentially the same size, so that could be another sub-category. A lot of these are kits that have pre-painted bodies. I guess I would also include the oddball 1/27 scale such as the F150 and Colorado. Finally, and I asked for this before, a sub-category on the old slush cast promos from National Products (1934-1949), Master Caster (1948-1955), AMT (1948 Ford Fordor), and Banthrico (1949-1956) would allow people to post restoration tips on these - even though they aren't kits.

I like the changes on the forum with the new categories and renaming of some others. Great job!

You must have a lot of catalogs, Casey.

Sorry, Scott, the most disappointing kits from AMT have to be the Rabbit and other econoboxes of the late 1970s. But, on the bright side, with the flat chassis, you could probably float the finished Porsche in your bathtub!

I think you did quite well considering it doesn't have the original tires, has what looks like a slight gouge or defect in the rear edge of the trunk lid, some wear on the chrome, and paint added to the exhaust tips and hood vents. It's a nice color combination, too. The rear bumper doesn't fit very well, either. My '67 GTO promo has a twist in the rear bumper on the driver's side. I always liked the '66 better.

Unfortunately, the last year for the bucket seats and 4-speed manual was the '69 model year. Unless I'm mistaken, every version of this kit came with the bench seat. I can't comment on the realism of the fire apparatus parts.

That Capri has a wonky front end, but reading through the topic, it was a gutsy decision to come out with these cars.!

If that was mine, I would at least get it back in running condition again.

That's unfortunate for the box art to be other than what's in the box, but that's nothing new. The wheelcovers pictured above don't look like what the '70 full-size brochure shows. The center of the wheelcover is supposed to stick out instead of being flat. The Impala also had the vaned wheelcovers and rally wheels as options. I had planned to use rally wheels from another kit if they aren't included.. If it's any consolation, fire chief cars I usually saw were red four-door sedans. standard wheelcover, vaned wheelcover, then rally wheel:

My boss bought a new '67 Mustang 390 fastback, and traded it in a year later for a VW bug because he was now a family man. He rolled his eyes when he told me. Rest in peace, Fred!

It's always at the local Barnes & Noble. I got my Dad a copy of the first issue and a subscription. He got it for years, and the text and photos were really good. It was a good reference, and Dennis Doty's model car articles were informative.

John, No, I don't think I ever saw a real '75 Road Runner. I had bought the kit and eventually sold it. I think it was eventually modified into the '77 Dodge Monaco.

The 1976 MPC lineup was mediocre for the most part, as were most real cars at that time. It had the usual Corvette, Camaro, Firebird, Mustang and big Chevy. I bought the incorrect '76 Corvette convertible - a car that wasn't really made. Another fictitious model was the intermediate Road Runner. It appears they were just guessing, or else the RR was dropped at the last minute. There were no legitimate intermediate models kitted, only the Caprice for big cars, and no Indy Pace Car (Regal). A Mark IV, Eldorado convertible or Riviera would have been nice.

look under "Model Vehicles" to see what I'm talking about

Scott, Let us know how it turns out. That is a terrible bumper fit. I bought a Brooklin '37 Century coupe for my Dad several years. It was very well done for diecast. I wouldn't mind a Burnished Saddle (copper) '68 Wildcat sport coupe!

We need a little more information ...

I'm seeing the same 6 kits on pages 1, 2, 3, 4. 6 (there is no page 5).

My grandfather bought a new '63 Wildcat 4-door hardtop that was on the showroom floor, and Dad ordered a LeSabre 2-door hardtop. I drove the LeSabre in high school. Both Buicks had huge, deep trunks. Grandpa traded in the Wildcat in '68 for a new Wildcat 2-door hardtop, which Dad bought from him in '71. That '68 would squeal the tires with little effort. None of these cars handled well like today's cars, but they sure rode nice. I'd like a '65 or '66 Wildcat hardtop or a '63 LeSabre or Wildcat hardtop. It's too bad the Wildcat series wasn't made into models all years from '62-'70, but I do like the '63 Electra. Scott, Brooklin offers a '67 Wildcat diecast in 1/43 scale. It isn't cheap. A 4-door hardtop version is also available.

My aunt and uncle had a teal '65 Park Lane convertible that was on display at the New York World's Fair. He was a Ford Public Relations employee and worked there during the fair. It was a cool car and I got to drive it with the top down when I was a senior in high school.

The '65 Mercury kit, along with the '65 Wildcat kit, had some of the best box art AMT ever did. The '65 Impala SS kit also had a separate rear seat. The Mercury promo was also available in black, red, teal, and maybe another color. It's too bad AMT didn't make a '67 or '68 Marquis, '67 S-55, or '68 with the woodgrain on the sides. Has anyone made a decent '67 or '68 big Merc in resin?

My aunt and uncle bought a '64 brand new. The rear seat had a pull-down center armrest with a GP logo. Cars with ac had a slightly different dash with only 1 round gauge pod in the center instead of 3 pods.