Motor City

Does the El Camino have a 4-speed manual? That was the last year for it, and I saw one for sale several years ago at a car show/swap meet in the western Detroit suburbs. I had to settle for a 4-speed automatic when I ordered my '87.

Here's our family's '68 Wildcat and '68 Vista Cruiser. I took these photos in the Spring of 1971. Yes, I want 1/25th models of both! Grandpa's '71 Caprice is in the background of the first photo.

The taillights should be ribbed like the panel between them and this detail has never been correct.

I have never used model cement. Elmer's white glue has been my choice for over 50 years. If you need to disassemble, immerse in water.

I went to the one near me last Saturday and it looks the same as usual.

AMT also made a '61 Special wagon, which I presume was then modified into the '62. A '57 Nomad or '64-'65 Chevelle 300 would probably be a best seller since Chevies tend to be good selling kits. A Vista Cruiser would be really cool. Our family bought a '68 new and I drove it in college.

I didn't start this thread, so don't start crying/screaming/cussing. The most sorely lacking AMC has to be the '67 Marlin. Jo-Han made the '65 and '66 Marlin, and the '67 was the best looking of the 3 years. Next would come a '66 Rebel, or a '67 or '68 Rebel. The '66-'69 Ambassador hardtop and convertible kits and promos are not very difficult to find. I think many people on the forum would like to see new kits of these, but unfortunately probably not many other people would. Same with the Hornet SC and Matador sedans, the '69-'70 Rebel, and '69 American. Young people can't relate to these AMC models since none have been produced in over thirty years, and are rarely seen. Corvettes, Mustangs, Camaros and Chevelles are probably the most common models seen at local car shows, so those are no-brainers for Round2 and Revell to produce. Low rider/donk cars are somewhat popular in some areas, so maybe kits that can be built that way AND stock offer some hope for obscure models. Remember the donk Cadillac coupe that came out a while ago? I would have bought it if it could have been built stock. Another one that would have done better was the '77 Monte Carlo if a little more effort was put into its execution.

Snake, I wasn't suggesting that the MPC '69 Trans Am was the original or only version of the '69 Firebird kit for that model year. I was wondering whether or not the first version of the T/A kit was the only one that was decent, but from what you're saying, all versions are identical. I never noticed the body crease issue before. I believe the '69 and '71 Trans Am kits came some time after the regular Firebird kits were released in those respective years.

From reading these posts, I guess only the original MPC '69 Trans Am kit is worth buying?

I picked up an MPC '66 Corvette assembled kit and a '71 Chevelle SS promo at a model car shop in the Detroit area decades ago. The Corvette had a nice paint job and interior, but the suspension was a gloppy mess and one wheel that wouldn't stay on. I recently picked up a '65 kit that was never completed, so it has the pieces I need to fix it. The Chevelle had silver trim sloppily applied to the windshield, emblems, and ram air door! It had a slight bow in the passenger side windshield post, and had a '72 rear bumper. I was able to get the correct bumper, straightened out the bent pillar very slowly and carefully, and was able to get the paint off. It also had the exhaust system painted, and the interior had been messed with. I used a variety of small polishing tips attached to arbors (in my drill) to clean off the chassis, polished the glass and put the interior back together properly. It now is a very nice promo.

Mark and Bill, Thank you very much for the detailed information. Jim

Wasn't the '69 Barracuda one of those messed up tools that had emblems and other details resurrected? Is it too jacked up of a kit to make anything realistic out of?

interesting; I never read the book, but saw the movie, and read the awful reviews of the kit! I wonder about people stealing works of art, historical manuscripts, archaeological artifacts and celebrity cars. Who do they show these to for bragging purposes?

Lorne, That's a dirty shame. Has the room been at a stable temperature all of these years? I bought 6 Modelhaus kits shortly before they shut down. I wonder how those will hold up over time.

thanks for the tips, Snake and Bill! Jim

that is really cool; Whomever did the body also did a great job, and it would make a nice kit. 3D printing will allow us to eventually create our own. How about some Starfires!

interesting comments on this topic; The Christine car was a Belvedere hardtop - not a Fury (as claimed in the Facebook post). Jack Kevorkian's (Dr. Death) '68 VW van that he used as a mobile "clinic" to euthanize clients, was also bought at auction. I wonder who would buy such a vehicle. Sadly, one of Ted Bundy's innocent victims graduated from the same high school as me.

What methods do most of you use to safely dismantle the glue bombs since most were assembled with model cement? I've seen interior tubs with the tabs broken off. Would it be better to use a tiny drill bit to drill through the cement surrounding each tab? Have you salvaged glass with cement on it? If so, how? THANKS!

and someone on the forum will think it should be made into a model car

PMC made the 150 4-door promo that year. I have the bank version (no windows). They are quite affordable with minimal warpage.

Steven, Thanks for the suggestion of using Evergreen sheet styrene. I would have thought with all of the "phantom" kits done of cars that never existed (Modelhaus), and highly customized bodies (Jimmy Flintstone), someone would have done this already because it is one of the best styled cars of that decade.

The Henry Ford Museum (I won't call it by its dumb, newer name) store sold a very nice 999 assembled model. It isn't currently shown on their website. I believe it is 1/18th scale, but could be 1/24th. I don't know if it's resin or diecast or a combination of the two, but it had really nice detail. The price was around $200.

Steven, The 401 was standard on the '63-'66 Riviera, with the 425 optional. The Super Wildcat dual-quad 425 was optional on the '64-'66, and standard on the '65 Riviera GS. The Formula Five chrome wheels were an option on the '64-'66.

Scott and Joe, I sure was wrong on that! I read years ago that the '65 Riviera was the last to use the "X" frame. Obviously that was not correct. I always thought the "E" bodies from '66 to '70 (Riviera, Toronado and Eldorado) shared the same perimeter frame, and read that GM had considered making the Riviera FWD for '66. Buick felt that its buyers would prefer the traditional RWD, so it appears the Riviera had an "X" frame that was unique to the North American market. Thanks for correcting me on the photo, too, Joe. That's an interesting induction system on the 425 engine! For all you modelers, don't worry. AMT put a new "X" frame chassis under the '66 Riviera model car (I checked it against my '65)!

The Riviera went to a full-perimeter frame for 1966. I pulled this picture off of Ebay to show.