Mark

I never had the AMT Cougar FC kit, but I'd bet that it uses the same interior "tin" piece as the Mach Won, Longnose Mustang, AND (first) Funny Hugger '69 Camaro. Yes, the Camaro and Mustangs used the same main interior piece (not sure offhand about the scoop). '69 Cougar kit trivia: if you have the Countdown series issue, take a good look at the rear wheel openings on the custom version build photographed for the box art. Whoever built that one probably got a test shot that included the body that hadn't been restored to stock yet.

Looks like a nice straight line that would lend itself to a small steel ruler. For scribing, you can go with a panel scriber or X-Acto #11 blade "backwards"; that is, using the blade in reverse as opposed to using the cutting edge.

That is the correct decal sheet for that Cougar II. The silver panel on the sheet is intended for use on the roof, as shown in the box art illustration.

I paint them with a brush, after the exterior trim is foiled. I first carefully paint the edges and inside of the A-pillars with a very small brush, let dry, then use a larger brush for the bigger areas.

No coupe, only the panel and cabriolet (which MPC and Ertl mistakenly call a roadster). The panel body was later altered to create the Vampire Van body (it still fits the stock Chevy fenders).

The AMC crowd seems to be getting into 3D print, big time. A good thing, as it's unlikely any of the mainstream kit manufacturers will do anything AMC beyond reissues, and only then items that can be done without rework or repairs. I haven't seen the S/C kit, but I have seen two two-seat AMX kits as well as an early Javelin. I'm heavily invested in already paid for Jo-Han stuff so I won't need those. But if someone does a Spirit lift back, I'm in for a couple.

The Hubley Chevy metal kits are 1/20 scale, as are their Ford Model As.

Pre-1936 Chevrolets were limited in popularity as rod material due in part to their structural wood in the bodies. The wood deteriorated quickly compared to all-steel bodies, causing doors to sag and roofs to leak. Rodders generally weren't crazy about working with wood. Though Chevy outsold Ford most years of the thirties, the Fords generally hung in longer. Too, the speed equipment available favored Fords, even more so when other V8 engines came in that could be adapted to the Ford transmissions. The Ford suspension and driveline was strong enough to stand up to other V8 engines because they were somewhat overbuilt. Chevies were built to a price in those days, and not what you could call overbuilt.

Besides the AMT '37 and Monogram '39 kits, those are it. MPC didn't choose the best body styles for the '32. The panel isn't 100% correct (should be on a longer wheelbase). They should have gone with a roadster instead of the cabriolet, and maybe a coupe instead of the panel.

I should have suspected that someone had a 3D kit or parts. The Jo-Han kit hasn't been manufactured in around 25 years. Though it was one of the last kits made by Seville, 25 years is still a long time, long enough that no "cheap" ones are out there. I'd guess that a 3D kit will have more of the details right. Whether or not the body is correct is another matter (like resin kits, they often look great in pictures).

The battery box went in the trunk area. You had to unscrew the chassis to change the battery (batteries). I believe it used AA batteries, not sure if it was one or two.

The S/C had minimal changes besides the paint scheme, engine, and scoop. The interior in all 1,512 S/Cs was charcoal gray, an available color on other AMC cars that year. The red/white/blue headrests, shifter, and tachometer (attached to the steering column with a hose clamp) were the only changes. The engine was the 390 available in AMX and Ambassador models that year. AMC did not have "big" and "small" block engines, so the 390 fit wherever the smaller V8s already offered in the Rambler fit. Other Rambler models could be had with a 343 V8 that year. That said, the S/C kit is pretty much an altered 1966 American hardtop kit. Jo-Han did not make American or Rogue promos or kits after 1966. They dusted off the idle 1966 kit tooling in the early Seventies, removing the side trim from the body, adding the V8 engine (the earlier kits had straight six engines), and reworking the chassis to add separate exhaust and rear axle detail. Interior trim details, grille, and taillights are still 1966 spec. The rear axle is incorrect too. Jo-Han was tooling the Sox & Martin '71 Barracuda kit at the same time and copied its parts for the S/C.

Pretty much like the annual kit except for the loss of the battery box and related parts. This issue may have included the then-new AMT hollow Goodyear Stock Car Special tires for the racing version. Other kits with similar style box art included the '64 Impala (Round 2 has that box art for the current reissue), '66 Mercury (used by Round 2 for a reissue), and '65 Bonneville. There was a Mexico only reissue '66 Impala hardtop that used a similar style box also.

Mitchell!

That's the second issue, from 1968-69. It did still have the clear headlight piece, but not the battery box or other parts for the working lights. This was the only reissue of the full detail kit prior to it being converted to the Modified Stocker in 1971.