Rotorbolt73

Man this is my kind of build project! Great work on that engine front cradle mount.

True.. but explain how parts are deleted or added to a parts tree tool over the course of years/ decades of various reissues of kits. I've compaired trees of various releases of kits and it appears that parts can be switched out and moved around on the trees. i've seen this with a few AMT kits . especially the chrome parts tree...compairing an original 60s release to one made in the 80s to one made now. Things like rims and speed parts are changed and swapped around...doesn't seem like its a big deal to change a tool. Like the whole parts tree tool is a combination of smaller tools that fit together..

Out of curiosity...How is that? All they gotta do is use the existing chassis parts tree from the 66 Nova and just tool a new body to fit it. the 62-65 nova is the same as a 66-67 except for the body skin. Its been done before..Example: the AMT 1970 Dodge coronet superbee kit.. the body and interior tub, I believe - but correct me if I'm wrong, is originally an old MPC tool that AMT obtained. the chassis and engine and even the glass originates from the AMT 68- 69 Plymouth Road runner / GTX kits...Another example: The Revell 66 Chevelle wagon kit uses the same chassis tooling from their earlier released 65 Chevelle kit. Some of the 65 specific parts , like the trunk tail pan, are on that chassis parts tree in the 66 wagon kit. Why make a new tool of what is already made and still in use that can be easily carried over to a new kit? I would think that engineering a new tool would cost way more. So a whole new kit tooling costs the same as a single new tool body made to fit existing chassis tooling? I admit I'm not knowledgeable in the costs involved in bringing a new kit to market. but it would help if you could enlighten us that are less informed. Maybe a side by side cost comparison spreadsheet?

1964 Chevy Nova 2dr post sedan. I'm surprised AMT hasn't done it yet. Would be easy with minimal cost since half the tooling already exists. Reuse - carry over the flooring, chassis, front / rear suspensions, engine bay, engine/ drive train, wheel backs and even the open stock steelie rims from the current stock 66 nova " grumpy" kit. Those chassis items are the same for all the 62-67 novas/ chevyIIs. All that would have to be tooled up would be a new body shell, glass, front / rear bumpers, grille, healights, tailights, seats, dash, steering wheel, door panels, stock wheel covers. And even then some of those parts already exist in the tooling from the "boss nova" drag wagon kit or their screw bottom old annuals from the 60's if the tooling still exists. I'm just the kind of person to use what is already there to come up with a "new" kit. Trumpeter has already done a 63 convertible and hardtop kit. But no one has done a post sedan and that would open up all kinds possibilities for 4dr conversions and wagon conversions. And carrying over the chassis from the already existing 66 nova kit makes for great interchangeability between the two and or as a "parts" kit to convert a prostreet 66 back to stock and vice versa. The "new" 64 2dr sedan could also be offered as a prostreet kit as well using the chassis and related parts from the 66 prostreet kit. Like I said, I'm surprised this hasn't been done already. would be easy to do and would generate sales if offered as two seperate kits like the 66 was..I need a job at AMT. I could think up stuff like this all the time using what they already have..

Looks good David. The trunk lid seems familiar..Wasn't that in the box of parts I sent you?

Dude thats slick. I've thought of this same project as well..Got the bodies and parts. but need to finish some projects before I start another one..

My choice would be Box stock. That is the one nobody has picked or will ever pick. Why? Because that is the real challenge here limiting one only to whats in the kit box. No kit bashing, no aftermarket parts, no resin pieces, no photoetch parts, nothing fancy, nothing wild, nothing scratchbuilt. Skill verses skill alone using only what you have to work with in the box.

My 76 Caprice is done! I have other pics posted in the completed thread.

Couple more shots

More pics of my 76 Caprice

Here is my MPC 1976 Caprice cannonball entry. Finally finished. I wanted to build something that could be built in real life by any hot rodder. Took an abandoned 76 Caprice, repaired the front with a junkyard nose and hood, swapped in some 80s Corvette bucket seats and Camaro console, added some rally wheels with whitewall tires, Swapped in a Chevelle 12 bolt rear end and dropped in a late model LT5 out of a 90s ZR1 vette with manual transmission.

I have maybe 95% of my Caprice build done. Finally finished the engine. I figured out it is a mid 90's ZR1 Vette LT5.

Working on the Caprice still. Got the interior done.

Pretty cool build. What color blue is that by the way?

I've built this kit a few years ago. It was quite the challenge. Especially getting the frame / chassis level and square. Getting the doors to open and cab to tilt does take some careful work. But it is a neat kit when done.

Worked on the Caprice some more last night. I didn't like the looks of the kits rear axle. So I decided to replace it with something better. I had this 12 bolt rear salvaged from a monogram 70 chevelle gluebomb, a differential cover from the parts box and a pair of airbags, shocks and panhard bar from the AMT 39 chevy parts kit I got the LS engine from. I cut up the kits molded together rear/exhaust piece and integrated the new pieces together for a better detailed setup. I also added steering linkage, spindles and upper A arms to the front suspension.

Still in the game. Been delayed by several factors over the summer. Mostly on color choice, figuring what pieces to use and lack of a late model engine. I finally got seriously started a couple days ago. Starting with the body, I added some evergreen to make a vinyl top. Found some suitable 70s style door mirrors from the parts box. My wife recently found me a AMT 39 chevy street rod parts kit that had a late model engine/ manual trans I was looking for. The interior was kinda' plain, so I found some 80s corvette bucket seats and a 80s camaro console from my parts box to use in place of the stock bench seat. I removed the molded in gas tank and replaced it with a 66 chevelle gas tank to be rid of the large screw holes in the rear of the chassis plate. I also removed the molded in Y head pipe and cat converter and added better looking lower A arms, strut rods and sway bar to the front suspension.

What made it a miserable kit? I recently got one of these and I've never built it before.

Great work there. I have never built the Revell kit and wasn't aware of flaws like these in it. interesting. I always thought something looked different about it from the ones I've seen built first hand by others. Now I see why that AMT body you showed me over on my skyliner thread was so cut up.

Thanks for offering up the body parts. Man, thats cut up. not much left. I could probably make use of the firewall and use the revell inner fenders as I am also missing some forward fenderwell section that was on the chassis plate.. Not sure if I can take apart the body now. its glued pretty good to the window frame..

Here is a similar build project I started a few years ago. I got this AMT 57 Ford Fairlane from a good friend. It had a badly warped body. Especially in the roof area. It had already been started on and the molded in engine bay had been cut out already. He was going to build a circle track racer out of it but gave up because of the warped body. I got it along with some pieces from the Revell 59 Skyliner kit. I cut the 57 body up and spliced in the 59 roof and rear deck lid panels to straighten out the body. So everything is glued together and the top will not fold down. This build is stalled right now until I can find something suitable to use for a firewall. The inner fenders and front valance panel from the newer Revell 57 Ford kit fits pretty nicely in the AMT body. Some people here have expressed an interest to see it. So I figure I could post it here since I'm not actively working on it right now.

Here is an old build from my youth. It is the Revell 59 Ford Skyliner. "Skips Fiesta" version. I built this about 27 years ago. It was quite the challenging kit to say the least.

I've got a build started doing just that. I swapped the 59 skyliner roof, rear deck lid panel and tail panel on a AMT 57 body. I'll have to post some pics of it soon.

A friend in my model club parted one out and I got the roof, deck lid and engine. I had a AMT 57 ford that had a warped body that I used the 59 roof on to convert it and make it buildable again. Its now a stalled project that i need to get back on..

Very nice. Yes this was a difficult kit to build when I was a kid back in the 80s. I built the "Skips fiesta" version and it turned out nice, like this one, after a lot of work. Still have it in my display case. It fell apart from old age a couple years ago and I had to re assemble it. I always liked it cause the top was functional. I've even worked on the real cars and was surprised to see the model replicates the retractable top mechanism almost exactly. The actual roofs to these cars are quite heavy as I found out when I had to assemble a real 57 for a customer. Interesting tidbit about the top mechanisms. they are cable driven by motors and controlled by a wild relay box behind the rear seat. Question: are these the correct wheel covers for a 59? and did your kit version come with them? My kit came with incorrect olds fiesta flipper bar covers.