amt 55 chevy bel air- drag version.

[stevez]

Picked this up at mosquitocon and was impressed by the dropped axle and spoke wheels for the drag version. Has anyone built it? Any fit issues? I want to do the gasser/drag version. Thanks.

[Snake45]

Chassis is basically the same as the old mid-'60s '55 Nomad. Kinda cool for what it is.

The major complaint about this kit seems to be that the hood is too narrow; that is, it leaves noticeable gaps on either side when placed on/in the body.

[stevez]

I'll have to hammer out the sheet metal to make it fit LOL!!

[rssschris]

They build up pretty good, the axle is not really a dropped axle , more of a gasser axle. The spoke wheels are great . The non plated super trick style wheels are some of my favorites for older pro stock cars. Only compliant I had was the molded in back seat.

[Junkman]

I quite like the lines and proportions of the ancient '55 AMT Chav.

Too bad that it's such a b|1(h challenge to build. But well worth it if you persist.

[Dave Darby]

I actually built the box art build that you see on the top and ends of the box. (The late Charlie Nance built the white gasser shown on the box side.) I actually substituted the Nomad hood for the one that came in the kit (was easier to "nose" it, and it fit better than the kit piece.) I don't recall any problem areas with the assembly, altho I recommend cutting new side windows out thin clear plastic for a better interior fit and appearance. I learned that when I built a stock sedan for myself. (Back in the day, AMT/Ertl's box art builds were built without any window glass - it was air-brushed in later.) Come to think of it, so were the bucket seats. The box art build used the old custom buckets from the Nomad, as the high-backs weren't tooled up yet.

The car looks pink on the box, but was actually painted with Pactra Odds N Ends Lavender.

[Greg Myers]

anyone ever talk to you about all that stuff that's on the box art but not in the kit?

[Dave Darby]

anyone ever talk to you about all that stuff that's on the box art but not in the kit?

What's not in the kit that was on the box art? I just built the thing the way they told me to, I think I got to pick the color. They weren't as bad about inaacurate box art in 90-91 as they got a few years later. But that was after my time.

[Rotorbolt73]

I've never built this version of the AMT 55 chevy sedan..Am I to assume it comes with the gasser drag parts/ front straight axle setup from the old 55 Nomad kit?

The only complaint I ever had with this kit was the molded in single exhaust.

[Greg Myers]

No. It doesn't.

[Snake45]

I could have sworn that my copy of the "street machine" version of the '55 Bel Air had the Nomad dropped beam front axle. Will have to try to check it when I get home.

[Greg Myers]

I think the confusion comes from the similar funny car style headers

[Greg Myers]

Just opened a sealed kit. It's not there. It is , however in the instructions, listing / showing it as a plated part. I also checked out this kit,

pretty much the same. The similar funny car style headers are indeed from the older '55 Nomad kit. It looks like they intended in including those parts but only put in part of the chrome tree. AMT Historians ?

[10camaross]

There are two versions off this kit, one is stock and street machine, the other is street machine and drag (dropped axle and slicks etc.)

[Greg Myers]

None of these have the dropped axle in them.

Edited April 27, 2015 by Greg Myers

[Greg Myers]

These , however, do.

Edited April 27, 2015 by Greg Myers

[Dave Darby]

I don't have one handy (Many of my model kits are in storage) but I seem to remember an unplated version of the straight axle that was in the Nomad kits. (Maybe it was in one of the Nomad reissues?)

[Snake45]

I don't have one handy (Many of my model kits are in storage) but I seem to remember an unplated version of the straight axle that was in the Nomad kits. (Maybe it was in one of the Nomad reissues?)

Now that you mention unplated, I seem to remember it that way too.

[Greg Myers]

So, maybe one of these ?

Edited April 27, 2015 by Greg Myers

[Snake45]

No, it was the one with the pink one on the box. It had the dropped front axle, but unplated. I don't remember if it had the Nomad's Hilborn FI or not, and I can't locate my example of the kit at the moment.

I seem to recall that the Centerline-type wheels were unplated, too. IIRC I used these on my primer '68 Camaro, and I had to paint them silver.

Edited April 28, 2015 by Snake45

[rssschris]

I have 3 of the kits with the pink box art car. All 3 of mine have the straight axle & Hilborn injectors. Funny thing is the instruction sheet . The front side has the start of the 55 , flip it over and the back side is a NASCAR .

[Greg Myers]

I didn't open the bags inside. Just tried to look through. Must of missed it. Did see the injector set up though.

[Nick Notarangelo]

what ever happened to Pinkie then,do you have it or is it lost to the annals of time?

[Casey]

Picked this up at mosquitocon and was impressed by the dropped axle and spoke wheels for the drag version. Has anyone built it? Any fit issues? I want to do the gasser/drag version. Thanks.

I think you'd be best off picking up up a 1/25 Revell (the modern tool version, not the '60s era kits with the opening doors) and kitbashing the AMT sedan's body with the Revell kit's chassis, etc. Getting rid of the molded in exhaust system from the AMT kit would be a huge step in the right direction.