AMT Mustang Mach 1, Super Stang, Autolite Special

[Greg Myers]

What ever happened to this guy? I know some of the parts are scattered around other AMT Mustang kits. Please don't tell me all the gates are closed. 

 

[Jantrix]

Hmm. DOn't care for the nose on the 1:1, but the model looks great. I'd buy that. 

[JTalmage]

The autolite special was on ebay.... for a ridiculous amount

 

[Greg Myers]

Ford redid it a few times. Not sure how it came out in kit form. 

[Greg Myers]

Here's the evolution, not sure what all's in the AMT kit as far as differences. http://www.carstyling.ru/en/car/1965_ford_mustang_mach_1_prototype/

[Greg Myers]

The autolite special was on ebay.... for a ridiculous amount

 

Well, a "FREE" FULL SIZE AUTOLITE DECAL was included in the kit. 

[Greg Myers]

More information from a few years back.http://www.carstyling.ru/en/car/1965_ford_mustang_mach_1_prototype/

Still like to know what happened to this kit. Some one was asking about the seats just last week. That's what got me thinking about this kit. This would make one of those fine Round 2 reissues with ALL the gates opened up. 

[Snake45]

I'd buy and build that kit. Looks like fun!

[Greg Myers]

"Talk" about Mustangs http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/88451-show-us-some-unusual-mustangs/?page=2 

[keyser]

Kit was last issued as Iron Horse Mustang in 75-77 somewhere.

Last kit pics were a 67/68 Mustang annual, the Mach 1 kit had chopped roof. 

Original Mach 1 in 67-68 issue in dark red had twin fuel caps on sail panels, and molded in trap doors on side glass like GT40's of 66-67. Rear vents molded into rear window. Chassis, engine was from 66, or nearly identical. I have 3/4 of issues, never had Superstang.

Autolite was next, 68-69, molded in blue, still had same glass, but moved gas caps to trunklid. K-H mags changed to Appliance wire mags. 

Superstang was 3rd issue, 70-71. molded in yellow, drag option added, and they showed the scored front part of roof and posts removed (Autolite did too, but I don't recall if on instructions. 

Iron Horse was 4th issue, 74-76? molded in white. Same roadster option, drag parts gone. Gas caps still on rear deck, louvers in rear glass. I think trap doors on side glass faded either with this or Superstang issue. 

Forgot, turn signal hood was in first 2 issues, gone in last 2. 

There may have been a thread about this kit in here, and I love the first car.

Found it, Dave Darby post, info from Mark B. 

The IMC/Lindberg Mustang 2 and the Mach 1 were awesome together. I have a builder I want to turn into the pointed HL Mach 1. The 66 Mustang still has the Cibie rectangulars on the tree, and the original 68 Shelby 427 and chassis with sep exhaust slides right under. 

It'd be awesome to get original back again, but it'll need tool revision for gas cap mounts, and turn signal hood. 

Edited July 6, 2016 by keyser
Found other thread

[unclescott58]

Other than the porthole in the "C" pillar of the original and second version of this car, I like it. And wouldn't mind seeing it back on the market.

[Greg Myers]

You gotta thing for "Portholes" don'tcha Scott ?

Those are fuel filler caps.

 

[vamach1]

I have managed to piece together a buildable model from several glue bombs.  It's on my very long list of builds to get to someday.  Picture to be posted in a few minutes.

Edited July 7, 2016 by vamach1
Photo

[Fat Brian]

That roofline looks remarkably similar to the last gen body style from 05-14.

[unclescott58]

You gotta thing for "Portholes" don'tcha Scott ?

Those are fuel filler caps.

 

Yea I hate "C" pillar portholes. That and good old 70's "C" pillar opera windows. Even on the Thunderbirds. Including the two-sweaters. On the Mach 1 concept car, they maybe fuel fillers, but they still look like portholes and ugly. Later versions of the kit with the fuel fillers on the deck lid look a lot better. (To me.)

[dodgefever]

I wish they could bring back the first version, with the Appliance Apache mags.  You can keep your Pro Touring rubber bands and 20" wheels; for me, nothing looks better than those red or gold striped bias plies on 15" mags.

Were those Apache wheels in any other kits?   I'd like to get hold of some.

 

Edited July 7, 2016 by dodgefever

[Snake45]

I wish they could bring back the first version, with the Appliance Apache mags.  You can keep your Pro Touring rubber bands and 20" wheels; for me, nothing looks better than those red or gold striped bias plies on 15" mags.

Were those Apache wheels in any other kits?   I'd like to get hold of some.

 

I'm pretty sure I have or had a set at one time, and I believe they came from the original annual AMT '67 Camaro. But I could be wrong on both counts.

[pack rat]

I'm pretty sure I have or had a set at one time, and I believe they came from the original annual AMT '67 Camaro. But I could be wrong on both counts.

Yes, the '67 Camaro annual has the Apache wheels.  The '71 Monte Carlo annual has them too. There may be others.......

 

[Snake45]

Yea I hate "C" pillar portholes. That and good old 70's "C" pillar opera windows. Even on the Thunderbirds. Including the two-sweaters. On the Mach 1 concept car, they maybe fuel fillers, but they still look like portholes and ugly. Later versions of the kit with the fuel fillers on the deck lid look a lot better. (To me.)

Just out of curiosity Uncle Scott, how do you feel about the roof windows on the '66 Shelby GT350s? Personally, I love them, and if I ever own a '65-'66 Mustang fastback, putting those in will be about the first thing I do to it.

[unclescott58]

Just out of curiosity Uncle Scott, how do you feel about the roof windows on the '66 Shelby GT350s? Personally, I love them, and if I ever own a '65-'66 Mustang fastback, putting those in will be about the first thing I do to it.

One of the few exceptions I have on "C" pillar windows. I prefer the stock Mustang louvers better. But, the Shelby window looked okay too. I like them better than the vent setup Shelby chose to go with on the '67 and '68 GT350s and GT500s.

Snake, I'm just not a big fan, in general, of extra things on car roofs. I love the blind corner roof design of the '66, '69, and '71 Thunderbird 2-door Landaus for example. But I hate the Landau "S" bar you had to take on the '69. At least in '66 on the Town Hardtop and again on the '71 2-door Landau you could get that roof style without the bars. And I love both the '72 and '73 Thunderbirds without the vinyl roof roof options. No "S" bar in '72. And no opera window in '73. If you passed on ordering the vinyl roof.

Speaking of vinyl roofs. In general that is something with few exceptions, I always disliked. There are a couple of exceptions to the rule there though. I feel the '77, '78, and '79 Thunderbirds look better with the two piece vinyl roof, than without. And if I had to take a vinyl roof on some other cars, I kind of like the style that covers the forward half of the roof, starting at (or ending, depending on how you look at it) at "C" pillar right above the rear corner of rear quarter window on two-doors. But in general I dislike vinyl roofs. Especially the "landau" style that covered the rear part of the roof. Then combine that with an opera window. Ugh! So many decent looking cars in the mid to late 70's were ruined by that trend.

Edited July 7, 2016 by unclescott58

[Snake45]

Snake, I'm just not a big fan, in general, of extra things on car roofs.

Me neither. That's why I like those '66 Shelby windows--I find them much cleaner than the stock louvers.

I'm working on the AMT '66 Mustang funnycar and it will have just simple sheetmetal panels there on the roof, as several of the real '66 Mustang funnies did.

[unclescott58]

Continuing with our discussion Snake, a rare car is the 1972 Continental Mk IV without the opera window. Which was optional that year. (I can't remember if it was optional or standard equipment for '73 or not.) You were required to take a vinyl roof on the '72 Mk IV. But not the opera window. And I think the car looks much better without it. Without the opera window you got a nice little Continental star in its place. Very clean looking.

As mentioned vinyl roofs were optional on Thunderbirds in 1972 and '73. But you'll rarely find one without the option either year. As noted, if you ordered the vinyl roof on the '72 you got Landau S bars. Order a vinyl roof on the '73 you got the opera window. So few '72 and '73 Birds were built without vinyl roofs, that starting in May of '73, all Thunderbird came standard with the vinyl roof and opera windows. Tough to find, but if you've ever seen a '72 or '73 Thunderbird without the vinyl roof, they too look very clean to me. They just carry a nice moderate sized Thunderbird emblem on the C pillar.

Again I'm not a big fan of vinyl roofs overall. On some cars in the late 70's you were offered a Landau vinyl roof over the rear half of the roof as standard equipment. In that case, at least with Fords and Mercurys, you could option to have a full vinyl roof at no extra charge. That would have been a case where I would have opted to go with the full vinyl roof.

I like the looks of a good solid looking "C" pillar on a car. For example, in general in the early 30's I like a 3-window coupe better than a 5-window. There are exceptions to every rule. I like the thin C pillar on late 50's Dodges and Plymouths. I love GM's flattop 4-door hardtops of '59 and '60. In general, the thicker the "C" pillar the better I like it. But, the area needs to be kept clean overall.

Another example a clean look in the area of the "C" pillar I like, is the design of the second generation GM "F" body cars. Camaro and Firebird. Though I like the '70 through '74 rear window better. The '75 and later second gen "F" bodies look good too.

I think you can see why I don't like the fuel fillers on that first Mach 1 concept car. Clutters an area that looks better clean. Yet, at the same time I like the vent louvers used on the '65 through '68 Mustang fastbacks. And I do like the replacement window Shelby put in on the '66 GT350s. As noted, there are exceptions to just about every rule.

Edited July 7, 2016 by unclescott58

[Mr. Metallic]

Well, I just scored a decent builtup of the Superstang, so I'm sure Round 2 will announce they are releasing the kit. Which would be fine with me, because I'd love to have another. Wish my issue had those sweet original issue wheels.

Anyone have any built models to share?

[pack rat]

Well, I just scored a decent builtup of the Superstang, so I'm sure Round 2 will announce they are releasing the kit. Which would be fine with me, because I'd love to have another. Wish my issue had those sweet original issue wheels.

Anyone have any built models to share?

No Superstang buildups, but I have a Mach 1 and an Iron Horse..both built decades ago

For reasons I can't recall, I decided the Mach i looked better in silver (probably because of a limited budget, and a can of silver paint sitting on the shelf).  The tires were swapped with a set of low-profile big & littles from the scrap box (MPC Mako Shark maybe?).  I've purchased two Mach 1's, and they both have the tall tires as found in the AMT Indy cars (Willard Battery Spl etc) in the box.  I don't know what AMT was thinking, but they just don't fit the car at all.

       

[unclescott58]

No Superstang buildups, but I have a Mach 1 and an Iron Horse..both built decades ago

For reasons I can't recall, I decided the Mach i looked better in silver (probably because of a limited budget, and a can of silver paint sitting on the shelf).  The tires were swapped with a set of low-profile big & littles from the scrap box (MPC Mako Shark maybe?).  I've purchased two Mach 1's, and they both have the tall tires as found in the AMT Indy cars (Willard Battery Spl etc) in the box.  I don't know what AMT was thinking, but they just don't fit the car at all.

       

Both look very nice. And silver works just fine on the Mach 1, IMO.