Converting the AMT 72 Chevy P/U to 4WD

[mikemodeler]

I have recently picked up some kits in trade and am looking to build the AMT 72 Chevy pickup up as a 4WD but have some questions about going about doing so.

1. I have a resin short bed from Bandit Resins and want to build one of my 72's as a short bed 4WD. Has anyone looked at using the recent re-issued 84 GMC kit chassis as a starting point? The platform chassis in the 72 leaves a lot to be desired and I was thinking it might be easier to use the GMC.

2. Would I be better off starting with the chassis from the Crew Chief Blazer kit and modifying it to fit?

3. Has anyone ever scratch build a chassis from styrene? 

 

Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly welcomed.

[Fat Brian]

You would have to do a lot of modifying to the 84 chassis, the fender wells are molded to the frame on the 84 but are molded to the cab of the 72 one set will have to go. Plus, the suspension parts in the 84 aren't that great anyway. If you have a Blazer to spare or don't mind picking up a donor and are going for a pretty stock ride height I would start with it's chassis and stretch it to fit.

[mikemodeler]

You would have to do a lot of modifying to the 84 chassis, the fender wells are molded to the frame on the 84 but are molded to the cab of the 72 one set will have to go. Plus, the suspension parts in the 84 aren't that great anyway. If you have a Blazer to spare or don't mind picking up a donor and are going for a pretty stock ride height I would start with it's chassis and stretch it to fit.

I do have a couple of the Blazers and that might be what I end up doing. I was concerned with how the back end of the chassis on the Blazer would look with the bed on it, meaning how would the body lines flow.

If I were to use the 84 GMC chassis, I would definitely chop the wheel wells off. I might also look at the Revell 78 GMC to see if there is much difference with the scales and body mounts. Luckily I have enough extra kits to play around!

 

Thanks Brian!

[Can-Con]

If it were me, I'd use the '84 chassis. The Blazer chassis is not bad but too short a wheelbase even for a short box pickup, you'd need to stretch it . That generation chassis isn't all that different than the earlier one and it will build up with a stock 4X4 height, all you need to do is not use the seprate lift blocks at the ends of the springs.  That chassis is actually quite nice of you get rid of those stupid lift blocks and 1/20 scale wheels/tires.

As far as the inner fenders go, cut the ones from the cab and use the ones molded on the chassis, they're correct for that generation pickup, the ones molded to the cab are not. 

[mikemodeler]

If it were me, I'd use the '84 chassis. The Blazer chassis is not bad but too short a wheelbase even for a short box pickup, you'd need to stretch it . That generation chassis isn't all that different than the earlier one and it will build up with a stock 4X4 height, all you need to do is not use the seprate lift blocks at the ends of the springs.  That chassis is actually quite nice of you get rid of those stupid lift blocks and 1/20 scale wheels/tires.

As far as the inner fenders go, cut the ones from the cab and use the ones molded on the chassis, they're correct for that generation pickup, the ones molded to the cab are not. 

Good to know, I have a scrap 72 cab with which to experiment.

[mikemodeler]

Well, we lost power yesterday for 5 hours and I used my new lighted Xacto knife, along with a razor saw, and began the process of modifying the 84 GMC chassis to fit the 72 cab. As mentioned above, I cut the incorrect inner fenders out of the 72 and slightly trimmed the ones on the 84 and it fits almost like they were made for each other! I had to get back to my honey do list once the power was back on and will try to do some more work this week on it. I will assemble the resin short bed from Bandit and see how well that fits on the chassis, hoping it won't take much.

I think I might modify the chassis from the 72 and build a quick curbside short bed 84, not sure.