Midnight Monte: AMT 70 MC

[Kmb0319]

The AMT 70 Monte Carlo had always been on my list... it's one of the really good AMT kits, and I love the first Generation Montes.  I sort of had one....  My first car was a 71 Chevelle that I loved, and was restoring, but it blew an oil line one night driving home, and I didn't know until the next morning when I came out to start it and found the engine was siezed.  From there, I found a beautiful  73 Road Runner in great shape with a 360.  I finished restoring that and drove it all through high school and my first 3 years of college.  But, as a senior in high school, my dad was looking for a car as he'd just left a job that supplied him with a company car.  His next job would give him a company car at his 1-yr anniversary, so he wanted to get something used to get around for the next 12 months.  Well, I convinced him if he was going to get something used, he might as well get something FUN.  (my father, left to his own devices, had HORRIBLE taste in cars... dad, walk away from the Pacer....)  

So, I "helped" him pick something out.  I found a dark green 71 Monte Carlo with matching vinyl roof and interior, and a 454 under the hood.  Even with my beloved Road Runner, I had to borrow dad's car a lot....  what a year!!!  

So, I didn't want to use dark green on this build.  The MC was an "executive hot rod," and with the Grand Prix and Cutlass, the start of the "personal luxury car" movement.  With the luxury and executive component very much a part of this car's heritage, I wanted a rich, power color.  Green is the color of money, but with the word executive in my head, I thought of a power suit.  The ultimate power suit is navy... so I wanted a dark blue.  I went with the closest color I could find to replicate GM's saddle interior, and used a Duplicolor paint called Patriot Blue that I used and loved on my 67 Shelby Mustang.

Kit was great, but I did have a couple issues...  the body and chassis had a lot of problems going together, but eventually it all came together.  I also had to reposition the front wheels, as they sat like a 4x4 when attached at first.  Other than that, it was smooth sailing.  Wired the engine, but other than that, it's box stock.  This was the other one along with the 71 Torino already posted that I thought might get done in 2016, but carried over.  On to the pics.

Dash.. used my white pencil to do the guages, worked nicely

Door panel and seat

finished

Thanks for looking.

[PARTSMARTY]

Looks great-love the color combo-beautiful !!!

[crazyjim]

Very nice.

[espo]

Great looking build. I like the color combo. I also had a '72 Monte Carlo, just a 350 but it served me well and towed my small ski boat with no problems.  

[MyBradKeselowski]

Excellent !   I like the color..

[bogger44]

I love those first gen Monte's too.  Good looking build, Kevin.

[vintagercr]

Nice clean build

[donb]

Nice color combo and the interior is really nice too. Nice work.

[JerseyRed]

Nice job!

[Zoom]

Well done!

[bbowser]

Well done, nice color combination.  As the former owner of a '71 I too, love this generation Monte.  I was ecstatic when this kit was released and have built a couple and have a couple more in the stash.  Thanks for sharing.