Campers, Toppers, Caps, & Shells

[Casey]

Call 'em what you like, but those things-that-sit-on-or-in-pickup-beds are a rarely seen accessory/extra that added some serious value to kits.

On that note, is the slide-in style "custom camper" (following AMT's lead on the name) included in both the AMT '59 and '65 El Camino kits exactly the same? Was the '59 pictured below the first kit in which is was included?:

 

Is this the first AMT '65 El Camino kit in which the same custom camper was included?:

Later Buyer's Choice 2 reissue of the '65 which included the custom camper:

 

Moving on to another, funkier topper, as found in the AMT 1969 Chevy Fleetside kit:

 

I believe this was also included in the art box version, like so?:

 

Was the above topper/cap/shell from the '69 Fleetside identical to the topper/cap/shell included in the earlier AMT '6? Ford F-100 pickup kit, pictured below?:

Edited January 16, 2019 by Casey

[disabled modeler]

Casey..I believe the 65 and 59 Elcamino camper tops were the same ones...no clue which one had it first..?  I have a 63 Ford pickup from my dads old ones that has a badly messed up camper top like the funky looking one on it..shame its so bad I kind of like it.

[Mark]

The El Camino camper first appeared in the '65 annual kit, which is pictured.  Only one issue of the '59 had it, and that one was from about 1968.  That camper doesn't really fit the '59.

The topper with that funky/useless raised area first appeared in that '63 Ford reissue (1968) then turned up in the '69 Chevy pickup.  There were two issues of that; same plastic parts and (99% certain) same decals in both.  AMT did two issues of some annual kits in '69, apparently some department store chains wanted kits without the year on the box so they wouldn't end up dumping some to the clearance shelf after next years' kits came out.  The topper is the same in all three kits, and it never appeared in any others after those.

[espo]

I built an AMT '65 El Camino many years ago. It is still on the shelf on display. This was the one issued in yellow plastic and it has a cab high shell that is kitted to look like an aluminum shell rather than a fiberglass type.   

[Snake45]

Thanks for the info, Mark. I was curious how well (or not) the camper fit into the '59 ElCo's bed.

Yes, there were quite a few other 1/25 or 1/24 kits with caps/shells/toppers, but AMT's '65 El Camino kit included two different types at different times, as you mentioned. You probably had the "Gear Hustler" version from the Construction Series, like so?:

 

 

I don't have that particular issue of the Elky, but I do have at least one molded in yellow, and at least one with that style of cap. I have one with the larger cap, too--I think maybe from the '70s Superwagon issue. 

[Mercuryman54]

I don't have pictures off hand but. I know there was a camper shell in one or more of the 1973-77 Ford AMT kits. Also there was a camper shell in one of the late 70's AMT Ford courier kits and in an AMT Dodge Deora. There may be more but that's all I can think of right now.

Dennis

[Bucky]

This simple little shell comes in the snap kit Chevy pickup:

[Casey]

there was a camper shell in one or more of the 1973-77 Ford AMT kits

[Mark]

I don't have that particular issue of the Elky, but I do have at least one molded in yellow, and at least one with that style of cap. I have one with the larger cap, too--I think maybe from the '70s Superwagon issue. 

If you have a yellow '65 El Camino, you've got that construction issue.  I have one that was painted when I got it, the yellow plastic looks pretty opaque but mine had paint on it.  That, and a very small nick in one rear wheel opening.  Radiused wheel openings will fix that...street freak gasser time!

The '77 Ford pickup cap is a Ford piece, it's pictured in their brochures.  I've got one, unfortunately mine is missing all of the clear parts.  That one might get shortened to 6-1/2' when I get back on my "normal" (non-Camper Special) pickup bed project...

[Snake45]

If you have a yellow '65 El Camino, you've got that construction issue.  I have one that was painted when I got it, the yellow plastic looks pretty opaque but mine had paint on it.  That, and a very small nick in one rear wheel opening.  Radiused wheel openings will fix that...street freak gasser time!

The '77 Ford pickup cap is a Ford piece, it's pictured in their brochures.  I've got one, unfortunately mine is missing all of the clear parts.  That one might get shortened to 6-1/2' when I get back on my "normal" (non-Camper Special) pickup bed project...

I don't have that issue. Maybe I'm thinking of a yellow '65 Chevelle wagon--is that possible? I do know that I have two different campers/shells in '65 Elky kits. (What, nobody caught that I called the Elky "Superwagon"? Brainfart on my part on that one.)

[Mark]

Yeah, the Ertl issue of the wagon was yellow.  The smaller cap for the '65 El Camino was tooled for the construction issue, along with a couple of hardhats and a "six-pack".  To be really authentic, they'd have needed several of the latter, as well as a bunch of loose ones to throw into the bed...

[Casey]

More kits which included truck bed rail mount caps:

AMT Toyota Fire Chief 4x4 Snap Fit:

 

Monogram Chevy Luv Street Pick-Up:

 

Revell's Jeep Honcho "Dude":

 

MPC's '76 Dodge annual pickup kit had the funky half(?) cap:

Edited December 1, 2017 by Casey

[Casey]

(What, nobody caught that I called the Elky "Superwagon"? Brainfart on my part on that one.)

  

In your defense the '65 Chevelle wagon did have that funky roof top...tray(?) thing, which wasn't really a rack nor a separately mounted carrier...very strange whatever it was called.

Edited November 16, 2017 by Casey

[Tom Geiger]

[Mark]

Also...the AMT Toyota Fire Chief snap kit had a cap, too:

The cap from the Monogram Chevy Luv Street Pick-Up:

 

Revell's Jeep Honcho "Dude":

 

MPC's '76 Dodge annual pickup kit had the funky half(?) cap:

The Dodge cap looks like it would fit a short (6-1/2') bed without that extension at the back.  Maybe some company made a 1:1 version, but I've never seen one.  The MPC unit is molded entirely in clear plastic, the parts other than the windows must be painted.

[Bucky]

And, there was this camper:

The Open Road camper, offered in late 60's Chevy pickup kits. This one is from the re-issue that had the Racer's Wedge in the same kit.

I put mine on the Ghostbuster's Caddy, for fun!!

Edited November 17, 2017 by Bucky

[Snake45]

Pretty sure I had--maybe still have--a Lindberg Mini-Lindy Ford Pickup with a camper on it. 

[Don Sikora II]

At least one issue of MPC's Datsun pickup had a cap. This Black Hawk is the 1979 "annual." Revell included a camper top in one version of their Datsun King Cab 4X4 that came with some wet bikes and a trailer. The picture is from Revell's 1983 catalog. And the MPC Branding Iron El Camino had a cap too.

[Casey]

On 11/16/2017 at 7:13 PM, Mark said:

 The MPC unit is molded entirely in clear plastic, the parts other than the windows must be painted.

 

I swear somebody mentioned the Deora in an earlier post, but it had both a more typical cap and a very funky camper included in various reissues:

 

Revell's Toyota 4x4 with G-T Spoiler Top Snap Together kit, too:

 

[disabled modeler]

I loved those old Dodge pickup kits...shame they dont re-issue them for us...great memories building them.

[Mark]

8 hours ago, Casey said:

The ?? part is the extension that goes at the back.  The cap without that extension might fit a short-bed Dodge, but MPC never made one with the wide box.

[Casey]

On 11/15/2017 at 9:52 PM, Mercuryman54 said:

Also there was a camper shell in one of the late 70's AMT Ford courier kits

 

[Mercuryman54]

4 hours ago, Casey said:

 

That's it!!!!  I have one somewhere.  

Dennis

[Casey]

Not sure of it has been mentioned here or anywhere in or on either the AMT '59 or '65 El Camino boxes who the manufacturer of the larger, slide-in camper was in the real world, but I stumbled upon this image and it sure looks much the same, save for the 'quilted' siding:

[gtx6970]

Ive been wanting to build the pickup used in the Jim Dunn Movie - Funnycar summer.

And I've come up empty.

Ive resorted to the notion I'll just have to make my own out of sheet stock