Is it Original?

[TarheelRick]

I bought a plastic bagged AMT '64 GTO glue bomb at the CKM show last week. I believe I can probably bring it back to original condition, although it is going to require a bit of scratchbuilding, especially the hood (I really miss Modelhaus).  I have tried the AMT '67 GTO chassis and it fits perfectly, so I can have a much better detailed chassis.  The '67 Firewall will also fit with a bit of fine adjustment.  The A pillars, headlight, and door handles will require some work, but is doable.  My only concern is the rear quarter scripts, but I may have them on a scrap piece of PE I got in trade several years ago.  Anyway here are some pictures, is it an original or a reissue?

 

[Snake45]

It's original. Was never reissued and I think the molds were altered to make the '65. 

I THINK I have a Modelhaus hood. I'm restoring one too and the hood is damaged, so I ordered a MH hood years ago but am not using it because it's just a hair undersized (not uncommon with repro parts due to mold and resin shrinkage). If I can find it, it's yours. 

The hood "scoops" are separate chrome inserts. You'll have to come up with those. 

Have you thought about picking up a common Polar Lights '64 GTO as an organ donor? You could harvest the hood, scoop inserts, A-pillars, and the grille might even fit. (Oh, the AMT grille needs a little plastic insert in the center which you seem to be missing, but that wouldn't be hard to scratchbuild.) The AMT body is more accurately shaped than the Polar Lights and it would be worth sacrificing one to restore the AMT. 

To fix your grille, I can take a silicone putty cast of the left corner of mine, then send you that mold and you can put it on your grille and backfill it with epoxy or polyester resin to complete yours. Come to think of it, I could pull molds of the AMT hood inserts and send you those, too. 

[TarheelRick]

Thanks for the suggestions and offers.  I think on the grille I am going to drill out all the headlights and try to replace them with clear lenses, I would then need to scratchbuild another bucket.  

[StevenGuthmiller]

5 hours ago, Snake45 said:

It's original. Was never reissued and I think the molds were altered to make the '65.

What about the "Johnny Lightning" kit.

That is an AMT kit.

Isn't it the same as the annual?

You can pick one of these up for in the neighborhood of $25.00.

 

Steve

 

[Snake45]

The Johnny Lightning is the Polar Lights kit. Rick's dealing with an original 1964 AMT annual. I can tell from the correct shape of the roof (and the lack of the "banana bend" in the body). 

[StevenGuthmiller]

16 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

The Johnny Lightning is the Polar Lights kit. Rick's dealing with an original 1964 AMT annual. I can tell from the correct shape of the roof (and the lack of the "banana bend" in the body). 

Just curious.

I thought that the Polar lights kit was a snap kit like the Johnny Lightning snapper.

I assumed that there were no guts in it.

 

Steve

 

[Casey]

2 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I thought that the Polar lights kit was a snap kit like the Johnny Lightning snapper. I assumed that there were no guts in it.

It is, technically, a snap together type kit, but it does have a separate frame, engine, bucket seats, dash, etc., so it's closer to halfway between a traditional 'glue' assembly kit and the traditional snap together kits.

It was originally (and is now, again) a Polar Lights kit, but RC2 pretty much clapped the AMT label on any AMT, MPC, or Polar Lights kit they packaged and sold.

[StevenGuthmiller]

7 minutes ago, Casey said:

It is, technically, a snap together type kit, but it does have a separate frame, engine, bucket seats, dash, etc., so it's closer to halfway between a traditional 'glue' assembly kit and the traditional snap together kits.

It was originally (and is now, again) a Polar Lights kit, but RC2 pretty much clapped the AMT label on any AMT, MPC, or Polar Lights kit they packaged and sold.

Consider me schooled.

I know nothing about these '64 GTO kits.

The only one I've ever had was a Monogram 1/24th scale kit, and an AMT annual that I recently traded away for a Johan '68 442.

The '64 GTO never really tripped my trigger anyway.

But regardless, one of the Polar Lights kits should net Ricky all of the parts that he should need for his restoration.

This is the Goat that I traded off.

 

Steve

 

 

 

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

But regardless, one of the Polar Lights kits should net Ricky all of the parts that he should need for his restoration.

It will, but he might have to work for it. The hood, for example, is not a drop-in fit. I tried it some months ago when I compared the two to see what the problem was with the PL kit, and IIRC it will need adjustment in both directions (length and width). As I recall, it's too much in one direction and not enough in the other. But it can be MADE to work if that's all you have to work with. 

[Exotics_Builder]

Interesting.  I know of the Polar Lights kit.  But, there was a 64 Tempest GTO hardtop annual AMT kit.

AMT 64 Tempest GTO instructions

I have a 64 Tempest LeMans Convertible kit packed away for the move, so I can't tell if it also has the GTO option as well.

 

[Casey]

57 minutes ago, Exotics_Builder said:

I have a 64 Tempest LeMans Convertible kit packed away for the move, so I can't tell if it also has the GTO option as well.

It doesn't, Gerry. Not sure if the GTO option was available on the Tempest Convertible in '64 or not (I don't think it was), but the kit is a Tempest only:

http://modelkitreviews.proboards.com/thread/295/amt-1964-tempest-lemans-convertible

[SfanGoch]

Since the first GTO was an option package for the '64 Tempest/LeMans hardtop/convertible/coupe, it isn't too much work to convert it into one.

[Exotics_Builder]

10 hours ago, Casey said:

It doesn't, Gerry. Not sure if the GTO option was available on the Tempest Convertible in '64 or not (I don't think it was), but the kit is a Tempest only:

http://modelkitreviews.proboards.com/thread/295/amt-1964-tempest-lemans-convertible

Thanks, forgot about that site for instructions.  Just was not into digging into the move boxes to find it.

[Snake45]

IIRC the '64 Tempests had the taillights in the fender tips, like the '67 Chevelle. The Lemans and GTO had them in the rear panel. I believe the AMT Tempest kit has the correct Tempest taillights. 

I have a Polar Lights GTO I want to build as a late '60s hardcore street racer. Am considering turning it back into a Tempest 2DS, but not sure I'll go to that extra effort. 

[Rob Hall]

7 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

IIRC the '64 Tempests had the taillights in the fender tips, like the '67 Chevelle. The Lemans and GTO had them in the rear panel. I believe the AMT Tempest kit has the correct Tempest taillights. 

I have a Polar Lights GTO I want to build as a late '60s hardcore street racer. Am considering turning it back into a Tempest 2DS, but not sure I'll go to that extra effort. 

True about the 1:1 '64 Tempest, but I believe the AMT annual was a Le Mans, not a Tempest.  At least the ones I have are Le Mans.

 

Edited September 4, 2018 by Rob Hall

[Casey]

37 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

IIRC the '64 Tempests had the taillights in the fender tips, like the '67 Chevelle. The Lemans and GTO had them in the rear panel. I believe the AMT Tempest kit has the correct Tempest taillights.

The AMT '64 Tempest LeMans convertible has the tail lights in the tail panel rear grille:

 

Just for kicks, here's the 1/25 Polar Lights '64 GTO front bumper and grilles piece, which looks suspiciously like the original AMT part:

[Snake45]

I stand corrected. I've never actually seen an AMT '64 Tempest kit and didn't know it was a LeMans. Thanks for setting the record straight.