1/25 AMT '63 Ford Galaxie

[Casey]

Sounds like the 1/25 AMT '63 Ford Galaxie 500 is being reissued in 2020 as kit number 1186. Your guess is as good or better than mine what the box art will look like, so maybe this?

[stavanzer]

I hope not. That is truly awful artwork. To catch the eye of todays buyer, they'll need something that reaches out and grabs the eye. However, Round2 is excellent at choosing that kind of boxart, so I have no fears in that area at all.

[ChrisBcritter]

Might be better if they used a new rendering of a stock Ford in the original surrounding artwork, like the new box art for the '63 Impala (cribbed from the '64).

Wonder if Round2 would be so kind as to put the "G A L A X I E" lettering back on the trunk lid?

[mredjr]

Christopher don't count on it. Have you seen the new 63 impala it is a mess? The box art looks nice but I been thinking throwing the kit in the trash and save the box.

[Classicgas]

You can send me the impala?. I guess myself I actually prefer photos of the kit itself, provided it's actually the kit lol.

[stavanzer]

Elvin, if Lee R. does not get you '63 Impala, I'll trade you for it. Other than the horrible, misshapen, lump of an engine it looks just fine to me.

[MININORTHFORDMAN]

i hope so people are gonna disagree with me,but i love galaxies and i know this is just the simple old promo kit but sometimes you need a quick build or a cool build that you use a diffrent kit for parts.

[Force]

I don't know but I think it's about time to do a new 1963½ Galaxie Fastback model kit, I own a real 1963½ 500XL Fastback and this old kit has much to desire as it has many flaws and incorrect things.
This old kit is promo based, has a boring one piece chassis, interior from a convertible and crude details.
Round2 could easily base a new kit on the 1960 Galaxie Starliner kit, use the chassis and driveline from that as those parts are excellent and do a new correct interior, body, glass and chrome....while they're at it the could do the same with a 1964 Galaxie as the kits we have now are not up to todays standard.

Edited November 8, 2019 by Force

[Bob Ellis]

16 hours ago, mredjr said:

Christopher don't count on it. Have you seen the new 63 impala it is a mess? The box art looks nice but I been thinking throwing the kit in the trash and save the box.

Throw the kit my way. It's 1960s technology

[mredjr]

I understand Bob, I remember getting the annual when it came out and this is the promo kit. Round2 does not do anything to recondition the tools like they said, they are just selling box art. I love the 63 Chevy and that kit is worth spending a little money on and fix the problems with it.

[stavanzer]

Charlie, I agree with you. Simplified Promo or not, I really like both of the AMT '63's called out here. Both the Impala and the Galaxie, or a treasure trove of early 1960's goodness, with decent bodies, and fun, vintage options. I'll be buying both of these kits when the hit the shelves.

[mredjr]

I love both the 63 Chevy and the 63 Galaxie I just wish they would freshen up the molds. I don't mind the simple kits I am building my old teenage hangout from the 60's and everything I put on that will be curbside except for a couple.

[MeatMan]

Yes simple kits are okay, but I really wanted to try to replicate my late brother-in-law's 63 Galaxie he had in the 70's. He jacked it up with those silly shackles, and cut the exhausts off and added Cherry Bombs and straight pipes. I bought the kit to try to do that, but with molded-in exhausts and axle it was impossible. Some folks told me to use the Starliner kit, but they didn't match up well so I wound up making the Galaxie a custom, and building the Starliner separately. I might try that again but expect to do more fabrication than my original plan.

[Force]

The AMT 1960 Starliner chassis works fine under both the 1963½ and 1964 Galaxies with some slight modifications, so it's not a huge problem to do that upgrade.
But...this old kit has lots to desire, as I said, I own a real 1963½ Galaxie 500XL and there are much on the kit wich need attention.
The interior for example is a XL with bucket seats and console...but the interior in the kit is from a convertible and is definately not right for a Fastback Coupe as the back seat is too narrow and the rear side panels are wrong, it's not exactly right for a convertible either as the speaker grille in the middle of the back seat is missing, the body in the kit has nice proportions but the details are crude and the GALAXIE letters are missing from the trunklid, the tail light bezels are way too thick, the tail lights themselves are wrong as the backup lights are missing and it should have a four pointed slim chromed star on the lens with the backup light in the middle, not the strange three pointed crude one without the backup lights you are supposed to use in the kit, the grille has the headlight lenses molded in and so on.
So I think it's about time we get new kit of both the 1963½ and 1964 Galaxies and let the old ones leave the scene.

Edited November 9, 2019 by Force

[Dave Darby]

1 hour ago, Force said:

The AMT 1960 Starliner chassis works fine under both the 1963½ and 1964 Galaxies with some slight modifications, so it's not a huge problem to do that upgrade.
But...this old kit has lots to desire, as I said, I own a real 1963½ Galaxie 500XL and there are much on the kit wich need attention.
The interior for example is a XL with bucket seats and console...but the interior in the kit is from a convertible and is definately not right for a Fastback Coupe as the back seat is too narrow and the rear side panels are wrong, it's not exactly right for a convertible either as the speaker grille in the middle of the back seat is missing, the body in the kit has nice proportions but the details are crude and the GALAXIE letters are missing from the trunklid, the tail light bezels are way too thick, the tail lights themselves are wrong as the backup lights are missing and it should have a four pointed slim chromed star on the lens with the backup light in the middle, not the strange three pointed crude one without the backup lights you are supposed to use in the kit, the grille has the headlight lenses molded in and so on.
So I think it's about time we get new kit of both the 1963½ and 1964 Galaxies and let the old ones leave the scene.

With the ever shrinking market place I wouldn't hold my breath on that happening. Plus as the Revell 62 Impala shows, there could be quite a trade off in detail compared to body fidelity. Most of the issues you mention are pretty easy fixes. 

[Force]

The market will for sure shrink even more if all we're going to get in the future is 40-50-60 years old kits reissued over and over and nothing new to tease us with...a new kit now and then doesn't hurt, just choose the right subject and it will sell.
I think Round2 could do it with the great 1960 Starliner they have as a base for new 1963 and 1964 Galaxie kits...but they are probably more interested in doing new boxart, decals different colored glass and pad printed tires for old outdated kits and thinks that that's enough to keep the interest up, than putting out good model kits on the market. 
I don't think the issues are easy fixes, it involves lots of work to be able to do an accurate replica from this kit with all the flaws it has, so much that it's not worth it IMHO.
As I own one it would have been nice to be able to do an accurate replica model of my car...but I'm sorry to say this kit doesn't make the cut.

Edited November 10, 2019 by Force

[stavanzer]

I hear you, Hakan. I really do. But I would not be so quik to blame the guys at Round2. Their 'business case' for what makes a "good model", differs significantly from yours.

(and Mine too. 1912 Mercer, anybody?)

Round2 has been pouring tooling dollars into new tools. They are just not doing so with car kits. (right now). If you are a Space 1999 Fan or a Star Trek Fan, Round2 has been going flat out. So, will they ever get around to to tooling up a new body, engine, and interior, for a 56 year old car that nobody under the age of 40 is going to know or care about? Notgonnahappen.com.

You love your car. Heck, I was born in 1963. I love your car! But I don't see the tooling Round2 has right now, being changed or improved in any way, IN the foreseeable future.  The Business case for doing so just does not make sense right now. Someday it might. Right now, I doubt it.

I wish it were not that way.

[Force]

Well it may differ from mine but only doing mostly the same re-issues over and over isn't that fun for us who has been in the hobby for a long time, that started long before Round2 in this case as RC2 was doing the same thing with the difference that they didn't go that deep into the tooling bank, didn't fix up anything, had bad boxart and questionable quality.
I thought if Round2 used the 1960 Starliner tooling they could base new 1963 and 1964 Galaxie kits on that with a smaller budget since the chassis, floorpan, engine and driveline can be used from the 1960 Starliner tooling, so they don't have to do a completely new kit.

As for not worth tooling up new kits for 40-50-60 year old cars...well that's the car kits that sells and if you take a look at what new American car kits has been done over the last 20 years from the different makers most of them are from that era, the classic car business is huge right now and not many new cars have the same attraction for people whatever age.
The Chevys are well covered and there are newer tooling kits available for mostly all classic years, the Tri-Five's and 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67 Impalas and lots of muscle cars has been done in the last 20-25 years from Revell, AMT and Lindberg.
It's a lot worse for Fords where there are only a few new tooling kits made lately and most of them are from the 30's and 40's, a couple from the late 50's and a few from the 60's, no Galaxies at all from any manufacturer except for the AMT 1960 Starliner wich is a great kit IMHO.
So most of the Galaxie kit tooling has 50 or more years on them with all that comes with it. ?

Edited November 10, 2019 by Force

[1930fordpickup]

Force I agree with you. We need a new 63 Galaxie .  

[Dave Darby]

2 hours ago, Force said:

Well it may differ from mine but only doing mostly the same re-issues over and over isn't that fun for us who has been in the hobby for a long time, that started long before Round2 in this case as RC2 was doing the same thing with the difference that they didn't go that deep into the tooling bank, didn't fix up anything, had bad boxart and questionable quality.
I thought if Round2 used the 1960 Starliner tooling they could base new 1963 and 1964 Galaxie kits on that with a smaller budget since the chassis, floorpan, engine and driveline can be used from the 1960 Starliner tooling, so they don't have to do a completely new kit.

As for not worth tooling up new kits for 40-50-60 year old cars...well that's the car kits that sells and if you take a look at what new American car kits has been done over the last 20 years from the different makers most of them are from that era, the classic car business is huge right now and not many new cars have the same attraction for people whatever age.
The Chevys are well covered and there are newer tooling kits available for mostly all classic years, the Tri-Five's and 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67 Impalas and lots of muscle cars has been done in the last 20-25 years from Revell, AMT and Lindberg.
It's a lot worse for Fords where there are only a few new tooling kits made lately and most of them are from the 30's and 40's, a couple from the late 50's and a few from the 60's, no Galaxies at all from any manufacturer except for the AMT 1960 Starliner wich is a great kit IMHO.
So most of the Galaxie kit tooling has 50 or more years on them with all that comes with it. ?

Very few to none of those new tools would have happened if those particular manufacturers would have had an existing tool on hand. And according to most of the industry insiders Ive spoken with, the body is the most expensive part of the tool. To be honest, we are lucky to have a 63 Galaxie at all after AMTs big tool purge in the early 70s. As it wss  AMT/Ertl had to retrieve the chassis from under the 64 Mod Stocker and replace the exhaust. I'm an old Ford guy myself. My first car was a 64 Falcon Sprint. Imagine what i felt when I saw that crude piece of dreck Trumpeter put out.

I'd take an old annusl kit over thar hot mess any day. At least thst Galaxie has an accurate body. At the end of the day, my models sit on a shelf. If I needed the extra chassis detail, I can swap in the Starliner stuff. The missing rear speaker grille is only noticeable to the .00001 percent of those kit buyers who actually have a 63 Galaxie. Not exactly a glaring deficiency.

The convertible top wells are there because the annual kits could also be had as convertibles. I'll bet the reissue comes with the boot.

A new kit tool costs upward of 250k. With their largest customer, Hobby Lobby shrinking their car kit selection, do you really think Round2 can make a business case for reinventing the wheel on a kit HL probably wont even pick up?

Edited November 10, 2019 by Dave Darby

[1930fordpickup]

One can only hope Dave.  The biggest problem I see is that there is a limited use for the tool  other than a race car and a convertible.  A wagon would be a stretch.  

[Force]

Andy: The use of the tooling is limited for all car kits as there are only a few versions that can be done from them without spending too much, and also a few that will sell as a model kit.
The chassis and driveline is basically the same from 1960 to 1964 so with these same basic things you can do at least a couple versions of each year if you want to.
We already have the 1960 Starliner and two versions of that, but for the 1961-64 Galaxies you can do at least four versions each, a factory stock, a NASCAR race car as the 1963½ Fastback roofline was developed specially for that, a Stock/Super Stock Light Weight Drag Race car as they also were popular there, a convertible and the 1963 was also available with a box top HT until it was replaced with the Fastback roofline and the box top was also used in NASCAR and Drag Racing, it's also possible to do the 500XL and the cheaper 500 versions if you tool up and change the interior and so on...you have to see the possibillities.

Dave: Well they wouldn't have done new tooling of these kits if they didn't think they would sell wouldn't they.
It would probably had been better if the old tooling was scrapped back then, in that case we would maybe have had new kits of these cars already.
AMT did both a Convertible, a Box Top hard top and the Fastback hard top from this tool and these were made 1963-64...so this tooling are as old as I am, and the fastback is the only one left of the three, they did the same with the 1964 but it got a worse fate as it ended up as a modified stocker where most of the tooling was almost destroyed, the other 1964 kit is basically an unassembled promo and doesn't make anyone happy...at least not me anyway.
The missing speaker grille in the middle of the backrest of the back seat is for the convertible only in 1963, the coupe doesn't have it as the speaker was in the middle of the package tray behind the seat if you had one, the 1964 XL had a speaker grille in the middle of the backrest both on the HT and Convertible, the interior rear side panels are more difficult to fix as they and the back seat are left over from the convertible kit...at least it IS a XL interior, they could have done a regular 500 with bench front seat if they wanted to as it has less detail.
So I think new kits of these cars would sell a lot better than the old ones if they were more accurate and detailed...because I'm not satisfied with what's available now.
I can wish can't I.

I can't believe I'm sitting here arguing about new possible kits with fellow modelbuilders, I can understand if manufacturers have arguments for this and that but not model builders..I belive all of you as well as I want new kits now and then.
I'm a realist and not a dreamer and here I see a possibillity to do "new" and better kits for less money than what a new tooling kit costs, yes it's expensive to do but it's a suggestion for someone at Round2 if they see it, and all I want is to get some support from my fellow modelers to get more leverage, and all I get is arguments against...one can give up for less. *sigh*

Edited November 10, 2019 by Force

[Classicgas]

6 hours ago, Dave Darby said:

Very few to none of those new tools would have happened if those particular manufacturers would have had an existing tool on hand. And according to most of the industry insiders Ive spoken with, the body is the most expensive part of the tool. To be honest, we are lucky to have a 63 Galaxie at all after AMTs big tool purge in the early 70s. As it wss  AMT/Ertl had to retrieve the chassis from under the 64 Mod Stocker and replace the exhaust. I'm an old Ford guy myself. My first car was a 64 Falcon Sprint. Imagine what i felt when I saw that crude piece of dreck Trumpeter put out.

I'd take an old annusl kit over thar hot mess any day. At least thst Galaxie has an accurate body. At the end of the day, my models sit on a shelf. If I needed the extra chassis detail, I can swap in the Starliner stuff. The missing rear speaker grille is only noticeable to the .00001 percent of those kit buyers who actually have a 63 Galaxie. Not exactly a glaring deficiency.

The convertible top wells are there because the annual kits could also be had as convertibles. I'll bet the reissue comes with the boot.

A new kit tool costs upward of 250k. With their largest customer, Hobby Lobby shrinking their car kit selection, do you really think Round2 can make a business case for reinventing the wheel on a kit HL probably wont even pick up?

That is beautiful. Found the color for mine.

[Motor City]

There is no doubt that the Impala has been favored over the Galaxie, the Chevelle over the Fairlane & Torino, the El Camino over the Ranchero, and Camaro over the Mustang.   Hopefully the model companies will start offering cars other than the endless variations of '69 Camaros and the like.

Ebay has many damaged '63 XL promos with scratched paint, bent windshield posts, broken bumpers.  Why not buy one of them to get the correct hardtop interior to combine with the otherwise decent '63 kit?

 

[Casey]

On 11/10/2019 at 6:44 AM, Force said:

I'm a realist and not a dreamer

Nothing wrong with being more of the latter than the former, but I think we all know, unless there's some involvement from one of the 1:1 manufacturers, an all-new automotive kit from Round2 isn't part of their plan.

Edited November 11, 2019 by Casey