Inspiration for the customising parts in early AMT kits

[59 Buick]

Hi all,

I have been doing a bit of research for my own inspiration and found some great pictures on custom car chronicle of various custom cars.

i know that AMT did model some parts on kits (For example: the ‘53 Ford Pickup and ‘56 Ford) on real cars.

So, some food for thought for the stylising parts in the ‘57 Chevrolet.

 

Edited November 22, 2019 by 59 Buick

[espo]

The original issue of the AMT '57 Chevy included a chopped top option also. This included cutting the top off the model's body and reliefs on the inside of the top posts were provided for where to cut the top off. The top would have to be cut into four pieces and again there were reliefs on the under side of the top to show where to cut the top. The glass provided for this modification had the front and rear windows combined with the headliner. This part included a raised portion to fill the gaps created with the four way top cuts. The four roof parts were then glued to the glass. The hard part was properly masking the glass to do any body filling and painting. I did one long ago and followed the instructions and it turned out great.    

[Casey]

That's definitely the car which (heavily) influenced the AMT '57 Bel Air Hardtop kit's radical custom pieces, and even the supercharger with the low profile intake and sidedraft(?) carburetors.

Maybe this was known long ago and I'm just very late to the party, but here's the link of you want to know more:

https://www.customcarchronicle.com/custom-cars/57-chevy-hint-of-mint/

Edited November 22, 2019 by Casey

[Brian Austin]

How did the tail lights work? 

[59 Buick]

5 hours ago, Casey said:

That's definitely the car which (heavily) influenced the AMT '57 Bel Air Hardtop kit's radical custom pieces, and even the supercharger with the low profile intake and sidedraft(?) carburetors.

Maybe this was known long ago and I'm just very late to the party, but here's the link of you want to know more:

https://www.customcarchronicle.com/custom-cars/57-chevy-hint-of-mint/

Hi Casey, that’s the article I spotted and grabbed the pictures from. Thanks for putting up the link.

[59 Buick]

10 hours ago, espo said:

The original issue of the AMT '57 Chevy included a chopped top option also. This included cutting the top off the model's body and reliefs on the inside of the top posts were provided for where to cut the top off. The top would have to be cut into four pieces and again there were reliefs on the under side of the top to show where to cut the top. The glass provided for this modification had the front and rear windows combined with the headliner. This part included a raised portion to fill the gaps created with the four way top cuts. The four roof parts were then glued to the glass. The hard part was properly masking the glass to do any body filling and painting. I did one long ago and followed the instructions and it turned out great.    

Hi Espo, I have obtained an built up early issue of the kit and have a chopped version in that box which I want to restore. I did notice that the glass insert needs to have the drip rails added to finish off.

[59 Buick]

1 hour ago, Brian Austin said:

How did the tail lights work? 

Hi Brian

I would assume the strip would light up.

[59 Buick]

A couple more to ponder over. More direct links to the original 1:1 cars

 

 

I wonder where the inspiration for the custom parts in the 1949, 1950 and 1957 Ford kits came from?

 

Edited November 23, 2019 by 59 Buick

[Don Sikora II]

6 hours ago, Casey said:

That's definitely the car which (heavily) influenced the AMT '57 Bel Air Hardtop kit's radical custom pieces, and even the supercharger with the low profile intake and sidedraft(?) carburetors.

Maybe this was known long ago and I'm just very late to the party, but here's the link of you want to know more:

https://www.customcarchronicle.com/custom-cars/57-chevy-hint-of-mint/

The AMT kit was released in 1962. The article states the 1:1 car was customized in 1965/66, so maybe the kit actually inspired this car! 

[Brian Austin]

Considering the tail light looked to be a segmented white/clear rod, I wasn't sure how it was supposed to be illuminated.

Edited November 24, 2019 by Brian Austin

[Casey]

22 minutes ago, Brian Austin said:

Considering the tail light looked to be a segmented white/clear rod, I wasn't sure how it was supposed to be illuminated.

Check out the linked article. It addresses the tail lights, though it's not quite clear where the tail lights actually are in that continuous bar/rod.

22 hours ago, Don Sikora II said:

The AMT kit was released in 1962. The article states the 1:1 car was customized in 1965/66, so maybe the kit actually inspired this car! 

Oh, you're bringing facts into this now? ? ? You're right, it seems likely the model kit served as the influence for the real car's modifications, and the rear end treatments works quite well IMHO.

Edited November 24, 2019 by Casey

[Tom Geiger]

and don't forget the theme for NNL East 2020 is "Known Survivors"  those models we built using all the custom parts!

[59 Buick]

On 11/24/2019 at 10:53 AM, Casey said:

Check out the linked article. It addresses the tail lights, though it's not quite clear where the tail lights actually are in that continuous bar/rod.

Oh, you're bringing facts into this now? ? ? You're right, it seems likely the model kit served as the influence for the real car's modifications, and the rear end treatments works quite well IMHO.

Hi Casey,

After re-reading the article, you are right and I would like to believe he was a model builder and the kit provided inspiration when he built the car. 

On a lighter note, since when do we let facts get in the way of a good story? ?

[59 Buick]

On 11/25/2019 at 1:31 AM, Tom Geiger said:

and don't forget the theme for NNL East 2020 is "Known Survivors"  those models we built using all the custom parts!

 

Sounds like a great show Tom, please post pictures if you are going.

Edited November 28, 2019 by 59 Buick

[59 Buick]

More food for thought, maybe this provided inspiration for the AMT 1950 Ford front end.

 

Edited November 28, 2019 by 59 Buick

[Casey]

1 hour ago, 59 Buick said:

More food for thought, maybe this provided inspiration for the AMT 1950 Ford front end.

Possibly. That '57 Chevy Bel Air rear end treatment is rather distinct, so I like to think the 1:1 car is an homage to the 1:25 scale kit. Factor in those clear grille bars, and it seems hard to think the builder was inspired by anything else.

[Tom Geiger]

10 hours ago, 59 Buick said:

Sounds like a great show Tom, please post pictures if you are going.

https://public.fotki.com/tssmcc/nnl-east-photo-albums/

Hey Martin-  Here's the official photo albums for the past years!

You are invited!  Distance is no excuse, we've had a number of Aussies come over the years including our own Alan Barton!

 

[JollySipper]

I've read several times that the Alexander Bros. designed the custom parts in a lot of the old AMT kits..... maybe they wanted to see how the treatments looked in scale before spending time and effort on the 1:1 examples.

Do the more modern releases of the '50 Ford coupe have the custom parts in them?

Edited November 28, 2019 by JollySipper

[Can-Con]

16 hours ago, Casey said:

Possibly. That '57 Chevy Bel Air rear end treatment is rather distinct, so I like to think the 1:1 car is an homage to the 1:25 scale kit. Factor in those clear grille bars, and it seems hard to think the builder was inspired by anything else.

I can think of one thing that might have inspired it. 

[59 Buick]

On 11/28/2019 at 10:26 PM, JollySipper said:

I've read several times that the Alexander Bros. designed the custom parts in a lot of the old AMT kits..... maybe they wanted to see how the treatments looked in scale before spending time and effort on the 1:1 examples.

Do the more modern releases of the '50 Ford coupe have the custom parts in them?

Hi JollySlipper,

the custom parts are unchanged except for the Carson Roof (Turned into a half roof) and loss of the chopped Victoria roof, fins, skirts and a rear custom moulding.

[59 Buick]

One more to add, similar to this 1:1 1958 Chevrolet owned by Dave Robertson.

I think if anything, it was inspiration and not a direct copy.

Edited December 1, 2019 by 59 Buick

[59 Buick]

On 11/28/2019 at 9:38 PM, Tom Geiger said:

https://public.fotki.com/tssmcc/nnl-east-photo-albums/

Hey Martin-  Here's the official photo albums for the past years!

You are invited!  Distance is no excuse, we've had a number of Aussies come over the years including our own Alan Barton!

 

Hi Tom, i would love to come over again (last visited in 2000). However until I can get across, i can enjoy the pictures you have loaded up. Oh great, more time wasted looking at great pictures on the internet and not building models ??

 

Edited December 1, 2019 by 59 Buick

[59 Buick]

On 12/1/2019 at 10:23 AM, 59 Buick said:

One more to add, similar to this 1:1 1958 Chevrolet owned by Dave Robertson.

I think if anything, it was inspiration and not a direct copy.

 

 

 

I am wondering if this is again, art mimicking real life again or vice versus, I think the tail lights and side scoops are pretty close to what’s in the AMT 1958 Chevrolet

Edited February 8, 2020 by 59 Buick

[bisc63]

On 11/22/2019 at 10:01 PM, 59 Buick said:

I did notice that the glass insert needs to have the drip rails added to finish off.

Being a custom, the drip rails are probably intentionally shaved.

[59 Buick]

On 2/9/2020 at 1:52 AM, bisc63 said:

Being a custom, the drip rails are probably intentionally shaved.

You could be right there, I just find these early kits and what was included very interesting.

I think at the time when these kits were released there was a great link between scale model builders and future full size builders or collectors. This appears to have gone in both directions with inspiration to models and 1:1 cars and vice versus.

Regards

Marty

 

Edited July 6, 2020 by 59 Buick