AMT 1963 Buick Electra 225

[RDean58]

An oldie, but a real gem! Just acquired from evil bay, AMT did this kit before I started building models. I missed out on some good ones.

 

[RDean58]

 

[RDean58]

 

[RDean58]

[drodg]

Nice.  Not to age myself but I had a promo of the 63 as a convertible as a kid.  Totally forgot about that until I saw your post.   Thanks

[Jantrix]

Wow. What a neat kit. Lots of custom do-dads. I'd love to have one myself. Maybe Round2 will get around to it someday.

[sfhess]

Interesting that the cornering lamps are separate pieces.  And the 56 Buick grille bar is cool.

[High octane]

Very nice score on that '63 Buick 225 Robert, and have fun building it.

[ChrisBcritter]

16 hours ago, RDean58 said:

A ton of kool kustom komponents in there! I bet the Styline front end at the top would look good on the rear end of a '62 Catalina.

What are your plans for the kit?

 

[espo]

Those were the days. AMT especially offered many options in every kit. You didn't have to wait for a reissue of a kit to get some build options or better decals. The bodies had excellent trim and the interiors, while being the bucket style, were still well defined. The only draw back might be the chassis and engines that you weren't always sure they belonged to the model you were building. Some of the chassis issues probably were from being based on the basic dealer promos of the time.  

[RDean58]

I'm planning on painting this a Tamiya metallic blue and building it stock. I have a set of the triple white wall tires I'm planning on using on it. I actually scored another one of the from evil bay so that one may be built slightly custom.

[Bob Ellis]

I don't think the Buick Electra was the most exciting kit for a kid , but it was surely motivated AMT to make a kit based on the  promo model which paid for the tooling

By the way, I need an air conditioner such as shown in the instructions. Yippie, , now I know which kit has it!!

[bisc63]

Wow, that is one handsome automobile! I just love the big GM cars 59-69, and this Buick is especially attractive to me. (Gotta find one) Seeing this makes me feel a bit ripped off that we've been offered the '62 Buick ( not nearly as cool!) from AMT pretty much non-stop since FOREVER, but this one has gone nearly extinct. Is the tooling still around?

[MrObsessive]

Robert, you're fortunate that you got this kit! The kit looks great and each time I've see one of these, they're total glue bombs with tons of stuff glued on everywhere.

I happen to get a clean builtup about 15 years ago.......debated off and on over the years if I should ever redo it. I got it from a nice fellow off the 'Bay whose brother had built it when the car was new, but had since passed away.

That was pretty much the only reason I've kept it as is..........as sort of 'tribute' to the past to how the model was built, instead of trying to make it 'modern'.

[RDean58]

Thank you! Yes, I realize I was very lucky getting this kit. It was listed with a "Buy it now" price that was just tempting enough that I went for it. A few days later I found another one on ebay at a lower price and got it as well. So they are out there, you just have to keep looking and be willing to spend a Benjamin for it. 

I've decided on a different color for it, Tamiya pearl red. I hope it turns out nice when I start on it. I want to get a few of the others off the bench before I start this one.

 

[Motor City]

Yes, it is a beautiful kit of a nice looking car.  I've wondered why it has never been reissued like the '62 has.  My Dad bought one to build in the same color combination as our '63 LeSabre 2-door hardtop, but never got around to it.  It's a somewhat formal kit that an adult back then would have typically built with the optional bucket seats, which were also available on the convertible and 4-door hardtop!  A Wildcat would also have been a good choice for that year. 

[ChrisBcritter]

I was helping Leslie Piagari inventory a bunch of parts and kits today. I found a couple partial chrome trees that I recognized, thanks to this thread, as custom parts from the '63 225 and so reunited them with the rest of it. Thanks for posting the photos!

On 12/5/2019 at 12:20 PM, Bob Ellis said:

By the way, I need an air conditioner such as shown in the instructions. Yippie, now I know which kit has it!!

Bob, I have one of those underdash A/C units from this kit - I'll look for it and see if I can cast a copy.

[Chuck Most]

I would love that kit, even though I think I'd have more use for the wacky custom parts it includes. 

[sfhess]

I have a 63 Electra convertible that I acquired recently,  Cleanly built, unpainted.

[Bucky]

34 minutes ago, sfhess said:

I have a 63 Electra convertible that I acquired recently,  Cleanly built, unpainted.

You scared me!! I had to run to the Hobby Room to see if you got mine!! Hahaha 

I found it on eBay several years ago, it's a nice one. Looking forward to building it....one of these days!

[sfhess]

20 hours ago, Bucky said:

You scared me!! I had to run to the Hobby Room to see if you got mine!! Hahaha 

I found it on eBay several years ago, it's a nice one. Looking forward to building it....one of these days!

Lol!!

[ToyLvr]

Yeah, Robert, thanks for posting the kit instructions.

Looks like another source for the Imperial tail lights I need for my ‘62 Imperial which I’m trying to restore.

[lordairgtar]

I have this kit as well as a 64. Gonna build them someday. I owned two l 64 LeSabres. Both were rust buckets and one I drove to California from Wisconsin. Ran pretty good for a car I paid $50 for.

 

[High octane]

5 minutes ago, lordairgtar said:

I have this kit as well as a 64. Gonna build them someday. I owned two l 64 LeSabres. Both were rust buckets and one I drove to California from Wisconsin. Ran pretty good for a car I paid $50 for.

 

I would never take a $50 car across country as I value my life worth more than $50.

[lordairgtar]

Just now, High octane said:

I would never take a $50 car across country as I value my life worth more than $50.

Well, I was young and dumb in those days. Barely out of my teens I decided I had enough of the cold and took off to California. As far as I know, that old Buick is still running out there. I lost track of it in about 1979.