AMT '66 Wildcat kit

[Motor City]

When is someone going to come out with a '66 Wildcat interior that has the correct seat and door panel pattern, thin-shell bucket seats and dashboard?  That '65 interior was always wrong and it's disappointing that Round2 won't fix it!  I guess we're supposed to be satisfied with some new or revised custom wheels.

['70 Grande]

I'm curious what the 1/25 wheelbase measurement is on this kit... (its 126" in the 1:1 world). I have never liked one-piece molded chassis with no separate suspension pieces and might get this kit if I could find an accurate/more-detailed chassis to swap underneath it. 

Anybody have any chassis-swap suggestions?

[Fat Brian]

2 hours ago, '70 Grande said:

I'm curious what the 1/25 wheelbase measurement is on this kit... (its 126" in the 1:1 world). I have never liked one-piece molded chassis with no separate suspension pieces and might get this kit if I could find an accurate/more-detailed chassis to swap underneath it. 

Anybody have any chassis-swap suggestions?

I would imagine the Revell 65 and 66 Impalas would be the way to go but I'm not a Wildcat expert.

Edited January 4, 2020 by Fat Brian

[Snake45]

22 minutes ago, Fat Brian said:

I would imagine the Revell 65 and 66 Impalas would be the way to go but I'm not a Wildcat expert.

They'd have all the right stuff, but at 119" wheelbase would be too short and would have to be lengthened. Or maybe some kind of Frankenstein mashup could be hacked between the two. 

As for the interior, the sad fact of the matter is that not that many car modelers get that wrapped up about 100% correct interiors. (Not as many as, say, serious airplane modelers.) There are still many of us who are happy to paint the guts semigloss black with some chrome door handles and other trim, maybe some woodgrain, and call it good. Round 2's not going to spend the money to update the interior on this particular kit, which they'll be lucky to move 5000 of. (And come to think of it, the exterior chrome trim on this body isn't really correct, either.)

I don't mean to sound like a smartass here, but if an accurate interior is important to you on this model, why not make your own? Door/side panels aren't all that hard to do if you really want them, and in the world of google-image, reference photos are easy to find. 

[ChrisBcritter]

Mark, I just reached over and checked my '66; the wheelbase is 5 1/32" - which comes to 125 25/32" in real life, so it's close.

Edited January 4, 2020 by ChrisBcritter

[Motor City]

"As for the interior, the sad fact of the matter is that not that many car modelers get that wrapped up about 100% correct interiors. (Not as many as, say, serious airplane modelers.) There are still many of us who are happy to paint the guts semigloss black with some chrome door handles and other trim, maybe some woodgrain, and call it good. Round 2's not going to spend the money to update the interior on this particular kit, which they'll be lucky to move 5000 of. (And come to think of it, the exterior chrome trim on this body isn't really correct, either.)

I don't mean to sound like a smartass here, but if an accurate interior is important to you on this model, why not make your own? Door/side panels aren't all that hard to do if you really want them, and in the world of google-image, reference photos are easy to find."

Snake,

I don't disagree with what you've said, but thought that one of the resin companies would have done it already.  I should have posted my comments there.

I thought I would have to use the buckets out of the Revell '66 Impala or AMT '67 Impala.  For the side panels and upholstery pattern, I guess I would bondo over the existing tub and scribe new lines?  I wouldn't know where to start on the dashboard.  I've even thought of converting it to the Philco radio that was available on the '65 88 and '66 Impala SS.

['70 Grande]

Chris... thanks for those wheelbase measurements.  I'm not surprised at all by how accurate that measurement is when compared to the 1:1; those "kit-makers of old" really knew what they were doing!

Now the challenge will be finding a more detailed chassis that doesn't hafta be stretched a long ways to make 126"!

I've done these type of chassis-stretches before, but I'm not sure I wanna do another one for this '66 Wildcat kit.

[Mark]

I'd concentrate on the interior first, engine compartment second, chassis last.  It's not like the Wildcat had anything revolutionary or ground-breaking under there...coil spring suspension front and rear, dual exhaust, gas tank behind the rear axle...pretty ordinary stuff.  If you do want the chassis detail, best bet might be a Revell '66 Impala but you would need to stretch it.  The '65 has the same chassis, but the '66 might be a better starting point for a new interior with vertical side panels and no convertible top "dog legs" at the rear...

 

['70 Grande]

Doesn't have to be revolutionary or groundbreaking for me; I just have a dislike for one-piece chassis and prefer to replace them with detailed versions in all of my builds.

[BobbyG]

Just another blob of plastic for $35 bucks from Round 2. I would rather spend the money on a new  kit with detail.

 

[RDean58]

Hey - They body is pretty accurate and it builds up pretty good. While the interior could be more accurate for a quick weekend build I think it works pretty good. 

Someone could start with a 66 Rivera cash and modify it to fit the WC. 

While I agree that AMT really dropped the ball back in 1965/1966 by not updating the interior, I don't agree that it is just a lump of plastic.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Honestly, I wish that I was interested in building a '66 Wildcat.

I think it would be fun to try my hand at rebuilding the interior.

 

I'm sure that there is another kit out there that has seats that are close enough to the Wildcat's to be used as a base.

The door panels might actually be fun to re-do.

 

The chassis issue is the same as any other '60s full sized GM product, especially the many Pontiac Bonnevilles  produced by MPC and AMT from that era.

There are no suitable highly detailed chassis produced for anything from GM with a long wheel base from the mid to late '60s.

 

 

Steve

Edited January 4, 2020 by StevenGuthmiller

[Can-Con]

6 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Honestly, I wish that I was interested in building a '66 Wildcat.

I think it would be fun to try my hand at rebuilding the interior.

 

I'm sure that there is another kit out there that has seats that are close enough to the Wildcat's to be used as a base.

The door panels might actually be fun to re-do.

 

The chassis issue is the same as any other '60s full sized GM product, especially the many Pontiac Bonnevilles  produced by MPC and AMT from that era.

There are no suitable highly detailed chassis produced for anything from GM with a long wheel base.

 

 

Steve

Hey Steve,,

Does this look much like a '67 Bonneville dash to you? ? , , Does to me.

[Motor City]

I think for the dash I would have to modify a '66 Riviera.  By the way, the photo above is of a '66 Wildcat Custom with the buckets.  The seat backs have miniature round Wildcat emblems.  The door panels are really sporty.  

[russosborne]

23 hours ago, Snake45 said:

 There are still many of us who are happy to paint the guts semigloss black with some chrome door handles and other trim, maybe some woodgrain, and call it good.

Snake, have you been spying on me? ?

Russ

[Snake45]

14 minutes ago, russosborne said:

Snake, have you been spying on me? ?

Russ

HAHAHAHAHAHA! 

Hey, I don't do EVERY interior that way, but on less than "full effort" models, it's easy to take that way out. 

BTW, for anyone who wonders what this kit looks like, here's one I "rescued" from the local toy show last year. The red paint on it polished up surprisingly well, and it's amazing how much "life" a Silver Sharpie and some black wash can bring to an old $5 model. 

 

 

[Can-Con]

'66 Riviera interior,

Again, '66 Wildcat interior, note how close the seats are. 

,, and here's a '68 Pontiac Bonneville interior. I think the dash looks pretty close.  ,, at least closer than the Riviera dash.

 

IF it were me,, I'd get a '68 Pontiac dash, '66 Riviera seats and make the door panels from scratch.

 

[Motor City]

Steve,

Thanks for all of the great suggestions! 

I never realized how similar the Bonneville dash was to the '66 Buick dash.  That looks like the way to go.  

I just looked at my '66 Riviera promo and the seat backs are too blocky, but the seat pattern is quite similar to the Wildcat.  I'll look at modifying a pair of seats or the ones from the '67 Impala.  A little bondo and an exacto knife should get the correct pattern.  The little Wildcat emblems will be a bit of a challenge.

[tim boyd]

For more on the kit itself...

Round 2's reissue of the AMT 1966 Buick Wildcat annual kit has a few new tricks up its sleeve. These include new box art that revisits the original 1966 annual kit appearance, a newly tooled set of four plated solid (no windows) Halibrand type mag wheels that replicate those found in the original annual kit, and a decal sheet that was inspired in part by the original annual kit decals, but features all-new artwork and considerably expanded content. Check out the photos for more details. Thanks for looking...TIM

[Can-Con]

3 hours ago, Motor City said:

Steve,

Thanks for all of the great suggestions! 

I never realized how similar the Bonneville dash was to the '66 Buick dash.  That looks like the way to go.  

I just looked at my '66 Riviera promo and the seat backs are too blocky, but the seat pattern is quite similar to the Wildcat.  I'll look at modifying a pair of seats or the ones from the '67 Impala.  A little bondo and an exacto knife should get the correct pattern.  The little Wildcat emblems will be a bit of a challenge.

Jim, really, those emblems are so small I doubt anyone would be able to tell what's on them anyway. I'd just go with a plain button with nothing on it.

[Can-Con]

BTW ,,, here's a couple pics of what I understand is the standard Wildcat interior,,,,

Edited January 5, 2020 by Can-Con

[StevenGuthmiller]

19 hours ago, Can-Con said:

Hey Steve,,

Does this look much like a '67 Bonneville dash to you? ? , , Does to me.

 

 

Here is the MPC '67 Bonneville dash.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[Can-Con]

1 hour ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

 

 

Here is the MPC '67 Bonneville dash.

 

 

 

 

Steve

Sorry, typo I didn't catch,, meant to say '68. 

BUT, I think you can see the basic shape in there.

[Motor City]

2 hours ago, Can-Con said:

Jim, really, those emblems are so small I doubt anyone would be able to tell what's on them anyway. I'd just go with a plain button with nothing on it.

That's a good point, Steve. about just using plain buttons.  The '66 bucket seats were available only in black or white on the hardtop.

The Wildcat got cheapened in '63.  Adding a convertible was fine, but they also had a four-door hardtop, which my grandfather bought.  Bucket seats were optional on the four-door hardtop, but still standard (with console and tachometer) on the other two.  In '64, a four-door sedan became available, with bucket seats and tachometer now options on all versions. 

 

 

[Motor City]

21 minutes ago, Can-Con said:

Sorry, typo I didn't catch,, meant to say '68. 

BUT, I think you can see the basic shape in there.

that is awesome detail, Steven! thanks!