AMT kits suck!

[Casey]

On 12/23/2020 at 9:35 AM, Plumcrazy Preston said:

 So how do I know if a kit is good before I buy it?

You take the time to read through the reviews here on the forum and other places online before buying. Informing yourself will help mitigate regretful purchases, and educate you about the history of the various model producing companies, how they changed over the years, and which of each companies products are recommended and respected by their customers.

[Fat Brian]

Since you're new to automotive subjects I would strongly suggest researching your purchases here before making a decision. There is a wealth of information available about almost every kit ever produced so you can make educated purchases. I think this is as much a misalignment of expectations as it is anything else.

As to the Kenworth kit in question, as others have stated it's quite old. But some of your criticisms are features rather than flaws. The cab and other mounting holes aren't drilled so you can choose how you want those items to be located. This gives you options, maybe you only want two lights on the cab corners and a single center mounted horn. If all the holes were open you'd have a ton of filling and sanding to do.

As for the tires, I don't think they fit particularly well either. Maybe you can find someone who can trade you a set of Goodyear or Uniroyal tires that fit better.

[BlackSheep214]

50 minutes ago, JollySipper said:

This issue has two FE engines with choices for induction

 

Now I’ll know which kit to look for. Gotta love those 2 n 1 or 3 n 1 kits. They give you so many options to build it.

[BlackSheep214]

11 minutes ago, Casey said:

You take the time to read through the reviews here on the forum and other places online before buying. Informing yourself will help mitigate regretful purchases, and educate you about the history of the various model producing companies, how they changed over the years, and which of each companies products are recommended and respected by their customers.

Or check out scalemates.com...

[89AKurt]

13 hours ago, Can-Con said:

That's actually an old reboxed Esci kit there Kurt.

Good to know, that brand is in the same league.

[StevenGuthmiller]

7 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I also find it helpful to remember remind myself that, theoretically anyway, I'm smarter than whatever it is I'm working on.    

In the past couple of years, I've adopted this philosophy more and more.

 

In the past, I was a little frightened to do too much messing around with modifying anything on a vintage kit because I was afraid that I might irreversibly damage difficult or impossible to find parts.

Now, because I have come to realize that it's all just plastic, I've really begun to feel free and am no longer afraid to throw caution to the wind and really dig into these old kits.

As an example, I felt that my most recent project could benefit a great deal from some modifications to the interior, as well as many other aspects of the kit.

Rather than let the provided parts dictate to me what could be done, I went all out and basically built all new door cards from scratch using only a very small portion of the original panels.

 

This is a perfect example of how a freeing attitude, (and the realization that I'm smarter than what I'm working on) can greatly enhance the model building experience.

I can't imagine anything more satisfying than knowing that you have full control over what you would really like to do, in contrast to the model itself dictating those decisions.

 

"No AMT or MPC, you can't tell me what to do!"

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

[StevenGuthmiller]

5 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

I believe that’s called a puzzle

 

 

 

Steve

[Venom]

15 hours ago, BlackSheep214 said:

I bought 3 AMT kits at Ollie’s a month or so ago. They were reissued kits mind you. What kit did you get? I’ll take them off your hands. LOL!

Well, I bought them for a multiple kit kitbash, so at least I’ve got parts I can use. What I was dissappointed with is poor chrome in three of the kits and also bodies that have divots and gaps (hood matchup with body), and mild deformations. I don’t necessarily think AMT kits are junk, but from what other kits I have built, I’d say AMT’s are at the bottom of the barrel along with some others. I can ,however, appreciate that they offer models that other companies don’t, and I’m well aware that it is possible to make them turn out beautiful. I just think that in many cases you’d have to spend extra thought, effort, and patience that you wouldn’t have to with the kits I usually buy. It’s all about what you expect from a kit.

[StevenGuthmiller]

5 hours ago, JollySipper said:

If you want a good AMT kit, the '60 Starliner couldn't be a better kit......

 

That is a good one!

There have been quite a few great AMT kits produced in recent years.

The newer tool AMT '57 Belair was a pretty nice kit.

Some minor engine placement issues, but if something like that is an insurmountable problem, a different hobby is probably in order.

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

[Greg Myers]

3 hours ago, ZTony8 said:

Tongue firmly planted in cheek, Greg? 

Yes, couldn't resist.? 

[Greg Myers]

Quote

I suppose I'm just getting too old, but it's always been my opinion that subject matter is the most important factor in choosing a model.

I agree, Steven G. and then you apply all of your modeling skills and have fun

[StevenGuthmiller]

4 hours ago, Dave Van said:

Botcott ALL AMT kits and you cut the kits available by about 50%......

Isn't that the truth!

If I dumped every AMT kit that I own, my stash would shrink by probably more than 70% !

 

 

 

Steve

[lordairgtar]

On 12/23/2020 at 9:06 AM, Plumcrazy Preston said:

Are there better quality kits on the market these days than AMT? 

 

AMT kits suck because:

 

1. they are too expensive for the low quality

2. the parts lack precision and excellent fit

3. many parts don't have holes/slots/grooves for other parts with tabs to insert into 

4. the instructions aren't very good

5. the assembly diagrams aren't very clear as to where to precisely locate parts 

6. some parts don't fit well

7. some parts are put into hollow places and they are allowed a certain degree of rotation as the transmission and the engine bell housing: there should be a keyway with a tab to keep these mating parts from rotating upon each another and why doesn't the rocker covers have tabs to mate with holes in the top of the engine's head? 

 

I'm working on the W-925 Kenworth tractor right now.

 

The limp stretchy Goodyear vinyl tires are cheesy and not made of nice firm well-fitting rubber. The bead area is too large in diameter to fit the rims snugly. I tried using that 3/8" foam rod stuff. The beads of the tires just get pushed right over the measly little flanges of the rims under the pressure of the stuffing material.  The visor for the top of the cab has no tabs/holes to locate it. Where am I going to apply the cement? Both the cab and the visor are to be custom painted but cement doesn't adhere well to paint. With mating tabs and holes I normally scrape the paint away on those spots and put glue there.  There is no precise way to locate the 5 marker lights on top of the cab. 

 

This expensive plastic AMT kit is rather mickey-mouse quality. 

 

Is Revell or Monogram much better in overall quality than AMT?  Virtually every Monogram kit model had snap-together parts with optional gluing. 

 

For close to $40, I'm rather disappointed with this AMT Kenworth kit. I expected much better for the price. 

Another way to look at it...if you had bought a Palmer kit, you'd have really good reason to be disappointed. LOL

[BlackSheep214]

StevenG... Oh man, that '57 Chevy is stunning!

[Doug 1061]

4 hours ago, Classicgas said:

Actually I was referring to your 59 ford

Sorry, my mistake.   Mostly it was that multi piece body that I found tedious as could be.  Don't care to do another one.  Never could get the top to work.   I think part of it was when I corrected the body to get rid of the cutouts behind the trunk lid.    That made it look better but after I could not get the linkage for the top right.    It didn't help that the guy I was building it for started asking if it was done yet,  causing me to rush it a bit more towards the end.    I did end up getting it back,  but then I dropped it.   I need to spend some time on it one of these days.   

[Classicgas]

My body went together fine. I corrected the rear cover too. The roof linkages are kinda fiddly. Haven't gotten that far yet. 

[dublin boy]

Ridiculous rant in the first place.

Old amt kits are actually old for God's sake, you can't possibly compare them to the new Revell kits.

[Rodent]

9 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

I believe that’s called a puzzle

Ha! In pre-Covid days, folks would bring jigsaw puzzles to the office and leave them in the break room. This is a company of around 300 bodies. The idea was that someone would open one and start it, leaving it on one of the tables. During the day, other folks would wander by and add to the puzzle, until it was built. Part of the idea was that you may be working on that puzzle with someone who you hardly know, from a department that you have little day-to-day relations with.

Then, some diabolical person left a puzzle with all identical pieces, except for the outer sides/corners. I think it was a picture of Butchart Gardens or some other similar thing with flowers and trees and water. We finally finished it, but I think it took about two months.

[gtx6970]

4 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

I REALLY wish you could find someone to duplicate these in resin. I'll take 2 sets NOW

[Force]

9 hours ago, BlackSheep214 said:

Or check out scalemates.com...

One thing you have to have in mind when you look at this place is the all information there is not entirely correct as the product timelines for some kits are quite off.
I have seen on some that they put kit's that has no relation at all in the same timeline, sometimes the years for first release are wrong and some kits wich are based on the same tooling and should have been on there are missing from it...so it's not a complete accurate guide.
I know it's a lot of work but with more accurate information it could be a better crosslist so kits based on the same basic tooling show up on the appropriate timelines wich many of them doesn't at the moment.
But it's a good place for information anyway and you get a hint on the history of the kits, when they have been re-issued and how they have evolved over the years.

[StevenGuthmiller]

6 hours ago, gtx6970 said:

I REALLY wish you could find someone to duplicate these in resin. I'll take 2 sets NOW

 

Stay tuned.

Maybe I'll try my hand at casting them before I use the originals.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[Bucky]

7 hours ago, gtx6970 said:

I REALLY wish you could find someone to duplicate these in resin. I'll take 2 sets NOW

I'll be in the market for two sets, also!

[David G.]

On 12/23/2020 at 12:07 PM, Greg Myers said:

David, try one of these classic Revell kits. I think you will be immensely happy with your experience.

 

On 12/23/2020 at 12:08 PM, Greg Myers said:

this is one of their popular  kits as well ?

I really wish I could get my hands on one of these kits! Unfortunately, most of the ones I have seen are reissues (probably from the Nineties) and are mushy to say the least. Anything older than that tends to be a bit too pricy for me to throw down for without being able to have a more thorough look at the casting quality.

I'm sure that "back in the day" I made a start on almost all of these old Revell kits but the only one I remember finishing was the Nomad. I painted it gold with tan seats, brush-painted of course! I managed to get the hood, doors and tailgate all working properly for the most part. The doors did drop about six scale inches when opened but that was fine for me at that time.

I remember how impressed I was with the detail that Revell put into the engines of many of those kits. Pistons, rocker assemblies and crank were all cast into the block details. I've always wanted to build one of those kits as a diorama with the engine out on the bench being rebuilt. Well, maybe someday.  

Regards,

David G.

[wrenchr]

12 minutes ago, David G. said:

 

I really wish I could get my hands on one of these kits! Unfortunately, most of the ones I have seen are reissues (probably from the Nineties) and are mushy to say the least. Anything older than that tends to be a bit too pricy for me to throw down for without being able to have a more thorough look at the casting quality.

I'm sure that "back in the day" I made a start on almost all of these old Revell kits but the only one I remember finishing was the Nomad. I painted it gold with tan seats, brush-painted of course! I managed to get the hood, doors and tailgate all working properly for the most part. The doors did drop about six scale inches when opened but that was fine for me at that time.

I remember how impressed I was with the detail that Revell put into the engines of many of those kits. Pistons, rocker assemblies and crank were all cast into the block details. I've always wanted to build one of those kits as a diorama with the engine out on the bench being rebuilt. Well, maybe someday.  

Regards,

David G.

I want one to display in my dio that is stripped. My IN progress diorama that is...  

[Luc Janssens]

Bold statement to make.

Building model kits is a learning curve, and yes some manufacturers and require more dry-fitting and adjusting before a bonding agent is applied  then others, but unbuildable no, more of a challenge yes.

Anyway maybe look at some videos from this guy, maybe you'll find the model that suits you the best and increase the skill lever as you go

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by Luc Janssens