New Kit From Round 2 - AMT 1963 Ford F100 Styleside (Unibody) with Camper Top

[Pete68]

Here’s the Box, Truck I built and the leftover parts from the 1968 release I bought at the 1989 St.Louis Missouri Model Car Show/Swap meet. I remember I had to soak this out with brake fluid ( What I used back then) it didn’t cut it so I used Easy Off and that worked. I might post this truck in the Under-glass section.  

[stavanzer]

Pete, Thanks a Million, you are a Lifesaver!

Man, that Blower is a monster of a thing, isn't it?

I hope Round2 manages to clone it at some point.

The '63 Looks cleaner, and more serious than the '60 does, at least to my eye.

Going to wind up with both tho. The '60 for the trailer, and the '63 for the camper. Going to build a 'circa 1968' or so Low-Buck Race team.  A 5 year old truck and a Budget Gasser or Altered should make a great 3 piece set. Kit even come with a push bar for the dragster!

[stavanzer]

4 hours ago, Pete68 said:

Here you go. I bought this at the 1989  Fall Model Show/Swap meet in St. Louis Missouri I just turned 21 years old. It was missing the Instructions some one made copies of them there not the best. Check out the date on the Newspaper I wrapped the Camper glass in to protect it. I’ll never forget buying this truck because it was so rare even back in 1989. 

What a great story! Thanks for sharing. I was 26 in 1989, just a year out of the USAF. I'd never heard of model swap meets or shows.

[Pete68]

29 minutes ago, stavanzer said:

Pete, Thanks a Million, you are a Lifesaver!

Man, that Blower is a monster of a thing, isn't it?

I hope Round2 manages to clone it at some point.

The '63 Looks cleaner, and more serious than the '60 does, at least to my eye.

Going to wind up with both tho. The '60 for the trailer, and the '63 for the camper. Going to build a 'circa 1968' or so Low-Buck Race team.  A 5 year old truck and a Budget Gasser or Altered should make a great 3 piece set. Kit even come with a push bar for the dragster!

Your welcome glad I could help you guys out and your build sounds interesting. I sold my 1960 Ford Pickup many years ago but I kept the trailer but needs repainted to match the Original 1953 Ford it’s pulling with a Ford Hot Rod on it my Brother gave me. Sounds like your a lot older than me too 😂. We have had Model Show/Swap meets twice a year ever since I started building model Trucks  back in 1984. They still have them in the same building for over 35 years. Yes that blower is awesome but back then I wanted to build it stock now maybe I’ll build one with that giant blower.  
 

Lee 

Edited April 24, 2023 by Pete68

[tim boyd]

17 hours ago, stavanzer said:

Pete, Thanks a Million, you are a Lifesaver!

Man, that Blower is a monster of a thing, isn't it?

I hope Round2 manages to clone it at some point.

The '63 Looks cleaner, and more serious than the '60 does, at least to my eye.

Going to wind up with both tho. The '60 for the trailer, and the '63 for the camper. Going to build a 'circa 1968' or so Low-Buck Race team.  A 5 year old truck and a Budget Gasser or Altered should make a great 3 piece set. Kit even come with a push bar for the dragster!

I do not know if the blower will make the Round 2 kit or not, but in any case, Replicas and Miniatures offers the entire blower setup in their catalog....TB 

[Rob Hall]

It will be interesting to see if any of the custom parts from the original kit appear.

[SteveG]

4 minutes ago, tim boyd said:

I do not know if the blower will make the Round 2 kit or not, but in any case, Replicas and Miniatures offers the entire blower setup in their catalog....TB 

The optional Supercharger parts will be included with the '63 F-100 kit with just about all the other customizing parts from the later issue. 

-Steve

Edited April 24, 2023 by SteveG

[tim boyd]

1 minute ago, SteveG said:

The optional Supercharger parts will be included with the '63 F-100 kit 

Thanks Steve....great news!  TB 

[Mr. Metallic]

@tim boyd back when the go-kart made it's reappearance a few years ago, (albeit in the 60 Chevy pickup instead of the 61-63 Ford) I think you posited that the streamliner parts could make a reappearance down the line as well. I would have though the 63 pickup coming back would be the opportunity to bring the streamliner back. But it looks like it is getting the camper top. Maybe someday down the line? 😉

Edited April 24, 2023 by Mr. Metallic

[SteveG]

22 hours ago, Pete68 said:

Here you go. I bought this at the 1989  Fall Model Show/Swap meet in St. Louis Missouri I just turned 21 years old. It was missing the Instructions some one made copies of them there not the best. Check out the date on the Newspaper I wrapped the Camper glass in to protect it. I’ll never forget buying this truck because it was so rare even back in 1989. 

 

 

Other than its appearance in the AMT 1969 Chevy Fleetside kit I've yet to find any other reference photos of that exact camper shell, does anyone know if it was based on a real camper top design?   It would be nice to know before I sign off on it.

-Steve 

[Phirewriter]

I don't recall seeing a shell like that in the wild but that was included in the kit and I'm totally good with that. My late father built his using it and I actually like the design,real or not. It also doesn't seem like it would be too difficult to modify should one go for more of a traditional topper. For what it's worth my vote is to go with it. 

WIth the shell from the Gear Hustler El Camino or the high top shell from previous (and upcoming) versions there are choices even if it means a little modifying here and there. 

Edited April 24, 2023 by Phirewriter

[tim boyd]

5 hours ago, Mr. Metallic said:

@tim boyd back when the go-kart made it's reappearance a few years ago, (albeit in the 60 Chevy pickup instead of the 61-63 Ford) I think you posited that the streamliner parts could make a reappearance down the line as well. I would have though the 63 pickup coming back would be the opportunity to bring the streamliner back. But it looks like it is getting the camper top. Maybe someday down the line? 😉

Craig....also my thoughts.  At the time, I don't think they ever considered a redo of the '63 pickup as a reality, and they probably had other plans to merchandise the streamliner.  Time will tell, I guess...on the other hand, Round 2 is brilliant at getting multiple hits off a tool, so I wouldn't rule this out for the future, either.  TB  

[stavanzer]

6 hours ago, SteveG said:

The optional Supercharger parts will be included with the '63 F-100 kit with just about all the other customizing parts from the later issue. 

-Steve

Awesome News, Steve! You guys at Round2 are are really knocking them out of the park.

And My Views  about the Camper Shell are very similar to the Ones quoted here by John Shoe. (aka 1972coronet)

"However, in those 53 years, I can't recall ever having seen a camper like the one in the AMT '63 F-100 either. It's possible that AMT was basing that camper upon a prototype which never saw production; and, just as likely, that camper is based upon some obscure design which was produced in low numbers before its manufacturer going defunct or it was scrapped then redesigned."

Without a comprehensive search of old Back Issues of Popular Mechanics or Mechanix Illustrated, it might be impossible to find a real camper that was measured for the kit.

[Tabbysdaddy]

Maybe it's their own weird design so it couldn't be mistaken for something that would need licensing. 

[Brian Austin]

Maybe R/V industry people can tell you can whether they recognize the design.

https://www.rvmhhalloffame.org/rv-founders-hall/

[CabDriver]

8 hours ago, Mr. Metallic said:

@tim boyd back when the go-kart made it's reappearance a few years ago, (albeit in the 60 Chevy pickup instead of the 61-63 Ford) I think you posited that the streamliner parts could make a reappearance down the line as well. I would have though the 63 pickup coming back would be the opportunity to bring the streamliner back. But it looks like it is getting the camper top. Maybe someday down the line? 😉

I too would like to see the streamliner kart make a reappearance!  

Even if it’s just the body parts that can be completed with the kart from the 60 Chev that would be just fine by me

[Sledsel]

Very cool news. I'll end up with a few of each even if I need to fix the pseudo Y-block

 

[Mr. Metallic]

I really hope someone steps up and does the short bed conversion for this. I know there were a couple floating around in the past, anyone remember who did them?

[leafsprings]

Top photo is typical early 60's shell. Bottom photo is typical late 60's shell. Pickup shells were still pretty conservatively styled in '68, AMT was just doing some wild and crazy stuff.

Edited May 2, 2023 by leafsprings

[charlie8575]

I daresay Round 2 may have a record profit this year with what they're putting out.

Charlie Larkin

[Luc Janssens]

15 hours ago, charlie8575 said:

I daresay Round 2 may have a record profit this year with what they're putting out.

Charlie Larkin

Do hope so, cuz wanna see more of this.

[leafsprings]

AMT called it a "camper", IMO,  the kit really had a bubbletop shell. This is a real "camper". An 8 lug F 250 version is very doable, however a real slide in camper is another story. Big plastic did a great job avoiding a real "slide in camper" in 1/25. The Lindberg Chevy camper offering was in HO scale. Another opportunity for 3d printing. Historical note, painted front bumpers were standard on base and Custom Cab models. Chrome front bumpers and side moldings ( new for '63) were  optional on base and Custom Cabs.

Edited May 7, 2023 by leafsprings

[tim boyd]

I find the above comments on the camper design to be very interesting, but nothing that would stop me (if i were in charge) from going ahead with the camper in its existing model truck kit iteration.  A couple of points.:

1) the 1/1 camper business in the 1960's was in its earliest formative stages.  Lots of small shops offering their interpretations of the product concept.  Just because we can't find internet photography of a similar design doesn't mean it didn't exist.  

2) AMT's design staff in the 1960's included a number of moonlighting designers and artists from the nearby Big 3 design studios and their suppliers. not to mention some very talented people in their dedicated full time product development staff.  It is just as possible that the camper was a custom AMT design.  

In either case, I consider the camper design an authentic artifact of the late 1960's, and of great value to us modelers for that reason alone.  

Bottom line, Steve, if you are listening...don't make any changes to that camper, especially as this could delay the arrival of the kit in the market.  

Just my 2 cents....TB 

[wrenchr]

47 minutes ago, tim boyd said:

I find the above comments on the camper design to be very interesting, but nothing that would stop me (if i were in charge) from going ahead with the camper in its existing model truck kit iteration.  A couple of points.:

1) the 1/1 camper business in the 1960's was in its earliest formative stages.  Lots of small shops offering their interpretations of the product concept.  Just because we can't find internet photography of a similar design doesn't mean it didn't exist.  

2) AMT's design staff in the 1960's included a number of moonlighting designers and artists from the nearby Big 3 design studios and their suppliers. not to mention some very talented people in their dedicated full time product development staff.  It is just as possible that the camper was a custom AMT design.  

In either case, I consider the camper design an authentic artifact of the late 1960's, and of great value to us modelers for that reason alone.  

Bottom line, Steve, if you are listening...don't make any changes to that camper, especially as this could delay the arrival of the kit in the market.  

Just my 2 cents....TB 

Agree 1000%

[Luc Janssens]

2 hours ago, tim boyd said:

I find the above comments on the camper design to be very interesting, but nothing that would stop me (if i were in charge) from going ahead with the camper in its existing model truck kit iteration.  A couple of points.:

1) the 1/1 camper business in the 1960's was in its earliest formative stages.  Lots of small shops offering their interpretations of the product concept.  Just because we can't find internet photography of a similar design doesn't mean it didn't exist.  

2) AMT's design staff in the 1960's included a number of moonlighting designers and artists from the nearby Big 3 design studios and their suppliers. not to mention some very talented people in their dedicated full time product development staff.  It is just as possible that the camper was a custom AMT design.  

In either case, I consider the camper design an authentic artifact of the late 1960's, and of great value to us modelers for that reason alone.  

Bottom line, Steve, if you are listening...don't make any changes to that camper, especially as this could delay the arrival of the kit in the market.  

Just my 2 cents....TB 

Besides, with some evergreen plastic one can change to one's heart content.