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

[horsepower]

On 2/13/2024 at 6:23 AM, Rob Hall said:

Yeah, that camper shell just looks fake to me..don't think I've ever seen one made like that...I want to cut off the section that goes over the cab.

When I was working in an upholstery shop we had one very close to that come in but it went back another two or three feet into the bed are before flattening out and the guy wanted to use it for a bed for two with a into it from the seating area and or the bed area that would also have sleeping arrangements, the guy was a traveling short track racer and used the truck for pulling a three axle tag along 30 foot trailer that when the car was unloaded had a kitchenette and kind of a lounge for his crew and a wife or girlfriend or two. We made a crawl through that was under the bed and went through where the back window was originally and cut a sunroof type opening in the roof and made an internal and external climb through that allowed a person to go back and forth without having to stop and it also made it so that the HVAC unit could work for the entire area. It was a lot of work and surprised quite a few people who saw it the first time, a lot called it the "Traveling' Bordello", so we lettered that on the back window of the camper shell.

[John M.]

I just ordered a 63 Ford PU from Model Round. As I admitted before, I was never able to develop the painting skills that others here have but I can cleanly build it right out of the box. 

[stavanzer]

I just got Both of the Ford Kits this weekend.

I finally got a chance to open the '63.

Wow! What a great job Round2 has done on this kit. The Chrome Trees, and While Plastic are superb! I cannot wait to start putting it together. The Cross Kitting possibilities are a nice bonus, too.

Thanks, Steve G, John G and the rest of the Team!

[tim boyd]

Acknowledging up front that this information is gleaned from only a limited number of sources, I am hearing that the first production run of the AMT '63 Ford Pickup is largely sold out at the retail level. 

So....if you are planning on buying the kit at some point and you see one available for sale right now, best advice would be to grab it post haste! 

Best...TB   

[drodg]

Other than Tim Boyd's great build I actually haven't seen another build of this 63 on our forum.  Anyone out there building it?

 

 

[tim boyd]

23 hours ago, drodg said:

Other than Tim Boyd's great build I actually haven't seen another build of this 63 on our forum.  Anyone out there building it?

 

 

Thanks David for the compliment; in response to your question, I recall a couple of kitbashes of this kit being posted over at Spotlight Hobbies with lowered stances and big wheels and tires, and they looked killer!   Best...TB  

[drodg]

11 minutes ago, tim boyd said:

Thanks David for the compliment; in response to your question, I recall a couple of kitbashes of this kit being posted over at Spotlight Hobbies with lowered stances and big wheels and tires, and they looked killer!   Best...TB  

I will go over there and look, thanks Tim.  

[Edsel-Dan]

1. I am trying to restore both 60 & 63 ORIGINAL's for some time now, but......
2. am glad they have been re-tooled!!

[tim boyd]

16 hours ago, Edsel-Dan said:

1. I am trying to restore both 60 & 63 ORIGINAL's for some time now, but......
2. am glad they have been re-tooled!!

I was working on a resto/slight kitbash of an original '63 when I got the word that Round 2 was planning a new kit of the subject.  Having spent hours fixing the numerous sink marks and crooked side moldings on the original '63, not to mention all the other iffy 1963-quality parts and fits, I can assure all who are reading this that the new '63 is light years better than the original annual kit in almost every way ..TB 

[Chuck Most]

Last week I bought the last '63 my "local" shop (Rider's in Flint) had on the shelf. Only had two '60s left. It was a kit I wasn't all that interested in as I've never really cared for the integral cab/bed. Then again I wasn't excited about the '60 either and I eventually bought five. Might be a similar story for me with the '63. I like the gigantic centrifugal supercharger, might get another just for that. I ended up using it on a '60. Be advised if you want to use the supercharger in the '60 you'll need to do a little clearance work on the inner fender. 

As with the '60 I wish there was the option for a stock intake and exhaust setup but it is what it is. 

Just finished the '63, it's in Under Glass right now. 

 

[Chuck Most]

On 1/30/2024 at 11:40 PM, stavanzer said:

With these kits soon to be in the hands of eager builders, What are some kit bashing ideas for them?

Will the Camper fit both trucks?

How about the Fender Skirts on the '60, will they fit the '63?

Will the Stock Intake, Carb, and Air Cleaner from the AMT '57 Ford 500, fit the engine in the Trucks?

How about the odd little Supercharger from the '57? Or the Twin Carbs from the '56 Crown Vic?

Will the Intakes from the Revell '57's, swap too?

Since everybody has at least one set of the Chrome Stock Hubcaps from the AMT '57 in their Stash/Spares box, would those be a logical swap onto the trucks?

Will the Custom Grill surround from the '63, fit onto the '60, without Too much work?

Just lots of ideas percolating in my head tonight. These trucks really inspire my creative juices for some reason. They are clean, colourful, and just complex enough, without being "Uber-Kits". There is a whole lots to like here in these trucks. I cannot wait to get my wrinkled mitts on some.

 

Will the Camper fit both trucks? Yes, but the locator pins at the back will need to go bye-bye to work best on the '60.

How about the Fender Skirts on the '60, will they fit the '63? Not without some blending.

Will the Stock Intake, Carb, and Air Cleaner from the AMT '57 Ford 500, fit the engine in the Trucks? Yes, same goes for pretty much any 1:25 scale Y Block parts.

How about the odd little Supercharger from the '57? Or the Twin Carbs from the '56 Crown Vic? See above.

Will the Intakes from the Revell '57's, swap too? Didn't actually try those but I don't see why not. I've mixed and matched parts between the AMT and Revell Y Blocks so it should be doable.

Since everybody has at least one set of the Chrome Stock Hubcaps from the AMT '57 in their Stash/Spares box, would those be a logical swap onto the trucks? Fit isn't 100% perfect as is but it's definitely within the realm of logical.

Will the Custom Grill surround from the '63, fit onto the '60, without Too much work? Well... Define too much work. ? I'm not a fan of the custom grille choices in the '63 so I didn't even bother trying for a dry fit because for me any amount of work would be too much. ?

 

Edited July 8, 2024 by Chuck Most

[stavanzer]

Thank You, for sharing your knowledge, Chuck!

 

[slusher]

One of the unibody Fords won the first Pinks all out with a lady driver"..

[1972coronet]

Unibody pickup in construction livery, seen here during the installation of the Armco barrier on the Pasadena Freeway , c.1964.

[Chuck Most]

One thing I felt like pointing out. The '63 includes a nice rooftop beacon with a cylindrical red dome. Looks like it might be a decent capper for a late '50's to now Michigan State Police cruiser.

The '60 also has a beacon but it's a more rounded "lipstick" type dome.

Not sure why the domes are molded red (running a red beacon is a good way to get charged with impersonating a police officer in real life) but those will come in handy for quite a few police and fire projects.

[leafsprings]

An idea.

[Chuck Most]

2 hours ago, leafsprings said:

An idea.

I actually have a decal set for this. No idea who made them. No idea where I put them either. ? But it's one I might build. My big hangup would be cutting down the bed which is probably why I ultimately won't. I'm not a big fan of bodywork and I prefer the look of a long bed anyway.

[tim boyd]

10 hours ago, Chuck Most said:

I actually have a decal set for this. No idea who made them. No idea where I put them either. ? But it's one I might build. My big hangup would be cutting down the bed which is probably why I ultimately won't. I'm not a big fan of bodywork and I prefer the look of a long bed anyway.

Chuck....so my view is, build it as a LWB, without apologies!  Better weight distribution with the longer bed/more weight on the rear tires.  You could present it as a "version 2" or an updated prototype from the Ford Factory, DST, or whoever built the original.  TB

[slusher]

10 hours ago, tim boyd said:

Chuck....so my view is, build it as a LWB, without apologies!  Better weight distribution with the longer bed/more weight on the rear tires.  You could present it as a "version 2" or an updated prototype from the Ford Factory, DST, or whoever built the original.  TB

 Wasn’t most of. Those Fords LWB , I never saw a SWB?       I have not seen but a few

[Chris V]

On 7/10/2024 at 2:12 AM, leafsprings said:

An idea.

Two companies already makes the decals for the F-100 XL - The set from Glory Years Decals and Graphics appears to be the most complete and accurate.

[leafsprings]

Nice color shot.

[Chris V]

That's gotta be the first burgundy-colored stock Ford engine i've ever seen! 

[Rodent]

On 7/9/2024 at 7:16 PM, Chuck Most said:

I actually have a decal set for this. No idea who made them. No idea where I put them either. ? But it's one I might build. My big hangup would be cutting down the bed which is probably why I ultimately won't. I'm not a big fan of bodywork and I prefer the look of a long bed anyway.

Best Model Car Parts on eBay offers a shortbed '63 body and frame, as well as a short box and frame for the '60. I haven't purchased resin from Michael before, but it looks very nice. I ordered both last night and will share with you guys when I receive them.

[Chuck Most]

On 7/10/2024 at 9:13 AM, tim boyd said:

Chuck....so my view is, build it as a LWB, without apologies!  Better weight distribution with the longer bed/more weight on the rear tires.  You could present it as a "version 2" or an updated prototype from the Ford Factory, DST, or whoever built the original.  TB

Or something a small town Ford dealer threw together as an advertisement. That's something that's crossed my mind.

[Edsel-Dan]

Finally got this one last week.

Glad the Hood side badges now have positive mounting locations unlike the original 63.

But they look a little smaller to me, Have to find the original to compare them.

Can always mount them lower on the fender of the original to resemble a 64.