AMT AWB drag car series

[Mr. Metallic]

@magicmustang shared this pic elsewhere and it raised a few questions for me, so I thought I'd ask here in a new thread. These kits share a box art style, and that they all (possibly) used race-specific chassis (not based on stock).

 

So, by my estimation the kits X'd out have been released in the last 20 years in a form near to the versions in these boxes (possibly with different box art). Am I correct in the ones that remain to be re-released?

 

Unreal Edsel- Could be done since they just redid the frame for the Chevelle. Would probably require a new body and other unique parts since the original kit apparently used the 58 annual body

Mr. Speed- I could have sworn this one came back but I'm not certain. it uses the Pirahna chassis, no? edit- they reissued the 53 Stude with Mr.Speed decals but it's still the venerable 3n1, not this racer. you could combine the body with the Pirahna chassis to get you there though.

C2 Vette- don't remember ever seeing this one before. is it based on the stock kit? Details appreciated.

Streaker- everyone is assuming that this will come out eventually now that the Time Machine Chevelle made it back. We know the body and other parts exist because they were in the famous "hanger shot" from a few years ago. 

Edited November 8, 2023 by Mr. Metallic

[magicmustang]

You are correct on the Unreal Edsel.

Mr Speed has been rereleased but not as the Funny car, you will need the Piranha chassis and some mounting bars.

C2 Vette is basically their stock '67 Vette with some drag parts that are also in their rerelease of their '63 Vette. 

Fairlane is a 1965 Falcon AWB funny car which uses the same interior and chassis as the current release of the Mustang GT Funny car but has a different set of rear torque arms.

Streaker Olds AWB Funny car will probably be out next year. 

Instructions for most of these are available on the Fotki website.

Hope this helps.

PS: the pic is missing the Hemi Corvair kit which was rereleased lately.

Pic below is of the chassis for the 1965 Falcon AWB from the Fotki website. 

Edited November 9, 2023 by magicmustang

[Mark]

The Falcon and Mustang chassis are similar but not the same.  

Chevelle, Olds F-85 roadster, and Edsel used one chassis.

Nova and Tempest used another chassis.  Barracuda and Corvair (not pictured) shared another.

[Mr. Metallic]

1 hour ago, magicmustang said:

 

Fairlane is a 1965 Falcon AWB funny car which uses the same interior and chassis as the current release of the Mustang GT Funny car but has a different set of rear torque arms.

 

I fixed my original post, of course that's a Falcon

Thank you both for the info.

[ColonelKrypton]

As a youngster I craved the AMT Mustang AWB but never had the pocket money to buy one whenever I happened to see one.

Never been in the right place at the right time since then to find an original or a re-issue. How many times has it been re-issued?

It was  65 Mustang but I have been thinking of using the recently re-issued 66 Mustang and kitbash my own.

Now you've done it ... you've got me off on yet another tangent. It's not like I don't anything on the workbench already

 

cheers, Graham

[RancheroSteve]

The Falcon was re-issued in Georgia Shaker, Daddy Warbucks and Wild Child versions around 2005.

[Mark]

There was a fourth Model King issue of the Falcon, can't remember what car it was.  More recently it is in the Round 2 reissue drag team set.

[Stef]

The Falcon was also reissued recently as part of the Cal Drag Combo, as built by HPI Guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3G7r9JtbQ8

[ChrisBcritter]

The original '58 body is supposed to still exist; with the new Chevelle chassis available, it should be no big deal to bring it back (and a reissued body would go a long way toward restoring original kits, not to mention fixing some inaccuracies on the current Edsel!)

[Hondamatic]

I'm no master builder but I cobbled my own Streaker with the new 64 Olds kit and a Rat Packer chassis, and my own Mr Speed with the metal tin 53 Stude and a Piranha.. I couldn't find any decals at the time but I think they satisfied my craving for now

[magicmustang]

Yep, it can be done. I used a stock AMT '58 Edsel body on an AMT '67 Comet AWB chassis. The AWB '64 Olds is a resin cast body also on a Rat Packer chassis.  

Edited November 9, 2023 by magicmustang

[Brockc]

Is there talks of the funnier farmer tempest being rereleased again as well as the mustang kit or it may just be me but finding these two kits in aus is like finding hens teeth impossible 

[bobss396]

I built most as a kid, never liked the F85 version and never ran across the Tempest. I have a built-up OG issue Rat Packer that needs to be salvaged. The Falcon is a good reason to buy the "64 Galaxie combo kit. I have seen the Comet recently on the shelves.

Is the '53 Studebaker out? I don't recall that when I was a kid. I did build the Edsel complete with the outhouse door.

[Mark]

The Studebaker has not been reissued as the funny car version.  The stock Studebaker has been reissued, as has the Piranha.  The body-to-chassis connecting pieces unique to the funny car would have to be fabricated.

[Daddyfink]

32 minutes ago, Mark said:

The Studebaker has not been reissued as the funny car version.  The stock Studebaker has been reissued, as has the Piranha.  The body-to-chassis connecting pieces unique to the funny car would have to be fabricated.

I am surprised that those pieces where not accidentally left on the trees of the stude kit. But then again, I have never really looked. 

[Hondamatic]

39 minutes ago, Daddyfink said:

I am surprised that those pieces where not accidentally left on the trees of the stude kit. But then again, I have never really looked. 

I think I found instructions on drastic plastics and those pieces were pretty janky looking anyways, it wasn't too hard to make my own better versions. Probably the hardest part of the conversion is cutting out all the front inner fenderwells to get it to sit like that 

[Mark]

From what I have seen, the body/chassis pieces look to be thicker than the Piranha chassis tubes.  If I ever did one of those, I'd probably extend the Piranha chassis at the back, and move the pivot point back to let the body lift up higher.  Too, I'd probably want some sort of interior "tin" in the body, and maybe some other touches to make the thing more integrated overall.

[RancheroSteve]

22 hours ago, Mark said:

There was a fourth Model King issue of the Falcon, can't remember what car it was.  More recently it is in the Round 2 reissue drag team set.

Right - Iowa Shaker in 2006 according to Scalemates.

[Mr. Metallic]

18 hours ago, Hondamatic said:

I'm no master builder but I cobbled my own Streaker with the new 64 Olds kit and a Rat Packer chassis, and my own Mr Speed with the metal tin 53 Stude and a Piranha.. I couldn't find any decals at the time but I think they satisfied my craving for now

That Stude is freaking RAD! Are those wheels from the Piranha? If not, where?

Edited November 9, 2023 by Mr. Metallic
why the hell can't I spell Piranha???

[Carmak]

Just thinking out loud here:

Round2 has two new curbside GTO kits (the 65 and 68) 

Combine either new GTO with the trailer and the AWB 63 Tempest to create a Pontiac drag combo.

[Daddyfink]

6 hours ago, Hondamatic said:

I think I found instructions on drastic plastics and those pieces were pretty janky looking anyways, it wasn't too hard to make my own better versions. Probably the hardest part of the conversion is cutting out all the front inner fenderwells to get it to sit like that 

Now that you mention it, I think I might have the instructions somewhere in my stash, I need to take a look. 

[Hondamatic]

2 hours ago, Mr. Metallic said:

That Stude is freaking RAD! Are those wheels from the Piranha? If not, where?

Yes, they're the wheels that come with it. I extended the frame rails to a point and made a tube go across and it will mate to small tubes attached to the body sides similar to how the awb comet body is mounted 

Edited November 9, 2023 by Hondamatic

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

I built the Mr. Speed with the stock AMT body and the Piranha chassis. One of the faves from my youth. I'd like to have the original box.... 

More pix here: https://public.fotki.com/jferren/mr-speed-53-studebaker-/ 

 

The Mustang was also issued in the plain box Blueprinter series..... -RRR

Edited November 10, 2023 by Rocking Rodney Rat

[magicmustang]

6 hours ago, Mr. Metallic said:

That Stude is freaking RAD! Are those wheels from the Piranha? If not, where?

Since you seem very interested in this series, I thought I would share this ad from the 60's with you. Note the prices!

Edited November 10, 2023 by magicmustang

[Mr. Metallic]

10 hours ago, magicmustang said:

Since you seem very interested in this series, I thought I would share this ad from the 60's with you. Note the prices!

Thanks. it's the boxart that got me. I actually already had a few of these kits in my stash as reissues from the last 20 years. (Mustang, Falcon, Tempest and Nova) but I was a little bummed out when i started building my first one (the Tempest) and how simple they were. Back then I wasn't in the mindset to appreciate the simpler nature of these kits, but thankfully I kept them and didn't sell them off because now I can appreciate them as a blank canvas for just having fun with. I just bought the Chevelle the other day. Not sure if I'll ever get around to all of them, but I will at least be hanging onto them indefinitely. 

However, i just happen to have an extra Stude body and a cheap Pirahna that I picked up super cheap about 10 years ago, so I may embark on that one soon, inspired by @Hondamatic's sweet build. 

Everyone else, please keep posting up your builds based on these kits.

Edited November 10, 2023 by Mr. Metallic