AMT T-567 Grant King Race Team Set, Survivor. Restore or Strip and Rebuild.

[stavanzer]

I bought the Grant King Race team in either 1979 or 1980 when I was in High School and brought it home. I started building it right away. It was a huge kit for me at 16, with 3 complete models included. Before that, I was buying only the Airfix Blister Pack kits, for 1/72 planes, and the occasional AMT Car kit. I still remember the name of the Hobby Shop. "Ming Hobbies" was named after the street it was on. Ming Avenue. Hard to believe it was 45 years ago that I bought this kit.

Over the years, I lost first the box, and then the Trailer and Race car. The Racer never got finished due the fact that the skill level need to get everything together was beyond me then. I still have the Little V-8 engine in my stash. I have no idea where the trailer went. 

So, Last night, I am digging through boxes of kits in my stash, when I come across the '53 Ford Pickup from this kit. It is about 90% painted, and seems to be 97% complete. It is painted in Testor's Turquoise Paint, 1107TT. (I think). The paint on my kit looks Greener than this photo, but due to the odd reproduction of colour on the internet, it's hard to tell. The Interior is painted in Testor's Gloss Yellow. It has 2-piece hard plastic AMT Firestone Skinny tires, and I built the DeSoto Firedome engine and finished it in Gloss Battleship Gray. (Not sure why I chose those colours, but I did....)

So, my question is, should I try to just assemble then kit as it is now, horrible tasteless colours and all, or should I strip it and start fresh?

I have a half-dozen AMT/Round2 '53 Ford Pickup Kits, the Most recent being the "Mod Stock Hauler" kit that I got at Hooby Looby a couple months ago. So This particular kit is unique only in being a 45 year old Time Capsule into what 16 Year old me thought was the Greatest, Biggest Kit I had ever had, up to that time. If I keep it as it now sits, should I try to add anything to it, or just use what is in the box? As I said, it seems like all the parts are there to finish it, at least as a Custom Truck which was my intend since I used the DeSoto engine, but painted the stock wheels... It will be a sort of Frankenstein Truck when I finish it.

 

Anyhow, what say You Guys? 

 

 

 

Edited 6 hours ago by stavanzer

[Shark]

Over the years I gave most of my built stuff away, the fun to me was in the building. The few I kept ended up being rebuilt into something different or used for parts. I wish I had a finished kit from my past. 

[stavanzer]

This is the Only kit I have that is that old.