65 alcon AWB Improved

[FoMoCo66]

This is the amt 65 falcon from the cal drag combo kit. I have a love for falcons but do not appreciate what amt did to this kit. The frame is severely undersized, the interior is lacking detail, the front axle is not moved forward, and there is no firewall. I hope to improve most of these issues. The first thing I started with was making the frame bigger, using some plastic sheet on the side for this. I still need to add some on the back.

I was also confused why amt thought that the interior tub was acceptable for the fire wall. So I decided to construct one out of evergreen sheet styrene. 

The front axle was also moved forward and the wheel well enlarged. I think this looks way better and more reasonably proportioned.

Here's a scratch built oil pan as well.

Thanks

Elliot

[Shark]

I like your modifications so far, will be following along with your build. Some kits just leave you shaking your head when you get them out of the box for the first time.

[FoMoCo66]

46 minutes ago, Shark said:

I like your modifications so far, will be following along with your build. Some kits just leave you shaking your head when you get them out of the box for the first time.

Thanks man, I definitely know what you mean. A lot of the AMT annuals had this done to them when the tools were butchered, yes butchered not modified.

[stavanzer]

Cut Them Some Slack.

AMT was losing money, kids were turning away from model kits, and old tools had to be re-used because there was little budget for new tooling.

Little did the (Don Draper types) in charge know that 50 years later, folks would be B++++in' about their Cheap Re-purposing of old tooling that was going to be scrapped anyway into money making "Toys!" to 12 year old kids......... They saved AMT and that is what paid them. Not Realistic Depictions of fictional race cars.

I'm glad that folks are so creative now and can fix what they see wrong, but dumping on these isn't fair. "Butchered" is hardly fair.

 

[FoMoCo66]

37 minutes ago, stavanzer said:

Cut Them Some Slack.

AMT was losing money, kids were turning away from model kits, and old tools had to be re-used because there was little budget for new tooling.

Little did the (Don Draper types) in charge know that 50 years later, folks would be B++++in' about their Cheap Re-purposing of old tooling that was going to be scrapped anyway into money making "Toys!" to 12 year old kids......... They saved AMT and that is what paid them. Not Realistic Depictions of fictional race cars.

I'm glad that folks are so creative now and can fix what they see wrong, but dumping on these isn't fair. "Butchered" is hardly fair.

 

I know that it would never have been a good business move on amts part to keep the stock molds. In all honesty im glad they did something to them to keep them around, otherwise they would have just been lost to history. 

[stavanzer]

36 minutes ago, FoMoCo66 said:

I know that it would never have been a good business move on amts part to keep the stock molds. In all honesty im glad they did something to them to keep them around, otherwise they would have just been lost to history. 

Indeed. You can have Lousy, Toylike kits. Or no Kits at all.

[FoMoCo66]

Update!

Got a lot of work done in the past week. The chassis painted and assembled along with the interior and engine.

Chassis:

I painted the chassis an aluminum color to get the "freshly fabricated" look then masked the frame rails black. The rear axle is left matte and the other pices gloss and simi gloss, along with toutches of silver and Yellow shocks. The front is all aluminum with some blue shocks because I wanted to add some POP!

Engine: 

I was looking at a bunch of inspiration photos for fords 427 cammer and noticed something interesting about this one. It looks to be modeled after the first experemental cammers, hence the spark plugs at the bottom and no ridges on the bottom. I added some wiring to the magneto and made them flow over the valve covers because "race car". The fuel system is also plumbed, added tubing to each cylinder and plumbed it up to the fuel pump. I also didnt like the kit molded velocity stacks. I ended up ordering some bootlace furrels off amazon and I think they look pretty good.

I also modified the headers. I didnt like the way that they just ended and didnt go into collectors, so I made some. Cut about a centimeter off the existing header, added about 2 cm of evergreen 3/16 tubing then covered that with heat shrink. A final sprits of paint Ties it all together.

Interior:

pretty simple Interior, not much to gawk about. The tub is painted aluminum with some flat black floors to represent rubber mats. The dash is black with some details picked out in silver. Other kit included parts that are present are the roll cage, seat, and custom racing wheel.

Others:

Seperated the grille and bumper to allow for eizier painting and to exposure the gap inbetween the two.

The parachute was also painted, detailed, and rip cord added.

Thanks for looking and feel free to comment,

Elliot 

Edited Wednesday at 04:35 AM by FoMoCo66

[GoodbuildNY]

Looking good 

[Shark]

When I mentioned in a previous reply that it left me shaking my head, I wasn't referring to the bodies, I kinda liked them. I had issues with the roll bar that looks like it's 4" scale diameter, the driver seat that looks like it should be for a baby, and a frame that doesn't touch the body anywhere. 

[Dragline]

Those are all good decisions. Wheelbase looks good. That pan is awesome too. Keep cooking!

[bytownshaker]

I really like what you've done to improve this kit. I could be done to the rest of AMT's altered wheel base kits.