AMT 1965 Cuda new tool

[Mr. Metallic]

I think this kit deserves it's own thread instead of being lumped together with other kits. Here's what we know so far...

Round2 has announced this all new tooling kit, possibly hitting shelves by the end of 2025. It's a Craftsman Plus kit, meaning it is a curbside. But it does appear to have some separate suspension pieces and a separate hood, which hints at a possible future full detail version similar to what they did with the 63 Nova wagon. At least if we never get that it is easy to drop the engine of your choice in the kit as it comes now. Some very nice thin bluewall tires are included as well.

HPIGuy now has it in his hands and is preparing his review

Sean Svensden of Svens World of Wheels also has one going

 

Edited Thursday at 08:45 PM by Mr. Metallic

[Rob Hall]

I was thinking could combine this with the body from HUG kit to do a '66, but the HUG kit has the rear wheel wells opened up larger. 

[sfhess]

Blue whitewall?

 

[lordairgtar]

8 minutes ago, sfhess said:

Blue whitewall?

 

Bluestreaks were a thing like the Redlines in the 60s

[rickcaps55]

I have been waiting for this kit i have a few on pre-order with model round up thanks for posting this photo it's better than i had hoped for i like no metal axles that's a lot like some of Revell's parts very nice i already have some 3-D slant-6's ordered with the hyper-pak.

[ChrisBcritter]

41 minutes ago, Rob Hall said:

I was thinking could combine this with the body from HUG kit to do a '66, but the HUG kit has the rear wheel wells opened up larger. 

Still should be doable with some surgery; now I'm wondering if the chassis will be a good fit under the '63, '64 and '65 Craftsman Valiants - and the Fireball 500!

[sfhess]

12 minutes ago, lordairgtar said:

Bluestreaks were a thing like the Redlines in the 60s

Yes I know.  Never heard it described thusly.

I also remember when whitewall or white stripe tires came with a blue protective coating that needed to be scrubbed off.

[rrb124@sbcglobal.net]

Saw them brand new when we were in Junior High School. A cool car with a distinctive profile. It was an S with Blue Line tires and a single rectangular tail pipe. It had a distinctive sound.

[Misha]

Here’s what I’m looking at..

 

Does 43jr have an AWB?

or…

Cheers Misha 

Edited Thursday at 08:16 PM by Misha
Added note

[250 Testa Rossa]

I have one on order as well, but will be ordering another couple of body shells to do the Plymouth Dealers Assn. drag car and 1st generation of the Hemi Under Glass. 

[Radretireddad]

Separate f&r suspension and exhaust makes my face look happy. Let’s hope this trend continues into future releases. 😃 

Edited Thursday at 09:02 PM by Radretireddad

[Bainford]

3 hours ago, Rob Hall said:

I was thinking could combine this with the body from HUG kit to do a '66, but the HUG kit has the rear wheel wells opened up larger. 

Could do a 'cut & paste' of the rear wheel wells. I'll be doing the opposite, putting the '65 body on the HUG chassis to do McEwen's Hemi Cuda. I have been looking for a good '65 shell for some time to do this project, and I am quite excited about this release. And then I still get to build a stock '66.

[Daddyfink]

Mods, Can we just combine the threads on these new kits? 

[Trainwreck]

1 hour ago, Bainford said:

 And then I still get to build a stock '66.

A semi stock '66. (The rear wheel openings on the HUG are radiused ).

Edited Thursday at 10:54 PM by Trainwreck

[Bainford]

14 hours ago, Trainwreck said:

A semi stock '66. (The rear wheel openings on the HUG are radiused ).

That's why I suggested cutting out and swapping the rear wheel wells between the two kits. But, as I look at some reference photos now, I see a flaw with my plan. McEwen's car actually has stock wheel wells, so you are right, one of the two will not be correct. Looks like I will be building a front engine drag car from my '66, then. 😉

Edited yesterday at 01:40 PM by Bainford

[CapSat 6]

Doing a new '65 Barracuda this way was a canny move by Round 2.

Need a mostly stock '66? Bash it with the '65.

Want a '65 HUG? Bash it with the '65.

Want a detailed Valiant build, using that built Craftsman kit you picked up 20 years ago (😁)? Bash it with the '65...

The chassis alone is a HUGE improvement over any of the originals. No more cutting, cramming and carving AMT '71 Duster or MPC '76 Dart Sport chassis for early A Bodies! 

[blizzy63]

Look forward to building some old box-art draggers...

but what engine...?

[Illustrations: 1) AMT 6855 '65 Barracuda kit box (side); 2) AMT 6856 '66 Barracuda kit box; 3) AMT 6855 instruction]

[M W Elky]

8 minutes ago, blizzy63 said:

Look forward to building some old box-art draggers...

but what engine...?

[Illustrations: 1) AMT 6855 '65 Barracuda kit box (side); 2) AMT 6856 '66 Barracuda kit box; 3) AMT 6855 instruction]

HEMI’s of coarse

[Mark]

8 hours ago, Bainford said:

That's why I suggested cutting out and swapping the rear wheel wells between the two kits. But, as I look at some reference photos now, I see a flaw with my plan. McEwen's car actually has stock wheel wells, so you are right, one of the two will not be correct. Looks like I will be building a front engine drag car from my '66, then. 😉

The '66 wheel openings could be reworked back to stock using the '65 as a template.  Sheet plastic, epoxy putty, and a little two-part glazing putty.The Dodge body is a Polar Lights piece.  After piecing in a strip of plastic to build up the height of the body below the beltline, the wheel openings were reduced in size using an annual kit body as a template for the rears (and as a starting point for the fronts).  All that is just sheet and strip styrene, and two-part glazing putty.  This was done long before the Moebius kit came out.  My educated guesses on the wheel openings were pretty good.

The Olds is a Modified Stocker body; again the wheel openings were restored to stock using an annual kit as a template, with sheet plastic and two-part putty.  If you have done custom work on a model car body, you can do this.

[Justin Porter]

The quality of the design of this kit really gives me a lot of hope going forward with the Craftsman Plus range. The chassis and interior look to be quite nice and the body is very crisp looking too. If the kits going forward are more like THIS instead of promo rehashes, I'll be quite pleased. 

[Bainford]

3 hours ago, Mark said:

The '66 wheel openings could be reworked back to stock using the '65 as a template.  Sheet plastic, epoxy putty, and a little two-part glazing putty.

Nice. That looks quite doable Mark. Cheers. 

[W-409]

8 hours ago, Justin Porter said:

The quality of the design of this kit really gives me a lot of hope going forward with the Craftsman Plus range. The chassis and interior look to be quite nice and the body is very crisp looking too. If the kits going forward are more like THIS instead of promo rehashes, I'll be quite pleased. 

My thoughts exactly. Looking forward what is coming out in the future. 

In the meanwhile, let's grab a couple of Barracudas and '60 Nomads.

[stavanzer]

And here it is!