AMT '36 ford gasser coming next year !

[bobss396]

11 hours ago, Mark said:

The drag version out of the box most certainly does build a late Fifties gasser.  After about 1960, nobody really serious ran a Thirties Ford anyway; those guys were all scouring the countryside and junkyards looking for Willys coupes.

I was referring to a Malco Willys, SWC gasser era. But you are right. There are still gasser classes today, no straight axles and the high suspensions.

[Mark]

Definitely a late Fifties gasser.  With some of these kits, the instructions still show the interior as a location for the Moon gas tank.  That was banned in 1960 after a couple of clutch explosions that turned really bad.

[Ace-Garageguy]

14 hours ago, Dtimmerman89 said:

I wonder if they fixed the body alignment issues that plagued all of the priors. I'd love to use that chop top with the rest of the front panels. 

IIRC, the chopped top was retooled in the latest issue (which I bought to get the really nice chrome-reverse rims).

Again IIRC, the retooled version does not have as nice proportions or flow or lines as the old version, and fits even worse.

I have most versions of the AMT '36 in stock...but some are in AZ.

EDIT: I only have ONE kit of the latest release, and it's possible that the one I have was warped somehow, maybe by being pulled from the mold too early, but my recollection of it, and my putting it all back in the box in disgust, remains.

EDIT 2: As Mark states, the kit is easily built into a reasonably period-correct gasser with what's always been in the box.

Edited Monday at 02:34 PM by Ace-Garageguy

[Mark]

You've really got to watch for warpage with this kit, especially with that roof-to-lower body deal.  Forget about putting the roof on in final assembly; cut the steering column off right where it passes through the floor so you can put the steering wheel in.

One of my brothers built a 1:1 '36 five-window coupe that was pieced together the same way!  Lower body from one car, roof from another (lower body had sat upside down on dirt for many years).  That was done before he bought the body.  On top of that, he swapped out the cowl, replaced both doors, and found a deck lid (he didn't get one with the body).  Five cars to get one body, and that's not counting the hood, fenders, or frame.

Someone mentioned the 5W coupe kit...don't hold your breath waiting for it unless Round 2 tools another body.  They had to recut the door line on the existing body to restore the 3W coupe.

[tim boyd]

1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

IIRC, the chopped top was retooled in the latest issue (which I bought to get the really nice chrome-reverse rims).

Again IIRC, the retooled version does not have as nice proportions or flow or lines as the old version, and fits even worse.

I have most versions of the AMT '36 in stock...but some are in AZ.

EDIT: I only have ONE kit of the latest release, and it's possible that the one I have was warped somehow, maybe by being pulled from the mold too early, but my recollection of it, and my putting it all back in the box in disgust, remains.

EDIT 2: As Mark states, the kit is easily built into a reasonably period-correct gasser with what's always been in the box.

I was not aware that there was a difference between the original kit chopped top and the 2014 reissue....gotta check that one out, for sure.  Thx for the heads-up on that one, Bill.

For this build which used the 2014 reissue, I recall the usual issue of top to body fit, but nothing beyond past experiences with earlier kit releases. 

Does suggest that Mark's comments about warpage may be playing a role here.  For this one I do recall fitting the top to the body before painting and assembly, and some molding/filing was required to finesse (somewhat) the fit between the two parts....TB   

[Kenmojr]

In my youth I built a couple of these AMT 36 Ford kits (1960s). Love them...

[papajohn97]

I LOVE this kit. I recall my older big brother building a custom version back in '61 with the initial release and it left a big impression on me. I built the chopped-top custom version of the 2014 re-release six years ago and gave it to my younger big brother a few years later.....I miss it!

I've been wanting to build another one but the re-release became hard to locate & $$$. So glad R2 is re-popping this kit, one of the best looking '30's lead-sled kits out there IMO. May have get two so I can do a gasser as well?

[bobss396]

I have one 5 window version started (BACK IN THE BOX!!) and got as far as getting the top section on and sorted out. It was a bit of work. 

[Trainwreck]

Looks like I'll have to have a couple more of these if, as seen in the pics, the chopped top is included.

[Carmak]

An interesting juxtaposition.

This post that is about the affection people have for a kit that has been re-issued multiple times since its original release 60+ years ago.

The post directly below this post (as of 11:00am CST 25-NOV-2025) is a discussion about excess re-issues of old tooling.

[Stef]

28 minutes ago, Carmak said:

This post is about the affection people have...

The post directly below [...] is a discussion about excess re-issues of old tooling.

Truer words have never been spoken, Craig.

There are thousands of car model kits out there, and each of our building experiences, preferences, and points of entry seem as unique as stars in the night sky.

I've never built this kit, but after seeing the parts layouts, and Tim and John's builds, now I want one, too!

[Can-Con]

On 11/24/2025 at 10:45 AM, Mark said:

You've really got to watch for warpage with this kit, especially with that roof-to-lower body deal.  Forget about putting the roof on in final assembly; cut the steering column off right where it passes through the floor so you can put the steering wheel in.

One of my brothers built a 1:1 '36 five-window coupe that was pieced together the same way!  Lower body from one car, roof from another (lower body had sat upside down on dirt for many years).  That was done before he bought the body.  On top of that, he swapped out the cowl, replaced both doors, and found a deck lid (he didn't get one with the body).  Five cars to get one body, and that's not counting the hood, fenders, or frame.

Someone mentioned the 5W coupe kit...don't hold your breath waiting for it unless Round 2 tools another body.  They had to recut the door line on the existing body to restore the 3W coupe.

Mark, do you know if the hood parts in the last reissue are the same as the original or the 5 window kits?

I'm working on a sedan right now with the Jimmy Flintstone body. It's designed to use the older 3 window hood but I started with the 5 window kit. I was going to just modify the 5W hood but I do have an old re-builder roadster kit molded in yellow I could cannibalize for the hood. But it's already painted and I didn't want to go to the extra work of stripping it right now.

I guess what it comes down to is which hood is in the current kits will determine how I proceed.

Edited 23 hours ago by Can-Con

[Mark]

The five window coupe kits' hood top panel is different from all of the other kits.  I believe Round 2 put it back to "normal" when they tooled their roof pieces and/or restored the old parts.  I think the chopped 3W roof is retooled but the stock 3W roof and roadster cowl are the original parts.

[bobss396]

I have a couple of resin 3 window chop tops for these cars. One was made by Norm Veber. 

[stavanzer]

Now, would be a good time to post another Link to Norm's Remastered , Resin 36 Ford Coupe wheels, with the tiny slots open.

I would, But I've misplaced the Info.

Thanks!

[Robberbaron]

6 hours ago, Mark said:

The five window coupe kits' hood top panel is different from all of the other kits.  I believe Round 2 put it back to "normal" when they tooled their roof pieces and/or restored the old parts.  I think the chopped 3W roof is retooled but the stock 3W roof and roadster cowl are the original parts.

There are actually two different versions of the five window roof and hood.  Brief discussion in this thread:

Once you see the two side by side, the roof differences are obvious.  There was another thread that went into more detail about the differences, but I can't find it for the life of me.

Seem to recall that the apparent understanding was that the early versions of the 5-window still used the original hood.  The suspicion was that the tooling was damaged under RC2 ownership and they had to retool the roof piece (poorly).  They also modified the hood (or maybe completely retooled it?) to fit the different cowl shape of the new roof piece.

In the missing thread, I seem to recall comparison pics of 1:1 '36 5-windows, showing that the earlier "Dick Tracy" versions have more accurate roof/window proportions.  Don't hold me to that, since I'm sure no expert on '36 Fords.

Edited 14 hours ago by Robberbaron

[Mark]

The Dick Tracy '36 roof is indeed different from all other 5W coupe issues.  The rear edge of the hood differs between them also (as well as both being different from 5W/roadster issues also).  I don't think the hood top piece was ever retooled, just modified at the rear edge.  I'm pretty sure the 5W roofs are both "off", they should extend further back towards the trunk opening than a 3W roof.  

Built as the roadster, the kit was never 100% right.  It should have shorter doors, closer to those of the 5W coupe.