AMT/Model King 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente

[Stevearado]

This review is for the current issue of the 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente kit. It is a special run AMT repop that is being distributed through Model King. I picked up this example from Hobby Heaven.

Kit:

This is a curbside kit with no engine, molded in hood, and few parts. The provided parts only make a stock version. The chrome parts sprue is the only real sprue in the kit.

All of the details underneath are molded in, including a representation of an engine. The body is bagged separately while the chrome was in another. A third bag contains the floor pan/chassis, interior tub, and dash. The steering wheel was in a smaller bag taped to the tub. A fourth bag contained the tires, red clear parts, and two metal axles. The glass is also bagged separate, and is scratch free.

Body:

When cleaning up the body, watch for mold lines at the A pillar where the door panel line is suppose to be. There are also mold lines on the front and rear fender peaks, off the B posts, and on the hood and trunk edges. There are four sink marks on my example: two on the front of the hood, and two on the back of the trunk lid. These are from the pins in the body that mate with the pins on the chassis.

While the simple make up of this kit can make for a quick build, there is also potential for detailing and bashing.

[MrObsessive]

Thanks for the quick review Steve!

Hmmmm.............I wonder how well a '67 Mustang chassis would fit underneath that, since they were essentially the same car with different bodies? :wink:

[Harvezter]

I like the body a lot... but boo on the chassis and interior.

I like Mr O's idea

[62rebel]

the 67 platform will probably adapt very well, Bill; i've built two AMT 66 mustangs using the 67 platform and they look much better than the promo style plate. it will probably require lengthening but thats easy enough. can't wait to see on at lhs.

[Guest zebm1]

Actually, in tha real world, tha 64 Comet/Falcon/Mustang were all tha same chassis.

[62rebel]

c'mon, zeb! how often did AMT hit the "real world" mark? and i'm a BIG fan of theirs....LOL! lots of possibilities with this kit; maybe a replica East Africa Safari kit? there's a full copy of Hot Rod's three part article on the mercury comet rally cars on the web (heck; i forget where; but it's out there, trust me) with some grainy photos but lots of technical detail in the text.

[Guest zebm1]

I bought tha kit just for tha wheelwell patterns, sos I can convert one of those A/FX Falcons back to a street hot rod, idea model for my 1:1 '65 Falcon. and yeah yur absolutely correct Reb. :mrgreen:

zeb

[pepperdrumstix]

I saw the kit at my LHS but did not have the bucks to buy it after buying 4 other kits. Nice build RANDBUGEYE. Looks like what was on the streets in the late '60s. I could not believe how those tires looked like the ones that came in the first AMT kits in the late '50s. You had to really push the wheels into the tires if not pound them in. I still have 2 of the old tires and those in the kit look just like the ones I have. I've got to get me one of those kits. Thanks for the review. Patrick

[Casey]

Now that the AMT '59 Chrysler Imperial is scheduled for reissue, how about the AMT '64 Comet Caliente?

Edited March 2, 2022 by Casey

[Sledsel]

I am hoping for this and the 64 Galaxie

 

[Force]

10 hours ago, Sledsel said:

I am hoping for this and the 64 Galaxie

 

It's a Craftsman kit, (curbside) so to do a detailed one you need a different chassis and drive train...from a AMT 67 Mustang for example.
I know some uses the chassis from the Revell 64 Thunderbolt, but that's not correct for a Comet as the 62-65 Fairlane shares chassis only with the 61-63 Mercury Meteor.
For the Galaxie, I think it's about time someone did correct 63½ and 64 Galaxies (maybe based on the AMT 60 Starliner), the old issues has lots to desire.

[dodgefever]

I wonder why that one survived and not some of the others?  I know the '64 Galaxie was reissued, but I wish the '59-'60 Buicks and Pontiacs still existed.  The '64 Chevelle would be nice to have too. 

[Dave Darby]

18 hours ago, Casey said:

Now that the AMT '59 Chrysler Imperial is scheduled for reissue, how about the AMT '64 Comet Caliente?

I'd be in.

[Force]

10 hours ago, dodgefever said:

I wonder why that one survived and not some of the others?  I know the '64 Galaxie was reissued, but I wish the '59-'60 Buicks and Pontiacs still existed.  The '64 Chevelle would be nice to have too. 

Most likely because it did not get modified to somenthing else.
Many of the old "annuals" was modified from year to year as long as it was possible and the last version can be what's left, but they modified some of them further to race cars and other things and destroyed the possibillity to do them in their original form again.
The old 64 Galaxie full detail kit went that way and the version left is a modified stocker race car, the other 64 Galaxie Craftman Series kit also from AMT is an unassembled promo.

[dodgefever]

I know, but those others I mentioned were never modified either, to the best of my knowledge.  Some of them were reissued in the Flower Power series, but then they disappeared.   Maybe that was a final attempt to recoup some money from the tooling before scrapping it?

[Casey]

23 hours ago, dodgefever said:

I wonder why that one survived and not some of the others?  I know the '64 Galaxie was reissued, but I wish the '59-'60 Buicks and Pontiacs still existed.  The '64 Chevelle would be nice to have too. 

Much more on the AMT Craftsman and Jr. Craftsman kits here:

 

[Casey]

[Casey]

No news yet...?

[Motor City]

definitely a no-brainer ...

[Robberbaron]

On 11/22/2020 at 9:57 AM, Casey said:

Jeez, it's been 17 years now?  I still think the time to strike was when Moebius brought out their '65.

Seems like Round 2 is still working their way through the Model King reissues.  Since they're just finally getting around to the AMT Bronco, maybe there's hope for the Comet soon?

[sfhess]

I have sufficient for my needs.

Also have resin station wagon and convertible bodies.

[SteveG]

16 hours ago, Casey said:

No news yet...?

I'm a fan of these Craftsman Series kits so running the '64 Comet again is a no-brainer for me as well.  Stay tuned ....

-Steve 

[stavanzer]

They've done the Blankety-Blank '64 Galaxie at least twice in the last 2 years! Time for this kit to come back. Maybe with Coke Branding.

?

[magicmustang]

Even though it's a curbside kit, it can be opened up to add an engine and detail the bay. 

[Bainford]

I'd be all over one of these. I missed the Model King release when it was out, and been kicking myself since.

Gerald, your Chrisman Comet looks awesome.