AMT 71 Duster quarter windows

[spkgibson]

Hi Fellow modellers,Ok I Have to clear this up,For everyone that builds this kit,You MUST Use them,On the real car the were fixed into the body,and popped out at the rear Like the 68-74 Novas,I see so many of these cars built without These,And it looks wrong,I Just wanted to give everyone the tip on this,So these wonderfull builds I have seen on here can stop being flawed by the missing windows,Hope this helps out,as the Dusters were a 2-door coupe,not a hardtop.

[spkgibson]

this is one of my biggest peeves in regards to models of Dusters, Demons and Dart Sports. the windows don't roll down and as Steve pointed out are "fixed" with only the ability to tip them out for some airflow.

'68-'74 Nova rear quarter windows do roll down, but because of the 2-door sedan style framing it looks weird when they are in the down position. Thats right I forgot about the novas,My brother had a 73,and they did roll down as you said,My 79 I owned didn't.

Dave

[spkgibson]

I agree about the Challenger and the Cuda,In my oppinion they look better with the posts in as if they are rolled up,and for example the 71-74 Road Runners,And the 71-72 GTX,There is just way to much empty area there,I could go on about alot of different makes of cars,But in real life most of those cars you see have the windows up,To me it set off the roof line alot better than just nothing there!

[Eric Stone]

I know (IMO) my '70 Chevelle looked better with its quarter windows down. They made such a difference in airflow that the car usually either had all windows up, or all windows down when I was driving it.

[spkgibson]

There is one major exception to the fixed rear quater windows of the Dusters, Darts & Novas: If you're building a model of a vintage short tracker, (asphalt or dirt), using one of these kits, 9 times out of 10 the side windows & window frames should be removed for an accurate build. 75 & up Novas, (& their variants), Aspens & Volares raced on the short tracks & in the LMS Series still had the "B" pillar intact unlike the previously mentioned cars, but still had all side glass removed. It wasn't until 1984 or 1985 that Nascar remandated that the rear quarter windows be in place again.

I undrstand what you are saying,I was talking about the factory stock models!

[sjordan2]

Interesting question about accuracy; I looked at Google images over a few pages and couldn't find a single picture of a Duster with an open or removed rear quarter window. It's always closed.

[Chuck Most]

He is right, but here's something about the windsheild and back light on that kit that should be mentioned- just cut off the mounting pins molded inside the body. Don't bother at all- just shave them off when you first begin the model. It will make adding the front and rear glass and getting them to fit well tons easier.

[sjordan2]

He is right, but here's something about the windsheild and back light on that kit that should be mentioned- just cut off the mounting pins molded inside the body. Don't bother at all- just shave them off when you first begin the model. It will make adding the front and rear glass and getting them to fit well tons easier.

Are you trying to challenge me and J Sauber for the most avatars in a short period of time?

[spkgibson]

Unless it is a custom are race car as stated in a few posts up,PUT THE SIDE WINDOWS IN,They just look plain goofy without them!I personally cut a strip of plastic stock,and put the posts in,With Superglue,Then I cut down the kit supplied window in,And epoxy them in,It looks much better to me anyways!

[Chuck Most]

Are you trying to challenge me and J Sauber for the most avatars in a short period of time?

Yes. Didn't know there was a challenge on in that department, but now that I'm aware of it, yes.

[Bruno]

i've built two of the AMT '71 Duster kits and both had some fit issues between the quarter window glass and the interior side panels. this could be where some of the problem starts as to why you dont see them installed on many builds, other times it could be just lack of knowledge on the subject. could be both of those issues combined in many cases. test fitting beforehand helps if the interior side panels are very tight to the inside of the body before the glass is in place you need to file them to make some room. i recommend too filing both the side panel and the bottom edge of the quarter window glass so they are at slight angles that slide together. the quarter glass, actually all the glass in that kit is overly thick.

Dave

Yup! I remember having to trim both the quarter glass and interior trim so they would fit. I had a hard time getting them to fit but I knew they had to be there on a Duster

[Chuck Most]

Not just the quarter glass, but the whole side window opening on that kit has always looked weird to me.

[george 53]

I remember roll down quarter glass bein an option on 68/69 Road Runners.

[Bruno]

I remember roll down quarter glass bein an option on 68/69 Road Runners.

Yup! My '68 had roll down quarter glass, I think it looked better with all the windows down too

[sak]

As an owner of a duster. I must also say thats my only problem with it ,styling wise. And someday plan to hardtop it, even if it means having non functional quarter windows. I think the novas could also benefit from this too. A quick photoshop of my car as a hardtop.In fact I would even go so far as to say that Chrysler might have intended it to be a hartop at one time, as that pillar is only a thin peice of sheetmetal tack welded on. I can't see it adding much structual integrity to the design. I would be very curious to see a duster concept model, if one does exist.

Jeff

Edited July 23, 2010 by sak

[Jon Cole]

Not always an easy to see object in some photos...

[Rob Hall]

The '69/70 Mustang Sportsroof (fastback) has the same type of quarter window as the Duster. Alas, the old MPC '69 kit (reissued countless times) lacks them. And almost every 1:64th scale diecast lacks them...

[ChrisPflug]

to me that same thing happens when i see builds of the Challenger T/A street car with the quarter windows deleted or left out. those do roll down, but in my opinion, especially in regards to that particular version it makes the car look weird when that arent there.

there are also certain models of the Satellite, Roadrunner, Coronet and Super Bee's that do not have roll down quarter windows.

Dave

The Challenger was available with fixed quarter windows as well- I have pair of the 1:1 windows and mounting parts- very similar setup to the "normal" setup but no crank. Chrysler considered the cars equipped with the fixed windows a seperate, lower priced "coupe" body style rather than the standard "hardtop" and did the same thing with the 71-74 B bodies- in fact the 73-74 Road Runner was built as a "coupe" and had fixed windows as well (unless power windows were ordered- then all 4 rolled down. This is different than the 68-70 B bodies which had a more substantial pillar and swing out windows on the coupe compared to the hardtop

75-79 Novas had swing out rear windows available as an option but were fixed on the majority of the cars built. With a full upper door frame and thick B pillar they weren't really a candidate for the "hardtop look" anyways

[spkgibson]

My 79 Nova was the base model,That My brother and I Modified It was originaly A inline 250 six,But we swapped it out with a 400 HP 350 4-Barrel Carb,It was ot much car for a 16 year old back when I owned it,So I sold it and bought a MOPAR,I'm liking what everyone has been saying on this,I never thought so many of you felt the same about the Duster Quarter Windows,I just hope for future reference these will be placed in the models as they are build,I have seen this so many times now,And alot of builders make the mistake,of not using them,If you unsure of what the car your building looks like,Thats what we have Google for and countless other places to find photos,I also agree about the roof,Compaired to the MPC bodys I own they are wrong in alot of places.

[ChrisPflug]

+1 on the superiority of the shape of the MPC bodies (as well as having the posts molded in)

[sak]

You guys might find this interesting.

http://www.allpar.com/cars/plymouth/sportwagon.html

[spkgibson]

You guys might find this interesting.

http://www.allpar.com/cars/plymouth/sportwagon.html

Thats a really cool concept,And it doesn't look like it would be to had to make in scale,But in the very first picture it looks like the Dart/Demon front ,Still a cool Idea!

Edited July 24, 2010 by spkgibson