History of AMT & MPC's Action Line Pickup Kits

[Can-Con]

46 minutes ago, leafsprings said:

Went thru this thread and couldn't find any info on the interior tubs. There were 3 interior door panel designs, 67-68, 69-71 and 72. What interior door panel design did the GMC pickups come with?

This is the interior that came in the AMT GMC stepside. I have never had any of the annual fleetsides so I don't know if it's the same door design but I'm betting it is the same as at least the last one made. I added the Vette steering wheel but everything else is as it came in the kit.

As far as I can tell, the AMT interiors had the separate console between the seats while the MPC kits had it molded in with the rest of the interior bucket. 

 

This is an original '68 Chevy interior. Pretty sure this one is an MPC. 

Notice the door panels look the same in both kits but everything else in different.

Maybe I shouldn't have added that last part, might make things confusing.

[Rob Hall]

Comparing my AMT ‘67 with the recent ‘72 reissue, the interior door panels, steering wheel, and seat are different.  The seat upholstery pattern is similar but different, and the center section of the seat has a raised sort of armrest on the ‘72.   First 3 photos are ‘67, last two photos are from the recent ‘72 Racer’s Wedge release.  

Edited October 24, 2021 by Rob Hall

[Can-Con]

Thanks for posting that Rob. 

I didn't have any pics of the current interior although I have a few of the kit. I wonder if that's strait out of the last issues of the MPC '72 Chevy stepside kits?

Also, nice to see the difference in the '67 and '68 seats. Now I'll know what I'm looking at if I ever come across one.

Edited October 24, 2021 by Can-Con

[Rob Hall]

Interesting how the '68 seat pattern is very similar to the reissue '72, except for the center section.

I also have '68 and '69 MPC, AMT '69 and 70 Chevy pickups, the AMT '71 GMC Sierra Grande kit and a couple of the '72 GMC step sides, but none are handy to compare.

Edited October 24, 2021 by Rob Hall

[leafsprings]

Thanks for the interior photos, much more differences than I thought. The GMC kits depict a '69-'72 version,  so I'm assuming the most accurate interior would be the '72 Chevy interior?

[Rob Hall]

9 minutes ago, leafsprings said:

Thanks for the interior photos, much more differences than I thought. The GMC kits depict a '69-'72 version,  so I'm assuming the most accurate interior would be the '72 Chevy interior?

I would think so..found this pic of a '72 GMC interior, the AMT '72 Chevy interior looks pretty much the same..

[DZ7581]

I came across this and found it interesting.  This truck was done i believe by MPC, however if you look closely it looks a lot like a revell truck. The grill for starters does, but it has the axle trusses on it, duel tanks, and if you look close you can see the front skid plate/ winch cover thing near the front bumper that comes on all revell trucks. So was this a collaboration between the two companies? Down in the corner it says MPC

[Tabbysdaddy]

32 minutes ago, DZ7581 said:

I came across this and found it interesting.  This truck was done i believe by MPC, however if you look closely it looks a lot like a revell truck. The grill for starters does, but it has the axle trusses on it, duel tanks, and if you look close you can see the front skid plate/ winch cover thing near the front bumper that comes on all revell trucks. So was this a collaboration between the two companies? Down in the corner it says MPC

That's the recent Deserter reissue. 

[Can-Con]

1 hour ago, Tabbysdaddy said:

That's the recent Deserter reissue. 

No, I think he's kinda right. Not Revell but Monogram but IIRC, it may also have been boxed as Revell.

The Fall gut truck and the Deserter reissue were later '81 up trucks, that one's definitely an 80 and older. the front fenders are a dead giveaway. The Deserter has an '83/'84 grille.

Probably just one someone had already built or had on hand to use as a fill-in because they didn't have a copy of the actual kit at the time. Used to happen all the time. Most famously when AMT used a Modelhaus resin kit as box art on the first issue of their '62 Chevy Bel Air.

2 hours ago, DZ7581 said:

I came across this and found it interesting.  This truck was done i believe by MPC, however if you look closely it looks a lot like a revell truck. The grill for starters does, but it has the axle trusses on it, duel tanks, and if you look close you can see the front skid plate/ winch cover thing near the front bumper that comes on all revell trucks. So was this a collaboration between the two companies? Down in the corner it says MPC

 

[Tabbysdaddy]

Yeah  I didn't notice the older front end.

[1972coronet]

5 hours ago, DZ7581 said:

This [ Fall Guy  ] truck was done i believe by MPC, however if you look closely it looks a lot like a revell truck.

Back in c.1983 when I was perusing the 1983 MPC brochure , I thought that they used the MPC 1978 C-10 Annual as the basis for that prototype . It wasn't until now that I see the Monogram-type bed ( no 'tool box' cutouts engraved on the pickup box ) and dual fuel tanks ( with a filler only on the right-side of the bed , not visible in that photo ) .

Perhaps a mish-mash of Monogram bed and chassis and / or suspension with MPC cab , wheels , and tyres ( the latter possibly being a retouched photo ? ) . 

[Can-Con]

I'm pretty sure that's a Monogram cab too. Besides being different scales the MPC kit has a recessed line around the side markers while it's raised on the Monogram.

Maybe you can see what I mean with this pic,,

[DaddysToy]

Did a quick search of door panels for 67 - 72 chevy trucks. Amazing how many are listed for the wrong year. Yes some will fit some won't. Remember there was a basic and deluxe interiors all years too.

[1972coronet]

2 hours ago, Can-Con said:

'm pretty sure that's a Monogram cab too. Besides being different scales the MPC kit has a recessed line around the side markers while it's raised on the Monogram.

Maybe you can see what I mean with this pic

Good eye . I have an unbuilt 1978 C-10 annual in my stash -- haven't looked at it in a few years .

[DZ7581]

The front skid plate/ winch cover, (which you can bearly make out) was what made me think it was a revell/ monogram truck.

[Fabrux]

It's the Monogram kit with the MPC wheels and bumper guard. Right down to the ill-fitting hood. ?

[leafsprings]

It appears this era pickup had several engine transmission combos. The 327 and 4 speed transmission,  big block  400 with 3 speed transmission ( GMC only ? ),   350 with automatic.   Interestingly,  the 4 speed has a parking brake drum used on older 1 tons and larger trucks, never used  by the factory on '67-72  GM pickups in 1:1 AFAIK. The "400" in photo looks like a small block, but the oil bath air cleaner, kind or unusual,  was a factory option.

Edited October 31, 2021 by leafsprings

[gray07]

could u take the gmc stepside cab and put it with the new coke longbed

[Fabrux]

It will fit, but the GMC cabs don't have the same chrome trim and the marker lights are of a different design.

[Can-Con]

2 hours ago, Fabrux said:

It will fit, but the GMC cabs don't have the same chrome trim and the marker lights are of a different design.

Easy way around that Chris. Shave the trim from the sides, fill the marker lights and use the markers on the decal sheet of the '72 Jimmy.

That's what I did with the '72 stepside I recently did.

BUT, the tail gate and tail lights on the longbox kits are still a mess.

Edited November 3, 2021 by Can-Con