Revell '64 Chevy Pickups

[Ace-Garageguy]

Anybody have any incisive insight into these? I did some Q&D research and didn't turn up anything, so forgive me if it's already here and I missed it. I'm tired.

[Longbox55]

Not a bad kit overall. It looks to have good proportions to the 1:1, though there are a few quirks. It does not have springs for the suspension, only a tubular shaped mounting point where the springs should be. Fairly easy fix. The engine mounts aren't anything like the 1:1, to me, it makes it look like the engine sits too high in the frame. There's also an incorrect 5 lug wheel for the spare, should be 6 lug, though it isn't very noticeable once the spare is mounted in the carrier. The only other issue I've heard of with it, and I haven't really checked in to it myself, is that the grille isn't exactly right.

On a side note, if you're planning to mix it with parts from the original AMT '60s Chevy trucks, the body contours are more rounded at the bottom on the Revell, and the AMT is about 1/8" wider. I found that out when I went to make a long bed version using an original AMT bed.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Thanks Bill. I was kind of thinking you'd be the one to know the real deal on these. My big question is...I'm wanting to use the chassis under a '61 stepside shortbed. I'm pretty sure the '61 would be a torsion-bar front end, whereas the '64 is coils. Aside from obvious things like length and wheelbase, are there any other significant differences??

[slusher]

Bill l built both kits. l enjoyed and liked them both. Here is a link to the instructions...

http://public.fotki.com/drasticplasticsmcc/instruction_sheetsh/instruction_sheets/revell/revell_1964_chevy/

[Eshaver]

The glaring issue I have with the Revell and the "NEW TOOL " A M T 60 Chevrolet trucks is the totally incorrect inside bedside assembly. I can't for the life of me understand why the guys with their wood molds, slide rules in 1960 could do an accurate body and now , NO ONE Seems to be able to do so now ! Hey, it's probably correctable , but slicing out that bed side and doing it as it was supposed to is going to really require some serious cutting . Granted , the Revell 1964 Chevrolet cab represents a very nice rendition overall, I was miffed at the way they optioned out the truck.

Let me go further . from 1960 to 1967, Chevrolet pretty much allowed any combination of ways to buy a truck all the way from a beater to something really decent . Starting with the cab, Chevrolet had the "Custom Cab, a nice package of appearance and safety options including a LARGE REAR GLASS. Usually, this was also followed by the addition of a Chrome piece that installed at the rear most corner with the words, Custom Cab. In my findings of vintage Chevrolet trucks , MOST OF THE TIME, this plate was attached to ANY Chevrolet truck with the LARGE REAR glass . A M T went in an opposite direction instead having the "Standard SMALL rear window " with the chrome Custom Cab attachment plate . Now the Chrome grille and Chrome Bumpers could have been bought separately too. However , in both cases , both manufactures chose to offer this and NOT the Chrome trim often chosen by truck buyers then. One has to go back to the A M T Annual trucks to see what a more or less "Properly optioned " Chevrolet truck actually looked like .............

As for the V- 8 and chassis in the revel trucks, both the Step side and the Short wheel base fleet side , the kit looks fine . Parts fit well , but they could have spent a moment describing the "Limited " interior color choices then.

[Longbox55]

Ed, I agree with you 100% on those beds.

Bill, the wheelbases were the same from '60-'72, with the back half of the frame for the most part being identical. The main differences are in the front, with the obvious part being the torsion bar vs coil frontend. The torsion bar frame ('60-62) also had an extra X member, partially for extra rigidity, but also to allow for the mounting of the torsion bars. The frames are very similar otherwise. A very popular swap on the 1:1 is to use the coil spring cross member from the '63-'87 (mostly using '73 and later for disk brakes) to get away from the original torsion bar setup, as parts are somewhat hard to get and expensive when they can be found. It's a fairly easy swap, only requiring 4 holes to be drilled, and a mounting plate to adapt the later power steering box.

In the rear suspension, the only real difference is the differential itself. The '60-'62 uses the Eaton HO33 axle, same as the '55-'59 Task Force trucks that preceded them, the '63-'66 use the GM 12 bolt Truck axle, though a Spicer could be had as an option, usually with leaf springs (GMC frame).

[niteowl7710]

While I can't comment to the beds, I believe option-wise you're seeing the "glaring" difference between an old kit backed by manufacturing blueprints and support. Versus.a new tooling which is going to (for better or worse) option the truck exactly like the real truck they're making the kit to represent. If the 1:1 has odd optioning ordered, so will the kit.

[Longbox55]

A quick note on the cab window options and the Custom Cab option, they were separate options.

[timc]

I thought it went together rather well myself.

[Eshaver]

Tim, I TOO made , well I tried to convey that the Revell 1964 Chevrolet truck kits, BOTH Of them went together nicely . The issues I pointed out were in the options and the inside of the Fleetside bed .

[Ace-Garageguy]

Thanks for all the info, gennelmen. Looks like combining the best of this with my old gluebomb '61 AMT annual will give me what I'm after. Thanks especially to Longbox55 on the 1:1 crossmember swap and chassis details, and to slusher for the link to the destructions. Exactly what I needed to know.

[dmk]

That looks really nice Tim. I love the wide tires and steelies.

Were those the kit rims you used on that?

[Danno]

They build up nicely.

[timc]

DMK,those wheels and tires are from Plastic Performance Products.Both are 50's era racing sets which were basically truck tires and wheels. The Goodyear decals come with the tires. Hope this helps.bigtim

[dmk]

DMK,those wheels and tires are from Plastic Performance Products.Both are 50's era racing sets which were basically truck tires and wheels. The Goodyear decals come with the tires. Hope this helps.bigtim

Thanks for the info. They do look cool on there.

[Mooneyzs]

I would love to pick one of these kits up. I have seen a street machine version and think the truck was purple on the cover. I am assuming these are out of production??

[Edsel-Dan]

I too have a couple of these.

I was using AMT's Turnpike Slot car tires, Rubber Firestone Darlington Gum Dipped,

on the 64 "Fleetside" (Now have AMT Firestone Supremes)

but moved them to the 65 I am mounting a Model-King "Deluxe Parts Pack

Open Road Mini-Motor Home on. (Yes I had to Stretch the frame to Longbox specs!

The problem mentioned above about the way the Fleetside box is tooled is that

is a Phantom CAMEO Carrier box and Not a True Fleetside box.

The Cameo Carrier has Fiberglass fenders mounted to a Stepside box.

in 58 Chevy/GM came out with the Fleetside and widened the floor of the bad to the outer "Fenders"

I have done this conversion on both this 64, And AMT's 60

It is not TOO difficult, but will require 2 boxes to do it!!

here is a rear angle shot showing the cut & modified bed of the Fleetside box.

The seam is visible on the wheel well;

Yes those are the Outer box sides in the bed!!

Here is the Mini-Motor;

Edited October 3, 2013 by Edsel-Dan

[Chuck Most]

The only other issue I've heard of with it, and I haven't really checked in to it myself, is that the grille isn't exactly right.

That's my one issue with this kit- something about the grille looks off. It just looks a little 'chunky' to my eye when compared to the 1:1.

[Chris White]

I liked the kit, it was fun to customize, suspension was a little lacking

[Chris White]

[charlie8575]

The mention of interior colors brings me to a question I ran into with some fiddling around I was doing with my '60.

What were the interior colors available on the 1960-66 trucks? I tried a little online research and didn't get very far. Does anyone have information?

Charlie Larkin

[Longbox55]

http://www.gmheritagecenter.com/docs/gm-heritage-archive/vehicle-information-kits/Chevrolet-Trucks/1960-Chevrolet-Truck.pdf Check page 115. Also, see here http://pc.dupont.com/hcl/search/imageViewer.jsp?imgurl=/hcl/data/Data/Domestic%20Cars/GM/Gm%201954-1960/CHE%201960/003661.jpg&mode=fullscrn for the "silver" that is specified, Duco code 94162, and here http://pc.dupont.com/hcl/search/imageViewer.jsp?imgurl=/hcl/data/Data/Domestic%20Cars/GM/Gm%201954-1960/CHE%201960/003656.jpg&mode=fullscrn for "charcoal" Duco code 73605.

Edited October 15, 2013 by Longbox55

[Tom Geiger]

Thanks for all the information. I do love this kit and plan on building more. I recently noticed that all the kits I had in my stash were the fleetside versions and I didn't have a step side. I saw one at a show and grabbed it so I want to build a step side next!

I'm very pleased with the way mine came out:

[mnwildpunk]

Tom I really like that

[Eshaver]

Tom, You're "Pinch Waist Chevrolet needs a special award on account of where the rusted panels . Seriously , In the years I have had to work on these trucks , seldom do I see someone who has ever taken the time to do enough research and put the damage where it belongs . You seem to have taken an actual truck from this era and studied it , CAREFULLY .