AMT Chevy II Nova Station Wagon Kustom Restoration

[jbwelda]

I always look out for this ancient (and much missed) AMT Chevy II Station Wagon and I recently happened into one on ebay for a really good price, it was missing the hood at least, and was not titled properly so it probably slid under most seekers radar. When it arrived I was pretty happy with what I saw: aside from a really thick yellow paint job, all the major components were pretty virgin looking, the engine (which I intend to replace) was built fairly nicely for the time, even the headlamp lenses were still fastened to the clear "glass" piece as you can see in one of the pics below. The trailer was missing but that was actually about it, and it contained an extra set of the accessories and tools.

I went back to the bay because I thought I remembered someone doing a resin repop of most of this model, and sure enuff, she said she would sell me the hood only for a reasonable price so I am golden there (although it has not shown up yet, just ordered it the other day).

Heres some pics and running commentary, starting with the box art along with the side panel showing all the killer accessories inside (chrome tape recorder?) and a third panel showing kind of the style I want to do here, while still retaining the towing option.










So, yeah, I want to build the kustom version the kit offered. It has always intrigued me since I was a kid and tried to just kinda glue the front and back on, with predictable results. So I have always wanted to get this kit to do exactly that version, and further, to do the version on the front cover, without the utility trailer but instead pulling a full size trailer like the other issue of this kit before being sacrificed to the funny car gods or something, which was a race team with this wagon pulling a jacked up hardtop Nova, probably from a former annual that had similarly fallen.

So here was this body on ebay, with what looked from the murky photos attached to the auction to be already set up with both the front and the rear styline parts, and not too poorly done at that. You have to remember, at this point there was nearly a 32nd or so of paint blending everything in a bit better. But I stripped that (and the putty too, revealing the original plastic joint) and gave it a quick hit of primer to see what I got.







So, it looks like I am off to a good start right from the start. I was never 100% on the rear end styling, but it is certainly period "kustom" and I always loved the front end that more or less matches the rear.

Here are some photos of the parts and bits that came in the kit. Near as I can tell, aside from the trailer, it is complete though a lot of it is off the sprue and was loose until I bagged it.










Some dusty chrome trees:




And finally, there was the already built stock six cylinder engine, with the optional injector or perhaps they are some kinda side draft carbs, hard to tell, intake system. Pretty kool, but I got other plans as I will reveal in my next post.






thanks for looking and as always comments welcome!

jb

[jbwelda]

So, off on a slight tangent for a second, recently I bought another of these kits, this time in built up condition, with the intention of stripping it and doing this very build I am now starting. But when I got it, it was far too nice to tear down and rebuild, so I decided to build an engine for it (the engine was missing), and instead of trying to locate a "proper" stovebolt six, I quickly threw together a Revell 57 Black Widow Rochester fuel injection engine, and it fit right in there nice:





and then, guess what, I happened onto another of the Black Widow kit, and what the heck! Might as well do another, this time with a bit more detailing and maybe flash. So I found some suitable finned valve covers, and an air cleaner (doing some research on the Rochester injection I noticed a number of this style air cleaner) on the intake. I built a distributor and wired the ignition, built some rudimentary fuel lines and what I think must be vacuum tubes between the air meter side and the fuel meter side. The fan in my Black Widow kit was broken but I found a similar one in my parts box.

And now that I have the stock six, I should pull the V8 out and put the six in, but for now I have already built a replacement for the current project:











And I couldn't resist fitting the body over the engine just to check the fit, like a glove didn't fit OJ...








And then there is that trailer thing, what I have in mind is maybe building the old AMT trailer, I think it was double axle and had the tire carrier rack on the front of it. On it I might initially have the Corvair I am currently building

drasticplastics.proboards.com/thread/5858/amt-1969-corvair-scca-style

but ultimately I might have something like this, if I ever get past the concept stage:






meantime, starting on the body immediately along with getting the chassis done, I am not really planning on detailing it much if at all, these one piece things are tuffer than tuff, and that aint no bluff, all the way from when I was knee high! The interior though, I am going to take some time with, carpet and detail, though it sure would be a lot easier without that bench seat molded in.


Alright, thanks again for looking!

jb

[Dennis]

That box-art is totally bitchin'. I love that little cargo trailer and accessories. I'd love to get my hands on one!

Your fuelie engine turned out really nice BUT with my OCD I'd be inclined to use a '63 unit beings that the car is a '63.

Can't wait to see more!

[jbwelda]

Thanks Dennis, those trailers come up pretty frequently on ebay, I have picked up two or three over the past couple years. I think they were issued in at least one other kit, and maybe two or three. So they are pretty easy to find and not too expensive. I think at one point some resin caster was doing them but I don't know if that is still happening.

And I get you on the engine, its just I have had a weird fascination with that fuel injection system since I was a kid, I'm sure they look way better than they run. What is surprising to me is that fuel injection setup on the six that comes with the kit. How many actual engines set up like that do you think there could possibly be? Right off hand I cannot think of any. But its a kool little obscure set up to use somewhere else, like maybe over at TRaK...

jb

[Dennis]

Mar 17, 2018 23:28:41 GMT -5 jbwelda said:

Thanks Dennis, those trailers come up pretty frequently on ebay, I have picked up two or three over the past couple years. I think they were issued in at least one other kit, and maybe two or three. So they are pretty easy to find and not too expensive. I think at one point some resin caster was doing them but I don't know if that is still happening.

And I get you on the engine, its just I have had a weird fascination with that fuel injection system since I was a kid, I'm sure they look way better than they run. What is surprising to me is that fuel injection setup on the six that comes with the kit. How many actual engines set up like that do you think there could possibly be? Right off hand I cannot think of any. But its a kool little obscure set up to use somewhere else, like maybe over at TRaK...

jb

I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for those trailers, then!

There's not a lot of people who understand how those Rochester injectors work. Even the dealerships had a hell of a time with them. Many, many cars originally equipped with them had them removed for an easy to tune carburetor. My Dad's best friend of over 50 years was one of the countries leading injector experts (and Corvette restorers) and for decades he offered restoration and tuning services. He also did modified "race" units for guys in vintage road racing. At his shop he had a dedicated test engine and area with specific parts and tools.

Hilborn made mechanical injection for both Chevy and GMC in-line 6's so that's probably what the setup in the kit represents.

[harron68]

I think the Vette (Rochester?) fuel injection unit had problems with road racing. Fuel starvation as it went around corners, and tuning it for long straights and fast curves became a headache.
I LUV LUV LUV that '63 custom kit! I never saw one, but built an AMT '62 chevy II convertible as a quarter miler. Best to you in what looks like a winner!

[Mr.409]

As an owner of 1:1 scale '62 2D Sedan, I'll be watching this project very closely! It's very rare to see someone actually building one of these kits, and I'm glad it's you who is building it. That way I'm sure the end result will be amazing. I think the Fuel Injected small block fits very good into the engine bay.

I'd really like to have one of these kits myself too, but unfortunately the prices are usually way over my budget. Luckily I have one of those later Boss Nova releases that will be converted back to more "stock-ish" appearance.

[TooOld]

Mar 17, 2018 20:17:38 GMT -5 jbwelda said:

Nice valve covers ! The fins look much better than most I've seen .

[harron68]

The Chevy straight 6 engine looks like those are injectors. On my Chevy II ragtop model from the '60s, I used the stock 6, but added Weber carbs, and they're much larger. This build will be one of my faves! Keep up the work.

[jbwelda]

yeah it even says "stock engine, fuel injection" on the side box art, although that's kind of an oxymoron, since I doubt the stock six had fuel injection. I think it even calls them out as Hilborn injectors on the instrux sheet, though I didn't go back and confirm that. For sure the part looks way more like injectors than Weber or other side draft carbs. By the way, where did you get the Webers you used on your six? Most good ones I know of are 1/24 which would make them appear bigger than they would actually be.

I have made some progress but no photos yet, two toned the interior (I forgot what a pain it is to work with molded in seats and in-place side panels), painted the mat in the back flat black to simulate rubber, and I am going to use embossing powder for carpets. Also am starting to smooth the kustom front and rears, first I relieved the obvious high areas and filled the low ones, need to sand it all smooth, reprime and go from there. Hopefully I will not lose the front end body lines in the process, the kustom front clip doesn't really follow the lines of the body all that well. One of the stumbling blocks trying this when I was 13.

thanks again for looking and the comments!

jb

[jbwelda]

Been putting some time in on the interior and the body as well. I realized I needed to remove the side trim to make it more match the box art, so I taped it off and went at it with a file. Its mostly cleaned up but a coat of primer will tell, and I think it still needs to be brought down some more to disappear. This was one side only, getting ready to do the other side tonite.













Next, I decided that the six cylinder badge on the fender had to go, as much as I kinda dig it...note the above photo showing it already removed is out of sequence.




And, its gone




Don't have any photos of the interior yet, but its beige and brown and pretty conservative, I left the snake skin pattern decals alone for this one. But I did use cinnamon embossing powder for the carpets!

Comments encouraged and thanks for looking!

jb

[jbwelda]

Interior is progressing, body is being problematic but haven't really applied myself there yet:





What crucial sixties ride would be complete without a telephone, a red one to boot!!! Never did figure out how that concept was supposed to work in the pre-cellphone days. But there it is, ready to ring up your current shack-up or maybe even Kreuschev to see whats up for the weekend!


Rear area with cans and tool kit:





Some stuff still to be added, kit-supplied kustom steering wheel (may not make it to the final, am looking for a clear Corvette wheel I know I got somewhere) and steering column, kustom headrests, gauge panel for the dash, helmet, all straight from the kit options...am not using the chrome tape recorder in this one!





Finally, heres a shot with the half done dashboard laid in place, mostly to demonstrate the clearance for the telephone.





thanks again for looking and any and all comments welcome!


PS: I guess that's supposed to be an automatic since there are only two pedals.


jb

[jbwelda]

First of all, got the interior finished. Wish I could have gotten down in there and detail painted the side panels but was not to be, not with the front seat molded in!


Looks pretty presentable though:












Meanwhile, was trying to decide what wheels and tires to use. Initially I thought I would stick to the prototype box art, which shows the stock full wheel hubcap, with whitewall tires. Unfortunately, my tires had the whitewalls gone or badly chipped (perhaps they were decals?), and the chrome on the hubcaps was history, another "feature" of this kit, the opportunity to apply your own metallic finishes!

I went wheel and tire scrounging, and I believe I found these wheels and thin whitewall tires in a current AMT reissue, perhaps the Pontiac Catalina, perhaps the 53 Studebaker, perhaps not. But they fit the look I am seeing in my head, so I pulled them out. I am thinking leaving them chrome plated, making this the first model in my adult life I have built with chrome wheels!

With wheels and tires in hand I decided to see what kind of stance I could achieve, of course I wanted it low, with a slight forward rake, but in this instance I decided a more level stance might be more appropriate. What I am actually seeing here is a kool kustom from a few years ago, now hopelessly out of style, and more or less a relegated to a rolling advertisement for the owners body shop or something, and serving as the shop's tow vehicle in the process. (The vehicle under tow will probably be my recently completed AMT 69 Corvair.) So the overall picture will be of this out-of-date kustom, towing a more up to date but total different technology and target audience race car, which is presumed to be contemporary to the time of the snapshot, if you will. What I am getting at is that the stance should somewhat at least reflect the reality of the situation the wagon finds itself in: having to work for a living. More flat than total nose on the ground. 




Does this body kit make my buttcheeks look fat?







So obviously some more body work is required, but lets leave that for now.

The rear "axle" in the pics above is in the highest of the two holes supplied to allow stock or lowered stance, hence it is in the lowered position. When the front "axle" is then inserted into the lowered position, the car sits with a noticeable nose-high stance. As I mentioned I tend to the lowered front end look, and in this case will go with up to level orientation, so to do so I had to modify the chassis.

First step was to ditch the wire axle junk (which had to be done anyhow as there was not a hole in the engine I am using to allow the wire to pass through) and make a stub axle setup, and in the process mount it higher up on the chassis front axle area:




that's sitting a little over an eighth inch above the "lowered" position hole above it. Here is another look:




Of course there were a couple other mods needed to be made primarily that the tires were rubbing on the inside of the fenders. A little Dremel therapy took care of those clearance issues...affected area highlighted with red in this pic:




Gotta get down on the bodywork now, and then dare the paint!

Thanks again for looking!

jb

[jbwelda]

Time for an update, lots going on although no photos.

Ripped all the rear end nonsense off, it came off with minimal damage, which was lucky. Didn't like the look of it at all. Am going to replace it with just the rolled pan. Am currently reshaping it a bit so it contours with the body better before I epoxy it on and fill it in...some fair amount of filling is going to be necessary to blend to the sides.

Meanwhile the chrome trim is slowly disappearing from the sides, trying to keep the body character line intact.

Up front, am going to use the nose split piece in place of a chrome grille, will use the driving lights on each side of the grille opening, and paint the recessed portion flat black. Should look clean like that.

Also using rear fender skirts, reworking them currently, want to fit them without putty but also with minimal panel lines. Secret to that is fitting them well before attaching.

Finally for now, bought an AMT Rat Packer No-Va funny car...will be built and put on trailer to resemble the Indy Drag Team kit AMT put out at one time...since they sure aren't gonna reissue that kit anytime soon.

Will post some body pics when body work is done but before paint. Stay tuned and thanks for looking!

jb

[jffj]

Looking forward to seeing this wearing skirts JB..... and the final team pictures of course 😎

John