AMT 32 Ford Sedan, that one w/ an Edsel grille in its snout
Jan 4, 2019 23:50:41 GMT -5
Count Dragula likes this
Post by jbwelda on Jan 4, 2019 23:50:41 GMT -5
Well I think the next in my current Vintage Victims series will be the golden oldie AMT 32 Ford Sedan, that came packaged with the 40 Willys we have seen many times...but strangely the 32 Ford has been absent from the reissue game almost from the start.
I believe I have the original box, but possibly the second issue of the actual plastic. As I recall the original issue was just as bright a yellow as this is reddish/orange. In either case, but especially in the case of this red body, color choice is going to somewhat limited, to as to avoid the dreaded bleed through this sort of base color is known to produce (and persist). But I will worry about color later, right now I am going to start with what I usually start with, the engine. Have already actually, glued the engine block halves together. So far, fit is decent!
As you can see, its pretty basic, but being a Buick nailhead, and being as it always had those ultra groovy finned spark plug covers, not to mention the tri power with realistic-ish velocity stacks, it was always a favorite of mine as a kid. There is even a (called out by name in the instrux) Spalding Flamethrower magneto! Reasonably accurate I would assume, I remember wiring it with waxed thread...these days I think Detail Master ignition wire will be used.
And like I said, I have started fiddling around with the frame and body, heck its halfway done!
Yep that nose with the quad lamps and the Edsel grille. A bleedin Edsel grille. It always struck me as funny when I was a kid and it still does. But its totally sixties kustom kool, and is the partial main draw of this kit for me. Also notice the body is already channeled over the frame. I am not sure if this body is regarded as accurate or not, seems to me I remember reading something about it appearing to be sectioned, but it basically looks pretty good to me.
One thing about the body though, it had these half running board/rear fenders that I never really dug, so they are not going to be making an appearance. But that does call for the removal of some little locating (thank you AMT) bumps on the sides of the body, no biggie. You can see them in the photo above. The running board also ran along an extreme set of side pipes, three per side, another signature of this kit and one that I am looking to retain.
Now getting down to the nitty gritty, the thing this car really REALLY needed was a decent set of wheels and tires, and most of all, a dropped front end. No doubt about it, I thought so in 1963 and I think so now. As kitted, a straight axle is designed to sit directly under the front crossmember and have a metal axle pass through it to connect the wheels and allow them to turn (WHEEEE!!! Fun times at the merry-go-round for reals). But that's strickly east coast or something and not what I visualize when I think of a deuce sedan. So theres gonna be some changes. But for giggles heres a peek at the supplied axle and the instruction sheet testifying to the wrongness.
Here is what I am thinking of using for a front axle instead. Probably add a suicide front end perch which would lengthen the wheelbase slightly... Wheels and tires haven't been chose yet but I have a pile of choices already selected out for future builds to pick from. Something vintage looking, pretty show-oriented rather than race I think. And since the rear axle for the 32 seems to be missing, I am going to grab the Halibrand rear end from the Willys along with some other running gear as we go along.
Oh and I forgot to mention the interior. I always loved this kustom, four bucket seat, interior with the kool tuck and roll engraving and the 50s space age look. Its a one piece bucket so that's makes it inconvenient, but I am going to at least carpet the floorboard and try to do a nice at least two tone interior.
I have also collected up at least a couple other boxes of parts and gluebombs for this kit, like I always seem to end up doing. Just another fun feature of these vintage builds! So if I screw something else up I will probably not have a spare (Murphy's law of incidental kit collecting).
Altogether one of AMT's greatest hits in my book, and a real mystery as to why it has not reappeared since at best the early 70s if not the mid 60s, even though the companion Willys has been reissued regularly. I always dug the over the top styling and thought the body just looked right, especially channeled over the frame even a little more. I am excited to see what I can do with this now that I am "skilled" (supposedly, though that skill is always a challenge).
And I am serious about this Vintage Victims thing...I think this year I am going to make a major attempt at building a clean detailed Revell Orange Crate (a major undertaking in my book, modern issues are incredibly flashy, such that the delicate little parts are buried in flash), a similarly clean Roth Tweedy Pie original issue, and ultimately combining the various Uncertain T parts lots I have been squirrelling away into a buildable pile including the original display and
. I was also thinking about adding box stock builds of the three Revell old time parts pack combination kits...I already have the Mooneyes dragster and the Fumin Fiat done, that leaves four more.
Well thanks for looking and as always all comments questions or just say hey are welcome!
jb
I believe I have the original box, but possibly the second issue of the actual plastic. As I recall the original issue was just as bright a yellow as this is reddish/orange. In either case, but especially in the case of this red body, color choice is going to somewhat limited, to as to avoid the dreaded bleed through this sort of base color is known to produce (and persist). But I will worry about color later, right now I am going to start with what I usually start with, the engine. Have already actually, glued the engine block halves together. So far, fit is decent!
As you can see, its pretty basic, but being a Buick nailhead, and being as it always had those ultra groovy finned spark plug covers, not to mention the tri power with realistic-ish velocity stacks, it was always a favorite of mine as a kid. There is even a (called out by name in the instrux) Spalding Flamethrower magneto! Reasonably accurate I would assume, I remember wiring it with waxed thread...these days I think Detail Master ignition wire will be used.
And like I said, I have started fiddling around with the frame and body, heck its halfway done!
Yep that nose with the quad lamps and the Edsel grille. A bleedin Edsel grille. It always struck me as funny when I was a kid and it still does. But its totally sixties kustom kool, and is the partial main draw of this kit for me. Also notice the body is already channeled over the frame. I am not sure if this body is regarded as accurate or not, seems to me I remember reading something about it appearing to be sectioned, but it basically looks pretty good to me.
One thing about the body though, it had these half running board/rear fenders that I never really dug, so they are not going to be making an appearance. But that does call for the removal of some little locating (thank you AMT) bumps on the sides of the body, no biggie. You can see them in the photo above. The running board also ran along an extreme set of side pipes, three per side, another signature of this kit and one that I am looking to retain.
Now getting down to the nitty gritty, the thing this car really REALLY needed was a decent set of wheels and tires, and most of all, a dropped front end. No doubt about it, I thought so in 1963 and I think so now. As kitted, a straight axle is designed to sit directly under the front crossmember and have a metal axle pass through it to connect the wheels and allow them to turn (WHEEEE!!! Fun times at the merry-go-round for reals). But that's strickly east coast or something and not what I visualize when I think of a deuce sedan. So theres gonna be some changes. But for giggles heres a peek at the supplied axle and the instruction sheet testifying to the wrongness.
Here is what I am thinking of using for a front axle instead. Probably add a suicide front end perch which would lengthen the wheelbase slightly... Wheels and tires haven't been chose yet but I have a pile of choices already selected out for future builds to pick from. Something vintage looking, pretty show-oriented rather than race I think. And since the rear axle for the 32 seems to be missing, I am going to grab the Halibrand rear end from the Willys along with some other running gear as we go along.
Oh and I forgot to mention the interior. I always loved this kustom, four bucket seat, interior with the kool tuck and roll engraving and the 50s space age look. Its a one piece bucket so that's makes it inconvenient, but I am going to at least carpet the floorboard and try to do a nice at least two tone interior.
I have also collected up at least a couple other boxes of parts and gluebombs for this kit, like I always seem to end up doing. Just another fun feature of these vintage builds! So if I screw something else up I will probably not have a spare (Murphy's law of incidental kit collecting).
Altogether one of AMT's greatest hits in my book, and a real mystery as to why it has not reappeared since at best the early 70s if not the mid 60s, even though the companion Willys has been reissued regularly. I always dug the over the top styling and thought the body just looked right, especially channeled over the frame even a little more. I am excited to see what I can do with this now that I am "skilled" (supposedly, though that skill is always a challenge).
And I am serious about this Vintage Victims thing...I think this year I am going to make a major attempt at building a clean detailed Revell Orange Crate (a major undertaking in my book, modern issues are incredibly flashy, such that the delicate little parts are buried in flash), a similarly clean Roth Tweedy Pie original issue, and ultimately combining the various Uncertain T parts lots I have been squirrelling away into a buildable pile including the original display and
. I was also thinking about adding box stock builds of the three Revell old time parts pack combination kits...I already have the Mooneyes dragster and the Fumin Fiat done, that leaves four more. Well thanks for looking and as always all comments questions or just say hey are welcome!
jb
Anyway, very interesting project. I'll be watching.
It's an interweb thing.....