AMT 1965 GTO

[1972coronet]

I seem to remember seeing the Outhouse Sienna coloured "restored" version of the 1965 GTO  as early as 1983 . Someone at AMT must've been colour blind during that era . 

I've built a couple of the 1967 GTO ; both were the c.1983 release ( no stock wheels or tyres ) .

   Last time I had the 1972 GTO was back in 1981 . I found it to be a box of used cat litter ( I was 11 years old ) then , and I've not even considered it since .

Now , where's that 1970 Ram Air IV GTO we've all been waiting for ?

[Mark]

2 hours ago, Luc Janssens said:

Also one on Art's watch

 

Word is that the Coronet and GTO were rushed due to a large order by a "big box" store chain.  When they were in the works, the Coronet was said to be more accurate than the MPC kit.

[Luc Janssens]

30 minutes ago, Mark said:

Word is that the Coronet and GTO were rushed due to a large order by a "big box" store chain.  When they were in the works, the Coronet was said to be more accurate than the MPC kit.

I never understood the combination of well detailed and promo headlamps.

 

[Rbray47]

1 hour ago, 1972coronet said:

I seem to remember seeing the Outhouse Sienna coloured "restored" version of the 1965 GTO  as early as 1983 . Someone at AMT must've been colour blind during that era . 

I've built a couple of the 1967 GTO ; both were the c.1983 release ( no stock wheels or tyres ) .

   Last time I had the 1972 GTO was back in 1981 . I found it to be a box of used cat litter ( I was 11 years old ) then , and I've not even considered it since .

Now , where's that 1970 Ram Air IV GTO we've all been waiting for ?

I remember those colors lol

I was about 7 when I started building models. After about 4 snappers, I thought I was ready for a glue kit. My older brother took me to pick one out and I was drawn to Amt's 55 Nomad. The shrink wrap was already gone, so he popped it open. That horrible beige immediately turned me off of Amt for a while. I bought a Monogram molded in a normal color instead. 

[Can-Con]

4 hours ago, Casey said:

It looks like there was set of Hurst wheels included in the first/early issues of the AMT '65 Pontiac Tempest GTO kit? Hard to tell via the instruction sheet illustration, but I think I see the Hurst "H" on the centercap:

 

Also, pour one put for the long lost cross-ram style Weber manifold and carbs. 

 

Those are not the same wheels as shown on the new boxart.  They have a flatter face on the spokes, not concave like a traditional Hurst wheel as shown on the box art..

[unclescott58]

Now for something totally out of left field. Dreaming of GTO models, I'm still waiting for someone to do a '73 and '74 GTO. I know it will never happen. But, I can dream can't I? 

As far as the GTO kits that have been offered over years, things have not been great. I have a Revell '66, but have done nothing with it, so I can't really comment on that one. I assume like most Revell's of recent tooling, it's going to be pretty good.

I liked the Polar Lights '64s. I don't know how accurate they are. But, they look pretty good to me after I built them. I was happy with both the hardtop and convertible. 

The last '65 AMT Goat I built was the pre-painted one offered in the late 1990's. It was just okay when finished. But, not very inspiring at all.

The two MPC's, the '67 and '72? I have the '67 in waiting. And I built the '72 a year or two ago. The '72 at least is what I expected of an MPC kit of the era. Not great. But okay. I like the way mine looked in the end. I expected that the '67 to be the same. 

The Monogram Goats? I'm not a big fan of the Judge versions of the GTO, so I've never picked up the '69. I once had their '64. I went as far converting it to a hardtop. I thought it was okay. But, as soon as Polar Lights '64 GTOs came out, I ended up giving the kit away to a friend. I've thought about buying another, and building it as a coupe, since I have the Polar Lights versions to represent the hardtop and convertible variations. 

[Casey]

On 6/5/2020 at 6:41 PM, Can-Con said:

Those are not the same wheels as shown on the new boxart.  They have a flatter face on the spokes, not concave like a traditional Hurst wheel as shown on the box art..

I never meant to imply they were, and I wasn't even sure they were in fact Hurst wheels. I found an original(?) issue AMT '65 GTO on eBay with some clear pics of the mag wheels, and they look a bit Tera Thrust-like, but hard to say. They definitely have a unique center cap, though:

 

Here's a look at the backside of the wheels, along with the rest of the chrome plated parts:

 

Slightly better view on a different instruction sheet, printed with black ink:

 

Close ups of the front and rear bumpers/grille/tail panel from a different listing:

Edited June 9, 2020 by Casey

[Bills72sj]

On 6/6/2020 at 7:58 AM, unclescott58 said:

Now for something totally out of left field. Dreaming of GTO models, I'm still waiting for someone to do a '73 and '74 GTO. I know it will never happen. But, I can dream can't I? 

As far as the GTO kits that have been offered over years, things have not been great. I have a Revell '66, but have done nothing with it, so I can't really comment on that one. I assume like most Revell's of recent tooling, it's going to be pretty good.

I liked the Polar Lights '64s. I don't know how accurate they are. But, they look pretty good to me after I built them. I was happy with both the hardtop and convertible. 

The last '65 AMT Goat I built was the pre-painted one offered in the late 1990's. It was just okay when finished. But, not very inspiring at all.

The two MPC's, the '67 and '72? I have the '67 in waiting. And I built the '72 a year or two ago. The '72 at least is what I expected of an MPC kit of the era. Not great. But okay. I like the way mine looked in the end. I expected that the '67 to be the same. 

The Monogram Goats? I'm not a big fan of the Judge versions of the GTO, so I've never picked up the '69. I once had their '64. I went as far converting it to a hardtop. I thought it was okay. But, as soon as Polar Lights '64 GTOs came out, I ended up giving the kit away to a friend. I've thought about buying another, and building it as a coupe, since I have the Polar Lights versions to represent the hardtop and convertible variations. 

I too would LOVE to have a 74 GTO as two of my cousins and a former coworker had one. I have managed to acquire 12 unbuilt GTO kits which include every year from 64 to 72 except for 71. Any opinions on which engines are the best or worst?

[Exotics_Builder]

I have this original in the stash downstairs that I will check in the morning for what wheels are included

[Mark]

I looked at the 1969 reissue (last one before the Modified Stocker).  The instruction sheet looks the same as earlier issues.  No brand name is used to describe the custom wheels, either on the box or in the instructions...they are just "mag wheels".

[Rob Hall]

I seem to recall the first of the 80s reissues (the first one I built, red kit on the box, molded in tan) had 5-spoke Hurst-ish style wheels on the box art. But inside only had stock wheels and some multi-spoke mags.   

Edited June 9, 2020 by Rob Hall

[Mark]

The car on that AMT/Ertl box (first issue after the Modified Stocker) is built from an early kit, with the smooth roof and custom air cleaner from the Modified Stocker.  In fact, that's an annual as it has "1965" in the license plate area on the front bumper.  Pre-Modified Stocker issues have "AMT" in that area, or it is blank.

[keyser]

Mark, was the last issue with year the 2600 issue? Tiger stripe I think? Or was it the series with tinted glass that I think it was in, but chemo brain has killed the name of the series currently.

[Mark]

First was the annual of course.  The "tiger stripe box" issue came right after that, maybe even in late '65.  That one may have run through '67. 

Next up was the Elegance Series in '68.  That one was molded in yellow with tinted blue clear parts, and came in the flat box with the tiny can of pearl spray paint.  That one also probably had a lot of parts deleted like the others in the series.

There is a 1969 Show & Go series issue also.  That one had all of the original parts put back in.  The Modified Stocker was issued in '71, the AMT/Ertl restoration came in '84 or '85.

 

[keyser]

Elegance series. Couldn't have remembered that for my life. 

That was first kit issue with AMT instead of 1965 plates on it IIRC

[Casey]

9 minutes ago, Mark said:

Next up was the Elegance Series in '68.  That one was molded in yellow with tinted blue clear parts, and came in the flat box with the tiny can of pearl spray paint. 

This one, correct?:

 

Quote

There is a 1969 Show & Go series issue also. 

Which I think matches up with this box?:

 

9 minutes ago, Mark said:

The Modified Stocker was issued in '71

Edited June 9, 2020 by Casey

[Mark]

Correct x3.

[keyser]

Show and Go box art pretty awesome. Verdoro Green, Vinyl top. 

Mark and Casey ftw

[Exotics_Builder]

The wheels in the original 65 GTO kit

 

[Mark]

On 6/9/2020 at 12:40 PM, Casey said:

 

 

I only just noticed this: check the angle of the GTO on the Elegance Series box, then compare with the Modified Stocker box...

[tim boyd]

On 6/5/2020 at 3:56 PM, 1972coronet said:

Now , where's that 1970 Ram Air IV GTO we've all been waiting for ?

What John said just above.  Blows me away that nobody has ever done a correct RA IV engine in 1/25th, not to mention a redo of the 1970 GTO, the one many consider to be the best 1/1 scale GTO ever....TIM 

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Exotics_Builder said:

The wheels in the original 65 GTO kit

 

Reminds me a little of the wheels in the Polar Lights '65 Dodge I just built-- they can't decide if they want to be Cragars or Americans or Hursts or JC Penny knockoffs or what.....

Thanks for the pic, EB. Well done! 

[ChrisBcritter]

10 hours ago, Mark said:

I only just noticed this: check the angle of the GTO on the Elegance Series box, then compare with the Modified Stocker box...

Which explains why he's going the wrong way on the banked oval.

At least when this comic book artist ripped it off, he got the angle right (even if it was airborne):

Edited June 11, 2020 by ChrisBcritter

[Mark]

On 6/9/2020 at 12:39 PM, keyser said:

Elegance series. Couldn't have remembered that for my life. 

That was first kit issue with AMT instead of 1965 plates on it IIRC

I've got a front bumper from an Elegance Series kit, it is molded in yellow and much of the plating is gone.  The plate may be blank.  I do know the "tiger stripe box" kit had "AMT" plates, and the Show & Go kit had blank plates.

[keyser]

2 hours ago, Mark said:

I've got a front bumper from an Elegance Series kit, it is molded in yellow and much of the plating is gone.  The plate may be blank.  I do know the "tiger stripe box" kit had "AMT" plates, and the Show & Go kit had blank plates.

Thanks Mark. For some reason I thought the year was on more than original issue before it went to AMT. I hunted down a first issue because I wasn't sure, and I have an AMT bumper which may have been from Show n' Go. 

Again, you da man.