AMT 1976 Chevrolet Nova "Street Custom"

[Junkman]

Sadly, this issue does not allow you to build your granny's stock, Stovebolt powered, beige version.

The stock body remains intact.

BTW, this is the hatchback version.

This is all the glass there is.

The only chassis you get is this tubbed one.

Then you get a pretty much redundant "interior", which needlessly robs 1/4 of depth.

This might still be left from the annual kit.

This isn't.

This probably is.

Not sure what engine this is, but you do get a rollbar and a Lenco.

I guess this was newly tooled.

There is a stock hood.

Some chrome.

Oddly the steering wheel is separately packaged.

The hood scoop, too.

Low effort decals.

Tires are not fish nor flesh.

 

Previously, the very same kit was available with this box art:

It shows all the stock parts, despite they weren't included.
So one wonders, how they did the box art model (tool being intact speculation applies here).
One also wonders, why it came back as a '76, despite a '77 existed (tool not updated speculation applies here).

My verdict: This kit is delightfully rubbish, hence I will build it.

 

 

[Sledsel]

Try the 72 Nova as a donor.

I do not understand why they have the street tires but the chassis is tubbed. Making mine a pro street, and going to try a conversion to stock on another.

 

Edited December 28, 2015 by Sledsel

[Robberbaron]

The version you bought, as well as the previous release that you show with the red car on the box art, were both released when AMT was owned by RC2 i.e. Racing Champions (not to be confused with current owner Round2, sometimes abbreviated to R2, confusing, eh?)

RC2 got big selling NASCAR diecasts when NASCAR popularity exploded in the '90s.  With money coming out of their keisters, they got the bright idea to purchase AMT/Ertl, primarily to get the diecast side of the business.  The AMT model kit division came along for the ride.  Others on this board can provide more specific details, but they basically did their best to destroy the AMT brand through total incompetence, before the RC2 corporation went bankrupt.

It was common for RC2 to issue kits with box art models that did not match the box contents.  The red box art car is a perfect example, seeming to indicate that you can build a factory stock Nova, complete with the 6-hole rally wheels, when of course the contents are the same as what you posted.  Kind of a mystery where the box art model even came from.  Since this was basically fraud, and there were enough complaints from unhappy buyers, they revised the box art to show the purple version that you bought.

As far as the kit itself, AMT originally did both factory stock annual versions for 1975, 1976, and 1977, and also offered pro stock versions.  Back when Lesney briefly owned AMT, they first reissued the pro stock version in their "Street Machines" series, co-branded as AMT/Matchbox.  They included the shorty tailpipes/mufflers to add on to the headers, since the idea was to depict a street legal car.  Also the reason they replaced the slicks from the pro stock version with those awful Goodyear Rally GT rear tires, which are closer to snow tires than anything else, and not nearly large enough to fill the tubbed rear wheel wells.

Since 1976 and 1977 Novas pretty much looked the same externally, calling the kit a 1976 vs. 1977 is basically arbitrary.  Decals you show are faithful duplicates of the awful originals in the late '70s/early '80s "Matchbox" version.  Engine is supposed to be a big block Chevy, but it's quite undersized (more like a SBC).  Hood is molded closed, but if you want to use the supplied tunnel-rammed engine, you'll need to cut out the scored hole from underneath.

Biggest problem with this kit is the body.  The roof profile is all wrong, and would be very difficult to correct.  Basically the roof is too flat, and transitions too sharply to the rear window.  The roofs on the 1:1 cars actually arc smoothly into the rear window area, without any real "kink".  The mis-shapen roof profile in the kit also causes the quarter windows to be shaped wrong as well.  Compare a side view profile of the kit body to a picture of a 1:1, and it will be painfully obvious how "off" the body is.  The MPC Nova kits have a much more accurate body shape.

The rear bumper also mounts too low and sticks out too far when assembled out of the box, but this would probably be easy to adjust to improve the appearance.

Plusses?  The front bumper/grill assembly looks pretty accurate to my eye.  Might be a good donor to backdate an MPC 1979 Nova (square headlights) to an earlier model year, though I've never tried it to see how it fits.  I seem to recall the seats seemed to be pretty good representations of the buckets that the 1:1 late '70s Novas used.  Kit has separate interior side panels, which is quite unusual for a '70s era kit.  Wheels seem like decent representations of Cragar Supertricks, which seemed to be one of the most common wheels used in pro stock in the mid-70s.

I'm not familiar enough to know myself, but some people claim that this kit has the best representation of a Lenco trans.

Edited December 28, 2015 by Robberbaron

[Junkman]

One could possibly do this to conceal the wrong roofline/quarter windows.

However, I'm tempted to build it as wrong as it comes out of the box, in a kind of Palmer spirit.

[Robberbaron]

I will say that I seem to recall not having too many problems assembling my "Matchbox" version when I was about 15.  Seem to recall there maybe wasn't a good way to positively locate the tail panel, but no major challenges that I recall.

I was happy with it at the time, but about 5 years later I decided to disassemble it because I was never happy with my original Testors red paint job, plus I never cared for the hood scoop that was included.  After stripping the paint and laying down a new paint job, as I began detailing it, I started noticing the proportional issues I hadn't seen when I was younger.  Apparently I developed a more critical eye in those 5 years.

Nevertheless, it is a buildable kit with a fairly low parts count, so if nothing else you could probably knock it out fairly quickly as a slump buster.

[louie]

I've always liked the kit, roof and all but it is pretty deceiving when what is in the box is not what is on it. Also I have to say thank you to Robberbaron for your excellent review of this kit. I absolutely love reading and learning more about the different kits and what they are like. Junkman , The street machine version looks pretty cool. Just a thought. Thanks everyone.   

Jeff 

[Atmobil]

I did buy that kit with the red car on the box thinking I could build a stock Nova, was so dissapointed when I opened it that I gave it away to someone else. I have an old builtup gluebomb of it somewhere with the SuperNova decals and all the other bits.

[Mark]

Just one thing: there was no '75 annual, only '76 and '77.  The first issue was the Pro Stock, which was a '75.  Nobody ever ran one of these in Pro Stock as far as I remember, but rumors did swirl around back then about the (then) top Chevy guy in Pro Stock going back to the big-block engine, and using the Nova body because it was (supposedly) aerodynamically better than the Camaro.

The street machine version is based heavily on the Pro Stock, with some new parts: mufflers, and a less-narrow rear axle to allow the use of some smaller street tires.  The Pro Stock lightweight seats were swapped out for the stock units from the annual kits.

 

[Snake45]

I see what you mean about the top. It almost looks more like a Vega notchback top than a Nova.

Now that I've seen it, I can't un-see it. Sigh.

I'd still like to build one of these someday.

[Bob Ellis]

The box art is AMT without wiper blades. The kit inside shows a MPC kit with wipers. Whats' up with that?

[Nova-ss]

I'm a Nova fan.had all versions in my life.you can't exchange any versions from any year under 75.74 and 73 were the same but the frame wasn't like the 75 to 79.and 68 to 72 was for the most part on frame the same also camaro 67 to 69 had same frame as Nova from 68 to 72.but the using a frame from 72 isn't accurate to 1/1.the engine has the looks of Pontiac. ..it isn't a Chevrolet sb.I don't know why they showed us models that have parts not in it.also my frames are stock...meaning no tubs on mine ,looks ......Chris

[Repstock]

In my opinion. If AMT and MPC did the same car, As far as the look of the body goes, typically the MPC is superior. All my Novas and Venturas of this generation are MPC.

[Bob Ellis]

After the '76 Ventura, AMT and MPC did the same car, but the MPC shape and details were overall better.

[Robberbaron]

The box art is AMT without wiper blades. The kit inside shows a MPC kit with wipers. Whats' up with that?

 Not sure if I understand your post.  The box contents that Junkman posted are the AMT Street Machine kit, right down to the CB radio ?  (and wipers) The picture of the purple car on that box is also the AMT Street Machine kit, looking pretty much built out of the box.

The red box art car that he posted is also an AMT, but incorrectly showing factory style wheels/tires and a stock-style flat hood (the hood is included with the hole molded closed, but once you build the engine with the tunnel ram, you must open up the scored hole from underneath).  I guess the red box art car doesn't appear to have wipers, but that's the least of the problems in that picture...

Edited January 3, 2016 by Robberbaron

[Bob Ellis]

I was trying to say that what's in the box, is different than what's on the box cover. Once ERTL had control over AMT and MPC, they were mixing and matching kits. The above photographed model body, is different than the box art body shown. I agree with the comment about the wheels, but it's more different than that.

[Rob Hall]

I was trying to say that what's in the box, is different than what's on the box cover. Once ERTL had control over AMT and MPC, they were mixing and matching kits. The above photographed model body, is different than the box art body shown. I agree with the comment about the wheels, but it's more different than that.

The box art photos are both of the AMT kits...the 'stock' one probably was digitally retouched, to remove the wipers, etc.  The parts pictured are AMT.  Nothing MPC pictured in this thread that I see...

[Rob Hall]

One interesting detail that hasn't been mentioned here is the AMT Novas are of the hatchback body, IIRC the MPCs are the of the trunked version.

[Junkman]

I mentioned in the OTP that it's the hatchback.

[Bob Ellis]

I just looked at the photos of my AMT and MPC Novas. Both had hatchbacks. The MPC had wipers and the AMT did not. The AMT Nova had windshield chrome curved at the top, and the MPC top and side met at 90 deg angle.

Unfortunately, the above box arts look photoshoped. So, its hard to compare.

The original Stock frames were different. This is a tubbed frame which is nothing like the original of either AMT or MPC.

[Casey]

On 12/28/2015 at 1:27 AM, Robberbaron said:

The version you bought, as well as the previous release that you show with the red car on the box art, were both released when AMT was owned by RC2

The below two kits, both released by RC2, are the same inside, despite the different built up models shown on the box, correct?

 

On 12/28/2015 at 1:27 AM, Robberbaron said:

Back when Lesney briefly owned AMT, they first reissued the pro stock version in their "Street Machines" series, co-branded as AMT/Matchbox.  

This one, correct?:

 

On 12/28/2015 at 1:27 AM, Robberbaron said:

As far as the kit itself, AMT originally did both factory stock annual versions for 1975, 1976, and 1977, and also offered pro stock versions.

The below kit, AMT T438, appears to be a newer model year (based upon the grille/hood without the dip at the front edge), 1980, maybe?

 

Were the stock AMT '75-'77 Novas updated to '79(?)+ specs, never to return?

Edited October 5, 2018 by Casey

[Bucky]

According to this:

The AMT kits line up like this:

Kit #T438 1975 ProStock(non-stock):

Kit #T472 1976:

Kit #T489 1977:

All appear to be hatchbacks.

 

[Bucky]

MPC had these:

Kit # 1-7707 1977:

Kit # 1-7807:

Kit # 1-0732:

The MPC '77 is listed as a hardtop in the directory, and the '78 and '79 are listed as a coupe.

The '79 has been re-issued at least 3 times.

Here is a '79:

[Bucky]

I don't know about the coupe/hatchback difference in the kits, as I don't think I have a Nova of this body style in the stash to check. LOL

[Sledsel]

I have the RC2 issue. Was going to use for parts, but am gonna build it with the Old Pro kit as a donor to get close to stock