AMT Junior And Craftsman Kits

[regular guy]

Builders

When's Round2 going to put out one of these?

Yes, they did get burned putting out the Styline kit.

These were beginner kits for kids put out in the 60's.

The cincher is to mold the kit in color, can be built without painting.

These kits had hood molded in and metal axles.

Note: you can fake them and just build kit without engine and

just enough suspension parts to hold wheels up.

Thanks!

 

[Tom Geiger]

I don't think many of those tools still exist.  They had put out the '64 Comet a few years ago through Model King and it was a slow seller.  There have been more recent curbside snappers done off promo tooling as late as the 1990s.  Those appear from time to time.

[Snake45]

Depending on subject matter, I'd be a good customer for them.

I'm restoring a green Craftsman '66 Skylark right now. But the molds for that one were almost certainly ruined by the dirt tracker.

[regular guy]

Tom

AMT has been ;putting out some obscure stuff like the sand dragster exclusive on Autoworld website.

Hard to say if they have a lot of stuff to pick from.

There is a list of the Junior kits on a reseller's website, there were 26 Junior kits molded in color.

Notice that AMT has been putting out kits in color like the '40 Ford coupe in orange.

Maybe they are quietly supporting in the know models by putting out Junior kits.

All you have to do is leave engine out (can build it later) and put a couple suspension parts on

and have your own Junior or Craftsman kit.

Thanks!

[Tom Geiger]

 

Hard to say if they have a lot of stuff to pick from.

Not really.  There are a lot of the early kits that we collectively know were destroyed to create later kits. Put up a list of kits and the guys here will tell you which ones were modified.  There are kits that Round 2 has told us they no longer have.  There were some periods with AMT over the years that they did some house cleaning.  Still there are opportunities where Round 2 finds additional things lurking in a mismarked tool, and they invest money to fix a broken tool or retool missing parts.  I like to be pleasantly surprised as much as anyone!

[horsepower]

With the prices some of these kits are bringing on auction sites where the buyer sets the price (and many start at only 99¢) there must be some demand for them. I've been trying to get a '64 Chevelle kit for a while now and their prices are just going up to astronomical highs. Also I know that they aren't Craftsman or Junior kits but has anyone tried to by a small bumper Pinto sedan kit lately? But we got the (in my opinion) ugliest model year of the Pinto built, the hacked off nose job '79-'80 and a wagon, at least they could have made a small bumper '71-'73 version they aren't quite as clumsy and heavy looking.

[gtx6970]

I've bought most all the late 50s to mid 60s  curbside style kits made back then. So.... now would be a good time to release a few of them, But I'm not holding my breath,,,as I doubt those  tools even exist today.

Personally I would love to see maybe a 59 Olds or Pontiac based off the 59 Chevy Impala kit tool ( if thats possible )

Or maybe a 58-59 Desoto based off the 57 Chrysler 300 tool

Edited September 25, 2016 by gtx6970

[disabled modeler]

Id be happy to buy some of the Craftsman kits...love that kind of stuff and molded in colors would be nice too....Id buy them.

[Snake45]

With the prices some of these kits are bringing on auction sites where the buyer sets the price (and many start at only 99¢) there must be some demand for them. I've been trying to get a '64 Chevelle kit for a while now and their prices are just going up to astronomical highs. Also I know that they aren't Craftsman or Junior kits but has anyone tried to by a small bumper Pinto sedan kit lately? But we got the (in my opinion) ugliest model year of the Pinto built, the hacked off nose job '79-'80 and a wagon, at least they could have made a small bumper '71-'73 version they aren't quite as clumsy and heavy looking.

I think several different companies have reproed the '64 Chevelle in resin. I know I've seen more than one. I've been looking for a '65 Chevelle in resin but all I see is '64s. Couple years ago I did score a very nice resin repro of the "Time Machine" funny car body, which still had all the stock SS emblems and trim, with only the wheel openings altered. I hope to graft in lower rear quarters from a common Revell Z16 and get a nice '65 SS body, which I can then complete with common Revell parts. Wish I could tell you who made this body or how to get more, but I have no idea.

[horsepower]

I want a plastic body to work

I think several different companies have reproed the '64 Chevelle in resin. I know I've seen more than one. I've been looking for a '65 Chevelle in resin but all I see is '64s. Couple years ago I did score a very nice resin repro of the "Time Machine" funny car body, which still had all the stock SS emblems and trim, with only the wheel openings altered. I hope to graft in lower rear quarters from a common Revell Z16 and get a nice '65 SS body, which I can then complete with common Revell parts. Wish I could tell you who made this body or how to get more, but I have no idea.

I'm going to build a version of a dirt stock car we raced in the early seventies and would rather work with plastic, for the model of the one I drove when I first started dating MCW has a perfect one, it's a Malibu, non SS and even has a bench seat, for finishing I'll use one of the Z-16 kits they have everything but the small block engine, ours had the four speed and posi-trac but with a bench seat and without the gaudy SS trim. I think that AWB '65 body is one of the MCW bodies/kits. For the race car if I have to I can use a '64 hood and front bumper and alter the front fenders enough to work, they weren't exactly straight on the race car anyway, and the second version we ran WAS a '65 body with a '64 front clip, without the moldings they were basically identical.

Thanks for your help, that's the nice thing about this forum, the critics are few and far between.

[regular guy]

Tom

Here's the list:

’57 T-Bird - red, grayish blue, pale blue, turquoise, white
’59 Chevy conv. - lt. turquoise, lt. blue
’59 Buick ht. - bright blue, grayish blue, yellow, red, charcoal, coral
‘59 Ford ht. - cream, light yellow, turquoise, bright blue, lt. blue, chartreuse
‘59 Edsel ht. - lt. blue, lt. turquoise, bright blue, red
‘59 Mercury conv. - yellow, red
‘59 Lincoln Continental ht. - charcoal, black
‘60 Chevy wagon - chartreuse, red, tan, bright blue, lt. turquoise, dark turquoise, medium-light green, orange, yellow
‘60 Pontiac ht. - charcoal, black, red
‘60 Ford Starliner - lt. blue
‘63 Chevy Impala ht. - bright blue, tan
‘63 Chevy II Nova wagon - tan, beige
‘63 Corvair conv. - lt. turquoise, bright blue, red, chartreuse
‘63 Falcon conv. - red, lt. turquoise, chartreuse
‘63 Comet conv. - bright blue, lt. turquoise, chartreuse
‘63 Valiant ht. - lt. turquoise, chartreuse, bright blue, red
‘64 Chevelle ht. - yellow
‘64 Corvair coupe - yellow
‘64 Ford Galaxie ht. - maroon
‘64 Comet ht. - red, dark red, yellow, light blue
‘64 Valiant ht. - yellow, light blue
‘65 Chevelle ht. - yellow
‘65 Nova ht. - lt. blue
‘65 Valiant ht. - red
‘66 Skylark ht. - dark green
‘66 T-Bird ht. - charcoal, black

Let me wake up here!

Thanks!

[stavanzer]

Del, we got the 79/80 Pinto wagon because MPC would update the body tool every year. From what I've read, for an MPC Pinto, that is all that's left. So, I don't think we'll see any other year Pinto from Round2 using the MPC tooling.  However, AMT tooling for a Pinto may still exist. Not knowing what AMT tooled, I have no idea what Body style/Year it might be, but there is where I'd place my hope for another Pinto.

As far as Craftsman Kits, I'm not a buyer for those, although I understand the pull they have for others. From chatter over at other boards, I suspect that what you see now (from Model King/ Dave Burkett} is all there is left. But, Round2 does surprise, so there is hope.  After all did anybody ever expect to see a "Streetle Beetle" again?

[CometMan]

Personally I would love to see maybe a 59 Olds or Pontiac based off the 59 Chevy Impala kit tool ( if thats possible )

Or maybe a 58-59 Desoto based off the 57 Chrysler 300 tool

Bill, the '59 Olds and Pontiacs were built on a longer wheel base than the Chevys, so that would not work out. But the '58-'59 DeSotos were built on the same base as the '57 300, I, as well as many others here, would LOVE to see that happen, but that would be a very small niche in the market, probably would not return R2's cost to tool. As mentioned before, the '64 Comet has been issued fairly recently, so we know the tooling for that one still exists, with Moebius preparing to release the '65 Comet, it would be a great time to re-issue that one again so we can make a nicely detailed '64.

[unclescott58]

On Bob's list above, if Round 2 has the dies for any of those kits, they need bring them all back. I'd buy at least one of each. I can guarantee that.

 

[mredjr]

They have my vote but I would mold them in white and maybe color also.

[Snake45]

‘66 T-Bird ht. - charcoal, black

Let me wake up here!

Thanks!

Interesting. I have a black '66 T-Bird hardtop (restorable) I bought at a flea market. I always assumed it was a promo, didn't realize it was a Craftsman. I need to get back on that project. I'd like to polish up the black plastic, but there are a couple sink marks on the trunk so bad they HAVE to be filled. I might experiment with painting just the trunk black when I get that done (black is black, right?); if that doesn't work out, it's going to be Emberglow.

Edited September 26, 2016 by Snake45

[regular guy]

Uncle Scott

Thanks for the response!

Looks like some kind of connection between Model King and AMT.

AMT did the 1/32 Ford Ranchero in a pretty old looking box and

the Lindberg 1/32 Customizing 2 pack themselves.

Maybe their working their way up in scale with the old stuff?

It is good to have a plan!

Thanks!

 

Edited September 26, 2016 by regular guy

[Bob Ellis]

It's not clear to me if these tools survived the trip from Detroit to Baltimore and out to Dyersville, IL. It wouldn't surprise me if some of the tools were  taken away  like the 1934 Ford pickup that ended in Lindberg's hands. If ERTL didn't do them , they are probably lost

[Can-Con]

Um, yea, I recognise that list. It's the list Tom Carter [Spotlight Hobbies] made up of the kits that were originally available. It was never meant to be a list of what's still able to be released,, in fact, Tom will tell you most of the tooling on that list just doesn't exist any more. 

Edited September 26, 2016 by Can-Con

[oldcarfan]

With the prices some of these kits are bringing on auction sites where the buyer sets the price (and many start at only 99¢) there must be some demand for them. I've been trying to get a '64 Chevelle kit for a while now and their prices are just going up to astronomical highs. Also I know that they aren't Craftsman or Junior kits but has anyone tried to by a small bumper Pinto sedan kit lately? But we got the (in my opinion) ugliest model year of the Pinto built, the hacked off nose job '79-'80 and a wagon, at least they could have made a small bumper '71-'73 version they aren't quite as clumsy and heavy looking.

I'm guessing they look at the molds in the warehouse and go for the low-hanging fruit, i.e.those that can be cleaned up and used without a lot of expensive work. Makes sense to me anyway. I'm happy to have this kit in whatever form.  A few years ago I got nostalgic and tried to get one on eBay. Wasn't going to happen for the prices they were asking. Maybe it'll sell well enough to encourage them to backdate it into a small bumper early Pinto. Perhaps they'll send some poor Round 2 intern into the darkest depths of the mold burial grounds with a whip and flashlight and have him drag out the Pinto hatch as well. I really want to build a whole series of Pintos and Vegas and Gremlins, oh my!

Edited September 26, 2016 by oldcarfan
Rampant mispellings and poor grammar!

[unclescott58]

Uncle Scott

Thanks for the response!

Looks like some kind of connection between Model King and AMT.

AMT did the 1/32 Ford Ranchero in a pretty old looking box and

the Lindberg 1/32 Customizing 2 pack themselves.

Maybe their working their way up in scale with the old stuff?

It is good to have a plan!

Thanks!

 

There are still a couple of other 1/32 scale kits I'm waiting for them to reissue too. The other kits in that's series I know of are: A 1960 Thunderbird; a 1963 Corvette coupe; and a 1932 Ford three-window Coupe. I think they may have also offered a '65 Mustang fastback in that scale/series? Come on Round 2 keep pumping these babies out!

 

Edited September 26, 2016 by unclescott58

[unclescott58]

It's not clear to me if these tools survived the trip from Detroit to Baltimore and out to Dyersville, IL. It wouldn't surprise me if some of the tools were  taken away  like the 1934 Ford pickup that ended in Lindberg's hands. If ERTL didn't do them , they are probably lost

Just a little clarification. Dyersville is in Iowa. Not Illinois.

And Round 2 has been reissuing a lot of kits Ertl did not do in their time. (See the 1/32 scale kits we talked about above, for an example). So there is always hope.

Edited September 26, 2016 by unclescott58

[bobthehobbyguy]

Snake if you have any plastic sprues you could melt some with liquid glue and used that to fill the sink holes. Just a thought.

 

 

Interesting. I have a black '66 T-Bird hardtop (restorable) I bought at a flea market. I always assumed it was a promo, didn't realize it was a Craftsman. I need to get back on that project. I'd like to polish up the black plastic, but there are a couple sink marks on the trunk so bad they HAVE to be filled. I might experiment with painting just the trunk black when I get that done (black is black, right?); if that doesn't work out, it's going to be Emberglow.

s

[Snake45]

s

Yeah, I coulda gone that way but have already started filling those holes with Sikkens putty. At the time I started that I was thinking Emberglow paint; I wasn't as much into polishing plastic as I am now. But I might go ahead and polish the rest of it out and see how it looks, and if it's good, I can always mask off the trunk and paint that black separately. At least it's a clearly defined, separated area.

It needs most of the chrome and stuff, but that's not a problem. I've got a repop '66 convertible that I'm building as the full custom version, so I've got a full set of good stock parts for it.

[Bob Ellis]

Just a little clarification. Dyersville is in Iowa. Not Illinois.

And Round 2 has been reissuing a lot of kits Ertl did not do in their time. (See the 1/32 scale kits we talked about above, for an example). So there is always hope.

True, Iowa not Illinois. There is always hope , but we have to realistic