1/25 AMT '65 Chevy El Camino "Gear Hustler"

[horsepower]

I too was confused by the box art. But decided it was because the ORIGINAL release of this kit WAS the '64, and when the '65 came out AMT just modified the body to a '65 and with that the '64 was a dead subject. But personally I would prefer the '64 and the bench seat version since very few SS options were sold to fleet operators like construction companies. Except for the few that the BIG boss got for himself. I remember an under classmate who drove a '65 and it was the SS with the 350 horsepower 327, four speed and posi-trac. She was a tiny little thing that didn't even stand five feet tall and weighed less than 80 pounds but was quite a sight with her long red hair and looking through the steering wheel instead of over it. She did get pulled over quite a few times by officers who just knew that they had caught some pre teen out joyriding in daddy's car. And she was pretty good at stirring that shift lever when she felt the need to embarrass some upper classman that needed humbling.

[ChrisBcritter]

On 4/11/2018 at 8:34 PM, Robberbaron said:

I had the same reaction when I first saw it.  Even though Round 2 is reproducing the vintage box art, it's a pretty lousy depiction of the '65 front end.  It does look more like a '64/'65 mashup....

Same thing here:

Wonder if the same artist did both?

ETA: OK, now for sure the artist was looking at a '64 - the rear view shows '64 taillights and bumper with the backup lights below the red lenses and not in the bumper.

Edited August 21, 2018 by ChrisBcritter

[1972coronet]

Didn't the '64 also include an I-6 ? I've seen the wagon with both engines ; not sure if the '64 El Camino was offered the same largesse as its wagon counterpart  .

Side note : the El Camino wasn't bestowed an official Super Sport designation until the 1968 model year . The 1966 brochures exhibit the buckets & console-equipped 325hp or 360hp 396 / 4 speed on a construction site . 

[Casey]

On 8/20/2018 at 9:04 PM, 1972coronet said:

Didn't the '64 also include an I-6 ?

Yes.

Edited August 23, 2018 by Casey

[1972coronet]

9 hours ago, Casey said:

Yes:

A question for the ages , perhaps : why did AMT offer the I-6 only for 1964 ?  

[stavanzer]

Well, and Can we get the I-6 Back, LOL?

[Casey]

6 hours ago, 1972coronet said:

A question for the ages, perhaps: why did AMT offer the I-6 only for 1964?  

Same for the Westcraft boat from the same (and only) kit. I would guess that a full view of both the '64 and the first '65 El Camino kits' parts laid out might help determine why things changed between the two releases.  Maybe with the addition of the slide-in camper, the boat and I6 engine parts were removed?

Was the same Chevy I6 used in another kit, such as the AMT '62 Chevy II Wagon kit, maybe?

[Mark]

2 minutes ago, Casey said:

Was the same Chevy I6 used in another kit, such as the AMT '62 Chevy II Wagon kit, maybe?

The Nova wagon was a '63, and the engine was different.  In fact, the sixes in the '64 El Camino and Chevelle wagon differ slightly from one another.

[tim boyd]

On 8/19/2018 at 10:24 PM, Mike999 said:

Yep. Don't know where I came up with Flashback. Duh.  Maybe I was looking at a '57 Ford box or something. Here's a pic of it:

 

AMT commissioned me to build this model that they photographed for this box art, sometime around early 1977 or so. 

I recall this being a really fun, though fairly simplified, kit build.  Testors Gloss Yellow paint (back when it dried quickly and had excellent gloss without a clearcoat), although it appears a little dark in this aribrushed/touched up image. 

I'd like to do another one some day, but with the dual quads engine option and some type of period-correct aftermraket mags and tires......TIM  un, 

[Bob Ellis]

The straight 6 is definitely in the new gear hustler??????

[Snake45]

7 minutes ago, Bob Ellis said:

The straight 6 is definitely in the new gear hustler??????

Just checked. It's definitely NOT in mine. 

[Bob Ellis]

Oh, the discussion was that the 6 it was in the 64. If Modelking was selling it, there would be a six and boat. Round2 needs to throw us a bone. 

[Dave Darby]

1 hour ago, Bob Ellis said:

Oh, the discussion was that the 6 it was in the 64. If Modelking was selling it, there would be a six and boat. Round2 needs to throw us a bone. 

The boat might be doable as it may have been its own separate tool. The inserts for the 6 cyl on the other hand are probably long gone.

[Casey]

Looking back at previous issues of AMT's '65 El Camino kit, which kits contain which of the two types of camper?

1) The original issue, kit number 8735, contains the larger, slide-in camper, prominently featured on the box top:

 

2) AMT (kit number unknown) with the black border, includes the slide-in style camper:

 

3) AMT T 268, with no black border, includes the slide-in camper:

 

4) The AMT/Ertl Buyer's Choice reissue from 1996, kit number 6062, includes the slide-in camper:

 

5) The 'Street Rods' series kit, number T 250, includes the smaller, topper style shell:

 

6) The 'Countdown' series kit, number 2703, includes the smaller, topper style shell:

 

7) AMT/Ertl number 6507 includes the smaller, topper style shell:

 

8) The RC2 era AMT/Ertl reissue, kit number 31741, includes the smaller, topper style shell:

 

9) The AMT #38112 reissue in the 'Checkerboard' style box includes the smaller, topper style shell:

Edited February 9, 2019 by Casey

[Mike999]

7 hours ago, Casey said:

Looking back at previous issues of AMT's '65 El Camino kit, which kits contain which of the two types of camper?...

8) The RC2 era AMT/Ertl reissue, kit number 31741, includes the smaller, topper style shell:

 

Ha!  This must be a Zombie Topic that will never die.  Thanks for the input. I tried to clear this up a few pages back.

There are actually THREE different campers lurking in these kits. To preserve the little bit of my sanity left on this subject, I'll use the names that Model Roundup uses:

1. High-profile cabover camper: the big slide-in camper like the original issue. Large side panels with big windows and vents.

2. Low-profile cabover camper: smaller slide-in camper with cabover section and back door, Topper-sized side windows, no vents.

3. Topper camper

My #31741 has the smaller "low-profile cabover camper."  According to Model Roundup, kit #6507 also has this one, not the Topper. 

If you went by the instruction sheet for #31741, it's wrong. The instructions show the small Topper camper and even say "Topper Assembly."  But that's not what is in the box. Hey, it was AMT-ERTL in the 1990s...

And with that in mind, it wouldn't surprise me if they just goofed and included the wrong parts to come up with that low-profile camper. Inside the box of my #31741, the camper parts are in a separate plastic bag. I've never tried to build the low-profile Camper and wonder how (or even if) it fits together. 

Edited August 23, 2018 by Mike999
goof5

[Casey]

3 hours ago, Mike999 said:

I tried to clear this up a few pages back.

I did see your posts in the WDYGT topic, and I think this was also discussed in the Campers, Toppers, etc. topic, so I figured this would be the most appropriate topic to drop it all in, and hopefully set the record straight for proper reference.

3 hours ago, Mike999 said:

There are actually THREE different campers lurking in these kits. To preserve the little bit of my sanity left on this subject, I'll use the names that Model Roundup uses:

1. High-profile cabover camper: the big slide-in camper like the original issue. Large side panels with big windows and vents.

2. Low-profile cabover camper: smaller slide-in camper with cabover section and back door, Topper-sized side windows, no vents.

3. Topper camper

I have never seen nor heard of #2, so if anyone has a pic or parts breakdown, please post it.

3 hours ago, Mike999 said:

My #31741 has the smaller "low-profile cabover camper."  According to Model Roundup, kit #6507 also has this one, not the Topper. 

If you went by the instruction sheet for #31741, it's wrong. The instructions show the small Topper camper and even say "Topper Assembly."  But that's not what is in the box. Hey, it was AMT-ERTL in the 1990s...

And with that in mind, it wouldn't surprise me if they just goofed and included the wrong parts to come up with that low-profile camper. Inside the box of my #31741, the camper parts are in a separate plastic bag. I've never tried to build the low-profile Camper and wonder how (or even if) it fits together. 

I grabbed one image of kit number 31741's contents, but the topper roof is not pictured (or maybe I'm not seeing it) and the rear wall section for the slide-in camper is present. Here's the best content image I could find for kit #31741:

I see the front, rear, left, and right side walls for the topper, as well as the rear wall (with the hinged door) for the slide-in camper, but no topper roof piece. Comparing it to the layout of the parts in the current Gear Hustler reissue, I can now see the rear slide-in camper wall in the image above is not attached to the same runners, but I still don't see the topper roof piece. At this point, I'm going to assume the above contents are not as they were from the factory, and hope to find a better image showing the parts from the RC2 era reissues in untouched condition.

I received the below slide-in camper parts from Dr. Kerry, so they must be from one of the Ertl or RC2 era reissues, being molded in that lovely taupe-grey plastic:

 

Here are the current Gear Hustler topper parts, courtesy of an eBay listing:

Edited August 23, 2018 by Casey

[Mike999]

Here's your better image.  And surprise, surprise!  AMT did goof.  I had never opened the "camper bag" in #31741, but I could see that it had more than the Topper parts in it (and 2 custom bucket seats). Back when the "Buyer's Choice" kit came out, I bought several of those just for the big campers and sold the de-campered kits on eBay. So I knew what those and the Topper looked like.

I just opened that bag.  Here's what's inside, laid out on the boxtop. It's a Topper camper with 2 extra parts from the big camper: the rear panel with door, and the cabover piece. If there is any way those parts will go together to make a "low-profile camper," I couldn't figure it out.  I was relying on the descriptions from Model Roundup.  They mention Topper, Low-Profile Camper, High-Profile Camper.

So the instruction sheet for #31741 is correct: you can build a Topper and that's it.  Unless you want to do some serious scratchbuilding. 

 

Edited August 23, 2018 by Mike999
omit

[stavanzer]

I have the exact same boxing as Mike, but mine has the sidewalls to the big camper. Frustratingly, it lacks only the Roof Pieces to complete it. RC2 really goofed on the contents of some of these kits back then.

 

Alan

[Casey]

57 minutes ago, Mike999 said:

Here's your better image.  And surprise, surprise!  AMT did goof.

Thanks, Mike, and, not surprised. 

11 minutes ago, alexis said:

I have the exact same boxing as Mike, but mine has the sidewalls to the big camper. Frustratingly, it lacks only the Roof Pieces to complete it.

Oh boy. 

I did find one additional different box from the RC2 era, but the image is blurry. Not sure if the contents are any different than other RC2 era issues or not, though. Maybe I should be asking if any are the same at this point. 

[Mike999]

1 hour ago, alexis said:

I have the exact same boxing as Mike, but mine has the sidewalls to the big camper. Frustratingly, it lacks only the Roof Pieces to complete it. RC2 really goofed on the contents of some of these kits back then.

Thanks.  Good grief, what a can of worms.  EDIT TO ADD:  if you have the sidewalls, you might be able cobble up roof pieces from some Evergreen corrugated sheet plastic. 

Maybe somebody at AMT-ERTL had a drug flashback and said:  "Remember back in 1962, when we only put some parts of the go-kart and motorcycle into our pick-up truck kits, but not a complete go-kart or bike?  The '65 El Camino is sort of a pickup...so let's put some random camper parts in the box as a surprise!  And to make it an even better surprise...we won't mention those extra parts on the box-top or instruction sheet!"

At this point, that makes about as much sense as anything else. 

Edited August 23, 2018 by Mike999
add1

[stavanzer]

Yeah, I have been thinking about using Evergreen Sheet to do just that, Mike.  The really hard parts, (Back and Sides) are there, and the roof should be easy.

[Bob Ellis]

I have to think the 6 cylinder is still in the tool but the plastic flow is welded off. It's nice because it is the bigger 6 , maybe good for Impalas, Camaros?

[Casey]

On 8/21/2018 at 8:14 AM, 1972coronet said:

A question for the ages , perhaps : why did AMT offer the I-6 only for 1964 ?  

 

49 minutes ago, Bob Ellis said:

I have to think the 6 cylinder is still in the tool but the plastic flow is welded off. It's nice because it is the bigger 6 , maybe good for Impalas, Camaros?

After looking over pics of the AMT '64 El Camino kit's contents...

 

...it looks to me like the areas of the mold containing the Westcraft boat and inline six-cylinder engine block parts was taken up by the camper and/or topper in the '65 El Caminos:

 

That said, IF the areas containing the boat and I6 were originally a separate insert, and were replaced by another insert-- first the slide-in camper, then the topper-- it's possible that original insert still exists. If that area was milled away and the slide-in camper was the first insert, I'd say the boat and I6 are gone for good. Round2 did find or have the Soap Box Derby car mold section/insert, and we'll have to wait and see on the forthcoming go-kart (I want to say it is vintage, and not a recreation), but maybe there's hope for the Westcraft boat. There are far better options for inline six-cylinder engines (AMT '50 and '60 Chevy Pickups) if you want a Stovebolt I-6, but maybe nostalgia is driving the want for some

Edited August 24, 2018 by Casey

[Luc Janssens]

This tread made me dig out my BC version and mocked it up, question aren't these camper normally a bit wider, cuz I suspect the bunk is over the roof, no?

Edited August 24, 2018 by Luc Janssens

[Bob Ellis]

Maybe AMT did use the space for the camper instead