'60 Chevy Fleetside Pickup from HGTVs "Home Town"

[mrmike]

My new project is the AMT 1960 Chevrolet Fleetside Pickup.  I am using this kit to replicate the pickup truck used by Ben Napier on HGTV's Home Town TV series.  There are some differences between the '60 and the '62 pickups.  The hood and the grille are  different as the '62 has a smooth hood and single headlights.  Ben's pickup is also a V8/auto trans with dual exhaust and this kit has a six cylinder/manual trans with single exhaust.  The differences really doesn't bother me too much as I will build the '60 as is and I may use the hood from the Revell '65 Chevy pickup which is a bit too wide for the AMT '60 Chevy Fleetside, but I could cut it down. 

I am aware of a '62 Chevy pickup annual kit, but they are too expensive to even bother trying to find one.  I am also fine with the straight six/manual trans in this kit.  The V8 can be found in a Revell '63 Impala kit, but I think that for the ease of building, I'll stick with the six.  I will be adding the wheels, hubcaps and tires, and the rear view side mirrors gifted to me by fellow Club member Tim.  I have the step n tow rear bumper from the Moebius '72 Ford Sport Custom pickup and I wiil need to source the decals for the doors.  My paint will be Polly Scale St. Lawrence Blue shot through my Badger Universal 360 airbrush.

More '60 Fleetside to come...

Edited March 18, 2020 by mrmike

[TarheelRick]

Looking forward to your build.  I have a few pickups I need to get on the bench.

[espo]

I think you could use Hoods and Grills from any of the Revell or reissued Round 2 models. I even used the Hood from the Revell Suburban on the reissued AMT pickup and it's as if the same kit designer worked on both kits. 

[mrmike]

1 hour ago, espo said:

I think you could use Hoods and Grills from any of the Revell or reissued Round 2 models. I even used the Hood from the Revell Suburban on the reissued AMT pickup and it's as if the same kit designer worked on both kits. 

Like I said, the Revell '65 Chevy hood is too wide unless I cut it down.  Probably about 1/8th inch.

[jchrisf]

The first vehicle I remember my dad driving was a truck around this time.. looked just like it, even same color only it was a step side.  I've always loved this truck.

[Tom Geiger]

If the truck is a 62 with  a V8, why compromise?  By the time you have parted two kits you could find an original or resin. An old built up would work.

Anytime I want something like this I set up an eBay search agent and they email you anytime something is available.  Give it a bit of time, bid low and eventually you’ll get lucky. 

[slusher]

8 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

If the truck is a 62 with  a V8, why compromise?  By the time you have parted two kits you could find an original or resin. An old built up would work.

Anytime I want something like this I set up an eBay search agent and they email you anytime something is available.  Give it a bit of time, bid low and eventually you’ll get lucky. 

I am curious, how much difference in the 62 and the 65? I will watch whatever you build...

[mrmike]

Thanks guys!

14 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

If the truck is a 62 with  a V8, why compromise?  By the time you have parted two kits you could find an original or resin. An old built up would work.

Anytime I want something like this I set up an eBay search agent and they email you anytime something is available.  Give it a bit of time, bid low and eventually you’ll get lucky. 

I prefer not to use someone else's junk!  Since I have gotten this kit, I have discovered more about Ben Napier's '62 Chevy.  A little kit bashing is fine for me and rebuilding something I built years ago is also fine, but I am not about to wait for something I want to show up on ebay and then find out they want x-amount of dollars for a rare piece of a gluebomb that is missing parts.  I want something that is close to Ben's truck, but it doesn't have to be 100% correct.  I have the parts and the kit I need and I am forging ahead with this build.

[mrmike]

I took the first step to making the Revell hood fit the AMT body by sawing it in half and sanding the cut with a sanding wand.  Looks pretty good!  Now to shorten the hood front.  

More '60 Fleetside to come...

Edited March 19, 2020 by mrmike

[mrmike]

I glued the hood back together and now to start adding filler and a lot of sanding.  If I can't get this hood looking good, I'll use the '60 Chevy hood instead.

More '60 Fleetside to come...

[Oldmopars]

I am glad you are doing this, I will follow. I love the show and have though many times, I should build that. However my current project list is too long. Looks like you are on the way to a great looking truck.

BTW, I don't know if you have seen the truck lately, but in a recent episode he had upgraded the wheels to some nice looking 17-18in Corvette rally style wheels. I only got a quick look, but I think that is what they are. 

[mrmike]

I had noticed the wheel change this season on Home Town.  I have wheels and tires to make the previous seasons versions of Ben's truck, so that is what I'm going for.

Edited March 26, 2020 by mrmike

[mrmike]

After an initial coating of Bondo and some sanding, I applied a coating of Mr. Dissolved Putty and sanded that.  Now, to spritz some primer on the hood and see just how much more sanding and putty I will need.

More '60 Chevy to come...

[mrmike]

I started work on the 6 cylinder engine that is in this kit.  I drilled out the heads and distributor for plug wires.

[mrmike]

Some work done on the Home Town Chevy pickup.  I got the Revell wheels and tires assembled, the engine painted with Polly Scale St. Lawrence Blue and the distributor painted and wired.

More Fleetside to come...

[thatz4u]

keep it going, will be watching

[mrmike]

Thanks Al!

I finished the Chevy engine tonight.  All wired and ready to go!  I assembled the chassis and will paint the entire unit as one in semi gloss black and then pick out the details as needed.

More Fleetside to come...

[NOBLNG]

1 hour ago, mrmike said:

Thanks Al!

I finished the Chevy engine tonight.  All wired and ready to go!  I assembled the chassis and will paint the entire unit as one in semi gloss black and then pick out the details as needed.

More Fleetside to come...

It’s coming along nicely! Engine looks great. FYI, those wings attached to the frame are actually part of the cab floor. I made the mistake of painting them black along with the frame at first on my ‘65 Chevy, then re-painted them body colour.

Edited May 12, 2020 by NOBLNG

[slusher]

Really nice engine and progress!

[mrmike]

Thanks Greg and Carl!

9 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

It’s coming along nicely! Engine looks great. FYI, those wings attached to the frame are actually part of the cab floor. I made the mistake of painting them black along with the frame at first on my ‘65 Chevy, then re-painted them body colour.

Greg, I had noticed that earlier and my thought was to paint the bottom of the interior floor and those wings black and just be done with it.  Maybe, I'll paint them body color instead.

[mrmike]

I have been playing around with the '65 Chevy hood and I am really starting to hate it.  I doesn't matter how much I sand from whatever side, it just doesn't want to fit.  The right side character line is just too high.  I assembled the '60 Chevy hood and, of course, it fits a whole lot better.  Nice and flush and character lines all line up.  I think I am going with the '60 Chevy hood instead.

More Fleetside to come...

[mrmike]

I got the interior completed and the chassis is nearly done.  I made a clear lens for the dash gauges.  The go-cart is nearly done, but I noticed a sink mark in the top of the right exhaust pipe.

More Fleetside to come...

[slusher]

Truck is coming along nicely. That’s just a real bad place for a sink Mark or flaw on a Crome tail pipe..

[mrmike]

Thanks Carl!  The sink mark is prevelent on several builds that I have seen.  I haven't decided on how to repair that sink mark.

[mrmike]

I have finished the chassis and the interior of the '60 Fleetside pickup by adding the wheels and tires.  The go-cart has been receiving some touchups.

More Fleetside to come...