Jump to content
Happy Holidays ×
Model Cars Magazine Forum

Recommended Posts

There's nothing wrong with the original AMT '57 Chevy kit.

This kit has probably been built, often very successfully I might add, at least once, by every car modeler who's ever touched a tube of glue.

Probably millions of them since their original introduction

I've built them in the past, and while they might not be up to the standards of the more modern kits, to say it's lousy is a gross over statement.

 

 

 

 

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You posted in WIP, so you haven't even finished it yet. I've built this very same kit and apart from the headlight bezels not fitting the recesses all that well it was a dang nice looking build at the end of it. Very old mould and simple kit yes, but definitely not lousy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would recommend it to anyone interested in building model cars without hesitation. I was disappointed in that particular release since they removed all the cool custom extras that used to come with it and raised the price, but as long as you want to build a stock '57, it builds up nicely, as seen above and all over this forum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Danno said:

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

??

True, but it could have been brought up with a little more tact.

Maybe "What do you think of this kit?" or "I was disappointed" might have sounded a little less abrupt.

 

I think the OP might find that on a forum such as this, you'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

 

 

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

48 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

True, but it could have been brought up with a little more tact.

Maybe "What do you think of this kit?" or "I was disappointed" might have sounded a little less abrupt.

 

I think the OP might find that on a forum such as this, you'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

 

 

Steve

Well said Steve, just wonder why he thinks it's a "lousy" kit.    I've built it also and have no complaints I can remember at least.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the first kit I ever chopped the top on, back around 1990 for a cousin I used to build with in high school. Back then I thought it wasn't too bad overall but never did pony up for one. I always wanted to customize one further, which would remove the little things that offend my eye about this particular kit. The 1957 Chevy and 1959 Cadillac are two cars that I want to remove the fins on and this will probably be the first of the two once I finish these Corvettes sitting in front of me. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

1 hour ago, Snake45 said:

Thousands of nice models have been built from this kit. I was pretty pleased with how mine came out. 

57Chevy1.jpg.b5d205d3f3b1d04d6d91f32ddb19ca9f.jpg

57Chevy2.jpg.548d55221531389ced19802f0a040d92.jpg

And they all have the messed up side trim. The chrome strip on the door should have slight downward curve to transition into the quarter panel trim. Your photo angles show it well. It's like the '58 Plymouth. Pretty much impossible to fix.  

In all of the years I've been building models, I have never built a '57 Chevy. I may be the only one!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, Plowboy said:

 

And they all have the messed up side trim. The chrome strip on the door should have slight downward curve to transition into the quarter panel trim. Your photo angles show it well. It's like the '58 Plymouth. Pretty much impossible to fix.  

In all of the years I've been building models, I have never built a '57 Chevy. I may be the only one!

Still wouldn't go so far as to call it a lousy kit.

There are virtually dozens of newly tooled kits that have proportion issues as well, but I haven't seen a lot of people proclaiming that the new '68 Chevelle is a lousy kit because of the rear quarters and bumper fitment.

Just another issue that you might want to address......or not.

 

 

Steve

Edited by StevenGuthmiller
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Funny, after owning a 1:1 '57 Bel Air 2 Dr Hdtp and my Dad owning 2 others (many years ago) I never realized about the side trim on the door sloping down slightly.  Looking at box art on the Revell/Monagram  Snap and old regular kits, it looks like the door trim is pretty correct.    Interesting.

Edited by TransAmMike
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sure i can make it work with craftsmanship but you can tell the molds are prehistoric. Lots of parts not numbered, parts dont fit correctly, instructions are wrong, ie ...calling out the water pump as chrome, its not. Other then that its a great kit, lol. Guess i have been spoiled with modern kits made via cnc and edm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Still wouldn't go so far as to call it a lousy kit.

There are virtually dozens of newly tooled kits that have proportion issues as well, but I haven't seen a lot of people proclaiming that the new '68 Chevelle is a lousy kit because of the rear quarters and bumper fitment.

Just another issue that you might want to address......or not.

 

 

Steve

You're thinking of the '69. The '68 rear bumper fits fine.

This particular '57 kit has been hated on since it came out. Even by builders who thought they knew what was inside. Everyone (including myself ) thought it was the same kit with all of the extras. But, it came with none. It only comes with stock parts which is fine for those who build stock. But, sucks for those who don't.  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Plowboy said:

And they all have the messed up side trim. The chrome strip on the door should have slight downward curve to transition into the quarter panel trim. Your photo angles show it well. It's like the '58 Plymouth. Pretty much impossible to fix.  

In all of the years I've been building models, I have never built a '57 Chevy. I may be the only one!

You're right, that side strip's not right, but I never noticed that until just a couple years ago when someone pointed it out. 

The side "spear" is still better than the one on the MPC flip-front sedan, which has kept me from building that kit until I can figger out how to fix it, despite owning three of the things. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

You're right, that side strip's not right, but I never noticed that until just a couple years ago when someone pointed it out. 

The side "spear" is still better than the one on the MPC flip-front sedan, which has kept me from building that kit until I can figger out how to fix it, despite owning three of the things. 

If you're any good at making side trim (I'm not), turn the MPC two door sedan into a 150.

Edited by Devilleish
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Devilleish said:

If you're any good at making side trim (I'm not), turn the MPC two door sedan into a 150.

I've thought of it, believe me. 

If I ever get the urge to build another AMT '57 (and I have another one in the stash), I'll probably replace the body with one from a Revell snapper. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's a 1963 designed kit. I built 2 of these in the sixties and a couple more in the seventies. I thought the front end of the AMT discussed here was better than the Revell kit of the same era. There is a later ERTL issued kit with an opening trunk that nobody mentioned

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...