review of '57 T-Bird, 1/25 scale, w/ photos

[fiatboy]

So:  anybody ever build this critter?  Well I have.  The fit of the front chrome grille/bumper is pretty bad.  I 'took' my Dremel grinder to it for about a 1/2 hour, both on the body and the chrome piece.  See for your self.  I'm sure a bunch of you folks could have done better.  I really did not fit the piece: I used epoxy and just held it in place (for another 30 minutes)!  Go ahead, you try!  The '57 is one American classic for sure, but the kit is not so hot.  The '57 was a one-year-only design.

[JollySipper]

Yea, we really need a nice kit of the '57 Thunderbird! One of the more iconic cars from the '50s..... Here's mine I built a couple years ago........

 

[sfhess]

Is this a glue bomb you are trying to "restore"?

[espo]

I like the subject and would welcome a nicely tool one. I built the original way back when, and that experiance has kept me from doing one ever since. Would seem that the tooling has not been improved in the reissue, shame. 

[RSchnell]

Here's a video I found on Youtube building a 1/25 AMT '57 Bird. After seeing this video I think it's gonna be a pass for me. Just looks like too much work to make anything decent out of this kit. But I will probably buy a couple when they show up at Ollie's in a year or so.

 

[Lunajammer]

1 hour ago, RSchnell said:

Just looks like too much work to make anything decent out of this kit.

Not so fast. ?

I love these kits. Granted, I consider them more a canvas for customizing rather than rep stock. Its lack of fiddly details and a platform chassis frees my mind to focus on modifying just body and interior without worrying how to make it fit a fussy chassis. A plastic shredder's delight.

(FWIW those hideous headrests are NOT part of this project.)

[JollySipper]

That looks very European........... I trust that was your intent! 

[stavanzer]

Man, those Headrests would make great Headlight Pods on a Full Tilt Showrod, though.

Edited August 13, 2023 by stavanzer

[THarrison351]

The only one I've built is the pre-painted ProShop version, so my changes were limited. Still has the parting lines too, because AMT did not remove them before painting the bodies

[Stef]

Now that Round 2's Chad has announced the 57 T-Bird coming back in their August 2023 video, doesn't look like it has any drag parts. Thought I read here awhile back that the "Here Comes The Judge" drag version was going to be coming back. While I certainly do have enough drag/gasser parts to make a conversion, it would be awesome to get a kit with those extra goodies and that sweet HCTJ box art.

[stavanzer]

Here are the HCJ Instructions.

https://public.fotki.com/drasticplasticsmcc/mkiba-build-under-c/amt-instructions/automotive-cars--pi/ford/1951-1960/amt-57-thunderbird-/

[stavanzer]

[pack rat]

14 hours ago, Stef said:

Now that Round 2's Chad has announced the 57 T-Bird coming back in their August 2023 video, doesn't look like it has any drag parts. Thought I read here awhile back that the "Here Comes The Judge" drag version was going to be coming back. While I certainly do have enough drag/gasser parts to make a conversion, it would be awesome to get a kit with those extra goodies and that sweet HCTJ box art.

Back when the Sock It To Me Vette was reissued I recall talking to John G re the Judge T-Bird.  

He liked the idea of a Judge reissue but at that time the drag parts and the SOHC motor were MIA.

That was quite a few years ago....back then a '63 Ford pickup reissue was all but impossible.  

Here's hoping.

[Stef]

1 hour ago, pack rat said:

Back when the Sock It To Me Vette was reissued I recall talking to John G re the Judge T-Bird.  

He liked the idea of a Judge reissue but at that time the drag parts and the SOHC motor were MIA.

That was quite a few years ago....back then a '63 Ford pickup reissue was all but impossible.  

Here's hoping.

Thank you for the heads up, Mike. Round 2 has been doing some amazing things the past several years, and I couldn't be happier with their efforts. Anything's possible, and here's hoping, indeed!

 

6 hours ago, stavanzer said:

Oh yesssssss, Alan, you always deliver the goods, thank you! Cammer, velocity stacks, traction bars, and more! What's not to love?

[fiatboy]

Mr. sfhess:  I am deeply offended that you think my build, if it can be called that, is a glue bomb.  I'll have you know that I am putting a shortened NASCAR chassis under it, and a 1/25 scale Ford Cammer engine.  Thus I cut away all the underhood 'stuff', like the inner wheelwells and the radiator.  So there was really nothing to attach a new radiator to, or for that matter, the chrome front assembly.  I do apologize for the mess I photographed.  I will publish more photos - maybe.

[Classicgas]

In his defense he didn't call it a glue bomb. He asked if you were restoring one.

[Dave Darby]

On 8/12/2023 at 9:04 PM, fiatboy said:

So:  anybody ever build this critter?  Well I have.  The fit of the front chrome grille/bumper is pretty bad.  I 'took' my Dremel grinder to it for about a 1/2 hour, both on the body and the chrome piece.  See for your self.  I'm sure a bunch of you folks could have done better.  I really did not fit the piece: I used epoxy and just held it in place (for another 30 minutes)!  Go ahead, you try!  The '57 is one American classic for sure, but the kit is not so hot.  The '57 was a one-year-only design.

I hate to disparage another modeler's work, but having built a few of these, I know for a fact that the grille/bumper fit isn't *that* bad. The ProShop pre-paint in a previous post bears that out. It does appear that you ground away a significant amount of the body that surrounds the grill. I built my first one when I was 12 or 13 and had zero fit issues. The newer issues fit together just as well. At this point I'd leave the assembly off and make it a gasser. 

[sfhess]

1 hour ago, fiatboy said:

Mr. sfhess:  I am deeply offended that you think my build, if it can be called that, is a glue bomb.  I'll have you know that I am putting a shortened NASCAR chassis under it, and a 1/25 scale Ford Cammer engine.  Thus I cut away all the underhood 'stuff', like the inner wheelwells and the radiator.  So there was really nothing to attach a new radiator to, or for that matter, the chrome front assembly.  I do apologize for the mess I photographed.  I will publish more photos - maybe.

Your choice.  I asked an honest question.

[Sledsel]

What needs trimmed is the bumper below the headlights. The fenders extend behind the bumper.

[fiatboy]

You're absolutely right, Dave.  Other people did not seem to have any trouble fitting the grille/bumper.  And Scott, I was just trying to "make a funny".  I appreciate the photos of other builds of the '57 T-Bird.  They look great.  And if worse comes to worse, I could just buy another kit.  Thanks for commenting.

[fiatboy]

I went and bought a new kit.  I'm grateful for all the comments.

[JollySipper]

I wonder what all would be needed to build a more detailed model of this kit....... The Y-block could come from the Revell '57 Ford, but what about a more detailed chassis? Maybe shorten the chassis from the same '57 Ford?

[Mr mopar]

On 8/14/2023 at 6:55 AM, stavanzer said:

Just scored one of these kits off E Bay !

[Mr. Metallic]

14 hours ago, JollySipper said:

I wonder what all would be needed to build a more detailed model of this kit....... The Y-block could come from the Revell '57 Ford, but what about a more detailed chassis? Maybe shorten the chassis from the same '57 Ford?

How about the chassis from the AMT 56 Bird?

[Dave Darby]

On 8/31/2023 at 9:49 PM, fiatboy said:

I went and bought a new kit.  I'm grateful for all the comments.

I'm actually playing with one right now, and I think the biggest problem child fit-wise is the interface between the dash/upper door panel unit and the body. It fits into the notches at the top of the doors. It might take a little filing on the ends to fit into the notches. Also the lower rear outsides of the unit are are a bit thick (even after removing the flash), which squeezes it in a bit, not allowing it to expand out to fill the opening in the body. (It fits within a pair of tabs on the rear of the interior bucket.) Take your time test fitting and filing, and the rest should fall together. This is probably AMT'S oldest currently running tool, having been first used to make the original promo models in 1957.

Looks like I need to file a little more off on the driver's side so it can come forward a bit on that side. (Note the uneven gap in front of the dash).

Edited September 2, 2023 by Dave Darby
Clarity