AMT "Grant King" sprint car 2n1 vs. AMT "Sprintcar Supermodified 2n1"

[Ace-Garageguy]

So, I'm assuming these are the same kit, more or less. It seems they both have optional body shells, and the non-Grant King car has 3 decal sets included. Any other differences? Anybody know exactly what's in the boxes? I bet Art knows.

I'm wanting to do some backdating to build earlier style sprint cars, and I'm looking for a good starting point. How's the chassis detail in these? Any other input or suggestions appreciated.

[Mark]

Are you referring to currently available (Dirt Track Racecars) issue kits?

AMT's 1975 catalog shows three (then) new sprint car kits, all credited to Grant King. These were called "Grant King Sprint" (no wing), "Pole Cat Winged Sprint", and "Drifter Super Modified". These differ in detail (injector stacks, hood, wheels, side pods, wing) but all use the same chassis. The '76 midyear catalog includes a fourth variation, the wedge-bodied "Groove Boss Supermodified", again credited to King. This one uses the same chassis, but has the wedge-shaped body. The original Seventies issues had no optional parts, and could only be assembled as the version illustrated on the box. The tires included were two sizes of drag slicks, the two-piece "neither plastic nor vinyl" things that virtually no cement known to man worked on. I built the original Grant King Sprint years ago. The small-block Chevy engine is on the crude side, the chassis was a bit fiddly but as I remember the pieces did fit together pretty well. AMT even included a jig to help assemble the frame. When you clean the parting lines off of the tubular frame sections, the tubes do appear to be round unlike a lot of funny car or dragster chassis back then.

There was a 1986 AMT/Ertl reissue (called "Grant King Sprint Car") which included two building versions: the original "Grant King Sprint" and the "Groove Boss Supermodified". The wing and side pods from the other variations aren't included. Tires were changed to Eighties AMT NASCAR tires (front) and MPC 16" dragster slicks (rear). I didn't build that issue, but I remember reading the reviews on it. Supposedly the fit of the chassis and body panels was cleaned up (not that I had any trouble to speak of with the first one).

If DTR commissioned a reissue prior to Round 2 taking over, I would presume that the DTR issue(s) would have the same combination of parts as the AMT/Ertl reissue. Even with different names, illustrations, and decals, I'd bet that if they have more than one version available, the parts inside the kit boxes will be identical. They've got a number of reissue AMT kits like the '32 Fords and Early Modifieds out in more than one box, all with the same parts inside. You'll need to check the aftermarket to see if better tires can be had.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Ahh, thank you sir! The two kits I'm specifically referring to at the moment are this

and this

[alan barton]

Hi Bill,

I've built two of these and have three more on the go. They are a very nice kit and IMHO compare well to the much later Monogram sprintcars. Like all kits they do have their idiosyncracies!

Give the driver figure to a kid to play with - it is easily the worst driver figure ever placed in any model car in history - seriously!

Generally, the tyres are rubbish and need to be replaced. I have used Monogram sprint car tyres as a believable replacement, also the Firestones in the Revell Dobbertin series of kits (J2000, Beretta, C4 Corvette pro street).

The Grant King was not the prettiest of sprintcars, especially the hood and the nose. I have one on the bench at the moment where I have grafted the V8-60 nose and grill over the Grant King nose and it is looking pretty cool for a late 50s, early 60s car. Recently there was a good article in another model magazine about improving the nose with the track nose and hood tops from the Revell Rat Rod 29 Model A pickup kit. and the grille from the Revell Offy midget.

THe GK hood is very level and parallel - if you file the lower edge down towards the front to produce a tapered effect it will improve it out of sight!

The chassis is a bit fiddly but the jig works very well and if you take your time it comes out nice and square and looks great.

The one piece tail is magnificent and has a separate two piece fuel tank to fit inside- accurate for the era I believe. However there is no evidence of a fuel cap or filler.

Engine is not bad but the headers have a strange arrangement where one port in the centre of the heads opens into two pipes - very odd but on the other hand isn't screamingly obvious till someone points it out.

Biggest failing in my eyes is no rollbar to go behind the seat. Fact is, the old Monogram Hot Shot midget is the only open wheeled dirt car I am aware of that ever had a proper roll bar. This omission would be correct for the real GK but If you leave the cage off you are going to need to make a rollbar. What makes it worse is that they are so awkward to make and keep the right and left hand sides symmetrical, or maybe that's just me.

Hope that helps Bill. I have had a variety of releases and they are all basically the same under the skin witt minor cosmetic changes as described in the earlier posts.

Cheers

Alan

[Art Anderson]

Ahh, thank you sir! The two kits I'm specifically referring to at the moment are this

and this

Same kit, same tooling. When AMT did that one back in 1975, they replicated Grant King's USAC winning sprint car. The kit's not the best engineered in the world, but it is actually pretty accurately done. I saw the real car at the Kruse Auction at Auburn IN back about 2003 or so, completely restored, I was able to get some detail pics of it, dunno if I can find them quickly or not.

Art

[Ace-Garageguy]

Thanks again everyone, and thanks Art for the definitive "what's in the box" answer. Are the tires the same in the two issues pictured? The box-art appears to have treaded tires on one of them.

[Mark]

Thanks again everyone, and thanks Art for the definitive "what's in the box" answer. Are the tires the same in the two issues pictured? The box-art appears to have treaded tires on one of them.

DTR took, shall we say, considerable "artistic liberty" with the box art on their reissues. Their '32 Ford "jalopy racers", for example, can't be built anything like what is shown on the box with what is inside the box. I'd assume the tires are the same...

[Art Anderson]

DTR took, shall we say, considerable "artistic liberty" with the box art on their reissues. Their '32 Ford "jalopy racers", for example, can't be built anything like what is shown on the box with what is inside the box. I'd assume the tires are the same...

Unless I miss my guess, the reissue from AMT/Ertl just about had to have the same pavement tires as the original, 1975 AMT Corporation kit---the wheels were sized originally to accept the Goodyear Speedway Special racing tires from AMT's Eagle and McLaren Indy cars of the 1973-75 era.

Art

[Mark]

The tires in the original were two-piece slicks, in two sizes. The fronts were a slick that replaced the vinyl slicks in the AMT annual kits of the day, and the rears were the largest slicks AMT had, the ones they used in their funny car kits (Mustang II, Monza, "Dragray" Corvette, "Mopower" Plymouth Satellite). Both were branded Goodyear. The AMT/Ertl reissue used vinyl, one-piece tires: AMT non-treaded NASCAR tires for the front, ex-MPC 16" wide dragster/funny car/Pro Stock slicks for the rear.

Did the 1:1 employ "stagger", or use a floater on the front? If so, then you'd have to look to the aftermarket, or try the Monogram sprint tires...

[Chris in Berwyn]

I don't know a lot about sprint car kits, so what is the origin and how new are the tools for the winged sprint cars DTR has just reissued: