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Posted

was this a Johan kit?

That's what I thought at first, but IMC is on the box and that company became affiliated with AMT, I believe... maybe we'll get some historical background on it.

This kit may be a very old tool, but when I was a young'in, my family owned one of these in pink!

Posted

I hope they do the glass clear and not green like the last Johan re-issue. Realistically tinted glass in models would be great (as long as they didn't do headlight glass etc. on the same tree) but on my Rambler it's way too green.

Posted

That's what I thought at first, but IMC is on the box and that company became affiliated with AMT, I believe... maybe we'll get some historical background on it.

This kit may be a very old tool, but when I was a young'in, my family owned one of these in pink!

The IMC is from the failed effort a couple years ago to issue this and the Johan 75 Cutlass. Nothing to do with the old IMC .
Posted

Could be. The 2003 Johan reissue suggest using the windshield from their '56 Pontiac as the rear window for a sedan conversion, IIRC. I thought there were some in-progress photos of the '56 conversion, but I couldn't find them, so he well could have done something similar.

Posted

Juha uses clear stencil sheet (acetate) for his windows---pretty much what I use if the glass is not too complicated with compound curves and such.

Looks MUCH better optically, and frankly just plain more realistic than the standard kit glass.

Posted (edited)

was this a Johan kit?

It was originally a Johan promo, never released by them as a kit in '59. Pretty sure it was available in styrene when X-EL/Johan reissued promos in the late '70s-early '80s.

It's worth noting that while the model is detailed as a Classic wagon it is on the longer Ambassador wheelbase, where all the additional length is ahead of the cowl. When Juha did his '56 conversion he also shortened the front end of the car.

Here's a photo of a Classic wagon that the kit is supposed to represent. Note how short the front end is. It's particularly evident behind the front wheel opening and the edge of the front door.

6e163b1dfe098d31901a693b4603544a.jpg

Here's an Ambassador wagon. Notice the length of the front fenders, which is reflected in the kit.

1959-rambler-ambassador1.jpg

Edited by John Goschke
Posted (edited)

I couldn't decide between the woody or the red trim, so since you can't see both sides at the same time . . . I also took the easy way out and decided to like the chrome blacked out from the beltline up

rambler002.jpg

rambler001.jpg

Edited by samdiego
Posted

Here was the last Johan rendition that I have unopened in the stash. Some of the decals for a second one made it onto my Samba Woody. Although curbside, the kit has a lot of potential.

DSCF9812_zpsajn20gwy.jpg

DSCF9813_zpsrfipbacm.jpg

DSCF9814_zpsnygk85fp.jpg

Posted

Yes Gerry it does have a lot of potential, as I'm thinkin' slicks, straight axle, blower & injectors stickin' out of the hood, etc.

That would certainly be an interesting option!!

Posted

Time sure flies, was at I-hobby when Okey released this kit, he even went to the Hobby Heaven party Dean and I organized....If I knew then what I know now....

Posted

With the dark tinted green glass, I'm thinking the last release would make a great custom cruiser. Picture it cleaned up a bit (no woodgrain) hunkered down a bit over some 15 or 16 inch rims with some decent rubber (Not rubberbands) and either black, or a very dark blue with the chrome really shining. I'm thinking of the kind of car that looks best at night. I've been looking at it lately. Might be a fun, quick build. I won't do until until I am sure I have a couple of the new ones, though.

Posted

that roof line sure looks funny to me. I realize there is a curve to it in the real car, in fact it looks kind of tacked on in the photos above, but the model just looks like a cartoon up there. Surfs Up for real. and part of it may be that roof rack not fitting like it does on the real thing. nice model but the roof just looks goofy.

jb

Posted (edited)

The roofline oddness is the result of taking a 4dr sedan w/ a sloping roofline, sloping rear doors and making a wagon from it.. I guess AMC didn't have the funds to design different rear doors w/ squared upper frames and a flat full length roof...

Edited by Rob Hall
Posted

that roof line sure looks funny to me. I realize there is a curve to it in the real car, in fact it looks kind of tacked on in the photos above, but the model just looks like a cartoon up there. Surfs Up for real. and part of it may be that roof rack not fitting like it does on the real thing. nice model but the roof just looks goofy.

jb

That's the way Rambler rolled.

Maybe that's why they didn't sell enough of them to stay in business.

Posted

Actually, around here, from what Dad's said, Ambassadors, and Ramblers generally sold very well.

I would hazard a guess that the difference in wheelbase is the amount to shorten the chassis? Anyone actually try shortening it that isn't Juha? That man does stuff you're not supposed to be able to do.

Charlie Larkin

Posted

I would hazard a guess that the difference in wheelbase is the amount to shorten the chassis? Anyone actually try shortening it that isn't Juha? That man does stuff you're not supposed to be able to do.

Yep, that'd be the way to do it. Shorten the chassis, hood, and fenders nine scale inches in front of the cowl. Standard Rambler was 108"wb, Ambassador was 117".

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