AMT 1/25 1968 El Camino SS 396
By Marty Oberman
For the past few years, AMT/ERTL has produced some pretty amazing kits, at least as far as this author is concerned. The improvement in detail, kit quality, and subject matter has really opened some modelers' eyes, and AMT/ERTL will see my hard-earned cash if the trend continues.
The 20-piece Chevy 396 has been nicely reproduced. The engine block and automatic transmission are molded together as one unit. Separate a/c compressor, power steering pump, and alternator with bracket are included. A chrome air cleaner and valve covers are a nice touch, and the engraving and texture of the engine block/tranny assembly and exhaust manifolds are crisp and survive a coat of paint rather well. With a little detail painting and wiring and plumbing, this little engine really stands out. Engine compartment goodies include upper and lower radiator hoses, a/c tubing, heater hoses, a two-piece master cylinder, battery, and clear washer bottle.
Being a factory stock builder, I try to faithfully reproduce what a car would look like coming right off the assembly line, including accurate undercarriage detail. Luckily for me, AMT/ERTL has chosen to release their recent offerings with separate floorboard and frame rails, and the El Camino is no exception. The floorboard assembly comes as two major parts: front passenger compartment and rear cargo bed. The cargo bed is made up of 5 pieces, four sides and the bed floor itself. The passenger compartment floorboard is also the interior floor. The rear suspension assembly is an 11-piece unit which includes a two-piece rear axle, anti-sway bar, shocks and springs, and struts. The gas tank is a separate piece molded with its own framing and it attaches to the cargo bed underside. The front suspension consists of seven parts, and poseable steering is an option. A nicely textured 4-piece exhaust system rounds out the underside. Although complex, the chassis assemblies build rather easily and fit well.
The 11-piece interior is a platform type, which facilitates detailing. Four-piece bucket seats, console with the correct "horseshoe" automatic shifter, three-spoke Chevelle steering wheel, detailed dash with suspended brake and parking brake pedals, rear "bulkhead" behind the seats, and two well-engraved door panels comprise the interior bucket. One caution, however, when painting: the front cargo bed panel, which extends below the bed floor, is also the rear panel for the interior, and is visible when the cargo bed and interior assemblies are joined together. (The front cargo bed panel should be painted the same color as the interior for all you factory stock nuts!) I painted my interior satin black.
The body and hood are well-done and exhibit crisp engraving that won't get lost under a coat of paint. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the weak simulated vinyl top engraving. Most modelers will probably forsake the vinyl top by sanding the detail, though I opted to keep mine intact and painted it and the rocker panels in flat black. I airbrushed my El Camino with Rainbow Products' 1968 GM Grecian Green acrylic lacquer. The only downfall to the body are small dimples in the vinyl roof's B-pillars. If these are filled in and sanded, the vinyl grain is lost easily. The two-piece glass is well formed, and attaches easily to the underside of the roof. I found the glass to be a little too thick though, and found the same on the AMT/ERTL '70 Monte Carlo kit. Although the attachment points are dummyproof and ample, the thickness of the windows is troublesome.
The AMT/ERTL '68 El Camino SS kit was enjoyable to build, and it turned out looking accurate and had a nice stance to it. It looks muscular displayed next to AMT's '70 Monte Carlo in my case. Customizers and Pro-streeters should get a lot of ideas with this kit, and the engine itself could be used in lots of other projects. I still wish AMT/ERTL would provide an interior/exterior paint chart with their instruction sheets, and it would be nice if the different parts were labelled with their corresponding names as well as assembly and part numbers. All in all however, it is an excellent kit, and one I would rate 4½ stars out of five. Kudos to AMT/ERTL on another fine release!
Engine
The 20-piece Chevy 396 has been nicely reproduced. The engine block and automatic transmission are molded together as one unit. Separate a/c compressor, power steering pump, and alternator with bracket are included. A chrome air cleaner and valve covers are a nice touch, and the engraving and texture of the engine block/tranny assembly and exhaust manifolds are crisp and survive a coat of paint rather well. With a little detail painting and wiring and plumbing, this little engine really stands out. Engine compartment goodies include upper and lower radiator hoses, a/c tubing, heater hoses, a two-piece master cylinder, battery, and clear washer bottle.
Chassis
Being a factory stock builder, I try to faithfully reproduce what a car would look like coming right off the assembly line, including accurate undercarriage detail. Luckily for me, AMT/ERTL has chosen to release their recent offerings with separate floorboard and frame rails, and the El Camino is no exception. The floorboard assembly comes as two major parts: front passenger compartment and rear cargo bed. The cargo bed is made up of 5 pieces, four sides and the bed floor itself. The passenger compartment floorboard is also the interior floor. The rear suspension assembly is an 11-piece unit which includes a two-piece rear axle, anti-sway bar, shocks and springs, and struts. The gas tank is a separate piece molded with its own framing and it attaches to the cargo bed underside. The front suspension consists of seven parts, and poseable steering is an option. A nicely textured 4-piece exhaust system rounds out the underside. Although complex, the chassis assemblies build rather easily and fit well.
Interior
The 11-piece interior is a platform type, which facilitates detailing. Four-piece bucket seats, console with the correct "horseshoe" automatic shifter, three-spoke Chevelle steering wheel, detailed dash with suspended brake and parking brake pedals, rear "bulkhead" behind the seats, and two well-engraved door panels comprise the interior bucket. One caution, however, when painting: the front cargo bed panel, which extends below the bed floor, is also the rear panel for the interior, and is visible when the cargo bed and interior assemblies are joined together. (The front cargo bed panel should be painted the same color as the interior for all you factory stock nuts!) I painted my interior satin black.
Tires/Wheels
The rolling stock consists of Goodyear Custom Wide Tread Polyglas G70-15s mounted on fluted Chevrolet Rally steel wheels with chrome cap and trim rings. The wheelbacks show great brake drum detail. Body/Exterior
The body and hood are well-done and exhibit crisp engraving that won't get lost under a coat of paint. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the weak simulated vinyl top engraving. Most modelers will probably forsake the vinyl top by sanding the detail, though I opted to keep mine intact and painted it and the rocker panels in flat black. I airbrushed my El Camino with Rainbow Products' 1968 GM Grecian Green acrylic lacquer. The only downfall to the body are small dimples in the vinyl roof's B-pillars. If these are filled in and sanded, the vinyl grain is lost easily. The two-piece glass is well formed, and attaches easily to the underside of the roof. I found the glass to be a little too thick though, and found the same on the AMT/ERTL '70 Monte Carlo kit. Although the attachment points are dummyproof and ample, the thickness of the windows is troublesome.
Final Comments
The AMT/ERTL '68 El Camino SS kit was enjoyable to build, and it turned out looking accurate and had a nice stance to it. It looks muscular displayed next to AMT's '70 Monte Carlo in my case. Customizers and Pro-streeters should get a lot of ideas with this kit, and the engine itself could be used in lots of other projects. I still wish AMT/ERTL would provide an interior/exterior paint chart with their instruction sheets, and it would be nice if the different parts were labelled with their corresponding names as well as assembly and part numbers. All in all however, it is an excellent kit, and one I would rate 4½ stars out of five. Kudos to AMT/ERTL on another fine release!