61 Ford Galaxie.

[Bill Schoenbach]

Found this today for a decent price. Have not ever tried one of these. Are they worth the effort?

[Z-carfan]

I started the modern camero kit, but didn't get far on the chassis. It's limited and needs some work to make it a runner based on what I have seen. I need to put more time in to see for sure.


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[waaytoomuchintothis]

Save the body, toss everything else, after playing around with it. Some of the best slot cars guys in the world have labored to make that flimsy junk work, and after all their excellent work, it still bends out of shape. The one I reviewed actually twisted in a couple of laps with hard turns. The motors range from DOA to adequate, the gears are not always well-matched, etc. They stopped using Delrin nylon wheels and started using turned aluminum, which was a huge improvement, but they kept the soft metal chassis which is shaped like the good rigid chassis from the days when AMT was made by AMT, not this imitation. They usually can be found at Ollie's for a couple of bucks. Its worth doing one, not just for the body, but to see the shape of what was a very advanced kit in 1966 when they were some of the best kits in that scale. But as I say, the repopped bodies appear to be good quality and definitely worth having. I have the Nova, the Pontiac Catalina, and the 1970 Camaro, and all 3 bodies are very good scale, and easily adapted to a scratchbuilt chassis.

[mattb]

Bodies and motors are pretty good. Everything else needs to be replaced with serious slot car parts. Frames are useable if they are soldered to a brass pan and have re-inforcements soldered to the front and rear axle uprights.

[Bill Schoenbach]

Yeah I noticed the flimsy frame. Put the tires and axles together, put the 2 frames together and 3 tires are on the table, 1 floating. So I'm going to reinforce here and there, put a 16D in and try some commercial track racing. This will give my roommate practice on soldering for my better 1/24 cars. I have time and so does Barb. She can work on it when she wants.

[burad]

I have ten - soon the be twelve - of those AMT cars. I think i enjoy them more than any of my other cars.
But you have to limit your expectations. I only race them against each other on "AMT night".
Here's what I do with them:
Replace the back wheels & tires with wider Parma - or similar - foam slicks.
Replace the original guide with a Parma or similar guide & brushes. You have to add a small screw sticking up from the guide in from of the post to serve as a rotation stop.
Replace the original spur with Parma or equivalent.
Add a bunch of lead up front. Don't remember how much.
Use velcro instead of double stick tape.

That's the minimum for some old time dirt track style action against cars similarly equipped, and that also keeps you in the "Frugal Racer" category.

What i also have done to my AMTs :
Some have the plastic bushings replaced with brass.
None have the older plastic wheels. This is easy to do, since i have two extra wheels from every car that came with metal wheels.
One has a Fox motor. Two have those orange bell 26k motors. The ones with non-stock motors don't run significantly differently from those with stock motors.
Several have full model kit bodies with interiors. You use plastic card to make the bottom of the interior flat, and screw the chassis directly to it, loosely for float.
All of mine have front lights, using 12v grain of rice bulbs. Many have rear lights too.

As I have at least one car in the color of each lane at the local track, we run AROC and the cars stay in their color coded lanes. So minor differences don't matter.
It's a good time and lots of laughs as these big cars that sit up kinda high slide around the curves, 'early 60s style.

brad g

[burad]

I guess i should also mention I bought most of mine at Ollie's, and a few at a slot car show, in the last 30 minutes of the show. Would i pay $40+ for one in the box? Uh, no.
But none of mine, with the exception of the Little Red Wagon, cost more than $40 overall with all the added new parts, and most of them cost less than $30 with their new parts. The objective was fun at the least cost, and raced against each other they certainly are that.

[mattb]

P1010009 (2).JPG

This is how we have used the AMT chassis. We learned to also solder some re-inforcement brass tubing to the axle tabs. After doing that much work we found it was much easier and quicker to just scratchbuild a brass chassis for $10 or so.

I bought all of mine either as used cars or sealed kits for $22 or less. That is about what a good motor and frame is worth, the bodies are just a bonus!! I wish they had issued a 65 Mustang fastback and 69 Camaro. Those bodies would help make the kits worth $20 or so! We run a lot of trans-am style cars!!

[TuscoTodd]