65 Buick Riviera.

This has been in my stash forever.  I love the look of the car but couldn't think what to do with it.  The problem was it is one of AMT's  ex-promo kits with very little in the way of detail.  It has an engine but is seriously lacking in under bonnet accuracy and the whole underside is moulded in one piece.  To do it justice would mean either grafting in a detailed chassis from another model or scratchbuilding everything which was missing.  I just never got round to it and used the factory wires and custom wheels (nicely moulded slot mags) elsewhere.
Until a few months ago when I decided to glue the bonnet on and build it up kerbside (no detail underneath) using the custom parts AMT included in the box.  Oh, and the kit transfers.  Mainly because as I never use the kit transfers and have a folder full of them so to do so would be something different.
Most difficult part of the build was working out which transfers went where as AMT, for some reason known only to them, decided not to bother providing instructions on placement.

65 Buick Riviera - 5 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

65 Buick Riviera - 2 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

65 Buick Riviera - 7 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

I have just realised I forgot the number plates.

65 Buick Riviera - 5 (1) by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

65 Buick Riviera - 7 (1) by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The Model.

1/25 AMT 1965 Buick Riviera.
Bonnet glued in place and engine hole plated over from below.
Custom body and interior parts from the kit.
Door handles, scripts, and body trim shaved.
Wheels from my big ol' box of "special" wheels.  Aftermarket but I can't remember who by.
Car lowered by the highly technical technique of drilling new holes for the metal axles.
RHD conversion.
Steering wheel from my parts boxes.

65 Buick Riviera - 8 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

She's a big beastie 

Quote from: NARSES2 on June 04, 2023, 06:07:32 AMShe's a big beastie 

As a nation, we love our land yachts.

 

That's cool!

Love the "paint job"!

A '65 RIviera? Oh wow, LOVE those stacked headlights! 

You don't often see kits that have been built using all AMT's custom bit, that makes a nice change, super job Fred. 

I've got one of them too...................... 

[Later] That exhaust systems looks WILDLY restrictive, cries out for some tube headers and side exhausts just behind the doors with a cut-out.

Gorgeous Fred..simple is perfect for this Riv.
As for the license plates..SEMA display car .

Cool!!  Very nice!!

Thanks folks.

DUKWy, I have sheets of pre-printed 1/25 Victorian number plates.  I just forgot to cut some out and glue them on.

Kit, as you will realise if you have this kit the chassis is all moulded in one.  And I mean ALL.  Those pipes are moulded on the chassis plate with the suspension and differential and everything else you see there sprayed metal black.  That was my kryptonite on this one - the need, if making it full detail, to replace everything under there.

Quote from: zenrat on June 05, 2023, 02:58:44 AMKit, as you will realise if you have this kit the chassis is all moulded in one.  And I mean ALL.  Those pipes are moulded on the chassis plate with the suspension and differential and everything else you see there sprayed metal black.  That was my kryptonite on this one - the need, if making it full detail, to replace everything under there.

Yeah, all those 'demo' AMT kits are like that, aren't they? All the few I have are anyway, and it's a major re-build job to re-do the chassis (underframe if it's a Chrysler....)

Yes, there are a lot like that.
But it was producing all the promo models for Detroit which financed the moulds which lead to the kits we know now.

Quote from: scooter on June 04, 2023, 07:19:06 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on June 04, 2023, 06:07:32 AMShe's a big beastie 

As a nation, we love our land yachts.

 

I turned the tv on the other day and Blue Hawaii was on the Beeb, I was going to watch the cricket on another side, and the few seconds I saw had Elvis driving a car with I think 5 or 6 females in it. And there looked room for more 

I had 15 people crammed into my 1972 Chrysler (Australia) Valiant Regal on a couple of occasions.

Didn't ever have anywhere near that many in my 1972 Ford (Australia) ZF Fairlane but it was considerably bigger.

Quote from: zenrat on June 05, 2023, 02:58:44 AMThanks folks.

DUKWy, I have sheets of pre-printed 1/25 Victorian number plates.  I just forgot to cut some out and glue them on.

Kit, as you will realise if you have this kit the chassis is all moulded in one.  And I mean ALL.  Those pipes are moulded on the chassis plate with the suspension and differential and everything else you see there sprayed metal black.  That was my kryptonite on this one - the need, if making it full detail, to replace everything under there.

Sounds exactly like the chassis of ECTO1 which is why I'm going to completely scratch build a new one for it.
Scarey as it sounds it's the easiest way to go.