Remember when AMT Model Car Kit was $1.50

I thought this would be appropriate here. I acquired this kit a few years ago at a swap meet.Until recently had I noticed a price sticker on it.The box is dated '64.

 

I had a card table in the corner of the basement that was my own little world. Every time I saved up enough allowance (.20 a week) I'd buy another kit. When I returned from the Navy I discovered that my parents had thrown it all away including my paint and glue stained table, paints, parts & tools thinking that I'd outgrown all that. I was devastated but never let anyone know. I've been collecting kits ever since and every few years, I open some and just look at the parts.

 

My first was a 61 Buick...Cost a dollar. Remember saving up for those?

 

Man this brings back memories, when I was building them they were around $4-$5 I think in the mid 70s. I had tons of them I think I still have a bunch of finished cars at my parents house, hope I didnt trash them. At one point I had so many I took them all apart and filled a suitcase with parts, then built some crazy stuff by mixing and matching parts. Near the end I was detailing them with stuff like yellow thread for spark plug wires. Wish we had digital pictures then, I can see them like yesterday in my head.
I must of had a dozen of the Monogram (or AMT?) 55 chevy gasser, black with flames and the chrome straight axle.

Oh now I had to find one, this is it!



Found this one as well, the 53 panel. One of my first builds, I remember the revell kits did not have the quality of the MPC and Monogram kits. had a bunch of the 66SS chevelle as well, always liked them and ended up owning many. Still have a 66SS396 chevelle, its a keeper.

 

btt

 

Dang, you guys are old.

 

Most of us on here are old....

 

Just picked up the AMT 1953 Ford F-100 pick'em up truck kit...
Come to find out when I opened the box, It's the remake of the 1963 Trophy Series 3n'1 kit with all the goodies...
The kit set me back 15.00 bucks..

 

I went to a local flea market here last week, looked at a bunch of really old kits that I rememeber from my youth,im 58. so that's been awhile ago. same 55 chevy I paid around 1.60-180 at woolworths went for 40.00. went down the lane and this guy had a few of the 55s he was sellin his for 20.00 to old guys and 35.00 to the younger guys.lol asked him why he says because these old guys appreciate them more...lol he was right...

 

Ahhh yes, mowed lawns, cashed in bottles, etc. I remember needing $1.55 including tax. I remember sitting in school and couldn't wait for school to get out so I could run to the hobby shop uptown. Ah yes, the memories....

 

First kit I ever saw was in 68. Second grade christmas grab bag it was a chapperal race car, and it was very difficult to assemble for a 8 year old,, but I was hooked and built models for the next 25 years

 

Still remember my very first kit.... '60 Merc hardtop kit by AMT.... 'lowering blocks', dummy spots, and those big ol' 'bubble' skirts. Stick-on whitewalls....

I also vividly remember going to the '62 Worlds Fair... My parents almost couldn't drag me away from the AMT display.

The very early kits were basically just the 'promotional' dealer models with a few 'customizing' goodies and molded in a cheaper white plastic. I don't know what they used for the dealer versions, but it was a lot tougher plastic. But when they started adding details like opening hoods with motors, I was hooked.

Wish I had some back... Jim Clark's Indy-winning Lotus-Ford, MPC GT40, any of the JoHan mopar kits.... sigh....

 

Great score! But I bet you already knew that.

 

Does it have the custom hubcaps in there ? The last one I got has what looks like smoothies in place of them .

 

Let me take a look and i'll get back with ya... I'll only be a minute...

 

Sorry!..
No hub caps... It does have the "baby moon" smoothies and also steelies with the "dog dish" or poverty caps... Whatever you want to call those... But the kit has everythng else including the canted quad headlight grill with the 3 bars in the middle.. It has the stock flathead motor and a Desoto Hemi with 8 carbs with the 2 long air cleaners and Hilborn injection stacks... Also included are 2 welding tanks and a bunch of hand tools.. The kit also comes with a bed cover... Still not bad for what I paid for it... The same kit came in the AMT "Diamond in the rough" kit which included a tandumm(sp)? trailer and a '40 Ford tudor..
The kit came also as a ramp truck in another release...

 

Yessir and a DC comic & a Hostess Fruit Pie for 25 cents. I remember getting 14 Models for Xmas in 1967. Kinda says what I was into back then.

 

The Hostess apple pie was my fa.... Am I on the right thread???....

 

LMAO...yeah

 

LOL... Yep! Lots of stuff was cheap back in the day... When dear ol' dad (r.i.p.) started at Ford, he started at 5 bucks an hour..

 

Deuces - here's my '53 built from an original '63 release many yrs. ago.

 

14?? Man, I thought I was doing good when Santa brought me 3, along w/ 2 Aurora Thunderjet HO slot cars in my stocking !! Those were the days.....

 

my first was a 58 imperial convert. 10th birthday. they were 1.29 then!

 

Old thread but I do remember when AMT kits were 1.50 each. I also remember that I was 13 and made .75 an hour working for my stepfather peeling the shingles off houses. They were still probably a bit expensive at the time we were buying them for 1.50 when you think of amount of time we had to work to get that 1.50.

 

Looks fantastic!!!!...
I have plans on building mine just like yours...
Now I know what it'll look like... I do plan on using the "baby moon" wheels on it or a set of chrome steelies from the "parts box"...

 

Still have my T-jets also...
Some things just never get old....

 

Thanks Dueces ! I remember that I had a good time putting that one together. The '53 is one of the best kits AMT ever produced (IMO). You got a good deal on that - enjoy !

 

I will, Thanks Freak!....

 

If your interested in building another just like it, go on to ebay and check out AMT kit# 6487
That's the kit I have...

 

Bump!..... I love these threads...