Right On Replicas, LLC Step-by-Step Review 20150120* Stingaree 1:25 Scale AMT Model Kit #AMT38664 Review In 1971 AMT created a group of show rod dragster kits that were custom models loosely based on rail type drag cars. They added a customized body and graphics to the dragster and created their own wild-style cars. In 2008 Round 2 under the Auto World name teamed up with Retro Hobby to bring back AMT's wayout STINGAREE in the Flashback Vintage Model Kit Reissue Series. This wild show rod meets dragster is a 1/25 scale plastic model kit that hasn't been available since its original release in 1971. They even reproduced the original box and decal art for a real trip to the hobby scene of yesteryear. And it was a LIMITED PRODUCTION run. For the Modeler: This review covers the AMT Kit #AMT38664 Stingaree in 1/25 scale. The kit consists of roughly 80 parts molded in White, Chrome, Clear and Vinyl tires. While the kit does not have a skill level on the box the website rates it Skill Level 2 for the moderate builder and it requires glue and paint. This is a direct Re-Release (Re-Pop) of the AMT Stingaree and has not been seen since 1971, although it is a 2008 release it can still be found online and in some local hobby stores. A majority of the kit is chrome and the plating is crisp and bright on my sample. The body is a multiple part unit but can be assembled prior to paint work giving the ability to fill and smooth any assembly lines. The motor is fairly detailed and will lend itself to aftermarket goodies easily. The main frame is solid and straight easing assembly issues. The decals are a Green/Yellow flame or Red/Yellow flame choice. Overall assembly is simple and the instructions are a five step process. Overall dimensions are: Length:10, Width: 3½", Height: 2½"
BUILDING CAVIATS: Having organization and a proper work area is important if you want to build a model properly. But even without dedicated space a place to leave your build while you work is necessary. Being able to lay out your parts organized helps the build as you are not digging for parts in the box possibly losing or damaging them. Also you really should have a place to let painted parts cure. Throughout the review you will find OPTIONAL IDEAS that I suggest. These are completely your choice. Not doing these steps will in no way affect the build, they are just ways to offer some personal and custom touches to your builds. OPTIONS will be noted. One of the best parts of model building is using your imagination to create the car YOU want! Unless you are building a Factory Stock or a Replica car your choices of color and build options is completely up to you. The instruction give recommendations but you are free to substitute whatever options you want. There is no Wrong way to build your kit! Have fun and enjoy your hobby. Review the instruction sheet thoroughly to get familiar with the assembly sequence. Decide your color scheme in advance and your custom options so you can build accordingly. PIC 1 This is the box art for this kit as released in the 2008 Retro Hobby version by Auto World. Unless otherwise stated I use Testors Tube Glue (Orange Tube) for assembly of the parts. Other adhesives used in the construction are Superglue and White Glue. Paints consist of Testors Enamel or Acrylic bottle paints and Rattle can spray paints. The body is finished using 1:1 automotive use paint products shot with an airbrush. One of the major benefits of using automotive paint is a very fast drying time. You can get just as good results using Spray can products but they require a longer drying time. Automotive paint is FULLY cured in less than an hour and clear about 6 hours. Use a good quality airbrush to paint automotive products because Lacquer Thinner will destroy the cheaper ones quickly. Assembly paint colors may vary from instructions as I use simplified colors that most model builders should have on hand. Before beginning your build soak and wash your parts with a mild detergent like DAWN to remove any mold release agents and help with paint adhesion. Note to remember: Always follow the Manufacturer s Safety and Use Guidelines when using any of the products mentioned in the review for your own protection. PIC 2 PIC 3 Here are the decals as reproduced in this version. There are a complete design in the Green flames with more simplistic Red flames that just has side graphics. These are FULL SHEET CARRIER decals. There is no separation in the carrier film. You have to closely cut each decal around the color. This is highly unusual in new car kits, it is seen more in older kits and many aftermarket or homemade decals but not today s newer car kits. To be Full Sheet Carrier these are very thin decals and while they float easily they will damage just as easily. Setting solution will help you maneuver the decals as they tend to adhere quickly and due to the carrier need some help. I use Microscale Industries products as they work well with all the decal brands I have used it on.
PIC 4 PIC 5 The motor is well detailed and needs to be assembled in multiple steps. There is a lot of chrome on the motor also. Remember when attaching chrome to remove the plating where the parts attach as Testors Glue will not hold chrome well. Painting the motor will depend completely on your personal choice as this is a custom car. No paint guides are even offered in the directions. PIC 6 I want to paint the valve covers and the snorkel and need to remove the chrome. The easiest way to remove chrome is to soak the parts in normal household BLEACH, these parts soaked for about 10 minutes. PIC 7 Assemble the block and add the heads. Assemble the snorkel. Down the center of the block halves and the center of the snorkel are assembly lines. Those need to be removed and filled. I found the easiest way is use a little extra glue when assembling the parts and let it squeeze out through the parting lines. Then I can sand away the excess glue residue and it fills them nicely.
PIC 8 Paint the block your color of choice, I did mine in a Green Metallic. The transmission is Aluminum. The belt is Flat Black with Aluminum pulleys. The fuel pump is Steel. I painted the valve covers Black and the snorkel Metallic Green to match the motor. The blower inner area is painted Gold. The intake manifold is Aluminum and the exhaust mounts Flat Black. I did not use the distributor as I will replace it with a wired one. PIC 9 Assembly of the motor: Attach the valve covers to the heads. Add the intake manifold to the block. On the manifold add the blower with the front and rear panels. Add the injectors to the blower. Add the snorkel to the injectors. Add the front cover. On the front cover add the belt and the fuel pump. On the Valve cover add the breather tube. On each head add the header supports. Using Superglue install four headers per side.
PIC 10 PIC 11 OPTIONAL: I wanted to do a little extra detail so I will wire this motor. I used a Morgan Automotive Detail distributor and coil for this add on. While there are many different brands I have found his service and shipping to be excellent and his product to be more accurate looking and of high quality. www.madmodeling.com is his website. Using a Hemi wiring diagram I will wire the motor. PIC 12 First drill out the hole for the shaft. Paint the shaft Steel and install it with superglue. Superglue the cap with wires on to the shaft. Drill out the locations on the valve covers. Cut a small part of the Black wire for boots and slide it on each wire. Match the wires up to the diagram and cut to fit. Slide each wire into place with the boot at the hole to make it look correct. Superglue all the wires in place. Add the coil to the center wire with it cut to fit sitting behind the blower. Paint the strap on the coil Silver.
PIC 13 The front tires can be assembled and set aside. These are motorcycle style tires. To give the tire a used look roll and press the tread on 220 grit sandpaper to rough up the surface. PIC 14 Install the front and rear rims so the spokes cross when looking at the tire from the side. PIC 15 PIC 16 The rear tires are two part slicks. To give the tire a used look roll and press the tread on 220 grit sandpaper to rough up the surface. Snap the rear wall into place on the main tire. Add the rim fronts in place in the tires. Paint the inner face of the rear rim Flat Black and then add the rim backs into the tires. If you choose to do so you can Paint the Goodyear logo on the tires I did not do mine. Set these aside for now. PIC 17 Start the frame now. I decided to paint the chrome braces to match the frame. De-chrome in Bleach and rinse those two parts. Assemble the frame rails with the rear brace, front brace, transmission brace and top brace. Add the torsion bar to the front. My sample is a little warped but will not be unbuildable once the other parts are in place.
PIC 18 Paint your frame the color you choose, I did Metallic Green. Once dry assemble the fuel cell and add that in place. PIC 19 Here are the suspension parts. Most of the parts are chrome and need to have the attachment location area scraped clean of plating to adhere. Paint the battery Black with Steel posts and Red caps. Paint the interior hump Flat Black. PIC 20 Build the front suspension. I used superglue for all attachments for extra strength. Add the brakes to the front axle. Add the tie rod in place. Install the axle to the torsion bar. Install a radius arm to each side of the frame and to the axle. Add the battery to the front brace.
PIC 21 Build the rear suspension. Use superglue for strength. Add the interior hump form underneath. Assemble the rear axle and attach it to the rear radius arms. Add the rear spring tot the radius arms. Install this unit into the frame. Add the shocks from the frame to the radius arms. Add the driveshaft in place. PIC 22 Install the tires on to the car now. The rear tires install on the metal axle. Slide the axle into the rear axle and add the tires. The front tires install on the front axle pins.
PIC 23 PIC 24 Here are the front and rear tires installed. PIC 25 There are two seats in this kit, choose which you want to use. The smaller seat is the one the instructions include.
PIC 26 Here are the final parts to assemble the interior and steering. Paint the seat Black. Paint the steering wheel and column Black. The steering unit is Aluminum. The shifter ball is Black. PIC 27 Install the seat in place. Install the roll bar behind the seat. Install the shifter. Attach the steering wheel to the column and the column into the steering unit. Install that assembly on to the interior tub. Add the steering rod from the steering unit to the front suspension. Paint the dash Aluminum and detail the gauges. Install the dash to the interior. PIC 28 OPTIONAL: Instead of using paint to detail the dash I used leftover decals from other builds to cut and place into the instrument panel.
PIC 29 Install the motor in place in the frame. Attach it to the driveshaft. PIC 30 Here is the finished chassis assembly from above.
PIC 31 and the finished chassis assembly from bottom. PIC 32 Here is a rolling chassis shot of the completed chassis ready for the body to be added. PIC 33 Here are the parts to assemble the body. Prior to paintwork the complete body can be assembled.
PIC 34 PIC 35 Note the flash and over-mold that needs to be cleaned up prior to assembly and paint. PIC 36 Assemble the body. Add the front top to the back top. Add the front lower part of the front end. Add the sides in place. Add the rear panel in place. PIC 37 There are attachment lines down the body and across the body top that need to be filled and smoothed. I use 220 grit sandpaper and smooth out the roughest area getting the body shape correct and the lines as smooth as possible. PIC 38 Using BONDO Glazing Putty I fill the whole area and let it cure. This will shrink while it dries so I add more than needed. I will go back and shave off the overage and sand it smooth leaving only the areas needing it - filled with putty.
PIC 39 The Bondo is sanded smooth and the whole body wet sanded to 800 grit paper. Rinse the body clean and let it air dry. Now you can Primer the first coat to check all the body work. If the body work is smooth move on, if needed repeat the Bondo process in the areas that still need work. PIC 40 Wet sand the body to 800 grit, clean and dry the body well. You are now ready to paint your base coat. PIC 41 I used a custom mixed Silver base color to paint the body. Paint the inner and outer areas of the shell completely. Once cured you can decal as you choose.
PIC 42 Body Decaling and Finishing: After you have your base coat on the car you are ready to decal it. Remember decals lay better on a GLOSS surface and will not adhere properly on a FLAT surface. If you decal a flat surface you get what is called SILVERING of the decals, or the look that they are not adhered, as air is trapped under the decal. Clean your work area good so no dust or grunge from building and sanding gets under your decals. Pick the decals you want to work with and plan out how the best way to lay them out without handling previously laid decals will be. I try either a Front to Back or Top to Bottom approach doing one side at a time then the front and rear of the car in steps giving the decals time to set and dry in place before handling it again. Once you have a plan of action cut your first decal as close to the edge of the outermost color as possible. Once trimmed place the decal into warm water and let it get soft until it Floats loosely on the carrier paper. Microscale Industries has a product set called Micro-Set and Micro-Sol. The purpose is to soften the decals to help them conform to the contours of the body and lay smooth. To apply Micro Set, use a soft brush and apply Micro Set to the part where you are going to apply the decal. Next apply the decal as normal. Use a small pointed tip synthetic bristle brush and carefully position the decal. Blot the decal carefully with a Q-tip or paper towel so as not to move it and allow it to dry. For a tougher decals apply Micro-Sol with a small flat brush on to the decal. Apply with as few strokes as possible so as not to disturb the decal. As the decal dries slowly work any creases or blemishes in the decal out with a Q-tip or damp paper towel. Work slowly as not to damage the decal. A second coat of Micro-Sol can be added if needed. Now continue this process until all the decals for that area are done, wait for them to set and continue the rest of the car. Let the decals cure at least overnight before applying your clear coat. PIC 43 PIC 44 Install the glass now. The instructions have you install from the inside. But after test-fitting and a very minor amount of sanding on the edges I found the glass will sit from the outside and give a nice flush look. I use Elmer s Glue to install the glass as it dries clear.
PIC 45 PIC 46 The chute needs to be installed on the rear of the body. Paint it Black and install it halfway in the center towards the top of the rear deck. There is no positive attachment point. PIC 47 PIC 48 The body just slides over the chassis. Here is a front and rear shot of the completed car. PIC 49 Once finished, you ll have a few extra parts. There is a set of headlights that are optional I decided not to use plus a few parts from another kit evidently as they have no place on this one. Save your extra parts for later builds.
PIC 999 OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: This is a really cool looking car. Of all the specialty Show-dragsters AMT created this was the sleekest and best looking. I was mostly impressed with the build and thought the end result was much better than expected. First the motor is a nicely detailed build and with a few aftermarket parts turns into a nice motor. BUT the fact the bug catcher is chrome plated in this kit and assembles in two halves, split down the middle, leaving a parting line that detracts from the finished look. The chassis is simplistic but the finished assembly is fairly strong Use superglue on the suspension though. There was a slight twist in the frame rails of my sample but by the time I had the final assembly done it was almost gone and barely noticeable. The body can be a little daunting as it is a multi-piece assembly and requires some putty to properly finish it as a smooth-sided car. Otherwise; the body fit was perfect. There was some flash on the parts but nothing a quick swipe of the hobby knife did not remedy. Assembly was smooth and the build went together without any major hitches. I did have one surprise that was a bit of a downer. The decals, while really crisp and nice looking, are all one sheet without break in the carrier between the individual decals. You have to cut each decal close to the shape. This is not a serious issue except cutting flames can be tedious. The decals were also very thin. Overall the build does look good when finished and it is a cool kit overall. But based on the few issues I had with major flash, needing body putty to make it look right and the decal sheet I would not recommend this to the novice builder. On a scale of 1 to 10 I rate this kit at 7.75. It is close to an 8 but I feel the decal sheet needs improvement for that rating.