This is a review of the AMT 1970 Chevy Corvette LT-1 Kit#6218

**CORVETTE EXTRAVAGANZA** FINAL POST! –> This is another kit that has a warm spot in my heart. This was originally made during the first 6 or 7 kits I ever made and – back then – it came out really nice. I can say it was probably one of my best early on. Not on the scale of OCD that I currently employ, but it was GOOD. And also blue. I had painted it a gloss blue (I think by brush), and I wanted a close color to match what I had done all those years ago.

So, there is NO Revell and very little in the way of choices. Either the above two, or pick a different year! The one on the left is cheap, full of flash, and orange (ICK!). The one on the right isn’t an LT-1 (carries a 427), and can run $70 or better. Not a great selection. Thankfully the kit I am reviewing is actually really good.

CAR BACKGROUND :: When most Corvette/car “nuts” talk about the C3 Corvette, they are typically talking about an L88 or some other 427 juggernaut. However, hiding in plain sight is the master of the C3 body.. the LT-1/ZR-1. Not many of these baddies were made, but they were made to run like almost nothing else. To start, they used one of the most potent 350s made in the muscle car era – an astonishing 370hp and 380lb-ft. Then the ZR-1 package added suspension, stabilizers, brakes, the M22 Rockcrusher transmission, special radiator, and more. What you got was a car that was almost as fast through the quarter (14.3 sec) as an L88, but would leave the fire-breathing 427 in the dust around the bends. Absolutely one of the best Vettes made and a personal favorite of mine.

I HAD to go blue, like I mentioned earlier, and Tamiya Blue was the way to do it. What a shine this paint gave. It IS a runny paint, so care is needed with spraying, but when it is right… it is spectacular! I am pretty sure I had to add a side mirror since AMTs are notorious for not including them, and I swapped out the tires for some red-line ones, but the rest of the build was from the kit. Watch for the chrome around the side windows – the back side doesn’t have any.

With this Vette, I decided to go blue w/ blue. The Nassau blue looks really nifty in this one and AMT’s typical MEH interior took a hiatus for this kit. The interior is actually not too shabby and the lighter colors truly bring the detail out. I don’t think I added anything but the directional stalk. I do wish that there were more detail on the doors.. including more bulge for the armrests.

Whereas the last 350ci I did from the ’78 MPC kit looked as mediocre as its performance figures, this 350 looks pretty good. It fits well, has all the amenities needed, and is an easy engine to work with. I’m pretty sure this has an air cleaner from another kit, but the one included is ok too. Like all early Vettes, the battery is on the bottom, so consequently not visible. I hate the missing battery as it seems “nude” to me. It isn’t as aggressive looking as the ’68 L88 either, but it is very clean.

I didn’t get a pic of the underside. Oh, well. Suffice to say, this model has almost no shortcomings underneath. The exhaust matches well to the engine; the detail is above average (esp for an AMT); and the chassis fits well to the body. The only thing of a nuisance are the exhaust tips. If you don’t pre-plan where the pipes end, the tips will need help attaching to them. It isn’t overly tough, but something to be careful of.

I can honestly say that this kit is one of the better AMT kits you’ll get. There is little to add; everything fits well; there is little flash; and the detail is VERY good. These kits are starting to climb in price as the last reissue wasn’t a very good one, so grab one up. Grab two or three while you’re at it!

** THANKS FOR ENJOYING THE CORVETTE EXTRAVAGANZA! **

8.75 Very Good