This is a review of the AMT ’62 T-Bird #30081

I have wanted to do this car for some time, and it just seemed to get put aside for a multitude of reasons – primarily because of how BAD this kit is. It is a shame, as there are a lot of pieces involved in this kit, but what is there transforms into a mess (except for the very experienced builders). I’ll explain later…

There is one crazy-old model (bottom) that is not only very similar to the “normals”, but is also super expensive. The two red-heads are duplicates of the one I put together, and the new one, I assume, is similar to the reds aside from some better decals, tires, and such.

CAR BACKGROUND :: The Thunderbird had been through a number of iterations since the original 2-seat sports machine, and the ’62 was the biggest and heaviest yet. At 205in, this convertible was a driveway-filling hunk of metal. That said, the T-Bird for this year is, IMHO, the best looking one of all. The lines are crisp and simple, the bumper is stylish, the hood has just enough muscle suggestion, and it looks as if it would entice even the most boring person into blasting down the road with the top down and music up! The big heavy looker didn’t become a disgusting slouch either. With a 390ci and some 300 horses, the big coupe would gobble up tarmac as well as most cars on the road. No, you wouldn’t see any of these suckers at the local dragway, but it was about style and comfort more than laying rubber or time slips.

If you look on my “FORD” page, you’ll see the burgundy T-Bird this is modeled after, and I think this came out beautifully. Tamiya Burgundy is a challenging paint to get right (it can have a spot that separates, and there are trouble with glossing), but when it does, it is spectacular. Thankfully, there is also NOTHING to have to fix or add to the kit as well.

As I mentioned earlier, however, the kit is indeed trash. There is a good bit of flash, the body refuses to take the interior without a LOT of help, the front bumper is angled and tough to glue on tight, the tires aren’t whitewalls and boring as all heck, and the glass is a treacherous folly of not ruining the whole car with the glass being a glue monstrosity. The bottom of the car is also an issue. There isn’t much to do, and the details are light.

This engine bay is VERY good for an AMT. There is a lot of detail; a lot of engine to build; it all fits well, and even the “blackening” you have to do to the bay is easy, given its shape. NOW, you will NOT get this look from the kit as-is. The car comes with a tri-power engine, and although it might have been available, the 390, 4-barrel not only looks beautiful, but is also the more realistic one for this car. I cannot think of an engine bay I’ve done recently that I am more pleased with.

The interior of this car IRL is stunning. There is chrome for days, and the buckets are incredibly comfy. Thankfully, AMT made this interior with enough detail to bring out the glamour the car had. I would have liked to do a black & white look, but the interior and chassis were one piece, and it was far easier to black out the whole shebang. NOTE: the steering column has both directional and gear shift stalks – not typical for many models.

Yup, the car came out fabulous. Yup, I almost threw it into the wall numerous times. With all the problems this kit can hand you, it is NOT for the novice builder. The good news, however, is this kit is amongst the cheapest on the internet (saying whatever site you are on isn’t rooking you). My advice… get a couple so you have some extra pieces in case of a goof. After the most recent re-issue, you may as well, since it won’t be a pricey kit anytime soon… if ever.

6.0 – Fair