1963 Chevrolet Impala SS (Custom)

This is a review of the AMT ’63 Impala #8321

Gotta say I am having excellent luck with the Impalas as of late, and this one is the crowning achievement of LUCK. This could be one of the worst models I’ve ever built and I made it worse by my changing out some of the stuff – adding to the garbage build situations. I’ll explain later, but there is a lot to fear in this build. In the end, a Revell kit – though more pricey – will fix ALL the problems I will be covering.

The 1963 Impala has a lot of models to choose from – including the top left oldie that commands some $300. Some are good, and some… not so much. The expensive one, the Prestige version, and the Revells make for the best-equipped builds. The others (pretty sure inclusive) all have the problems I will mention as I discuss the build.

CAR BACKGROUND :: Chevy full-size cars are argumentally the best sleepers of the ’60s, and the 1963 is a prime example of it. Where the base 4-door (shown above) may sport the tepid 6-cyl, the badasses come with the 409ci dual 4-barrel. 425 horsepower with the two fours and 400 with the single 4-barrel, the 409 made the “everyday” Impala a colossal nutcase in a drag race. I say “everyday”, but the Impala was also elegant from every angle, had some serious opulence on the inside, and as much room as you could buy in 1963.

Jet-smooth indeed.

First, some of the upgrade-y stuff. The paint – Tamiya Orange. I wanted to do some custom to this turd and it came out spectacularly. As an FYI, there is a amazing amount of chrome to detail – though thankfully it is simple to work with. I changed the tires and used the rims off a different model because I had to use different wheelbacks with the axles. I also added a ’64 Impala side mirror to match the look, since the kit didn’t have one.

Next, I mentioned above that this kit is missing a lot of pieces and the engine bay is one of the worst examples of that. To start with, the engine is a garbage. It is molded oddly, has too much awkward shaping, has lousy chrome, and is just boring. With that, I swapped in a 454ci V8 from a ’70 Impala SS – along with the valve covers and a new air cleaner. Also, the bay is missing ANY type of radiator, a decent brake booster, and a radiator hose (obviously since there was no radiator). It is a barren mess that I have saved, but not without work.

Along with the 454 swap, I also had to add some extensions to the already molded exhaust. Fantastic that they have a base with molded exhaust AND side exhaust that you are able to use – makes no sense. I WAS able to create extensions that look right by cutting the molded pieces and adding a couple of “bends” from another exhaust piece. I also added a few tips at the end as the molded exhaust ends with no exit. The underside is also a plethora of mediocrity. There are also no shocks, mufflers, suspension, tie rods, or anything of worth to assemble or paint.

Thankfully, the interior is about the best thing with this kit. The only things missing are the rearview mirror and a directional stalk. I didn’t LIKE the gear shift, but that is preference, not omition. I used Insignia White for the apolstry and black for the dash and floor. It is bold and shows up well against the orange. A part of me was going to add some orange (dash, stripped seats, door inserts, etc) but there is so much OJ in the exterior and firewall, I was good with leaving well enough alone.

Along with the disgusting lack of good pieces in this kit are a truck-load of custom, aftermarket, performance, lowrider, and car-show crap that is completely misplaced when you realize you need to raid the parts bin for some dozen pieces to make the stock version. Nowhere on the kit does it say “build stock minus a few key pieces”, but that’s what you end up with. There are also flash issues (the body in my kit was riddled with flash that basically ruined it, so I ordered a replacement body from eBay), issues with the rear bumper not seating properly if you use the holes for the chassis-frame merge (I cut the hole section off and glued to the body), and chrome issues in many of the kits I’ve seen (fading, flaking, poor coating, etc).

I built this one because I have ridiculous numbers of parts and I was going custom, but unless you just don’t have the extra cash for the Revell version, you should stay clear of this abomination and stick with Revell’s stuff. I can also say this one won’t be a “collector” anytime soon as there were so many AND Revell’s are better. I hear the kits are good for target-shooting, LOL.

4.25 – Broken