1966 Ford Galaxie 500 1:25 Scale AMT Model Kit #904 Review

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1966 Ford Galaxie 500 1:25 Scale AMT Model Kit #904 Review

Review and Photos by Alan Mann

The Galaxie is a full-size car built by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1959 through 1974. The name was used for the top models in Ford’s full-size range in a marketing attempt to appeal to the excitement surrounding the Space Race. In 1962, all full-size Fords wore the Galaxie badge, with “500” and “500/XL” denoting the higher series. A new model was introduced for 1966; the Galaxie 500 7 Liter, fitted with a new engine, the 428ci Thunderbird V8 and was a response to a demand for a more street friendly engine than the racing-built 427. After withdrawing from NASCAR competition in 1957, Henry Ford II decided it was time for Ford to get back on the track and become competitive in 1961. Once the decision was made to get back into factory-backed stock car racing, those first phone calls went out to the Holman & Moody race shop in Charlotte, North Carolina. Late in 1965, Holman & Moody driver Fred Lorenzen tested the viability of a custom 427 SOHC motor combination at Daytona. When it was determined that a SOHC Galaxie would be uncompetitive against Hemi-powered Dodge and Plymouth intermediate race cars, Ford decided to boycott the NASCAR Grand National Series shortly after the 1966 season began. As a result, few races were contested by 1966 Galaxie stock cars. By the time Ford decided to lift the factory ban late in the 1966 season, most Ford team drivers were driving the smaller, slippery “half chassis” intermediate Fairlanes, and so ended the era of big 427 Galaxie stock car racing.

For the modeler: This review covers the Re-release (Re-Pop) of the AMT 1/25 scale 1966 Ford Galaxy 500 by Round2 under the AMT brand. This is one of the “Retro Deluxe” kits with Vintage box art and bonus goodies! The kit is Skill level 2 for the moderate builder. There are roughly 140 parts molded in White, Chrome, Clear and Clear Red and has Vinyl tires with metal axles. You can build this as a Stock, Custom or Race car and is considered a 3n1 kit. The motor has multiple options and is quite detailed. Using a simple wired distributor greatly enhances the engine bay appearance. The chassis is quite detailed and has multiple exhaust options. The interior detail is typical of the period with a solid tub and interior details. You get a full Race version and all Stock parts for assembly. The body looks straight with minimal mold lines and crisp exterior badges. This is kit is designated as a 7 Liter but would not be so in the Race version. You get a full set of Street tires with Tampo Print whitewalls, a full set of Goodyear Blue Streak race tires and a set of Drag M&H Racemaster tires with Tampo Printing. The decals are a generic race team style with period sponsors and number 6 car decals. Authentic race team version decal sets can be found online by s number of vendors to replicate your favorite driver. The kit decals are typical of the high quality decals Round 2 has released as of late. The instructions sheet is a re-creation of the original and can be confusing with all the options, as they are all denoted on the same assembly sequences. Take your time with the instructions, they have explanations but you must read the whole assembly sequence and omit the excess parts for your version. Overall dimensions are: Length: 8”, Width: 3-1/2”, Height” 2-1/4”.

 

Covered in this Review:  This is a great re-release and it is good to see it come with the 3n1 options. The one issue is that the ability to create an accurate Grand National car from a top of the line Stock version is hindered by the fact the chrome details are molded onto the body. While overall the body is correct the Grand National cars did not have all the chrome trim. While this is a simple fix by just removing the trim on the sides the wipers are more difficult. That being said this is a great build. The motor has Stock, Custom and Race options and the details are fairly crisp. Wiring the motor is not difficult and adds a little extra detail that finishes off the engine. The interior tub is slight of details. This was normal with earlier AMT kits of this period and it is difficult to detail the door panels. The other interior details are crisp though. You get parts for the Stock and Race versions of the interior. A simple roll cage is about all that is used in the race version. The chassis has nice details molded into it. The kit suspension is typical of the time when metal axles were used and simply inserted through the chassis. The tire selection is great and the Tampo-printed whitewalls are of good quality. The body was straight but the panel lines are a bit shallow and can get lost under paint if care is not taken. Other than the hood, the body is a one piece unit which eases painting overall. The decals are very thin in this kit, so take extra care not to rip them as you place them. Use a good setting solution or extra water when placing them on the body. Also give a little extra float time for them to move off the paper backing more easily. Final fit is good and the finished build is solid. The instructions are not difficult; and if you read the written directions building each version is laid out fairly well. Round 2 includes some neat extra goodies in the box also. There is a Mini-Box you can cut out and assemble as well as a single sheet Paint Matching Guide to ease painting. Overall this was a very straight-forward build that went together with ease and no issues. There was not much flash at all and mold lines were minimal. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this a 9.

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