Scale Auto – October 2019

62 Scale Auto • OCTOBER 2019

The Round 2 rerelease of

AMT’s Chevy police van is

an ambitious kit with 177

parts called out on the instruction

sheet. Unlike its previous incarnation,

the van’s body comes as a single piece. I

removed the molded-in hood, opting

for the separate part so I could see

inside the engine compartment.

Fourteen parts make up the front

suspension, including lower control

arms, shocks, tie rods, drop links, and a

complete steering column that connects

the steering wheel to the tie rods.

Unfortunately, there are no positive

locators for connecting these parts to

the frame, and the instructions are

vague enough to leave you wondering

about placement. So, take care and test-

fit parts.

The front crossmember (Part 83)

needs to curve forward to allow

clearance for the engine oil

pan. There are two sets of

uprights and backing plates

for the front wheels. The

illustration shows one set,

while the part numbers

refer to the other set. You

can use either set, but be

sure you choose the parts

that are meant to work

together. Disappointingly,

the backing plates stick out

well behind the wheels,

instead of fitting properly

inside the wheels.

cylinder head to fit the valve cover. The

timing chain cover is molded separately

from the water pump; remove some of

the bolt detail from the cover to get the

pump to fit. Many engine parts come

chrome. Unless you’re building a

custom van, these should all be stripped

and painted the same color as the

engine. At some point in

the ’70s, GM stopped

painting Chevy engines

orange and went to a light

blue for everything, so that’s

what I chose.

There’s a hole in the

firewall for a brake master

cylinder, I couldn’t find the

part in the instructions or

on the sprues.

I depicted an ex-NYPD

van used by a fly-by-night

repairman in the Big Apple,

so I didn’t require all the

decals. However, the stripes

and vehicle numbers went

down without fuss.

This kit offers several

optional parts to fit your

vision without requiring

you to raid your spares box.

It does need modeling work

though. If a van is up your

alley, and you have a few

builds under your belt, pick

this kit up and let your

imagination run wild.

• Eric White

AMT Chevy Police Van (NYPD)

The tie rod between the uprights

requires cutting and fitting, as does the

rear axle. The metal shaft that runs

through the rear axle is shorter than the

space between the outside of the

springs, relying on the stems on the rear

wheels to make the connection.

I used the stock wheels and tires;

there are no backing plates

for the rear wheels. Part 38

for the inner wheel rim

didn’t work as well as Part 94

to get a secure fit for the

tires. An optional pair of

Firestone all-terrain tires and

four five-spoke chrome

wheels are included.

A small-block Chevy V8

with automatic transmission

sits under the hood. I

scraped the mounting tabs

from the passenger-side

Round 2 No. AMT1123/12

Molded Colors: White, clear, clear

red, yellow, blue, chrome plated;

soft black

Scale: 1/25

MSRP: $28.99

Pros: Lots of optional parts for

customizing; interesting subject

Cons: Vague instructions; lack of

positive locators on frame; soft

tire detail

THIS KIT

OFFERS

SEVERAL

OPTIONAL

PARTS TO FIT

YOUR VISION

WITHOUT

HAVING TO

RAID YOUR

SPARES BOX.