Reviews : AMT 1959 Chrysler Imperial

This is a dealer style promo masquerading as a curbside kit and there really isn't all that much difference. It's a replica of a rare subject to find molded in plastic, and it screws together just like most of the kits that excited kids in the late fifties and early sixties... Me included. AMT just didn't bother to update this one to anywhere near the level of some of their other curbside offerings. They could, I suppose, market it as a Craftsman Series kit; but they don't. They're not hiding anything, what's in the box is printed on the bottom of the box, nowadays, for all to see. I believe Model King was the impetus for AMT bringing this nostalgic land yacht out of mothballs some years ago. I think it can build into a decent looking model, made for sitting on the shelf; just don't turn it over! (I have two of them to build).

Disappointed in the detail. Curbside model- no engine. Even on the underside, there's virtually no engine detail to pick out. Exhaust, gas tank, front suspension and rear suspension are all molded in; plus detail is lacking making it difficult to highlight areas. Interior detail including front seat are all in the tub and sorely lacking detail- especially on door cards. Glass fits poorly. HIGHLY recommend cutting the glass and installing the front and rear as separate pieces rather than the 1-piece provided. All lights molded into chrome. Body screws to frame. Makes an acceptable kit but no a prized build. If you love the 50's (like I am) and or/ Mopar fan, the buy the kit. Otherwise... buyer beware!

Remember the line; Got me a Chrysler. It's as big as a whale, and it's about to set sail! Well, this is exactly what this car is! However, it is curbside - no engine. the underside has minimal detail. On the plus side, this land yacht has more chrome than three kits and all sorts of goodies to customize the car. Too expensively priced for what you get, however. It's just okay, and the surgery to try and get an engine installed is just not worth it. Sadly, it's an old kit that really shows its age. I actually would not recommend it.

I loved this project so much I did two back to back builds. The kit offered so many options to customize the vehicles which made it a great experience. The instructions however, lacked clarity and were challenging to interpret at first, but I walked away from the first one several times and came back to it. The tips I learned from the first build made the second build much easier.

This is a curbside or promo type model - no engine and minimal parts count, but builds into a nice shelf model. It has metal axles and a screw on chassis. The body lines and proportions are spot on, the chrome quality is excellent as are the pad printed whitewall tires. There are a few fit issues, but nothing an experienced modeler can fix.

No motor or suspension to build or install. Very limited detail. No challenge at all. Disappointed in what I paid for, but got the overall project I wanted done.