Round 2 has released its AMT 1/25 scale 1966 Shelby GT-350 Mustang plastic model kit for Carroll Shelby fans. Synonymous with speed, Shelby was an American auto designer, race car driver, and savvy businessman best known for his collaboration with the Ford Motor Company on the iconic AC Cobras and Ford Mustangs from the 1960s through the early 2000s. Introduced in 1965, the Shelby GT-350 got its name from the horsepower rating of its H.O. K-code 289 engine. Options such as a radio, air conditioning, and deluxe interior were not available. The Mustang name included on the box was also dropped.
Starting the build, the 289 ci engine can be built stock or modified for a custom or racing build. I decided to build the stock street version. This kit builds like an annual kit with metal axles, one that goes through the engine. The 16-part engine lacks much of the Shelby look and was sized to fit the inaccurate engine bay. The correctly styled oil pan and valve covers should be stripped of their chrome plating because Shelby units were made from cast aluminum.
I absolutely love the pad-printed wheels in modern AMT kits. The kit includes three different styles of wheels: racing, generic mags, and the iconic 10-spoke Shelby wheels. I chose the 10-spokes, stripping the too-thick chrome plating and repainting them with an aluminum finish. After painting and detailing, the wheels really look the part.
The Shelby GT-350 had a bare-bones, no-nonsense interior. The deluxe interior in this kit was never offered in the full-sized car, and the race parts were not true to this Shelby.
The suspension, exhaust, and drivetrain are molded together and must be carefully detail painted. Metal axles go through holes in the chassis, and all four wheels sat square on my workbench, with no warps in the chassis.
The AMT 1966 GT-350 fastback body looks like the iconic Shelby car. The 1966 GT-350s originally started with the Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue stripes, with four additional colors available in 1966: Candy Apple Red, Raven Black, Sapphire Blue, and Ivy Green. Hertz Rental Cars also had a version painted Raven Black with gold stripes. Only the blue and white sets of stripes are included in this kit.
I originally planned to match this build to the box art, but the decals had other ideas. After painting the body Ivy Green, the first decal I placed became light green; it was no longer white. The decals are thin, yes, but they are also translucent. After stripping the paint and repainting the car Wimbledon White, I applied the blue decals. Unfortunately, they are not the correct color blue; I also found them mottled, but from a foot or so away, you can’t see it.
During final assembly, everything fit, other than the rear side windows. It could have been my sample, but the rear windows did not fit correctly. The single side mirror in my sample had fallen off the sprue and disappeared, so that’s why my model is without a mirror.
Overall, the AMT 1/25 scale 1966 Shelby GT-350 Mustang plastic model kit looks like the iconic Shelby GT-350 on the outside, but underneath the skin, it is not accurate. The kit was easy to build, and a novice builder could create a pleasant looking shelf model from it. I recommended this kit for those looking for a nice-looking shelf build, but not if you’re a contest builder or looking for an accurate replica.