Ford’s 1970 Galaxie was one of the Blue Oval’s best fleet-service vehicles and saw use all over the U.S. for as police cruisers and fire chief cars as well as taxi cabs. With its 121-inch wheelbase and a variety of engines ranging from the 240 inline six-cylinder to the mighty 380 horsepower 429 V8, the Galaxie was a versatile vehicle suitable for extreme duty.
AMT’s 1970 Ford Galaxie started life as an LTD four-door hardtop promotional model in 1970. Shortly thereafter, it was converted to the Galaxie and sold as an unassembled promo. Offered in many configurations (including police and fire chief cars), this new version in molded in yellow and includes additional parts to build the taxi option.
The included 18-part 429 engine matches past Galaxie police-car versions and is fairly nondescript. As is typical with promo models, a hole pierces the oil pan to accommodate the metal axle. An optional block plate for the chassis depicts the lower part of the engine and is what I used on my model. However, I did build the engine for you to see.
The basic chassis builds quickly. The rear axle and exhaust come integrated, and it wasn’t long before I had it rolling on steel wheels with poverty caps and pad-printed Goodyear tires.
The simplified interior has a two-piece front seat, dash, steering wheel, radio, and meter. Kudos to AMT for including two different instrument-panel decals for the dash. The one installed was the upscale option with wood grain.
The Galaxie body came molded in yellow clear of swirl marks and only minimal flash. What the heck? I treated it NOVUS No. 2 plastic polish for a nice overall shine and left it as is. However, the plastic is translucent, so I shot the inside of the body with gray primer. I permanently attached the hood (without the engine inside), and brought up the brightwork with Bare-Metal Foil. The decals look the part and go down quite well.
The one-piece glass and interior fit without any issues, and the chrome front and rear panels lined up nicely between the body and chassis. And just like the old-school promos, four screws hold it all in place. All that left were the taillights and the taxi sign on the roof. On my sample, the attaching point for the sideview mirror on the sprue was chromed over, so I do not believe it was ever on tree.
But we’re not done! The kit provides luggage you can build. I painted the bags burnt orange with Molotow Liquid Chrome around edges and plastered them with travel stickers from the decal sheet.
Remember, this kit is a direct promo descendent, so don’t go in expecting the super detail you’ll find in completely modern kits. Still, the body proportions are relatively accurate, and even if you decide that a taxi isn’t your thing, you can use the model for other four-door Galaxie projects. If you add AMT Parts Pack tires and black out the chrome, you suddenly have a very different Galaxie. Keep an open mind.
I would recommend the AMT 1970 Ford Galaxie Taxi to anyone who wants and enjoys modeling an unusual four-door. It will also work for adults looking for a simple build or as a starting point for the novice modeler.